James Blunt – The Stars Beneath My Feet (2004-2021) (2021)

James Blunt (born James Hillier Blount; 22 February 1974) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. A former reconnaissance officer in the Life Guards regiment of the British Army, he served under NATO during the 1999 Kosovo War. After leaving the military, he rose to fame in 2004 with the release of his debut album Back to Bedlam, achieving worldwide fame with the singles “You’re Beautiful” and “Goodbye My Lover”.

Blunt’s first album has sold over 11 million copies worldwide, topping the UK Albums Chart and peaking at number two in the US. “You’re Beautiful” was number one in the UK, the US and a dozen other countries. Back to Bedlam was the best-selling album of the 2000s in the UK, and is one of the best-selling albums in UK chart history. By 2013, Blunt had sold over 20 million albums worldwide.[4] He has received several awards, including two Brit Awards—winning Best British Male in 2006—two MTV Video Music Awards, and two Ivor Novello Awards, as well as receiving five Grammy Award nominations and an Honorary Doctorate for Music in 2016 from the University of Bristol. (wikipedia)

James Blunt’s greatest hits album, ‘The Stars Beneath My Feet (2004-2021)’ celebrates songs spanning a stellar 17-year career that has spawned over 23 million album sales, a global smash hit with ‘You’re Beautiful’, two Brit Awards and two Ivor Novello Awards, as well as receiving five Grammy Award nominations.

Amongst the string of hit singles, ‘The Stars Beneath My Feet (2004-2021)’ will also include four new songs (‘Love Under Pressure’, ‘Unstoppable’, ‘Adrenaline’ & ‘I Came For Love’), as well as four exclusive live performances from around the world, including the Glastonbury Festival. It also features stunning tracks from his latest Gold-selling album ‘Once Upon A Mind’, including ‘Cold’, and the heartbreaking ballad for his father, ‘Monster’.

James’ classic 2004 debut album ‘Back To Bedlam’, was recently named as one of the top ten best-selling albums of that decade, and with ‘Once Upon A Mind’, James Blunt reinforced his reputation for writing honest, emotional songs that people can easily relate to. The album marked a return to what James Blunt does best – writing classic songs that touch both the heart and the head. Another side of James – his wit and charm – have in recent times been showcased via his always engaging. (jbhifi.com.au)

When I think of James Blunt, the only song that always springs to mind is: You’re Beautiful.

There are of course, many other hits that Blunt has had over his seventeen year career; I think of Love Under Pressure, 1973 and Goodbye My Lover – which are all included in this stellar 2 CD package.

Blunt seems to specialise in writing honest, emotional songs people can relate to which makes him so popular. There is also his wit and charm which you will discover if you see him live. He never takes himself too seriously which adds to his enduring appeal.

Among the string of hit singles, the album features four new songs as well as four live performances from around the world, including the Glastonbury Festival.

Rather than getting labelled with the ballads that made him famous, Blunt has latterly had success with European dance artists such as Robin Schulz, witnessed here on the track OK. The uptempo number meant that you were just as likely to hear his music in an Ibiza night club as well as on the radio.

Rather than starting the album with You’re Beautiful it appears as the fifth number on CD1, which I feel gives prominence to his other hits that might not be as well-known.

Monsters, the heart-breaking ballad for his father, follows and proves, that a strong melody with a good lyric sung from the heart really are the best ingredients for a memorable song.

CD2 has Coz I Love You performed live at Glastonbury and Where Is My Mind? (live in Paris), whilst Blunt is still popular here in the UK he seems to be even more popular in continental Europe.

No doubt the majority of these songs will be performed on his forthcoming arena tour. If you want a entertaining night out with good songs interspersed with his sharp wit there is no finer opportunity. (yorkshiretimes.co.uk)

Personnel:
James Blunt (vocals, guitar, piano)
+
many, many studio musicians (see booklet)

Tracklist:

CD 1:
01. Love Under Pressure (Blunt/Savoretti) 3.10
02. 1973 (Batson/Blunt) 4.39
03. Wisemen (Blunt/Hogarth/Skarbek) 3.43
04. Same Mistake (Blunt) 4.58
05. You’re Beautiful (Blunt/Ghost/Skarbek) 3.33
06. Monsters (Blunt/Hogarth/Wadge) 4.20
07. Tears And Rain (Blunt/Chambers) (Blunt) 4.04
08. Bonfire Heart (Blunt/Tedder) 3.56
09. I Really Want You (Live In New York) (Blunt) 3.35
10. The Truth (Blunt/Robson/Tighe) 3.42
11. Heart To Heart (Blunt/Omelio/Parker) 3.26
12. Champions (Blunt/Crew/McDonald/Parker/Priddy) 3.13
13. Postcards (Blunt/Hector/Robson) 4.43
14. No Bravery (Live in London) (Blunt/Skarbek) 3.48
15. Adrenaline (Blunt/Bradley/Ibrahim/Jordan-Patrikios) 2.57

CD 2:
01. Smoke Signals (Blunt/Parker) 3.43
02. Unstoppable (Blunt/Crew/Jackson) 3.27
03. Goodbye My Lover (Blunt/Skarbek) 4.17
04. Coz I Love You (Live at Glastonbury) (Holder/Lea) 5.33
05. So Long, Jimmy (Blunt/Hogarth) 4.25
06. Carry You Home (Blunt/Martin) 3.54
07. The Greatest (Blunt/Cyphert/Robson) 3.11
08. High (Blunt/Ross) 4.03
09. Don’t Give Me Those Eyes (Blunt/McDonald/Moccio) 4.04
10. OK (feat. Robin Schulz) (Blunt/Mac/McDonald/Schulz) 3.10
11. Stay The Night (Blunt/Marley/Robson/Tedder) 3.32
12. Bartender (Blunt/Geiger/Jones/Parker) 3.13
13. Cold (Blunt/Robson/Tighe) 3.29
14. Where Is My Mind? (Live in Paris) (Francis) 3.48
15. I Came For Love (Blunt/Bradley/Robson) 3.01

*
**

The official website:

Barbra Streisand – Duets (2002)

Barbara Joan Streisand (born April 24, 1942), known professionally as Barbra Streisand, is an American singer, actress, and filmmaker. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT).

Streisand began her career by performing in nightclubs and Broadway theaters in the early 1960s. Following her guest appearances on various television shows, she signed to Columbia Records, insisting that she retain full artistic control, and accepting lower pay in exchange, an arrangement that continued throughout her career, and released her debut The Barbra Streisand Album (1963), which won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Throughout her recording career, Streisand has topped the US Billboard 200 chart with 11 albums—a record for a woman—including People (1964), The Way We Were (1974), Guilty (1980), and The Broadway Album (1985). She also achieved five number-one singles on the US Billboard Hot 100—”The Way We Were”, “Evergreen”, “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers”, “No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)”, and “Woman in Love”.

Following her established recording success in the 1960s, Streisand ventured into film by the end of that decade. She starred in the critically acclaimed Funny Girl (1968), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. Additional fame followed with films including the extravagant musical Hello, Dolly! (1969), the screwball comedy What’s Up, Doc? (1972), and the romantic drama The Way We Were (1973). Streisand won a second Academy Award for writing the love theme from A Star Is Born (1976), the first woman to be honored as a composer. With the release of Yentl (1983), Streisand became the first woman to write, produce, direct, and star in a major studio film. The film won an Oscar for Best Score and a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Musical. Streisand also received the Golden Globe Award for Best Director, becoming the first (and for 37 years, the only) woman to win that award. Streisand later directed The Prince of Tides (1991) and The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996).

With sales exceeding 150 million records worldwide, Streisand is one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she is the highest-certified female artist in the United States, with 68.5 million certified album units tying with Mariah Carey. Billboard ranked Streisand as the greatest female artist on the Billboard 200 chart and the top Adult Contemporary female artist of all time. Her accolades include two Academy Awards, 10 Grammy Awards including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the Grammy Legend Award, five Emmy Awards, four Peabody Awards, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and nine Golden Globes.

Duets (retitled Star Collection in some countries) is a compilation album by American singer Barbra Streisand, released on November 26, 2002, by Columbia Records. The collection features nineteen duets from Streisand’s career, including two newly-recorded ones: “I Won’t Be the One to Let Go” with Barry Manilow and “All I Know of Love” with Josh Groban. The former song was released as the album’s lead single on November 4, 2002, as a streaming-only exclusive for AOL Music website members. Duets was reissued in South American countries in 2013 under the title Star Collection with new artwork.

