Frank Zappa's 1969 LP Hot Rats remains among the late composer-bandleader's most accessible albums. Blending bluesy electric rock with jazz, it makes a fine introduction to his sometimes-daunting discography. But those looking for more might not have known exactly where to start. Certain elements of the Hot Rats sound would crop up in the maestro's future discography, but a proper sequel was never released. It's only been recently revealed, however, that one was recorded...more or less.
Frampton@50 Update: Remastered SACDs Out Now, Vinyl Shipping Tomorrow
"Take me away," Peter Frampton repeatedly implores on the title track of his 1972 solo debut Wind of Change. Indeed, change was in the air. He'd recently departed Humble Pie but stayed at A&M Records to launch his own career. Departing from the band's boogieing ways, Frampton's debut was filled with acoustic-based, melodic tunes plus a handful of muscular rock offerings to prove that the artist hadn't lost his way. Those shimmering acoustic guitars are among the elements that gain
Any Major Dude Will Tell You: Steely Dan's "Pretzel Logic" Set for Reissue
The Steely Dan reissue campaign rolls on with the July 28 reissue of the band's third album, 1974's Pretzel Logic. The release follows the recent reissues of both Can't Buy a Thrill and Countdown to Ecstasy; like those titles, it will be remastered by Bernie Grundman from the original analog masters and reissued on standard 180-gram black vinyl, Ultra High-Quality (UHQR) premium vinyl cut at 45 RPM, and hybrid stereo SACD (playable on all CD players). Donald Fagen has overseen the audio for
You Got Me Rocking: The Rolling Stones' "40 Licks" Premieres on Vinyl, Comes to Digital and Dolby Atmos
The Rolling Stones' 2002 collection Forty Licks - celebrating 40 years of The World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band with 40 songs - was notable as their first career-spanning collection, encompassing songs from both their Decca/London years (controlled, then as now, by ABKCO) and their own Rolling Stones Records period and beyond. Now, that seminal compilation, which also included four new recordings, is coming to digital platforms and premiering on vinyl. The first-time digital release, due
From This Moment On: Original Jazz Classics Series Rolls On with Bill Evans, Mal Waldron, Yusef Lateef
Following its relaunch with vintage titles from Miles Davis and the duo of Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane, Craft Recordings' Original Jazz Classics series will continue with upcoming releases from The Mal Waldron Sextet, The Bill Evans Trio, and Yusef Lateef. These titles began rolling out on June 30. Drawing on the vast catalogues of the Fantasy, Prestige, Milestone, Riverside, Contemporary, Pablo, Galaxy, Debut, and Jazzland labels, OJC reissues promise the highest standard in vinyl
In Memoriam: Tony Bennett (1926-2023)
The air was thick with anticipation at Radio City Music Hall. The date was August 3, 2021 and Tony Bennett was set to take the Great Stage with his friend and confidante Lady Gaga for the first of two farewell performances. It was his 95th birthday. A 6,000-strong crowd, mostly masked and uncomfortably shoulder-to-shoulder, jammed the theatre's lobby for a final chance to see one of the twentieth - and twenty-first - century's greatest voices live. The announced time on the ticket came and
I'm Digging You, Digging Me: 7a Reissues Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart's "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite"
When Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart made their long-playing debut as a recording duo with the 1967 release on A&M Records of Test Patterns, it was clear that the duo had the goods. They were singers, writers, producers, and musicians, and showcased all of those talents on the album. It was the culmination of a relatively short but prolific period of time that saw them - individually and collectively - behind some of the most enduring hits of that era or any other: "Last Train to Clarksville,"
Not Just Second Hand News: Fleetwood Mac to Release 'Rumours'-Era Live Show
Over the course of four legs between February 24, 1977 and August 30, 1978, Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood traveled across North America, Europe, Oceania, and Japan touring Rumours. Fleetwood Mac released their seminal album on February 4 and would perform most of it on the road. Now, a full concert performance recorded on August 29, 1977 at The "Fabulous" Forum in Inglewood, California is coming to CD, vinyl and digital platforms. On September
Children of the Revolution: New "Produced by Tony Visconti" Box Features David Bowie, T. Rex, U2, Badfinger, More
