Ronald Shannon Jackson - Red Warrior 1990

Forsaking the keyboard and saxophone lineups of many of his Decoding Society bands, composer/drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson uses a three-guitar and two-bass group on Red Warrior, creating a dense musical backdrop for his inspired arrangements. The "stripped down" band configuration is reflected in the loose, jam session feel of the record, which, unlike the earlier, more sonically varied album Decode Yourself, includes a good number of blues-based tracks ("Ashes," "Gates to Heaven," and "In Every Face"). This is not to say Red Warrior is a straightforward record, by any means. As is Jackson's inclination, the mix is expanded with plenty of jazz improvisation, weaves of effects-riddled guitar lines, complex head statements, and, of course, the drummer's pan-stylistic rhythmic support. The album also contains a variety of material, including the "Mahavishnu Orchestra meets Dr. John," New Orleans shuffle blues "Red Warrior" and the sprawling, free-form "Elders." Excellent contributions are made by the entire band, which includes guitarists Jef Lee Johnson, Steve Salas, and Jack DeSalvo and bassists Ramon Pooser and Conrad Mathieu. Red Warrior is just one of several, very impressive releases to be put out in the last two decades by Jackson, who, like contemporary composer Henry Threadgill, has unforgivably been overlooked and unsung all these years. AMG.
listen here

Trilok Gurtu - Living Magic 1991

With Jan Garbarek (saxes), Nana (per), Daniel Goyone (k). This is a septet doing Indian, Turkish, Scandinavian, and Brazilian world fusion, which is very well conceived. One of Garbarek's better efforts as collaborator or leader. AMG.
listen here

Bond & Brown - Two Heads Are Better Than One 1972

As epitaphs go, Graham Bond couldn't have done much better, even if he had known this set was to be his final album. Perhaps because the multi-instrumentalist was working with his old friend Pete Brown, the entire album has a wonderfully creative frisson to it, all heightened by the ease with which the band play off each other. It's particularly noticeable in the way Bond's piano and Derek Foley's lead guitar intertwine on the splendid, gospel-fired "Amazing Grass," a hallelujah to marijuana, of course. The lyrical slyness is equal to the musical adventurism, which slides deftly across genres, but is anchored by Bond's invariably barreling R&B style. Pricking the skin of dubious record head "Ig the Pig," or reflecting on the horrors of war on "CFDT (Colonel Frights' Dancing Terrapins)," drug dreams infuse the album's themes while romance lightens the mood. But it's the funky, jazzy, rockin' blues Bond & Brown celebrate across this excellent set that makes it positively unforgettable. AMG.
listen here

Omar Sosa - Afreecanos 2008

With every passing year, pianist Omar Sosa continues to define what contemporary world music can be. Each effort is quite different than the previous one, while the bright colors, timbres, and elements of his Cuban-based music are elevated higher and higher. In his restlessness to find further truth and beauty, there's a calm serenity and unabashed confidence in his vision and personal musicianship. For Afreecanos, Sosa uses artists from every portion of the globe except Australia and Canada, though some have lived there, too. They include fellow Cubans Orestes Vilató on timbales and flutist/saxophonist Leandro Saint-Hill; trumpeters Bill Ortiz (U.S.A.) and Stephane Belmondo (France); Africans Mola Sylla, Fanta and Baba Sissoko, and (from Morocco) violinist Mohamed Soulimane -- as well as Brazilian vocalists and the American-based bata player Michael Spiro. As you can imagine, this melting pot of rhythmic, vocal, and instrumental sound blends into a potpourri that makes refreshingly new music within ritual and traditional frameworks. There are many highlights: the heavy staccato-laden worldbeat groove blues of "Ollú," the jazz-oriented horn charts and singsong or harder-edged but lighthearted "D'Son" and "Tres Negroes," the effortless and funky African-derived "Tumborum," the flute-fronted oceanic-cum-Yoruban "Light in the Sky," and the sorrowful, more question than answer-oriented "Why Anga?," for the late conga player Miguel "Angá" Diaz, who played with Sosa up until his untimely passing. You'll hear straight African chants, spirit songs, and a ballad or two, the 21-stringed kora featured on the entirely beautiful "Iyade," and an occasional piano interlude from Sosa. As time goes by, with his music featuring fully developed progress-oriented themes, you notice less of Sosa as an individual voice and more in an image as a team player or village chieftain. In fact, the group singing is more prevalent than his individual playing. Omar Sosa continues to make brilliant music where the natural and spiritual meet the contemporary. He continues to set the bar further up into the stratosphere, and one can only imagine how far he's going to reach. This is a major artist on the international scene who all should be paying close attention to. AMG.
listen here

