Panther Hall, Fort Worth, Texas on September 7, 1966. THE GREATEST LIVE SHOWS ON EARTH combines two 1960s Jerry Lee Lewis concert albums, one from 1964 and another from 1966. These were the years when Lewis was absent from the pop charts, after his marriage to his thirteen-year old cousin caused the media to ban Lewis' records and before his late-'60s revival as a country recording artist. Judging from these two concerts, the sales slump had no noticeable effect on Lewis' self-confidence; his performances are full of the same fire and bravado that mark his great records of the late Fifties. Of the two shows, the earlier one is more up tempo, with only two ballads (including a great version of Charlie Rich's ""Who Will the Next Fool Be?"") breaking up a set of flat-out rockers. The 1966 show contains more ballads and more country songs, foreshadowing the direction Lewis' recording career would soon take. Among the many highlights are a blistering ""Mean Woman Blues,"" a lurid ""What'd I Say Part 2,"" and, of course, a show-stopping ""Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin'On."""  (less)

never been keen on being labeled, and LOAD, which follows up the 1991 mega-hit METALLICA, is a surprising pastiche of sonic fury. Metallica still rocks hard. James Hetfield's lyrics are still full of venom and anger, and the music still could scare small children. But the band is ready to show off other sides of its craft. ""Hero Of The Day"" sounds like an R.E.M. song, albeit a heavy one, with its tender beginning and ending confluence of harmonized vocals and catchy guitar riffs. A dose of the blues can be heard in the slow-burning ""Bleeding Me,"" and a downright country twang pervades ""Mama Said."" Still, this is a metal album, and there are headbanging riffs o'plenty. LOAD may seem like a departure from the Metallica ""norm,"" but it's actually what the band has been doing all along: writing well-crafted songs without a regard for what others think. The only difference is that the one-time denizens of the underground now have the world's rapt attention.Rolling Stone (7/11-25/96, p.85) - 4 Stars - Excellent - ""...with LOAD, the foursome dams the bombast and chugs half-speed ahead, settling into a wholly magnetizing groove that bridges old-school biker rock and the doomier side of post-grunge '90s rock..."" Entertainment Weekly (6/7/96, pp.56-57) - ""...captures the band's earnest pursuit of its Sisyphean mission: to create hard rock that reaches grown-ups and basement-dwelling teens..."" - Rating: B Q (7/96, p.119) - 4 Stars - Excellent - ""...These boys set up their tents in the darkest place of all, in the naked horror of their own heads....Metallica make existential metal and they've never needed the props....Metallica are still awesome....What is new is streamlined attack, the focus and, yes, the tunes..."" Melody Maker (6/8/96, p.49) - ""...A Metallica album is traditionally an exhausting event. It should rock you to exhaustion, leave you brutalised and drained. This one is no exception. It is, however, the first Metallica album to make me wonder at any point, 'What the f*** was that?' It's as if the jackboot grinding the human face were to take occasional breaks for a pedicure..."" Musician (8/96, p.85) - ""...The smoother, broader sound that distinguished...1991's METALLICA is even more apparent here, as is the tendency to write accessible tunes....the exploration of new sounds does nothing but good for the guitar duo of [James] Hetfield and Kirk Hammett..."" New York Times (Publisher) (6/2/96, Sec.2, p.28) - ""...On LOAD, Metallica has altered its music, learning new skills. Hetfield has committed himself to melodies, carrying tunes where he used to bark, and he no longer sounds sheepish when he sings quietly..."" NME (Magazine) (6/1/96, p.44) - 7 (out of 10) - ""..."  (less)

