Tag Archives: 2014

Swans: To Be Kind

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Swans_To_Be_Kind

On May 12, 2014, “Young God” label released “To Be Kind”, the thirteenth Swans studio album. It was recorded in 2006, at “Sonic Ranch”  in Tornillo, Texas, and was produced by Michael Gira.

Personnel:

  • Michael Gira– vocals, electric and acoustic guitar, production
  • Christoph Hahn –vocals, lap steel guitars, electric guitar
  • Christopher Pravdica – vocals, bass guitar, acoustic guitar
  • Thor Harris– vocals, drums, percussion, vibes and bells, wind instruments, handmade viola
  • Phil Puleo– vocals, drums, percussion, dulcimer, piano, keyboards
  • Norman Westberg – vocals, acoustic and electric guitar
  • Rex Emerson –mandolin
  • John Congleton– piano
  • Sean Kirkpatrick– piano, harpsichord, synthesizer
  • Bill Rieflin– synthesizer, piano, keyboards, electric guitar, bass guitar, additional drums and percussion,
  • Evan Weiss –trumpet
  • David Pierce –trombone
  • Daniel Hart– violin
  • Julia Kent– strings and string arrangements
  • Little Annie– vocals
  • Al Spx– backing vocals
  • Vincent– backing vocals
  • Jennifer Church – backing vocals
  • John Congleton – recording, mixing
  • Doug Henderson– mastering
  • Bob Biggs – artwork

Track listing:

All lyrics by Michael Gira.

  1. Screen Shot – Michael Gira
  2. Just a Little Boy (forChester Burnett) – Michael Gira, Christoph Hahn, Thor Harris, Christopher Pravdica, Phil Puleo, Norman Westberg
  3. A Little God in My Hands – Michael Gira
  4. Bring the Sun / Toussaint L’Ouverture – Michael Gira, Christoph Hahn, Thor Harris, Christopher Pravdica, Phil Puleo, Norman Westberg
  5. Some Things We Do – Michael Gira
  6. She Loves Us – Michael Gira, Christoph Hahn, Thor Harris, Christopher Pravdica, Phil Puleo, Norman Westberg
  7. Kristen Supine – Michael Gira
  8. Oxygen – Michael Gira
  9. Nathalie Neal – Michael Gira
  10. To Be Kind – Michael Gira, Christoph Hahn, Thor Harris, Christopher Pravdica, Phil Puleo, Norman Westberg

Santana: Corazon

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Corazon

On May 6, 2014, “RCA” label released “Corazón”, the twenty-second Santana studio album. It was recorded recorded at “Odds On Studios” in Las Vegas; The Bank at Burbank”, “Cia. dos Técnicos Studio” in Rio de Janeiro;  “ART House Studio”,
“Crescent Moon Studios” in Miami; “Art Dealer Chic Studios” in Los Angeles; “Tarpan Studios” in San Rafael and “Ocean Way Recording” in Hollywood, and was produced by Lester Mendez.

Personnel:

  • Carlos Santana- lead guitar, twelve-string guitar, classical guitar, percussion, arrangements, mixing
  • Vicentico- vocals
  • Javany Javier & Ximena Muñoz – vocal performance
  • Tommy Anthony, Tony Lindsay and Andy Vargas – vocals
  • Larissa R. Nascimento – backing vocals
  • Tommy Anthony – rhythm guitar
  • Tim Pierce- rhythm guitar
  • Samuel Rosa- rhythm guitar
  • Miguel- rhythm guitar
  • Emily Stefan – additional guitars
  • Benny Rietveld – bass
  • Flavio Cianciarulo- bass and rhythm guitar
  • David K. Mathews – keyboards
  • Zac Rae – keyboards
  • Mario Siperman – keyboards
  • Lester Mendez- keyboard programming
  • Dennis Chambers- drums
  • Fernando Ricciardi – drums
  • Cindy Blackman-Santana- drums
  • Josh Connolly – drum programming
  • Karl Perazzo – timbales, percussion
  • Raul Rekow – congas
  • Paoli Mijias – congas
  • Gloria Estefan – vocals
  • Ziggy Marley – vocals
  • Laercio da Costa – additional percussion
  • Jeff Cressman – trombone
  • David Stout – trombone and horn arrangement
  • Bill Ortiz – trumpet
  • Daniel Lozano – trumpet
  • Harry Kim– trumpet
  • Sergio Rotman – tenor saxophone
  • Dave Pozzi – tenor saxophone
  • Wayne Shorter– saxophone
  • Pedro Alfonso – violin

Track listing:

  1. Saideira – Samuel Rosa, Rodrigo F. Leao
  2. La Flaca – Pau Dones
  3. Mal Bicho – Flavio Oscar Cianciarulo
  4. Oye 2014 – Eernest “Tito” Puente, Niles Hollowell-Dhar, Amando Christian Perez
  5. Iron Lion Zion – Bob Marley
  6. Una Noche en Nápoles – Thomas Mack Lauderdale, China F. Forbes
  7. Besos de Lejos – Teofilo Chantre, Gerard Mendes
  8. Margarita – Romeo Santos
  9. Indy – Miguel Pimentel
  10. Feel it Coming Back – Rafael Esparza-Ruiz, Yoel Henríquez
  11. Yo Soy La Luz – Rafael Esparza-Ruiz, Yoel Henríquez
  12. I See Your Face – Bola Sete

My Morning Jacket: The Waterfall

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Waterfall_

On May 4, 2015, “ATO Records” released “The Waterfall”, the seventh My Morning Jacket studio album. It was recorded 2013–2014, at “Panoramic House” in Stinson Beach, California, and was produced by Tucker Martine and Jim James.

