Album of the Day

Here Come the Noisemakers, by Bruce Hornsby (2000): When I was talking about Genesis live a few weeks back, I mentioned that they tend to stick pretty close to the studio material. Bruce is pretty much the opposite, reworking, restyling, and extending pretty much everything. What's really impressive, however, is that no matter how far a field Bruce and the band wander, they never lose touch with the core of the song. Given Bruce's song writing prowess, it would be foolish to do otherwise, but it's a fine line to tread without going over. The one exception is "The End of the Innocence," originally recorded with Don Henley. For some reason, that tune live just sits there like a bump on a pickle, ever time I've heard it I wish he'd give it a decent burial.