In the course of a career spanning seven decades, Tony Visconti has produced seminal albums in the classic rock genre including high profile collaborations with David Bowie, T. Rex, Gentle Giant, Strawbs, and Badfinger. But Visconti's C.V. runs much deeper, from folk (Ralph McTell, Tom Paxton) to musical theatre (Elaine Paige) and everything in between (Sparks). On October 20, Edsel will release the first large-scale tribute to Visconti's enormous musical legacy. Produced by Tony Visconti has
Amazing Journey: New Mega-Box Chronicles The Who's Path from "Life House" to "Who's Next"
What's next? How about Who's Next? On September 15, The Who will revisit their seminal 1971 masterwork in a lavish 10CD/1BD box set as well as multiple smaller formats. The Who's Next/Life House box set, by the numbers, offers 155 tracks - 89 of which are previously unissued in any version and 57 of which are brand-new remixes. This finally offers a comprehensive look at Pete Townshend's ambitious, conceptual Life House (later known as Lifehouse) project, tracing it from its roots as a
Dancin' to Be Dancin': Cherry Red, Robinsongs Collect Skyy's "Salsoul Albums"
Solomon Roberts, Jr. (vocals/guitars/producer), Anibal Sierra (guitars/keyboards), Gerald Lebon (bass), Larry Greenberg (keyboards), Tommy McConnell (drums) and sisters Denise, Bonnie, and Delores Dunning (vocals) proclaimed "This Groove Is Bad" as the first track of their band Skyy's debut album in 1979. Indeed, the scorching slice of funk was so "bad" it was good, and Skyy embarked on a musical journey that would take them through seven albums on the Salsoul label plus further recordings for
The Right Thing to Do: Carly Simon Reflects On Her Early Career with Elektra's Jac Holzman on "These Are The Good Old Days"
Carly Simon's self-titled debut album arrived on Elektra Records in the spring of 1971, nestled in the label's discography between singer-songwriter Paul Siebel's Jack-Knife Gypsy and folk band Farquahr's eponymous LP. Carly wasn't quite a stranger to the music business, having recorded three albums for the Kapp and Columbia labels with her sister Lucy as The Simon Sisters, but her solo debut augured for a major talent. She was signed by the label's founder, Jac Holzman, beginning an association
Review: Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, "Working Our Way Back to You: The Ultimate Collection"
I Can't Give You Anything But Love On Monday, June 26, Frankie Valli walked down the aisle in Las Vegas with his longtime girlfriend Jackie Jacobs. This October, he'll take the stage at the city's Westgate Resort and Casino to begin a yearlong residency at the hotel, during which time he'll turn 90 years young. For more than 60 of those years, the artist born Francesco Stephen Castelluccio in Newark, New Jersey has been the lead vocalist of The Four Seasons, the group he co-founded on a
Tear It Up: Iconoclassic Reissues Two Rock-and-Roll Gems from Billy Burnette
Last autumn, Iconoclassic Records brought Rocky Burnette's 1979 solo debut The Son of Rock and Roll to CD. Tomorrow, July 7, the label is turning its attention to Rocky's cousin Billy Burnette for another pair of CD premieres. The son of Dorsey Burnette - a veteran artist with recording credits at Imperial, Dot, Motown, Reprise, and Capitol - and the nephew of "Dreamin'" and "You're Sixteen" hitmaker Johnny Burnette, Billy made his solo debut in 1972 on the CBS-distributed Entrance label. He
Keep It Comin' Love: Robinsongs Compiles KC and The Sunshine Band's "Ultimate Collection"
With KC and The Sunshine Band, the numbers speak for themselves. The joyful group founded in the Sunshine State of Florida has racked up five U.S. No. 1 singles along with two more No. 2s as well as six charting LPs including their self-titled 1975 album which went top ten across the globe. Now, Cherry Red's Robinsongs imprint has celebrated the group's 50th anniversary with a new 3-CD anthology, The Ultimate Collection. After a low-key album debut in 1974 with Do It Good,
Review: Little Feat, "Sailin' Shoes" and "Dixie Chicken" Deluxe Editions
Little Feat was no ordinary rock-and-roll band. The seeds of the California group were planted when singer-songwriter Lowell George, then playing in Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention, met keyboardist Bill Payne, who had unsuccessfully auditioned for the famously tough Zappa. The pair hit it off and teamed with former Mothers bassist Roy Estrada and drummer Richard Hayward, late of George's old band The Factory, to form Little Feat. The story remains unclear as to exactly what prompted George
Review: Kenny Rogers, "Life Is Like a Song"
In the booklet to his new posthumous release Life Is Like a Song, the late Kenny Rogers is quoted: "Music is the greatest memory-maker you'll ever encounter. A song can lock you right into a memory for a lifetime." Rogers' own music, whether "The Gambler," "Through the Years," "Lady," "She Believes in Me," "You Decorated My Life," or "Islands in the Stream," certainly proves that adage. The Texas-born singer, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 81, blurred the lines between country and pop
