Roots Rock Music

One of the best cover/tribute albums ever. The cast and interpretations are top notch. I'd argue much better than the author's own versions. Rarely does this happen. Even great tribute albums such at The Kinks/Ray Davis lp's, or even tributes to mostly unknown artists like Rainer Ptacek "Inner Flame" to name a few--have more holes than this album. If anything this casts a light on a great songwriter, Alejandro Escovedo. Stands on its own as a great record.

I became aware of Alejandro Escovar just a month or two ago and just had the opportunity to see him live at Austin City Limits Music Festival in Sep 2008. This Austin songwriter/performer is the real thing. A critical bout with Hepatitis C created this gathering of artists to pay homage to his songwriting and fund his medical bills. Personally, I cannot find a song on this collection I do not like. What a thrill to first hear this compilation of his music and now be able to explore his other work. Get this album - you won't regret it.

Maybe I'd been living under a rock or something... but I'd never heard of Alejandro Escovedo until this tribute came out. My interest was piqued by the All-Star roster of artists that performed. The first song I heard was "Paradise" by Steve Earle & Reckless Kelly. Now THAT just blew me away, so I delved farther and found a lot of great songs on this album. This all lead to buying each and evey album that Alejandro has done, including his stuff w/ Buick MacKane and True Believers. I felt as though I missed something very important up until that point. This isn't a bad place to start for those unexposed to the brilliance of the man. He can rock, he can swoon. Make you giggle, make you cry. Check this album out, then check out Alejandro's albums. You won't regret it! I swear!

If you can't find something on this that you think is first-rate, you don't like music. There are one or two weak cuts, but the best songs here are simply amazing. The Section Quartet's take on "Crooked Frame" was a revelation. Other highlights include the John Dee Graham cover of "Helpless", Peter Case's "The End", and the Dragons' version of "Gravity". I've already bought four CDs on the basis of what I've heard on this one, and I will be buying more.

I'm skeptical of tribute albums and there are a dozen good reasons why nearly all tribute albums fail. The general rule of thumb and the best argument against tribute albums is that the original artist has already recorded the definitive version of the song. Tribute albums inevitably invite comparisons to the original versions and more often than not, come up short.

I steered clear of "Por Vida: A Tribute to the Songs of Alejandro Escovedo" on the grounds of caveat emptor; let buyer beware of the uneven quality of most tribute albums. It was unlikely that even the most gifted interpreter would offer any fresh insights into Escovedo's soulful renditions of his own music. My curiosity finally got the best of me and I finally purchased "Por Vida" a month ago.

Alejandro Escovedo has walked a rough path as a musician since he appeared on the music scene in the Seventies. He's so uniquely talented it's diffcult to pidgeon hole and market him as an musician. Success has been within Escovedo's reach but just beyond his grasp for too many years.

Escovedo's songwriting talent and body of work is on par with Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen or any other great contempory songwriters. You seldom hear Escovedo's name mentioned in the same conversation about relative merits of great comtemporary songwriters, like his noteworthy peers.

"Por Vida", as it turns out, is welcome exception to the rule of law. It is a testament to the universal nature of Escovedo's song writing and his music flatters nearly every artist on this sprawling two disc album. It's a dizzying array of styles that showcases 32 wildly varied music acts with over hundred musicians in the various bands. It's about as diverse a group of musicians as you'll ever hear including; John Cale, Lucinda Williams, Sheila E, Lenny Kaye, Calexico, Charley Musselwhite, Ian Hunter and the Mekons' Jon Langford and Sally Timms.

"Por Vida" may be only tribute genre album that delivers new rewards upon repeated playing. This tribute album is one that won't exiled to the shelf to collect dust after one or two spins. It wouldn't do justice to select two or three stellar cuts on the album, because each artist shines in the glow of Escovedo's beautiful music. Alejandro Escovedo is a songwriter for every season and every generation.

The fact that he's been stricken with often lethal Hepatitis C is yet another burden for Escovedo to carry. Escovedo, like most musicians, cannot afford the comprehensive insurance coverage to treat this deadly disease. All proceeds from this tribute album go the cost of his spiralling health care costs. Regardless of the musical merits of the album itself, it's about the best reason I can think of to purchase this album.

This is a clunker of a CD. The songs seemed forced and dare I say boring. For a band who has produced such great lyrics and songs, I often found myself grimmacing at some of the lines in songs on this CD. I am a big fan of this band and think David Hidlago is one of the most talented musicians ever, but I put this one at the bottom of their catlog.

