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Music Review: The Jacksons - iDestiny/i

pLong before he was the center of many various controversies, Michael Jackson led his group of brothers through what essentially served as a foundation for his early solo career. Released less than a year before Michael#39;s 1979 adult break-through, Off the Wall, The Jacksons reached a new level of success with Destiny. Arriving almost in time to celebrate its 30th anniversary, Epic/Legacy has reissued the album on CD featuring sterling remastered audio. /p pAn RIAA-certified platinum album, Destiny holds up today as a fresh and danceable collection of tunes that showcases the natural brilliance of Michael Jackson. Jermaine Jackson had left the group by this point to pursue his solo career. Tito, Jackie, Marlon, and Randy don#39;t contribute as frequently to the vocals as Micheal, but their presence as harmony singers remains strong. Michael contributes the lion#39;s share of lead vocals here, which makes this release a must-have for his fans. It really is refreshing to look back on an era when Jackson#39;s name was synonymous with music rather than tabloid headlines./p pHighlights include the only non-original track, quot;Blame It On the Boogie,quot; which was a significant Ramp;B hit. Interestingly, the songwriting credits for the track include two different Jacksons, neither of which are any relation to the group. The tightest groove (and biggest hit) is quot;Shake Your Body (Down To the Ground).quot; This is an electrifying dance track, easily earning its place on numerous best-of compilations. The title track, a country-tinged soul ballad, is another favorite. The acoustic guitar work provides a nice change of pace from the rest of the album. quot;Push Me Awayquot; is a tender slow jam, beautifully sung by Michael. The ensemble vocals on quot;Bless His Soulquot; are a prime reminder of how potent The Jacksons were./p pThere are two bonus tracks included on this reissue, neither of which is particularly revelatory. Even so, these dance mixes of the two best known tracks, quot;Blame It On the Boogiequot; and quot;Shake Your Body (Down To the Ground),quot; are nice to have for collectors and completists. I wouldn#39;t say that either of them improves upon the original, but they provide nice alternate versions. The remastered sound throughout ensures that this album sounds right at home in 2009, with buoyant bass lines popping from the speakers. New liner notes allow for a closer look at Destiny, an under-appreciated classic of #39;70s Ramp;B. /p br

International News: Daft Punk not playing in China

img src=http://fntrack.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/52872.jpg / pHad you heard the rumour currently circulating online that Daft Punk would play a surprise show in Shanghai, China, this weekend? If you bought the story and were trying to decide whether to book yourself a last minute flight – it’s only, what, 12 hours away? – take note#8230;/p pA Facebook page popped up recently, hyping the duo’s impending visit to China as a secret. “…the french mythical electronic band Daft Punk is coming in Shanghai for one very special night on friday 13th February with a devious concept called dafthidden 09 tour,” read the grammatically challenged post./p pHarmless fun, right? Wrong, the page also listed a phone number and email address, and asked for keen beans to buy a ticket to the show. They’d then receive an SMS on the day of the event with the location of the secret gig. Except there is no gig#8230; and the page now says tickets have sold out. It’s unknown whether any money was made off the scam/trick, we can only hope not!/p br / br

Music Review: Phil Ochs - iPhil Ochs In Concert/i

pIn Concert was the first album by Phil Ochs that I remember purchasing as a teenager. Little did I realize at the time that a number of tracks had been re-created in the studio due to the defective taping of the concerts that were supposed to be used for this release. Just how many tracks were recorded in the studio remains open to question decades later. Nevertheless the album has a live feel to it and his comments between songs are almost worth the price of admission on their own. ldquo;John Wayne Plays Lyndon Johnson. And Lyndon Johnson Plays God. I Play Bobby Dylan. A young Bobby Dylan.rdquo; And so it goes./p pDespite the problems and questions, in many ways In Concert remains his defining album. His passion and commitment to the protest movement are self evident. Combined with his acoustic guitar virtuosity and soaring vocals, it all adds up to one of the best folk albums of the 1960rsquo;s. /p pBob Dylanrsquo;s influence can be felt on some of the tracks. ldquo;Ringing Of Revolutionrdquo; is a call to the faithful and remains an anthem of the protest movement. ldquo;(The Marines Have Landed On The Shores Of) Santa Domingordquo; finds Ochs branching out into the narrative form of song. /p pMost of the tracks find him doing what he does best. ldquo;Bracerordquo; is his criticism of the wages and working conditions of immigrants. It can only be imagined what he would think about this issue today. ldquo;Love Me, Irsquo;m A Liberalrdquo; is another of his amusing but scathing attack songs. ldquo;Canons Of Christianityrdquo; criticizes the hypocrisy of the church. ldquo;There But For Fortune,rdquo; which was a hit for Joan Baez, is a song about comparisons and fate. /p pThe oddest and most poignant composition on the album is ldquo;Changes,rdquo; which is a straight love song and is a rare occasion of Ochs showing a side of him removed from his political agenda. Given his body of work it remains a gentle look into his personal life. /p pThe final track on the original album, ldquo;When Irsquo;m Gone,rdquo; could have been used on his tombstone. It is a call for activism and a chilling look into his personal future. /p pGiven the state of the world today, Phil Ochs In Concert is worth a listen as it deals with topics that are still relevant. It not only remains one of the best statements of protest to emerge from the sixties but shows an artist trying to make a difference while creating some good music along the way which remains a rare combination. nbsp;nbsp;/p br