Trilok Gurtu - Glimpse 1997

by Craig Harris

The musical traditions of the eastern and western worlds are bridged through the improvisations of Bombay, India-born percussionist/vocalist Trilok Gurtu. Gurtu's mastery of post-bop jazz has not gone unnoticed. Downbeat magazine named him "best percussionist" in three critic and popularity polls and proclaimed, "musically, the world is his stage". Jazz magazine, Straight No Chaser took a similar view, writing, "this music has a transcendental quality and removes any obstacles that lie between western and eastern improvised music." Gurtu's eclectic approach has enabled him to collaborate with some of the world's greatest musicians. A member of trumpeter Don Cherry's band from 1976 to 1978, Gurtu has worked with such influential musicians as jazz guitarists Philip Catherine, John McLaughlin, Ralph Towner, Pat Metheny and Larry Coryell, rock guitarist David Gilmore, saxophonists Jan Garbarek and Bill Evans, percussionist Nana Vasconcelos, jazz keyboardist Josef Zawinul and classical pianists Katia and Marielle Labeque. Gurtu was a member of acoustic jazz fusion group, Oregon, from 1984 to 1988. A native of Bombay, India, Gurtu hails from a musical family. His grandfather was a well known sitar player and his mother, Shobha Gurtu, was an influential singer of Indian classical music. Studying to play the tablas from the age of six, Gurtu attracted international attention in the mid-1970s when he performed with Charlie Mariano and John Tchicai. In 1977, he accompanied vocalist Asha Bhosle during her New York concerts. After touring and recording with Don Cherry for two years, Gurtu emigrated to Hambug, Germany in 1978. Shortly afterwards, he toured with Belgian guitarist Philip Catherine and recorded an album, End Of August, with Catherine and Mariano. In the summer of 1993, Gurtu toured Europe in a duo with Josef Zawinul and recorded an album, Crazy Saints, with Zawinul and Pat Metheny. Gurtu continues to teach drum clinics and perform at classical events with modern dancer Carolyn Carlson. In the summer of 1998, he toured with Andy Summers and Larry Coryell. The year 2000 saw the release of African Fantasy. Beat of Love followed the next spring. 

Easily the best album to date by talented jazz/world music percussionist Trilok Gurtu, The Glimpse is a brilliant blend of musical styles paying tribute to the Indian drummer's dearly departed friend, jazz legend Don Cherry. Like Cherry, Gurtu's multicultural influences are often central to his compositions, and with guest musicians like Morocco's Jaya Deva (a member of Cherry's band), India's Geetha Ramanathan Bennett, and Bulgaria's Teodosii Spassov, this is his most ethnically diverse album to date. Nearly every track here is a standout, from the Moroccan groove of "Cherry Town" and the dazzling spoken percussion of "1-2 Beaucoup" to the melancholy balladry of Ornette Coleman's "Law Years." A must-have for fans of world-jazz fusion. AMG.

listen here

Grand Jeu sur canutbrains.blogspot.com: Doug Wimbish - Cinema Sonics 2008

Voilá encore un tour au Grand Jeu,  Bonne écoute.

Doug Wimbish was one of the most versatile bassists of the '80s, able to move from pop and mainstream rock session work to heavy metal, funk, and experimental music over the course of the decade; he continued in this vein through the 1990s before finally releasing his first solo album, Trippy Notes for Bass, in 1999. Wimbish is perhaps best known as the bassist in the house band of the legendary rap label Sugar Hill, backing Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five on their epochal Message album, among many others. As the '80s wore on, though, Sugar Hill found itself overtaken by hip-hop innovations outside its stable of artists, and its house band had already formed a productive relationship with British dub reggae experimentalist Adrian Sherwood.