My love for the music of Los Lobos goes all the way back to their EP "...And A Time To Dance" and continues to the present day. That love proclaimed, I am one of those fans who was somewhat dismayed by some of the band's projects that trod experimentally in musical territory far from the "traditional" sound I had become comfortable with. I wasn't craving sameness, but I do like some continuity.
So I sort of suffered through four albums beginning with The Neighborhood until Good Morning Aztlan and The Ride brought back the old familiar vibes. A series of albums like Kiko, Colossal Head, the Neighborhood, and This Time sat on the shelf unplayed and unloved until I decided to give them all another shot. And after listening to This Time several times through, I realized that it is a lot better than I originally thought.
I still lean toward the more traditional sound as Cumbia Raza and Corazon are definite favorites, but I also like some of the grittier offerings such as Oh Yeah, Viking, Some Say Some Do, and Turn Around.
The worst thing about This Time is that it is too short. The attractive booklet that accompanies it makes up for that somewhat, but for the money the fans deserve more music.
If you like Los Lobos' adventurous projects and for some reason have not heard this, then you should pick this up. If you are still a hardcore devotee of the band's more traditional sound, try hearing this with an open mind. You may find you like it more this time.

Los Lobos, one of the most wonderful bands of all time, who sound different on every album, Have albums for all styles. This one is not for the ones who are contented with top-40 radio (not that ANY of LObos albums are!) It has a wonderful greasy grit, I would call it delicious dirtiness, which grows on every new hearing. On every other Lobos-album, I have favourites. On this one....? Viking? maybe. Impossible to say! An extremely strong album of commited........ ROCK!! With that inimitable Lobos-spice, of course! If you don't know this: I'm envious! you have a fabulous experience ahead of you!!

I'm honestly not all that much of a los lobos fan in general. i started with 'the neighborhood' on cassette back in the day cuz it was cheap. i thought it was catchy at first, but it had such dumb lyrics and aweful arrangements involving saxophones, banjos, and accordions, none of which i really find appealing in any music. I gave up on the band after that until i happened to hear that they had gone in a more experimental direction with 'this time' which i found in the local library. I was totally awed by the new sound. Suddenly this dull obnoxious band responsible for 'la bamba' had become a real rock band, and they were beginning to write well-structured songs with intelligent lyrics and a new energy that somehow these other reviewers deny. the transformation from stodgy typical folk band of old codgers to a real, dynamic, skilled band was so complete that my brother, blindly stealing my headphones for a moment, exclaimed "my god this sounds like punk rock!" So perhaps the main difficulty that people have with this album is that it is not in the mold of their previous work, which middle-aged listeners' ears had grown accustomed to. The very principles of music production have been increasingly refined over the years, and los lobos has finally caught up with the rest of the world, to make an album that will sound fresh and current for far longer than their old material.

When the path of two talents interesect, the results can be either fruitful or disappointing. When Los Lobos teamed up with producers Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake for 1992's Kiko, the result was a new sound that mixed the Lobos naturalism with Froom/Blake's expressionistic production. Songs like "Saint Behind the Glass", "Kiko and the Lavender Moon", and "Wake up Dolores" began with solid songwriting from the Lobos and blossomed into dreamy, original soundscapes with the help of Froom/Blake.

"This Time" their paths have diverged. Not only is the songwriting weaker, but what solid material there is, such as "Oh Yeah", "Why We Wish" and "Viking", get buried beneath a wall of noise. Instead of the sound experiments arising organically from the material, they cover it in a cold wrapping. The repetitiousness reminds me more of Phillip Glass than of Sgt. Pepper.

If you're into the Froom/Blake/Los Lobos sound, choose "Kiko" or the less-consistent "Collossal Head". If you prefer your Lobos sound straight, choose "Will the Wolf Survive?" or the magnificent new comeback, "Good Morning Aztlan".

Ditto to the previous reviewer. There's not much I can add accept that this DVD had me hopping. I rented it from the library and had to renew it so I could see it again. What a chronicle of the blues. I particulary enjoyed the conversations between Bill Wyman and Buddy Guy. Muddy Waters was fabulous as well as John Lee Hooker and of course B.B. King. I can't say enough about this DVD. It's true it is Bill Wyman's insider experience of the blues but it is very authentic, enlightening and it will get you moving. Thanks to Bill Wyman and I'll have to read his book on the same subject.