Kanye West Says ‘Best Hip-Hop Beats Of All Time’ Will Be On Jay-Z’s iThe Blueprint 3/i

p p Another Jay-Z song leaked online last month #8212; that's OK, just make some more. Kanye West says he's just a handful of records away from finishing Jay's The Blueprint 3, again. /ppI finished his album and he released four songs that were potentially gonna be on the album, West said last week on Sway and King Tech's Wake Up Show. So I gotta go back and do four. I just did one beat the other day in Hawaii #8212; probably one of the best hip-hop beats of all time, if I do say so myself. I just gotta do three more beats and we're done, 'cause he's got classics. He's got songs that are better than any of the things you've heard leaked. /ppTwo records that Kanye says should make B3's final cut are Everyday a Star is Born and Forever Young. /ppYou know what it was #8212; every year I do two albums' worth of really dope beats, he explained. This year, Common did his album with Pharrell, and I did 808s amp; Heartbreak and Blueprint 3. So just imagine the caliber of beats on the last two Common albums I did #8212; Jay-Z has those types of beats. Those caliber of beats. A beat like 'The People,' that's the highest caliber of beat. /ppIn 2009, at least one album's worth of beats looks like it will be set aside for a Kanye LP. /ppI'm just gonna do what I'm gonna do and people are gonna love it because I do really fresh sh--, he laughed. When I do it, I feel like I'm gonna rap, I'm gonna go back-and-forth on it. I feel like I'm gonna sing here and there. Because I used Auto-Tune so much, it put me in the mode of doing melodies. I got a new song coming out with Beyonc#233; called 'Ego.' I don't know why she wanted me on it. I didn't use Auto-Tune, but I hit certain lines because I used it so much it's like almost having training wheels. So it's incorporating new styles. /ppKanye doesn't have a release date for his LP, and there's no firm date for The Blueprint 3, either. /p /p br

International News: Daft Punk triumph at the Grammys

Lovable French robots Daft Punk have triumphed at the American music industryвЂ™s most important night the Grammys, taking how two awards for their live album Alive, which proved to be essential listening before and after their NeverEverLand tour of Australia in late 2007.

Nominated in the Best Electronic/Dance Album and Best Dance Recording categories they beat off stiff competition from a selection of cool/credible and commercial/questionable names including Hot Chip, Sam Sparro, Rihanna, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Moby, Robyn, and… errr… Cyndi Lauper. Not to be outdone, fellow Frenchmen Justice also triumphed in their field, winning the gong for Best Remixed Recording for their rework of MGMTвЂ™s Electric Feel.

WeвЂ™re eagerly awaiting YouTube footage to surface so we can see whether Daft Punk accepted their awards in full robot regalia. Surely they wouldnвЂ™t have dropped the faГ§ade, especially in front of a TV audience of millions?

Music Review: The Mickeys - Walk Along

Walk Along is the newest CD by the Mickeys, two sisters who write and sing songs of hope that things will get better. They write of the importance of small things even when the world seems to come crashing down. Julie Peebles and Amy Sherman not only co-wrote most of the songs, but performed all vocals. Their stage name is their maiden name and the album is released on their own label.

"Caroline" opens the collection. It is a nice blending of the Mickeys' voices. Slow and sweet, any listener is taken back to a simpler time when people sat on porch swings with a glass of lemonade. Conversation would revolve around their trip to Ireland and the pub they walked to each night for a evening with the local musicians.

"Walk Along" is the title song. The sisters dedicated this to their older brother who has died. It takes on a blues beat with toe tapping rhythm in every note. The harmonica is an extra added touch. Both sisters sing together throughout this selection, but I believe the effect is dimmed somewhat. I liked it better when one would start and the other would join in at the appropriate time.

