Tag Archives: River

Gentle Giant: Octopus

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octopus

On December 1, 1972, “Vertigo” label released “Octopus”, the fourth Gentle Giant album. It was recorded July – August 1972, at “Advision Studios” in London, and was produced by Gary Green, Kerry Minnear, Derek Shulman, Phil Shulman, Ray Shulman and John Weathers. In the Q & Mojo “Classic Special Edition Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock”, “Octopus” was ranked at number 16 in its list of “40 Cosmic Rock Albums”. “Prog Magazine” ranked the album at number 65 in its list of “The 100 Greatest Prog Albums of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Gary Green- electric guitars, percussion
  • Kerry Minnear- lead and backing vocals, piano, Hammond organ, Minimoog, electric piano, Mellotron, Clavinet, harpsichord, regal, vibraphone, cello, percussion
  • Derek Shulman- lead vocals, alto saxophone
  • Phil Shulman – lead and backing vocals, trumpet, tenor saxophone, mellophone
  • Ray Shulman- bass, violin, viola , electric violin, acoustic guitar, percussion, backing vocals
  • John Weathers- drums, bongos, varispeed cymbal, xylophone
  • Martin Rushent – engineer
  • Cliff Morris – mastering
  • Geoff Young – tape operator
  • John Berg – cover concept, design
  • Fluid Drive – art
  • Charles White III – illustration
  • Kenny Kneitel – design
  • Michael Doret – lettering

Track listing:

All lyrics by Derek Shulman and Phil Shulman, all music by Kerry Minnear and Ray Shulman.

  1. The Advent of Panurge
  2. Raconteur Troubadour
  3. Knots
  4. A Cry for Everyone
  5. The Boys in the Band
  6. Dog’s Life
  7. Think of Me with Kindness
  8. River

Soul Asylum: Grave Dancers Union

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soul_asylum_grave_dancers_union

On October 6, 1992, “Columbia” label released “Grave Dancers Union”, the sixth Soul Asylum studio album. It was recorded May 1992, at “The Powerstation” and “River Sound” in New York City; “Pachyderm Discs” and  “Cannon Falls” in Minnesota, and “Cherokee Studios” in  Hollywood, and was produced by Michael Beinhorn. The cover illustration is by Czech erotic art photographer Jan Saudek. In 1993, the album song “Runaway Trains” won “Grammy Award” for “Best Rock Song”.

Personnel:

  • Dave Pirner– vocals, guitar, arranger, horn arrangements
  • Dan Murphy – vocals, guitar
  • Karl Mueller– bass
  • Grant Young– drums
  • Sterling Campbell– drums, percussion
  • Booker T. Jones III– organ, Hammond organ
  • Kraig Johnson,Gary Louris – backing vocals
  • Meridian String Quartet – strings
  • Sonny Kompanek – arrangements, conductor
  • Michael Beinhorn– celeste, glockenspiel, horn arrangements, arrangements,
  • Chris Shaw – engineer
  • Eric Anderson, Bruce Ross – additional engineering
  • David Michael Dill, Dan Gellert, Bill Smith – engineer assistant
  • Andy Wallace– mixing
  • David Leonard– mixing
  • Steve Sisco – mixing assistant
  • Wally Traugott – mastering
  • Francesca Restrepo – art direction, design

Track listing:

All tracks by Dave Pirner.

  1. Somebody to Shove
  2. Black Gold
  3. Runaway Train
  4. Keep It Up
  5. Homesick
  6. Get on Out
  7. New World
  8. April Fool
  9. Without a Trace
  10. Growing into You
  11. 99%
  12. The Sun Maid

 

Joni Mitchell: Blue

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Blue

On June 22, 1971, “Reprise” label released “Blue”, the fourth Joni  Mitchell album. It was recorded in 1971, at “A&M Studios” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Joni Mitchell. The album was both critical and commercial success, regarded by critics as one of the greatest albums of all time. In 1999, “Blue” was awarded with the “Grammy Hall of Fame” award; in 2002, “Q” magazine ranked “Blue” at number eight on its list of the “Greatest Album of All-Time by a Female Artist”; in 2003, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “Blue” at number thirty on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”, and in 2012, the same magazine ranked the album at number two on its list of “Women Who Rock: The 50 Greatest Female Albums Of All Time”.

Personnel

  • Joni Mitchell – vocals, Appalachian dulcimer, guitar, piano
  • James Taylor– guitar
  • Sneaky Pete Kleinow– pedal steel
  • Stephen Stills – bass, guitar
  • Russ Kunkel– drums

Track listing

All tracks by Joni Mitchell.

  1. All I Want
  2. My Old Man
  3. Little Green
  4. Carey
  5. Blue
  6. California
  7. This Flight Tonight
  8. River
  9. A Case of You
  10. The Last Time I Saw Richard