best of via le radiophone

Comment se dire adieu #02 : "What else can you do, at the end of a love affair ?"

2009-07-17T09:53:57Z

Deuxième volet de notre série d'été consacrée aux ultimes sursauts de génie des grands noms de la musique, avec le "Lady in Satin" de Billie Holiday publié en 1958, un peu plus d'un an avant sa mort il y a tout juste 50 ans. Une voix chargée par les années, une orchestration un rien chargée en (...) Jazz, ballade, best of, billie holiday

Seal - Change Gonna Come

2008-10-22T22:45:26Z

<img height=200 src=http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51kXYgc6TOL._SL500_AA240_.jpg><img height=200 src=http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51u2t5Sd28L._SL500_AA240_.jpg> John Legend: I'm Your Puppet</a> From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DZLAXM?ie=UTF8&tag=sousid-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B001DZLAXM" target="_blank">Soul Men Soundtrack</a> (Stax, 2008) Seal: Change Gonna Come</a> From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001F290E4?ie=UTF8&tag=sousid-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B001F290E4" target="_blank">Soul</a> (Warner Bros, 2008) <a href="http://www.soulmen-movie.com" target="_blank">Soul Men</a> has a dubious history behind it considering that it stars both Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes. Plus, judging from the trailer, it looks like the Black version of Blues Brothers...but not necessarily destined to be a classic. For the film, Stax commissioned a slew of folks to record both new songs and covers of classic soul tunes, including "I'm Your Puppet" by the Purify brothers. And coincidentally, Seal is currently touting the lead video to his new album of soul covers: a cover of Sam Cooke's "Change Gonna Come." (You'll have to pardon the thin, mono mix but that's all that's available for it right now). So what's the verdict? I'm on the fence with Seal's song. It begins fairly close to Cooke's original but then shifts towards the end but either way, this comes up a bit short for me. I can't really pinpoint to anything technically wrong - Seal has a great voice and he executes this well - but with a song like "Change Gonna Come"; it is such a definitive song in the soul canon that it's very hard to effectively cover without simply reminding people how good the original was. There are very few artists who have managed to even approach the power of the original - that includes <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onN9qSTLaAo" target="_blank">Aretha Franklin's take</a> - but we're talking rarefied company and while I think Seal has the vocal chops, the song still doesn't achieve that transcendent moment you're hoping for. I'd rather hear him tackle something a bit more obscure. I'll reserve final judgment until I hear the album; I'm curious to hear him do "I Can't Stand the Rain" (Ann Peebles). As for John Legend taking on the Purifys...I was more open to this, partially because it doesn't hide that it's a contemporary cover - this was clearly recorded now and not back in the '60s. Also, "I'm Your Puppet" is a more forgiving song to cover - what makes it such a classic has more to do with its signature melody than the Purifys' original vocals. So in essence, as long as you keep that melody intact, you can come at this song any number of ways and generally, it'll sound good (check out <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY13lEcOQoo" target="_blank">Jimmy London's reggae version</a> for example. There's also <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYS0PxE5QhU&feature=related" target="_blank">Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's duet</a> version.) My point being: I think Legend does a fine job here - he puts his own vocal spin on it but sustains the main musical appeal of the composition. <hr>Elsewhere, if you haven't checked in on Side Dishes lately, here's what you've missed: <li><a href="http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/10/menahan-street-band-the-road-less-travelled/" target="_blank">My take</a> on the new Menahan Street Band album. <LI>A longer <a href="http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/10/alton-ellis-rocksteady-soul/" target="_blank">tribute to Alton Ellis</a>. <li>Reviews of new albums by <a href="http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/10/robin-thicke-mr-harmony/" target="_blank">Robin Thicke</a> and <a href="http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/09/solange-knowles-still-standing-solo/" target="_blank">Solange Knowles</a>. soul, ballade, change come, best of

