Album Swap

Season 2 starts with D'Angelo "Black Messiah" and AC/DC's "Power Up" getting a spin on our digital turntables. Brian and Fred review each album and give you The Good, The Bad and The Boogie. Released in 2014 "Black Messiah" by D'Angelo and The Vanguard is the 3rd album and came after a tumulus 14 year absence for D'Angelo. This album received critical acclaim for its neo-funk sound and vocals. "Power Up" is the 17th studio album by Hall of Fame Rock and Rollers, AC/DC. This is the first album to not have Malcom Young on guitar but does feature original drummer Phil Rudd returning to the band to provide it with a solid hard rock recording. Released in November of 2020.

Two albums featuring musicians' musicians! Alvin Youngblood Hart mixes his San Francisco upbringing with Mississippi Country Blues to create some of the best guitar work we've heard in awhile. Motivational Speaker features some impressive guests including Luther Dickinson and Audley Freed. Hemispheres is Rush's epic prog rock classic. Featuring only 4 songs, it encapsulates the mystical elements of their songs with straight up, rock and roll that Rush perfected over their first six albums.

Episode 15 of the Swap has another great pair of albums. Childish Gambino, the music stage name of actor/director Donald Glover has shades of old school funk and soul but a refreshing weird flavor as well in "Awaken, My Love!" This album has all sorts of hidden gems we discuss. Released in 1992, The Screaming Tree's "Sweet Oblivion" was a mild success during the heyday of Seattle's Grunge movement, but this band was more than just another band from Seattle.

Episode 14 of features Bluegrass and Rap for a diverse mix. Balsam Range is a five-piece Bluegrass band from Canton, North Carolina and named the band from local Blue Ridge Mountains. Papertown tells the story of Canton as an old paper mill town. The album won several awards including top Bluegrass album for the year and features some great covers including Elmore James "One Way Out" make popular by the Allman Brothers. Public Enemy is from New York City and their 1988 sophomore effort, "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" is considered one of the greatest rap albums of all times. Delivering s strong social message that still resonates today, the album is full of passion and honest emotions and some great beats.

In this episode we swap Sheer Mag's 2017 release "Need to Feel Your Love" and Donald Fagen's "The Nightfly". Released in 1982, "The Nightfly" was Donald Fagen's first solo album after the breakup of Steely Dan. Using many of the same musicians, Fagen crafts one of the masterpieces of it's day and the first digitally recorded album. Hailing from Philadelphia by way of New York, Sheer Mag's first album is chock full of great riffs, angst and grit . With it's low-fi recording style, this album grabs you and never let's go!

Anderson .Paak and Primus are the albums swapped in Episode 12. Malibu is the second album from Paak whose attention to detail is not just part of his name but evident in his music. Malibu was a breakthrough album for Paak spawning four singles and a Grammy nomination. Sailing the Seas of Cheese is the second album from San Francisco's Primus, released in 1991 and contains the classic song "Jerry was a Race Car Driver."Episode 12 also debuts a new format. After taking some time to review the first 10 episodes we've decided to change the format a bit. Instead of reviewing all songs we now have a segment called "The Good, The Bad and the Boogie!" We still have some artist background and other segments such as our scoring but the hashtags are gone!

Heartbreakers and Backstabbers are discussed in episode 11 where this week's albums are from Ryan Adams and The O'Jays. Backstabbers was a groundbreaking 70s soul/funk release from the O'Jays defining the Philly Soul sound. The hit single Love Train was a huge success along with several other singles from Backstabbers.Heartbreaker was Ryan Adam's first solo album after the breakup of Whiskeytown. Recording in Nashville with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings the album has tones of Bob Dylan, Bo Diddley and American Roots music. Heartbreaker would be the first of many albums Adams would release in the early 2000s.

Episode 10 features Faith No More's 1992 release "Angel Dust" and HAIM's "Days Are Gone". Angel Dust was a blueprint for many of the 90s rock bands that followed. It was the first album to feature Mike Patton's songwriting for the band and the last to have Jim Martin on guitar.HAIM has been on rise as of late with their album Days are Gone. The three sisters from California blend pop melodies with other arrangements and three part harmonies to deliver an album that goes beyond pop.