Wimbish, guitarist Skip McDonald, and drummer Keith LeBlanc began working on a variety of projects with Sherwood, including backing ex-Pop Group member Mark Stewart on his solo recordings and issuing their own 12" singles under the name Fats Comet. Major Malfunction was released in 1986 under Keith LeBlanc's name, although it was essentially a group collaboration; that group dynamic became official when the trio members christened themselves Tackhead and began recording full-length works with Sherwood. However, their two albums -- 1989's Friendly as a Hand Grenade and 1990's Strange Things -- didn't quite capture the avant-garde Funkadelic-meets-Lee Perry experiments of their earlier work or of LeBlanc's "solo" albums. When Living Colour bassist Muzz Skillings departed his band in 1992, Wimbish was tapped as his replacement. However, after 1993's Stain, the group disbanded, and Wimbish returned to session work, playing on albums by Madonna, Annie Lennox, Mick Jagger, the Rolling Stones, Ron Wood, Seal, Joe Satriani, and many others, plus the occasional Sherwood project. Wimbish also reunited with Living Colour drummer Will Calhoun in the experimental funk/electronica trio Jungle Funk. In 1999, Sherwood's On-U Sound label issued Wimbish's first solo album, Trippy Notes for Bass. AMG.
listen here

The Tony Williams Lifetime - Turn It Over 1970

The better of the two albums the Tony Williams Lifetime recorded in 1970, Turn It Over, is a far more focused and powerful album than the loose, experimental Ego, and one of the more intense pieces of early jazz-rock fusion around. In parts, it's like Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys with much better chops. It's more rock-oriented and darker-hued than their debut, 1969's Emergency!, and the temporary addition of ex-Cream member Jack Bruce on bass and vocals alongside stalwart guitarist John McLaughlin makes this something of a milestone of British progressive jazz. The album's primary flaw is that unlike the expansive double album Emergency!, these ten songs are tightly constricted into pop-song forms -- only a swinging cover of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Once I Loved" breaks the five-minute mark, and then only barely -- which reins in these marvelous soloists too much. This is particularly frustrating since pieces like the two-part "To Whom It May Concern" feature some outstanding solos (especially from McLaughlin and organist Larry Young, the group's secret weapon) that are frustratingly, tantalizingly short. Expanded to a double album, Turn It Over would probably surpass Emergency! as a pioneering jazz-rock fusion release; as it is, it's an exciting but mildly maddening session. listen here

Otis Taylor - Otis Taylor' s Contraband 2012

Anyone who has paid attention to Otis Taylor's career understands that he is not a conventional bluesman, yet his diverse music, for all of its ambitious instrumentation, odd rhythmic meters, minor pentatonic scales, and textural strangeness embodies the spirit of the blues authentically and unmistakably. His is an iconic -- and some would argue iconoclastic -- vision. Contraband is nearly an hour long and contains 14 songs. Taylor plays guitar as well as banjo, and he uses a familiar slate of players: cornetist Ron Miles, keyboardist Brian Juan, fiddler Anne Harris, guitarist Jon Paul Johnson, with Chuck Campbell on pedal steel, djembe player Fara Tolno, and two bassists: daughter Cassie Taylor and Todd Edmunds; Larry Thompson plays drums. The album's hinge piece, "Contraband Blues," elucidates the use of human beings being used as actual contraband. The track, with its layered strings, spooky pedal steel, skittering snare, and open-toned, droning blues details the plight of slaves during the Civil War. They were freed by law, but weren't free -- they were used by the Union Army as captured property. Opener "Devil's Gonna Lie" is a circular two-chord blues riff, accentuated by djembe and multi-tracked cornet, B-3, pedal steel and electric guitars, and the Wendy Rene Choir. Taylor sings in old gospel style about the "devil," but refers to him not so much as a person but as the persuasive power of evil. Punchy, funky, and gritty, evil is portrayed as any form of exploitation. Taylor examines race, class, and interpersonal relationships in unusual ways. "Blind Piano Teacher" is a soulful ballad that explores the relationship between a younger blind piano teacher of mixed racial heritage and an older man of no racial distinction. Miles' cornet playing is like another singing voice, answering Taylor's narrative. "Banjo Boogie Blues" is a strutting shuffle with screaming guitars, banjo, and drums, with the choir underscoring Taylor's call for universal and personal compassion. 12-bar blues are the basis of the tracks "Your Ten Dollar Bill," Yellow Car, Yellow Dog," "Romans Had Their Way," "Lay On My Delta Bed," and closing burner "I Can See You're Lying," but Taylor and his band stretch them to the limit rhythmically with odd instrumental and vocal cadences, only the drum kit keeping them on the rails. Still, it's the nearly acoustic Delta blues-inspired "2 or 3 Times," the Mexican corrido "Yell Your Name," the Americana-inspired "Never Been to Africa" (detailing the plight of a black soldier who has fought all over the world during WWI, yet never visits his homeland), and the shimmering acoustic/electric folk-blues of "Look to the Side" that lend mystery on this deeply focused set. By reining in the freedom that made Clovis People, Vol. 3 such a puzzling wonder, Taylor manages to up the ante musically and lyrically on Contraband. All killer, no filler. AMG.
listen here

