true-blue (or should that be gray?) Southern rockers of the first order. The twosome's second collaboration sticks to a tried-and-true formula of Dixie bluster and guitar grit that seems to be the Van Zant's birthright. There's nothing subtle about their perspective, their roughhewn harmonies, or their blues-rock music (Kenny Wayne Shepherd contributes guitar to two numbers). That's Van Zant--take it or leave it. --Steven Stolder  (less)

on Top of the World," that things briefly get bluesy. Instead, Paul McCartney, Jeff Beck, Chrissie Hynde, Tom Petty, and Bryan Ferry all offer up loving, note-for-note recreations of early Elvis tunes, even if it was Jerry Lee Lewis, not Elvis, who recorded a cover of "Don't Be Cruel" (Ferry's tune) for Sun. But Elton John and Mandy Barnett both do The Killer (Lewis) proud here, as Sheryl Crow later does for Charlie Rich, and Led Zep's Page & Plant do for Sonny Burgess. Especially marvelous is Bob Dylan's subtle and, at times, hilarious take on Warren Smith's "Red Cadillac and a Black Moustache." It's a career highlight and every bit as enchanting as Robert Gordon's '70s cover version. Like the label itself, there are more h...  (less)

tepid conformity of today s corporate music playlists. The new release builds on Paul Mark s word-of-mouth legacy with a live, no-holds-barred roots rock sound. This is emotional, thinking-person s music that overlays a contemporary singer/songwriter sensibility on to the Americana legacy of blues, soul and raucous rock n roll. Cut in Memphis, Tennessee at legendary Ardent Studios, Blood & Treasure was co-produced by Paul Mark and Jeff Powell (Big Star, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Afghan Whigs, B.B. King, The Bottle Rockets). This is Mark s seventh CD on the NYC-based indie label Radiation Records  (less)

Polydor in and A&m in the Us in 1980, Teaming with Legendary Producer and Original Skynyrd A&r Man Al Kooper to Cut this Blistering Debut Album. Drawing from his Southern Roots and Skynyrd's Fiery Guitar Fuelled Legacy, the Music is a Hot Burrito of Fuel Injected Riffing (Aided and Abetted by Twin Lead Guitarists Robbie Gay and Eric Lundgren) and the Kind of Down Home Back Porch Rocking that Brings to Mind the Best Work of Skynyrd, .38 Special, Marshall Tucker and the Allman Brothers Band. Look Out for 'standing in the Darkness' a Poignant and Touching Tribute Originally Written as a Poem for Late Brother Ronnie, Surely One of the Finest Closing Tracks on Any Southern Rock Album.  (less)

accordion (one track) Doug Lacy - accordion, digeridoo, piano, organ, steel drums Elic Gale - Jim Giglio - David Lindley - David Mansfield - Bonnie Raitt - Todd Rundgren - Roger Steen - Fred Tackett - Waddy Wachtel - (guitar) David McKelvy - harmonica Amy Schulman - harp Greg Adams - Emilio Castillo - Richard Elliot - Stephen `Doc' Kupka - Lee Thornburg -(horns) Freebo - tuba Marty Krystal - sax Sam Phipps - sax Bobbye hall - percussion Rex Golston - percussion Van Dyke Parks - piano Jai Winding - organ Mike Berment - steel drums Willie Green Jr. - Bobby King - Greg Matta - Ernie Payne - Jim Unfried - (vocal) Armadillo String Quartet - strings 1.Hey You! 2.Tracks: 3.Right Now Man 4.Yardwork 5. Hey You! 6.Pool Shark 7.Get It ...  (less)

behind a musical legacy of some of the most beautifully-crafted songs ever written and a legion of grateful admirers. The solo tracks in this comprehensive 2cd collection cover van zandt's most creative period, when he was recording for the poppy and tomato labels between 1968 and 1978 and highlight the man's songwriting genius. Most of his original output was recorded during this decade and appeared on his first eight albums. All of his finest songs and performances are included here, including 'pancho and lefty', 'tecumseh valley', 'for the sake of the song' and 'if i needed you'.  (less)