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Whistle Stopper - Orange Blossoms
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List Price: $17.98
Our Price: $12.15
Your Save: $ 5.83 ( 32% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Alligator Records
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0014551492528
Label: Alligator Records
Manufacturer: Alligator Records
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Alligator Records
Release Date: 2008-08-26
Studio: Alligator Records
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Blues-Southern Rock Soul
Comment: Probably one of the most talented musicians and groups I have heard in my short lifespan of almost 30 years. JJ has a great way of telling a story through his music. The sounds of soul and smooth swinging songs like "Move It On" to the soft ballad "Dew Drops" with its perfectly matched strings move you from within and just make you want to sing out loud without caring who's near.
I have yet to find a band that matches JJ Grey & MOFRO's level of delivering a complete album each and everytime. Some of the greatest music that you can listen to on repeat and won't ever get old, because its real and overflowing with truth and soul. Its one man's story that somehow we can all relate a portion of our life to.
Enjoy and pass along to your friends and family. Oh, and if they ever roll through your town or within 4 hours I highly suggest seeing a live show, they are one of the best concerts I've seen. It's usually in a small venue but the moments that pass and are experienced will lift you up and envigorate you. Beware though, you just might become addicted...
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Not bad, but not one of their better outings
Comment: These guys are a great band with a range of musical styles. One of the reasons I wasn't blown away by this outing is it is mostly a "blue-eyed soul"/R&B set, unlike their other stuff which is more wide ranging. I love the inspirations behind this sound: the late 60's early 70's sound that had a fat horn sound, background singers who step in to hit chorus with a wavering note, organ lead-ins, and funkified twangy guitar. But in a lot of places he moves past that period to something closer to the later 70's where it was losing its edge. Think of the difference between early Sly Stone, Dobie Grey, or Al Green and their later stuff -- it became over produced, the horns became trite vs insipired, the background vocals headed toward soft rock. On this dics you get the gamut. You have tunes that hit the mark like "Everything Good is Bad" (could be a great Sly Stone tune), "On Fire" (a raw funky number), and "I Believe" (which has the build of a classic R&B ballad). But others that don't seem up to J.J Grey's previous high standard like "Orange Blossoms" (seems like an attempt to craft the Gulf Coast answer to Seger's "Night Moves"), "The Truth" and "Dew Drops" (cheesy strings), and Move it On (intended to be a sexy groove, instead borders on Broadway). If you are a J.J. Grey fan, there's enough here to like to make it worth buying (or cherry pick the tunes you want via download). If you are new to J.J. Grey, go with the albumn Country Ghetto instead -- better introduction to the tremendous talent this guy has.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Mofro does it again!!!
Comment: This album is outstanding - from the first song to the last. JJ Grey & Mofro just keep getting better. The horns are awesome and the music just makes you want to move - just awesome.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Just gets better
Comment: I started out listening to this band with the purchase of their album Lochloosa.Totally blown away by the sound and soul of these guys.Think of sitting around on the weekend having a few drinks with friends and totally enjoying the atmosphere with this band playing in the backround or foreground, whatever floats your boat,and you have the makings of the perfect evening.They know how to touch on every day life with their lyrics and music.I have purchased Country Ghetto and Blackwater their debut album as well as this one and have yet to be disappointed.Rock on JJ and the gang and keep up that great music.By the way Amazon, thanks for making the albums available down here in OZ as not many retailers know about JJ Grey and Mofro downunder.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Good record, but lacking some of the usual feeling
Comment: In Mofro's previous three albums (Blackwater, Lochloosa, Country Ghetto) the songs have been a soulful gumbo of blues, funk, rock, and gospel. Slow rollers, mid-tempo groovers, juke house rockers, and soul-baring gospel (some of my favorites). Most songs represent poignant reflections of southern living, whose lyrics often transcend the normal bounds for blues ballads. Some of the best songs of the decade in my opinion. Their simplicity (in instrumentation, arrangement, and emotive delivery) is the key to their resonance with listeners.
Although Orange Blossoms includes some beautifully polished soul recordings, tight musicianship, and JJ's gutsy vocals, Mofro seems to have strayed from a winning formula a bit. Daryl Hance's slide guitar, always subtle, is mostly lost behind the horns and strings. The mid-tempo groovers dominate the record, making many of the songs sound basically the same (Devil You Know, WYLF, On Fire, Higher You Climb). The tempo goes from slow to slower on She Don't Know, The Truth, and Dew Drops. The more upbeat Ybor City is a straight-ahead blues shuffle that lacks the edge that usually makes Mofro stand out. Funky, yes. Dynamic, not so much. The lyrics just don't seem to resonate quite as well as in previous records, and the subject matter is much more typical of the genre (girls, relationships, etc.).
If you're a Mofro fan you'll still really like Orange Blossoms. It's just a little more over-produced than you're used to. If you're just getting to know these guys, check out Country Ghetto or Lochloosa first. I hope JJ and Mofro get a little more back to basics on their next release.
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Editorial Reviews:
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ORANGE BLOSSOMS, produced by long-time cohort Dan Prothero and Grey, was recorded in north Florida and boasts some of Grey's most profound and moving music to date. The album features 12 songs (including 11 Grey originals) inspired by Grey's life experiences and visionary observations. With long-time friend and guitarist Daryl Hance, bassist/organist Adam Scone, drummer Anthony Cole, and the Hercules Horns of saxophonist Art Edmaiston and trumpeter Dennis Marion, Grey moves effortlessly from gospel-tent fervor to Southern-fried rockers to deeply emotional soul. ORANGE BLOSSOMS is a groove-driven masterpiece fueled by JJ's gritty, smoldering vocals and intense, funk-infused guitar and keyboard work.
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