Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player (Elton John) – Album Review

Posted on October 10, 2009 by Emilio Pérez Miguel

The Album Is Named After A Remark Elton Made To Comedian Groucho Marx During A Show.

This was my first Elton John album. I bought it on the strength of “Daniel”, a song I had always been moved by. I admit that even back then, when I had no other albums of his, I had certain a feeling when I listened to it… a sort of hunch that told me “this guy can do better”. And now, having listened to Elton’s output both sides of it, I am sad to say that the record is not only average at best, but it is also the point where his work became saccharine for all the wrong reasons.

To me, “Don’t Shoot Me…” marks the instance where singles began having priority over albums within Elton’s career. The problem was somehow more evident in forthcoming ’70s albums like “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, and the ’80s were characterized by such an issue, of course.

Of course, the two A-sides here are so monumental that everything is forgiven for a minute. In addition to “Daniel” (a top 5 hit) we have “Crocodile Rock”, Elton’s first chart topper and a song where the farcical element that many saddle Elton with is put to the best possible use. Continue reading →

Storm Front (Billy Joel) – Album Review

Posted on October 9, 2009 by Emilio Pérez Miguel

Storm Front Yielded Billy Joel's Final Number 1 Hit, "We Didn't Start The Fire".

Released in 1989, this was the album that gave Billy Joel his fourth and final number 1 single: “We Didn’t Start The Fire”. The song cast such a shadow on the album that people are mostly unaware of what is included besides that chart-topper. The truth is that there are a handful of songs that keep up with Joel’s standards and craftsmanship. These are mostly segregated on the first side, and they include “I Go To Extremes” and “The Downeaster Alexa”. The former is an energetic number about bipolarity, whereas the latter is a spot-on commentary on the plight of fishermen at around that time.

Besides, the album includes “Leningrad” along with the bittersweet “And So It Goes”, a song rendered by Billy playing solo. I can’t help but notice how Elton John and Billy Joel share the same approach in some of his ’80s albums, ending them on a solo note. Elton does exactly the same on the “Sleeping With The Past” record, in which the ending track has him playing unaccompanied for a long stretch, and even when other instruments do come in the focus never strays from Elton’s piano. Continue reading →

At The Ryman (Emmylou Harris) – Album Review

Posted on October 7, 2009 by Emilio Pérez Miguel

The Album Earned Emmylou A Grammy

This celebrated live album had Emmylou backed by one of the best ensembles of her whole career (The Nash Ramblers), and it earned her a Grammy. The concert was so significant that the Ryman auditorium (which was set to be demolished) was actually preserved and remodeled.

The set Emmylou played that night paid equal debt to both classic and contemporary American tunesmiths. Songs by Stephen Foster (“Hard Times”) were played side to side with songs by John Fogerty (“Lodi”) and Bruce Springsteen (“Mansion On The Hill”).

The performance itself is not only very well-recorded, but Emmylou is charming from start to finish, interacting with the public at every turn, cracking jokes and narrating stories of her life on the road – the one before “Lodi” is one of the funniest I have ever listened to. Continue reading →

18 Original Sun Greatest Hits (Jerry Lee Lewis) – Compilation Album

Posted on October 5, 2009 by Emilio Pérez Miguel

The Killer In Action

If we were to look for a bigger hellraiser in the annals of Rock & Roll than Jerry Lee Lewis the search would never end. And if we were to look for an exuberant instrumentalist in the decade of the ’50s, the search would start and end at the Killer’s fingers. Much like Keith Moon, his personality and temperament were what turned him into a matchless musician. This compilation gathers together the singles and noteworthy tracks he put under the Sun label at the beginning of his career. That was when he saw some serious chart action, too, so a case can definitely be made that if you were to have just a Jerry Lee album this is it.

The tracks on offer include “Great Balls Of Fire”, “Whola Lotta Shakin’ Going On”, “Wild One”, “Breathless” and the theme tune from the movie “High School Confidential”. Also featured is the song that was to be his final hit, a cover of Ray Charles “What I’d Say”. All these are good, enjoyable songs that provide us with a true blueprint for every rock and roller that was to make the piano his predominant instrument. Conversely, there are covers of “When The Saints Come Marchin’ In”, “Matchbox” and “Jambalaya” that are not very enticing on record. Whether they worked better live is besides the point – here, they don’t deliver. Continue reading →

Duets (Emmylou Harris) – Album Review

Posted on October 4, 2009 by Emilio Pérez Miguel

A '90s Picture Of Emmylou Stands As The Cover Of The Album

As I mentioned in the general introduction, this was the first album by a country artist that I ever bought. Leaving aside the sentimental value that I consequently attach to the CD, I must say that it is consistently good – even when I know that it was assembled more or less in a hurry to capitalize on the success of the “Trio” album.

Emmylou’s duet partner include Gram Parsons, Willie Nelson, John Denver, Roy Orbison and Ricky Scaggs along with The Band and Southern Pacific (the band Stu Cook from Creedence Clearwater Revival was to join shortly).

The highlights of the record are undoubtedly the three songs that hit the top 10 upon their respective release dates: “Love Hurts” (with Parsons),”That Lovin’ You Feelin” (with Orbison) and the duet with John Denver on “Wild Montana Skies”. Continue reading →

Emmylou Harris – General Introduction

Posted on October 3, 2009 by Emilio Pérez Miguel

Emmylou Harris In The '70s

Emmylou Harris was born in 1947 in Birmingham, Alabama. She was discovered by Gram Parsons and assumed vocal duties with the man who we now deem as one of the fathers of country rock, cutting the timeless duet “Love Hurts”. She was to eventually establish herself as one of the most distinguished female performers within country music along with Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton, and as a true point of reference within music as a whole. Continue reading →

Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II (Billy Joel) – Compilation Album (Part 2)

Posted on October 2, 2009 by Emilio Pérez Miguel

Only two Billy Joel compilations that span two CDs have been issued so far. I have reviewed the first one here – it is the one named “Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II”. The second definitive compilation was issued in 2001, and it is the one entitled “The Essential Billy Joel”.

Essential Billy Joel

“Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II” has 35 tracks. “The Essential Billy Joel” has 36. The latter covers every single album he released, the former reaches up to “An Innocent Man”. His three final albums are not covered.

There is a very glaring omission as far as the “Essential” compilation goes: “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant” has been neglected. The song is beloved by fans, and while it was never released as a single (the only justification the compilers have for the omission) its relevance within Joel’s catalog is something which can never be disputed. Continue reading →

Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II (Billy Joel) – Compilation Album (Part 1)

Posted on October 2, 2009 by Emilio Pérez Miguel

The Front Cover

At the time of its release (1985), “Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II” was the definitive Billy Joel collection. All his major works are covered (no less than 6 compositions are culled from “The Stranger”), and two new tracks were included to appease long-time fans that already had all the hits.

The first disc opens with his by now standard “Piano Man”, and culminates with the highlights from “The Stranger”. Included is “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant”, a true favorite of Joel’s fans along with the title-track and a song that topped the charts and which Billy doesn’t particularly like: “Just The Way You Are”. Continue reading →

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Monthly Archives: October 2009