Harvest a hit album, singing backup on the follow-up.) Young name-drops Hank Williams, Jimi Hendrix, and his old dog, King, in rich reminiscences about the musical ride he and his fans have shared since the late '60s. The album, as Young sings in "One of These Days," is "a long letter to all the good friends I've known." --Steve Knopper  (less)

sell up to expectations and, for that, the band found themselves on thin ice at Warner Brothers. Turning to another red-hot WB staff producer in Ted Templeman (Doobie Brothers, Van Halen, Van Morrison), they were able to further hone Lowell George's bent and surreal writing and elevate Bill Payne and Richie Hayward's contributions into more hook-laden tunes, while maintaining the unique rock, blues and country blend that defined the quartet. Showing authority, confidence and indeed, major cojones (including a re-arranged Willin', a song from their first album, on their follow-up!), 1972's Sailin' Shoes firmly established Feat as a major force in pop music. The Flying Burrito Brothers' #1 Sneaky Pete, perfectly seasons b...  (less)

and a common love of country and R&B music. In short order, they began working together while sharing a small apartment in Los Angeles' Echo Park area (their downstairs neighbor was Jackson Browne with whom both Souther and Frey would collaborate on numerous projects). Shortly after meeting, Souther and Frey formed a folk duo called Longbranch Pennywhistle. Their lone album, released in 1970 on Jimmy Bowen's Amos Records, featured significant contributions from guitarists James Burton and Ry Cooder, fiddler Doug Kershaw, drummer Jim Gordon, pianist Larry Knechtel and bassist Joe Osborn. After recording an eponymous solo album in 1972, persuaded by David Geffen, Souther formed the Souther Hillman Furay Band with Chris Hillman and Richie Furay. The group re...  (less)

steel guitarist Ben Keith, and Rick Rosas on bass, CD2 manages to sound both home-grown and experimental. It's the work of an artist still not afraid to take chances, who also knows what his strengths are and doesn't stray too far from them. Trainspotters will note that three of the ten songs were written but never released before, while we all might puzzle over the title. Chrome Dreams is the name of an unreleased album from 1977. So, why is this Chrome Dreams II ? Is it a similar case to 1992's Harvest Moon , when Young went back to the virtual land of his 1972 hit Harvest to write more material in that vein? As the original was reportedly lost in a fire, we may never know. Chrome Dreams II offers up gorgeous, plaintive laments and country-tinged num...  (less)

Door," Sherrill has the strings there from note one, softly providing the singer emotional support, and as Jones anguishes through a litany of all he's ever lost, it sure sounds like he needs it. In fact, on each of these 22 classics of honky-tonk heartache, Jones chokes down tears and swallows notes--his voice twisting, soaring, crying--as he weaves drunkenly down the thin line between despair and one more last chance. Country music has never sounded this devastated. Maybe it never will again. --David Cantwell  (less)

steel guitarist Ben Keith, and Rick Rosas on bass, CD2 manages to sound both home-grown and experimental. It's the work of an artist still not afraid to take chances, who also knows what his strengths are and doesn't stray too far from them. Trainspotters will note that three of the ten songs were written but never released before, while we all might puzzle over the title. Chrome Dreams is the name of an unreleased album from 1977. So, why is this Chrome Dreams II ? Is it a similar case to 1992's Harvest Moon , when Young went back to the virtual land of his 1972 hit Harvest to write more material in that vein? As the original was reportedly lost in a fire, we may never know. Chrome Dreams II offers up gorgeous, plaintive laments and country-tinged num...  (less)

of the moment. Hasn't happened. Subtítulo , so named because the artist has curled himself up in the culture of his adopted country, Spain, is as stuck in the '70s as anything he's produced, only this time he's sprinkled on Basque-country flavoring. "Quiet Town" paints so pretty a picture of sleepy romantic Euro villa life that it comes across as a kick in the shin to daydreaming suburbanites; "Summertime" effectively recreates long days by Grandma's kidney-shaped pool; "It Looks Like Love" cops a Seals & Crofts soft-rock creaminess that goes down so easy it really has no business presenting itself in this decade; and "Jersey Clowns" clambers along thoughtfully, sweeping unsuspecting listeners up in a low-decibel tale of love gone wrong. Two ...  (less)

knack for succinct lyrics, Anderson shows he's comfortable with all musical styles--obviously a prerequisite for anyone in NRBQ. He offers gritty country twang, deep soul ballads, heavy blues romps, and funky grooves. His gift for direct emotional expression helps transcend genre designation, but whether overt or implied, his originals (and his Hank Williams cover) seem to belie a country sensibility in his heart. The fact that's he's become a Nashville songwriting star makes sense in this context. --Marc Greilsamer  (less)

Young has come up with a gem--not all flash and bling-bling, but as understated as a single pearl, musically restrained yet emotionally open. Of course, neither Demme (an Oscar winner for The Silence of the Lambs ; he also helmed Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense ) nor Young would call it "a concert film"; the director describes it as "a dream concert, something that's literally being dreamt by Neil," while the singer-songwriter himself calls it "a multi-level story." Whatever, the project came together in 2005, as Young was finishing his Prairie Wind album (the latest in a string of lovely, country-flavored acoustic recordings dating back to 1972's Harvest ) and preparing to debut the music at Nashville's fabled Ryman Auditorium, home of the Grand Ole Opry. The fact tha...  (less)

and social policy debate, entertained us with the best of Canadian music and song, challenged us with the mysteries of science, tipped us to the better books of the season and introduced us to their authors, gave us tested and mouthwatering recipes, read aloud our best letters to him, and took us off the beaten path of Canada to show us who and where we are.brbrThe program lives on iniThe Morningside Years/i. In these pages – and on the accompanying free compact disk – you’ll find a collection of the most memorable items from the program’s years on air. Here you’ll rediscover Gzowski’s interviews with the stars of Canadian literature – Margaret Laurence, Robertson Davies, W. O. Mitchell, Alice Munro, Timothy Findley, and Margaret Atwood. The heartbreaking drama by Emil Sher,iMourning Dove/i, is presented in its entirety, as is the exceptional panel discussion of Louis Riel’s trial. There’s a chapter of the fifteen best letters to the program, as well as a mini-iMorningside Papers/i– “The Sixth (and Definitely Last).”brbrThere are photographs, too: aiMorningside/ifamily album and a series of candid shots taken in the studio during what may have been the most exciting day in the program’s life – the day spent preparing for the 1997 Red River Rally. There are conversations with scientists, and letters from abroad and from the North. And, on the accompanying CD, among other memorable pieces, there are excerpts from a classic political conversation among Eric Kierans, Stephen Lewis, and Dalton Camp, a hilarious conversation with Stuart McLean, a moment with Margaret Visser, a new arrangement of “O?ØõÂ? (öÿ¾Û€  (less)