4Play

Dec. 12, 2007

The Eagles - Long Road Out of Eden - Eagles Recording Co.
28 years later, and the Eagles have finally gotten around to the follow-up to “The Long Run.” ‘Bout time. Many things have changed in the interim, but the sound of the Eagles is pretty much what it’s always been. Some see that as room for criticism, but here’s a news flash: After 35 years in the business, these guys aren’t about to morph into Nine Inch Nails or Oasis. And that’s not too shabby, not when they can deliver the goods like on Long Road… The opening “No More Walks in the Wood” features gorgeous vocal harmonies, while the following “How Long” harkens back to “Hotel California” before the band goes country on “Busy Being Fabulous,” one of those patented Henley songs. While Henley admits that the band is really Glenn Frey’s, it’s always been at its most interesting when Henley took the lead. But there’s plenty here for all four principal members to take pride in, with Joe Walsh’s occasional wackiness and Timothy B. Schmidt’s solid bass bottom. Mostly, though, it’s America’s arguably best rock band at the top of its game.


Fripp & Eno - Beyond Even - DGM
Never heard of Fripp & Eno? Yes, you have. Robert Fripp is King Crimson, its main songwriter and only constant through its 40 years and constant permutations, as well as a frequent collaborator with the likes of Peter Gabriel and Daryl Hall. Brian Eno is a producer and performer, with Roxy Music, Talking Heads, and such Roxy spinoffs as 801 and old pal Bryan Ferry. Still unconvinced? Then rev up your computer. Fripp did the music for the startup of Windows 95 and Eno did the same for Vista. All of which is meant to show that you’ve heard them whether you’ve realized it or not. This disc’s of fillips from behind the scenes is more interesting than their last collaboration, “The Equatorial Stars.” It’s a a bit more aggressive, but given two full discs of music, there’s plenty of variety, at least, in terms of what Fripp & Eno bring to the show, and that is really quite a bit for just two guys with a guitar, a keyboard and stack of effects. No, there’s no singing along with this music, but that’s not what we expect. It’s cerebral and floating one minute, vaguely menacing the next.


King Crimson - The Great Deceiver - DGM
Speaking of Crimson, why release two double CD live sets from 30 years ago? While King Crimson still records and performs, this version of the band hasn’t been seen since the late 70s. And that’s a crying shame, as this live document attests. In Britain, Crimson was associated with the progressive rock movement and the Canterbury jazz sound of Soft Machine and its ilk. In the U.S., Crimson became known for hard rock. In truth, its sound melded all three, as “The Great Deceiver” aptly demonstrates. “Lament” rocks as hard as anything out there. “Exiles” showcases the entire band at its sensitive best, yet includes dramatic, inspired improvisations from all concerned. Though guitarist Robert Fripp and drummer Bill Bruford relaunched Crimson successfully in the ‘80s with vocalist/guitarist Adrian Belew and bassist Tony Levin, for many this version trails only the original (“21st Century Schizoid Man,” “In the Court of the Crimson King”) for stirring, original music. As far as improvising electric rock bands go, this quartet may be unmatched, and these four discs are brilliant proof.

The 5 Browns - Browns in Blue - RCA Red Seal
The 5 Browns are siblings who play piano. But that’s not nearly telling the story. All five were educated at the Juilliard School, and their debut album spent eight weeks at #1 on the classical charts. But don’t get the idea these are stuffy hidebound young robots. No, these are young musicians who enjoy what they do, and that joy shines through whether they are playing Debussy, Chopin or interpreting modern music. In addition to pieces by Grieg, Brahms, Rachmaninoff, and more classical pieces, “Browns in Blue” does indeed include blues: W.C. Handy’s “Aunt Hagar’s Blues” and Gershwin’s “Home Blues” from An American in Paris, as well as his familiar “Embraceable You.” Most interestingly, the quintet tackles “Everybody Loves Somebody,” complete with the late Dean Martin’s vocals. The way they wrap their pianos around Martin’s previously recorded singing is both entertaining and musically engaging. These pianists bring personality to everything on the program, whether it’s one, two or all five playing Grieg, Gershwin or the Rat Pack.