A good documentary, but I don't know how Mr. Wyman can laud praises for the recordings of "skiffle" artist Lonnie Donegan in one segment and poo-poo the recordings of Charley Patton in another. Without Charley Patton, the blues as we know it would not exist.

N.Simpson is missing the point entirely. Bill heaped praise on Lonnie yes, but he wasn't dissing Charley Patton. He said that the recording quality was so bad that it is hard today to hear how brilliant patton was.

It has been obvious for a long time that there is much more to Bill Wyman than his many years of bass-playing with the Stones. He is a life-long fan/disciple/collector of blues music, and a true expert on this genre.

As a blues fan myself, I bought his "Blues Odyssey" book, and devoured it, cover to cover. It is a gorgeous book, well-researched and lavishly illustrated--much, much more than a coffee table book. No blues fan should be without it.

So--having read the book, I was anxious to see the DVD of the television programs based on the book. There are two episodes, each slightly under an hour, and they are fascinating. Of course, in less than two hours, there is no way these programs could ever be as exhaustive as the book, but they are highly instructive and enjoyable in their own right.

What we have here is not a complete, chronological history of the blues, but rather a personal view on the blues from someone who is a real devotee. Of course, as one of rock n' roll's giants, Bill has been in a unique position over the years to meet and even record with many of his heroes.
When you can sit and chat with BB King and Buddy Guy, as Bill does here, you know you are getting the straight goods from these living legends. Sadly, many blues giants are no longer with us, although we see a lot of them in action during these marvellous programs--Muddy Waters, T-Bone Walker, Howlin' Wolf and many more.

We are shown areas of the southern US that formed the cradle of blues music--some excellent colour film here--as well as Bill's personal memories of growing up in the London area, discovering the magic of music, and some of the UK artists who also loved the blues--Lonnie Donegan, Brian Jones, Eric Clapton to name a few.

We also get a taste of Bill's more recent band--"The Rhythm Kings"--in action, including people like Gary Brooker and Albert Lee. It is a group that Bill pulled together just to play small clubs, and have fun with old blues and rock n' roll songs. For a guy who loves blues, Bill comes across as a very happy man !

A personal note from me--I was in London a couple of years ago, and luckily Bill was in a book store signing autographs. I lined up with other fans and finally it was my turn--of course, there was no chance to sit down for a "chat", but he was very friendly and gracious. It is the same approachable, unpretentious personality that comes across on this DVD.

Bottom line--if you like the blues, I'm sure you will enjoy this personal journey with Mr. Wyman--his love and enthusiasm for this music is infectious. Highly recommended.

These boys absolutely rock. If you want to hear a guy rip his guitar, the Jets are IT.

Its a sweat drippin' blues, thrash, rockabilly jam.

I've seen Dexter Romwebber many times at the Star Bar and various other places in Atlanta, Georgia. He is by far the best performer around. As a matter of fact, his guitar method is much like his eating of french fries. Messy yet compelling and making you wish for more. Love you Dexter! Denise (and no longer Craig)

These are our boys. The most natural of musical traditions have coalesced into this fluid Rock and Roll unit. It is an expression of zen purity that is the true voice of guitar punkabilly in the lifted face of the Mtv quasi-reality our generation has been force-fed. There is no pretention in either my words or their music. It is all so real. There is no option but to believe it. Internet sound clips won't cut it...you must see it...feel it...breathe it....

THE FLAT DUO JETS ARE A TRUE "DUO",BUT THEIR COLLECTIVE TALENT SHADOWS MOST OF THEIR PEERS.HAILING FROM NORTH CAROLINA,THESE BOYS ARE VETERANS OF THE ALL TOO HIP "CHAPEL HILL SCENE".DEXTER ROMWEBER IS THE FRONTMAN AND GUITARIST WHILE THE SMALL-KIT PERCUSSION DUTIES BELONG TO "CROW".THE CHEMISTRY,INTEGRITY,AND MUSICAL GENIUS BELONGING TO THESE TWO MEN ARE THE STUFF LEGENDS ARE MADE OF.FROM THE LINK WRAY/GARAGE-TINGED OPENING NUMBER "THEME",TO THE OTIS REDDING COVER"I'VE BEEN LOVING YOU TOO LONG",THIS IS,IN MY OPINION, ONE OF THE MOST UNDERRATED WORKS OF THE NINETIES.IF YOU LIKE THE CRAMPS,BUDDY HOLLY,LINK WRAY,GENE VINCENT,ETC,YOU'LL KICK YOURSELF FOR BEING SHELTERED.

