Music , CD, DVD, and Video Game Reviews - Sound Stage

Aaron NevilleBring it on Home...The Soul ClassicsSony BMGAlbumAudioBring it on Home has the touch, the feel of cotton. Aaron Neville's iconic voice is recorded here exactly the way it sounds in my fondest and only memories of Linda Ronstadt. As a whole, too, this record is mixed beautifully. A plentiful soundstage, dynamic range and excellent distinction between instruments set it forward. The guitars are lush; the bass, funky; and the drums, impacting.

George Thorogood and the DestroyersThe Hard StuffEagle RecordsAlbumAudio"The Hard Stuff" is frickin' sweet. The soft stuff, not so much. Musically and in sound quality, the best parts of this album by the self-proclaimed best bar band around are hard. Thorogood's gravelly vocals shine with an immediacy that makes the listener yearn for honeyed tea. The guitar has the proper rough edges for a blues album. Soft stuff, like the saxophone and female vocals, sounds hollow and reveals a serious lack of dynamic range.

Billy BurnetteMemphis in ManhattanChesky RecordsAlbumAudio"THIS CD SHOULD BE PLAYED LOUD!!!" It's like a double-dog dare on the back cover of rock-a-Billy Burnette's recording at St. Peter's Church. The album was done live with Chesky's single point microphone philosophy. Naturally then, you lose definition and overall polish for a wonderful overall mix and the feeling of immediacy. Great at the mythical eleven, "Memphis in Manhattan" can sound a bit muddy when not played at tinnitus-inducing levels.

Valerie JoyceNew York BlueChesky RecordsAlbumAudioWhat's that soft rhythmic circling I hear on track six? And here I thought drummers circled those brushes around on their snares just for show. The clarity of that sound is just a small example of what a finely detailed recording New York Blue is. With an overall neutral tone, the album faithfully reproduces the instruments' lovely timbres. Not the least of these instruments is Joyce's deep, doleful voice.

Anke Helfrich Trio, featuring Roy HargroveBetter Times AheadDouble Moon RecordsAlbumAudioAnke Helfrich has created some lovely piano-centric, melodic hard-bop on this effort. Her keys sound pristine, especially in the opening to Monk's "Ask Me Now." Roy Hargrove's trumpet is melodic and laid-back. In fact, the last bar of "I Mean You" may be the only time in the album that Hargrove's horn pierces out from the band. Despite a clean, rich sound, it's this unswerving mellowness that keeps "Better Times Ahead" from sounding special.

Kid KoalaYour Mom's Favorite DJNinja Tune RecordsAlbumAudioKid Koala is a skilled, little Canadian dude, and this album does nothing to get in his way. Parts of this recording sound clean and new. This contrasts against the intermittent bumps and analog noisiness of the vinyl that keep you from complacent listening. Dynamics and soundstage cause no complaints, while the bass gets you in the stomach cavity. And the scratches: they're just as they should be - really, really, scratchy.

Al DiMe olaConsequences of ChaosTelarcAlbumAudioFans of progressive jazz need no introduction to Al DiMeola. He is to his genre what Yngwie Malmsteen was to metal. Sometimes criticized for just playing fast, he resurfaces here (DiMeola is back on the solid-body electric guitar) with ol' playing partner Chick Corea to do what he does best, play the six-string. While the compositions are not likely to have you humming, DiMeola will win you over if you're at all susceptible to virtuoso playing.

Tineke PostmaLive in Amsterdam215 RecordsAlbumAudioUnlike many concert DVDs, Tineke Postma's live jazz ensemble recording uses a 5.1 mix to create a compelling soundstage rather than the feeling of musicians all over the room. The Dolby 5.1 is balanced and lush, and the stereo mix is natural. But it's the DTS that really shows off. Postma's alto and soprano saxes sound polished (if a bit sappy), and on the track "Firenze," even the often muffled-sounding trombone solo comes across with clarity and force

George Gruntz Concert Jazz BandTiger by the TailTCB RecordsAlbumAudioInnovation in jazz usually comes from small groups, not big bands. Maybe that perception has led the recording of this big band to feel so small. The instruments sound nice, but the recording lacks the dynamics and bluster one would expect from an ensemble of this size. The frequency range is solid, but the soundstage feels narrow. This excellent band deserves a bigger sound.

National RazorNaked Before God and CountryMapleshade PunkAlbumAudioNational Razor sounds like a crappy garage band. And this album sounds like it was recorded in a crappy garage. Maybe that's what they wanted. The whole thing is muddy. The bass guitarist may have fallen asleep during the first song, "Depression." I can't be too sure, though, because I kept losing him a lot. For a couple of beers, you might be able to get three high school dudes to recreate the sound of this album in your garage.

YakuzaPS2, SegaIf you're a fan of Japanese Yakuza movies - our favorites are usually directed by Beat Takeshi - then you'll get a kick out of this new release from Sega. There's a good variety of ways to hurt your opponents (e.g., fists, bats, furniture, etc.) and a story line worth your time. But you will find that kicking butt can get tiresome - some combatants just wouldn't die, no matter how much you hurt them. Which somehow made laying some hurt on them just a tad more satisfying.

Paavo JrviLutoslawski, Bartok: Concertos for OrchestraTelarcAlbumAudioThis is a great opportunity to compare/contrast the work of two composers that both contain distinctive folk and formal elements in their music. For non-classical music listeners that want to be able to connect to the music, this is an excellent way in, if you will. Listening to the two concertos for orchestra "side by side" you can hear the influence of one in the other. Somehow, making the relationship between the two will help to develop your ear for the music in general.

StackedAtari, XboxDaniel Negreanu is known as Kid Poker on the poker circuit because he looks like an aging 19-year-old. One of the best tournament players around, he has parlayed his success at the tables into the video game business. Stacked has appealing graphics and a decent AI but falls short of the kind of greatness one would associate with Negreanu. You'll find it entertaining for a few hours before contemplating going back to Full Tilt or PokerStars online.

World Championship Poker, All InPS2Crave EntertainmentHoward Lederer is a genius. So a poker fan is bound to have high expectations for All In. Alas, it doesn't quite deliver the poker action gaming gamblers long for. Simple things like finding the kind of poker game you want to play are on the difficult side. As for the poker play, it's unrealistic; and that lack of realism is unfortunately reinforced by poor graphics. Better get that home game going.