JEFFREY MORGAN’S MEDIA BLACKOUT #576.208!

Cory Woodward – Princess Of The Skies (self-released) :: The first impression is of a guy expertly aping Springsteen, but then the subtle nuances in his voice filter through, exposing eerie elements of early Presley and Plant with a slight skein of horrorbilly.

The Funk Brothers – Live In Orlando (Eagle Vision DVD) :: Motown’s unsung backing band comes out of the shadows to skillfully show off its still-silky smooth sonic stylings.

Delta Spirit – Ode To Sunshine (Rounder) :: The joyful piano-pumpin’ “Trashcan” is the greatest song that Leon Russell never waxed during the height of his whoa-wailin’ Holy Trinity heyday—and the rest of the album has a ruff ’n’ tumble feel that ain’t too shabby neither.

Zebra – The DVD (MVD Visual) :: A generic 30-year retrospective for the faithful, filmed live in Louisiana and New York, with the requisite historical interviews just in case, like me, you’ve never heard of them before.

Pär Lindh Project – Live In Poland (MVD Visual/Metal Mind DVD) :: After eight Tolkenish studio albums, Sweden’s answer to ELP rips prog rock a new one on this voiceless virtuoso show.

Patrick Moraz – In Princeton (MVD Visual/Voiceprint DVD) :: The synthman on Yes’ Relayer album goes acoustic and hits the Steinway—literally—by smackin’ it silly with his hands almost as much as he fingers it feverishly with his rigid digits.

SIZZLING PLATTER OF THE WEEK: Iggy Pop – Where The Faces Shine, Volume 1: The Official Live Experience 1977-1982 (Easy Action) :: This exhaustively titled, Igg-authorized, six-disc box-set chronicles his solo live act, one disc per tour. But it’s the riotously insane show from San Diego State University on the Lust For Life tour that’s more than worth the price of admission alone. I mean, you just gotta hear it to believe it—and even then you’ll doubt that your delicate little shell-like ears were telling you the auditory truth, ’cause it’s the absolute best live solo Iggy show you’ll ever hear. Do you feel that beat?

Be seeing you!