Fleetwood Mac, Then Play On: Deluxe Edition / Fleetwood Mac: 1969-1972 (Warner Bros./Rhino) The pre Buckingham-Nicks era of the Mac gets some love on CD and vinyl: their last Peter Green-led album from 1969 is expanded with bonus tracks, and it's also included in a remastered vinyl box set with follow-ups Kiln House (1970), Future Games (1971) and Bare Trees (1972) (plus the 1969 single "Oh Well" on 45). Then Play On: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. 1969-1972: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Jimi
Archives for August 2013
Come Out of Your Shell: "Lost" Staple Singers Album Reissued by Ace
The legacy of Chicago's own Staple Singers was solidified when the quartet moved to Stax Records and became the label's biggest act at the time, courtesy of some of the best funk of the early 1970s. A new reissue from Ace extends that legacy, with the release of 1981 outtakes compilation This Time Around, available on CD for the first time. After gospel-tinged stints on Vee-Jay, Epic and other labels throughout the '60s, the Staple Singers - Roebuck "Pops" Staples and his children Cleotha,
Review: Dionne Warwick, "The Complete Warner Bros. Singles"
Dionne Warwick’s 1972-1977 tenure at Warner Bros. Records has long been a subject of much confusion. Why couldn’t the Burbank giant yield any hit records with the superstar artist after signing her to a record-breaking deal? Sure, the “triangle marriage” of Warwick, Burt Bacharach and Hal David was breaking up, but Warner paired her with some of the most famed names in soul music: Holland-Dozier-Holland, Jerry Ragovoy, and Thom Bell among them. Bell scored a hit for Warwick with “Then Came
Somewhere Only They Know: Keane Announce Greatest Hits Compilation in Various Formats
British pop-rockers Keane are set to commemorate a decade of releases with a new greatest hits compilation in November. While most knowledge of the Sussex band begins and ends with 2004's radio-ready, piano-led ballad "Somewhere Only We Know" (a modest No. 50 on the Billboard Hot 100), Keane have become quite a driving force in U.K. pop/rock. All four of their studio albums (and one extended EP) have topped the British charts, and they've amassed 10 Top 40 hits, including Top 10s "Everybody's
From Perry to Post-Punk: Real Gone Unearths Lords of the New Church, Perry Como, Patti Page, Grateful Dead, Billy Preston Rarities
Just a bit more than a week after the arrival of autumn, Real Gone music will deliver a slate of releases that might put you in an appropriately reflective mood. On September 30, two late vocal legends, Patti Page and Perry Como, get the Real Gone treatment complete with numerous previously unissued performances. A bona fide rock and R&B legend, Billy Preston, sees an early classic reissued alongside another concert rescued from the Grateful Dead's vault. And the batch is rounded out by
Chilton Illuminates New York in Unearthed 1997 Show
Yesterday marked the 10th anniversary of that famous blackout that hit New York and parts of the Eastern seaboard for much of the afternoon and evening. How ironic, then, that we turn your attention today toward the impending release of a previously-unreleased live concert from the late Alex Chilton, recorded under similar circumstances. Electricity by Candlelight showcases an unbelievable set by the Big Star frontman on the floor of New York's Knitting Factory on February 13, 1997. Chilton was
Ace Boldly Goes To "Outer Space" and The Bay Area On Two New Themed Collections
Ace Records is Going Wild!…not just with a rip-roaring rock-and-roll compilation of that name, but with a journey to the farthest reaches of the galaxy! Yes, the London-based label is travelling from the Bay Area to the Milky Way with two of its latest releases: Greatest Hits from Outer Space and Going Wild! Music City Rock 'n' Roll. Based on the 24 tracks of Ace’s Greatest Hits from Outer Space, the final frontier engaged a wide variety of artists in every conceivable musical genre. On this
Review: "The Muppet Movie: Original Soundtrack Recording"
I'm a pretty sensitive person, but there are few things that trigger my emotions easier than The Muppets. Searching through Muppet clips yields almost a 100% guarantee on being moved to tears; just finding the link to this ciip from the 1990 special The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson made me start tearing up, and my last trip to Walt Disney World began with me leaving the plane to Orlando, choking back my emotions over a screening of 2011's The Muppets. (For the record, this is the scene that made
Saint Etienne Hosts "A Central Park Picnic" With Phil Spector, Burt Bacharach, Dion, The Drifters
For the inaugural release of his new Cherry Red imprint Croydon Municipal, Saint Etienne’s Bob Stanley has curated a collection of Songs for a Central Park Picnic. Songwriter/producer Stanley’s label is an extension of his Croydon Municipal blog, in which he holds forth on subjects as diverse as Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb’s Guilty, the evolution of Britpop, and the fortunes of HMV. Like Stanley’s blog, his new CD compilation reflects his eclectic musical passions. Saint Etienne Presents
Sparks Announce "Tangible Object" for October Release
Essentially quirky rock heroes Sparks have announced a "tangible object" - a new five-disc, swag-packed box set - for release through Universal Music's U.K. arm in October. New Music for Amnesiacs: The Ultimate Collection collates just about the entire experience of the band founded and fronted by hyperactive frontman Russell Mael and his Chaplin-mustached, scowling keyboard brother Ron. The set spans four discs, starting from the early art-rock of breakthroughs like Kimono My House and U.K.
