07.07.2017.

WILLIE AND THE POOR BOYS - Live (1994)

With Mick Jagger and Keith Richards bickering back and forth in the press during the mid-'80s (leading many to assume that the Stones were kaput), bassist Bill Wyman decided to fill up his newly acquired spare time by forming an all-star band, Willie and the Poor Boys. The group's roots lay in the series of high-profile 1983 ARMS Concerts (which raised money for multiple sclerosis research), which led to several of the tour's participants taking it a step further and laying down some tracks in the studio. Included in this stellar lineup were Wyman's Stones mates Ron Wood and Charlie Watts, as well as Jimmy Page, Mel Collins, Andy Fairweather Low, Kenny Jones, and Ringo Starr, among others, while Wyman also served as the album's producer. The resulting 1985 self-titled album was a pleasant enough set of 12 rock & roll/R&B; standards (including "Baby Please Don't Go," which a promo video was filmed for), but certainly not anything musically earth-shattering. A self-titled home video was also issued the same year as the album, but little was heard from the group subsequently, leading many to believe that Willie and the Poor Boys was a one-off side project. Yet in 1994 (a few years after Wyman retired from the Stones), Willie and the Poor Boys reappeared once more with an live album.

Recorded live by Lars Hedh of Swedish radio in Halmstad, Sweden on July 31st 1992.

TRACKS: 01. High School Confidential 02. Tear it Up 03. Baby Please Don't Go 04. Medley: a) Ooh Poo Pah Doo - b) Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu 05. Mystery Train 06. Chicken Shack Boogie 07. Stagger Lee 08. What'd I Say 09. Red Hot 10. Lovin' up a Storm 11. Medley: a) Hound Dog - b) Shake Rattle and Roll - c) Looking For Someone To Love 12. Land of 1,000 Dances

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE - The Wizard Of Is (2004)

Pearls Before Swine was an American psychedelic folk band formed by Tom Rapp in 1965 in Eau Gallie, now part of Melbourne, Florida. They released six albums between 1967 and 1971, before Rapp launched a solo career. This is a 2-CD set of all previously unreleased vintage Pearls Before Swine recordings. Disc one features '60s and '70s home demos, out-takes, various studio recordings, works in progress - many songs that never appeared on any Pearls Before Swine albums, various cover songs, experiments, and just an amazing view of Tom Rapp's personal tape archives. Disc two features a complete early '70s live concert performance, as well as other vintage '70s live recordings and radio sessions. San Francisco's Water Records has certainly done right by Tom Rapp and Pearls Before Swine. Not only has the label reissued its Warner Bros. recordings in their entirety individually and as a box set, it has now come up with this 44-track, two-disc collection of rarities and live recordings from 1967-1976. This is a mighty artifact indeed. The first disc contains all sorts of demos and strange little live recordings. Some were made at home by the first edition of the band with Elisabeth Rapp and Wayne Harley, some are solo (including a stunningly beautiful original recording of "Butterflies"), some are with later incarnations, some are with notable musicians like David Bromberg ("City of Gold" and "Mary, Mary"), and some are Nashville session demos. There is also a slew of cover version demos, including highly original readings of Bob Dylan's "Oh Sister," Randy Newman's "Sail Away," Joni Mitchell's "Real Good for Free," the Spector and Bates classic "There's No Other (Like My Baby)," Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne," and even Jacques Brel's "Love, You're Not Alone," along with poems by Shakespeare, W.H. Auden, and Sara Teasdale that Rapp set to music. Disc two features live recordings from a Goddard College show featured in its entirety as well as a Netherlands Radio performance and a performance from the Choate School in 1972. There is also a cut - "Lesson of the 60s" - recorded at Terrastock in 1999. Fans will no doubt find a treasure trove of material here; some exists on bootlegs, but it's awesome to have the cleaned-up quality of the material available officially. The sound, given the wildly varying nature of the tapes, is surprisingly good and the music is truly inspired. Rapp gave listeners no dregs here; this is a fascinating and compelling collection of tapes from the catalog of a genuine musical enigma.

06.07.2017.

FATHER & SON

Timothy Charles Buckley III (February 14, 1947 – June 29, 1975) was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. His music and style changed considerably through the years; he began his career based in folk music, but his subsequent albums incorporated jazz, psychedelia, funk, soul, avant-garde and an evolving "voice as instrument" sound. Though he did not find commercial success during his lifetime, Buckley is admired by later generations for his innovation as a musician and vocal ability. He died at the age of 28 from a heroin overdose, leaving behind his sons Taylor and Jeff Buckley, the latter of whom later went on to become a musician as well.

Tim Buckley’s Wings: The Complete Singles 1966–1974 contains A & B side of every U.S. and U.K. single, including one that was never released. 21-song compilation, due out November 18th on Omnivore Recordings, contains recordings produced by legendary Jac Holzman, Paul Rothchild, Bruce Botnick, and Jerry Yester. The booklet features photos and ephemera, as well as an extensive, new interview with Buckley’s longtime friend and collaborator, lyricist Larry Beckett, conducted specifically for this collection. Mastered by Grammy®-winner Michael Graves, the audio sparkles as never before.



Among the legions of rockers who died way too young, including Jeff Buckley's father, Tim, few have approached the artistic range and seemingly limitless potential on display here. In the decade since Buckley's death, there has been such a flood of posthumous releases that it might be hard to remember that he issued only a four-cut live EP and a studio debut album while he was alive. This anthology serves as an effective introduction for the initiate, showing how Buckley could rock with the slash-and-burn intensity of Led Zeppelin on "Eternal Life (Road Version)," turn rapturous with the reverie of "Lover, You Should've Come Ove," and cover the likes of Edith Piaf ("Je N'en Connais Pas La Fin") and Leonard Cohen (his by now iconic transformation of "Hallelujah"). Completists will need this for the live versions of "So Real" and the Smiths' "I Know It's Over," previously unreleased commercially. Whether Buckley would ever have been able to balance the control that mature artistry requires and the ecstatic abandon that distinguished him, such raw talent continues to startle. 14-track pressing features tracks from his two studio albums and includes two rarities, 'So Real' (Live and Acoustic in Japan - non album version/ promo single) and 'I Know it's Over'. (Previously Unreleased - Smiths cover from a session at Sony Studios that was edited for broadcast on WNEW on April 6,1995. It was not included on the radio broadcast.) Other highlights include 'Last Goodbye','Forget Her', 'Everybody Here Wants You' and more. All of the tracks lifted from Grace are pulled from the re-mastered tracks that featured on the Legacy Edition.

05.07.2017.

THE GRATEFUL DEAD - What Long, Strange Trip It's Been (1977)

The Grateful Dead recorded their first 8 albums for Warner Brothers before leaving to form their own record label in 1972. This era of the Dead produced most of their most well known songs, including "Truckin'", "Sugar Magnolia", "Casey Jones", "Dark Star", etc. Warners' initial attempt to compile the best songs from this period resulted in the greatest hits album "Skeletons From The Closet". Then in 1977 they put out this 2 record set (now 2 CDs), which makes an ideal companion to the earlier hits album. Only one song, "Truckin', is repeated from "Skeletons...". They also include a live version of "St. Stephen", the studio version of which had appeared on the earlier collection. It was certainly misleading of them to subtitle this "The Best Of The Grateful Dead". In reality, most of the best songs got put on the first hits album, and this album has the best of what's left over. But what wonderful leftovers! "Ripple" is fantastic, it certainly would have made the cut for the first hits collection if I had compiled it. Other standouts include "Jack Straw", "Me And My Uncle", "Cumberland Blues", "Brown-Eyed Woman", and "Playing In The Band". The previously-mentioned "Dark Star", which has long been a concert favorite of the deadheads (although it doesn't really do much for me), is also here. This album also includes more live recordings than "Skeletons...", so it begins to paint a more accurate portrait of what the Dead were all about than that collection did. If you own "Skeletons..." and are looking for the logical next step, this is it. If you don't already have "Skeletons...", then start there, not here. Of course, many hard-core deadheads would advise skipping the compilations altogether and just going with all the original albums, but for those of us who don't really feel the need to own 15-20 Dead CDs, the compilations work quite nicely.

04.07.2017.

DEEP PURPLE - Hard Road - The Mark 1 Studio Recordings 1968-69 (2014) {5 CD Box Set}

2014 five CD box set from the British Hard Rock band that focuses on their early ground-breaking albums. Each album includes digitally remastered bonus material including alternative mixes album outtakes instrumental versions alternate takes and B-sides as well as previously unreleased versions.