The compilation was executively produced by Streisand and her manager, Jay Landers. Music critics highlighted the album’s duets with Ray Charles, Judy Garland, and Frank Sinatra, but were disappointed by her decision to release another compilation album following The Essential Barbra Streisand, which was released earlier in 2002. Commercially, the album peaked within the top ten of record charts in Denmark and the Netherlands; it also entered the Billboard 200 at number 38 and became certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of 500,000 copies. Duets has gone on to sell 1.5 million records worldwide.

During 2002, Streisand and Columbia Records released two compilation albums, with the first one being The Essential Barbra Streisand, a greatest hits album mostly consisting of the singer’s top ten hits and top forty hits. Later that year, on November 26, she released Duets, a compilation of nineteen duets from her music catalog. The collection was executively produced by Streisand and her manager, Jay Landers.

Fourteen out of the album’s nineteen tracks were originally featured on previous Streisand studio albums. In addition, the singer included three songs that were originally performed live with another artist. “I’ve Got a Crush on You”, with Frank Sinatra, initially appeared on his 1993 Duets album, while her rendition of “Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead” with Harold Arlen was first released on his 1966 studio album Harold Sings Arlen (With Friend). Her medley of “Get Happy / Happy Days Are Here Again” with Judy Garland was originally performed live on The Judy Garland Show in 1963. With eighteen of the album’s songs being duets with other musicians, Streisand’s medley of “One Less Bell to Answer” and “A House Is Not a Home” is a duet with herself, first released on the 1971 album Barbra Joan Streisand.

Streisand recorded two new tracks for the album: “I Won’t Be the One to Let Go” with Barry Manilow and “All I Know of Love” with Josh Groban. The former track was written by Richard Marx and Manilow, while the latter was written by David Foster and Linda Thompson.

“I Won’t Be the One to Let Go” was released as the album’s lead and only single on November 4, 2002, as an exclusive download for AOL Music website members. Although the track was not released commercially, “I Won’t Be the One to Let Go” was distributed as a promotional CD single on January 6, 2003. With the release handled by Columbia Records, the CD was sent exclusively to United States radio stations and includes the “Radio Version Edit” and “Radio Version” releases of the song. In 2013, Sony Music Entertainment rereleased the compilation in South American countries with a new cover art, but identical track listing, under the title Star Collection.

Duets entered and peaked on the Billboard 200 at number 38, during the week of December 14, 2002. It was the chart’s eleventh highest debut and would go to spend fourteen weeks on the listing. On January 9, 2003, it was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for physical shipments of 500,000 copies, and during the year-end Billboard 200 chart in 2003, the compilation was listed at number 176. As of June 22, 2007, Duets has sold 561,000 copies in the United States, outselling its predecessor (The Essential Barbra Streisand) by 55,000 copies. In Oceania, the album peaked in Australia and New Zealand at numbers 13 and 11, respectively. In the two aforementioned countries, it received a Gold certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association for shipments of 35,000 copies and a Platinum certification by Recorded Music NZ for shipments of 15,000 copies.

The album entered several record charts across Europe as well. According to the Official Charts Company, it peaked at numbers 39 and 30, in Scotland and the United Kingdom, respectively. In the latter country, the compilation spent 6 weeks charting during 2002 and was ranked on the year-end sales charts at position 89. In Denmark and the Netherlands, Duets peaked within the top ten at numbers 10 and 9, respectively. The album reached number 26 in Spain and received a Gold certification by PROMUSICAE for shipments of 50,000 copies. Its lowest peak positions were achieved in France, Germany, and Switzerland, where the compilation peaked at numbers 44, 53, and 88, respectively. The album has sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide.

In her lengthy career, Barbra Streisand has never shown much inclination to share the spotlight. In the movies, she must endure a leading man, but in her recordings, she has gone it alone for the most part. In 1978, however, a disc jockey edited together her and Neil Diamond’s recordings of “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,” and she and Diamond quickly cut a real duet, resulting in a number one hit. Thereafter, she cannily coaxed others into sharing the microphone, resulting in chart singles with Donna Summer, Barry Gibb, Kim Carnes, former boyfriend Don Johnson, Bryan Adams, and Celine Dion, and album tracks with Johnny Mathis, Michael Crawford, and Vince Gill. The material mostly consisted of mediocre adult contemporary ballads that were outshone by the star power of the singers.