The Beatles - Rubber Soul 1965

While the Beatles still largely stuck to love songs on Rubber Soul, the lyrics represented a quantum leap in terms of thoughtfulness, maturity, and complex ambiguities. Musically, too, it was a substantial leap forward, with intricate folk-rock arrangements that reflected the increasing influence of Dylan and the Byrds. The group and George Martin were also beginning to expand the conventional instrumental parameters of the rock group, using a sitar on "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)," Greek-like guitar lines on "Michelle" and "Girl," fuzz bass on "Think for Yourself," and a piano made to sound like a harpsichord on the instrumental break of "In My Life." While John and Paul were beginning to carve separate songwriting identities at this point, the album is full of great tunes, from "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" and "Michelle" to "Girl," "I'm Looking Through You," "You Won't See Me," "Drive My Car," and "Nowhere Man" (the last of which was the first Beatle song to move beyond romantic themes entirely). George Harrison was also developing into a fine songwriter with his two contributions, "Think for Yourself" and the Byrds-ish "If I Needed Someone." AMG.
listen here

It's A Beautiful Day - It's A Beautiful Day 1969

Although they are not one of the better-known San Francisco bands to have emerged from the ballroom circuit of the late '60s and early '70s, It's a Beautiful Day were no less memorable for their unique progressive rock style that contrasted well with the Bay Area psychedelic scene. Led by David LaFlamme (flute/violin/vocals) and his wife, Linda LaFlamme (keyboards), the six-piece unit on this album vacillates between light and ethereal pieces such as the lead-off cut, "White Bird," to the heavier, prog rock-influenced "Bombay Calling." One of the most distinct characteristics of It's a Beautiful Day is their instrumentation. The prominence of David LaFlamme -- former violin soloist with the Utah Symphony and original member of Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks -- adds a refinement to It's a Beautiful Day's sound. Likewise, the intricate melodies -- mostly composed by the LaFlammes -- are structured around the band's immense virtuosity, a prime example being the exquisitely haunting harpsichord-driven "Girl With No Eyes." The noir framework, as well as lyrics such as "...she's just a reflection of all of the time I've been high," point rather candidly to the hallucinogenic nature of the song's -- if not the band's -- influences. The same can be said of the languidly eerie "Bulgaria." The almost chant-like quality of the track slowly crescendos into an hypnotic and dreamlike sonic journey -- led by LaFlamme's brilliant violin work. By virtue of being a Bay Area fixture in the late '60s, It's a Beautiful Day could also easily double as a hippie dance band -- which they can also execute with great aplomb -- as the wildly up-tempo "Time Is" amply proves. It's a Beautiful Day remains as a timepiece and evidence of how sophisticated rock & roll had become in the fertile environs of the San Francisco music scene. AMG.
listen here

Brian Auger's Oblivion Express - Looking In The Eye Of The World 2007

Since forming this groundbreaking fusion ensemble in 1970, the legendary rock and jazz organist has thrived despite various incarnations of the group and numerous personnel changes. The early 2000s lineup was one of the best, in part because of the powerful, emotional contributions by Brian Auger's children, lead vocalist Savannah Grace Auger and drummer/percussionist Karma D. Auger. Savannah's soulful turns on a moody rendering of Herbie Hancock's "Butterfly" and a magical, retro-soul/funk reading of Marvin Gaye's "Troubleman" are early highlights here, as are Brian's brisk and lively "Happy Overture" and the buoyant, horn drenched "Freddie's Flight." Savannah and Karma collaborate with bassist Chris Golden on the mystical ballad "Homeward," another showcase for Savannah's heartfelt voice. Most of the rest of this supercharged date is a mix of original barnburners ("Meet Mr. Eddie") and the wistful, low-key title track, with a few cool retro exceptions: a soulful, bluesy rendering of Donovan's thought-provoking ballad "Season of the Witch" and a unique, mid-tempo arrangement of "Light My Fire" that makes it a jazzy torch tune. Although Brian's magical retro keys are front and center, every brilliant, transcendent moment here belongs to his daughters, who carry on her father's tradition in grand style. AMG.
listen here

