Dion - Girl Friends

Album: Girl Friends
Size: 121,2 MB
Time: 52:28
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2024
Styles: Blues/Rock/Country mix
Art: Front

1. Soul Force (Feat. Susan Tedeschi) (4:18)
2. I Aim To Please (Feat. Danielle Nicole) (4:23)
3. Stop Drop And Roll (Feat. Valerie Tyson) (4:47)
4. Do Ladies Get The Blues (Feat. Christine Ohlman & Debbie Davies) (4:32)
5. An American Hero (Feat. Carlene Carter) (4:40)
6. Don't You Want A Man Like Me (Feat. Rory Block) (4:56)
7. Sugar Daddy (Feat. Christine Ohlman) (4:00)
8. Endless Highway (Feat. Randy Fishenfeld) (4:44)
9. I Got Wise (Feat. Maggie Rose) (3:52)
10. Hey Suzy (Feat. Sue Foley) (4:45)
11. Mama Said (Feat. Shemekia Copeland) (3:17)
12. Just Like That (Feat. Joanne Shaw Taylor) (4:09)

Dion, the legendary Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, unleashes his latest musical masterpiece in an electrifying new album that transcends generations: Girl Friends. Inspired by the muse that is the "feminine genius," Dion's latest album from KTBA Records sees him collaborating with an exceptional lineup of special female artists including the soulful Susan Tedeschi, blues powerhouse Shemekia Copeland, country icon Carlene Carter, blues virtuoso Joanne Shaw Taylor, and the versatile Maggie Rose, among others.

A sonic journey through the diverse realms of blues, rock and country, Dion's timeless voice, combined with the distinct styles of these acclaimed artists, creates a harmonious fusion that celebrates the rich tapestry of American music, making this album a must-listen for fans of all genres.

Girl Friends mc
Girl Friends gofile

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Dion - Rock N' Roll Christmas

Size: 98.2 MB
Time: 42:02
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1993
Styles: Blues, Rockabilly, Xmas
Art: Front & Back

01. Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree (2:31)
02. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (3:21)
03. Jingle Bell Rock (2:14)
04. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (4:59)
05. White Christmas (3:53)
06. Silent Night/What Christmas Means (3:55)
07. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) (3:48)
08. Winter Wonderland (3:43)
09. Please Come Home For Christmas (3:59)
10. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (2:22)
11. Merry Christmas Baby (3:25)
12. O Holy Night (3:47)

Dion MiMucci (vocals, acoustic & electric guitar); Johnny Sambataro (acoustic & electric guitar, background vocals); Jamie "King" Cotton (saxophone, synthesizer); Paul Harris (accordion, synthesizer, keyboards); Gabe Vales (bass, background vocals); Tony Lavender (drums, background vocals); Chuck Kirkpatrick (background vocals). Recorded at New Rivers Studios, Ft. Lauterdale, Florida. A dozen seasonal standards rendered in a mid-tempo Springsteen mode. Competent and fun. ~Roch Parisien

Rock N' Roll Christmas MP3
Rock N' Roll Christmas FLAC

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Dion - Stomping Ground

Size: 145.4 MB
Time: 62:09
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2021
Styles: Blues/Rock
Art: Front

01. Take It Back (Feat. Joe Bonamassa) (5:35)
02. Hey Diddle Diddle (Feat. G.E. Smith) (4:28)
03. Dancing Girl (Feat. Mark Knopfler) (4:12)
04. If You Wanna Rock 'n’ Roll (Feat. Eric Clapton) (4:56)
05. There Was A Time (Feat. Peter Frampton) (6:29)
06. Cryin' Shame (Feat. Sonny Landreth) (4:45)
07. The Night Is Young (Feat. Joe Menza & Wayne Hood) (5:04)
08. That's  What The Doctor Said (Feat. Steve Conn).mp3 ( )
09. My Stomping Ground (Feat. Billy F Gibbons) (5:12)
10. Angel In The Alleyways (Feat. Bruce Springsteen) (4:20)
11. I've Got To Get To You (Feat. Joe Menza & Mike Menza) (5:07)
12. Red House (Feat. Keb'mo') (3:13)
13. I Got My Eyes On You Baby (Feat. Jimmy Vivino) (4:12)
14. I've Been Watching (Feat. Rickie Lee Jones & Wayne Hood) (4:32)

With 2020’s Blues With Friends receiving a warm reception, the mononymous rock and roll hall of famer known only as Dion returns with Stomping Ground. His second record with KTBA (Keeping The Blues Alive) finds him teaming up again with producer Wayne Hood and longtime songwriting partner Mike Aquilina. Like its predecessor, the album features blues-oriented collaborations with another all-star cast. Some of the contributors have returned, but there are also a few new players thrown into the mix for this effort of mostly original songs.

