Alabama Shakes Jools Holland Later Live

Posted by: Steve J on 25 April 2012

I watched last nights episode and was blown away by the lead singer of Alabama Shakes. She has one of the best blues/soul voices I've heard for a long time. So refreshing in this day and age to hear a great girl blues singer belt it out. I had not come across them before.

 

I shall certainly watch Friday's programme where there will be more from the group.

 

Jack White was also on with his 2 new bands, one all male and one all female. Of the 2 I think I preferred the female group, and I'm not talking the visual impact!

 

Recommended

 

Steve

Posted on: 25 April 2012 by ewemon
She is a great singer but not sure the album shows what they are really like as a band.
Posted on: 25 April 2012 by BigH47

I hope it's a better show than last weeks lack of talent.

Posted on: 25 April 2012 by Tony2011

Steve,

Just seen them on iPlayer. What a voice and performance. One to watch!  I'll try to catch them again on Friday. I used to follow JH religioulsy but have been kind of "bored" with  the latest offerings from him and his "production/research team". It seems the ship has veered off its course and no one is in control of the helm.

KR

Tony

Posted on: 28 April 2012 by Premmyboy

The Lp is on its way from Diverse. I enjoyed their performances on Jools great voice for sure.

Posted on: 28 April 2012 by james n

Caught this last night. Agree Steve, thought Alabama shakes excellent and also liked Jack whites performance with his female band. Both albums now on order.

 

James

Posted on: 28 April 2012 by The Strat (Fender)

I started off liking Alabama but I ended up up with her voice grating on me.

 

Jack White - the saviour of rock n roll or overrated pretentious rubbish - I've never been sure to be honest.

 

Jools' show has been great for reinvigorating televised live music but it looks tired now.

 

Strat

Posted on: 28 April 2012 by pixies

Only one song from Grimes booo!

Posted on: 28 April 2012 by BigH47

A much better show this week, no CDs ordered though.

I'm also in 2 minds about Jack White, he does like to study music and collect old "folk" stuff, interesting guy.

Posted on: 28 April 2012 by james n
Originally Posted by pixies:

Only one song from Grimes booo!

Liked her. Album worth a punt ?

 

James

Posted on: 28 April 2012 by bishopla

Hear them being interviewed on National Public Radio (US). What sparked my interest was when the interviewer was comparing her to great blues singers such as Janis, etc and asked her who she thought see sounded like and her answer was Bon Scott. I was impressed that a 23 year old blues singer from Alabama even knew who Bon Scott was. Then I checked them out on youtube. I love their Led Zeppelin covers. The lead singer's day job use to be a US Post Service mail carrier.

Posted on: 29 April 2012 by pixies

Hi James

 

Grimes is worth a punt.  Check out http://pitchfork.com/news/4543...deo-grimes-oblivion/

 

Quirky female electronica (think Fever Ray but a bit lighter).

 

Cheers

Posted on: 29 April 2012 by james n

Perfect timing Pixies. Just on Play.com placing my orders 

 

James

Posted on: 29 April 2012 by Guido Fawkes
Originally Posted by bishopla:

Hear them being interviewed on National Public Radio (US). What sparked my interest was when the interviewer was comparing her to great blues singers such as Janis, etc and asked her who she thought see sounded like and her answer was Bon Scott. I was impressed that a 23 year old blues singer from Alabama even knew who Bon Scott was. Then I checked them out on youtube. I love their Led Zeppelin covers. The lead singer's day job use to be a US Post Service mail carrier.

A comparison with Janis is stretching it a bit - I don't think any other blues singer quite compares. Or if they do then I've not heard them. I thought Alabama Shakes were fine on the JH show and it is always good to hear new talent coming through ..... even if it is not quite Janis standard (but then who could compare to that high standard) .... they are definitely worth a second listen: I'll try the YouTube ones you recommend.

 

Thanks - all the best, Guy  

Posted on: 29 April 2012 by California Jim

I agree with many of the statements above.  I had not been

excited by a Jools nite recently, but friday nite was exceptional

for me.  Certainly Alabama Shakes were the highlight, I didn't

know Black and found his music quite exciting, but prefered

the male group.  I also thought Norah Jones was worth listening

to...I like her recent stuff.