3 1/2

The Root Down remixes themselves are nothing inherently worth repeatedly listening to, although tack on some rather energetic live cuts off of multiple albums and you've got yourself a worthy EP.

if you can find this for a cheaper price, its worth getting, especially for a hardcore beasties fan. the Free Zone remix surpasses the original version, and the PP Balloon remix just falls short, but is still very good. the live tracks are very good and show off the energy of the band.

Like always the B-boys deliver. However, the small number of songs and numerous versions of root down makes it come up short. It leaves you waiting and waiting for more. Should have gone with next-day air.

Length - 29:38
Riding on the giant wave of success that emanated from Ill Communication, the Beastie Boys came back in 95' and put this EP together, consisting of the studio version of Root Down, and nine other tracks performed live in Europe. Overall the cd is pretty strong, offering such rocking live tracks as Heart Attack Man and Time For Livin', and excellent hip-hop tracks like Flute Loop and all versions of Root Down. The last track, Something's Got to Give, is an awesome closer- really spaced out and jamming. All in all, this album is definitely worth buying for casual or diehard Beastie Boys fans.

The highlight of this CD for me are the two remixes of "Root Down," which add a nice hip-hop flavor to the song. The remixes remind me a bit of their work on their next CD, "Hello Nasty." The rest of the CD consists of live versions of songs, mostly from their two prior CD's "Ill Communication" and "Check Your Head." I'm not a huge fan of the more rock-oriented "Ill Communication," so this CD was a bit of a disappointment for me, although the Beasties do sound pretty great live considering the complexity of their music. I think that fans of "Ill Communication" will probably really like this CD.

I can't believe all the hub bub, bub. I feel to be able to find all 3 of willie's first albums on a two disk set is great in itself. you can't find any golden down stuff affordablly. to quibble over cd sound quality is ridiculous. firstly analog mix is gone ( hate it, but what can you do? ). buy the prohibitively expensive lps or cassettes if you want that. I'm loving my copy of this release. as so should the detractors of this mind boggling collection. what they should be thinking about is how wiilie is able to live in greenwich village, or how he makes any kind of living at all. you'd all have him busking if you could, right?

Willie Nile is one of the top 5 lyricists in the world. His music is amazing, and the fact that that these albums went out of print in the first place in unthinkable. I have everything but his first, and am going to get this just for that one, he's such a great artist.

We finally have CD access to Willie Nile's early work. Covering a wide range of history from the Regean years to Clinton(Hard Times...), it is interesting to hear this work against the world events of the time. Aside from thoughtful and meaningful lyrics, songs like "Vagabond Moon" are just great rock songs with poetic and romantic sensibilities. On carefully listening, there are some really creative and interesting Buddy Holly-esque chords--just fantastic stuff. Other tunes like "It's All Over" are heartbreakers with romantic poetry: "In a church yard by the frozen shore"--a valentine for any Buffalonian.
Willie Nile is a troubadour in the best sense of the word. He has been a presence in the NYC for years and has some ties still to Buffalo. I often think about what is so appealing about his work. One is that it's true in rock and roll that sometimes you need to look backward to move forward.(Holly, Berry, Orbison) This CD set is a great example of that. The honesty of presentation in this complilation of tracks is moving and perceptive, and not too sound trite, but a statement of the human condition. They speak to the journey and the struggle--perhaps reflective of his interest in existentialism(Sarte) Not many poets/rockers can lead you to path of self-discovery. Nile's empathy and honesty do that. They make you think you were with him hitchhiking from Buffalo to NYC--steno notebook on the dash.

BEWARE: THIS ENTIRE SET IS TAKEN FROM NOISY VINYL, even the tracks from Golden Down and Places I Have Never Been, which were both previously released on much better CDs. In fact, there was a bonus track on the Razor & Tie reissue of Golden Down that is missing from this collection. Sadly, the aforementioned discs are both out of print, so this may be your only option, and the first album has not been on CD before (which is why I purchased this). Still, if you can find the other releases, they are infinitely better quality. If you can't, this is better than nothing, just not what these fantastic and criminally under-appreciated albums deserve. Also know that Nile continues to release consistently excellent material beyond these three albums. I wholeheartedly recommend his post-Columbia output, especially Beautiful Wreck of the World (1999) and Streets of New York (2006).

