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New Releases For The Week Of March 02, 2008
Edited by Jonathan Cohen
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'Good' Stuff
After taking a couple of creative detours on his last two albums, Alan Jackson returns to his readily identifiable brand of traditional country with the release this week of "Good Time" (Arista Nashville).
"I always come back to what I came to Nashville to do, and that's make traditional sounding country music. This album bounces back to that," Jackson says of the follow-up to the platinum-selling gospel collection "Precious Memories" and the Alison Krauss-produced "Like Red on a Rose."
Jackson has always written the bulk of his hits, but "Good Time" marks his first time as sole writer on every track. It is also a reunion with Keith Stegall, who has produced every Jackson album except "Like Red on a Rose."
Jackson says, "I just wrote a bunch of songs and when we started recording, I played them for Keith and every time I played him something, he said, 'Let's cut that!' Keith and I were glad to get back in the studio and make records like we've always done."
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Something To Crowe About
Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson says the group's decision to play "Warpaint," its first album in seven years, in its entirety at upcoming shows reflects the way the band feels about it.
"We want this album and we want these songs to have a little space and time on their own before they get mashed up into ... all the other material we play," the singer explains to Billboard.com about the One Night Only tour. "I don't think we've ever been in such a place where everyone's so excited to get to rehearsal to start playing stuff [and] really get into a groove."
Following a three-year hiatus, the Crowes have been back together since 2005 but have focused almost entirely on live work. Robinson says the time allowed the group to get itself back into shape and find the right lineup -- including North Mississippi Allstars guitarist Luther Dickinson and keyboardist Adam MacDougall.
"I feel the band has been very good the last few years, even with all the changes and things," Robinson notes. "We've done a lot of different things, really opened it up, played a lot of catalog, played a lot of covers. We've hit a lot of things musically that I think were interesting for us. So the way I look at it, really, what makes ('Warpaint') so vibrant is we found our way to this music as opposed to trying to make something happen when it just wouldn't have been right."
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Soul To Squeeze
Ahead of the release of the mostly covers "Soul Speak," due this week via Universal Motown, Michael McDonald accomplished the rare feat of hitting three separate charts with a trio of tracks from the project.
His rendition of Jackie Wilson's "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" debuted at No. 21 on the Adult Contemporary survey, while his take on Teddy Pendergrass' "Love TKO" bowed at No. 39 on Adult R&B and a version of Dionne Warwick's "Walk On By" opened at No. 28 at Hot Contemporary Jazz Songs.
The Pendergrass and Warwick covers mark McDonald's first entries on those charts, although guest appearances with Chaka Khan and Fourplay have made the jazz tallies.
For McDonald, having the three songs out gives people a wide sample of "Soul Speak," which includes three new compositions as well as covers of other songs by Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Leonard Cohen, Bob Marley and Van Morrison. "I just thought all these records had ... some element about them that speaks to your inner being, your soul," he says. "Typically they're those kinds of records you loved before you even knew what the words said. You just want to hear them over and over again."
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What¿s In A Name?
In a world where name recognition is everything, A.B. Quintanilla has flipped conventional wisdom by tinkering with his group's moniker with certain regularity. What began as A.B. Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia Kings evolved into A.B. Quintanilla III Presents Kumbia Kings, and finally A.B. Quintanilla III Presents Kumbia All Starz.
The mutations are not in name only. Possibly no other group in contemporary Latin music has produced as many offshoots as Quintanilla's Kumbia Kings and Kumbia All Starz, with a roster of alumni that includes Frankie J, DJ Kane and K1. Through it all, Quintanilla's fan base has remained stable, a remarkable feat for a bandleader who is not a lead singer. But as arranger/producer/composer/ bassist, Quintanilla is the architect of a particular urban cumbia sound that has managed to transcend years, names and vocalists.
"In the end, I think I can change the name to A.B. Quintanilla and whatever," Quintanilla says on the phone from Argentina, where he is filming three videos for new album "Planeta Kumbia." Due this week on EMI/Televisa, the 15-track set is his sophomore album with his new group, Kumbia All Starz, following his much-publicized breakup with longtime musical partner Cruz Martínez.
"The thing about it is, when people are buying Coca-Cola or Tide, it always has to be new and improved. Stronger-smelling, fresher," Quintanilla says. "But even though the chemicals may change, it's still the same brand. I believe when people hear 'A.B. Quintanilla,' they know they're going to buy a quality cumbia album."
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Additional titles hitting stores this week include:
The debut album from Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan's Gutter Twins, "Saturnalia" (Sub Pop).
The latest album from pioneering electronica duo Autechre, "Quaristice" (Warp).
The final album from goth legends Bauhaus, "Go Away White" (Bauhaus Music).
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks' "Real Emotional Trash" (Matador).
Canadian singer/songwriter Kathleen Edwards' "Asking for Flowers" (Rounder).
Rapper Lil Flip's "All Eyes On Us" (Real Talk Entertainment/Koch).
Up-and-coming Canadian indie rock act Born Ruffians' "Red, Yellow" & Blue" (Warp).
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"I think a comeback is when you leave and then you . . . come back," Janet Jackson says by way of introduction of "Discipline," her debut for Island Def Jam. "People are always quick to use that word 'comeback,' but I never went anywhere, really."
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In her decade-plus career, Erykah Badu hasn't been afraid to wait long periods between projects.
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There's more than meets the eye to Dolly Parton, the autobiographical title cut of "Backwoods Barbie" tells us, and her first mainstream country album in years is an important reminder of the breadth of her singing and songwriting talents.
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Goldfrapp fans are in for a noticeably different sound from the British duo on the Flood-co-produced "Seventh Tree," due this week via Mute.
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