Classical Goes Rock: Prog “Peter and the Wolf” Featuring Manfred Mann, Brian Eno, Phil Collins, Stephane Grappelli Returns to CD from Cherry Red, Esoteric

Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev wrote Peter and the Wolf in 1936 as “a symphonic fairy tale for children.”  As conceived, the narrator tells a story for children in which every character is musically “played” by a different instrument, i.e., the bird is a flute, the duck is an oboe, the cat is a clarinet, the grandfather is a bassoon, the Wolf is French horns, the hunters are woodwinds and trumpets, and Peter is string instruments.  Prokofiev’s composition earned the attention of Walt Disney who famously turned it into a 15-minute animated short…

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Release Round-Up: Week of May 17

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Here’s what’s in stores today! Paul McCartney, Egypt Station: Explorer’s Edition (MPL/Capitol) 2-CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3-LP black vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3-LP color vinyl: MusicVaultz / JPC.de Paul McCartney’s Egypt Station: Explorer’s Edition features the same audio content as the Traveller’s Edition box set minus the swag (postcards, baggage tickets, luggage tags, lithographs, cards, a map, and a jigsaw puzzle!) – meaning that this 2-CD or 3-LP version has the original 2018 album plus all…

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Don’t Think Twice: Ace Collects Rare Dylan Covers on “Take What You Need”

As one of the most influential songwriters of his generation – or any other – Bob Dylan’s music has long transcended borders, physical or otherwise.  The Minnesota native’s music struck a chord in Britain, both on the concert stage (see: the famous “Judas!” concert) and on records, and his influence on British artists from The Beatles down can’t be underestimated.  It’s no surprise that his songs were seized upon by British artists with a zeal equal to that of their American counterparts.  Ace Records has recently collected 22 compositions by the former…

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