Besides the quality of the songs themselves, one of the best facets of this collection is the way in which each track has just enough contribution and musical personality of the guest, while not allowing them to dominate the tune. The compositions are all Dion, but it’s to his credit and that of his collaborators, they have enough experience to know how to share the spotlight. Beyond some great instrumental interplay and Dion’s authentic lived-in voice, the balance of personalities are what best bring these tracks to life.

Guitar driven rhythms and motifs dominate the first half of the albums—and for good reason. With names like Clapton, Knopfler, Bonamassa, and Landreth, listeners likely expect (and hope for) some considerable guitar showmanship. However, these veterans do one better by taking a very considered approach to their playing. Most of the songs don’t require astonishing finger flurries or overwrought and explosive distortion, so, being at or near the pinnacle of their craft, they don’t feel compelled to show off. Joe Bonamassa trades great guitar licks with Dion’s verses on “Take It Back,” but excels as a compliment, not the main attraction. On the double entendre, “If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Eric Clapton gives a master class on how great a simple blues rhythm can sound with some soul. Mark Knopfler’s unmistakable style shines through on “Dancing Girl” as does Peter Frampton’s on “There Was A Time,” but both keep it subdued. And G.E. Smith’s and Sonny Landreth’s understated finess on “Hey Diddle Diddle” and “Cryin’ Shame” turn in two of the best performances on two of the Stomping Ground’s best songs.

While it would be tempting to put guitar ace Joe Menza’s work on “The Night Is Young” in the first grouping of tracks, the song itself signals a shift in the album’s character. With numerous references to New York City nightlife, it’s a fitting pivot for an album whose cover depicts the entrance to the Broad Street subway station in Lower Manhattan. Most of the remaining tracks tend to lessen their focus on guitar and add in a few more instrumental timbres and lyrical themes. This is true with both “That’s What The Doctor Said” and “My Stomping Ground.” The three male/female duets standout for their variety and excellent harmonies. Patti Scialfa and Bruce Springsteen combine to make the haunting “Angel In The Alleyways” an unforgettable candidate for repeated listens.

If there is one regret it may be the brevity of the album’s singular cover, “Red House.” Dion and Keb’ Mo’ tackle the classic in such a unique way that some listeners may wish that the song lasted a bit longer. As it is, it is the shortest number of the set. However, that’s one very small complaint on one of the best tracks on a very formidable album.

Many collaborative albums fall into the trap of fighting tooth and nail to find marketable gimmickry that might appeal to the masses, or bring an older artist back into the spotlight. On Stomping Ground it feels like the goal is to create some classic, high-quality tunes for the sake of the music itself. It might not be the most original of concepts, but it is one of the best examples of serious musicians coming together to make an album whose varied strengths reveal themselves with each subsequent listening. ~The Review: 8.5/10 ~Willie Witten

Stomping Ground MP3
Stomping Ground FLAC

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Dion - Blues With Friends

Size: 396 MB
Time: 60:53
File: FLAC
Released: 2020
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front & Back

01. Blues Comin’ On (Feat. Joe Bonamassa) (4:48)
02. Kickin’ Child (Feat. Joe Menza) (4:00)
03. Uptown Number 7 (Feat. Brian Setzer) (3:56)
04. Can’t Start Over Again (Feat. Jeff Beck) (4:26)
05. My Baby Loves To Boogie (Feat. John Hammond) (5:19)
06. I Got Nothin’ (Feat. Van Morrison & Joe Louis Walker) (5:05)
07. Stumbling Blues (Feat. Jimmy Vivino & Jerry Vivino) (3:00)
08. Bam Bang Boom (Feat. Billy Gibbons) (3:57)
09. I Got The Cure (Feat. Sonny Landreth) (4:07)
10. Song For Sam Cooke (Here In America) (Feat. Paul Simon) (4:24)
11. What If I Told You (Feat. Samantha Fish) (4:44)
12. Told You Once In August (Feat. Rory Block) (5:34)
13. Way Down (I Won’t Cry No More) (Feat. Stevie Van Zandt) (2:58)
14. Hymn To Him (Feat. Patti Scialfa & Bruce Springsteen) (4:30)