 

California Jim

Posted on: 29 April 2012 by California Jim

Btw...I will also add, on a contraversial note, that I have always thought

Joplin severely overrated.  I know that I am possibly alone with that

view, but even back when she was around I felt she was given undue

reverence primarily because she was white.  There have been many

black female Blues singers who are not on the Rolling Stones' lists.

Oh well...

California Jim

Posted on: 29 April 2012 by Guido Fawkes

> .. I have always thought Joplin severely overrated.  I know that I am possibly alone ...

 

I'm guessing you mean Scott, surely not the wonderful Janis

 

We'll all have our musical preferences, for me Cheap Thrills and Pearl are two superb records that would do any artist proud - Janis was unfortunately on a self destruct course, which is so sad. I think she was quite intimidating (not a good thing in my book), but a great artist nonetheless ... 

 

Oh well some folk on the forum like Dire Straits so we can't all share the same taste - would be a strange place if we did

 

The Rolling Stone list is a bit of a joke really - I never understand the point of it. 

I don't think Richard Sinclair gets a mention and he has to be one of the best male vocalists ever. 

Where are Shirley Collins, Sandy Denny and Annie Haslam on the list? 
(should be the top three in my opinion FWIW) 

Not a magazine I think has any value to a music lover. 

Or do I mean I just don't like it. ... probably, it is all about opinions 

 

All the best, Guy 

Posted on: 01 May 2012 by yeti42

I received the vinyl copy yesterday and it's rather disappointing, I could get the Janis comparison to some extent from the Later performance but not from the album.

Posted on: 01 May 2012 by BigH47

Alabama Shakes are on tour in UK ATM.

Posted on: 02 May 2012 by Mike Hughes
And there was me thinking the new series of Later had been considerably better than the last half a dozen... Alabama Shakes - that voice is the real deal BUT, and it's s very big but... I'm shocked that no-one has commented on the fact that they have no songs of any great merit. The songs were profoundly ordinary and formulaic. Shockingly so. As a consequence her contribution to each became all too predictable and by the third song I was switching off to her obvious charms as everything else was so obviously detracting from them. As was once said of, I believe, Bobby Womack, you could close your eyes, lay back and identify the precise moment in every song he took off his jacket and loosened his shirt. This was that to a tee. Shame.
Posted on: 04 May 2012 by HuwJ

I listened to the album on Spotify and thought it was worth buying. So I did.

 

I tried to listen to the CD on my main system last night and the production was terrible. I think it's the worst CD I've bought. I sent it back to Amazon.

 

I listened again on Spotify at maximum bit rate through my B&W computer speakers - now that I listen critically I can hear how bad it is on those too.

 

Regards

HUw

Posted on: 04 May 2012 by California Jim

Well thanks for that, Huw...I had been tempted.  Sounds like

they are best seen live.

 

California Jim

Posted on: 04 May 2012 by Premmyboy

I bought the vinyl and the sound/production is pretty poor. To be honest they sounded better on Jools Holland. Real shame.

Posted on: 04 May 2012 by thebigfredc

Yes I think the bands often come across well on the JH show.

 

Last series, lykii li were good live, using  interesting things like megaphones and a melatron, so went and bought the album. Big disappointment, all their energy and talent throttled by the production.

 

Ray

Posted on: 05 May 2012 by james n
Originally Posted by HuwJ:

I listened to the album on Spotify and thought it was worth buying. So I did.

 

I tried to listen to the CD on my main system last night and the production was terrible. I think it's the worst CD I've bought. I sent it back to Amazon.

 

I listened again on Spotify at maximum bit rate through my B&W computer speakers - now that I listen critically I can hear how bad it is on those too.

 

Regards

HUw

Are we talking about Alabama Shakes still ?. Fearing the worst, it finally arrived this morning so i ripped it and had a listen. On a couple of tracks the vocals are a bit compressed but otherwise it's rather good. 

 

James

Posted on: 08 May 2012 by ewemon
I see some of you are finding out the same thing that I did when I heard a promo of the album. Live they are great but two things struck me with the album. The production values are poor as most songs sound the same, nothing sticks out and for me they should have been recorded live in the studio. They have an energy in their sound which is totally missing with this album.

At the moment over hyped and over there but with the right material and the right Producer they have a really great album in them.