She Will Survive: BBR Reissues, Expands Gloria Gaynor's "Love Tracks" and "Park Avenue Sound"
The very first release on Big Break Records, early in 2010, was an expanded reissue of the very first solo album by Gloria Gaynor. Never Can Say Goodbye spun Clifton Davis' title track into disco gold and pioneered the sidelong disco mix with a nearly 19-minute suite from Tom Moulton consisting of "Honey Bee," "Never Can Say Goodbye," and another Motown revival, "Reach Out I'll Be There." Big Break followed that landmark 1974 album with an expansion of Experience Gloria Gaynor, from 1975. It
Come Out and Play: Soundtrack Spotlight on Latest from La-La Land and Kritzerland
Kritzerland has served up quite the "miracle" with their latest release, and two of La-La Land's latest feature favorite composers and cult titles - all here in our semi-regular soundtrack round-up! The acclaimed adaptation of the Broadway play The Miracle Worker - featuring original playwright William Gibson and director Arthur Penn and returning cast members Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke - told the amazing true story of Anne Sullivan, caretaker to the deaf and blind Helen Keller, whose
Nirvana to Serve the Servants with Anniversary Reissue of Final LP "In Utero" (UPDATED WITH TRACKLIST 8/13)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-uet7twNu0] The above video repurposes a vintage advertisement to tell fans that UMe is planning a 20th anniversary reissue of Nirvana's final album, 1993's In Utero, on September 24. In its own weird way, the video - featuring band members Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl being coached through a surreal lamaze class by comedian Bobcat Goldthwait - indicates how unusual the album was. In Utero was the polar opposite of 1991's
Release Round-Up: Week of August 13
Harry Nilsson, Flash Harry (Varese Vintage) Never released in the U.S. or on CD, the wave of Nilssonmania continues with this: Harry's last album, released in 1980, now available on remastered vinyl or CD with several unheard bonus tracks. CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. LP: Amazon U.S. Nik Kershaw, The Riddle: Remastered Expanded Edition (UMC) Kershaw's second LP, featuring one of the most criminally underrated singles ever in the title track, is reissued as a double-disc set with B-sides,
Cherry Red Watch: Naked Eyes and "Born to Be Alive" Spotlighted on New Reissues
The Cherry Pop label is certainly the only place you'll find expanded CDs by a French-Italian disco sensation and one of the more notable synthpop duos of the '80s. The debut album by Patrick Hernandez and the final album by Naked Eyes have recently been bought to CD by Cherry Pop with an armful of bonus tracks. You might not recall Patrick Hernandez's name, but you've doubtlessly heard his biggest disco hit: "Born to Be Alive." Its urgent tempo, stirring arrangement and strong vocal
Tom Petty, The Clash, Dire Straits, Pat Benatar Featured On "The Best of Fridays"
When ABC-TV’s Fridays premiered on April 11, 1980, its agenda was not a hidden one: to grab a piece of the lucrative late-night comedy pie from NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Less than a year later, on March 10, 1981, The New York Times was trumpeting in a headline, “How ‘Fridays’ Beat ‘Saturday Night.’” Of course, Fridays’ domination didn’t last, and the program was off the air after just three seasons. The series has mainly lived on due to the infamous incident in which Andy Kaufman and Michael
Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful? Omnivore Serves "The Complete Waitresses"
After Omnivore's exciting announcement of the Humble Pie Fillmore box set, the label now turns to one of the most underrated American New Wave groups of the '80s: The Waitresses, whose complete Polydor output is coming from Omnivore in September. Anchored by guitarist/producer Chris Butler and irascible lead vocalist Patty Donahue, the Akron-based Waitresses cut two albums and one EP for Polydor between 1982 and 1984. They enjoyed at least three notable songs in their short lifespan: "I Know
Grateful Dead's "Sunshine Daydream" Offers Sought-After Live Show on CD, DVD, Blu-Ray
The Dead will rise in September with a new set from Rhino. Sunshine Daydream takes Deadheads back to one of the most sought-after shows in the band's history - a blistering set in Veneta, Oregon in the dead of summer 1972 - on CD and video for the first time. Having just returned from a now-legendary tour of Europe (painstakingly chronicled by Rhino in one of the biggest box sets in recent memory), The Grateful Dead were in top form when they traveled to the Olde Renaissance Fairgrounds in
