Thursday, June 10, 2010

Otis Redding - The Dock Of The Bay (1968) (320)



Is there a more perfect time to listen to "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay" than summer? Otis tenderly sings about "watching the tide roll away". He did make the long trip from Georgia to San Francisco, after all, so a little relaxation is due to him. The stunning single was recorded just days before Otis' death in a plane crash, which also took the lives of The Bar-Kays, his backing band. Much of the album's sound comes thanks to guitarist and songwriter Steve Cropper, member of the Stax house band Booker T. & the M.G.'s. Cropper himself put the tracklist together, and the flow of his selection is ideal. His tasty guitar licks are matched with catchy horn punches. Also, Carla Thomas clowning on Otis on "Tramp" is fuggin' hilarious.

Tracklist:

1. (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay
2. I Love You More Than Words Can Say
3. Let Me Come On Home
4. Open The Door
5. Don't Mess With Cupid
6. The Glory Of Love
7. I'm Coming Home To See About You
8. Tramp (With Carla Thomas)
9. The Hucklebuck
10. Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
11. Ole Man Trouble

Download

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Antônio Carlos Jobim & Edu Lobo - Edu & Tom, Tom & Edu (1981) (320)


This breathtaking, soft, quintessential Bossa Nova record was recorded 13 years before Tom Jobim's death with the almost-as-legendary Edu Lobo. Simple three part arrangements dominate this record. It's a bit nostalgic sounding, capturing some of the melancholy that diffused as MPB grew more diverse in the late 70s. "Ai Quem Me Dera" entered the standards book quick, but the reinterpretation of some of Jobim's older tunes, like "Chovendo na Roseira", are equally poetic. Enjoy!

Tracklist:

1. Ai quem me dera
2. Pra dizer adeus
3. Chovendo na roseira
4. Moto-Contínuo
5. Angela
6. Luiza
7. Cancão do amanhecer
8. Vento braco
9. É preciso dizer adeus
10. Canto Triste