THE JAZZ CONNECTION

I was never much into jazz music. Jazz music sounds to me a continuous displace of musical sound that goes all over the place but never really ends up anywhere. I know I may be insulting real jazz enthusiasms and lover of the gene but that's just me. I can accept modified jazz like Kenny G but real bona file jazz, sorry., it's just not for me. Anyway recently I've still managed to get my hand on a few jazzy Cds.


THE BLUES AND JAZZ COLLECTION ( 3 CD SET ) : I got this Cd unexpectedly and in the most ridiculous of situation. I saw this Cd but decided on a Michael Jackson's "This Is It" Cd which cost $15.00. While paying, the seller told me a Cd will cost $15.00 but if I were to choose another one, it'll cost only $10.00, so I choose this. I would never have bought it at the normal price 'cos I'll probably dozed off before I get to the third track.  All the three Cd have 16 tracks. CD 1 includes songs at diverse as Ray Charles ' What I Said', 'She Acts Like A Woman Should' by Marilyn Monroe, 'Fly Me To The Moon' by Frank Sinatra and 'Black And Blue' by Louis Armstrong. There's also' This Masquerade', titled here as ' Masquerade 'by Carman Mcrae. This song, however, belongs to The Carpenters whose version can never be beat. Still, it's nice to hear another version to the overly familiar one. CD 2 have 'Hit The Road, Jack' by Ray Charles, 'Sunshine Of My Life' by Carman Mcrae which was actually the Stevie Wonder classic. Elsewhere there are ' Mack The Knife' by Bobby Darin, 'Till The End Of Time' by Doris Day. 'Alfie' by Sarah Vaughan and 'A Man And A Woman' by Ella Fitzgerald. However it was Louis Armstrong's La Vie En Rose' that sealed the deal for me. I first came across this song on a pirate Cd and now I have it legitimately. It's one of those songs that even though you've heard it for the first time, you'll feel you've known it all your life. CD 3 have 'Straighten Up And Fly Right' by Nat King Cole, a rather strange version of 'Cabarat' by Louis Armstrong, 'Your Cheating Heart' by Ray Charles and ' Misty' sung unbelievably boring by Sarah Vaughan. There's even a number by Quincy Jones called 'Take Five.' which is possibly the best track on this disc.Given the diversity and various artists featured here, this would indeed be a jazzy heaven  for any jazz lovers but for me, it's draggingly deary. I can safety say that it won't be sitting on my Cd player for a while except for the Louis Armstrong classic ' La Vie En Rose' which to me is worth the price of the three Cd.  DOP : 28th July 2013.


POP CHILL 2 : This too I got at a ridiculously low price but this was a jazz album with a different. There are not original jazz music but actually disco classics reinterpreted in a jazzy lounge style. What was once raging dance music that makes you want to rock the floor are not transformed into easy listening elevator music. I don't know about jazz enthusiasms but it doesn't really work for me. What it managed to do is to transformed some of my favourite songs into uninspired so called jazz music. 'Hot Stuff', 'Lady Marmalade' , Le Freak' and even 'That's The Way I Like It' are all being tamed here. 'Oh Mammy Blue' is one of my all time favourite song and I can't forgive the way Trombo Combo or whoever it is murdered this song. It's almost unrecognisable. 'Killing Me Softly' so far is the only song that fits like glove into the genre, while 'Funky Town' is not too bad either. Somehow, the slower song works better in jazz as was 'Hooked On A Feeling.'  Surprisingly I quite enjoy 'Never Can Say Goodbye' the original of which I was never too fond of.  CD 2 have yet another nice version of ' I Will Survive' The other tracks that I like are 'Love To Love You, Baby' and ' I Can't Stand The Rain.' The rest of the tracks just doesn't work for me I'm afraid. DOP : 20th April 2013.

HOME MADE COMPLILATIONS

HOME MADE COMPILATIONS : Sometimes record companies take it upon themselves to come up with compilation Cds as and when they think there is a market for it. These are mostly profit orientated projects with no theme or artistic control. More often than not there are the same old songs with a different cover released every few years to unsuspecting buyers. Sometimes, there are even two of the same songs on the different volume. You'd think think someone would have done a better job at this. Still, one of the best reasons that I can give for buying them is the price. Usually they are sold at a fraction of the original Cd. Below are some of the home made compilations Cds that I have in my procession.

VERY BEST OF GOLDEN MEMORIES. 27 EXPLOSIVE OLDIES : Got this one on a one time only promotion offer. Like the title suggested there are 27 tracks in all. Crowd pleasers like 'Beautiful Sunday', 'Rose Garden', 'Limbo Rock', 'Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head', etc. Favourites that I don't have anywhere are 'Singing The Blues', Just Walking In The Rain' and 'Ballad of Bonnie & Clyde'. There's also 'He's So Fine', the song that got George Harrison in trouble with the court due to it's similarity to his 'My Sweet Lord. Personally I think it's all hogwash, anyone who can write songs like 'Taxman' and 'Something' don't need to copied from nobody. The judge think so too but he have to be seen doing his job, so he charged George for 'subconsciously' coping the song. I think I got this for RM 19.90. Whichever way you look at it, it's a real  bargain for money. DOP : 19th September 1992.