Includes the CDs:
DISC 1 - Shades Of Deep Purple (Mono Mix - Original album + bonus tracks)
DISC 2 - Shades Of Deep Purple (Stereo Mix - Original album + bonus tracks)
DISC 3 - Book Of Taliesyn (Mono Mix - Original album)
DISC 4 - Book Of Taliesyn (Stereo Mix - Original album + bonus tracks)
DISC 5 - Deep Purple (Original abum + bonus tracks)

03.07.2017.

WILLIE NILE - World War Willie (2016) & Positively Bob: Willie Nile Sings Bob Dylan (2017)

When Willie Nile first appeared on the scene in 1980, some folks seemed to think he was new wave since he wrote declarative songs that were often three minutes in length, a notion that had fallen out of fashion through much of the '70s (the same thing happened to John Hiatt and Marshall Crenshaw for a spell), while others lumped him in with Bruce Springsteen and other heartland rock acts who were breathing new life into traditional rock & roll forms. With over 25 years of perspective, Nile's self-titled debut now sounds like nothing so much as a strong dose of smart but straightforward rock from a writer who is in love with words but doesn't trip over them as he lays them out. Willie Nile is a lean and wiry set, with the singer brimming with energy even when he slows down the tempos on songs like "They'll Build a Statue of You" and "Across the River" or strips the arrangement down to a single acoustic guitar on "Behind the Cathedral," and when Nile and his band opens up on the edgy "Old Men Sleeping on the Bowery" and the witty "She's So Cold," this is great stuff, with literate but street-smart lyrics, hooky and muscular tunes, and a tight, simpatico band bringing it home. If the album has a flaw, it's the production and engineering from Roy Halee. While Halee's approach is thankfully unobtrusive, the sound is a bit too thin to give the music the force and body it needs (especially the electric guitars), and some of the tracks sound more like demos than finished product. Still, Willie Nile documents some great performances of 11 fine songs, and was an impressive debut for this underappreciated talent.

01.07.2017.

WOODY GUTHRIE - American Radical Patriot (2013) [6CD] & Pastures Of Plenty: The Best Of (2004)

Throughout his career Woody Guthrie made no excuses or apologies for his left-wing political leanings. But what is surprising is that some of his best work was done for the US government. Woody Guthrie - American Radical Patriot contains all the music he created for the Library of Congress, Bonneville Power Administration, "government recordings" he made during world war two, and V.D. recordings made for the United States Public Health Service.

Produced by Bill Knowlin at Rounder Records and The Woody Guthrie Foundation and Archives Woody Guthrie - American Radical Patriot includes six CDs, one DVD, and one 78 rpm record containing Bob Dylan's rendition of "VD City." The first four CDs are a complete catalog of Woody's Library of Congress recordings, the fifth and sixth CD have his PBA, war-effort, and VD songs, and the DVD contains a documentary film, made in 1999 at the University of Oregon called "Roll On Columbia" about Woody's BPA songs.



Some may argue that these 26 songs aren't Woody Guthrie's "best" songs, but they certainly capture the breadth of the man's musical vision. They will also remind listeners of the debt Bob Dylan owed to him. Probably remembered most for his song "This Land is Your Land," Guthrie was not always so sanguine about America. More characteristic are feelings of anger, sadness, and a kind of grim humor. There are timeless songs: "House of the Rising Sun" and "So Long, It's Been Good to Know You." But most of the songs on this CD recall the bleak days of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. The bleakest in the collection is surely "Dust Pneumonia Blues." The 1930s are also remembered with tributes to "Grand Coulee Dam" and "Pretty Boy Floyd." Taken together, these songs are the broken-down voice for a generation of poor, jobless, and uprooted, the people Steinbeck celebrated in "Grapes of Wrath." Listening to this CD, you are reminded of how seldom a voice like Guthrie's has made itself heard in America. This is a collection of songs well worth a long and thoughtful listen.

30.06.2017.

V.A. - White Mansions (1978) & The Legend of Jesse James (1980) [1999]

The pairing of these two records in a double-CD set, both unusual country-rock concept albums steeped in history from the end of the '70s, is kind of a no-brainer. White Mansions was the better known of the two at the time of their original release, dealing as it does with the history of the American south, and it developed a strong cult following at the time, possibly as a reaction to the success of the television mini-series Roots, and the election of Jimmy Carter (the first Southerner -- apart from Woodrow Wilson -- to reach the White House since the Civil War). The presence of an all-star cast, including Eric Clapton, Jessi Colter, and Waylon Jennings, and Steve Cash and John Dillon of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils (then near the height of their popularity) didn't hurt. It's also the more raw and basic of the two -- though a concept album telling the story of the fall of the southern Confederacy and the culture behind it, it is made up of songs that stand up better on their own, and shows a bracing diversity of styles, ranging from faux-19th century popular music to modern country-rock of a century later. Legend of Jesse James is slicker and smoother, and also seems to make the transition to CD a little better on a technical level. The booklet includes full notes and background on each song, as well as bios on all of the participants and a fascinating account of Paul Kennerley, the English advertising executive whose fascination with American history led to his composing the songs for both albums, and the participation of Glyn Johns as the unifying technical force behind the two productions. The sound is excellent on both discs, and the whole set is well worth more than one listen. And this is the only way to get Legend of Jesse James on CD. Previously available only on an expensive import, these two concept albums about the Civil War were written by Paul Kennerly, produced by Glyn Johns and starred an unbelievable cast of musicians: Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Emmylou Harris, Levon Helm (as Jesse James!), Eric Clapton, Charlie Daniels and Rodney Crowell among others! This 2-CD set includes original and new notes and an unreleased bonus track.

THE YARDBIRDS - Live At The BBC (2016)

The Yardbirds were one of the important bands in the 1960s London blues / pop / rock scene. Early repertoire consisted of blues covers by the likes of Howlin' Wolf, Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley. Numerous personnel changes mean there isn't a definitive Yardbirds line-up. However, Keith Relf (vocals), Chris Dreja (rhythm guitar, later bass), Jim McCarty (drums) and Paul Samwell-Smith (bass, until mid-66) formed the stable part of the band, initially with Top Topham on lead guitar.

2-CD set. 40 restored and remastered tracks. Rare BBC archive recordings. Authoritative liner notes and new quotes. The most comprehensive collection of the Yardbirds BBC ‘live’ recordings, assembled with the assistance of the BBC, with several tracks now all together the first time on this newly restored and remastered 2CD set. Several tracks have been expertly repaired from rare, hard-to-find recordings and feature for the first time on this set. Featuring guitar legends Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page with front man Keith Relf, these sessions were recorded by the world renowned broadcasting organisation for radio transmission and our CDs explore all the available Yardbirds’ BBC Radio One output. Detailed data in the booklet, which also includes authoritative liner notes by Richard Morton Jack, editor of ‘Flashback’ magazine, and contains new quotes from Yardbirds’ Jim McCarty and Paul Samwell-Smith. Jim McCarty also adds an introduction exclusively for this the set, looking back at the BBC years.

29.06.2017.

PHIL OCHS - Farewells & Fantasies (1997) [REPOST]

Phil Ochs is a figure both glorious and tragic who haunts the history of the 1960s folk revival and its aftermath. A topical singer and songwriter in the manner of Lee Hays, Pete Seeger, and Woody Guthrie from the previous generation, he was forever in the shadow of Bob Dylan in terms of the recognition for his music; but unlike Dylan -- who, in retrospect, seemed to approach his work with overpowering facility and talent, but only occasional moments of definable dedication to the causes seemingly behind the songs -- Ochs truly believed in and embraced those causes, which may have been his tragedy.

