Musical Selections

I worked through quite a bit of stuff in my inventory this week.

I got this compilation called Sex-O-Rama. Its like highlights from porn sound tracks from the '70s and '80s. It has its moments, but I wasn't too crazy about it.

I got my hands on some stuff by Lonnie Liston Smith, his release called Renaissance. Towards the mid-'70s he had a real porn vibe going on in his music. He called his band the Cosmic Echoes. Much better than the stuff on the porn music compilation. This guy had a pretty good pedigree -- he was in Pharaoh Sanders band before he went out on his own. His early stuff does kind of sound like the Pharaoh's, but he develops into the porn master after a few albums. Renaissance has got the right vibe going, I'm really glad I got my hands on it.

I also checked out something that is a little more contemporary but still has the loving vibe happening. Its one of the Dan the Automator Nakamura alter egos -- Nathaniel Merriweather presents Lovage: Music to Make Love to Old Lady By. This is mellow, but its really good. He's got a chick singing and some other guy over the beats he made. This guy doesn't mess around when he puts together a beat. I wouldn't play the two skits in front of a girl, but the rest of it is fine. I think my favourite is Koala's Lament, which is an instrumental with Kid Koala making a guest appearance.

It was a mellow music week. I got a bunch stuff by this vibe player called Cal Tjader. His stuff is kind of loungey, but it has more a latin sound to it. I checked out four albums Solar Heat, The Prophet, Cal Plugs In and Descarga. The stuff is pretty to chill out to. The latin flavour to it gives it different sort of feel than the '70s soul jazz sound that became acid jazz. I didn't sick of his stuff (I listened to all of it on wednesday), as I might have if I listened to soul jazz.

I also got my hands on Miles Davis's Complete On The Corner Sessions. I really liked this. It basically the spaced jazz-funk-rock sound that he had going in the early-70s. Some of it is pretty laid back, but it can get pretty intense at times. Most of the songs are pretty long, but there are a few shorter ones sprinkled around. Some of the shorter excerpts could be used in porn sound track. While this isn't one of his most well known albums, you can listen to this box set and still understand why Miles Davis is like the next level shit.

I also tried to listen to Herbie Hancock's Joni Letters. It was horrible. It was like Dianna Kral, but worse (worse because she has no talent, but he is supposed to be talented). Totally limp. I mean this is like worse than Keith Jarrett. I'd avoid it unless you like Diana Kral.