Live From D23: New Albums for Disneyland, Walt Disney World Due in August, Premiere New-to-CD Tracks
Today, you'll find The Second Disc at the Anaheim Convention Center for the D23 Expo, “The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.” Naturally, every arm of The Walt Disney Company has something to offer here, and naturally, that includes music! Tonight, Disney Theatrical President Thomas Schumacher will host Broadway and Beyond, celebrating Disney on Broadway’s legacy of musicals from Beauty and the Beast to Newsies. Tomorrow, American Bandstand legend Dick Clark will be honored as a Disney Legend, and
Humble Pie is Served! Omnivore Preps Box Set of Complete 1971 Fillmore Concerts
The latest sensational release in Omnivore Recordings' catalogue is a massively-expanded edition of Performance: Rockin' the Fillmore, the 1972 live album and commercial breakthrough by British blues-rockers Humble Pie. This sensational album, taped over two nights at the legendary Fillmore East in the spring of 1971, is now coming out as a four-disc box set featuring all four recorded shows in their entirety. Humble Pie was the brainchild of Steve Marriott, powerful frontman for The Small
BBR Unveils Trio of "Winners" From The Jazz Crusaders, Inner Life and Kleeer
Odds and Ends Dept.: In the excitement over Big Break Records' recent quartet of titles from Philadelphia's Baker-Harris-Young production partnership, we temporarily overlooked three no-less-worthy, just-released reissues from the busy Cherry Red imprint: The Jazz Crusaders' Give Peace a Chance, Kleeer's Winners, and Inner Life's self-titled album. Prior to reinventing themselves as The Crusaders in 1971 and emphasizing a funkier electric style, Joe Sample (piano), Wilton Felder (saxophone),
Paul Allen and the Underthinkers' "Everywhere at Once" Welcomes Joe Walsh, Chrissie Hynde, Ann and Nancy Wilson, Derek Trucks
For years, Paul Allen has been leading a double life. By day, he's known as the co-founder of Microsoft, a company which needs no introduction. He currently heads Vulcan, Inc.; its holdings include Ticketmaster, the Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trailblazers. With an estimated net worth of $15 billion, Allen routinely ranks high on the Forbes 400, and his philanthropic activities add up to lifetime giving of over $1.5 billion. But that's only part of the story. Allen is also a lifetime
Are You Ready: Now Sounds Expands "The Association," Real Gone Uncovers "Hexagram 16"
“Where have I gone, where have I gone?” pondered Terry Kirkman on the haunting opening track to The Association’s 1969 long-player. Though the group’s fifth album, it was simply titled The Association, signifying an artistic rebirth. Gone were the session players and ornate Bones Howe production that marked their previous album, 1968’s Birthday. Taking the production reins themselves in tandem with John Boylan, The Association – Kirkman, Russ Giguere, Brian Cole, Jim Yester, Larry Ramos, Ted
From "Love Lost" to "Found Love": New Digital Compilation Showcases Arthur Lee's Rarities
Here's one for the "in case you missed it" file: Arthur Lee and Love's early '70s recordings for Columbia Records were recently released in full as a digital album. Found Love: The Lost '71 Sessions finds Lee and the then-current Love lineup - bassist Frank Fayad, guitarist Craig Tarwater and drummer Don Poncher - considerably removed from the expansive psychedelia of Da Capo and Forever Changes, embracing a much darker, bluesier, Hendrix-ian sound. The album, provisionally titled Dear You, was
Steven Wilson Prepping Surround Mixes for Yes and XTC, More King Crimson On the Way (UPDATED 8/6)
UPDATE (8/6/2013): After the jump, you'll find full specs on the newly expanded and remixed Close to the Edge, due out in October! And don't forget our post on Nonsuch from earlier this week. ORIGINAL POST (6/24/2013): Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson has been one of the most prominent proponents of surround sound in recent memory. The singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer has spearheaded deluxe editions of classic albums from Hawkwind, King Crimson, Jethro Tull and Emerson Lake and Palmer with