Gene Clark with Carla Olson

In Concert

Collector's Choice

originally published November 21, 2007

Though he only spent a couple of years with The Byrds, singer-songwriter Gene Clark's lonesome, steely shadow hangs long over that group's output past Clark's 1966 departure. Since his passing in 1991, much of Clark's solo recordings have gone out of print in the States, which makes the double-disc In Concert such a welcome treat for fans of Clark's whiskey-cured voice and impromptu vagabond style.

The set splits itself between a rushed 1988 Clark appearance on NPR's "Mountain Stage," which comprises most of disc one, and a 1990 live show, appearing on disc two, that paired Clark with moonlighting Textones vocalist Carla Olson. When Clark passed away, he and Olson were planning a follow-up to their 1987 pairing So Rebellious a Lover. While that go-round never happened, the pieced-together In Concert at least provides a satisfying taste of what an effective and emotionally congruent combo the two were.

Though the "Mountain Stage" appearance is a welcome add-on to the package, it's Clark and Olson's apprehensive live set that really stands out. Only having recorded together once before, the two make an electrifying team through a warts'n'all set that includes such high points as Clark's rambling "Train Leaves Here This Morning" and Olson's gorgeous ballad, "Number One Is To Survive."

Clark, never one for intense preparation, flubs a few lines here and makes a few sudden tempo changes there. But that's just part of the mischief and often-unpredictable talent that keeps the listener glued to this cloudy sky landscape of lost loves, slow-moving time and missed opportunities.

Michael Andrews

Mick Jagger

The Very Best of Mick Jagger

Rhino

originally published November 21, 2007

While some diehard Keith supporters may equate the release of a Mick Jagger Best of comp with impending apocalypse, prickly Sir Mick's first solo retrospective surprises more than it stupefies. Presented non-chronologically and spanning Jagger's first solo one-off (the greasy "Memo From Turner" from the surreal 1970 film Performance) up to cuts from 2001's Goddess In the Doorway, it's a slightly uneven, but mostly flattering, run through Jagger's constant stylistic detours.

Containing only three cuts from 1985's She's The Boss and Primitive Cool (easily two of the most maligned solo projects in the history of rock), the collection instead puts tracks like Jagger's and Peter Tosh's spirited duet "(You Got To Walk) And Don't Look Back" and the sparkling Beggar's Banquet-style country ballad "Evening Gown" in the forefront. Elsewhere, smart inclusions like the old-school blues of "Checkin' Up On My Baby" and the previously unreleased "Too Many Cooks (Spoil the Soup)," featuring a cameo from John Lennon, make Mick's first Best of a brisk exercise in stylish substance, rather than glitzy gauche.

Michael Andrews

Bootsy Collins

Ultra Wave

Collector's Choice

originally published November 21, 2007

Former P-Funk spaceman Bootsy Collins' solo efforts sound like "Pee-Wee's Playhouse" hosted by a bass-thumping cosmic joker from the 'hood. With the re-release of several quintessential Bootsy platters from the late '70s and early '80s making the rounds, we're reminded of what an enjoyable and brow-furrowing experience that can be.

From 1980, the gleefully low-key Ultra Wave presented Bootsy sans P-Funk and his eponymous Rubber Band, but equipped with an easygoing handful of slick urban funkisms. Brief at only eight tracks, and with tracks like the good-natured smackdown "Mug Push" and the macking George Clinton-cowritten "Sacred Flower," Ultra Wave doesn't wear out its welcome, as do some of Collins' more lengthy Rubber Band efforts. Some may argue it's diluted, contract-obligated Bootsy, but Ultra Wave's dawn-of-the-'80s hip-hop feel and Collins' comic turn as the employment-seeking Casper make it a lost nug-a-plenty waiting for rediscovery.

Michael Andrews

Van Morrison

Still On Top: The Greatest Hits

Hip-O Select

originally published November 21, 2007

The umpteenth collection to brand itself a Van Morrison "Best" or "Hits" package easily eclipses most of the comps that came before it by comprehensively compiling material from Morrison and Them's early years up to his rejuvenating late-1990s run. Still On Top also sidesteps much of Morrison's more transcendent, introspective material (no "Cleaning Windows" here, thankfully) in favor of more substantial selections from the rough-hewn Irish soulman's back catalog.

With a good Van Morrison collection, you should get a stout sampling of the whole deal, from swinging jazz to boisterous blues to blue-eyed soul. Still On Top does not disappoint in that regard. Them's snarling ode to the past-midnight booty call, "Gloria," kicks it off. From there, we're treated to the familiar ("Brown Eyed Girl," "Moondance"), some transitional period deep cuts (the synthesizer-driven "Wavelength," "Someone Like You") and snippets of Morrison's more recent return to basics ("Healing Game," "Stranded").

Though confirmed hits like "Tupelo Honey" and "St. Dominic's Preview" are absent, overall, Still On Top outdoes any previous single-disc Morrison collection thanks to the variety and stylistic integrity that it presents. (He sings the living hell out of even the most potentially syrupy ballad, like "Have I Told You Lately?") Now, when are they gonna give the man his just desserts and finally issue a Van Morrison box set?

Michael Andrews