Monday, October 31, 2016

Al Di Meola





































Artist:  Al Di Meola
Birth Name:  Al Laurence DiMeola
Born:  July 22, 1954.  Jersey City, New Jersey, USA
Genre:  Jazz, Jazz Fusion, Latin Jazz, Guitar Jazz, Jazz Rock, World Fusion, Contemporary Jazz, Jazz Instrument
Occupation:  Musician, Composer, Records Producer
Instruments:  Guitar

Al Di Meola is an American Jazz Fusion and Latin Jazz Guitarist, Composer and Record Producer from Jersey City, New Jersey.  In 1974, he joined Chick Corea's Band, Return To Forever, with Stanley Clarke and Lenny White until it was disbanded in 1976.  He is most noted for his Latin-Influenced Jazz Fusion Works.  He is a four-time winner as Best Jazz Guitarist in Guitar Player Magazine's Reader Poll.














Title:  Land Of The Midnight Sun  (1976)
Genre:  Jazz, Jazz Fusion, Latin Jazz, Guitar Jazz, Jazz Rock, World Fusion, Contemporary Jazz, Jazz Instrument
Label:  Columbia Records
Rating:  *****

Tracks:

 1.  The Wizard  (6:49)
 2.  Land Of The Midnight Sun  (9:13)
 3.  Sarabande From Violin Sonata In B Minor   (1:20)
 4.  Love Theme From "Pictures Of The Sea" (2:27)
 5.  Suite Golden Dawn  (9:49)
 6.  Short Tales Of The Black Forest  (5:41)

Personnel:

Al Di Meola:  6 & 12 String Guitars, Electric & Acoustic Guitar, Vocals, Synthesizer, Chimes, Gong
Anthony Jackson;  Bass on Tracks:  1, 2
Stanley Clarke:  Bass, Vocals on Track 4
Jaco Pastorius:  Bass on Track 5
Barry Miles:  Keyboards, Synthesizer on Tracks:  2, 5
Chick Corea:  Piano, Marimba on Track 6
Steve Gadd:  Drums on Track 1
Lenny White:  Drums on Track 2
Alphonse Mouzon:   Drums on Track 5
James Mingo Lewis:  Percussion on Tracks:  1, 2, 4, 5, Keyboards on Track 1
Patty Buyukas:  Vocals on Track 4

Land Of The Midnight Sun is the first album by Al Di Meola, was released on October 25, 1976 by Columbia Records, featuring Chick Corea, Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Clarke, Steve Gadd, Lenny White, Alphonse Mouzon and more!.

Al Di Meola






































Artist:  Al Di Meola
Birth Name:  Al Laurence DiMeola
Born:  July 22, 1954.  Jersey City, New Jersey, USA
Genre:  Jazz, Jazz Fusion, Latin Jazz, Guitar Jazz, Jazz Rock, World Fusion, Contemporary Jazz, Jazz Instrument
Occupation:  Musician, Composer, Records Producer
Instruments:  Guitar

Al Di Meola is an American Jazz Fusion and Latin Jazz Guitarist, Composer and Record Producer from Jersey City, New Jersey.  In 1974, he joined Chick Corea's Band, Return To Forever, with Stanley Clarke and Lenny White until it was disbanded in 1976.  He is most noted for his Latin-Influenced Jazz Fusion Works.  He is a four-time winner as Best Jazz Guitarist in Guitar Player Magazine's Reader Poll.














Title:  Casino  (1978)
Genre:  Jazz, Jazz Fusion, Latin Jazz, Guitar Jazz, Jazz Rock, World Fusion, Contemporary Jazz, Jazz Instrument
Label:  Columbia Records
Rating:   *****

Tracks:

 1.  Egyptian Danza  (5:57)
 2.  Chasin' The Voodoo  (5:05)
 3.  Dark Eye Tango  (5:26)
 4.  Senor Mouse  (7:22)
 5.  Fantasia Suite For Two Guitars  (5:12)
 6.  Casino  (9:30)

Personnel:

Al Di Meola:  Guitars, Mandolin, Percussion, Hand Claps
Anthony Jackson:  Bass
Barry Miles:  Keyboards, Percussion, Synthesizer
Steve Gadd:  Drums
James Mingo Lewis:  Percussion
Eddie Colon:  Percussion

Casino is the third studio album by Al Di Meola, was released on February 25, 1978 by Columbia Records.  The album reached No. 5 on Billboard Top Jazz Albums Chart in 1978.