If you want to get into a good mood, Dave Edmunds & Jeff Lynne is a good methode. And the live session is just sweaty.

I've been a fan of Alan's for years and years now. I've got almost all of Low's catalog and have even picked up Sparkhawk's Silber Solo Guitar release. This CD is pretty pleasing. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it delivers. It's very short, so don't expect it to engross you for too long, but it's a nice little burst of rock and Sparhawk did a good job of tuning into a new vibe. I dig it.

Alan Sparhawk hits another one out of the park. This project of Alan's allows him to let loose, turn up the guitar, add tons of distortion, and just plain rock out. This is a very strong debut album, with lots of catchy songs. But nothing can beat RGC in concert...they play the 2 minute songs from this album, but then add in some lengthy psychedelic guitar solos and jams. Don't miss them if they come to your town!

Produced by Mark Kozelek, the record has a similar sound to Sun Kil Moon offerings, but with a more claustrophobic, close-miked staging that gives it an air of disciplined restraint even though it's rife with heavy/distorted motifs (both sonic and lyrical). The songs are thematically similar to Drums and Guns, with the arrangements being more straight-ahead indie rock power trio--excellent, colorful drumming and Alan Sparhawk's richly textured guitar figures taking center stage. Sparhawk is a master of tension/release without resorting to the old soft/loud/soft Pixies/emo formula. Fans of Low will definitely dig this. The record is very consistent, but highlights include "Kids" and a rendition of Low's "Breaker."

Great DVD. It takes me back to the Bonnaroo state of mind. I want the shirt that Ben Harper is wearing during his performance. If anyone has any information on where I can get one, I would appreciate it. Thanks.

The setlist was not very well chosen, they should re-do the video with different picks from the show. The second reviewer who stated that the director must not have been there was spot on.

I went to the 2003 Bonnaroo Music Festival and had one of the most memorable times of my life. The only thing I truly wanted in this DVD was for the footage to illustrate the magic and mindblowing music that was created at the festival. To be perfectly honest, this DVD does all that and more. With a ridiculous number of music performances from artists in every single genre (including awesome Widespread Panic, Allman Brothers, Ben Kweller, and My Morning Jacket), the DVD captures the diverse musical influeneces that makes bonnaroo so special. Infused with footage of the massive crowds and interviews with musicians and the fans, this film shows people all the special and breathtaking aspects of the best music festival in history. I highly recommend it if you have gone to the festival and I recommend it even more if you missed out. You will not be disappointed!!

I was so bummed out when I got my Bonnaroo DVD in the mail. Where was Ziggy Marley, ekoostik hookah, Neil Young and Keller. Definately give thumbs down on the director of this documentary. It was like he wasn't even at the festival and just picked random artists performances. How could you put one of Ben Harper's oldest songs on the DVD. He had just come out with a new album that year but the director decided to put some old tune that wasn't even Harper's greatest works. I hope this year alot of negative feedback gets to the write people so we get a better idea of how Bonnaroo was for those who can't make it.

Who wants the footage from a camera fixated on each of the six stages with the full 12 to 18 hours of performances on each of the 3 days of Bonnaroo Music Festival? I WOULD!! That would make a killer DVD package... but that is NOT what this DVD is about! Danny Clinch has demonstrated time and again, that he is one of the premier directors of music-related material. Anyone who bashes this film cares nothing about the quality of the film-going experience and is looking for something else... such as something they would produce themselves.

The DVD of the Bonnaroo 2002 festival was much about the society of the event. This one is about the essence of the event. This is truly a DVD to be watched like a film. It unveils the momentousness of an incredible social gathering that is more diverse and immense than anyone can imagine outside of experiencing it in person. Bonnaroo is true "social freedom" with all the aspects of normal American culture scattered about and available to be consumed as much or as little as any attendee would want. Clinch highlights all of this with a eye on beauty rarely found in any type of film.

This DVD is not ONLY about great musical performances. Listen to what the artists say. Watch how the attendees coexist. Allow the film to transport you to a place far from your living room. This film is as innovative and powerful as Woodstock.

If you are looking for that 150-DVD box set I alluded to above... that is what tape trading is for and why it is encouraged in this music scene.