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 By Andy Argyrakis |
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Weekend Report: Two picks and a skip for Ravina's last round
Friday, August 29, 2008 Summer may have flown by, but there's still one last round of stretching out the season thanks to Ravinia's closing pop/rock weekend. Unfortunately, the original festivities slated for Friday featuring Dave Stewart have been canceled due to tour routing issues, which is really quite a shame considering he was planning on bringing the 30-Piece Rock Fabulous Orchestra to town for the first time. While showing up at an empty park will only lead to disappointment, The Dave Stewart Songbook, Vol. 1 (Surf Dog) provides a sample of re-worked Eurythmics renditions that could've been. (Skip or be sorry - Cancelled Friday at Ravinia- Highland Park, IL: www.ravinia.org). Thankfully all is on for the double bill boasting indie icon Aimee Mann and a newly reunited Squeeze, even if it's just the nucleus of Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook. Though the singer/songwriter's Christmas outing was a bit disappointing, she steps up to the plate in superb fashion on the new @#%&*! Smilers (Superego) and could even dust off a rarely performed 'Til Tuesday tune given  the retro nature of the night. Since Squeeze has no new album, its set will likely be nostalgia based, but there's plenty to celebrate, including the timeless "Tempted," "Cool For Cats, "Black Coffee In Bed" and "Take Me I'm Yours." (Worth a shot - Sunday at Ravinia- Highland Park, IL: www.ravinia.org).While it would be ideal to have the entire band of Wilco invade the glorious Ravinia environment, drummer Glenn Kotche is the first step in the right direction. The Illinois native appears as special guest in the Kronos Quartet's classically minded set, but is sure to be a bridge builder towards a series of genres. It's unclear exactly what Wilco songs (if any) will sneak into the show, but Kotche promises the premiere of a new work he wrote specifically for this ensemble. (Bet your life - Wednesday at Ravinia's Martin Theatre- Highland Park, IL: www.ravinia.org). |
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Street Week: Zeppelin on vinyl, B.B. teams with T Bone
Monday, August 25, 2008 In the wake of shirking CD sales and escalating digital downloads, vinyl is quickly becoming a major physical player. Outside of today's top hipster bands providing 33 1/3 alternatives to their albums, several massive rock acts are reissuing classic collections, or on the case of Led Zeppelin, compiling its most lauded tunes. Though Mothership (Atlantic) already saw the light of day on disc, this four LP set benefits from full-size artwork, plus crystal clear digitally remastered sound for enduring tunes like "Whole Lotta Love," "Black Dog," "Rock and Roll," and of course, "Stairway To Heaven." B.B. King also seems to be taking cues from that group's front man these days, turning to all-star producer T Bone Burnett (Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Elvis Costello, O Brother Where Art Thou) for his new studio CD.  One Kind Favor (Geffen) is a covers collection that looks back to the legend's influences from the 1950s, which not only rubbed off on the 82-year-old entertainer, but shaped the entire genre through today. Track listing highlights include "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" (Lemon Jefferson), "I Get So Weary" (T-Bone Walker), "Get These Blues Off Me" (Lee Vida Walker), "My Love Is Down" (Lonnie Johnson) and "Blues Before Sunrise" (John Lee Hooker).Earth, Wind & Fire continues to expand its annals with a re-release of its famed Live In Japan (Eagle Vision) as a DVD/CD combo pack. Both installments feature the same track listing loaded with funk favorites like "September," "Shining Star," "That's the Way of the World" and "Let's Groove," plus cuts from the new at the time Heritage album. Outside of that stellar set list and the band's spot on grooves, this marked the last full-time road outing for singer/songwriter/producer Maurice White after 19 years with the troupe. | ||