Gregory Porter "Nat 'King' Cole & Me" (2017)

Nat 'King' Cole & Me
release date: Oct. 27, 2017
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]
producer: Vince Mendoza
label: Blue Note Records - nationality: USA

5th studio album by Gregory Porter is as the title suggests a tribute to and an album exclusively featuring songs recorded by Nat "King" Cole arranged and produced by Vince Mendoza.

The songs are not that far from Porter's usual style and it really gives you the opportunity to hear from where he got much of his influence. The songs are nicely arranged with the abundance of strings and brass that were associated with Nat Cole, and needless say, it also fits Porter's smooth vocal like hand in glove.

The album comes in various formats - in a standard single cd edition containing twelve tracks, a Deluxe edition containing fifteen tracks like the double vinyl album.

The album hasn't been met by the 'usual' overwhelming positive reviews, and I do understand some of the critics indicating that it's like Porter's voice doesn't compare to the strengths of Cole. In these vocal jazz standards Porter contributes with his honey-dripping warm vocal but doesn't add new dimensions to already classic songs and in that regard has made a bit of the redundant tribute.

Kate Bush "Rocket Man" (1991) (single)

Rocket Man, 7'' single
release date: Nov. 22, 1991
format: vinyl
[single rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]
producer: Kate Bush
label: Mercury Records - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: A) "Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time)" - - B) 1. "Candle in the Wind" (2,5 / 5) - 2. "Candle in the Wind (instr.)" (2 / 5)

Single release by Kate Bush, which was part of the Elton John / Bernie Taupin tribute album Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin (1991). I don't recall why or when I purchased this single, and I have never played it much.

"Red Hot + Blue (A Tribute to Cole Porter)" (1990)

Red Hot + Blue (A Tribute to Cole Porter)
released: Sep. 25, 1990
format: vinyl 2 lp (gatefold - CHR 1799) / cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: various
label: Chrysalis Records - nationality: UK

Track highlights: A) 2. Neville Brothers "In the Still of the Night" (4 / 5) - 3. Sinéad O'Connor "You Do Something to Me" - 4. Salif Keita "Begin the Beguine" (4 / 5) - 5. Fine Young Cannibals "Love for Sale" - - B) 2. Kirsty MacColl & The Pogues "Miss Otis Regrets / Just One of Those Things" - 4. Tom Waits "It's All Right With Me" - - C) 1. U2 "Night and Day" - 2. Les Negresses Vertes "I Love Paris" - - D) 3. Jimmy Somerville "From This Moment On" (4 / 5) - 5. Aztec Camera "Do I Love You"

A double vinyl album of various artists in tribute of Cole Porter. The album was released as focus was high on Aids. The full title is: Red Hot + Blue - A Tribute to Cole Porter to Benefit Aids Research and Relief. The artists represent various styles and genres and the result is a bland experience but it also contains truly great interpretations, and my absolute favourites here are the tracks by The Neville Brothers, Salif Keita, Fine Young Cannibals, Kirsty MacColl & The Pogues, and Jimmy Somerville.

George Michael and Queen "Five Live" (1993) (live)

Five Live, ep (live)
release date: Apr. 1993
format: vinyl
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,48]
producer: Queen, George Michael, Roy Thomas Baker
label: Parlophone - nationality:

Collaboration ep released as 'George Michael and Queen with Lisa Stansfield' recorded at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, Apr. 20, 1992, at Wembley Stadium, London. The album contains six songs - three per side, of which George Michael appears on five, Queen on three, and Lisa Stansfield on one track only.

The Residents "The King and Eye" (1989)

The King and Eye
release date: 1989
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5]

Track highlights: 1. "Blue Suede Shoes" - 2. "The Baby King Part 1" - 3. "Don't Be Cruel" - 5. "All Shook Up" - 9. "Devil in Disguise" - 13. "The Baby King Part 3" - 14. "Little Sister" - 18. "The Baby King Part 4" - 20. "The Baby King Part 5"

A studio album by the American experimental art rock performance band The Residents. The album is made up of Elvis Presley songs, thus the title "The King and Eye" (with 'Eye' as both referring to 'I' and 'eye', with reference to the eye-symbol of The Residents). I believe, I found this on the library as I just wanted to check out the band. My initial thoughts were that it was way too bizarre, but then I somehow got caught by the satire of the stories in between songs titled "The Baby King" (Part 1-5), and then some of the tracks, despite the strangeness, felt interesting. According to wikipedia the album is narrated "Through the perspective of a father telling his children fables about a long dead king and his songs, and a poignant string of narrative interludes - "The Baby King" - the work hints at a darker side of the Elvis mystique and questions the spiritual nature of his reign. The album "incisively portrays Elvis's life and work as a misguided abandonment of innocence in favor of a sad yet comedic Oedipal journey," writes Jim Green". Apparently, this album is the last in a trilogy with each album investigating a specific period of time in American musical history. (link, in Italian)
[ allmusic.com 2,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Erik Grip "De levendes land" (1983)

De levendes land
release date: 1983
format: vinyl (EXL 30.019)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,48]
producer: Peter Abrahamsen
label: Exlibris - nationality: Denmark

6th studio album by Danish troubadur and singer / songwriter Erik Grip - an album exclusively with texts by (Nicolaj Frederik Severin) Grundtvig in arrangements and music made by Grip to celebrate Grundtvig's 200th's birthday (Sep. 8, 1983).