Records To Die For

Jeff Buckley: Mystery White Boy: Live '95-'96

Jeff Buckley (vocals, guitar), Michael Tighe (guitar), Mick Grondahl (bass), Matt Johnson (drums)
Columbia 4979722 (CD, 16/44.1 FLAC, Qobuz/Tidal). 2000. Mary Guibert, Michael Tighe, prods.

I was late to Jeff Buckley's music, not becoming aware of his enormous talent as a songwriter/guitarist/singer until long after his premature death in 1997. His album Grace was one of my 2007 Records to Die For, and soon after that I bought Mystery White Boy: Live '95-'96 . It took me a while to warm up to Mystery White Boy as, rather than an organic recording of a single concert, it was captured at events in France and the US between February 1995 and February 1996. But from the opening reverb-soaked clicks that precede the gently strummed guitar riff at the start of the first track through the impassioned vocals, the thunderous drums, and the wailing guitars, it became obvious that while this album lacks the sonic perfection of Grace, it captures the coherent musical magic of a live event. It organically transports me into Buckley's world. The closer, his reading of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," never fails to raise goosebumps.

Joni Mitchell: Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol.4: The Asylum Years
Joni Mitchell, vocals, guitar, many others
Rhino (6 CDs; 24/192 FLAC, Qobuz). 2024. Joni Mitchell, Patrick Milligan, prod., Andy Johns, eng., Sean Brennan, Patrick Milligan, mixing; Joel Bernstein, tape research & tape recording, Bernie Grundman, mastering.

Not only was Joni Mitchell's Shadows and Light, which was recorded at the Santa Barbara County Bowl in September 1979, one of my 2005 Records to Die For, it is one of the best live albums of all time. And how could it not be, with Pat Metheny on guitar, Lyle Mays on keyboards, Don Alias on percussion, Michael Brecker on tenor sax, Jaco Pastorius on fretless bass guitar, and The Persuasions on backup vocals? Along with Herbie Hancock, those incomparable musicians appear on several tracks on this compilation of demos, alternate takes from studio albums, and live performances—both solo as well as with a band—recorded between November 1975 and September 1979. The sound quality ranges from a single microphone in a noisy club to full studio high fidelity, but throughout the seven hours and almost 100 tracks what shines through is Mitchell's story-telling genius. It might be thought that at age 81 her performing days are long over, except she has made personal appearances at recent concerts. But whether she performs or not, this album is convincing evidence that Joni Mitchell will be remembered both as one of rock music's foremost songwriters and as one of the most innovative guitarists.

Hiroshi Yoshimura: Green
LITA 192 Y1986/2020 (LP). Yoshimura, prod.; No eng. listed.

In the midst today of being rediscovered, the late Hiroshi Yoshimura was a master at composing electronic music on synths whose shifting textures and gentle rhythms were often commissioned as sound design for museums, fashion shows, even airports. Running water opens "Creek" before synths insistently invoke a rising, burbling melodic pattern. "Feel" is more wavering synth figures, and the title track, which opens with the sound of falling rain, benefits from a serene melody played in Fender Rhodes–like tones. This ambient masterpiece was reissued in 2020 by Light in the Attic on swirled green vinyl that was pressed at RTI.

Lemon Twigs: A Dream Is All We Know
Captured Tracks CT375LPC2 (LP). 2024. Brian and Michael D'Addario, prods.; Michael D'Addario, eng.

Both music and studio geeks, with deep knowledge of both gear and songwriting, it was only a matter of time before the Long Island–bred D'Addario brothers produced a classic. Here the multitalented brothers' many musical influences—Brian Wilson, John and Paul, The Byrds, innumerable '70s rock sounds—come together in spectacular fashion. The hooks, singing, and studio mastery here are impressive. Tunes like the irresistible opener "My Golden Years," the Wilson homage, "In the Eyes of the Girl," and "Peppermint Roses" with its obvious nod to the Beatles are all energetic, power pop successes. All in bright and vital sound.

Miles Davis: The Musings Of Miles
Miles Davis, trumpet; Red Garland, piano; Oscar Pettiford, bass; Philly Joe Jones, drums.
Prestige PRLP 707 (LP). 1955. Bob Weinstock, prod.; Rudy Van Gelder, eng.

An underrated gem, Davis's first 12" LP finds him in a post-cool, pre-modal hard-bop mold, spotlighted as the sole horn fronting a rhythm trio. He turns a standard into a classic on the opening "Will You Still Be Mine?," his expressive phrasing displaying his bebop roots. Show tunes and originals follow, but the high point is "A Night in Tunisia," where Miles puts his distinctive stamp on the familiar Dizzy Gillespie number. Garland's block chords add percussive emphasis, while Pettiford and Jones sparkle with a rhythmic acuity that's beyond solid. The warmth and clarity of the audio are distinctly Van Gelder.

Johnny Colon & Orchestra: Boogaloo Blues
Cotique C-1004 (LP). 1967. George Goldner, prod.; Ron Johnson, eng.

Recorded at the height of the short-lived Latin boogaloo craze, pianist/trombonist Johnny Colón's debut album virtually defines the genre, a blend of Afro-Cuban styles with R&B and pop, sung in both Spanish and English. Colón's brash, trombone-heavy sound, echoing Eddie Palmieri's band La Perfecta, anticipates Willie (no relation) Colón's similar approach. Mixing boogaloos ("Mira Ven Acá") with Cuban ("Guantanamera") and Puerto Rican ("Mi Querída Bomba") forms, Johnny stays firmly in a pulsating groove, emphatically so on the salsa-esque "Jumpy" and "Canallón." The English-language title track, with the chorus "LSD has a hold on me," is a stunner.