Just one recommendation of sorts for April 2021's Bandcamp Friday - but it's a big one: 61 great albums from Prestige Records are now available to stream and download on the service. Founded by Bob Weinstock in 1949, Prestige was an early home for some of the mid-century's most revolutionary jazz figures, including Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz and Thelonious Monk. The label's output, much of it impeccably recorded by engineer Rudy Van Gelder, was a haven as hard bop
No Better Place: Real Gone Music Serves Up Prog-Metal, Soul-Jazz, and Power-Pop Reissues This Spring
Real Gone Music continues its excavation of overlooked and classic albums with more vinyl reissues from the vaults and a new addition to the Black Jazz Records series. It all starts with a color reissue of Voïvod's The Outer Limits on April 30. Jazz fans will want to check the stacks (or online shops) that same day for Chester Thompson's Powerhouse, a Black Jazz Records gem set for reissue on vinyl and CD. Then on May 28, Real Gone will reissue Fountains of Wayne's turn-of-the-millennium
A Song for You: Recent Ace Collections Spotlight Songs of Leon Russell, Kris Kristofferson
Ace Records' two most recent entries in its Songwriter Series of collections both spotlight artists who bucked tradition to forge their own paths at the end of the 1960s and the dawn of the 1970s: Leon Russell and Kris Kristofferson. As we wrote upon his passing in 2016 at the age of 74, Leon Russell was an extraordinary talent unlike any other: A true renaissance man and an extraordinary talent as composer, musician, arranger, producer, and artist, The Master of Space and Time led many
Hands Across The Water: Paul and Linda McCartney’s “RAM” Gets Half-Speed Remaster Treatment in May
Paul McCartney had always been one for a homespun album, whether it be his 1970 debut McCartney, Chaos and Creation in the Backyard from 2005, or McCartney III, which he recorded in lockdown (or rockdown, as he called it). Last year, McCartney was the first of his albums to receive a half-speed remaster at Abbey Road, which was pressed up for Record Store Day. The Paul McCartney Half-Speed Remaster series continues with the indie favorite RAM, due May 14 to commemorate its 50th
Pendulum Force: Cherry Red Reissues, Expands Shadows Drummer Brian Bennett’s Space Disco “Voyage”
Brian Bennett began drumming for The Shadows in 1961, and save for a handful of periods, he's been with the band ever since. Yet his work with the band only encompasses one aspect of his career. A composer, producer, and pianist as well as a drummer, Bennett has maintained a solo career since 1967 as well as prolifically creating library music (one-size-fits-all music not written for a specific project but intended for use on television and film). One of his albums, Counterpoint in Rhythm,
Big Bang Baby: Rhino Reissues, Expands Stone Temple Pilots’ “Tiny Music…Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop”
Stone Temple Pilots' Tiny Music is about to get a lot bigger. On July 23, Rhino will reissue Tiny Music...Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop: Super Deluxe Edition as a 3-CD/1-LP set, expanding the band's third album to mark its 25th anniversary. This box follows the label's previous expansions of Core and Purple. Tiny Music was recorded during a particularly fraught time in Stone Temple Pilots' career. In early 1995, lead singer Scott Weiland was arrested for drug possession. Sentenced to
“Hollywood Squares” Host Peter Marshall Celebrates 95th Birthday TOMORROW, March 30, With All-Star Online Party, Streaming Debut of Albums
Tomorrow, Peter Marshall turns 95. TV buffs will remember Peter's Emmy Award-winning 15-year tenure (1966-1981) as host of the original Hollywood Squares, while kids of a certain generation - and kids at heart everywhere - will recognize him for his turn as Bert Healy, crooning "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile" in director John Huston's beloved big-screen adaptation of Annie. Indeed, music has long played a role in Peter's extraordinary career. His stage roles include Albert in the
Let My Spirit Carry Me: Steve Miller Band Is “Breaking Ground” On Previously Unreleased 1977 Concert Release
Following the 2019 box set Welcome to the Vault, Steve Miller has dipped into his archives once again for a new release. On Friday, May 14, Sailor/Capitol/UMe will release Steve Miller Band Live! Breaking Ground: August 3, 1977, a seventeen-song set, on CD, double vinyl, and digital formats. The accompanying video of the full performance will stream on Amazon Prime Video's The Coda Collection, a channel dedicated to music documentaries and concert films. Breaking Ground chronicles The Steve
Life Is A Banquet: Stage Door Records Reissues 1969 London Studio Cast of “Mame” Starring Beryl Reid
Light the candles, get the ice out...roll the rug up, it's today! Everybody's favorite madcap auntie, Mame Dennis, made her first appearance in Patrick Dennis' 1955 novel Auntie Mame. The book was a cultural phenomenon, selling more than two million copies and staying over two years on the New York Times Best-Seller List. It was quickly followed in 1956 by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee's Broadway comedy of the same name starring Rosalind Russell and then by Warner Bros.' lavish film
Flight of the Moorglade: Cherry Red, Esoteric Reissue Jon Anderson’s “Olias of Sunhillow”
