Pet Shop Boys are looking back on 35 years of music with a newly remastered singles collection to be released on June 16 in a variety of formats. Synthpop duo Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe released their debut single in 1984 with "West End Girls." The strikingly original song melding catchy pop and irresistible dance […]
Continue ReadingReview: Bob Dylan, "Fragments - 'Time Out of Mind' Sessions (1996-1997): The Bootleg Series Vol. 17"
The Oxford dictionary describes the phrase time out of mind as "a time in the past that was so long ago that people have no knowledge or memory of it." What was Bob Dylan getting at when he lifted the phrase for his 1997 Grammy Award-winning album? Critics and fans alike immediately seized on the […]
Continue ReadingTSD welcomes back Sam Stone for a guest post about Vinyl Me, Please's upcoming Anthology of Miles Davis' landmark electric period in which he redefined the sound of jazz alongside such key sidemen as Wayne Shorter, John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul, Dave Holland, Tony Williams, Harvey Brooks, Jack DeJohnette, Michael Henderson, Billy […]
Continue ReadingAlfred Hitchcock's 1972 film Frenzy was widely considered a return to form for the master of suspense, then in his seventh decade. "This is the kind of thriller Hitchcock was making in the 1940s, filled with macabre details, incongruous humor, and the desperation of a man convicted of a crime he didn't commit," wrote Roger […]
Continue ReadingWelcome to The Weekend Stream, a relaxing weekly review of notable digital-only catalogue titles. There may be no CD or vinyl, but there's plenty of great new/old music to usher you into the weekend...and usually a good cause to check out when you're not enjoying some songs. Today's a short week with remixes of a […]
Continue ReadingWelcome to this week's Release Round-Up featuring a selection of the new titles in stores today. Elton John, Honky Château: 50th Anniversary Edition (Rocket/UMC) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Hot on the heels of his final U.S. live performances, Elton John is looking back with a 50th anniversary edition of his 1972 LP Honky Château. […]
Continue ReadingSheena Easton's debut album was called Take My Time, but truth to tell, the Scottish singer didn't need to take much time to leave international audiences spellbound. Now, the original version of that 1981 album - it had been retitled as Sheena Easton for the North American market, resequenced and sans two tracks - has […]
Continue ReadingRush's ninth studio album, Signals, had the unenviable task of following up the band's 1981 commercial breakthrough, Moving Pictures. Canadian rockers Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart built on the sound of Moving Pictures with their continued use of electronic instrumentation and were rewarded when the album reached the top ten in the United […]
Continue ReadingPeter Frampton made his solo debut with 1972's Wind of Change, following successful stints with The Herd and Humble Pie. The album put his acoustic guitar up front, while he also demonstrated his virtuosity on the organ, keyboards, drums, percussion, dulcimer, harmonium, and, of course, the lead vocals. Now, more than half a century later, […]
Continue ReadingRick Springfield was the real deal, and the record business knew it. Already a veteran of multiple bands including Zoot, the Australian singer-songwriter had good looks and good songs - not to mention a great voice and strong chops. Yet international superstardom didn't come easily for the future General Hospital star and chart-topping "Jessie's Girl" […]
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