Flying Burrito Brothers, “Gram Parsons Archives Vol. 1: The Flying Burrito Brothers Live at the Avalon 1969” (Amoeba)
Drawn from two San Francisco concert recordings recently discovered in the Grateful Dead’s vaults, the 25 country-rock tracks (plus demos of “Thousand Dollar Wedding” and “When Will I Be Loved”) on these two discs represent the first unheard Parsons vocals released in decades. And he’s in fine voice, skillfully hitting the harmonies with Chris Hillman, but just shaky enough to let you know it’s doomed, delicate Gram. Lots of Burritos classics and a few tunes we’ve never heard them do before are here. The revelation is “You Win Again,” the Gram-meets-Hank heartbreaker that you just knew must exist in some died-too-young hillbilly heaven. Package includes a terrific booklet with never-before-published photos and liner notes by Pamela Des Barres. Bob Strauss, Los Angeles Daily News
Tony Moran, “The Event” (Dance Music Productions)
The DJ fills this two-disc set with an energized set of 23 peak rump- shakers that should satisfy most circuit music fans. The tribal beats, intense rhythms and soaring diva vocals of Deborah Cox and Martha Walsh raise the roof and keep the party pumping.
However, Moran has chosen 22 of his own tracks, and that decision obstructs creative remixing or a well- rounded musical journey.
Nevertheless, the dance-floor madness of “I’ve Got a Feelin’ ” is almost worth the purchase price. Phillip Zonkel, Los Angeles Daily News
Bow Wow & Omarion, “Face Off” (Columbia)
Rather than compare “Face Off” to Jay-Z’s former teaming with a less-legally entangled R. Kelly, there’s a better way of considering the collaboration between rapper Bow Wow and former B2K singer Omarion. Namely, shouldn’t two guys who have had trouble creating a satisfying album on their own try to share the workload? In this case, it turns out to be a good decision. “Face Off” is in no way a surprise, stuffed with the expected boasts about cash and chicks, from two ex-teen stars still desperate to shed their kiddie images. However, the pair picked good sources for the highly derivative backing. “Hey Baby (Jump Off)” jacks the beat from LL Cool J’s “Going Back to Cali” for an entertaining, if shallow, update, while “He Ain’t Gotta Know” takes its Southern bounce and strong synth melody from T-Pain, who produced, and the brash, brassy “Number Ones” sounds like a Jay-Z outtake given new life.
The surprising thing is that the two don’t indulge in more “Girl Is Mine”-style banter; “Bachelor Pad” is the only real example. Still, there’s enough borrowed personality spread across these dozen short songs to make “Face Off” easier to face than either star’s recent solo efforts.
Bob Strauss, Los Angeles Daily News