"Going Home" tells of a young woman who is far from home. A job transfer, perhaps, or the obtaining of a university education. She sings plaintively of the family and friends missed with many a tear. The loneliness shines through with each heartbreaking note.

"Feel The Way I Do" has a country theme. A young lady has fallen for the guy of her dreams. She senses he doesn't feel the same way, but that doesn't stop her from expressing herself in song. A steady drumbeat reflects how fast her heart beats each time she thinks of the unrequited love.

"The River" is one of the slower songs. It is easy to picture a day by the flowing water, picnic basket in hand. Two try to reconnect by taking time out of the day for a meal and conversation.

"Standing In The Rain" is one of my favorite songs. It opens with a harmonica and I suspect, a banjo. The bouncy tune caught my attention from first listen and kept it during the course of the song. Strong music plus powerful vocals makes for a musical selection which should be downloaded to one's iPod for permanent keeping.

"Alright For Now" is a cover of Tom Petty's lullaby. The love felt for a woman's significant other comes through with piercing clarity. A slow song, it balances the opening selection.

After listening through the entire CD, I liked most of it. The slower songs were not always my cup of tea, but the bouncier tunes made up for it. Hearing the musical instruments play along with the voices was a special treat, adding richness and depth to the gentle singing.

Music Reviews: Ted Nugent, Beehover, and Trinicria

First off this week I want to apologize to you, my loyal readers. Things are patchy right now due to the fact that my father is at his end and things are a bit unpredictable round the place. (Not that unpredictable is abnormal for me, but at times it's minute to minute.)

However that does not mean I haven’t had the chance to listen to the latest batch of releases of all types. In fact some of the output for the land of the Norse has been perfectly suited to the current mood.

Ted Nugent: Nugent, Spirit of the Wild & If You Can’t Lick em’, Lick Em”

The last of the current crop of Nugent re-issues like the first lot is a bit of a mixed bag. There is something for everyone here however and “mixed” for Ted is a pretty good standard. The man is always in the shadow of his 70s hits because they were so good and so huge.

Probably realizing that with the album Nugent, Ted reunited with his ole’ sparing partner Derek St. Holmes who does most of the lead singing on the CD. He also has the drumming power-house of Carmine Appice along for the ride. This is a very strong album that could have been supported by the track “Bound & Gagged” alone.

The track is another one of Ted’s observational rants about the state of the U.S. and its governance. Listening to the words, it's as poignant today as it was then. One thing you got to say about Uncle Ted is that he is consistent in his views and beliefs. “Good & Ready” is another strong track as is the final statement of “Tailgunner”. This is a good album that shows what he is capable of when firing on all cylinders.

Spirit of the Wild sees Ted teaming up again with Derek with Denny Carmassi on drums another journeyman sticksman who played with Ted in Damn Yankees, probably Ted’s great post-70s collection of music. You gotta love tracks like “I shoot back” and “Tooth, fang & claw”. It's always amusing to note that Ted, who just got inducted into the bow hunters hall of fame, thanks his ammo suppliers on his albums.

His 13th solo effort If you Can’t Like Em’…Lick Em is a testament to all that was naff about the 80s from the cover to the daft as a brush name of the album. He even teamed up with Bon Jovi and Sambora for the track “That’s the Story of Love.” This album summed everything good and bad about the 80s as Ted headed off into a new decade. It was his last CD before hooking up with Tommy Shaw and Jack Blades in the uber-successful hard rock supergroup Damn Yankees.

Music Review: The Girls - Yes No Yes No Yes No

The Girls are actually five guys from Seattle, and their second release on Dirtnap Records, Yes No Yes No Yes No expands on the group's rousing new wave revival formula. They incorporate a bit of the Cars and Devo into their sound, a little too faithfully at times. At least that’s the first thing you think of after listening to the opening notes of “Where Wolves Drink,” which would give even a couch potato energy to get up and pogo. But it’s not that simple. The Girls' poppy-synth sound is wrapped in short punky sound bites. Their M.O. also reminds me a bit of the Epoxies,another band whose sound and attitude owe more to bouncy early 1980s new wave bands than their edgy or brooding descendants.

On Yes No Yes No Yes No, the Girls gussy up the hook-laden pop of their self-titled debut. Their sound is smoother than punkier contemporaries like the Briefs. Singer Shannon Brown retains the requisite young and snotty punk mannerisms, but has a controlled delivery that’s slightly embellished with vocal quirks. Along with clever, oddball lyrics like "I'm overdue for my night sponge bath/and my date with Sharon Tate", it gives the Girls their own distinct personality. Squiggly keyboards alone aren't enough to make a current new wave band memorable. You need another defining factor to work in tandem with that electronic hyperactivity. Songs like "Who Are the Forgetters?" bring to mind the warm, pre-ProTools sound of Thomas Dolby. The Girls emit a hippest nerds in computer class vibe, as evidenced by titles like "Anthropomorphic" and "You and a Chair." Clearly, these guys have berserk sense of humor and it fleshes out the jingly but intelligent whirl of synth and guitar.

