Between 1978 and 1986, Bay Area-born composer-pianist Rodney Franklin released eight albums for Columbia Records. Flourishing in the period where jazz met R&B and funk head-on, Franklin charted seven singles in the United States and scored one major hit in the United Kingdom (1980's "The Groove"). Now, Cherry Red's Robinsongs imprint has collected all eight of his Columbia albums on two CD sets, four albums per set. Having had the opportunity to meet such legendary jazz figures as Oscar
Ace Explores Rock, Jazz Through the Lens of History with “Three Day Week” and “If You’re Not Part of the Solution”
Ace Records, as always, has delivered some of 2019's finest collections including Songwriter Series volumes dedicated to Eddie Hinton, Leonard Cohen and Merle Haggard, and celebrations of producer Mickie Most and musician Reggie Young. Today, we're taking a look at a pair of the label's other recent releases. Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs present Three Day Week: When the Lights Went Out 1972-1975 (Ace CDCHD 1542) is another sublimely curated compilation focusing on a particular period of
His Kind of Town: Little Steven Releases Songs, Score from “Lilyhammer” in July
Between 2012 and 2014, Steven Van Zandt starred in Netflix's first exclusive television series. A co-production with Norwegian network NRK1, Lilyhammer cast the singer-songwriter-musician as Frank "The Fixer" Tagliano, a gangster making a new life in Lillehammer, Norway. Van Zandt not only acted in, co-wrote, and co-produced the series for three seasons, but he also composed most of the show's music. For the first time, the music of Lilyhammer will be released on July 12 by Van Zandt's own
Review: Fiat Lux, “Hired History Plus: Expanded Edition”
Fiat Lux -- from the Latin for "let there be light" - were originally a synth-pop band that shone for a brief period in the '80s. Formed in 1982 and hailing from Wakefield in Yorkshire, England, they pioneered a unique sonic stamp, the influence of which is still felt today. Their pioneering blend was full of lush synthesizer textures, acoustic and electric keyboards, and studio effects - all anchored by Steve Wright's emotive vocals. Multi-instrumentalist David Crickmore provided guitar, bass,
Listen to the Music: Doobie Brothers Bring “Live from The Beacon Theatre” to CD, DVD, BD
As The Doobie Brothers gear up for their North American summer tour with co-headliners Santana, Rhino is looking back to a recent concert for a new release. In November 2018, the Doobies, led by Tom Johnston, Patrick Simmons, and John McFee, returned to New York City's historic Beacon Theatre for the first time in 25 years to perform two of the band's greatest albums, Toulouse Street and The Captain and Me. Both audio and video of that special performance are now set for release from Rhino on
Off The Handle: Rory Gallagher Rarities Collection “Blues” Arrives From UMC
Eric Clapton once described Rory Gallagher as "the man who got me back into the blues." Though he never reached the same "household name" fame as Clapton or other contemporaries, Irish guitar legend Gallagher led a movement back to blues roots that began with his band Taste and continued on throughout his solo career from 1971 to 1994. To commemorate 50 years since Gallagher began his recording, UMC has released a new collection that mines the vaults of the celebrated singer and instrumentalist
Review: Ronnie Lane, “Just For A Moment: Music 1973-1997”
Ask any of his collaborators and they'll tell you, Ronnie Lane was special. Sure, he was an exceedingly talented singer, bassist, guitarist, and songwriter; he was also a uniquely open-minded and welcoming collaborator who was more than willing to nurture talent. But what really sets Ronnie Lane apart is the way he subverted what it meant to be a popular musician. Unlike the majority of his peers, Ronnie Lane didn't want to be a rock star. He wanted his music to reach people, sure, but he'd
Release Round-Up: Week of May 31
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Hootie & The Blowfish, Cracked Rear View: 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Atlantic/Rhino) 3-CD/DVD Deluxe: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2-CD Expanded: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1LP Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Hootie and the Blowfish are revisiting their 21x platinum smash Cracked Rear View with a new 3-CD/DVD Deluxe Edition and 2-CD Expanded Edition. The Deluxe Edition includes a new
Groove and Move: Cherry Red, SoulMusic Collect Jr. Walker and The All-Stars’ “Motown ’70s Studio Albums”
"Shotgun," "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)," and "(I'm A) Road Runner" alone would have guaranteed Autry DeWalt Mixon, Jr., a.k.a. Oscar G. Mixon, a.k.a. Junior Walker, a spot in the Motown Records firmament. But between 1962 and 1978, the saxophonist-singer charted over 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and recorded more than a dozen albums with his group The All-Stars and a further three as a solo artist. Yet, curiously, none of Walker's 1970s albums for Motown's Soul imprint had ever
So Into You: Atlanta Rhythm Section’s Classic Albums Collected on “The Polydor Years”
Born from the ashes of The Candymen and The Classics IV, Atlanta Rhythm Section began as the house band at Buddy Buie, J.R. Cobb, and Bill Lowery's Studio One in Doraville, Georgia. Members had already performed on recordings by Al Kooper, Roy Orbison, B.J. Thomas, and even Liberace by the time they began rising to fame, fanning the southern rock flame. Now, the band's classic output - recorded from 1974 to 1980 - has been remastered and collected in a new box set: The Polydor Years, due this
Comes Once In a Lifetime: Stage Door Celebrates “Lost Broadway: 1961” On New Collection
Stage Door Records' five volumes of Lost West End have sampled numerous rare musicals that have played London over the years. Now, the U.K. label is turning its sights across the pond to the Great White Way to launch a new series: Lost Broadway. The first volume focuses on the year 1961, when composer-lyricist Jerry Herman made his Broadway debut with the successful Milk and Honey; some of the brightest stars included Barbara Cook, Jerry Orbach, Elaine Stritch, and Alfred Drake; the venerable
Review: “Pearl Harbor and the Explosions” from Blixa Sounds
Over the past year, the Blixa Sounds label has made a name for itself as the home to an eclectic line of reissues, from yacht rockers Stephen Bishop and Robbie Dupree to soul phenom Linda Clifford and psych-rock veterans Chris Darrow and Max Buda. Earlier last month, the label released its latest reissue - an expanded edition of Pearl Harbor and the Explosions' self-titled debut. The album was originally released in 1980 on Warner Bros. Records and introduced listeners to the infectious
All the Kids on the Street: The Hollywood Stars’ Lost 1976 Album “Sound City” Hits Stores in August
The Hollywood Stars are back. During the 1970s, the glitter rockers toured with The Kinks and supported such artists as The New York Dolls, Iggy Pop, Ramones, and even disco legend Sylvester - while future superstars like Journey, Van Halen, The Runaways, Quiet Riot, and The Knack all opened shows for the Stars. Yet their history on records has been a checkered one. Their 1974 debut album for Columbia Records remained shelved until 2013; a 1977 album on Arista came and went without the
A Couple of Good Years Left: Morello Collects Four Ricky Van Shelton Albums on New Set
Between 1986 and his retirement in 2006, Ricky Van Shelton scored over twenty Country hits on the Billboard chart, including ten Number Ones. Van Shelton has left behind a relatively small but potent discography of fewer than a dozen titles including three chart-toppers. Now, Cherry Red's Morello imprint has collected four of those long-players - two of his core albums and two genre projects - on one 2-CD set: Ricky Van Shelton Sings Christmas (1989), the gospel set Don't Overlook Salvation
Paul Is Live: McCartney Premieres “Amoeba Gig,” Reissues Classic Live Sets on CD and LP
Paul McCartney is back on the road again! Last night, he kicked off the North American leg of his Freshen Up tour, with dates currently scheduled through July 13. This morning, the legendary artist announced a look back at his past live performances with four new titles: reissues of Wings Over America, Choba B CCCP, and Paul Is Live, plus the world premiere of the complete Amoeba Gig. All four albums will be released on July 12 from MPL/Capitol/UMe in digital formats, on CD, and on both black
Release Round-Up: Week of May 24
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! America, Classic Album Collection: The Capitol Years (Capitol/Caroline) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) All six of America's Capitol albums are collected in one newly remastered box set. Classic Album Collection: The Capitol Years presents newly remastered versions of 1979's Silent Letter, 1980's Alibi, 1982's View from the Ground, 1983's Your Move, 1984's Perspective, and 1985's In Concert in one deluxe, affordable package complete
Head and Heart: Rhino Celebrates 50 Years of America with New Box Set
Almost fifty years ago in London, Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and the late Dan Peek first joined their voices together in song - beginning a musical journey as the band America that continues to this day. In anticipation of America's golden anniversary in 2020, Rhino is getting the party started with a new multi-format anthology. America - 50th Anniversary: The Collection arrives from the label on July 12 in 3-CD, 1-CD, 2-LP, and digital versions. It's the first large-scale America