In contrast to Dylan, who was an enigmatic media star from 1964 onward -- teasing and even daring the press and public to try and define him -- Ochs embraced the role of ideological outlaw, authoring songs that often stretched (and sometimes ripped) the envelope of acceptable popular political discourse, as well as extending the range and language of folk style music's poetry into new and gloriously rich territory. And what made it even more effective was that he did it with a voice that was so seemingly earnest and unassuming in its appeal. He may never have written anything as widely known as "Blowing in the Wind," "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall," or "Mr. Tambourine Man," but he angered people across the country (and in Mississippi, for other reasons) with "Here's to the State of Mississippi"; roused those who heard them with "The Power and the Glory" (a worthy successor to Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land") and "I'm Not Marching Anymore"; and moved many thousands to a fresh round of tears about President Kennedy with "Crucifixion." And for all of his outlaw reputation -- which began coalescing around him as early as 1965 in some "respectable," establishment circles -- his work ended up infiltrating high school classrooms through the songs "The Highwayman" and "The Bells," the latter an extraordinarily early intersection between folk song and art song...... - allmusic.com

V.A. - Janis and Elvis (2007)

To mark the 50th anniversary of a unique, and highly-collectible 10" LP, El Toro Records brings you the iconic "Janis & Elvis", re-issuing the eight tracks included originally plus a handful of extra bonus tracks from each artist. One of the rarest and most sought-after record releases from the last half-century of Elvis Presley collectibles, the big ten-incher titled Janis and Elvis was issued through Teal Records, the company who had the local license to issue RCA records in South Africa at the time, and the elusive original now commands figures in excess of $5,000. Sadly, while this release was in production we learned that Janis had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and she has since died. She will be a sadly-missed figure on the current rock 'n' roll scene, having been an indefatigable and exciting performer throughout her life.

28.06.2017.

CHEAP TRICK - We're All Alright! [Deluxe Version] (2017)

Back in Cheap Trick's late-'70s through mid-'80s heyday, it was standing operating procedure for a working band to crank out an album roughly once a year. Things are a good bit different in the 21st century, but Cheap Trick haven't lost the ability to deliver on a tight schedule. A mere 13 months after Rockford, Illinois' favorite sons dropped their first album for Nashville powerhouse Big Machine Records, 2016's Bang, Zoom, Crazy... Hello, they've knocked out a follow-up, We're All Alright!, and it manages to best the previous long-player for sheer rock action and sense of fun. Like Bang, Zoom, Crazy... Hello, We're All Alright! is a different animal than the band's best work; this dials back on their Beatles-influenced power pop moves, and puts the focus on the band's hard rock action (which has gotten harder since Daxx Nielsen replaced Bun E. Carlos behind the drum kit). And with producer Julian Raymond (who was also behind the controls for Bang, Zoom) on hand, the playful eccentricity that's always marked Cheap Trick's best music doesn't get as much of a hearing. But while this isn't a purist's Cheap Trick album, it's a lot of fun in spite of that. The bandmembers sound like they're having a blast on these sessions, with Rick Nielsen's guitar roaring at every turn, bassist Tom Petersson and drummer Nielsen holding down the backbeat like they're joined at the hip, and vocalist Robin Zander sounding playfully horny on numbers like "Listen to Me," "Nowhere," "Long Time Coming," and "You Got It Going On." If Bang, Zoom sounded like it was carefully worked over to prove the veteran band could still cut the mustard, We're All Alright! feels like the band rolled in and knocked this out with plenty of sweat and little fuss. Though the skillful harmonies and turn-on-a-time performances are a long way from sloppy, this is lively in a way that documents a truly great rock band in its element, and it's been some time since Cheap Trick have made a record that was as howling-along enjoyable as this one. If you're looking for a great hard rock album for the summer of 2017, don't look now, but Cheap Trick have delivered the fast 'n' loud blast that you need. We're All Alright! was also released in a Deluxe Edition featuring three bonus tracks.

TRACKS: 01. You Got It Going On 02. Long Time Coming 03. Nowhere 04. Radio Lover 05. Lolita 06. Brand New Name On An Old Tattoo 07. Floating Down 08. She's Alright 09. Listen To Me 10. The Rest Of My Life 11. Blackberry Way 12. Like A Fly 13. If You Still Want My Love

BOOKER T & THE MG's - Uptight (1968)

UpTight is a soundtrack album by Southern soul band Booker T. & the M.G.'s for the film of the same title. The album's highlights include "Time Is Tight," the single version of which became a US Top 10 hit (the second biggest of their career) and a signature song for the band. The version of "Time Is Tight" included on the Up Tight soundtrack album is an alternate recording, which differs from the single version in several respects: it is in stereo, it is played at a faster tempo, it runs almost two minutes longer (4'55"), and it includes both an extended introduction and an instrumental "breakdown" (beginning around 3'30"), neither of which are in the single version. "Johnny, I Love You" (the B-side of "Time Is Tight") features a rare vocal by keyboardist Booker T. Jones. Judy Clay provides vocals on "Children, Don't Get Weary." The album was recorded at Stax Records' studios by Ron Capone, produced by Jones, and was overdubbed and mixed at Ardent Studios by Steve Cropper and Terry Manning. The album charted at number 98 on the Billboard 200 album chart and number 7 on the Billboard R&B; albums chart. "Time is Tight" was covered by the Clash on their 10-inch vinyl Black Market Clash LP in 1980 (and later on their Super Black Market Clash CD) and by Paul Shaffer on his 1993 double CD The World's Most Dangerous Party.

TRACKS: 01. Johnny, I Love You 02. Cleveland Now 03. Children, Don't Get Weary 04. Thank's Lament 05. Blues In The Gutter 06. We've Got Johnny Wells 07. Down At Ralph's Joint 08. Deadwood Dick 09 Run Tank Run 10. Time Is Tight

27.06.2017.

CAMEL - A Live Record (1978) [2CD] & Pressure Points: Live In Concert (1984)

A Live Record is the first live album by the progressive rock band Camel, released in 1978. It is a double LP, composed of recordings from three different tours. LP one features recordings from the Mirage tour in 1974, and the Rain Dances tour, in 1977. Tracks 1–4 on the LP are from the Rain Dances tour, and 5–6 are from the Mirage tour. LP 2 features the original line-up all the way, and is devoted to a complete performance of the band's instrumental concept album, The Snow Goose, during the tour for the album in 1975, performed with the London Symphony Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall, London, October 1975. "A Live Record" was released as Decca DBC 7/8 in April 1978. Unlike previous Camel albums, it failed to make the UK album chart, although it remained a consistent catalogue seller. The album also failed to gain a US release as it was completed at the point Camel had fulfilled their contractual obligations to Janus records and were in the process of negotiating a new deal with Arista records for their stateside releases.



Pressure Points: Live in Concert is a live album by progressive rock band Camel, released in 1984. A remastered version with six bonus tracks was released in 2009 as a double CD Set. Pressure Points is the second official live since A Live Record. and hardly measures up to that incredible taste of Camel adventure; however, it is indubitably that Camel have rumbled the concerts and the tours, into more than extensive and better than exhausting means, up for which there is no essential high-point in this 1984 connection, nor is Pressure Points the most inspired album of all chances - in fact, superficiality, short excerpting and rock-glossing are negative ideas on how this live was created and released, ideas I won't use out loud, yet ideas that can be felt, if you are pretentious enough. The random fact is that Camel can't have an essential album once they don't mean that at all. After the silence, Camel released some old time live concerts, only those dull ones being below the excitement and the pasture of Pressure Points.

26.06.2017.

DAVID CROSBY - Voyage (2006)

Rhino has gone all out to release projects to coincide with the publication of David Crosby's autobiography, Since Then. Along with this triple-disc box set, the label is also reissuing Crosby's first solo recording - an album that carries the word "masterpiece" around with it in the 21st century. While that double disc (the original disc with a bonus cut, and a DVD of the album in a superior mix) may carry some real excitement, it's a head-scratching exercise as to who, exactly, will be interested in this box. Rhino has packaged together three CDs in a deluxe foldout package with a 130-page book with a great liner essay by Steve Silberman, and song-by-song annotations by Crosby. Compiled and produced by Joel Bernstein and Graham Nash, Voyage contains two discs of songs from Crosby's various contributing incarnations as a member of the Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Crosby & Nash, and CPR, and as a solo artist. The work here varies in quality, and merely tells a kind of story that has been told in many ways over the individual releases he appeared on. None of his backing vocal sessions with the Jefferson Airplane, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, etc., are here. That may be as it should be, but the story would have been fuller and more complete than it is presented here. After all, it is reasonable to assume that anyone interested in the aforementioned acts to any real degree would have this material anyway. And anyone new to those recording artists or to Crosby himself would be ill-disposed to purchasing something this expensive.