International News: Ketamine bladder risk identified

British doctors and drugs researchers have announced theyвЂ™ve uncovered a significant link between ketamine use and serious urinary problems following an investigation by the BBC. Symptoms of damage included вЂ?wanting to go to the toilet all the time, often getting up in the night as many as 30 times, and finding the process agonisingвЂ™, the BBC reported, while David Gillatt, a consultant urologist at Southmead Hospital revealed that some K users have required вЂ?major surgery to remove the bladderвЂ™.

“These people are often in their teens through to 20s, maybe 30s at the oldest,вЂќ said Dr Gillatt. вЂњAnd that’s something they’ll have to live with for the rest of their days.” Dr GillattвЂ™s experiences matched those of fellow British urological expert Dr Angela Cottrell who raised the issue in Mixmag in October last year. вЂњIn these cases (of ketamine users with severe urinary problems) the only option we have is to remove the bladder,вЂќ she said. вЂњWhich means the patient is stuck with a urostomy bag for the rest of their life.вЂќ

The dire consequences of bladder removal (cystectomy) are further outlined by the Christie Foundation in a booklet published online by the NHS cancer specialists. вЂњWhen major surgery is carried out, such as a cystectomy operation, the nerves that supply the penis are affected,вЂќ the booklet reveals. вЂњThis means that the ability to obtain an erection is lost. This effect is usually permanent in most men,вЂќ says Christies.

Valentine’s Day Playlist: Top 10 Best Love Songs

Valentine's Day — you either love it or hate it. It makes sweethearts swoon and others want to stab fat cherubs with a bow and arrow. Between the chocolate hearts, the red roses and the teddy bears shoved in our faces, the holiday stirs up a cocktail of emotions: happiness, despair, jealousy, grief, sadness, desire ...

MTV News has all your mood swings covered. In honor of this beloved and dreaded holiday, we're rolling out the Best Love Songs, Best Breakup Songs, Best Makeout Songs and Worst Love Songs in recent memory. It's our Valentine's Day gift to you, minus the dinner-and-a-movie part. So slip into something comfortable, and stay for a while.

Love songs tend to get dusted off and put on display at weddings. And it's hard to take any song seriously right after doing the chicken dance. Our favorite artists know what's up: They express those deepest, darkest emotions without the help of cheesy lyrics or a soprano-saxophone player. Give it up to Justin, the Jonas Brothers and these other winged matchmakers for making us all a little weak in the knees.

10. Jonas Brothers - "Lovebug"
This is about the only "lovebug" we ever want to catch. Let's leave it at that ...

9. Alicia Keys - "No One"
In this soulful song, Alicia belts out her emotions so we don't have to.

8. The Postal Service - "Such Great Heights"
Despite never uttering those three magic words, this 2003 hit puts us on cloud nine.

7. Jason Mraz (featuring Colbie Caillat) - "Lucky"
This duet is bound to make the wedding-day rounds. Still, the old-timey lyrics are cute.

6. Miley Cyrus - "7 Things"
This isn't a typo. This certainly isn't a typical love song, considering that Miley sings about hating someone. But listen a little closer, and you'll see the teen queen taps into the heart of a relationship — the bad that also comes with the good.

5. Beyoncé - "Crazy in Love"
Ms. Sasha Fierce escorts us over the edge of love and back again in her 2003 smash single. Uh-oh!

4. Taylor Swift - "Love Story"
With the sweet melody and fairy-tale references, this teen songstress gives us hope there will be a castle and a lover in a low-cut top in all our futures. Give in and "say yes" to Taylor's catchy chorus.

3. Gym Class Heroes - "Cupid's Chokehold"
Travis McCoy joins forces with Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump to talk pancakes, secret handshakes and other shared moments with a string of girls. You gotta love a guy (and a song) with a sense of humor.

2. U2 - "With or Without You"
After all these years, Bono still melts our hearts. This 1987 classic addresses the question: What the hell would I do without you? That never gets old.

1. Justin Timberlake - "My Love"
With the help of Timbaland and T.I., Justin Timberlake nabs the top spot with his 2006 hit. JT redefines the concept of the love song, proving it can belong in both the club and next to a roaring fireplace.