Mr Moo - Mr Moo's African Guitar Stash

2008-05-18T11:07:00Z

Mr Moo's African Guitar Stash (MP3 Podcast on ParisDJs.com) T.I.M.E.C., 2008-05-18 Tracklisting : 01. Ojah with Hugh Masekela - Afro Beat Blues (unreleased track from 1974, available on 'Hugh Masekela presents The Chisa Years 1965-1975' compilation, 2006 / BBE) SOUTH AFRICA 02. Moussa Dumbia - (...) soul, funk, blues, best of

Créer c'est résister, résister c'est créer

2007-12-25T18:15:57Z

best of, résistance

Richard Galliano - La Javanaise

2007-11-25T08:59:00Z

Post-party Sunday, still early. All quiet on the Westside. Only one song suits the mood. In 3 versions, that is. (On the picture: Iris from Peppermoon, at the Filles Fragiles-presentation/Chick Habit party. More pics here, thanks Yuri & Pierre) Jean Corti + Olivia Ruiz & Christian Olivier - La (...) Jazz, Reprises, best of, Accordeon

m. ward - a voice at the end of the line

2007-11-15T16:19:59Z

. Look at the happy couple. Couldn't they at least try to hide it, fake a little depression for their friends' sake? Listen to them laughing - its an insult. The language they use - deceptively clear. And their little celebrations, rituals, the elaborate mutual routines - it's obviously a plot (...) Folk, ballade, best of

Daniel Mermet - Le Conseil National de la Résistance - 30 octo 07

2007-10-30T15:05:00Z

émission, histoire, best of, résistance

Caesar Frazier - Funk It Up

2007-10-14T10:14:26Z

<img height=125 src=http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z163/soul-sides-com/primo.jpg><img height=125 src=http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z163/soul-sides-com/primo-r.gif> Caesar Frazier: Funk It Up</a> From <a href="http://www.dustygroove.com/item.php?id=g3tqxwp9st&ref=browse.php&refQ=kwfilter%3Dfrazier%2B75%26amp%3Bincl_oos%3D1%26amp%3Bincl_cs%3D1" target="_blank">75</a> (Eastbound, 1975) Gang Starr: Ex Girl to the Next Girl</a> From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Daily-Operation-Gang-Starr/dp/B000007NZV" target="_blank">Daily Operation</a> (Chrysalis, 1992) Gang Starr: Speak Ya Clout</a> From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hard-Earn-Gang-Starr/dp/B000003JCL" target="_blank">Hard to Earn</a> (Chrysalis, 1994) I thought it'd be fun, for a change of pace, to pit a producer against himself. In this case, DJ Premier sampled two different portions from the same original source: "Funk It Up" from Caesar Frazier's other Eastbound album, 75. (<a href="http://soul-sides.com/2005/06/caesar-frazier-producers-choice.html" target="_blank">I put this up</a> a little over 2 years ago. Fans of this series will get a kick out of the first line of that old post. Looks like I've backed off my own policy, at least for the time being). Personally, I like that a producer would go back to a once-used source and find a new way to flip it (better than Marley putting out both "Ain't No Half Steppin" then "Pink Cookies in a Plastic Bag"...one of the stranger re-uses I've heard). There's a rather obvious Dilla example of this too which I might throw up at some point. What's so striking in this case though is how utterly different the two uses sound which reflects the differences in the portions of Frazier's original. It's unexpected that a single source would yield such contrasting sonic styles. funk, Easy, best of

Yelle - Je Veux te Voir

2007-06-26T19:26:00Z

Two of my favourite French electropopgirls have new songs out. Sweet little Yelle makes you wanna jump up and down thanks to A Cause de Garçons. The regular versions great, but the Booster-remix has more drive. Like a powerboost, you said it. Also new (to me) is the Club-Club version of her (...) Francophone, feminin, best of

"Fuck Me Pumps, "

2007-01-19T01:23:00Z

By special request. "Fuck Me Pumps, " Amy Winehouse best of, Amy Winehouse