CD-Charts Position 181
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New Morning

CD-Charts > Music > Country Rock
by: Bob Dylan

Release Date January 31, 1994
With two good songs (New Morning and If Not For You), some ordinary ones and some truly dreadful, had this album been released by A. N. Other-Countrysinger it would have sunk without trace. It only sells, and merits mention, as it is part of the works of one of the twentieth century's towering geniuses. No doubt some will have bought it at an emotionally important time of their lives and may still find warm resonances here, but the rest of us need to see this in the light of his truly great work. Likening this album to Blonde on Blonde or Highway 61 Revisited is meaningless. They were ground breaking, genre-altering albums that have informed (and overshadowed) rock ever since. This is not the 'return to form' so beloved of Dylan reviewers ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 182
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Moving Out to the Country

CD-Charts > Music > Country Rock
by: Jools Holland

Release Date November 20, 2006
The previous Jools Holland album `Swinging the Blues, Dancing the Ska' had not made the receipts of the trilogy of Friends albums and so the formula is revisited here but with a Country theme to freshen it up. A big band playing country standards is not an obvious choice for an album and the quality varies from track to track depending on the suitability of the guest vocalists.

The seasoned performers such as Solomon Burke, Lulu and Tom Jones come out best with a good understanding as to where to stand with the band as too do the Jools regular contributors Sam Brown and Ruby Turner an, of course, Jools himself. Bob Geldof is the surprise star of the album with his folk/country voice making his contributions very much his own.

The ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 183
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The Mountain

CD-Charts > Music > Country Rock
by: Steve Earle & The Del Mccoury

Release Date November 24, 2008
The Del McCoury Band are one of the sharpest bluegrass bands playing in the world today. Biting banjo, whirling mandolin - the whole nine yards. Their albums though can be a little patchy as they generally feel the need to include their own songs as well as old classics of the genre. Their own songs can be a little ordinary. Step forward then folk troubadour, outlaw altcountry poet and allround rockin ex junkie - Steve Earle, to plug the gap.

Steve and the McCoury band really bring out the best in each other. There isn't a single duff track here. Texas Eagle is a train song par excellence. Elsewhere the numbers range from the poignant to the raucus, and a couple of them wouldn't sound out of place on the Pogues set-list.

If that ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 184
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Biograph

CD-Charts > Music > Country Rock
by: Bob Dylan

Release Date November 09, 1998
This is a pretty comprehensive collection of Dylan - most best "best of" Dylans are simply too short to be comprehensive, but this is 3 discs of over an hour each. The only song missing, in my opinion, is Hurricane.

However, though this is worth getting (for all the unreleased stuff if nothing else) please dont buy this and be done. Blood on the Tracks is the greatest record of all time, so many other Dylan albums are worth buying, so I would recommend buying them too.

CD-Charts Position 185
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Jubilation

CD-Charts > Music > Country Rock
by: Band

Release Date October 13, 2003
This may not be The Band in their late 60's heyday, but along with their 4th LP Cahoots this album is vastly underrated by reviewers and fans alike. It is probably worth 4.5 stars. A great collection of songs and musicianship of consistent quality throughout.

CD-Charts Position 186
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Light of the Stable [Us Import]

CD-Charts > Music > Country Rock
by: Emmylou Harris

Release Date November 09, 2004
This Christmas country classic has been enhanced by the addition of three tracks. Everything Emmylou touches turns to gold. She brings the same elegance and authenticity to Christmas that she always has to the varied genres her career encompassed.

The hopeful and uptempo Christmas Time's A Coming opens the album, the familiar Away In A Manger with its beautiful mandolin is straightforward but touching, whilst Angel Eyes is a sad slow ballad. Her voice really soars on The First Noel, while Little Drummer Boy gets a sensitive, graceful treatment. Perhaps it's childhood nostalgia, but her renditions of The First Noel and Star Of Bethlehem really stirred my soul.

Most of her best work has always been infused with a spiritual quality, and this ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 187
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Muswell Hillbillies

CD-Charts > Music > Country Rock
by: The Kinks

Release Date August 24, 2004
Whilst this is not one of the Kinks' best known or best selling albums, it is easily one of their best. Moreover it has a raft of first class songs that most people will have never heard.

Released after the success of the hit single Lola (and its much inferior accompanying album), Muswell Hilbillies was a commercial failure. The unfashionable subject matter (lives of North London working class folk) and the muddy production quality were probably both factors. However, if you get past these issues, the quality of songs and many of the arrangements will hook you in. A previous reviewer says that the songs lack wit. I wouldn't agree at all. They are full of well observed humour, even if the subject matter is grim. e.g:

"The sea's an open sewer, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 188
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Steppin' Out With the Grateful Dead: Live in England 1972

CD-Charts > Music > Country Rock
by: Grateful Dead

Release Date August 17, 2004
What we have here seems to be high times for The Grateful Dead. Pigpen still with them and Keith and Donna had just got on board. First thing noticed about this very generous 4CD set is the excellent sound quality (this is 1972 remember) and how seemless it all flows, selections having been recorded at four different venues over a total of seven gigs.
The band's enthusiasm for and committment to the many song and diverse musical forms they tackle comes over well. There's so much to get into ; blues, country tunes, original songs some then newish to the reportoire.
"Dark Star" is very present and correct running some 31 minutes, as is "The Other One" jam which surprisingly, and yet feeling so right, takes in Marty Robbin's "El Paso" on the way. Yes, the whole gamut of The Grateful ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 189
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One of the Lucky Ones

CD-Charts > Music > Country Rock
by: Dennis Locorriere

Release Date August 18, 2008
The long awaited new studio release from the ex Dr Hook frontman, following up his "Out Of The Dark" album of five years ago. He is doubtless fed-up with this ex Dr Hook label but unfortunately if you say "Dennis Locorriere" to the average music fan they say "Who?" This is a shame as a listen to this album finds it full of excellent pop songs with catchy melodies and hooks, all written or co-written by Dennis. Highlights for me are "Hearts (Like Yours And Mine)", "If All It Takes Is Time", "Sure", "If You Had A Heart", "Guess Again" and "Underneath The Moon" but as others have said there are no obvious weak tracks. "I Don't Wanna Know" and "Me Too" are maybe to brassy and soul influenced for our particular taste, but nearly all the other tracks feature his smooth as honey voice, once heard never ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 190
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Summerteeth

CD-Charts > Music > Country Rock
by: Wilco

Release Date March 08, 1999
I had first heard of Wilco the year before this release when they collaborated with Billy Bragg on his Woody Guthrie project `Mermaid Avenue' and was so impressed by their contribution that when `Summerteeth' was released I put my money where Jeff Tweedy's mouth was and bought the album.

The album starts brightly enough with `Can't Stand It' which is the most upbeat composition and production on the album. The pack flags slightly with `She's a Jar' but then `A Shot in the Arm' is just that, keeping the album moving here and also acts as the album coda a further version being buried at the end of the playlist with other "secret" track `Candyfloss'.

The album continues in a pretty consistent vein from `We're Just Friends' which with `I'm Always in Love' (the greatest song on ... Read More: