Here There & Everywhere

On the HT&E iPod: Travelling Wilburys - Vol. 1

A band featuring Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, George Harrison, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne couldn't fail to produce a quality album and Travelling Wilburys Vol. 1 is just that. Recorded in 10 days in early '88 in order to accommodate Dylan's touring schedule, the multi-platinum selling first volume of the Wilburys project is a classic for many more reasons than the sum of its musician parts. 

Utilising the talents of each member to the full, there is a signature left on every track with the sound of each artists respective band (The Heartbreakers, The Beatles, ELO etc) melded with the overall feel of the album. From rockabilly rambles through classic British invasion sounds, a wide range of genres are touched without disjointing the 10-track set piece in any way. 

Of particular note are Roy Orbison's voice at its haunting best during Not Alone Anymore, the Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da feel to Last Night and Dylan finding the perfect grating, rhythmic tone for the mesmeric storytelling of Tweeter And The Monkey Man.

It sounds trite but it's true to say that Travelling Wilburys Vol. 1 is a simply timeless album, made even more important after the loss of Roy Orbison, who died shortly after the album's release, and George Harrison in 2007. 

Re-releases have seen the album become easier to get hold of in recent years (hell, it's on iTunes!) and as such provides no excuse for true music fans not to have a copy of Travelling Wilburys Vol. 1 in their collection. 

iTunes Link

Amazon Link

On the HT&E iPod: Matt Costa - Songs We Sing

As the balmy summer days come to an end (at least on this side of the world) there's no better album to have ticking over on your MP3 player. Partly prompted by an appearance on Apple's latest iPod nano advertising campaign and partly down to the fact that this is not the type of album you put aside for long, Matt Costa's Songs We Sing is doing the rounds on HT&E's pocket jukebox this week.

At times it sounds like the darker side of Jack Johnson and on other occasions it's The Beatles getting serious after recording Revolution 9. The title track is where it's at on Songs We Sing, however, with a Ryan Adams sensibility fused into happy-go-lucky folk rock.

Other standouts are Cold December and Behind the Moon, the latter of which evokes thoughts of Ian Brown and the Stone Roses but, if you can believe it, with an uplifting twist.

If you're missing the blue sky and lamenting the rainy, grey days, slip this old favourite on and you'll be comforted and agreed with in equal measure.

iTunes Link

On the HT&E iPod - Al Green: Lay it down

Al Green - Lay it down

Touted as his greatest album in decades, the reverend Al Green returns with a masterpiece. Produced by The Roots’ Amir “?uestlove” Thompson and featuring Corinne Bailey Rae, John Legend and Anthony Hamilton, Lay it down is a soulful, laid back return to form for one of the true legends of the genre. At 62 Green retains all the expression and emotion that drove him to stardom in the seventies with no discernible “aging” of the vocal chords. Carrying each melodious tune in his own distinct style, Green’s sound only rasps when it’s required.

Amazon link

iTunes link