Buddy Rich – Supreme Jazz (2006) [SACD / Supreme Jazz – 223260]

Buddy Rich - Supreme Jazz (2006)

Title: Buddy Rich – Supreme Jazz (2006)
Genre: Jazz
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Bernard “Buddy” Rich was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He is widely considered one of the most influential drummers of all time and was known for his virtuoso technique, power and speed. Rich performed with many bandleaders, most notably Tommy Dorsey, Harry James and Count Basie, and later led his own big band.

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1 min read

Buddy Miles Express – Booger Bear + Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles Live (1973+72) [Reissue 2019] [SACD / Vocalion – 2CDSML 8560]

Buddy Miles Express - Booger Bear + Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles Live (1973+72) [Reissue 2019]

Title: Buddy Miles Express – Booger Bear + Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles Live (1973+72) [Reissue 2019]
Genre: Jazz, Rock
Format: MCH SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

“Booger Bear” was an album released by The Buddy Miles Express in 1973. It made the Billboard charts in 1974. “Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles! Live!” is a live album by Carlos Santana and Buddy Miles. It was recorded during the “Sunshine ’72” Festival. In 2019, the UK label Dutton Vocalion released a double CD/SACD hybrid of “Booger Bear” and “Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles! Live!” with the CD content in stereo and the SACD layers offering the original multichannel quadraphonic mixes of each album.

Buddy Miles Express – Booger Bear The album received a positive review in the November, 23, 1973 issue of Billboard. The reviewer referred to it as a production of the first order with time and care being put into the selections. The songs “Why” and “United Nations Stomp”, both composed by Miles were singled out as solid entries. The album was also released in the Quadraphonic SQ Matrix. A review in the February, 24 issue Billboard for Quadrasonic albums mentioned the spectrum being opened up by the Columbia sound engineers. It also made the distinction between this album and most of the others that relied on the “Front” stereo approach, with the music in Booger Bear actually surrounding the listener. The album was a Billboard, FM Action Pick for KAFM-FM and KNAC-FM in early December, 1973, and a pick for WNEW-FM the following week. Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles! Live! From December 1971 to April 1972, Carlos Santana and several other members of Santana toured with drummer/vocalist Buddy Miles, a former member of the Electric Flag and Jimi Hendrix’s Band of Gypsys. The resulting live album contained both Santana hits (“Evil Ways”) and Buddy Miles hits (“Changes”), plus a 25-minute, side-long jam titled “Free Form Funkafide Filth.” It was not, perhaps, the live album Santana fans had been waiting for, but at this point in its career, the band could do no wrong. The album went into the Top Ten and sold a million copies.

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2 min read

Buddy Holly & The Crickets – The Chirping Crickets & Buddy Holly (1957-58) [Analogue Productions 2017] [SACD / Analogue Productions – CAPP 107-109 SA]

Buddy Holly & The Crickets - The Chirping Crickets & Buddy Holly (1957-58) [Analogue Productions 2017]

Title: Buddy Holly & The Crickets – The Chirping Crickets & Buddy Holly (1957-58) [Analogue Productions 2017]
Genre: Rock, Pop
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

This APO SACD reissue included two of the greatest albums in the Buddy Holly canon for a can’t-miss package for Rock’N’Roll history buffs and music fans of all stripes. One of rock’s greatest albums is the debut album by the Crickets and the only one featuring Buddy Holly released during his lifetime. The Chirping Crickets contains the group’s number one single “That’ll Be the Day” and its Top Ten hit “Oh, Boy!”. Three months after the release of The Chirping Crickets came the self-titled 1958 classic. It was Buddy’s last album released prior to the plane crash in Iowa that struck him down in 1959 at age 22. The album Buddy Holly features the Top Ten smash “Peggy Sue” plus several songs that went on to be standards: “I’m Gonna Love You Too”, “Listen To Me”, “Everyday”, “Words of Love”, and “Rave On”.