This album collects all those duets, plus a couple of newly recorded mediocre adult contemporary ballads sung with Barry Manilow and Josh Groban, and a few stray tracks from the 1960s and early ’70s when Streisand joined another singer. Her unsuitability to the duet format is repeatedly evidenced, as she seems virtually incapable of shutting up when her partner is trying to take a solo, invariably humming in the background to draw attention back to herself. The only real exception to this rule is the version of “I’ve Got a Crush on You” recorded for Frank Sinatra’s own Duets album, a track Streisand did not control. Naturally, the best performances occur when she is paired with a singer who is more than just a cipher — Sinatra, Ray Charles, or Judy Garland, the latter two in TV performances. Then, of course, there’s the medley of “One Less Bell to Answer” and “A House Is Not a Home” on which she finally finds the perfect duet partner, her overdubbed self! (by William Ruhlmann)

Personnel:
Barbra Streisand (vocals)
+
many, many studio musicians

Tracklist:
01. I Won’t Be The One To Let You Go (w/Barry Manilow) (Marx/Manilow) (new recording; 2002) 4.40
02. Guilty (w/Barry Gibb) (B.Gibb/R.Gibb/M.Gibb) (1980) 4.25
03. You Don’t Bring Me Flowers (w/Neil Diamond) (A.Bergman/M.Bergman/Diamond) (1978) 3.25
04. I Finally Found Someone (w/Bryan Adams) (Streisand/Hamlisch/Lane/Adams) (1996) 3.42
05. Cryin’ Time (w/Ray Charles) (Owens) (1991) 2.18
06. I’ve Got A Crush On You (w/Frank Sinatra) (G.Gershwin(I.Gershwin) (1993) 3.23
07. Tell Him (w/Celine Dion) (Foster/Thompson/Afanasieff) (1987) 4.53
08. No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) (w/Donna Summer) (Jabara/Roberts) (1979) 4.43
09. What Kind Of Fool (w/Barry Gibb) (B.Gibb/Galuten) (1989) 4.07
10. I Have A Love / One Hand, One Heart (w/Johnny Mathis) (Bernstein/Sondheim) (1993) 4.45
11. One Less Bell To Answer / A House Is Not A Home (Dubbed Duet) (Bacharach/David) (1971) 6.32
12. Lost Inside Of You (w/Kris Kristofferson) (Streisand/Russell) (1976) 2.55
13. Till I Loved You (w/Don Johnson) (Yeston) (1988) 4.17
14. Make No Mistake, He’s Mine (w/Kim Carnes) (Carnes) (1984) 4.11
15. If You Ever Leave Me (w/Vince Gill) (Marx) (1999) 4.38
16. The Music Of The Night (w/Michael Crawford) (Webber/Hart/Stilgoe) (1993) 5.38
17. Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead (w/Harold Arlen) (Arlen/Harburg) (1966) 1.54
18. Get Happy / Happy Days Are Here Again (w/Judy Garland) (Arlen/Koehler/Yellen) (1963) 2.22
19. All I Know Of Love (w/Josh Grobin) (Foster/Thompson) (new recording; 2002) 4.29

*
**

The official website:

Rod Stewart – If We Fall In Love Tonight (2001)

Sir Roderick David Stewart CBE (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold over 250 million records worldwide. He has had 10 number-one albums and 31 top ten singles in the UK, 6 of which reached number one. Stewart has had 16 top ten singles in the US, with four reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100. He was knighted in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to music and charity.

Stewart’s music career began in 1962 when he took up busking with a harmonica. In 1963, he joined The Dimensions as harmonica player and vocalist. In 1964, Stewart joined Long John Baldry and the All Stars before moving to the Jeff Beck Group in 1967. Joining Faces in 1969, he also maintained a solo career releasing his debut album that same year. Stewart’s early albums were a fusion of rock, folk music, soul music, and R&B.[5][6] His third album, 1971’s Every Picture Tells a Story, was his breakthrough, topping the charts in the UK, US, Canada and Australia, as did its ballad “Maggie May”. His 1972 follow-up album, Never a Dull Moment, also reached number one in the UK and Australia, while going top three in the US and Canada. Its single, “You Wear It Well”, topped the chart in the UK and was a moderate hit elsewhere.