So it all comes down to disc three, which is a 16-cut set of unreleased demos, alternates, and rehearsals of Crosby, either solo or with CSN, CSNY, or Crosby & Nash, with one exception - an alternate mix of "Have You Seen the Stars Tonight" with the Jefferson Starship under the leadership of Paul Kantner. Here, there are benefits for fans of rough and "unfinished" recordings. The demos of "Long Time Gone" with Crosby and Stephen Stills is compelling, as are the alternate mix of "Guinnevere" and the demo of "Déja Vu," the latter for its intense showcase of vocal harmony. However, the takes of "Almost Cut My Hair" (acoustic) and "Games" are throwaway ones. "Triad" neither adds nor subtracts from its recorded version; it is merely different. "Cowboy Movie" is a studio take here, over ten minutes in length, that rocks. "Kids and Dogs," the bonus cut on If I Could Only Remember My Name, is a mellow but worthy inclusion. The rest is all of interest, most of it being of very high quality, and the disc is thus recommended to fans in a big way - it would have probably sold on its own. Yet the question remains as to how willing consumers are to go after such a set, even if it is being released in the holiday season.

25.06.2017.

JETHRO TULL - 25th Anniversary - 4 CD Box Set (1993)



25th Anniversary Box Set is a 1993 limited edition box set by Jethro Tull. It includes some of the band's best-known compositions from 1969 to 1992, many of them previously unavailable in the versions presented here. It was the second Jethro Tull box-set in five years, the first being the 3CD/ 5LP/ 3Cassette 20 Years of Jethro Tull.

The CDs are housed in a mock cigar-box, along with a booklet featuring extensive notes and photographs, sealed with a label bearing an image of Ian Anderson.

The four CDs are:

- Remixed Classic Songs: remixes some older tracks;
- Carnegie Hall, N.Y., Recorded Live New York City 1970: benefit concert for Phoenix House to rehabilitate drug abusers. This CD omits "By Kind Permission Of" and "Dharma For One", due to CD time constraints. Both can be found on the Living In The Past compilation. This performance was later released again in an expanded edition of Stand Up;
- The Beacons Bottom Tapes: new recordings, mostly of older tracks;
- Pot Pourri, Live Across The World & Through The Years: live (1969–1992).

24.06.2017.

JOE BONAMASSA - Live at Carnegie Hall - An Acoustic Evening (2017)

Last year, January 21st and 22nd world-renowned platinum-selling and Grammy nominated Blues-rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Joe Bonamassa performed 2 unique all-acoustic shows at the iconic Carnegie Hall in New York City. Both performances were filmed and made into 'Joe Bonamassa Live At Carnegie Hall – An Acoustic Evening'. An evening of extraordinary music with new arrangements of favourite songs as well as brand new, never-before-heard songs. The concert was part of a special all-acoustic tour and featured an all-star ensemble of world-class musicians.

Acclaimed Chinese cellist and erhuist Tina Guo, whose repertoire stretches from classical to heavy metal; and Hossam Ramzy, the Egyptian percussionist and composer, who has performed on dozens of film soundtracks and records, including on Jimmy Page and Robert Plant’s No Quarter: Unledded Tour. Reese Wynans (piano), Anton Fig (Drums) Eric Bazilian (mandolin, hurdy-gurdy, saxophone, acoustic guitar, vocals), and three Australian backing vocalists, Mahalia Barnes, Juanita Tippins, and Gary Pinto. Everyone knows the old saying about how to get to Carnegie Hall, but Bonamassa has truly lived that advice. His entire life and musical career had been practice for this moment, and a young blues-boy finally made good on a childhood dream of playing one of the most hallowed stages in the world. This stripped down, all-acoustic show allowed his fans a glimpse into his soul and presented a thrilling and musically dangerous spectacle akin to walking a tightrope without a net.

23.06.2017.

DOC & MERLE WATSON - Never The Same Once - Live At The Boarding House, May 1974 (2017)

Doc Watson was a legendary American flat-picking guitarist, songwriter and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues, and gospel music, who won 7 GRAMMY Awards and a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award. He performed with his son, the multi-instrumentalist Merle Watson, for more than 15 years until Merle’s death in 1985. Live recordings from this peak period for Doc and Merle in the 1970s are rare.

This set of exquisitely recorded live concerts of Doc & Merle Watson at The Boarding House in San Francisco is from 4 live shows recorded in 1974 by the legendary soundman Owsley Stanley. It contains 94 tracks on 7 CDs, including several rare tracks and songs played for the first/only time by Doc & Merle. This is the first box set of live concert recordings of Doc & Merle Watson and is the first release created by the Owsley Stanley Foundation, a non-profit established to preserve and steward Owsley’s legendary recordings, which are renowned for their quality and clarity. These performances have not been heard since the nights they were played more than 40 years ago and have been preserved and restored to the highest audiophile standards. Each night is distinctly brilliant and equally captivating – reflecting differences in the playing, sound recording techniques, and the energy in the room.

This 7 CD set is packaged in a 5.5 inch wide x 5 inch high x 1.75 inch deep box, featuring 94 tracks, including extraordinary flatpicking of a broad range of music, from bluegrass to swing jazz to rockabilly to gut-bucket blues, and contemporary folk. The included 16 page booklet contains contemporaneous photographs of Doc & Merle as well as of “Old Hoss,” Doc’s first Gallagher guitar which he played from 1968-1974. Old Hoss was retired after this tour and is also featured in the cover art ??– an original poster by ?frequent ?Grateful Dead ?artist, Mike DuBois, based on a design by Bear’s son, Starfinder. Also included is a new in-depth interview with bassist T. Michael Coleman, who performs with Doc and Merle on these recordings, and an original essay by David Holt, 4-time GRAMMY winner and a longtime Doc Watson collaborator.

URIAH HEEP - Look At Yourself (1971) & Demons And Wizards (1972) & The Magician's Birthday (1972) [3 x 2CD, All Remastered, 2017]

‘Look At Yourself’, ‘Demons And Wizards’ and ‘The Magician’s Birthday’ were originally released in 1971 and 1972. Fast forward 46 years, these albums still remains timeless classics. Painstakingly remastered by Andy Pearce these 2CD sets also include previously unreleased alternative mixes that excite, reignite and rejuvenate. There are also extensive liner notes penned by best-selling author Joel McIver which tell the story of the band’s ascent to the very top and are accompanied by new and revealing accounts of the time from Mick Box and Ken Hensley.

Look at Yourself is the third album by British rock band Uriah Heep, released in 1971 by Bronze Records in the UK and Mercury Records in the US. Characterized as heavy metal and progressive rock,[1] the album has come to be viewed as a highpoint in the band's career, and is today regarded by many fans and critics as Uriah Heep's finest album along with Demons and Wizards, released the following year. The title track and "July Morning" were released as singles in the UK and North America in 1971 and 1973, respectively. "Look at Yourself" was the last album to feature founding bassist Paul Newton. The original cover art on the LP featured a single sleeve with a die-cut opening on the front through which a reflective foil "mirror" was seen, conveying a distorted image of the person viewing it. The idea, by guitarist Mick Box, was for the cover to directly reflect the album title, and this theme is carried through the band photos on the rear of the LP sleeve, which have also been distorted. The LP itself was housed in a heavy-duty card inner, complete with lyrics.



Demons and Wizards is the fourth album by British rock band Uriah Heep, released in 1972 by Bronze Records in the UK and Mercury Records in the US. The album helped the band become famous and has sold 3 million copies worldwide. The original vinyl release was a gatefold sleeve, the front of which was designed by Roger Dean. It contained a hidden erotic image of male and female genitalia[citation needed]. The inner sleeve had pictures of the band and notes by Ken Hensley, while the liner featured printed lyrics. The songs "The Wizard" and "Easy Livin'" were released as singles in the UK and North America as well as many other markets. "Easy Livin'" entered the US Top 40 at No. 39, making it Heep's first and only American hit. "Easy Livin'" was also a mega-hit in the Netherlands and Germany, countries which were becoming strong markets for the band. It reached a disappointing No. 75 in Australia.