Grand Jeu sur canutbrains.blogspot.com: Otis Redding - The Immortal Otis Redding 1968

 Nouveau tour au grand Jeu, et cette fois aprés avoir fait une longue liste de disques qui méritaient ètre dans le Grand Jeu je me suis décidé.
Aprés la période des 45trs, moi et mon frère ont eté pris par la fièvre des LP, Et les deux album que nous aons choisi étaient Manfred Mann - Marcus Garvey! 1968 (que j'ai posté sûr mon blog Musicology début de ce mois) donc je prends l'autre album qui nous a frappé ... et cela continue, Otis Redding - The Immortal Otis Redding 1968. Bonne écoute.
After the career of Otis Redding was cut tragically short in December of 1967, the tape vaults were plundered on several occasions to present fans with new product. The Immortal Otis Redding (1968) was the second posthumous long-player created from the artist's backlog of material. Of the 11 selections, only the 45 rpm side "The Happy Song (Dum-Dum-De-De-De-Dum-Dum)" would have been familiar to enthusiasts of the late vocalist. As notated on the rear of the original jacket, these were among the last tunes Redding cut during what turned out to be a prophetic three-week stretch of sessions -- concluding just days prior to his untimely passing. One of which is the emotive opener "I've Got Dreams to Remember," which bear two disparate sets of lyrics -- including one by Redding's spouse Zelma Redding. However, the words on the version commencing this effort were actually penned by Joe Rock, whose primary claim to fame was as author of the Skyliners' doo wop smash "Since I Don't Have You." The midtempo "You Made a Man Out of Me" is marked by the hypnotic rhythm lines of Donald "Duck" Dunn (bass). It joins the preeminently funky "Hard to Handle" -- which easily bests the Black Crowes' early-'90s modernization -- and the sublime soul stomper "Nobody's Fault But Mine" as prime paradigms of his inimitable command. The Memphis Horns provide a profound sense of empathy to the aching "Thousand Miles Away," while the somber irony of the Redding original "A Waste of Time" ranks alongside his best ballads. The remake of Ray Charles' "A Fool for You" provides an ideal vehicle for Redding to explore his R&B roots. It likewise leads one to beg the hypothetical possibilities of an entire project dedicated to Redding's interpretations of sounds that influenced him. Those very musical roots definitively manifest themselves in the closing spiritual, "Amen." Although Redding is credited with the arrangement, he was undoubtedly impacted by the Impressions' 1964 hit that took a similar approach to the simple sacred singalong. On the whole, it can be argued that The Immortal Otis Redding wasn't quite on par with the half-dozen studio albums that the vocalist cut during his lifetime. By the same token, it should be acknowledged that any Otis Redding recordings should be considered welcome (if not mandatory) additions to all manner of listeners. AMG.
listen here

Screamin' Jay Hawkins - Cow Fingers and Mosquito Pie 1991

Screamin' Jay Hawkins was the most outrageous performer extant during rock's dawn. Prone to emerging out of coffins on-stage, a flaming skull named Henry his constant companion, Screamin' Jay was an insanely theatrical figure long before it was even remotely acceptable.

Hawkins' life story is almost as bizarre as his on-stage schtick. Originally inspired by the booming baritone of Paul Robeson, Hawkins was unable to break through as an opera singer. His boxing prowess was every bit as lethal as his vocal cords; many of his most hilarious tales revolve around Jay beating the hell out of a musical rival.

Hawkins caught his first musical break in 1951 as pianist/valet to veteran jazz guitarist Tiny Grimes. He debuted on wax for Gotham the following year with "Why Did You Waste My Time," backed by Grimes & His Rockin' Highlanders (they donned kilts and tam o' shanters on-stage). Singles for Timely ("Baptize Me in Wine") and Mercury's Wing subsidiary (1955's otherworldly "[She Put The] Wamee [On Me]," a harbinger of things to come) preceded Hawkins' immortal 1956 rendering of "I Put a Spell on You" for Columbia's OKeh imprint.