Ain’t It Amazing? Omnivore Collects Buck Owens’ ’70s Sides on “The Complete Capitol Singles: 1971-1975”
Are you ready for the third and final volume of Omnivore Recordings' comprehensive series of Buck Owens' Capitol singles? The Complete Capitol Singles: 1971-1975 is due to arrive Friday, May 31, and will include every side that the legendary country picker/singer/songwriter recorded for the label until the end of his tenure there - 42 tracks in all across two CDs. The 1970s saw Buck embracing the creative freedom of his own studio, built in a converted theater in his home base of
Swinging Doors: Grateful Dead, Emmylou, Dolly, Dino, More Celebrate “The Merle Haggard Songbook”
Along with Buck Owens - with whom he shared a musical history and a wife - Merle Haggard (1937-2016) defined The Bakersfield Sound of country music: authentic, raw, rooted in honky-tonks. But unlike the Texas-born and Arizona-raised Owens, Haggard was actually born in Bakersfield and raised just across the river from that California town. "Hag," as he preferred to be known, rocketed to superstardom thanks to "Okie from Muskogee," his controversial 1969 song that was either a scathing
Memory Lane: Esoteric Collects Baker Gurvitz Army Albums, Celebrates “Underground Sounds of 1968”
Today we're looking at a pair of recent releases from Cherry Red's Esoteric Recordings imprint featuring some heavy sounds! With a résumé including Cream, Blind Faith, Blues Incorporated, The Graham Bond Organisation, and Fela Kuti's group, Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker has long been recognized as one of rock's greatest - and most volatile - drummers. With a personality as outsize as his talent, Baker brought a powerful touch to all of his projects and various bands. Between 1974 and 1976,
Never Say Die! Varese Bringing ‘Goonies’ Score Back To CD
Varese Sarabande is setting sail with a wide CD release of Dave Grusin's score to The Goonies this summer! Recently a staple of Varese's vinyl catalog, it's the first time the music's been put on CD since a limited release in 2010. A movie this offbeat - a gang of misfit kids in Oregon follow a pirate treasure map and face off against a family of crooks - had to have an interesting score, and The Goonies didn't disappoint. Grusin, known equally for his lengthy scoring career (The Graduate,
Shower the People: James Taylor’s “The Warner Bros. Albums” Box Coming in July
Rhino is about to shower the people with the first-ever box set from James Taylor. Between 1970 and 1976, the quintessential troubadour released six albums on Warner Bros. Records that laid the groundwork for his remarkable career which continues to this day. At Warner Bros., Taylor introduced signature songs like "Fire and Rain," "Sweet Baby James," "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," "Mexico," and "You Can Close Your Eyes," as well as classic interpretations of "You've Got a Friend" (his first
The Ernie Kovacs Centennial Comes to Omnivore Recordings with Expanded CD Premiere
January 23, 2019 would have marked the 100th birthday of comedy legend Ernie Kovacs. While the pioneering comedian, actor, television personality, and writer tragically died at age 42 in 1962, his influential, off-the-wall brand of comedy endures to this day. The Kovacs centennial is hitting record stores this summer with the July 5 reissue on Omnivore Recordings of the Grammy-nominated The Ernie Kovacs Album, originally released in 1977 on Columbia Records. The Ernie Kovacs Album:
Happy Rovin’ Cowboy: BMG Presents Archival Hank Williams Radio Sessions on “The Complete Health and Happiness Recordings”
Few have made such a profound impact on the country music landscape as Hank Williams, whose singular talents, enduring songs, and inimitable vocal style continue to influence scores of up-and-coming talents. In 1949, though, Hank wasn't quite the star he wanted to be, nor the star we remember him as. He'd had some popular songs and scored a headlining gig on The Louisiana Hayride , but it wasn't until he performed on The Health & Happiness radio program that his meteoric rise to fame began
I’ll Do You: Supermegabot Reissues, Expands Wire Train’s “In a Chamber”
BUY NOW FROM SUPERMEGABOTSan Francisco's Wire Train made a big splash late in 1983 with In a Chamber. Released by Columbia Records as distributor for local indie 415 Records, the LP was an auspicious debut for the new wave foursome of Kevin Hunter, Kurt Herr, Anders Rundblad, and Federico Gil-Sola. It's recently made its standalone debut on CD (and in expanded form!) from a company also making a big splash. Supermegabot Music Concern was formed by industry veterans Jeff Rougvie
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