The Magician's Birthday is the fifth album by British rock band Uriah Heep, released in 1972 by Bronze Records in the UK and Mercury Records in the US. The concept was "based loosely on a short story" written by Ken Hensley in June and July 1972. The original vinyl release was a gatefold sleeve, the front designed by Roger Dean. The inner fold had pictures of the band, with the album itself housed in a liner on which were printed the lyrics. Two songs charted in the United States, "Blind Eye" (No. 97) and "Sweet Lorraine" (No. 91). "Spider Woman" reached No. 13 in Germany. In a retrospective review, Sputnikmusic praised The Magician's Birthday, saying, "Though probably not as cohesive as it could be, it still offers plenty of highlights, earning its place among Heep's finest albums". Reviewer Daniel Dias singled out "Sunrise", noting that it was "a highlight in Heep's catalog and one of the band's finest progressive rock ballads". AllMusic noted the album's prog elements as well, and said, "The Magician's Birthday never quite hits the consistent heights of Look at Yourself or Demons and Wizards but remains a solid listen for Uriah Heep fans". The Magician's Birthday was certified gold by the RIAA on 22 January 1973.

22.06.2017.

DUFFY - Just In Case You're Interested... (1972) & Scruffy Duffy (1973)

Obscure UK Hard Prog band that released this first album back in 1972 only in South Africa. Second press in 74 in Germany and France (different sleeve). A later press appeared in 1978 on Brazil with an unique sleeve. This is the original 1972 sleeve pressed in a limited run of 400 copies with remastered sound. Duffy took influence from other UK Hard Prog giants such as early Deep Purple and Uriah Heep, but crossed it with pastoral Rock ala Jethro Tull. The band also released a second album in 1973 ("Scruffy Duffy") finishing shortly after their career. Both albums are very hard to find, so it's time for a revamp of this great UK Prog band that should not be forgotten in the UK 70's Rock history!

21.06.2017.

V.A. - American Epic - The Collection (2017)

American Epic, a film series produced by Allison McGourty, Duke Erikson and Director Bernard MacMahon, explores the pivotal recording journeys at the height of the Roaring Twenties, when music scouts armed with cutting-edge recording technology captured the breadth of American music and discovered the artists that would shape our world. The recordings they made of all the ethnic groups of America democratized the nation and gave a voice to everyone. Country singers in the Appalachians, Blues guitarists in the Mississippi Delta, Gospel preachers across the south, Cajun fiddlers in Louisiana, Tejano groups from the Texas Mexico border, Native American drummers in Arizona, and Hawaiian musicians were all recorded. It was the first time America heard itself.

American Epic: The Collection gathers 100 of these original recordings from the 1920s and 1930s in one five-disc set, restored to unprecedented levels of sonic fidelity. For this box set, compiled by Director Bernard MacMahon, engineer Nicholas Bergh refined a transfer process using a mix of both modern and vintage equipment in order to extract the remarkable resolution from the records that is often missed. This reverse engineering approach to the transfer process enabled the restoration team of Grammy Award-winning engineer Peter Henderson, Duke Erikson and Joel Tefteller to get the resulting audio closer to the original performance than ever before. This is not "remastering," in the normal sense, but something closer to fine art restoration. The intent is not for people to marvel at the antiquity of these discs, but rather to experience them as vital, immediate performances that speak to us as directly as they did on the day they were recorded not simply great art for their time, but great art for all times. It includes a 100-page book filled with stunning unpublished photographs, quotes from the artists, their friends and families, lyrics for every song, essays and recording notes. Among the artists included are Mississippi John Hurt, The Carter Family, Charley Patton, Jimmie Rodgers, Lydia Mendoza, Nelstone's Hawaiians, Big Chief Henry's String Band, Robert Johnson and many others.

20.06.2017.

V.A. - Texas Flashbacks: 95 Nets From The Lone Star State (2010)

David Shutt was a record collector from Austin, TX with a passion for garage rock and early psychedelia from the Lone Star State. Eager to spread the word about the many great but hopelessly obscure records he'd unearthed over the years, Shutt was responsible for a series of limited-edition vinyl compilations released under the umbrella title Flashback, which featured choice rarities from his archives. The original LP editions of the Flashback series (the last two volumes were billed as Texas Flashbacks) were pressed in small runs of only a few hundred copies, but they've been reissued in various forms by several collectors' labels over the years, and now Psychic Circle (run by Nick Saloman of the Bevis Frond) has brought together the complete series in a box set called Texas Flashbacks, Vols. 1-6. The material has been cleaned up sonically for this edition, with greater success on some tracks than others; a few bits show the effects of a bit too much digital noise reduction, but for the most part, this sounds better than the average collection of vinyl-sourced rarities from the '60s. From a musical standpoint, these six discs lean to rarity over strict quality, but on average, each volume is at least as good as the average installment in the Pebbles or Teenage Shutdown series, and the fact all this music came from one state within a space of a few years says a lot about how good the rock & roll scene in Texas was in the mid-'60s. This also is a bit more eclectic than most garage-centric compilations, often acknowledging the Lone Star psychedelic scene, which more strongly dominates the track listings on the final two discs on this set. This also may be the only garage rock collection that features not one but two bands featuring a violin (Shiva's Headband and the Mind's Eye), as well as two bands boasting future members of ZZ Top (the Moving Sidewalks and the Warlocks). The set is a bit bulky and the packaging leaves a lot to be desired (the sleeves for the six discs reproduce the original artwork for the LPs, which would be more impressive if the graphics weren't so ugly), but the accompanying booklet includes useful data on nearly all the bands (a few still remain unknown all these decades later), and if this is for hardcore garage and psych fans, most of them will feel well-served by this box set.

19.06.2017.

JOHN PHILLIPS - John Phillips [AKA John, The Wolfking Of L.A.] (1970)

John Phillips (John, the Wolf King of L.A.) is the first solo recording by the Mamas & the Papas leader John Phillips. All songs were Phillips originals, dealing mostly with recent events in Phillips' life, including references to his new girlfriend Genevieve Waite and longtime friend Ann Marshall ("April Anne"). The backing musicians included members of Wrecking Crew. Today the album receives favorable reviews from fans and critics alike. The album was selected as one of ShortList's 50 Coolest Albums Ever. As Phillips was the backing singer in the Mamas and the Papas, with the other three serving as lead singers, the album mix tends to de-emphasize his lead vocals. Denny Doherty stated that, had the Mamas & the Papas performed this album, it would have been one of their finest, because of the strength of Phillips' songs.[6] The single "Mississippi" reached the US Billboard top 40. Phillips and the other members of the Mamas & the Papas were threatened with a lawsuit just as the album was released, discouraging the label from promoting the album. Bob Dylan aped the cover image for his 1975 Desire album.

TRACKS: 01. April Anne 02. Topanga Canyon 03. Malibu People 04. Someone's Sleeping 05. Drum 06. Captain (The Mermaid) 07. Let It Bleed, Genevieve 08. Down The Beach 09. Mississippi 10. Holland Tunnel

A FOOT IN COLDWATER - A Foot In Coldwater (1972) & The Second Foot In Coldwater (1973)

A Foot in Coldwater (sometimes credited as A Foot in Cold Water) was a late 1960s Canadian progressive rock band. Its members were Alex Machin (vocals) who would later also front the rock group Moxy, Hughie Leggat (bass, acoustic guitar, vocals), Paul Naumann (guitar, vocals), Bob Horne (keyboards) and Danny Taylor (drums, percussion).



A Foot in Coldwater, sometimes shortened to simply AFIC by fans, had a number of other names and false starts before settling into what fans would remember them being. Members of this '70s progressive rock group included lead singer Alex Machin; guitarist, bassist, and singer Paul Naumann; drummer and percussionist Danny Taylor; singer, bassist, and acoustic guitarist Hughie Leggat; and keyboardist Bob Horne. In 1971 A Foot in Coldwater was formed out of members from two bands, Island and Nucleus, and a year later a self-titled album was completed. One of the debut's singles, "(Make Me Do) Anything You Want," found its way straight onto the Canadian music charts. In 1973 a sophomore album was released, A Second Foot in Coldwater, recorded under the Daffodil Records label. The second offering didn't do very well, but the band went on with a third, All Around Us. Some of the singles landed on the charts, one rising up to a Top Ten spot. After the third album, A Foot in Coldwater ran into trouble. First, its record label folded, then there were some problems between members that cost them Bob Horne in 1976. There were a few more recordings, but things were pretty much over by 1977.

17.06.2017.