Personnel:

  • Jim James– lead vocals, guitar, artwork
  • Carl Broemel– guitar, backing vocals
  • Tom Blankenship– bass guitar
  • Patrick Hallahan– drums
  • Bo Koster– keyboards, backing vocals
  • Michael Finn – keyboards, recording
  • Tucker Martin – percussion, mixing
  • Anna Fritz – strings, backing vocals
  • Kyleen King – strings, backing vocals
  • Patti King – strings, backing vocals
  • Brittany Howard– backing vocals
  • Neil Krug – artwork
  • Danny Cash – layout
  • Kevin Ratterman – recording, sequencing
  • Bob Ludwig– mastering

Track listing:

All tracks by Jim James, except where noted.

  1. Believe (Nobody Knows)
  2. Compound Fracture
  3. Like a River
  4. In Its Infancy (The Waterfall)
  5. Get the Point
  6. Spring (Among the Living)
  7. Thin Line
  8. Big Decisions – Jim James, Dan Wilson
  9. Tropics (Erase Traces)
  10. Only Memories Remain

Damon Albarn: Everyday Robots

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Damon Albarn-Everyday robots

On April 25, 2014, “Parlaphone” label released “Everyday Robots”, the debut Damon Albarn album. It was recorded 2011 – 2013, at “Studio 13” in Portobelo Road, and was produced by Damon Albarn, Richard Russell and Brian Eno.

Personnel:

  • Damon Albarn– lead and backing vocals, piano, guitar, Omnichord, ukulele, drum machine, bass, choir, Korg M1, synthesizer, engineer, mixing, executive production
  • Brian Eno – vocals, synthesizers
  • Richard Russell–drum programming, MIDI, drum machine, MPC, AKAI MPC 500, spoken word, mixing, sampling, Roland TR-909, engineer, executive production
  • Mike Smith– live keyboards, string arrangements
  • Simon Tong– additional guitar
  • Jeff Wootton– guitar, bass
  • Seye – live bass, live guitar
  • Pauli the PSM– live drums
  • Dan Carpenter – trumpet
  • Nicholas Hougham – French horn
  • The Leytonstone City Mission Choir – choir, backing vocals
  • Kris Chen – spoken word
  • Richard Buckley– voice sample, backing vocals
  • Veona Byfield-Bowen – choir, chorus
  • Margurita Edwards – choir, chorus
  • Conroy Griffiths – choir, chorus
  • Celia Murphy – choir, chorus
  • Patsy Walsh – choir, chorus
  • Mary Oldacre – choir, chorus
  • Robert Morley– voice sample
  • Natasha Khan– backing vocals
  • Timothy Leary– voice sample, backing vocals
  • Jerome O’Connell – steel pans
  • Ollie Langford – violin
  • Demon Strings– strings
  • Isabelle Dunn – strings
  • Kotono Sato – strings
  • Alice Pratley – strings
  • Antonia Pagulatos – strings
  • Stephen Sedgwick – recording, engineer, mixing
  • Ian Eason – engineer
  • Kaktus Einarsson – engineer assistant
  • John Foyle – engineer assistant
  • Kevin Metcalfe – mixing, mastering
  • Aitor Throup– packaging, creative director
  • Jamie Carter – director, editor
  • Yonni Lappin – camera operator
  • Passion Pictures– CGI Production
  • Charles Moriarty – photography technician

Track listing:

All tracks by Damon Albarn.

  1. Everyday Robots
  2. Hostiles
  3. Lonely Press Play
  4. Tembo
  5. Parakeet
  6. The Selfish Giant
  7. You and Me
  8. Hollow Ponds
  9. Seven High
  10. Photographs
  11. The History of a Cheating Heart
  12. Heavy Seas of Love

The Stranglers: Rattus Norvegicus

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Stranglers_-_Rattus_Norvegicus

On April 15, 1977,”United Artists” label released “Rattus Norvegicus”, the debut Stranglers (The) studio album. It was recorded 20 December 1976 – 28 January 1977 at “TW Studios” in  Fulham, ”Olympic Studios”  in London, and was produced by Martin Rushen. In 2014, “NME” magazine ranked it at number 196 in its list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Hugh Cornwell – lead and backing vocals, guitars
  • Dave Greenfield– lead and backing vocals, keyboards
  • Jean-Jacques Burnel – lead and backing vocals, bass guitar
  • Jet Black– percussion
  • Eric Clarke – tenor saxophone
  • Alan Winstanley– engineer
  • Benny King – engineer assistant, mixing
  • Doug Bennett– mixing
  • Paul Henry– art direction, artwork, sleeve design
  • Trevor Rogers– photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Hugh Cornwell, Dave Greenfield, Jean-Jacques Burnel and Jet Black.