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of "Sgt. Peppers' Lonely Hearts Club Band" by The Beatles in episode 9. Swapped with King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard "Oddments", an psychedelic rock band from Australia. Hailed as one of the greatest albums ever recorded, "Sgt. Pepper's" is a masterpiece of songwriting as well as creating new recording techniques. Released at the start of the "Summer of Love" in 1967, Sgt. Peppers created a new sound and standard for albums.King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard have to be heard to be experienced. You won't find this group on the radio but they have some interesting songs and sounds borrowing from 60s pop, folk, garage punk, soul all tied together with some very fuzzy vocals.

Episode 8 features Amy Winehouse's Grammy-winning album "Back to Black" and the Beastie Boys' "Paul's Boutique". Both albums were the second releases from each artist and demonstrate expanded songwriting and music beyond the first albums. Back by The Dap Kings, Amy Winehouse brings together soul, jazz and rhythm and blues to make an honest story of her life. Paul's Boutique is heralded as one of the finest rap albums ever recorded and contains an amazing mix by The Dust Brothers with layers of sampled tracks.

Episode 7 features two great blues and rock artists. Gary Clark, Jr. hails from Austin, Texas and came up through the Texas Blues scene. His sophomore release, "The Story of Sonny Boy Slim" is a reflective album that has rock, blues, soul, funk and other influences in the songs. The tracks represent a unique perspective on African-American music past and present. The album was written, performed and produced by Clark in Austin and released in 2015. Raging Slab was billed as "Metallica meets Lynyrd Skynyrd". Their 1993 album "Dynamite Monster Boogie Concert" is a heavy, sludgy album that combines metal with with southern rock. Their lead guitarist Elyse Steinman has incredible solos along with driving guitars throughout the album. The album also features John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin and was produced by Brendan O'Brien who produced Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden, Neil Young to name a few. Rick Rubin also serves as executive producer.

In this episode of Album Swap podcast, Fred and Brian review Led Zeppelin's "Presence" and J. Cole's "4 Your Eyez Only".Led Zeppelin's "Presence" was released in 1976, it was one of the lowest selling albums of the band's career. However it remains a favorite of the band and many fans while being overlooked by radio and casual fans.J. Cole's "4 Your Eyez Only" was released in 2016 and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. All 10 singles from the album ranked in the Top 40 as well. Hailed by critics as his best album to dates.

Episode 5 features Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings "I Learned the Hard Way" and fIREHOSE "Ragin' Full On" albums reviewed. Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings album is very vintage soul and funk while fIREHOSE is a punk band from the 80s that bordered on alternative with their sound.

This episode features David Bowie's "Let's Dance" and Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories.""Let's Dance" features Stevie Ray Vaughn on guitar, Omar Hakim on Drums and features a song written by Giorgio Moroder, "Cat People," one of two soundtrack songs on this album.  The album was produced by Nile Rodgers who also contributes on guitar on a few songs. It was nominated for Album of the Year Grammy but lost out to "Thriller" by Michael Jackson."Random Access Memories" has a large group of contributors including Giorgio Moroder, Panda Bear, Julian Casablancas, Todd Edwards, DJ Falcon, Chilly Gonzales, Nile Rodgers, Paul Williams and Pharrell Williams. It won Grammy for Album of the Year in 2014 along with 4 other Grammys.

Album Swap episode 003 has review of Neil Young & Crazy Horse's "Ragged Glory" and Vulfpeck "Thrill of the Arts" albums. #funkystuff #experimental #godfatherofgrunge #grunge

Episode 002 of Album Swap has Sturgill Simpson's "A Sailor's Guide to Earth" and Cry of Love's "Brother" albums are swapped and discussed at AlbumSwap.net

In this episode of AlbumSwap.net podcast Brian and Fred review each other's picks:Brian's Pick: ELO (Electric Light Orchestra) "A New World Record"Fred's Pick: Widespread Panic "Street Dogs"AlbumSwap.net is a podcast where you the listeners exchange records and then review and discuss.