After a handful more UK top ten hits, Stewart announced the breakup of the Faces in 1975. His next few singles were ballads with “Sailing”, off the 1975 UK and Australian number-one album, Atlantic Crossing, becoming a hit in the UK and the Netherlands (number one), Germany (number four) and other countries, but barely charting in North America. A Night on the Town (1976), his fifth straight chart-topper in the UK, began a three-album run of going number one or top three in North America, the UK and Australia with each release. That album’s “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)” spent almost two months at number one in the US and Canada, and made the top five in other countries. Foot Loose & Fancy Free (1977) featured the major hit “You’re In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)” as well as the rocker “Hot Legs”. Blondes Have More Fun (1978) and its disco-tinged “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy” both went to number one in Canada, Australia and the US, with “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy” also hitting number one in the UK and the top ten in other countries. Stewart’s albums regularly hit the upper rungs of the charts in the Netherlands throughout the 70s and in Sweden from 1975 onward.

After a disco and new wave period in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Stewart’s music turned to a soft rock/middle-of-the-road style, with most of his albums reaching the top ten in the UK, Germany and Sweden, but faring less well in the US. The single “Rhythm of My Heart” was a top five hit in the UK, US and other countries, with its source album, 1991’s Vagabond Heart, becoming, at number ten in the US and number two in the UK, his highest-charting album in a decade. In 1993, he collaborated with Bryan Adams and Sting on the power ballad “All for Love”, which went to number one in many countries. In the early 2000s, he released a series of successful albums interpreting the Great American Songbook. In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked him the 17th most successful artist on the “Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists”. A Grammy and Brit Award recipient, he was voted at No. 33 in Q Magazine’s list of the Top 100 Greatest Singers of all time As a solo artist, Stewart was inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006, and he was inducted a second time into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 as a member of Faces.

If We Fall in Love Tonight is a ballad album released by Rod Stewart on 12 November 1996 (see 1996 in music). It includes mostly previously released songs. The album was released in both the US and UK, though the versions differ slightly. It was released by Warner Bros. Records, and produced the singles “If We Fall in Love Tonight” and “When I Need You”.

The title track, If We Fall in Love Tonight, written for this album, had some legal wrangles regarding its copyright and track title which have now been resolved. The album includes three newly recorded cover versions of hit songs: “Sometimes When We Touch,” originally sang by Dan Hill; “When I Need You,” originally sang by Leo Sayer; and “For the First Time,” originally sang by Kenny Loggins. Two other songs had not been previously released on a Rod Stewart album: “So Far Away”, originally by Carole King, which had been released as a single in 1995 from that year’s Carole King tribute album, Tapestry Revisited, and “All for Love,” sang with Bryan Adams and Sting, from the 1993 film soundtrack The Three Musketeers. Additionally, two songs were revamped for If We Fall in Love Tonight: “Have I Told You Lately”, originally by Van Morrison and initially released on Stewart’s Vagabond Heart, was remixed here; and “Forever Young”, initially on Stewart’s Out of Order, which was completely re-recorded. The remaining tracks were all previously released on various Rod Stewart albums. (wikipedia)

Taking its cue from Madonna’s ballad collection Something to Remember, Rod Stewart’s If We Fall in Love Tonight combines several of his biggest ballads with three new songs. If We Fall in Love Tonight is targeted directly toward an older, adult contemporary audience who no longer wants to hear Stewart’s harder-edged material. Which means that not only is “Maggie May” not included, but neither is “This Old Heart of Mine,” since both are a bit too uptempo for this collection. Instead, the album is nothing but ballads, going back as far as “Tonight’s the Night,” “The First Cut Is the Deepest,” “I Don’t Want to Talk About It,” and “You’re in My Heart,” but concentrating on ’80s and ’90s hits like “Downtown Train,” “All for Love,” “My Heart Can’t Tell You No,” “Have I Told You Lately,” and “Broken Arrow.” The compilation also contains rarities like the Sting and Bryan Adams collaboration “All for Love” and the Carole King cover “So Far Away,” a new version of “Forever Young,” a cover of Leo Sayer’s “When I Need You,” the James Newton Howard song “For the First Time,” and the Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis collaboration “If We Fall in Love Tonight.” The new songs are good adult contemporary radio fodder, yet they pale next to his classic ’70s cuts. Nevertheless, If We Fall in Love Tonight is a very enjoyable soft rock collection. It may not draw an accurate portrait of Stewart’s career, but it does offer a good overview of his soft rock hits. (by Stephen Thomas Erlewine)