MAGIC MOMENTS TO REMEMBER : If the above CD is a bargain, then this one is literally robbery. A 3 CD set for only a miserable RM 9.90. Disc 1 contains 17 songs. 10 of which I've already have. Favourites includes 'Music To Watch Girls By', ‘Chapel Of Love', 'Welcome To My World' and 'I've Got A Crush On You'.

Disc 2 contains 16 tracks of which 11 I've already have. Rarities includes 'Yakkety Yak', 'Afternoon Delight', and ' Aquarius / Let The Sunshine In'. There's also 'Summer In The City'.

Disc 3 contains 16 tracks of which 9 I've already have. Favourites includes 'Fly Me To The Moon' , a great fun song to sing to your girl, Jamaica Farewell' and 'Save The Last Dance For Me'.

I may have most of the songs here but this kind of CDs at this kind of price is a God send when you are driving out station. Just put it on the player and drive away. Plenty of pleasure to be had without the interruptions of talkative DJs. Oops, did I mentioned that this CD comes with a songbook as well. DOP : 15th April 2012.

 
 

66 UNFORGETTABLE OLDIES FROM 70'S. FAVOURITE HITS OF THE 70'S : 3 CD for the price of one. Now this is real value for money. That's shy I bought it even thought I've had most of the songs. Make for easy and convenience listening. Disc 1 got the most songs that I don't have in my collections. 'Seasons In The Sun', 'Sundown', 'Honey', 'We're All Alone' and 'I'm Easy'. Not to mention 'You've Light Up My Life' and 'Torn Between Two Lovers'. Elsewhere there's 'Nobody's Child', 'Without You' and even Let It Be'. Disc 2 have only 'Mississippi' and 'Paloma Blanca' that I don't have. The rest of the gems are 'Anak', Love Will Keep Us Together', 'Paper Roses' and 'I've Never Been To Me'. Disc 3 have 'I'll Never Love This Way Again', ' Through The Eyes Of Love', 'My Broken Souvenirs' and the original version of 'Angel Of The Morning' by Merrilee Rush. And then there's Ray Stevens' 'Everything Is Beautiful'. One thing that I find baffling me was why the word Jesus was not allowed to be aired on live radio. The beginning of 'Everything Is Beautiful' starts out with children singing 'Jesus Loves The Little Children...' but somehow the power that be choose to censored this part when this song was on air over the radio. The same goes for George Michael 's 'Jesus To A Child' which was renamed as '....To A Child'. Some people can be so sensitive. DOP : 6th April 2012.

P.S. I LOVE YOU :  50 UNFORGETTABLE MEMORIES : Another super cheap 3 in 1 CD for your driving comfort. Most of the songs I've already have. Only reason I bought this was for the convience of it. CD 1 does contain 'Sukiyaki' by A Taste Of Honey', a song which I've loved and which have escape my clutches all these while. Other tracks that I don't have are Christopher Cross's 'Sailing', Eddie Rabbit & Crystal Gayle's 'You & I' and Ambrosia's 'Biggest Part Of Me'. 'Just When I Needed You Most' by Randy Van warmer is also here but strangely it was a new version of the song. I am all the more glad for it 'cos I have so many copy of this song on various CD that I am getting quite tired of this song so it's refreshing to hear a new version. CD 2 have Seals & Croft's 'Summer Breeze' which is a beautiful song that I've loved ever since I've first heard it, and Little River Band's 'Reminiscing'. CD 3 bring us Paul Anka's 'Times Of Your Life', the never-found-in-any-Eddie Rabbit's-collection's 'The Room At The Top Of The Stair' and Janis Ian's 'The Other Side Of The Sun'. DOP : 15th August 2012

DANCE HITS OF THE 70'S. 20 TIMELESS CLASSICS : The title say it all. Songs for the dance floor. Still between these tracks there are some seriously nice songs for keeps here. My favourites, the instrumental that I've heard many moons ago 'Popcorn', 'Shake Your Groove Thing', 'Ring My Bell' and The Stories' Brother Louie'. There's also Desmond Dekker positive sounding 'You Can Get It If You Really Want It' as well as 'Kung Fu Fighting'. DOP : Unknown

ALWAYS & FOREVER : This CD was bought at a discount and it was locally put together or rather in Asia only. Most of the songs I've already have. Still, a nice CD to slot in your player when you are on a trip.  All in all 15 songs to ensure your trip is a pleasant one. 'Angel Queen ' by Neil Sedaka and his daughter Dara Sedaka, 'Reality' by Richard Sanderson, 'Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue' and 'It Might Be You'. What I appreciate here are 'Dust In The Wind' by Kansas, 'At Seventeen' by Janis Ian, 'Bette Davies Eyes, 'Never Ending Story ' and 'Emotion', which I don't have in my other collections. DOP : 1st January 2012.

ROCK SAME GUA!!! : This is a locally complied CD meaning that you won't find this anywhere but here. But it is equally good. Picks of the crop are Mead Loaf's 'Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad', Firehouse's 'I Live My Life For You', Bad Company's 'Ready For Love', Europe's 'Carrie' and Rainbow's 'Temple Of The King'. This is on discount by the way. Just to keep your saliva dripping there's Heart's 'All I Want To Do Is Make Love To You' and Bad English's 'When I See You Smile'  DOP : 11th December 2011.-