What I'm Currently Listening to 

Heart - Greatest Hits, Epic/CBS Records, 1980 (EGK 36888)

There really isn't much to say about this one, except that if you're a fan of Heart, then you really should get this CD.  I recommend it even more if you don't have all of their past work.  This particular CD is a wonderful collection of what I would consider their best work spanning 1976-80.   There are 15 tracks including "Barracuda," "Cazy on You," and "Even it Up."   There are also 2 cuts from "Dog & Butterfly" which is still considered one of the best engineered albums of all time.  I'd say for any rock fan, you can't lose getting this particular CD.

Keiko Matsui - Collection, GRP Records, 1997 (GRD-9890)

I never quite understood why Keiko Matsui has been classified in the "Jazz" category.  I guess one could make the arguement that her music falls into that amorphous category of "Modern Jazz", but I would describe her music as a mix of jazz, New Age, and ethnic sound.  For anyone who wants to get a good sense of her music, this is a nice compliation her work from two previous releases.  Six tracks come from "No Borders" which was released in 1990 and the remainder come from "Under Northern Lights" which was an earlier release (1989).  Keiko Matsui's music relies heavily on the synthesizer (she plays keyboard-based instruments) and borrows a variety of ethnic sounds.  For example, in the second track, "The Wind and the Wolf" you'll hear a Japanese flute called the shakuhachi.  I like her music for it's "easy listening" qualities, plus I like the blend of styles that she uses.   Keiko Matsui is definitely not for everyone, but if you're looking for something new and different, give her a try.

Sade - Stronger Than Pride, Epic/CBS Records, 1988 (EK-44210)

Keeping with my jazzy, easy listening theme from above, I recently have been going back to listen to my collection of Sade.  This particular CD is the follow-up to her first release "Diamond Life."   Although many will likely disagree with me, I think this CD is actually better than "Diamond Life" in many respects.  There are several tracks that have a singular quality despite their being compositionally simple.  For example, "Nothing Can Come Between Us" is a nice simple mix of a heavy bass, a couple of guitars, percussion, and a simple keyboard harmonies.  Yet, they blend very nicely and the overall tune is fun to listen to.  Another example is "Haunt Me" which is basically an acoustic guitar, keyboards, and stings.  If you're a fan of Sade, then I highly recommend this CD.  If you've never heard Sade before, then this might be a good place to start and see if you want to expand your collection.

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