Personnel:
Rod Stewart (vocals)
+
many, any studio musicians

Tracklist:
01. If We Fall in Love Tonight” (new original song; previously unreleased) (Jam/Lewis) 5.42
02. For the First Time (new cover song; previously unreleased) (Friedman/Rich/Howard) 4.02
03. When I Need You” (new cover song; previously unreleased) (Sager/Hammond) 4.50
04. Sometimes When We Touch (new cover song; previously unreleased) (Mann/Hill) 4.25
05. Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright) (previously released on Stewart’s A Night on the Town) (Stewart) 3.33
06. I Don’t Want To Talk About It (original version on Stewart’s Atlantic Crossing; this version taken from Stewart’s Storyteller – The Complete Anthology: 1964–1990) (Whitten) 4.50
07. Have I Told You Lately (studio version remix) (new remixed version; previously unreleased) (Morrison) 3.58
08. Broken Arrow (previously released on Stewart’s Vagabond Heart) (Robertson) 4.21
09. Forever Young (1996) (new re-recorded version; previously unreleased) (Stewart/ Cregan) 4.52
10. You’re In My Heart (previously released on Stewart’s Foot Loose & Fancy Free) (Stewart) 4.28
11. My Heart Can’t Tell You No (previously released on Stewart’s Out of Order) (Climie/ Morgan) 5.11
12. The First Cut Is The Deepest (previously released on Stewart’s A Night on the Town) (Stevens) 3.50
13. Sailing (previously released on Stewart’s Atlantic Crossing) (Sutherland) 4.20
14. Downtown Train (previously released on Stewart’s Storyteller – The Complete Anthology: 1964–1990) (Waits) 4.36
15. Tom Traubert’s Blues (Waltzing Matilda) (previously released on Stewart’s Lead Vocalist) (Wits) 6.10
16. All For Love (with Bryan Adams & Sting, previously released on The Three Musketeers Soundtrack) (Lange/Adams/Kamen) 4.41

*
**

More from Rod Stewart:

Various Artists (Putumayo World Music) – Italian Cafe (2005)

Putumayo World Music is a New York City-based record label, now specializing in compilations of music from various nations, regions, or musical styles which may be classified as world music.

In 1991, on his way home from Bali, Dan Storper stopped in San Francisco, California. In Golden Gate Park, he heard the Nigerian band Kotoja. He was impressed by the music and the way it gathered many different people. He made a compilation of music he had gathered on his journeys and gathered a positive response. This led him to give out his first release in 1993. Storper took the name of his record label, Putumayo, from Colombia’s Putumayo Department where he travelled in 1974, which subsequently came from the name of Putumayo River. The word is said to be the name of a bird (heron).

Every release features the art of Nicola Heindl. Her art is both folky and modern, and, according to the Putumayo website, “represents one of Putumayo’s goals: to connect the traditional to the contemporary.”

Typically a Putumayo World Music compilation is presented as a theme under the title “Putumayo Presents:” The themes can be regional (South Africa, Caribbean, Asia), music types (reggae, folk, Latin, jazz) and other themes (lounge, groove, party).

The Putumayo Kids division was created in 2002. Since the release of the World Playground CD in 1999, Putumayo Kids has achieved honors from Parents’ Choice Awards and the National Parenting Publications Association, and has grown to be one of the more important children’s record labels.

Putumayo launched the Putumayo World Music Hour in 2000, a commercially-syndicated world music radio show. Rosalie Howarth of KFOG hosts the Music Hour. The weekly show is heard internationally on over 150 commercial and non-commercial stations.