These are among the best rock ‘n’ roll songs of the 1950s or ever, making this SACD a collectible of truly historic and memorable tunes — “ranking with Elvis Presley and Meet the Beatles,” writes AllMusic. What has Analogue Productions done to kick these classic albums up a notch? For starters, our version features stellar remastering by Keving Gray at Cohearent Audio. Gray transferred the high-res digital files used for this Hybrid SACD release to DSD, and Gus Skinas prepared the disc masters at the Super Audio Center in Boulder, Colo. Born Charles Hardin Holley on September 7, 1936, in Lubbock, Texas, Holly was nicknamed “Buddy” by his mother. She felt that his given name was too big for her little boy. “Holly,” the altered form of his last name, would later result from a misspelling in his first recording contract. Holly learned to play piano and fiddle at an early age, while his older brothers taught him the basics of guitar. In early 1956, Holly and his band began recording demos and singles in Nashville under the name Buddy Holly and the Three Tunes, but the group’s lineup was later revised and dubbed The Crickets. Holly wrote and recorded his breakthrough hit, “That’ll Be the Day,” with The Crickets in 1957. The song’s title and refrain are a reference to a line uttered by John Wayne in the 1956 film “The Searchers.” Between August 1957 and August 1958, Holly and the Crickets charted seven different Top 40 singles. Composer and singer John Fogerty, of Creedence Clearwater Revival fame, inducted Buddy Holly into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame at the 1986 Hall of Fame induction ceremony. What Buddy Holly meant to him, Fogerty said, was destiny calling. Fogerty, 12, bought “That’ll Be The Day” and soon began dreaming of forming his own combo, like the group of musicians — The Crickets — he saw on the album cover. And in Liverpool, England, “the same thing was going on with four other guys. They named their group The Beatles, because Buddy Holly’s group was called The Crickets. “We are, each of us, made up of the people we love and the people we admire,” Fogerty, said. “We take those reflections, and hopefully, grow.” Holly’s talented life was cut short in a plane crash on Feb. 3, 1959, that also claimed the lives of Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson. This SACD is a tribute to what was, and what might have been a lengthy pioneering musical career.

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3 min read

Buddy Guy – DJ Play My Blues (1982) [Reissue 2004] [SACD / JSP Records – JSP5104]

Buddy Guy - DJ Play My Blues (1982) [Reissue 2004]

Title: Buddy Guy – DJ Play My Blues (1982) [Reissue 2004]
Genre: Blues
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Buddy Guy’s music has changed a great deal since this album was recorded in Chicago in 1981. It is possible that Guy has never sounded better than this, tearing into some deep indigo blues, letting his guitar wail loud on every cut, and playing with inspiration, especially on the title cut and “Dedication to the Late T-Bone Walker,” a track that seems to spring from some place deep within himself. Nor was he the only one on fire at the sessions. Brother Phil Guy shares the guitar work and contributes vocals to both “Garbage Man Blues” and “Mellow Down.” The recording makes no attempt to capture a wide audience. This is Buddy Guy playing and feeling the blues, pure and simple, without any sense of compromise — and it’s all the better for it, putting much of the rest of his catalog into perspective. Rarely is the blues this heartfelt — and rarer still is it so well played. If this were his only recorded legacy, he’d still warrant the stature he’s achieved.

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2 min read

Bryan Ferry – Frantic (2002) [SACD / Virgin – SACDVIR167]

Bryan Ferry - Frantic (2002)

Title: Bryan Ferry – Frantic (2002)
Genre: Rock
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Frantic manages to touch upon virtually every musical style of Bryan Ferry’s career. Ferry has proved to be as interested in covering other artists’ material as penning original songs, and he straddles a smart mix of originals and covers here. Two brilliant Bob Dylan songs appear among the opening tracks: “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue” sees a return to the eclectic, energetic experimentation of Ferry’s early albums with Roxy Music as a lush modern swirl of instruments mingles with the singer’s stylized vocals and throwback harmonica; “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright” completes the Dylan pair, as Ferry intones with confidence and again takes up harmonica over Colin Good’s rolling piano. The reverent Leadbelly cover “Goodnight Irene” reimagines Ferry as a kind of blues troubadour. “One Way Love” sees the Drifters’ song reworked as a squall of distorted guitars and keyboards. Almost half of Frantic’s songs originated from late-’90s sessions with Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart, and Stewart is given a co-writer credit for these songs. Though the Stewart songs tend to favor edginess over songwriting, a few of them manage to break through the bombast. “Goddess of Love” is probably the best song about Marilyn Monroe since Kitchens of Distinction’s “When in Heaven,” and there’s a passing musical resemblance to that great song. “Hiroshima” works like an ominous take on Roxy Music’s synth-heavy Avalon period, with raging guitar dynamics contributed by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood. Roxy Music fans will find more reasons to rejoice with the superb album closer, “I Thought,” which was co-written with Brian Eno, who sings backing vocals and plays keyboards. Some listeners might suggest that an album this varied has an identity crisis, but with standout tracks as glorious as the Dylan covers and the Eno closer, Frantic is a fascinating addition to Bryan Ferry’s accomplished discography.

