Bruce Hornsby recommendations?

Agree about seeing him live. If you ever get a chance to see him solo, that's really something special too.

 

I don't mean to go off topic but has anyone listened to the remastered cd versions of the first two albums ? If so do they sound better than their unremastered counterparts ?

 

I'm not sure I would go that far, but it is good. But I agree with what was said below by Talisman. I am not fond of the arrangements from his earlier stuff.

 

Agree totally. Exactly my perspective on his career.

 

A couple very nice, but forgotten minor hits from the '90s:

 

I wasn’t aware they had been remastered, any links ?

 

Here they are from the German online store JPC
Bruce Hornsby: The Way It Is (+ Bonus) (Reissue) (Limited-Edition) (CD) – jpc
Bruce Hornsby: Scenes From The Southside (Reissue) (Limited-Edition) (CD) – jpc
They've been mentioned somewhere on this forum recently but not enough was said about the sound quality - at least not enough for me

 

Bruce puts out a lot of stuff that doesn't move the needle for me personally. I wouldn't call it filler exactly because I think Bruce authentically digs it. I just don't. But his stuff that does move the needle for me absolute pegs it. He's also an artist that I will see live any time he's in town. So I love the guy, I just don't love everything he does.

A Night On The Town, last record with The Range is pretty terrific.

I think Harbor Lights is the most consistently great record top to bottom, although it suffers a bit from drum-machine-itis (the songs were all recorded in his home studio).

Hot House has a few really stellar songs. Tango King is really special. I listened to White Wheeled Limousine so much that I'm burned out on it. But if you've never heard it, it will blow your mind. Walk In The Sun and Cruise control are also terrific. I'm not too much into beat box shizzle so a lot of the record leaves me cold.

Bride Of The Noisemakers is a terrific live snapshot of the band at a certain period (they're less jazzy and more rootsy now), and is mostly top shelf. Country Doctor, Cyclone, Funhouse, Circus On The Moon, Dreamland, The Good Life are all as great as it gets.

The studio version of Dreamland with Elton John is really special. It's on Halcyon Days, but I mostly dislike the rest of that record. I don't care for Here Come The Noisemakers either.

The Intersections box set is a good overview.

 

If you like his early stuff, make sure you get "Set Me In Motion" from the Backdraft soundtrack.

 

Terrific song. But buying an entire record for one song? Nah. That song is on the Intersections box set, along with a bunch of other great stuff. Bruce's version of Madman Across The Water for the Elton/Bernie tribute record is stunning.

 

i also like his work with 'the other ones'. nice stuff on their double live CD.

 

Lost Souls on that album is a beautiful track as well.

 

That whole record is one of my Hornsby favorites. A great set of songs, and really interesting arrangements/sonic experiments. I appreciate him continually pushing himself, but I couldn't get into the dulcimer thing. It's just not a very interesting instrument for more than a song or two.

 

"The End Of The Innocence" minus THAT guy...

 

Now now

 

Not meant to be totally off topic, but is there a studio Bruce version of End of the Innocence out there??

 

Thanks for the continued recommendations, peeps!

I will weed through this and figure out where to go from here.

 

Not that i'm aware of, just the live version.
He's probably got a demo buried somewhere.

 

Knowing your taste, I predict you will love the title track to Harbor Lights. It’s a fantastic and dare I say proggish tune.

The whole album is stellar and is one of my favorites.

 

I have the box set purchased after seeing him front row at Wolftrap several years ago. A great show and I like the box.

 

A couple Bonnie Raitt-related things:

 

And...

 

I knew nothing about this album, but bought a used copy today on a hunch. I'm a sucker for double albums.