Putumayo has ten offices worldwide. Their products are sold at a network of more than 3,000 book, gift, clothing, coffee and other specialty retailers in the US. The label claims to distribute their CDs in more than 80 countries around the world. (by wikipedia)

This is a charming, if ultimately fairly inconsequential, collection of recordings from 1950s and 1960s Italy, along with a handful of songs by a few modern artists whose stylistic roots go back to the postwar era as well. The overall sound may come across as a bit kitschy to American ears — there are lots of accordions and crooning, emotive vocals — but if you spend some time with these recordings most of them will grow on you. Highlights include the quirky Vinicio Capossela’s “Che Cossè l’Amor,” Quadro Nuevo’s jazzy instrumental “Tu Vuo’ Fa’ l’Americano,” and Quartetto Cetra’s slightly cute but really very engaging “Un Bacio a Mezzanotte.” On the slightly less compelling side are Gianmaria Testa’s contributions, the willfully goofy “Dentro al Cinema” and the self-consciously intense (and ultimately self-parodying) “La Traiettorie delle Mongolfiere,” but the high points outweigh the low ones on this ultimately charming collection. Recommended. (by Rick Anderson)

This review is not correct: Most of the recordings are NOT from the 50´s, … and in the reat booklet you can read, that Quadro Nuevo are from Austria … this is wrong .. Quadro Nueva are from Bavaria (Southern Germany) … but … much more important …

… more recordings from this great label will come !

Tracklist:
01. Fred Buscaglione: Juke Box (1958) (Beretta/Malgoni) 2.23
02. Quartetto Cetra: Un Bacio A Mezzanotte (1952) (Kramer/Garinei) 2.14
03. Giorgio Conte: Cannelloni (2003) (Conte) 2.55
04. Vinicio Capossela: Che Cossè L’Amor (1994) (Capossela) 4.14
05. Maria Pierantoni Giua: Petali e Mirto (2004) (Martinell/Giua) 3.25
06. Giorgio Conte: Gnè Gnè (2003) (Conte) 3.28
07. Renato Carosone: Piccolissima Serenata (2001) (Carosone/Nisa) 3.23
08. Gianmaria Testa: Dentro Al Cinema (2003) (Testa) 3.43
09. Daniele Silvestri: Le Cose In Camune (1995) (Micelli/Silvestri) 4.16
10. Quadro Nuevo: Tu Vuo’ Fa’ L’Americano (2002) (Carosone) 3.57
11. Gianmaria Testa: La Traiettorie Delle Mongolfiere (1995) (Testa/Bertone) 3.29
12. Nicola Arigliano: Carina (2001) (Testa/Poes) 3.17

*
**

Various Artists – Land Of The Midnight Sun – Music and images from Finland (2006)

This special photo album + CD product illustrates the unforgettable experience of summers in Finland, which have inspired so many Finnish composers to write some of their greatest works.

Finland is perhaps best known for its peacefulness and beautiful nature: vast forests, a unique archipelago and thousands of lakes present a striking mixture of wooded hills and waters.

The best season to discover this pristine wilderness is summer, which in Finland is characterized by long days and – in more norther regions where the sun is visible for continuous 24 hours – by the dazzling phenomenon of the Midnight Sun.

15 outstanding nature photographs and 24 tracks of wonderful Finnish classical music invite to discover or remember the uniqueness of Finland as Land of the Midnight Sun.

And here are some beautiful pictures from the land of the midnight sun:

 

Personnel:

Tracklist:

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
01. Rakastava (The Lover), Op. 14  / 3.57
02. Suite champêtre, Op. 98b / 3.19

Erkki Melartin (1875-1937)
Prinsessa Ruusunen (Sleeping Beauty Suite), Op. 22:
03. Minuet 3.08
04. Butterfly Waltz 2.02
05. Minä metsän polkuja kuljen (Along forest paths I wander) 1.49

Ilmari Hannikainen (1878-1951)
06. Rauha (Peace) 2.17

Bernhard Henrik Crusell (1775-1838)
Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in E-flat Major, Op. 1:
07. Adagio 3.24

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Bagatelles, Op. 34:
08. Valse 1.45
09. Souvenir 1.41
10. Danse Pastorale 0.46
11. Reconnaissance 0.42
12. Jouer de harpe 1.37

Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928-)
Concerto for Birds and Orchestra “Cantus Arcticus” (1972):
13. Melancholy 4.17

Toivo Kuula (1883-1918)
14. Aamulaulu (Morning Song) 1.43

Martti Turunen (1902-1979)
15. Sunnuntai (Sunday) 3.20

Traditional
16. Jo Karjalan kunnailla (The Hills of Karelia) 2.21
17. Soittajapaimen (The Piper Shepherd) 1.38
18. Orvon huokaus (An Orphan’s Sigh) 2.44

