| JACK HARDY....OMENS 1-800 PRIME CD....*** Jack Hardy is a home-grown, Celtic influenced bard who has struggled for recognition in the Folk Music circles for years. He�s been �discovered� too many times, and over the last 30 years or so has released some 12 albums which have been critically acclaimed. Yet, Hardy hasn�t made the impression that his intelligent, uncompromising and independent nature certainly suggest that he is capable of. Now, with his new album, �Omens� he�s released another great album that more folks need to hear. The 14 songs range from the uptempo Celtic imagery of �Sile na gCioch, to the biting humorous social commentary of �I ought to know�. You also get to enjoy the magestic balladry of �West of Dingle� and the wonderful �Only the Sky�. This album is full of nature imagery and well thought-out lyrics. The adept musicianship of his band entices Hardy�s songcraft to the forefront, yet each member keeps their singular talent intact, always keeping the beat right at his heels. The Celtic influence in some of the songs is obvious, yet never overwhelm so as to obscure the average American listener�s appreciation. The new album was recorded under a full moon to 24-track with vintage Neumann tube microphones, a Trident �A� range Studer A-827 2� analog recorder. These production techniques really add another dimension to this release. I hope that the great songs on Jack�s new album prove to be �omens� of things to come. JONNY KAPLAN...CALIFORNIA HEART RIPE RECORDS...*** Jonny Kaplan wrote and played the majority of instruments on this album of country-rock. The vibe going on throughout this CD remind this listener of Gram Parsons, The Flying Burrito Brothers and other earlier-day country-rock bands. There�s also a healthy dose of early seventies Rolling Stones happening. Philadelphia native Kaplan played in several bands in New York for a couple of years before heading across country to California in 1992. While there, Christopher Thorn of Blind Melon called him up and they got together for some impromptu jam sessions in Seattle. After enjoying a few herbal jazz cigarettes. the songcrafting soon turned into recording sessions where several friends from such bands as The Posies and The Wallflowers popped in. Add into this mix Jaydee Maness� sweeping pedal steel, who formally played with the Byrds, Gram Parsons and Buck Owens, and you�ve got the making of a really cool old school country-rock album. All 11 of the songs are good, (plus there�s a neato extra, hidden track) and there�s a nice split of rockers and ballads. Jonny loves his acoustic instruments and his � more hippie than cowboy� personae comes through as refreshing, enlivening this resurgence of 1970�s styling. SY KLOPPS...BERKELEY SOUL BULLSEYE BLUES AND SOUL...***1/2 Rock and roll manager Herbie Herbert started the band Sy Klopps on a gag. It all started out as a joke between Herb and his friend Pat Morrow of Nocturne Productions. They joked in their off-time about a fictitious band called �The Sy Klopps Jewish Blues Band.� Soon, the joke turned into a sort of mythological musical creation that ended up giving birth to a strange and fascinating lie. Stories of sold-out shows by the unheard of blues legend �Sigh Klopps� were leaked to the press and music industry, and thus, the legend grew. Articles appeared in trade magazines entitled �Very Hush, Hush� and �The Mystery of Sy Klopps�, only adding gas to the flame. The music industry began to believe that such a band actually existed and reports of sold-out shows were written about that never happened. Aggressive promoters began to steam, frustrated by the fact that such a potentially lucrative band had somehow slipped beneath their scrutiny. Sy became the ire of the industry. Who was this secretive character? Where the hell was the band? Herbie even made up tour jackets that displayed the band�s name on the back and wore them around, further creating the false mystique of the band that never was. Soon, enough was enough. Herbie was approached by David Denny, a music promoter who became aware of the gag, and offered the suggestion that he actually record and release an album to put an end to the prank and make it real. Well, it turned out that Herbie-who never considered himself a Blues artist or a singer- could really belt out a tune. So, a great band of talented musicians were put together and the first album �Walter Ego� was released. The New York Post gave it four stars. Reviews called it: �Fiery, Slammin� and Thrillin��. Now, we have the new album, and if anything, it�s better. What started out as a lark to bullshit the masses has turned into a great Blues band. Get it. CREEDANCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL...ALL THE ALBUMS REMASTERED FANTASY...**** Fantasy has finally re-released all of Creedance�s albums with 20 bit K2 super coding. Each individual CD comes with a neat slip-case, original art-work and new notes by well-regarded music writers. So sell your old greatest hits collections and buy all of these classics pronto. There�s no reason for me to even review the content of these gems due the fact that even the filler cuts were good. So what the hell are ya waiting for? Adios. |