From this amazing legacy, Time Life is proud to release the second 3-disc set Hank Williams: Revealed, another historic 3-CD, 54-track collection drawn from the Mother's Best recordings. It's a rare, informal glimpse into the heart and soul of country music's greatest star who passed away on New Year's Day 1953, at age 29.This second three-CD set drawn from the Mother's Best shows includes a little more conversation, and each disc also includes a complete show. The highlights are many. On one of the earliest surviving shows, Hank plays the just-released Cold, Cold Heart without any idea of what it will do for his career. On one of the later shows, his back pain is so crippling he has to sing sitting down. The spinal problems he'd had since birth had been aggravated by the year's punishing itinerary. In the songs and chatter, Hank Williams takes us back to his world. These days, we count ourselves lucky if we find an alternate take or two by any late giant of American music. To find eighteen hours of music and talk is truly without precedent. Set the time machine for 1951.Disc-1 Track Listing1. Cold, Cold Heart2. Move It On Over3. Lonesome Whistle4. Long Gone Lonesome Blues5. Hey, Good Lookin'6. I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)7. Why Don't You Love Me8. A Mansion on the Hill9. Moanin' the Blues10. I Just Don't Like This Kind of Livin'11. They'll Never Take Her Love from Me12. Mind Your Own Business13. Lovesick Blues14. Nobody's Lonesome for Me15. Don Helms and Sammy Pruett and the Drifting Cowboys: Twin Guitar Polka16. Gathering Flowers for the Master's Bouquet17. Jerry Rivers and the Drifting Cowboys: Eighth of January18. Closing ThemeDisc-2 Track Listing1. That Beautiful Home2. How Can You Refuse Him Now3. Lord, Build Me a Cabin in Glory4. Farther Along5. Calling You6. I Am Bound for the Promised Land7. Dear Brother8. Jesus Died for Me9. At the Cross10. Thirty Pieces of Silver11. Hank & Audrey: Something Got Hold of Me12. Lovesick Blues13. My Sweet Love Ain't Around14. Jerry Rivers and the Drifting Cowboys: Fire on the Mountain15. I Saw the Light16. Closing ThemeDisc-3 Track Listing1. Everything's Okay2. I've Just Told Mama Goodbye3. Where the Old Red River Flows4. Alabama Waltz5. Faded Love and Winter Roses6. Deck of Cards7. Just Waitin'8. I Hang My Head and Cry9. Jerry Rivers, Hank Williams and the Drifting Cowboys: Orange Blossom Special10. I've Been Down That Road Before11. Steal Away/The Funeral12. Lovesick Blues13. I Dreamed about Mom Last Night14. J  (less)

1970s with Watching the Detectives, Pump it Up, and Radio, Radio, Elvis was paying homage to The Byrds on (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes and copping Spinners riffs on Alison. The collection follows Costello into the '80s as he expands his songwriting and production palette ( New Lace Sleeves, Beyond Belief ) while tackling old-school country ( Good Year for the Roses ) and Stax soul ( I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down ). In the years that followed this collection's scope, Costello would launch himself whole-heartedly into everything from big-band jazz to classical orchestration, but the seeds of all that eclecticism (not to mention the aesthetic template for most of his subsequent work) lie in the tracks presented here. As one of the most original artistic personalities of his era, Costello proved enormously influential for multiple generations, and The First 10 Years shows the achievements on which his legend is built.  (less)

by her Grandfather. The album features Faryl s signature song Ave Maria her choice of talent show audition song which has now become synonymous with the youngster, gaining standing ovations whenever she performs it. River of Light has been written by Ivor Novello winning writer Frank Musker and is based on The Blue Danube by John Strauss one of the most popular tunes of all time. The melody is loved around the world but no one has ever heard it like this before. No doubt one of the album s hidden gems is The Way Old Friends Do written by Abba s Bjon Ulvaeus and taken from their 1980 classic Super Trouper album. Bjorn personally changed the lyrics to suit the young star. ...ordinarily Abba are very strict and never sanction lyric changes, but with Faryl, Bjorn offered to change the words personally (Tom Lewis - UCJ) Adding a new dimension to the album is Annie s Song Faryl s rendition of US country star John Denver s number 1 track from 1974. The haunting ballad highlights Faryl s varied vocal range and further showcases the young singers diversity Faryl sings with precision, emotion and power throughout each of the album s 12 tracks. A testament to her ability, Faryl proves that the young girl from Kettering has a glittering career ahead of her. Every singer dreams of recording their own album, but to have this chance at my age was amazing said Faryl. The recording was a challenge - I had to fit it around my school work and so ended up recording right through my Christmas holidays, but I loved every minute of it!  (less)

but it was his second single, a revival of Roy Hall's 'Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On' in 1957 that propelled him to international fame. The record, which was initially banned as obscene, narrowly missed the top of the US chart. He stole the show from many other stars in the film Jamboree in which he sang the classic 'Great Balls Of Fire'. He kept up the barrage of rowdy and unadulterated rock with 'Breathless', which, like its predecessor, had been written by Otis Blackwell. He arrived in Britain for a tour in 1958, accompanied by his third wife, Myra, who was also his 13-year-old second cousin. The tour had to be cancelled after only three concerts. The furor followed Lewis home and support for him in his homeland also waned. His last big hit of the 50s was the title song from his film High School Confidential. After a decade playing rock 'n' roll, Lewis decided to concentrate on country material in 1968. He also kept the rock 'n' roll flag flying by playing revival shows around the world. Lewis was one of the first people inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1986. Tragedy, scandal and, above all, rock 'n' roll have seldom played such an intrinsic role in one musician's life.  (less)

