Pop/Rock
Britney Spears 'Blackout' (Jive)
Where does she find the time?
She already had a full-time job as the world's leading tabloid lunatic. How did she get around to locating a recording studio?
The easy answer is, probably a limo with a well-stocked bar. The surprising thing is, Britney still manages to sizzle, thanks in large part to the crack production team of Bloodshy & Avant (of "Toxic" fame) and Danja, who crafted a set of sexed-up, electro-pop dance tracks that never let up.
Britney plays on her bad-girl celebrity, no better than on the irresistible "Piece of Me," where she coos, "I'm Miss Bad Media Karma/Another day, another drama" and "I'm Mrs. Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous/I'm Mrs. Oh-My-God-That-Britney's-Shameless." If nothing else, download that one now, because it's well worth the 99 cents.
Elsewhere, there's lots of heavy breathing, panting and girlish vocals from Britney on precious, come-hither pop like "Radar," "Hot as Ice" and "Ooh Ooh Baby."
She warns us on "Gimme More," "It's Britney's, b----." That's one promise she keeps.
-- Scott Mervis, Post-Gazette pop music critic
The Eagles 'Long Road Out of Eden' (Eagles Recording Company II)
It only seems like the new Eagles album goes on for 28 years. Actually, that's how long it's been since "The Long Run," the last studio effort we heard from the California stars.
"The Long Road out of Eden" runs on for 90 minutes, because you surely can build up a few tracks over three decades. In this case, 20.
The Eagles are the epitome of middle-of-the-road, middle-aged corporate rock, and this won't alter that notion. "Long Road," a Wal-Mart exclusive, is fully loaded with songs entirely free of the grit that clogs speakers and makes rock rock.
The band sounds remarkably like it did in 1979, making this the nostalgia trip fans probably were hoping for. The harmonies are showcased from the get-go on the CSN-sounding "No More Walks in the Wood," a lament on how we're messing up nature.
Don Henley, as is his style, points a lot of fingers on "Long Road." He revisits his "Dirty Laundry" theme on the funked-up "Frail Grasp on the Big Picture," which refers to newspapers as "journalism, dead and gone." The title track is 10 minutes of retro-FM bombast, decrying not only the war, but the "cultural junk" that infects us.
Of course, there's no shortage of pretty. Glenn Frey serves up the saccharine ("What Do I Do With My Heart") and the subtle ("You Are Not Alone"). Timothy B. Schmit purrs through "Don't Want to Hear It Anymore," and Henley goes McCartney-esque on "Center of the Universe."
The lovable Joe Walsh adds the goof-rock factor while borrowing liberally on "Guilty of the Crime" and "Last Good Time in Town," plagued by thoroughly annoying background vocals. Those looking for another country-rocker in the "Already Gone" mode get it in J.D. Souther's "How Long."
If you're a long-suffering Eagles fan, you've already hit the Wal-Mart and you're finding plenty to like on "Long Road." For anyone else, it's likely to be too much of a bland thing.
-- Scott Mervis
Country
'Ricky Skaggs & the Whites 'Salt of the Earth' (Skaggs Family)
Sure, I've heard of Ricky Skaggs," my rock-oriented friend replied. "Wait a minute. That's Boz Scaggs. Sorry."
This first family of bluegrass continues to fly under the radar six years after Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder and The Whites performed on the historic Down from the Mountain Tour that celebrated the success of "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" While too many folks view country gospel as an 11th plague, Skaggs and The Whites have showcased this misunderstood genre with such heartfelt recordings as "Little Mountain Church House," "River of Jordan," "Another Soldier Down" and "Jesus Rock My Baby," penned by Irene Kelley.
Their first complete project features astonishing versions of traditional hymns, including "Near the Cross" and "Blessed Assurance," which Iris DeMent also cut on "Lifeline" in 2004. "This Old House" and "Wings of a Dove" are more familiar fare.
Steel guitar, accordion, drums and organ complement bluegrass instrumentation to add more texture to some of the 13 tracks.
Accompanied only by piano, Skaggs and the Whites reach harmony heaven in closing with "The Solid Rock," a slow, simple, stunning statement of faith. But remarkable vocals, flawless musicianship, great songs and a positive message still add up to a hard sell.
Even though some of the contemporary can't compete with tradition, "Salt of the Earth" ranks alongside Merle Haggard's "The Land of Many Churches" (1971) and Emmylou Harris' "Angel Band" (1987) as one of the finest country gospel releases of all time.
-- Dave Goodrich, for the Post-Gazette
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder play the Palace Theatre in Greensburg, Friday at 8 p.m. Call 724-836-8000.
Jazz
Albert Ayler Quartet 'The Hilversum Session' (ESP Records)
Sunny Murray 'Sunny Murray' (ESP Records)
While public television crowns Wynton Marsalis the king of jazz and Ken Burns his royal scribe, the stories of the genre's enduring avant-garde continue to be ignored. Luckily, the legendary ESP label -- in operation since the early '60s -- is still around to fill in the gap and recognize the immense contributions to the art made by such giants as percussionist Sunny Murray, whose presence links these two crucial snapshots of jazz lore.
It's no wonder that two generations of free-jazz saxophonists, from Peter Brotzmann, Frank Wright and Arthur Doyle down to today's upstart fringe element, have often been labeled with the description "Ayleresque." Albert Ayler, who passed away tragically in 1970, was such a towering force of primal emotion and spiritual energy in the scene, taking the influence of Sonny Rollins several steps further, that his equal has really never been seen since then.
"The Hilversum Session" -- recorded in the Netherlands and first released on the Osmosis label in the '80s -- displays Ayler at the peak of his early mastery in 1964, the same watershed year that his milestones "Spiritual Unity" and "Ghosts" first stunned the jazz public.
Here is "Ghosts," with amazing solos by bassist Gary Peacock and trumpeter Don Cherry (of Ornette Coleman quartet fame), and "Spirits," which descends into a maelstrom of fiery improvisation. And the poignant closer "No Name," with another Cherry solo, appears presciently, a year before its recording on Ayler's landmark album, "Bells."
Never getting in the way of the powerful players on "Hilversum" (which comes with a mini-poster) but carefully adding his own rumblings is drummer Sunny Murray. Along with Rashied Ali, he set the standard for the free-jazz style of drumming that eliminated steady tempo in favor of a textural, responsive approach, performing a seminal role with Ayler and the Cecil Taylor Unit.
This self-titled album is Murray's first appearance as a leader, first issued by ESP in 1966. The pieces are monumental examples of avant-gardism that many improvisors have used as a template.
Murray's nonstop "anti-pulse" is in evidence throughout, providing form and nuance in an amorphous realm of give-and-take. And what makes this reissue even more worthwhile is its role as historical document -- the 40 minutes of music are augmented by a half-hour of expositions, where Murray talks about everything from playing in cabarets to owning a coffeehouse to his early adventures in the Village with pianist Taylor.
The final interview segment with Murray is especially deep, as he draws an analogy between musicians and magicians, and how record companies exploit that power. "The system is set to drain our magic and put it on record," he says. Which is why instead of struggling in the United States, he lives in Paris with his French wife and plays shows around Europe when he wants to. Meanwhile, the free-jazz faithful will flock to this recording as one of the key landmarks of what came to be known as Fire Music.
-- Manny Theiner for the Post-Gazette
First Published: November 1, 2007, 8:00 a.m.