Miracles: Rhino Relaunches Quadio with Jefferson Starship, Black Sabbath, J. Geils Band, and Alice Cooper
Quadio is back! After past releases in the series including, most recently, box sets from The Doobie Brothers and Chicago, Rhino is once again taking a deep dive into the Warner Music family of labels for four reissues presenting original quadraphonic mixes of classic albums on Blu-ray Audio. This quartet of titles is shipping now exclusively from Rhino, and every release includes the original 4.0-channel quad mix and the 2.0-channel stereo mix in high resolution (192/24). Black Sabbath's
Dance Only with Me: Stage Door Reissues Styne, Comden, and Green's "Say, Darling" as Deluxe Edition
Upon its May 13, 1954 opening, The Pajama Game was an instant smash. The Tony Award-winning Best Musical by George Abbott, Richard Bissell, Richard Adler, and Jerry Ross went on to run 1,063 performances and inspire a London production, two Broadway revivals, and countless regional, school, and community theatre productions. But for Bissell, the Iowa-born author of the novel 7-1/2 Cents on which The Pajama Game was based, the road to Broadway was a bumpy one. Bissell put his memories to paper
Holding On: Cherry Red Collects Beverley Craven's Epic Albums on "Memories"
Good - no, great - things do indeed come in small packages. Such is the case with the new collection from Cherry Red's 90/9 imprint. Beverley Craven's Memories: The Complete Epic Recordings 1990-1999 rounds up all three of the British singer-songwriter-pianist's major label albums, as well as a generous host of bonus tracks. Though Craven's catalogue is a small one - this 3-CD set represents roughly half of her released output - it's one rich with melodic charm and often exquisite songcraft
Made For These Times: The Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds" Arrives in Dolby Atmos, Mixed by Giles Martin
When The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds, the band's eleventh studio album, first was released in May 1966, response in the U.S. was surprisingly tepid. Though both "Sloop John B" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice" soared to the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100, Capitol Records was unsure how to promote the album which represented an artistic zenith, and the beginning of a new era, for The Beach Boys. It peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 and was the group's first album since 1963 to miss a Gold
Like a Hurricane: Neil Young's Remastered "Official Release Series" Vol. 5 Contains Four Albums, Expands "Ragged Glory"
Neil Young's Official Release Series Volume 5 is on the way. Set for release July 14, the 6-CD or 9-LP box set will include Freedom (1989), an expanded edition of Ragged Glory (1990), Weld (1991), and Arc (1991). As with all titles in this series, the albums have been remastered, with Ragged Glory sourced from analog tape. This marks the first time these four LPs have been remastered for vinyl. After a rocky stint at Geffen Records, Neil Young returned home to the Warner/Reprise family
Higher and Higher: Rhino Collects Otis Redding's Posthumous Releases on "Otis Forever" Box
Back in 2017, Rhino released Otis Redding's Definitive Studio Album Collection, bringing together vinyl editions of seven studio albums spanning 1964's Pain in My Heart through 1968's posthumous The Dock of the Bay. On June 9, the label will continue the Redding story in a new 6-LP box. Otis Forever: The Albums and Singles (1968-1970) begins with the album that closed the prior box - The Dock of the Bay, this time in stereo rather than mono - and continues with his remaining three posthumous
Farewell Farwell: Charles Mingus' Last Works Chronicled in New Rhino Box Set
Influential jazz composer-bassist Charles Mingus has been the subject of numerous collections over the years encompassing his various label affiliations. The 1997 box set Passions of a Man: The Complete Atlantic Recordings 1956-1961 brought together his early discography for the Atlantic Records label; now, as part of the Mingus 100 festivities, Rhino is turning its attention to his second Atlantic period. On June 23, the label will release Changes: The Complete 1970s Atlantic Recordings on
Once Again: Esoteric Reissues Barclay James Harvest's Second Album with New Stereo, Surround Mixes
Cherry Red's Esoteric imprint has overseen the catalogue of prog rockers Barclay James Harvest for some years now, revisiting their albums in various shapes and sizes. 2023 has recently seen the reissue of BJH's second album, 1971's Once Again, as a 3-CD/Blu-ray box boasting the album in its original stereo mix; a new stereo mix by Stephen W. Tayler; and a fold-down of its original 1973 quadraphonic mix on CD, plus a new 5.1 surround mix, the quadraphonic mix in true 4.0, and the new and
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