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2 min read

Bryan Ferry – Boys And Girls (1985) [Reissue 2005] [SACD / Virgin – FERRYSACD6]

Bryan Ferry - Boys And Girls (1985) [Reissue 2005]

Title: Bryan Ferry – Boys And Girls (1985) [Reissue 2005]
Genre: Rock
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Having at last laid Roxy to bed with its final, intoxicatingly elegant albums, Ferry continued its end-days spirit with his own return to solo work. Dedicated to Ferry’s father, Boys and Girls is deservedly most famous for its smash single “Slave to Love.” With a gentle samba-derived rhythm leading into the steadier rock pace of the song, it’s ’80s Ferry at his finest, easy listening without being hopelessly soporific. As a whole, Boys and Girls fully established the clean, cool vision of Ferry on his own to the general public. Instead of ragged rock explosions, emotional extremes, and all that made his ’70s work so compelling in and out of Roxy, Ferry here is the suave, debonair if secretly moody and melancholic lover, with music to match. Co-producer Rhett Davies, continuing his role from the latter Roxy albums, picks up where Avalon left off right from the slinky opening grooves of “Sensation.” The range of people on the album is an intriguing mix, from latterday Roxy members like Andy Newmark and Alan Spenner to avid Roxy disciples like Chic’s Nile Rodgers. Everyone is subordinated to Ferry’s overall vision, and as a result there’s not as much full variety on Boys and Girls as might be thought or hoped. The album’s biggest flaw is indeed that it’s almost too smooth, with not even the hint of threat or edge that Ferry once readily made his own. As something that’s a high cut above the usual mid-’80s yuppie smarm music, though, Boys and Girls remains an enjoyable keeper that has aged well.

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2 min read

Bryan Ferry – Boys And Girls (1985) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2015] [SACD / Virgin – UIGY-9689]

Bryan Ferry - Boys And Girls (1985) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2015]

Title: Bryan Ferry – Boys And Girls (1985) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2015]
Genre: Rock
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Having at last laid Roxy to bed with its final, intoxicatingly elegant albums, Ferry continued its end-days spirit with his own return to solo work. Dedicated to Ferry’s father, Boys and Girls is deservedly most famous for its smash single “Slave to Love.” With a gentle samba-derived rhythm leading into the steadier rock pace of the song, it’s ’80s Ferry at his finest, easy listening without being hopelessly soporific. As a whole, Boys and Girls fully established the clean, cool vision of Ferry on his own to the general public. Instead of ragged rock explosions, emotional extremes, and all that made his ’70s work so compelling in and out of Roxy, Ferry here is the suave, debonair if secretly moody and melancholic lover, with music to match. Co-producer Rhett Davies, continuing his role from the latter Roxy albums, picks up where Avalon left off right from the slinky opening grooves of “Sensation.” The range of people on the album is an intriguing mix, from latterday Roxy members like Andy Newmark and Alan Spenner to avid Roxy disciples like Chic’s Nile Rodgers. Everyone is subordinated to Ferry’s overall vision, and as a result there’s not as much full variety on Boys and Girls as might be thought or hoped. The album’s biggest flaw is indeed that it’s almost too smooth, with not even the hint of threat or edge that Ferry once readily made his own. As something that’s a high cut above the usual mid-’80s yuppie smarm music, though, Boys and Girls remains an enjoyable keeper that has aged well.

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2 min read

Bryan Ferry – The Bride Stripped Bare (1978) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2015] [SACD / Virgin – UIGY-9688]

Bryan Ferry - The Bride Stripped Bare (1978) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2015]

Title: Bryan Ferry – The Bride Stripped Bare (1978) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2015]
Genre: Rock
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