V.A. - The Monterey International Pop Festival [June 16-17-18, 1967] (1992)

The Monterey International Pop Music Festival was a three-day concert event held June 16 to June 18, 1967 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, California. Crowd estimates for the festival have ranged from 25,000-90,000 people, who congregated in and around the festival grounds. The fairgrounds’ enclosed performance arena, where the music took place, had an approved festival capacity of 7,000, but it was estimated that 8,500 jammed into it for Saturday night’s show, with many extra attendees standing around the sides of the arena. Festival-goers who wanted to see the musical performances were required to have either an 'all-festival' ticket or a separate ticket for each of the five scheduled concert events they wanted to attend in the arena: Friday night, Saturday afternoon and night, and Sunday afternoon and night. Ticket prices varied by seating area, and ranged from $3 to $6.50 ($22–47, adjusted for inflation). The festival is remembered for the first major American appearances by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Who and Ravi Shankar, the first large-scale public performance of Janis Joplin and the introduction of Otis Redding.

A sumptuous, four-CD box set with all the deluxe trimmings celebrating the grandaddy of all outdoor rock concerts. With legendary performances by Otis Redding, the Who, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, the Byrds, and Paul Butterfield all taken from the mobile-unit multi-track masters (not to mention an album-sized booklet that'll knock your eyes out), this box evokes a sound and an era the way few (if any) retrospectives of like material ever do. Important music from a turning point in rock's history. The Monterey International Pop Festival, which preceded Woodstock by two years, brought together a diverse group of big-name acts including the Mamas and the Papas and Jefferson Airplane as well as some then-unknown performers, notably Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. The 1967 event was organized by Lou Adler and the late John Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas and it was caught on film by documentary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker. Adler and singer Michelle Phillips look back at the event. "Some of the greatest performances of all time happened at Monterey," Adler tells Renee Montagne. Michelle Phillips, a member of the Mamas and the Papas, remembers how Hendrix amazed the crowd — and fellow artists — with his jaw-dropping performance, playing his guitar on his back, behind his back, lying down and setting the instrument on fire. "I had never seen anything like it," Phillips says. "And I didn't understand that it was kind of theater. I was used to people singing and harmonizing and taking care of their instruments. It was shocking for me to see this kind of behavior on stage." The festival also exposed soul great Otis Redding to a new, primarily white audience, whom he called "the love crowd," Phillips says. "A whole new audience opened up to him," she says. Redding was killed in a plane crash just months after that performance. A few, short years later, Hendrix and Joplin died within weeks of each other. Their performances at the Monterey Festival have become part of music legend.

16.06.2017.

GRAM PARSONS - GP (1973) & Grievous Angel (1974) [1990]

After being dismissed from his previous band, the critically acclaimed Flying Burrito Brothers, Parsons decided to embark on a solo career. Unlike his two albums with the Burritos, which melded country and western with soul and rock music, Parsons was determined to make a more traditional country record this time around. However, Parsons' ongoing drug problem (which was a deciding factor for his being fired from the Burritos) and his friendship with Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones would delay his solo plans.

GP is American singer-songwriter Gram Parsons' debut solo album. It was originally released in a gatefold sleeve in 1973. GP received critical acclaim upon release, but failed to reach the Billboard charts. In the original Rolling Stone review, which individually covered both GP and its follow-up, Grievous Angel, the reviewer praises Parsons' vocals and delivery paraphrasing Gram's lyrics, "boy, but he sure can sing". Grievous Angel is the second solo album by Gram Parsons, compiled from summer 1973 sessions and released four months after his death from a morphine and alcohol overdose in September 1973. It received great critical acclaim upon release, but failed to find commercial success, a fate shared with his previous efforts solo and with The Flying Burrito Brothers. Grievous Angel peaked at number 195 on the Billboard charts. Despite its modest sales, it is viewed as a successful example of the hybrid between country and rock and roll Parsons called "Cosmic American Music". In 2012, the album was ranked number 425 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

15.06.2017.

V.A. - Mavis Staples: I'll Take You There - An All-Star Concert Celebration (2017)

Mavis Staples: I’ll Take You There, An All-Star Concert Celebration captured performances from the historic, one-night concert event that honored the music of Mavis Staples, one of the most beloved cultural icons of our time. The two-and-a-half-hour concert film and available audio recordings feature over 20 once-in-a-lifetime performances from this momentous event by Gregg Allman, Ryan Bingham, Win Butler & Régine Chassagne, Eric Church, Otis Clay, Patty Griffin, Glen Hansard, Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal, Michael McDonald, Buddy Miller, Keb’ Mo’, Aaron Neville, Joan Osborne, Widespread Panic, Grace Potter, Bonnie Raitt, Jeff & Spencer Tweedy, and Mavis Staples. Both the album and the film shine a light on performers who do not often share the same stage in order to honor Mavis Staples by singing her classic, iconic songs. In addition to the performances, the film goes behind the scenes with exclusive interviews from the artists and takes a deep dive into the cultural and musical impact of Mavis Staples. Captured and presented in stunning HD quality with true Dolby 5.1 surround stereo, the full-length concert film and available audio records include some of Mavis’ classics, like “I’ll Take You There,” “Will The Circle Be Unbroken,” and “People Get Ready.”

14.06.2017.

THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS - Girls Go Wild (1979) & Live (2000)

With their fusion of blues, rock & roll, and R&B;, the Fabulous Thunderbirds helped popularize roadhouse Texas blues with a mass audience in the '80s and, in the process, they helped kick-start a blues revival during the mid-'80s. During their heyday in the early '80s, they were the most popular attraction on the blues bar circuit, which eventually led to a breakthrough to the pop audience in 1986 with their fifth album, Tuff Enuff. The mass success didn't last too long, and founding member Jimmie Vaughan left in 1990, but the Fabulous Thunderbirds remained one of the most popular blues concert acts in America during the '90s. Guitarist Jimmie Vaughan formed the Fabulous Thunderbirds with vocalist/harpist Kim Wilson in 1974; in addition to Vaughan and Wilson, the band's original lineup included bassist Keith Ferguson and drummer Mike Buck. Initially, the group also featured vocalist Lou Ann Barton, but she left the band shortly after its formation. Within a few years, the Thunderbirds became the house band for the Austin club Antone's, where they would play regular sets and support touring blues musicians. By the end of the decade, they had built a strong fan base, which led to a record contract with the local Takoma Records. In 1979, the Fabulous Thunderbirds released their eponymous debut on Takoma. The record was successful enough to attract the attention of major labels and Chrysalis signed the band the following year.



Like spiritually similar brethren George Thorogood (only with a Tex-Mex flair, natch), the Thunderbirds have released a live disc on the CMC imprint. This appropriately monikered Live does a fine job of displaying the hits, namely "Wrap It Up" and "Tuff Enuff," and that alone would make it a decent primer for the band, though purists would no-doubt be able to find one or a dozen missing gems from the band's vast catalog. Gearheads will appreciate the modern technology used to capture the band's set - this is outlined nicely in the liner notes, though those same liner notes refer to the disc as This Night in L.A., which is bound to create confusion.

13.06.2017.

GRAHAM BONNET - Anthology (2017)

In the 1980s, hard rock and heavy metal were all about the way you looked. If you didn't have long hair and dress in studs, spikes, leather, or spandex, you stuck out like a sore thumb. Singer Graham Bonnet - who sported a look that was equal parts James Dean and Miami Vice-era Don Johnson - was a prime example of this, despite fronting such renowned acts as Rainbow, the Michael Schenker Group, and Alcatrazz. Born December 23, 1947 in Skegness, Lincolnshire, England, Bonnet had his first taste of success in the music biz in the late '60s, when he scored a hit with his band, the Marbles - "Only One Woman." Bonnet supposedly spent most of the '70s doing commercial jingles before issuing a self-titled solo debut in 1977, which became a hit in Australia due to a cover of Bob Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue," and scoring another cover hit a year later with the Bee Gees' "Warm Ride." Just before the close of the decade, Bonnet was chosen to replace Ronnie James Dio in Rainbow, which saw the group transform into a more melodic and radio-friendly act with 1980's Down to Earth. But Bonnet's tenure with Rainbow was short-lived, as he then returned to a solo career, scoring a U.K. hit single with "Night Games" off of 1981's Line Up. Up next was another brief association, with the Michael Schenker Group, which also lasted for a single album -- 1982's Assault Attack. A year later, Bonnet co-formed an all new band, Alcatrazz, which featured two of the biggest rock guitar heroes of the '80s - Yngwie Malmsteen (on 1984's No Parole from Rock 'n' Roll and Live Sentence) and Steve Vai (on 1985's Disturbing the Peace). However, after a third studio album, 1986's Dangerous Games, Alcatrazz were kaput. Subsequently, Bonnet has appeared on numerous albums by others - including Pretty Maids, Impellitteri, Blackthorne, Anthem, Stardust Reverie, and Eddie Hardin - and has also sporadically issued further solo sets (1991's Here Comes the Night, 1997's Underground, and 1999's The Day I Went Mad). Having made the move, permanently, to tour and record, both on his own and with his many serial collaborators.