Väinö Raitio (1891-1945)
Kesäkuvia Hämeestä (Summer pictures from Häme):
19. Kesäyö (Summer Night) 2.26
20. Paimenlaulu (Herdsman’s Song 2.09
21. Kukkien kuningatar (Queen of the Flowers) 3.03

Leevi Madetoja (1887-1947)
Syksy-sarja (Autumn song cycle), Op. 68:
22. Lintu sininen (Bluebird) 1.59
23. Tule kanssani (Take My Hand), Op. 9/3 / 2.04

Erkki Melartin (1875-1937)
Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 30/1 (1902):
24. Scherzo 5.14

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The Waterboys – Cloud Of Sound (2012)

The Waterboys are a band formed in 1983 by Mike Scott. The band’s membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland and England. Edinburgh, London, Dublin, Spiddal, New York, and Findhorn have all served as homes for the group. The band has played in a number of different styles, but their music is a mix of Celtic folk music with rock and roll. After ten years of recording and touring, they dissolved in 1993 and Scott pursued a solo career. They reformed in 2000, and continue to release albums and tour worldwide. Scott emphasises a continuity between The Waterboys and his solo work, saying that “To me there’s no difference between Mike Scott and the Waterboys; they both mean the same thing. They mean myself and whoever are my current travelling musical companions.”

Mike Scott

The early Waterboys sound was dubbed “The Big Music” after a song on their second album, A Pagan Place. This musical style was described by Scott as “a metaphor for seeing God’s signature in the world.” It either influenced or was used to describe a number of other bands, including Simple Minds, The Alarm, In Tua Nua, Big Country, the Hothouse Flowers and World Party, the last of which was made up of former Waterboys members.[6] In the late 1980s the band became significantly more folk influenced. The Waterboys eventually returned to rock and roll, and have released both rock and folk albums since reforming. Their songs, largely written by Scott, often contain literary references and are frequently concerned with spirituality. Both the group and its members’ solo careers have received much praise from both rock and folk music critics, but The Waterboys as a band has never received the commercial success that some of its members have had independently. Aside from World Party, The Waterboys have also influenced musicians such as Eddie Vedder, Johnny Goudie, Colin Meloy of The Decemberists, Grant Nicholas of Feeder, James Marshall Owen, and Miles Hunt of The Wonder Stuff. Both Bono and The Edge from U2, Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead are fans of the band. Jonny Greenwood tweets on The Waterboys “what a great band. something special about how he plays piano too – see them if you can.” (by wikipedia)

And this is their last and very rare album:
It´s a “Limited Edition Tour Only CD”. Limited to 5,000 signed and numbered.

An exclusive Waterboys CD called CLOUD OF SOUND, and containing 15 fabulous tracks never before gathered on an album, will be available at venues on the Appointment With The Waterboys tour, starting at the first show, March 7, in Sandnes, in a limited edition of 5000 copies signed by Mike Scott. The CD will also be available online here while supplies last.

Many of the tracks are from Mike’s Soundcloud page and several have never been heard before. None of the song versions included have ever appeared on a CD or album until now.

I include a pdf-file with a “track by track” guide by Mike Scott. Enjoy this wonderful rarity !

Personnel:
Marc Arciero (bass)
Melvin Duffy (pedal steel, guitar)
James Hallawell (keyboards)
Ralph Salmins (drums)
Mike Scott (vocals, guitar, piano)
Steve Wickham (violin, mandolin)

Steve Wickham & Mike Scott

Tracklist:
01. Winter Blows (2012 mix) (Scott) 3.12
02. The Girl In The Swing (live) (Scott) 4.38
03. Siochain Iona (Scott/O’Lionaird) 6.16
04. Killing My Heart (live) (Scott/Wickham) 4.21
05. Barbara Allen (Traditional/Scott) 3.59
06. Vigilante (Scott) 3.19
07. The Serpent’s Head (Scott/Wickham) 1.50
08. The Seven Woods (Scott/Hallawell) 4.43
09. Silent Fellowship (2012 mix) (Scott) 5.06
10. Straight With The Medicine (Scott) 2.08
11. The Passing Of The Shee (Scott/Synge) 2.32
12. Mr Wickham Composes (live) (Scott/Wickham) 2.41
13. Seek The Light (extended) (East/Gibsone/Scott) 4.26
14. Vampire’s Head (Scott) 2.12
15. Savage Earth Heart (live) (Scott) 7.44

 

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