Article published October 11, 2009
Miley Cyrus has a future as a country music star
THE TIME OF OUR LIVES Miley Cyrus (Hollywood)
In some ways, not to suggest you stop reading or anything, reviews are pretty much superfluous with a pop culture phenom like Cyrus. She could sing a fast-food menu and rack up a hit single, so fervent are her fans.
That said, let's plunge onward anyway into this seven-track, 26 minute-plus EP/CD that highlights the good and the bad about Cyrus.
Getting the bad out of the way first, when she tries harder rock on the opening "Kicking And Screaming," she's out of her element, her voice unable to carry it off.
By contrast, on the single "Party In The U.S.A.," a pop-star-referencing, kicking-chorus slice of electro-pop, she is in her zone. No surprise it's a mega-hit (as is the album).
And by the third track, "When I Look At You" - a ballad that could be pop or country - she nails it.
She does the same on "Obsessed," another big ballad. Get rid of the overwrought pop trappings, add a fiddle and pedal steel, and you'd have country gold.From the screams on the live version of "Before The Storm" with the Jonas Brothers (the song also was on the Brothers' recent CD), it's seems obvious where the core of Cyrus' fan base lies. But there's plenty of evidence here that she could easily move on from tween-pop, setting the stage for rocking the country.
Country music, that is.
- RICHARD PATONUNSPOILED BY PROGRESS Walter Trout (Provogue)
These 12 numbers of hardcore electric blues rock showcase the very best of Trout and his backup band over the past 20 years. Mostly unreleased tracks, the disc includes three new songs to show that the magic hasn't faded.
An ever-changing cast of backup bandmates infuses each number with a slightly different feel, keeping the whole package from getting stale after a long listening session. Trout's guitar solos with powerful percussion, keyboards, and organ hammer out the melody lines, bolstered by plenty of dressing from his sidemen.
Trout's vocals are on the raspy side of a lowdown growl, reminiscent of Creedence Clearwater Revival's lead vocalist, John Fogerty. The group's knockout take on "Long Tall Sally" sounds like CCR.
If you like your rockin' blues rough and sassy, this is a good place to spend some time, with some 77 minutes of excitement lighting up your speakers.
- KEN ROSENBAUMTHE PLAYMAKER Mads Tolling (Madsman Records)
Young Mads Tolling is definitely one Mad Cat when it comes to jazz violin, a performer capable of engaging strings in a blistering fury on par with the great Jean-Luc Ponty.
The two-time Grammy winner from Denmark was discovered at the Berklee College of Music shortly after moving to Boston. He wows listeners with his finesse and dexterity on this disc, his sophomore CD release and one in which he's backed by jazz greats Russell Ferrante on keyboards, Stanley Clarke on bass, and Stefon Harris on vibes.
His solos are awe-inspiring, whether he's ripping through a melody or, more likely, doing some frenzied improvisation.
His mind and creative juices are constantly on the go, although there are clearly some spots in which Tolling has gone over the top and would have benefited from tighter editing or direction.
Still, Tolling and those who surround him give the listener a valuable commodity, and that's smart, innovative jazz. The disc is largely fresh, original material but includes cool covers of Radiohead's "Just," Thelonious Monk's "Blue Monk," and Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog." As improbable as having Zeppelin performed to jazz violin may sound, Tolling pulls it off.
Another treat is a tribute to Weather Report's late, great bassist Jaco Pastorius, especially hearing Clarke doing Pastorius in the background and being augmented by Tolling's melody in the foreground.
- TOM HENRY
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