Bloggerhythms

On his second solo effort, the very compelling baritone of Darius Rucker is front and center on this pleasant CD of contemporary country music. That is how it should be because Rucker's voice is the reason to listen to Learn To Live . The twelve songs are loaded with fiddles, banjos, and steel guitars, but they're buried deep enough in the mix to allow the electric guitars and drums to have their say. The latter gives the proceedings a rock 'n roll feel that downplays the country aspects of the music. At times Learn To Live doesn't sound like a country record and I'm sure that was a deliberate decision made in order not to alienate the singer's original fan base. Rucker co-wrote all of the songs and they're good enough for repeated listens even if they're not classics. In fact, the tunes don't have to be great because his voice, one of the most pleasing in rock, carries the disc from beginning to end. Whether it's a ballad, up-tempo co...

It finally happened. The cross-generational band Chicago have finally issued their previously unreleased Stone Of Sisyphus (SOS) sessions from 1993. It's an honor that belongs to Rhino Records. My view of these songs is very much the same as it was when I first heard them four years ago. The music is far better than anything Chicago released during their Warner Brothers years with the possible exception of 1982's Chicago 16 . However, SOS does not rank with their classic albums from the seventies. So, why am I writing about SOS again? The answer is mostly to point out the differences between the unofficial version many fans have owned for years and the new Rhino disc hitting the shelves this week. Most importantly, and shamefully, one of the songs originally slated for release on the CD back in 1993 has been eliminated. "Get On This," composed mostly by former band member Dawayne Bailey, was dumped. Is it because the song is arguably the most lyrically co...

I've been a fan of The Hooters for a long time, back before anyone outside of Philadelphia knew who they were, back when their songs more often than not possessed a ska or reggae influence. Those songs, and constant gigging all over the metropolitan area, cemented their reputation as a great live band. A few staples of their early 1980's stage show, most notably "All You Zombies" ended up on their major label debut, Nervous Night in 1985. However, with it's release they lost most of the reggae influences in their music as they became a slick 80s middle of the road hit maker. Even so, the boys from The City Of Brotherly Love still offered a more distinctive sound than most 80s bands. They didn't live or die with the synthesizer and, in addition to the traditional lineup of rock instruments, they also employed accordion, concertina, mandolin, and the instrument from which the band took their name, the melodica, also known by its nickname, the hooter. It is larg...