Fanga-tastic and Afro Funky

Fanga? Who? Unless you are familiar with French Afro Funk then you probably haven’t heard these guys perform. With the recent surge in Afrobeat-funk bands, Fanga is probably one of the best on the scene. The great Tony Allen is involved so you know it’s going to be good. The two most popular tracks are not avaiable on Rhapsody so I have included some YouTube footage of the title track, “Natural Juice”, below.  Quite honestly I like the tracks in the album highlights section, but you can decide for yourself as it’s all personal taste.

Album Highlights

• Kononi feat Kady Diarra (let it build)
• Keneya (love this one)

Van the Man - Post St. Pat’s

What is St. Patrick’s without the Belfast Cowboy? Van Morrison, strangely enough (based on the content within my prior posts) is one of my favorite artists. This leads me to my one gripe with Rhapsody: a sub-par Van Morrison collection. The collection is adequate for the casual Van Morrison listener, but the hidden gems, like Hard Nose the Highway, are not on the database. Hopefully Rhapsody will address this in the future.

With that being said, one of the best Van Morrison albums, It’s Too Late To Stop Now, is on the Rhapsody database. A live performance that is truly great and gives listeners some insight into the energy of a Van Morrison concert. It is known among avid Van Morrision listeners as the definitive live performance. I guess that makes it an audiophile essential.

The album should be listened to in its entirety, but if you must have the so-called album highlights ( I am a little hestitant), well, here you go.

Album Highlights

• Warm Love
• Into the Mystic
• Caravan
• Cyprus Avenue

Well, I guess my daily posting didn’t last long. At least with RSS Feeds you don’t have to check websites daily for updated content.

Taj Mahal Giant Step/De Ole Folks at Home

This one has been on rotation quite a bit recently. Oh yeah and by the way I plan on posting daily so come back often. Well will see how long the motivation lasts, 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 1 year? Anyway, thanks for the continued support.  At least with RSS Feeds you don’t have to check websites daily for updated content. Click on the prior link to subscribe to LTR’s feed.

Giant Step along with Natch’l Blues are my two favorite Taj Mahal albums. Rhapsody actually offers what was once a two-album release that included Giant Step and De Ole Folks at Home.

The first half of the album (Giant Steps)  consists rootsy electric blues and the second half (De Ole Folks at Home) brings what I like to call front porch blues from the underappreciated bluesman. A lessor known Jesse Ed Davis stars on guitar during the first half of the album. He went largely unknown until his death in 1988. He was known as a session great as he played guitar on several John Lennon albums along with a host of other great musicians during that era.

Check out a brief history of the American blues great.

As an aside, you should check out the soundtrack for the movie Scrapple “the Ski Bum’s Easy Rider”. It features some original Taj material. I wish Rhapsody (anyone out there listening, Hint, hint Rhapsody Editors) could add the album. It would certainly be a worthy addition to the Rhapsody database.

Album Highlights

• Farther On Down The Road - Have you seen Scrapple?
• Take A Giant Step Great Song
• Ain’t Gwine Whistle Dixie Anymo’
• Your Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond
• Bacon Fat