The Shires




















Artist:  The Shires
Origin:  Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, England
Genre:  Country, Country Pop, Contemporary Country

Original line-up:


Ben Earle:  Vocals
Crissie Rhodes:  Vocals, Piano, Guitar

The Shires are a British Country Duo composed of Ben Earle (Vocals) and Crissie Rhodes (Vocals, Piano, Guitar), formed in 2013.  After playing hardly half a dozen shows together.  They signed with Decca Records, who signed them in the United Kingdom, and they secured a contract American Record Label Universal Music Group Nashville, thus becoming the first ever English Country act to be signed to a major Nashville Label and they were also the first ever UK Country act to have a Top Ten Album.














Title:  My Universe  (2016)
Genre:  Country Pop
Label:  Decca Records
Rating:   *****

Tracks:

 1.  My Universe  (3:48)
 2.  Beats To Your Rhythm  (3:01)
 3.  Not Even Drunk Right Now  (3:12)
 4.  Naked  (3:41)
 5.  Drive  (3:28)
 6.  Daddy's Little Girl  (3:10)
 7.  Everything You Never Gave  (4:10)
 8.  Save Me  (4:13)
 9.  Common Language  (3:39)
10. A Thousand Hallelujahs  (3:16)
11. Other People's Things  (4:16)
12. Desperate  (3:45)

Personnel:

Ben Earle:  Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Piano
Crissie Rhodes:  Vocals, Piano, Guitar
Charlotte Ollward, Tobias Lindgren, Tim Larsson:  Background Vocals on Track 10
Brian Pruitt:  Drums, Percussion on Tracks:  1-11
Dan McDougall: Drums  on Track 2, Colapping, Toms, Tambourine, Stomps, Piano on Track 2
Mike Payne:  Electric Guitar on Tracks:  1-11
Troy Lancaster:  Electric Guitar on Tracks:  1-11
Klas Olofsson:  Electric Guitar on Track 5
Joel Key:  Acoustic Guitar on Tracks:  1-11, Mandolin on Tracks:  1, 7, Banjo on Track 10
David Labruyere:  Acoustic Guitar on Track 7, Bass on Tracks:  1-11, Acoustic Bass on Track 7
Tim Larsson:   Drums Programming, Keyboards on Tracks:  3, 4, 8, 10, 11, Slide Guitar on Track 8
Tobias Lindgren:  Drums Programming, Keyboards on Tracks:  3, 4, 8, 10, 11, Slide Guitar on Track 8
Kerenza Peacock:  Violin on Tracks:  4, 9
Leanne Sinha:   Violin on Tracks:  4, 9
Sarah Chapman:  Viola on Tracks:  4, 9
Jane Oliver:  Cello on Tracks:  4, 9

My Universe is the second studio album by The Shires, was released on September 30, 2016 by Decca Records.  The album reached No. 1 on UK Country Albums Chart, and No. 2 on Scottish Albums Chart.

Pantera


























Artist:  Pantera
Origin:  Arlington, Texas, USA
Genre:  Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal, Alternative Metal

Original line-up:

Donnie Hart:  Lead Vocals
Terry Glaze:  Guitar, Backing Vocals
Tommy Bradford:  Bass, Backing Vocals
"Dimebag Darrell" Abbott:  Guitar, Backing Vocals
Vinnie Paul:  Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals

Pantera was an American Heavy Metal Band from Arlington, Texas, formed in 1981 by Dimebag Darrell (Guitar) and Vinnie Paul (Drums), along with Terry Glaze (Vocals), Tommy Bradford (Bass).