When Jerry Hall, front-cover model on Roxy’s Siren, left Ferry for Mick Jagger, his response was this interesting album, not a full success but by no means a washout. In part Ferry returned to the model of his solo work before In Your Mind, with half the tracks being covers of rock and soul classics. Thus, Sam and Dave’s “Hold On (I’m Coming),” Al Green’s “Take Me to the River” (which arguably sounds like a strong influence on Talking Heads’ near contemporaneous version) and even the Velvet Underground’s “What Goes On,” among others, take a bow. Unfortunately Ferry’s backing performers, mostly drawing on studio pros like Waddy Wachtel, don’t seem to have the real affinity for the material like his earlier solo-effort cohorts did. If anything, though, there’s also the sense of Ferry channeling his romantic gloom through a number of the songs, giving them a strong personal bite. The guitar and bass-only version of the traditional folk tune “Carrickfergus” works best of all, its lovelorn sentiments and slow pace connecting just right. As for Ferry’s originals, his sentiments are all the more clear, right from the abbreviated charge of the opening “Sign of the Times,” its fractured sentiments of disturbed, vicious romance matched by the clipped punch of the music and Ferry’s own brisk delivery. The other originals don’t cut quite so bloodily, but the sense of loss and confusion is all there, from the opening line “Well I rush out blazin’/My pulse is racin’” on “Can’t Let Go” to the lonely sense of mystery on “This Island Earth,” the album’s conclusion.

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2 min read

Bryan Ferry – In Your Mind (1977) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2015] [SACD / Virgin – UIGY-9687]

Bryan Ferry - In Your Mind (1977) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2015]

Title: Bryan Ferry – In Your Mind (1977) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2015]
Genre: Rock
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

With Roxy Music set aside for the time being, Ferry took the solo plunge with an album of totally original material. As such, the underrated In Your Mind makes a logical follow-on from Roxy’s Siren, especially since usual suspects — Thompson, Manzanera, Wetton, and many more — assist him in the brief eight-song effort. While lacking early Roxy’s long-gone freakouts In Your Mind still burns more fiercely than both the later solo and group albums, at least on certain tracks – like Siren, it balances between rockier and smoother paths, most often favoring the former. Ferry’s lyrics remain in his own realm of intelligent, romantic dissipation, and are some of his best efforts. The strong opener “This Is Tomorrow” starts with Ferry and keyboards before moving into a big, chugging full band arrangement and a wistful chorus: “This is tomorrow callin’/Wish you were here.” When Ferry aims for a calmer mood, rather than stripped-down melancholia, he lets everyone play along. Sometimes the arrangements almost swamp the songs, but “One Kiss’” combination of female backing vocals, sax, and straight-up rock for instance, make it a great woozy, end-of-the-night singalong before the bars close. There are a few blatant misfires — “Tokyo Joe” has the chugging, dark funk/rock beat down cold, but the lyrics play around too much with Asian stereotypes (and let’s not mention the opening gong and all too obvious attempts at “atmosphere” via the strings). On balance, though, In Your Mind remains the secret highlight of Ferry’s musical career, an energetic album that would have received far more attention as a full Roxy release.

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2 min read

Bryan Ferry – Let’s Stick Together (1976) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2015] [SACD / Virgin – UIGY-9686]

Bryan Ferry - Let’s Stick Together (1976) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2015]

Title: Bryan Ferry – Let’s Stick Together (1976) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2015]
Genre: Rock
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

As Roxy approached its mid- to late-’70s hibernation, Ferry came up with another fine solo album, though one of his most curious. With Thompson and Wetton joined by U.K. journeyman guitarist Chris Spedding, Ferry recorded an effort that seemed as much of a bit of creative therapy as it was music for its own sake. On the one hand, he followed the initial formula established for his solo work, looking back to earlier rock, pop, and soul classics with gentle gusto. The title track itself, a cover of the fluke Wilbert Harrison ’60s hit, scored Ferry a deserved British hit single, with great sax work from Chris Mercer and Mel Collins and a driving, full band performance. Ferry’s delivery is one of his best, right down to the yelps, and the whole thing chugs with post-glam power. Other winners include the Everly Brothers’ “The Price of Love” and the Beatles’ “It’s Only Love,” delivered with lead keyboards from Ferry and a nice, full arrangement. On the other hand, half of the album consisted of Ferry originals — but, bizarrely, instead of creating wholly new songs, he re-recorded a slew of earlier Roxy classics. Fanciful fun or exorcising of past demons? It’s worth noting that most of the songs come from the Eno period of the band, and consequently the new versions stear clear of the sheer chaos he brought to the original Roxy lineup. As it is, the end results are still interesting treats — “Casanova” exchanges the blasting stomp of the original for a slow, snaky delivery that suggests threat without sounding too worried about it. “Re-Make/Re-Model,” meanwhile, turns downright funky without losing any of its weird lyrical edge. Others have subtler differences, as when the stark, stiff midsection of “Sea Breezes” becomes a looser, slow jam.

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2 min read