and in Los Angeles, California on November 9, 1954. Includes liner notes by Norman Granz and Bob Blumenthal. Digitally remastered by Gary Mayo. Saxophonist Stan Getz is at his ""coolest"" on this 1954 live session from Los Angeles, California. Featuring a flexible but solid band, these 10 tracks show a lot of musical variety. For example, there is the subtle, gossamer ballad ""Lover Man,"" along with valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer's quirky composition ""Open Country,"" which has a distinctively traditional jazz feel to it. On this disc, Getz and Brookmeyer play off of each other wonderfully, creating interesting counterpoints. It almost sounds as if they are creating a two-part jazz fugue on the final statements of certain songs. The simpatico between the horn players is particularly stunning on the conclusion of ""Flamingo,"" where the two horns are deep in conversation. The concert ends with the old war-horse, ""It Don't Mean a Thing,"" and Getz jokes that this is the premier performance of this tune. He leaves his relaxed style behind for this Ellington classic, burning through the song's changes with great vigor. Two bonus tracks are also included here, borrowed from a concert recorded the following night.Stereo Review (1/93, p.90) - ""...a flowing and cool set of performances by a group that benefited greatly from the presence of the valve trombonist Bobby Brookmeyer and a solid rhythm section led by pianist John Williams...a joy to hear..."""  (less)

and includes a 48 page book. ""The yodelling ranger"" Hank Snow later changed his moniker to ""the singing ranger"" when his flexible tenor slipped to a baritone, but on these early recordings he still had quite a yodel. There is plenty of evidence of it on this five-CD box set of Snow's earliest work. Although it doesn't contain many of Snow's most well-known songs, it still shows off plenty of the skill that makes Snow Canada's greatest country artist. In addition to Snow's early records for RCA Canada, the set also includes a lot of rarities and demos, which should prove interesting to collectors. This material was recorded well before Snow became a regular on the Grand Ole Opry, but the gorgeous voice and subtle guitar work that Snow fans love is already in place. While not the best place to start exploring this artist, YODELLING RANGER is a fascinating and comprehensive look at Snow's early career."  (less)

Price's ""Crazy Arms"" was his Sun debut, but it was his second single, a revival of Roy Hall's ""Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On"" in 1957 that propelled him to international fame. The record, which was initially banned as obscene, narrowly missed the top of the US chart. He stole the show from many other stars in the film Jamboree in which he sang the classic ""Great Balls Of Fire."" He kept up the barrage of rowdy and unadulterated rock with ""Breathless,"" which, like its predecessor, had been written by Otis Blackwell. He arrived in Britain for a tour in 1958, accompanied by his third wife, Myra, who was also his 13-year-old second cousin. The tour had to be cancelled after only three concerts. The furor followed Lewis home and support for him in his homeland also waned. His last big hit of the 50s was the title song from his film High School Confidential. After a decade playing rock 'n' roll, Lewis decided to concentrate on country material in 1968. He also kept the rock 'n' roll flag flying by playing revival shows around the world. Lewis was one of the first people inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1986. Tragedy, scandal and, above all, rock 'n' roll have seldom played such an intrinsic role in one musician's life."  (less)

Studios, Hoboken, New Jersey. ""Instrumental Illness"" was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. 34 years down the line, the Allman Brothers Band shows why they've managed to remain a top concert draw and a vital musical presence. Even a cursory listen to HITTIN' THE NOTE reveals that the band never abandoned the agreeable blend of blues, rock, and country that earned them so much attention from the outset. Original guitarists Dickey Betts and Duane Allman are long gone, of course, but singer/keyboardist Greg Allman and drummers Butch Trucks and Jaimoe are still on hand from the original lineup, providing a strong musical through line. The guitar team of Warren Haynes and young Derek Trucks (Butch's nephew) tears it up in a properly bluesy fashion throughout. Whether they're tackling an acoustic-based, country-tinged ballad like ""Old Before My Time,"" a simmering slow blues with ""Desdemona,"" or strutting their polyrhythmic stuff on ""Rockin' Horse,"" it's clear that this is a band that has followed its musical vision without wavering, and the depth of its commitment is palpable on the aptly titled HITTIN' THE NOTE."  (less)

of their nostalgia-infused vocal harmonies, which are influenced to a large extent by Gospel music. The brothers perform live at this special show in their hometown of Staunton, Virginia, as well as in Nashville, TN. They are joined onstage by special guests Crystal Gayle, Roger Miller, Merle Haggard, and Gene Autry. Tracks include Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Old Toy Trains, For Mama, and Christmas Eve.  (less)