Title:  The Great Southern Trendkill (20th Anniversary Edition) (2016)
Genre:  Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal, Alternative Metal
Label:  Rhino Records
Rating:   *****

Tracks:

Disc 1:  The Great Southern Trendkill - 20th Anniversary Edition 20th Remasters:

 1.  The Great Southern Trendkill  (3:49)
 2.  War Nerce  (4:48)
 3.  Drag The Waters  (4:56)
 4.  10's  (4:50)
 5.  13 Steps To Nowhere  (3:38)
 6.  Suicide Note, Pt. 1  (4:45)
 7.  Suicide Note, Pt. 2  (4:19)
 8.  Living Through Me (Hell's Wrath)  (4:50)
 9.  Floods  (7:00)
10. The Underground In America  (4:34)
11. (Reprise) Sandblasted Skin  (5:36)

Disc 2:  The Great Southern Outtakes Previously Unreleased:

 1.  The Great Southern Trendkill (2016 Mix)  (4:07)
 2.  War Nerve (Live '98)  (5:21)
 3.  Drag The Waters  (Early Mix)  (5:01)
 4.  10's (Early Mix)  (4:54)
 5.  13 Steps To Nowhere (Instrumental Version) (3:41)
 6.  Suicide Note, Pt. 1 (Intro)  (1:13)
 7.  Suicide Note, Pt. 1. (Early Mix)  (3:53)
 8.  Suicide Note, Pt. 2 (Live '98)  (4:48)
 9.  Living Through Me (Hell's Wrath) (Instrumental Version) (4:55)
10. Floods (Early Mix)  (7:19)
11. The Underground In America (Early Mix)  (3:57)
12. (Reprise) Sandblasted Skin (Live '98)  (4:35)

Personnel:

Philip Anselmo:  Lead Vocals
Dimebag Darrell:  Guitar, Backing Vocals, 12 String Acoustic Guitar on "Suicide Note, Pt. 1"
Rex Brown:  Bass, Backing Vocals
Vinnie Paul:  Drums

Additional Musicians:

Seth Putnam:  Additional Vocals on "The Great Southern Trendkill", "War Nerve", "13 Steps To Nowhere", "Suicide Note, Pt. 2"
Ross Karpelman:  Keyboards on "Suicide Note, Pt. 1", "Living Through Me (Hell's Wrath)"

The Great Southern Trendkill (20th Anniversary Edition) is the Deluxe Edition in 2 CD Set Remastered in 2016 for its 20th Anniversary, and Reissued by Pantera, on October 21, 2016 by Rhino Records, with 12 Bonus Tracks of Previously Unreleased Mixes, instrumental and Live Recordings! Monster 1996.

In Flames


Meshuggah


























Artist:  Meshuggah
Origin:  Umea, Sweden
Genre:  Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Alternative Metal, Scandinavian Metal, Thrash Metal, Extreme Metal

Original line-up:

Jens Kidman:  Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Fredrik Thordendal:  Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals, Bass
Peter Nordin:  Bass
Niklas Lundgren:  Drums

Meshuggah is a Swedish Extreme Metal Band from Umea, Sweden, formed in 1987 by Jens Kidman (Lead Vocals), Fredrik Thordendal (Guitar), Peter Nordin (Bass), and Niklas Lundgren (Drums).  The band was one of the ten most important Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Bands by Rolling Stone Magazine and as the most important band in Metal by Alternative Press.  In 2009, the band was nominated for a Swedish Grammy Award.














Title:  The Violent Sleep Of Reason (Limited Edition)  (2016)
Genre:  Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Alternative Metal, Scandinavian Metal, Thrash Metal, Extreme Metal
Label:  Nuclear Blast
Rating:   *****

Tracks:

 1.  Clockworks  (7:15)
 2.  Born In Dissonance  (4:35)
 3.  MonstroCity  (6:14)
 4.  By The Ton  (6:04)
 5.  Violent Sleep Of Reason  (6:51)
 6.  Ivory Tower  (5:00)
 7.  Stifled  (6:31)
 8.  Nostrum  (5:15)
 9.  Our Rage Won't Die  (4:42)
10. Into Decay  (6:32)

Personnel:

Jens Kidman:  Lead Vocals
Fredrik Thordendal:  Lead Guitar
Marten Hagstrom:  Rhythm Guitar
Dick Lovgren:  Bass
Tomas Haake:  Drums

The Violent Sleep Of Reason is the eighth album by Meshuggah, was released on October 7, 2016 by Nuclear Blast.  This album was recorded live in the studio and its Limited Edition CD-Digipak.