As one of the very few first-generation rock ‘n’ rollers still seriously pursing new avenues of expression, Dion’s Bronx soul is very much in evidence on this new album, a full-tilt blues offering. The blues songs therein are not “covers” nor Dion’s versions of blues standards. These compositions are in fact original blues masterpieces which are destined to become classics. He came up with the music and words for twelve of them and finished those with co-writer Mike Aquilina. The two exceptions are “Hymn To Him” which Dion wrote with Bill Tuohy and “Kickin’ Child,” written with Buddy Lucas.

To tell those stories, Dion recruited help from a few notable friends and admirers. He thought, “I needed to round up the best guitarists and musicians alive and pick them from every generation, every variation of blues.” And that’s just what he did, surrounding himself with those who feel the blues spirit as he does.

The album’s guests include the cream of the contemporary scene’s blues-rooted slingers including Jeff Beck, Billy Gibbons, Joe Bonamassa, Brian Setzer, Sonny Landreth, Samantha Fish, John Hammond Jr., Joe Louis Walker, Rory Block , Jimmy and Jerry Vivino, vintage guitar guru Joe Menza as well as icons Stevie Van Zandt, Patti Scialfa, Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison and Paul Simon. Yes, that’s a whole lot of star power but each participated not because of his or her marquee appeal but because of what each could add musically. The result is one reflective of nuanced devotion to the blues rather than a gratuitous display of individual virtuosity. It’s very much Dion’s album and those bold face names participating are most convincingly there for him.

Blues With Friends MP3
Blues With Friends FLAC

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Dion - New York Is My Home

Size: 101.1 MB
Time: 38:11
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Blues/Rock
Art: Front

1. Aces Up Your Sleeve [3:04]
2. Can't Go Back To Memphis [4:21]
3. New York Is My Home (Feat. Paul Simon) [4:27]
4. The Apollo King [3:44]
5. Katie Mae [4:02]
6. I'm Your Gangster Of Love [3:23]
7. Ride With You [4:13]
8. I'm All Rocked Up [3:38]
9. Visionary Heart [3:47]
10. I Ain't For It [3:28]

In February 2016, Dion, one of the great original rockers, released a new album called New York Is My Home. For the title track, the doo-wop legend called in another fellow native New Yorker with an ear for harmony, Paul Simon.

The sparse song, the video of which can be viewed above, finds Dion celebrating the city, finding beauty even on rainy days and equating the noisy streets with gospel music. Simon comes in at the end of the first verse and stays throughout. He even takes the lead on the last two verses.

“We share a love for rock & roll street music the way it was done when we were kids,” Dion told Rolling Stone. “I knew Paul would get this song. And he did. Soon after I sent it to him, he called and said he’d become obsessed with it. He added his own distinct touches to the production. He’s from Queens; I’m from the Bronx. We’re both at home in New York. What a trip, a labor of love for us.”

The two have worked together a few times over the years. Simon sang on “Written on the Subway Wall/Little Star” for Dion’s 1989 major-label comeback, Yo Frankie, and they duetted on Dion’s classic “The Wanderer” at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary concert in 2009.

“Paul and I have been friends a long time,” Dion told Rolling Stone. “I was at his apartment back when there was a terrible downturn in the country and Paul wanted to do something special for the city. Well, he put together that wonderful concert in Central Park. He thought the city needed a touch of friendship. I thought it was off the Richter scale doing something for our city. When I wrote ‘New York Is My Home,’ I thought this is a way to have New Yorkers fall in love with their city all over again.”

New York Is My Home

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Dion - Bronx In Blue

Year: 2006
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:35
Size: 118,8 MB
Styles: Acoustic blues
Scans: Full

1. Walkin' Blues (4:08)
2. You're The One (3:32)
3. I Let My Baby Do That (2:36)
4. Who Do You Love (4:50)
5. Built For Comfort (2:56)
6. Crossroads (4:10)
7. Travelin' Riverside Blues (3:59)
8. You Better Watch Yourself (4:16)
9. How Many More Years (2:32)
10. Terraplane Blues (4:47)
11. Honky Tonk Blues (2:56)
12. Baby, What You Want Me To Do (3:15)
13. Statesboro Blues (4:04)
14. If You Wanna Rock & Roll (3:27)

Since his doo wop beginnings in the 1950s, Dion has tried a number of different musical styles, including the rock & roll of his early-'60s solo work and his late-'60s folk-pop phase. He also played the blues, if less prominently (see for example the belatedly released Bronx Blues album), and he again tries the style here in what he bills as a return to his roots, to music he listened to on long-distance radio stations in his youth.