Hawkins originally envisioned the tune as a refined ballad. After he and his New York session aces (notably guitarist Mickey Baker and saxist Sam "The Man" Taylor) had imbibed to the point of no return, Hawkins screamed, grunted, and gurgled his way through the tune with utter drunken abandon. A resultant success despite the protests of uptight suits-in-power, "I Put a Spell on You" became Screamin' Jay's biggest seller ("Little Demon," its rocking flip, is a minor classic itself).

Hawkins cut several amazing 1957-1958 follow-ups in the same crazed vein -- "Hong Kong," a surreal "Yellow Coat," the Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller-penned "Alligator Wine" -- but none of them clicked the way "Spell" had. DJ Alan Freed convinced Screamin' Jay that popping out of a coffin might be a show-stopping gimmick by handing him a $300 bonus (long after Freed's demise, Screamin' Jay Hawkins was still benefiting from his crass brainstorm).

Hawkins' next truly inspired waxing came in 1969 when he was contracted to Philips Records (where he made two albums). His gross "Constipation Blues" wouldn't garner much airplay, but remained an integral part of his legacy for quite a while.

The cinema was a beneficiary of Screamin' Jay's larger-than-life persona in later years. His featured roles in Mystery Train and A Rage in Harlem made Hawkins a familiar visage to youngsters who never even heard "I Put a Spell on You." He died February 12, 2000 following surgery to treat an aneurysm; Hawkins was 70. AMG.
listen here

Vanessa Paradis - Vanessa Paradis 1992

French pop star (and significant other of Johnny Depp) recorded her English-language debut record in 1991; the self-titled disc was a bit of a flop commercially, but, surprisingly, succeeds artistically. Producer Lenny Kravitz gives Vanessa Paradis some of his best songs and she really can carry a tune with her breathy little-girl vocals. The highlights of the record are many, but the songs that will have you smiling like a fool at the sheer poptasticness of it all are the gliding funk with orchestra of "Natural High;" the strutting girl group of "Be My Baby;" the sweet-as-sugar sunshine pop of "Sunday Mondays;" the psych-soul of "Your Love Has Got a Handle on My Mind" (which features Paradis' most assured vocal and a nice background assist from Kravitz); and the sweet soul of "Just as Long as You Are There." Even her cover of the Velvet Underground's "I'm Waiting for the Man" works wonders. It really shouldn't, but the propulsive beat and Paradis' sexy vocals somehow do the trick. The only song that falls flat is the autumnal folk of "Silver and Gold," as the ultra-serious lyrics and tone are painfully out of step with the glitter and groove of the rest of the record. Kravitz should be praised for his wonderful production. He rarely makes a wrong move and provides wonderful settings for Paradis to shine. It is too bad they didn't make more records together. Johnny Depp's gain is pop music's loss. Odds are there will never be a deluxe reissue (sadly), so you will have to seek this out in used stores and bargain bins. AMG.

listen here

Alexis Korner - Kornerstoned. The Alexis Korner Anthology 1954-1983 (2006)

Although his name may not be as instantly recognizable stateside as Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, or Led Zeppelin, Alexis Korner played an enormously large role in helping launch the British blues explosion of the '60s. After all, such soon-to-be household names as Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ginger Baker, and Robert Plant either recorded with Korner, or credit the singer/guitarist as an early inspiration to follow their blues calling. The double-disc. 40-plus-track Kornerstoned: The Anthology 1954-1983 chronicles Korner's entire recording career, from Alexis Korner Skiffle Group in the early '50s, to fronting various bands later in the '50s and throughout the '60s (as Alex Korner's Blues Incorporated, Alex Korner's Blues All Stars, etc.), all of which are included here. Individual standouts include the recently unearthed "Steal Away," which features a 20-year-old Robert Plant (evidence that he had his whole "shrieking sex god" thing down -- even pre-Zeppelin), as well as a laid-back yet funky cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Mighty-Mighty Spade & Whitey" (credited to New Church), which features Free's then-lead singer Paul Rodgers on vocals. Also included is a mostly instrumental cover of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" (which long served as the theme music for the popular British TV show Top of the Pops), as well as another laid-back funk-rock cover, "The Gambler." Kornerstoned: The Anthology 1954-1983 is a fitting testament to one of rock's most oft-overlooked yet important figures. AMG.
listen here