thoughtful melody , and smart lyrics . Above all Gotta Find The Moon is solid , soulful , and heartfelt .
– Phillip Solomonson
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JAMIE WEST-ORAM Skeleton Key ( BFD / The Orchard )
You ’ ve heard his sparkling arpeggios , chiming funk , and spacefaring solos on alternative rock hits by the Fixx and pop favorites by Tina Turner . Underrated guitarist Jamie West-Oram should be crowned alongside other six-string innovators of his generation , including Andy Summers , Johnny Marr , Will Sergeant , and the Edge . After 40 + years as a sideman , West-Oram emerges with a debut solo album that brims with personality . The guitarist has cited player ’ s players like Jeff Beck , Tom Verlaine , Leslie West , and Nile Rodgers among his own favorites . All of those seep into the mix , but the overall sound is instantly recognizable as West-Oram ’ s own . Beck ’ s influence from albums like Guitar Shop and Loud Hailer accompany nods to West on energized instrumental tracks like “ Knuckle Down ” and the sublime “ Turning the Key ,” although it sounds like Rodgers must be sitting in as well . Languid blues and spacious atmospheres drift through “ Life Support ,” reminiscent of David Gilmour ’ s unhurried but captivating soundscapes for Pink Floyd . Moods on Skeleton Key shift from the contemplative “ Endless Possession ” to the jagged and thundering “ Sharp Edge 2 .” On vocal songs like the locked down but hopeful “ Claustrophobia ” and plea for truth “ Collusion Blues ,” West-Oram taps the melodic sensibility that has made him a strong partner for vocalist Cy Curnin on every Fixx album from Shuttered Room to the recent Every Five Seconds . ( thefixx . com )
– Jeff Elbel
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THE ROLLING STONES Forty Licks 4xLP ( ABKCO / Polydor / UMG )
Over a 60-year career and counting , the Rolling Stones have released more hits compilations than most bands have
released studio albums . Big Hits ( High Tide and Green Grass ) arrived in 1966 , and Honk was released in 2019 . Forty Licks was originally released in 2002 as a two-CD compilation of the Rolling Stones ’ first 40 years . The set combined singles from the band ’ s early years on Decca / London with the band ’ s self-owned post-1970 material for the first time . The best review of this set would probably be to simply list the 40 rock and roll standards included . Suffice to say that Forty Licks is a potent set of favorite Stones singles , including most anything that ’ s still played on classic rock radio or regularly included in Rolling Stones concert set lists . “( I Can ’ t Get No ) Satisfaction ,” “ Jumpin ’ Jack Flash ,” “ Honky Tonk Women ,” “ Brown Sugar ,” “ Gimme Shelter ,” “ Start Me Up ,” “ Miss You ,” “ Tumbling Dice ,” and “ Beast of Burden ” all sit alongside other bluesy , rootsy and indelible favorites . The collection ’ s second half does bog down with later material . It ’ s hard to imagine a Stones diehard who prefers Bridges to Babylon track “ Anybody Seen My Baby ?” to the bracing but absent “ Bitch ,” or Voodoo Lounge ’ s plodding “ Love is Strong ” to the brotherly sentiment of the missing “ Waiting on a Friend .” For such a beloved catalog , however , there aren ’ t many glaring omissions . None of the four “ new ” tracks have become standards , although frontman Mick Jagger ’ s “ Don ’ t Stop ” was included in more than a hundred concert set lists on the Licks tour during the two years following Forty Licks ’ release . Guitarist Keith Richards ’ careworn saloon ballad “ Losin ’ My Touch ” is a lost gem . The reason to celebrate the reissue of Forty Licks in 2023 is its debut arrival on heavyweight vinyl , ready to serve as the soundtrack for your next great party . The set is divided among four platters , with five songs per side . The LPs are packaged in antistatic sleeves , and the gatefold cover includes David Wild ’ s wry liner notes . “ Dear music enthusiast with exquisite taste and disposable income , get ready ,” he writes , describing the set as a Rosetta Stone of rock ‘ n ’ roll . “ For you ’ re about to get licked by some men of wealth and taste .” Wild reminds listeners that despite whatever entertaining mayhem is lurking in the Rolling Stones ’ decadent backstory , what ultimately has lasting value are the songs .
– Jeff Elbel
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