Graham Bonnet's "Anthology" is the first all encompassing, career spanning career retrospective from this highly respected singer and song writer, from his first hits of the late 1960s, right up to the Graham Bonnet Band in 2017. . Few frontmen can claim to have had such a lengthy and far-reaching career, first finding fame as part of The Marbles duo, who enjoyed a hit with the Bee Gees' 'Only One Woman' in 1968, followed by a solo career across the 1970s, again enjoying further success with the Bee Gees on the disco flavoured 'Warm Ride'. . Over the years, Graham has also found time to reunite with Impellitteri, and more recently for successful shows with Alcatrazz and The Michael Schenker Group. . Now fronting the Graham Bonnet Band, represented here by an unreleased version of the Rainbow hit 'All Night Long', plus new songs 'My Kingdom Come' and 'Mirror Lies', this "Anthology" is completed by a DVD of many rare video clips taken from across Graham's career, and includes some track-by-track intros from Graham, filmed especially for this collection.

12.06.2017.

RUSS BALLARD - Voices: The Best Songs Of Russ Ballard (1993)

Russell Glyn "Russ" Ballard is an English singer, songwriter and musician. Originally coming to prominence as the lead singer and guitarist for the band Argent, Ballard became known by the late 1970s as a songwriter and producer. His compositions "New York Groove", "You Can Do Magic", "Since You Been Gone", "Liar", "Winning", "I Know There's Something Going On", "So You Win Again" and "God Gave Rock and Roll to You" were hits for other artists during the 1970s and 80s. He also scored several minor hits under his own name in the early/mid-1980s.

Ballard was born in Waltham Cross, Hertforshire in England. His music career began in the 1960s as part of such groups as Buster Miekle and the Day Breakers, The Roulettes and Unit 4+2, Ballard became lead singer of the group Argent, and was part of their only Top 10 single, "Hold Your Head Up". Ballard left Argent in 1973 and turned to songwriting, penning the hits "Liar" for Three Dog Night, "I Know There's Something Going On" (produced by Phil Collins, who also provided drums) and "Can't Shake Loose" for former ABBA singers Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Faltskog, respectively. In 1975 Ballard released his self-titled debut solo album, followed by Winning in 1976 (the title cut was later covered by Santana), later albums include At The Third Stroke, Into The Fire, Russ Ballard-1984 (featuring "Voices", and "In The Night"), and The Fire Still Burns (featuring "Your Time Is Gonna Come"). Ballard also worked with the group America in 1982, producing their album The Border, featuring their singles "You Can Do Magic" and "The Border", and resurrected their career. Ballard has only released two other solo albums in the past 20 years, and looks for new talent constantly.

TRACKS: 01. Voices 02. A Woman Like You 03. Hey Bernadette 04. Hold Your Head Up 05. Liar 06. You Can Do Voodoo 07. Winning 08. God Gave Rock And Roll To You 09. I Can't Hear You No More 10. Two Silhouettes 11. Tragedy 12. Since You Been Gone 13. On The Rebound 14. Your Time Is Gonna Come 15. Dream On 16. The Fire Still Burns

AMERICA - America (1971) & America Live (1977)

A light folk-rock act of the early '70s, America had several Top Ten hits, including the number ones "A Horse with No Name" and "Sister Golden Hair." Vocalists/guitarists Dewey Bunnell, Dan Peek, and Gerry Beckley met while they were still in high school in the late '60s; all three were sons of U.S. Air Force officers who were stationed in the U.K. After they completed school in 1970, they formed an acoustic folk-rock quartet called Daze in London, which was soon pared down to the trio of Bunnell, Peek, and Beckley. Adopting the name America, the group landed a contract with Jeff Dexter, a promoter for the Roundhouse concert venue. Dexter had America open for several major artists and the group soon signed with Warner Bros. Records. By the fall of 1970, the group was recording its debut album in London, with producers Ian Samwell and Jeff Dexter. "A Horse with No Name," America's debut single, was released at the end of 1971. In January 1972, the song - which strongly recalled the acoustic numbers of Neil Young - became a number three hit in the U.K. The group's self-titled debut album followed the same stylistic pattern and became a hit as well, peaking at number 14. Following their British success, America returned to North America, beginning a supporting tour for the Everly Brothers. "A Horse with No Name" was released in the U.S. that spring, where it soon became a number one single, pushing Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" off the top of the charts; America followed the single to the top of the charts. "I Need You" became another Top Ten hit that summer, and the group began work on their second album. "Ventura Highway," the first single released from this collaboration, became their third straight Top Ten hit in December of 1972. In the beginning of 1973, America won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist of 1972.



America Live marked the beginning of the group's history as a duo. Recorded at the last of a series of four shows at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles in July of 1977, with film music legend Elmer Bernstein conducting the orchestra and George Martin producing, the album closed out the group's original Warner Bros. contract and was mostly released for that reason, following the Harbor album and the departure of co-founder Dan Peek. Their ninth album in seven years (counting a greatest-hits compilation), it filled in a hole in the group's history and represented America surprisingly well, given the circumstances of its release. Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell are both in excellent voice, and one could hardly ask for a sharper or more balanced live recording. The expected mid-'70s hits such as "Tin Man," "Ventura Highway," and "Sister Golden Hair" (all brilliantly sung, and worth the price of the album) are here, and more modestly charting but highly personal tracks like "Amber Cascades" are represented as well, along with early classics like "I Need You" and "A Horse With No Name" (the latter done with a beautifully elegant yet restrained orchestral arrangement). One does wonder, however, if there were more to this show than the 14 songs represented on the original LP, which might make for a good CD expansion someday. On the other hand, given that Warner Bros. has never seen fit to release this album on CD anywhere but in Europe and Japan, that might be too much to hope for.

11.06.2017.

ROBIN TROWER - Time And Emotion (2017)

Robin Trower is back with perhaps his best solo album since he was in his 40s… considering Robin is 72, that is saying a lot! It is not that Trower’s recent efforts are not worthy, but rather that his latest release Time and Emotion is so damn good. Trower’s smooth-as-buttah guitar licks, screaming solos and ethereal bluesy vocals keep the listener hooked. Sure, we have plenty of songs by Robin Trower that have that same kinda riff that opens “I’m Gone” but dammit, we can always use one more! Robin has a vibe, a voice and a presence on his instrument that transcends time and space. He plays from the soul and he is as intoxicated from the music he creates as his listeners.

Another stellar offering from Robin something he's been doing his entire career. His second wind, which started with What Lies Beneath in 2009 continues with Time and Emotion. There is nobody out there doing the power trio like this. Highly recommended.

10.06.2017.

THE BEATLES - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band [4 CD Deluxe Edition] {with full box & 144-page book scans} (2017)

It was 50 years ago when The Beatles' John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr astonished and delighted the world, ushering in the Summer of Love with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, a groundbreaking masterwork that became popular music's most universally acclaimed album. The album is newly mixed by Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell in stereo, sourced directly from the four-track masters at Abbey Road Studios in London, and guided by the original, Beatles-preferred mono mix produced by his father, George Martin. This extensive collection gives an unprecedented insight into how The Beatles made their ground-breaking album. The box set features a new stereo version by Giles Martin and 33 tracks from the Sgt. Pepper sessions that place you in the studio as the group develop the songs. 4 Audio CDs: A new stereo mix of the album by Giles Martin. Sgt. Pepper Sessions on 2 CDs with over 100 minutes of audio illustrating how the album was created. Newly mixed from the original four-track tapes, most of the material is previously unreleased. Also contains the original 1967 mono mix of the album and bonus tracks including three previously unreleased mixes. Blu-Ray/DVD: Fully restored 1992 documentary The Making of Sgt. Pepper, including interviews with Paul, George and Ringo and fascinating in-the-studio footage introduced by George Martin. Restored promotional films for 'A Day In The Life', 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and 'Penny Lane'. 2017 Giles Martin 5.1 surround sound mix and high-resolution stereo audio in 96KHz/24bit of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band plus 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and 'Penny Lane'. 144-page hardback book featuring an introduction by Sir Paul McCartney, comprehensive song-by-song details and recording information, in-depth essays about the design of the cover, the album's musical innovations and its historical context... and much more. Illustrations include photographs from the recording sessions, handwritten lyrics and Abbey Road documentation. Plus a replica of the original card insert and two bonus posters.

