Music Direct__Catalog_Web 2016 | Page 186

GRATEFUL DEAD BILLY JOEL No matter how difficult, Billy Joel always succeeds in wrapping his head around rich swaths of American pop. His music stops by way of New Orleans, Kansas City, Memphis, Chicago, and other milestone cities. The singer’s simple, yet disarmingly effective lyrics speak to universal truths and uplift. Joel’s melodic flair Among the most perfectly realized and superbly played folk-rock records ever made, Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty represent the pinnacle of the Grateful Dead’s studio output. Forgoing cosmic jams and complex signatures, the acoustic-based efforts enchant with rich songwriting, homespun warmth, simple arrangements, burnished tones, mellow moods, and integrated harmonies. Forever prized for their natural sonics, the albums emerge does the rest, filling out tunes with comprehensive arrangements, towering harmonies, and a swift sense of purpose that made him one of the most beloved artists of his generation. His catalog testifies on behalf of unimpeachably ovational songwriting and execution. Experience it all in heart-rustling fidelity. Wake of the Flood Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II Glass Houses In the Dark anew with unrivaled intimacy, realism, detail, and perspective on these deluxe 45RPM 2LP sets. Longtime Deadheads and newcomers alike will hear significantly more information, experience wider and deeper soundstages, and be swept away by incredible vocal balances made possible by the wider grooves. Celebrate the band’s 50th anniversary with all six of Mobile Fidelity’s supreme Grateful Dead reissues. Live/Dead Grateful Dead Workingman’s Dead American Beauty An Innocent Man THE DOOBIE BROTHERS The Doobie Brothers became torchbearers of the California rock sound that helped the public make a smooth transition out of the late 60s and into a mellower era defined by alluring tunes. Laidback yet engaged, the music belies the ensemble’s bar-band roots and evolution into a more polished, confident mainstream act. Western-themed rock, retro blues, and rousing boogie pepper the recognizable songs. Spurred by dual percussion, binary vocals, and twin-guitar arrangements, the Doobies’ records now glow with organic warmth and acoustic immediacy. 52nd Street The Nylon Curtain The Stranger Turnstiles Songs in the Attic SPINNERS ARETHA FRANKLIN Punctuated with sweeping strings, brassy replies, and funk rhythms, Spinners birthed the celebrated Philadelphia Sound. Made evident on Top 5 smashes like “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love” and “I’ll Be Around,” heaven-sent voices and wide-open arrangements treat each song as a potential anthem. Few albums of any genre sound silkier, creamier, or tonally richer than this LP. Old-school soul doesn’t come any better. Aretha’s Gold collects the fabled singer’s greatest songs for Atlantic Records during 1967-68, a two-year span that no vocalist ever came close to rivaling in terms of success, depth, reach, and expressiveness. Including no fewer than nine Top 10 hits (spanning “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)” to “See Saw”), this is musical manna. On this phenomenal SACD, the Queen of Soul’s priceless classics finally receive the sonic treatment they’ve long deserved. Spinners Aretha’s Gold TOM WAITS AND CRYSTAL GAYLE One from the Heart 182 Piano Man Toulouse Street Takin’ It to the Streets The Captain and Me Stampede What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits MORE FROM BARRY MANILOW One from the Heart ranks among history’s most beloved soundtracks. Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle show what should be expected when likeminded artists collaborate. Heartstrings are tugged, passions kindled, sentiments exchanged, skeletons dragged out of closets, romantic truisms cited. The sound on this LP is supreme, the result of most tracks recorded live in the studio. Greatest Hits Originally released at the height of his chart dominance and recordbreaking popularity, Greatest Hits contains every one of Barry Manilow’s 14 consecutive Top 30 hits spanning 1974-1978. His relatable lyrics, often championing underdogs and against-all-odds love, combine with fabulously orchestrated arrangements suited for his intimate style and subtle sense of swing. Standards such as “Could It Be Magic,” “Mandy,” “Copacabana,” and the like have never enjoyed higher fidelity. RAY CHARLES MARVIN GAYE TONY BENNETT DEAN MARTIN LOVE THE BEACH BOYS The Genius Sings the Blues What’s Going On I Left My Heart in San Francisco This Time I’m Swingin’! Forever Changes Pet Sounds LITTLE FEAT ALISON KRAUSS JAMES TAYLOR KEB’ MO’ GRAM PARSONS STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN Waiting for Columbus So Long So Wrong Dad Loves His Work Keb’ Mo’ GP In Step 183