Accompanying himself on one or more guitar tracks, and joined by a percussionist, he runs through a selection of blues standards that leans heavily on Robert Johnson, but also includes songs by Chicago blues stalwarts like Howlin' Wolf and even that country bluesman Hank Williams. Dion is an excellent guitarist, and his voice is in good shape. His approach is not exactly traditional; he throws in his own words to several songs, going on about the benefits of green tea in Lightnin' Hopkins' "You Better Watch Yourself," for example, and includes two originals, "I Let My Baby Do That" and "If You Wanna Rock & Roll."

At the same time, the spare instrumentation gives the performances an authentic feel, and Bob Schnieders has been hired to write extensive liner notes detailing the sources of the songs, as if the album were an academic exercise. Dion isn't going to make anybody forget Blind Willie McTell or Jimmy Reed on this album, but his renditions are effectively and sincerely performed. /William Ruhlmann, AllMusic

Bronx In Blue mc
Bronx In Blue zippy

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Dion - Don't Start Me Talkin'

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:04
Size: 112.3 MB
Styles: Urban blues
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[2:23] 1. Too Much Monkey Business
[2:28] 2. Spoonful
[2:50] 3. Sweet Papa Di
[3:31] 4. The Seventh Son
[2:52] 5. Two Ton Feather
[2:37] 6. You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover
[3:03] 7. Fever
[2:19] 8. Baby, Please Don't Go
[3:06] 9. Chicago Blues
[3:10] 10. Kickin' Child
[3:13] 11. Work Song
[2:37] 12. (I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man
[3:05] 13. Drop Down Baby
[2:35] 14. Don't Start Me Talkin'
[2:43] 15. Troubled Mind
[2:54] 16. Johnny B. Goode
[3:28] 17. All I Want To Do Is Live My Life

These tracks are from Dion's Columbia period between 1962 and 1965. Yes, it is true that his classic hits are not included but any self-respecting Dion fan will be aware that his "classic" hit period was more or less over by early 1962, so what you get here is Dion exploring his love of the blues. On the downside, these tracks have all previously been released on either "The Road I'm On: A Retrospective", or "Bronx Blues: The Columbia Recordings (1962-1965)". ~E. Mitchell

Don't Start Me Talkin'

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Dion - Tank Full of Blues

Released: 2012
Size: 102.1 MB
Time: 44:35
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Styles: Blues / Rock
Art: Front

1. Tank Full of Blues [4:14]
2. I Read It (in the Rolling Stone [3:56]
3. Holly Brown [3:35]
4. Ride's Blues (for Robert Johnson) [4:41]
5. Two Train [4:05]
6. Do You Love Me Baby [3:48]
7. You Keep Me Cryin' [4:23]
8. My Michelle [3:51]
9. My Baby's Cryin' [3:40]
10. I'm Ready to Go [3:13]
11. Bronx Poem [5:03]

I was in kind of a bad mood and prepared to take a real snooty attitude about Tank Full of Blues by old rocker Dion. Then these clean guitar licks kicked off the album and it was like I just walked into a darkened blues club smelling of beer and barbecue where this tight little band was just launching a set.

The title song sets a strong pace that the rest of the album sustains throughout. The strengths are many:

- A stripped down three piece band with Dion singing and playing neat blues guitar.

- A terrific rhythm section of Bob Guertin and Robert Guertin. Are they the same guy? They play so well together that they could be.

- A steady stream of songs that just make you want to get up and move about and thank god, as Dion’s self written liner notes say, for “bodies that respond to a backbeat.” It’s enough to make you dance alone in your own den even if you are old enough to know better.
This is a guy who had hits in the prehistoric days of rock when it had barely defined itself in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. But by now it’s known that’s no reason to dismiss him. I mean I’ve known white guys can play the blues since I first heard the Paul Butterfield Blues Band years ago but I just didn’t expect this album to be so good.

Tank Full Of Blues

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