  1. Sometimes
  2. Goodbye Toulouse
  3. London Lady
  4. Princess of the Streets
  5. Hanging Around
  6. Peaches
  7. (Get A) Grip (On Yourself)
  8. Ugly
  9. Down in the Sewer

The Presidents Of The United States Of America: Kudos To You

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Kudos_to_You!_Album

On February 14, 2014, “PUSA Inc” label released “Kudos to You!” the sixth Presidents of the United States of America (The) studio album. It was recorded in 2007, and October and November 2013, and was produced by Martin Feveyear, Chris Ballew, Andrew McKeag, Jason Finn and John Roderick.

Personnel:

  • Chris Ballew– vocals, bass guitar
  • Andrew McKeag– guitar
  • Jason Finn– drums
  • John Roderick– backing vocals
  • Martin Feveyear– vocals
  • Derek Vander Griend, Evan Bross – layout, art direction

Track listing:

All tracks by Chris Ballew, except where noted.

  1. Slow Slow Fly
  2. Crappy Ghost
  3. Good Morning Tycoon
  4. Poor Little Me
  5. Rooftops in Spain
  6. Stay with Me – Chris Ballew, Tad Hutchison
  7. Crown Victoria
  8. Electric Spider
  9. Finger Monster
  10. Flea Versus Mite
  11. Innocent Bird
  12. Ohio – Chris Ballew, Dave Thiele
  13. She’s a Nurse
  14. Truckstop on the Moon

Metallica: Same

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Metallica-the-Black-Album

On August 12, 1991, “Elektra” label released the self-titled, fifth Metallica album (known as “The Black Album”). It was recorded October 1990 – June 1991, at “One on One Recording Studios” and was produced by Bob Rock, James Hetfield, and Lars Ulrich. The album received worldwide critical acclaim and became the band’s best selling album ever. As of November 2014, the album has spent 328 weeks on the “Billboard” album chart, making it one of the ten longest-running discs of all time. The album was certified 16× Platinum in the USA by the “RIAA”. On December 13, 2012, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked the album at number 225 on its list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • James Hetfield– lead vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, lead guitar and harmony guitar solo
  • Kirk Hammett– lead guitar
  • Jason Newsted– bass guitar, backing vocals
  • Lars Ulrich– drums, percussion
  • Michael Kamen– orchestral arrangement

Track listing:

All lyrics by James Hetfield.

  1. Enter Sandman – James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett
  2. Sad but True –James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich
  3. Hotter Than Thou – James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich
  4. The Unforgiven – James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett
  5. Wherever I May Roam – James Hatfield, Lars Ulrich
  6. Don’t Tread on Me – James Hatfield, Lars Ulrich
  7. Through the Never – James Hatfield, Lars Ulrich
  8. Nothing Else Matters – James Hatfield, Lars Ulrich
  9. Of Wolf and Man – James Hatfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett
  10. The God That Failed – James Hatfield, Lars Ulrich
  11. My Friend of Misery – James Hatfield, Lars Ulrich, Jason Newsted
  12. The Struggle Within – James Hatfield, Lars Ulrich

Idris Muhammad

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On July 29, 2014, Leo Morris aka Idris Muhammad died aged 73. He was musician (drums, percussion), whose drumming crossed over several musical styles including funk, jazz, and rhythm and blues and has performed and recorded extensively with number of musicians, including  Pharoah Sanders, Gene Ammons, Fats Domino, Roberta Flack, Grover Washington, Sam Cooke, Curtis Mayfield, Lou Donaldson, Bob James, Randy Weston, Bobbi Humphrey, Andrew Hill, Bob Stewart, Sonny Stitt, Ahmad Jamal, John Scofield, George Coleman, Paul Desmond, Grant Green, Stanley Turrentine, Joe Lovano, Tisziji Munoz, Roots, Freddie Hubbard, George Benson, Reuben Wilson and Leon Spencer.

Johnny Winter

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On July 16, 2014, John Dawson Winter III aka Johnny Winter, died aged 60.  He was musician (guitar, multi-instrumentalist), singer, and producer, best known for his unique guitar style and explosive live performances. Winter  was producer of three Muddy Waters “Grammy Award” winning albums. In 1988, he was inducted into the “Blues Foundation Hall of Fame” and in 2003, he was ranked 63rd in “Rolling Stone” magazine’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”.

Tommy Ramone

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On July 11, 2014, Thomas Erdelyi aka Tommy Ramone, died aged 65. He was musician (drums), record producer, and songwriter, best known as member of the “Ramones”.  He worked as an assistant engineer at the “Record Plant” studio, where, he worked on the production of the 1970 Jimi Hendrix album “Band of Gypsys”.Tommy Ramone was the last surviving original member of the “Ramones” before his death.