Jon Anderson's 1976 solo debut Olias of Sunhillow was a lockdown album decades before those were in vogue. Recorded in his home's garage with Anderson on every instrument, the singer-songwriter recalled three months of 10-hour days to bring the ambitious sci-fi/fantasy concept album to life. While its success was modest - it peaked at No. 47 in the U.S. and a stronger No. 8 at home in the U.K. - Olias musically anticipated Anderson's collaborations with Vangelis and is today fondly looked upon
Don’t Blame Me: Craft Recordings Announces Small Batch Reissue of Yusef Lateef’s “Eastern Sounds”
Earlier this year, Craft Recordings launched its Small Batch series of audiophile vinyl releases with John Coltrane's 1961 classic Lush Life. The limited and numbered, all-analog release sold out immediately. Now, Craft has announced the second Small Batch title: pioneering jazz multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef's Eastern Sounds, also from 1961. The pressing will be strictly limited to 1,000 units and released only on Craft Recordings' website, with the pre-sale beginning tomorrow, March 26,
Everybody’s Talkin’: Crimson Releases “Gold” Collections from Nilsson, Kris Kristofferson, Jim Reeves, Glenn Miller, Joe Brown
Crimson Productions' series of budget-priced Gold compilations has continued with a number of new titles spotlighting artists from the pop-rock, country, and big band genres. Today, we'll take a look at five of those recent releases. Nilsson: Gold features 45 tracks from singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson's RCA recordings. As Nilsson's oeuvre has been comprehensively addressed in the past - most notably on the 2013 box set The RCA Albums Collection - there's not much that's new here. Arranged
Down the Road: Grateful Dead’s ‘Skull & Roses’ Album Expanded with Unreleased Show
Grateful Dead's 50th anniversary series keeps on truckin' with the June 18 reissue of the band's 1971 eponymous live album also known as their "Skull and Roses" album after the cover artwork by Alton Kelley and Stanley Mouse. While the Dead was still a young band at that point, Grateful Dead was their second double-LP live album following 1969's Live/Dead. It also was one of their most successful LPs, peaking at No. 25 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and earning their first Gold sales
Feelin’ Groovy: Cherry Red, El Collect Harpers Bizarre’s “Complete Warner Bros. Recordings”
When Harpers Bizarre made their debut on Warner Bros. Records in spring 1967, they joined an eclectic roster of pop stars (Petula Clark, The Association), folksingers (Chad Mitchell, Peter Paul and Mary), comedy titans (Bob Newhart, Allan Sherman), MOR artists (The Anita Kerr Singers, Rod McKuen), and one forward-thinking psychedelic rock band (Grateful Dead). The group defied easy categorization, and over the course of four albums merged pop, MOR, rock, and even dashes of folk and comic whimsy
Short Takes: Triumph Prepares New Box Set as RSD Ambassadors; Omnivore Celebrates “Yesterday’s Tomorrow;” and Evie Sands Releases New LP
Canadian hard rock heroes Triumph have been selected as the Canadian Ambassadors for Record Store Day 2021 - and the band isn't showing up empty-handed! As previously reported, RSD will be held in two "Drops" this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The first of those drops is June 12, with the second to follow on July 17. On June 12, Triumph - Rik Emmett (guitars/vocals), Mike Levine (bass, keyboards) and Gil Moore (drums, vocals) - will release a 40th Anniversary vinyl box set of
Mysteries of Love: Two Alphaville Albums Get the Deluxe Treatment
German synthpop trio Alphaville is best remembered today in the U.S. for the Dance chart-topper "Big in Japan" and other floor-filling hits including "Forever Young," "Jet Set," "Dance with Me," and "Red Rose." Alphaville's 1984 debut, also titled Forever Young, was released as a Super Deluxe Edition in 2019; now, on May 7, Rhino will follow that reissue up with Deluxe Editions of the band's next two albums, Afternoons in Utopia (1986) and The Breathtaking Blue (1989). These remastered
Remembering “Put a Little Love in Your Heart” Co-Writer Randy Myers (1947-2021)
The Second Disc remembers songwriter Randy Myers (1947-2021). Randy co-wrote over two dozen songs including "Put a Little Love in Your Heart," the 1969 pop standard co-written and introduced by his sister, singer-songwriter Jackie DeShannon, and since recorded by a host of legendary artists including Dolly Parton, The Isley Brothers, and Andy Williams - not to mention more unexpected names such as Leonard Nimoy, Bill Murray, and the cast of television's The Flash. The Second Disc extends its
State of Shock: Legacy Reissues, Expands Final Three Jacksons Albums for Digital Release
Last month, Legacy Recordings brought remastered and expanded versions of The Jacksons' first three studio albums to digital platforms. Next Friday, March 26, sees a physical 2-LP reissue of 1981's The Jacksons Live!, and today, Legacy announced that the group's final three studio albums - Triumph (1980), Victory (1984), and 2300 Jackson Street (1989) - will receive the remastered and expanded treatment on April 30. A generous 39 bonus tracks are spread across the three digital
Something in the Air: “David Bowie at The Kit Kat Klub” Closes Out “Brilliant Live Adventures” Series TOMORROW!
Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome... Tomorrow (Friday, March 19), pre-orders will begin for the final installment of David Bowie's Brilliant Live Adventures series of concert releases on both CD and 2LP vinyl. David Bowie at The Kit Kat Klub (Live New York 99) captures his invitation-only performance at the intimate New York venue on November 19, 1999. The gig was recorded and filmed for the Liveonline.net website and later issued as a promotional CD; this release marks its commercial debut and
In The Long Run: Eagles Announce Vinyl Reissues of “Live,” “Long Road Out of Eden,” and “Millennium Concert”
Few captured the spirit of the '70s like California's own Eagles, whose multiplatinum double-album live document Eagles Live joins the 2007 two-disc comeback album Long Road Out of Eden and the hard-to-find release The Millennium Concert in a batch of new, 180-gram vinyl reissues due April 2. 1980's Eagles Live remains a beloved document of two of the band's tours, recorded in California in 1976 and 1980. The 7x Platinum-certified collection featured then-recent tracks "Heartache Tonight"
Back to the Garden: Rhino Expands Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s “Déjà Vu” In New Box Set
Crosby, Stills, and Nash's eponymous debut was one of the most auspicious and omnipresent records of 1969, a remarkable and harmony-rich affair featuring such era-defining material as "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," "Marrakesh Express," "Guinnevere," "Wooden Ships," "Long Time Gone," and "Helplessly Hoping." CSN blended folk, country, jazz, rock, and a dash of pop into an often-imitated but never-duplicated sound. In the U.S. alone, the album reached No. 6 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and the top
Short Takes: “Fawlty Towers” Comes to Vinyl with Cleese Autograph; Judas Priest Plans Massive Box Set for Summer
Although only 12 episodes were made between 1975 and 1979, Fawlty Towers remains one of television's most beloved comedies. As recently as 2019, it was named the greatest ever British sitcom by Radio Times, and its magic has never been successfully duplicated. Three American remakes - starring Harvey Korman and Betty White (the pilot-only Chateau Snavely, 1978), Bea Arthur (Amanda's, 1983), and John Larroquette and JoBeth Williams (Payne, 1999) - all failed to recapture the spirit of the
Saturday Night Special: Lynyrd Skynyrd Announces “Live At Knebworth ’76” on Blu-ray, DVD, CD, and Vinyl
Turn it up! It's not just the opening salvo to Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama," it's also what you'll want to do when you hear the band's new archival release, Live At Knebworth. Arriving on April 9 from Eagle Rock in CD/Blu-ray, CD/DVD, and 2LP/DVD configurations, Live At Knebworth '76 presents Lynyrd Skynyrd's landmark performance at the 1976 festival, fully restored for the first time. The concert film and album document Skynyrd's classic lineup as they rose to international
My Song: Keith Jarrett’s Improvised “Sun Bear Concerts” Receives Deluxe 10-LP Reissue
Few artists have transformed the landscape of jazz music in quite the same way as Keith Jarrett. Over the course six decades, Jarrett revolutionized piano music as a sideman to Miles Davis, Charles Lloyd, and others, and as a bandleader in his own right. But some of his most captivating recordings present him alone onstage, building thrilling and beautiful pieces that are entirely improvised. One need only look toward his stellar run of ECM recordings releases - among them The Köln Concert
A Cowboy’s Dream: Real Gone Music Issues Volume Two of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys’ “Tiffany Transcriptions”
Bob Wills, The King of Western Swing, is back. Almost seven years ago, Real Gone Music issued Riding Your Way: The Lost Transcriptions for Tiffany Music 1946-1947. "Real Gone has given the royal treatment to the King of Western Swing," we wrote in assessing the landmark set. Now, the label is returning to Wills' discography for a second volume. Way Out West: The Lost Transcriptions for Tiffany Music 1946-1947 Volume Two is due on April 30, the same date as Real Gone and Second Disc Records'