Tag: Warner Brothers
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Randy Newman, Little Criminals, 1977 on Warner Bros
Randy Newman’s fifth studio LP and his highest charting, in part due to “Short People,” which was also a hit single. Produced by Lenny Waronker and Russ Titelman, with supporting players including Waddy Wachtel, Joe Walsh, Glen Frey, J.D. Souther, Tim Schmit, Klaus Voorman, Jim Keltner, Willie Weeks, and even Ry Cooder on mandola on…
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a-ha, Hunting High and Low, 1985 on Warner Bros.
Debut album from Norway’s a-ha, fronted by Morten Harket, with Magne Furuholmen and Pål Waaktaar-Savoy. “Take On Me” with its animated video is the song everyone knows, but there’s a lot of great songs in the record (and their other records!). Definitely more than a one-hit wonder. My copy—via A1 Records in NYC—is a 1985 pressing…
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Dire Straits, Making Movies, 1980 on Warner Brothers
Released on Vertigo in the UK but Warner Bros in the US, this was the third full-length from Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits. Produced by Jimmy Iovine and Mark Knopfler. David Knopfler left the band during the recording of the album and reportedly Mark re-recorded all this guitar parts. There was a box set of…
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Paul Simon, Hearts and Bones, 1983 on Warner Brothers
I’d be hard pressed to make any call on what my favorite Paul Simon album is (maybe Graceland) given how great they all are – including this one, with “René and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After The War” and “The Late Great Johnny Ace” and the title track). I feel like this one gets…
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Kraftwerk, Tour De France, 1983 on Warner Brothers
This isn’t the full album released in 2003 but the 1983 single (recorded durig the Electric Café sessions) which charted in the UK. I guess this makes it “late” period Kraftwerk but it sounds super fresh. My copy is a 45 rpm 12″ (there are 7″ single versions as well), with the custom “cog” labels…
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Emmylou Harris, Thirteen, 1986 on Warner Brothers
Harris counted this as her 13th studio album, ignoring Gliding Bird which came out on an independent label. It was produced by Harris and her then-husband Paul Kennerley and recorded in Nashville. Guests include VInce Gill, Rodney Crowell, and Carl Jackson. Tracklist includes covers of Bruce Springsteen’s “My Father’s House” (from Nebraska) and Merle Haggard’s…
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T-Bone Burnett, Trap Door, 1982 on Warner Bros.
Most people think of T-Bone Burnett these days as a Grammy-winning producer associated with Americana and roots music, but has also long been a solo artist releasing music since the 80s. This EP was Burnett’s first release on Warner Bros, after leaving Takoma. Rhino released a compilation including this EP and the companion EP Behind…
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ZZ Top, ZZ Top’s First Album, 1971 on London / Warner Bros
Originally issued in the US on London Records (the American imprint of Decca) in 1971, ZZ Top‘s First Album was reissued by Warner Bros in 1978, likely based on the success of Tres Hombres, Fandango, and Tejas – their 1979 Degüello would be their first new album on Warner Bros. The original LP was not…
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Grateful Dead, Anthem of the Sun, 1968 on Warner Bros / Seven Arts
Second LP from the Dead, assembled together by Garcia and Lesh out of a mixture of live and studio recordings to make a new hybrid. Very much a psychedelic and experimental record, as the cover and song titles would suggest. My copy is the Vinyl Me, Please reissue from 2023, which was manufactured for Rhino.…
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T. Rex, T. Rextasy: The Best of T. Rex, 1970-1973, 1985 on Warner Bros.
Mid-eighties compilation of T. Rex. Between 1970 and 1973, the band had eleven top 10 singles in the UK – including many here. Produced by Tony Visconti. I came to T. Rex indirectly through The Replacements (who covered “20th Century Boy” on Let it Be), Bauhaus (who covered “Telegram Sam”) and The Power Station (who…
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The Time, The Time (Self-Titled), 1981 on Warner Bros.
This was the debut LP from Morris Day and co, though they started playing together in the early seventies under different names. The band here still includes Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who went on to become a well-known producing duo, and guitarist Jesse Johnson who made some solo releases. While most folks know The…
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Ry Cooder, Borderline, 1980 on Warner Bros.
Cooder’s 9th studio solo LP, with John Hiatt, Jim Keltner, Jesse Harms, George Pierre, Bobby King, Willie Green Jr., Reggie McBride, and Tim Drummond. Produced by Cooder with Leslie Morris. Personally I don’t quite love this one as much as 1978’s Jazz, but it is a really sold album including a cover of John Hiatt’s…
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Ry Cooder, The Slide Area, 1982 on Warner Bros.
Ry Cooder is a long time favorite who still has a tendency to fly a bit under the popular radar (though musicians do tend to love him). This 1982 album I guess you’d call sort of mid-career though he’s still active so hard to say what that means – his 10th full length LP. Includes…
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Dire Straits, Alchemy – Dire Straits Live, 1984 on Warner Brothers
Wonderful 2xLP live album of early 80s Dire Straits. Recorded in London at the Hammersmith Odeon over two nights in July 1983. Great versions of “Romeo and Juliet” and “Sultans of Swing.” There was also an accompanying film (on VHS, later reissued on DVD and Blu-Ray). My copy – hype stickered as being on Quiex…
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Simon & Garfunkel, The Concert In Central Park, 1982 on Warner Bros
One of the best live albums from one of my favorite duos. Good variety of tempos and tunes, enough stage banter to feel live but no so much that you feel the need to skip ahead. Wikipedia correctly recognizes it as “the” concert in central park – recorded in front of a half million people…
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James Taylor, One Man Dog, 1972 on Warner Bros.
This was Taylor’s fourth studio album, with “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight.” 18 tracks means lots of short bits / interludes, some of which can feel a bit unfinished but overall I like the effect. Performers include Carly Simon and Carole King on backing vocals, Danny Kortchmar, Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel, and John McLaughlin…
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Laurie Anderson, Big Science, 1982 on Warner Bros.
I posted another Anderson album last week – Home of the Brave – but this was her major label debut in 1982. The songs here are a subset of United States Live, which was an 8 hour long production, later released as a five record box set in 1984 with accompanying book. John Peel “discovered”…
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Laurie Anderson, Home of the Brave, 1986 on Warner Bros
If I planned these posting further in advance (i’m just working through records as I add them to my collection), I would have planned this one for the 4th of July. The film Home of the Brave is a concert movie (see below) but the album is studio versions of songs from the film. There…