09.06.2017.

GOV'T MULE - Revolution Come... Revolution Go [Deluxe Edition] (2017)

Warren Haynes is no stranger to making political statements on Gov’t Mule albums - and the band’s new record is no exception. Called “Revolution Come… Revolution Go,” the set, which makes its premiere Monday on HuffPost, features songs about the current political climate - with an overarching theme of unity. Haynes, along with drummer Matt Abts, keyboardist/guitarist Danny Louis and bassist Jorgen Carlsson, entered the studio to begin working on the new album on Election Day 2016, and the sentiment felt during that time infuses some of the tracks, including “Stone Cold Rage.” “‘Stone Cold Rage’ is kind of an observation of what’s going on … whichever way the election went there were a lot of people who were going to be pissed off,” Haynes told HuffPost at Build Series.”It just speaks about where we are right now with the divide.” Likewise, the album cover speaks to that feeling, as it features a soldier atop a broken toy mule facing the wrong way. He’s seen shouting through an orange street cone. “If you look at the artwork, it’s about people who aren’t working together. It’s about going in a circle and winding up right where you were and no progress being made,” Haynes said. Even the title track on the record - the band’s first studio album in four years - speaks to what’s going on in the current political climate. “We keep having these major changes and the next administration comes in and negates them, and the next administration comes in and negates that. And all we’re really doing is undermining what’s being done. We’re not really moving forward,” Haynes said...

CHUCK BERRY - Chuck (2017)

Being released just three months after his death, Chuck Berry’s first album since 1979 includes songs that originate as far back as the 1980s. There are three generations of Berry guitarists and guest appearances from the likes of Nathaniel Rateliff and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello. Perhaps this explains why it doesn’t sound anything like the work of a 90-year-old man. The riffs are instantly familiar as those with which Berry defined rock’n’roll in the 1950s and his themes are mostly youthful: teen queens, sweet 16s and schoolboy naughtiness. Lady B Goode revisits his signature tune in honour of his long-suffering wife, Themetta, and only the slower, bluesy Darlin’ and Eyes of Man include direct ruminations on mortality and ageing. Elsewhere, Jamaican Moon rewrites 1956’s Havana Moon for Berry to sing in patois and there are innumerable echoes of Roll Over Beethoven, Maybellene et al. Still, if Chuck sounds like a nostalgic tribute to his pioneering self, he certainly deserves one.

ROBERT CRAY with ALBERT COLLINS – In Concert (1999) & ALBERT KING with STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN - In Session... (1999) [2010]

Previously unreleased live performance, originally recorded in 1977 during an intimate club gig in Canada.13 tracks, including 'One More Kiss', 'Watch Me Baby' and 'I'm So Satisfied'. Collins plays guitar on four cuts & provides vocals to the song 'Angel Of Mercy'.
TRACKS: 01. Intro - The Chicken 02. That Will Never Do 03. I've Gotta Take A Chance 04. One More Kiss 05. I'm So Satisfied 06. A. Collins Intro B. Don't Lose Your Cool 07. Angel Of Mercy 08. That Ain't The Way To Do It 09. I Don't Want You Cuttin' Off My Hair 10. Don't Want No Woman 11. Watch Me Baby 12. Collins Instrumental Jam 13. Alberts Alley



Recorded in December 1983, In Session captures an in-concert jam between Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan, the latter of whom had become the hot blues guitarist of the year thanks to his debut Texas Flood, as well as his work on David Bowie's hit Let's Dance. Vaughan may have been the new news, but King was not suffering, either. He had a world-class supporting band and was playing as well as he ever had. In other words, the stage was set for a fiery, exciting concert and that's exactly what they delivered. Vaughan was clearly influenced by King - there are King licks all over his first two recorded efforts, and it was an influence that stayed with him to the end - and he was unafraid to go toe-to-toe with his idol. King must have been impressed, since In Session never devolves into a mere cutting contest. Instead, each musicians spurs the other to greater heights. For aficionados of either guitarist, that means the album isn't just worth a listen - it means that it's a record that sounds as exciting on each subsequent listen as does the first time through.
TRACKS: 01. Call It Stormy Monday 02. 'Old Times' 03. Pride and Joy 04. Ask Me No Questions 05. 'Pep Talk' 06. Blues at Sunrise 07. 'Turn It Over' 08. Overall Junction 09. Match Box Blues 10. 'Who Is Stevie' 11. Don't Lie to Me

07.06.2017.

ROGER WATERS- Is This the Life We Really Want? (2017)

Roger Waters, the creative power and songwriting force behind Pink Floyd, presents Is This The Life We Really Want?, his first rock album in 25 years. The album is produced and mixed by Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Paul McCartney, Beck, U2, "From the Basement"), and includes 12 new Roger Waters musical compositions and studio performances. Roger Waters' last studio album, 1992's Amused To Death, was a prescient study of popular culture, exploring the power of television in the era of the First Gulf War. This long-awaited follow-up, Is This The Life We Really Want?, is an unflinching commentary on the modern world and uncertain times, and a natural successor to such classic Pink Floyd albums as Animals and The Wall.

Tracks on Is This The Life We Really Want? include: "When We Were Young," "Déja vu," "The Last Refugee," "Picture That," "Broken Bones," "The Life We Really Want," "A Bird In A Gale," "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World," "Smell the Roses," "Wait For Her," "Oceans Apart," and "Part of Me Died." The lyrics for Wait for Her were written by Roger Waters and inspired by an English translation by an unknown author of "Lesson from the Kama Sutra (Wait for Her)," by Mahmoud Darwish. The musicians on Is This The Life We Really Want? are: Roger Waters (vocals, acoustic, bass), Nigel Godrich (arrangement, sound collages, keyboards, guitar), Gus Seyffert (bass, guitar, keyboards), Jonathan Wilson (guitar, keyboards), Joey Waronker (drums), Roger Mannning (keyboards), Lee Pardini (keyboards) and Lucius (vocals) with Jessica Wolfe and Holly Proctor.

SILVERHEAD - Silverhead (1972) & 16 And Savaged (1973)

Just like every musical movement, the original glam rock era of the early '70s spawned both renowned artists (David Bowie, Alice Cooper, T. Rex, Slade, etc.) and bands that never caught on despite high hopes, such as Jobriath, the New York Dolls, and Silverhead. Comprised of Michael Des Barres (vocals), Rod Davies (percussion, vocals, guitar), Nigel Harrison (bass), Pete Thompson (keyboards, drums), and Stevie Forest (guitar, vocals), Silverhead signed on with Deep Purple's short-lived label, Purple Records, in the early '70s. The British quintet's self-titled debut was issued in 1972, with production chores handled by Deep Purple/future-Iron Maiden studio man Martin Birch. Judging from the album cover alone (which showed a dolled-up Des Barres, posing for the camera and wearing huge bell-bottom trousers), Des Barres was the band's leader and main focal point from the get-go. Armed with such T. Rex-esque song titles as "Long Legged Lisa," "Ace Supreme," and "Silver Boogie," Silverhead should have fit in perfectly with the genre's heavy hitters, but for reasons unknown, Silverhead's debut failed to catch on with the masses.



Forest was replaced by Robbie Blunt for the group's sophomore effort, 1973's 16 and Savaged, but like its predecessor, it too failed to ignite the charts. An appearance in an unreleased movie called Arizonaslim failed to boost band morale, as Silverhead split up shortly thereafter, with a post-mortem live album being issued in Japan during 1976, Live at Rainbow. Harrison went on to be a member of another forgotten '70s rock outfit, Nite City, before signing on with new wave hitmakers Blondie, while Blunt would play on several solo releases by ex-Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant during the '80s. Des Barres also continued on, first as a member of the obscure outfit Detective, then as a solo artist and TV/movie actor, before landing a gig as Robert Palmer's replacement in the Duran Duran off-shoot group the Power Station. Although Des Barres never recorded with the band, it was the Des Barres-led version of the group that performed at the mammoth Live Aid benefit concert in 1985. In the late '90s, both Silverhead and 16 and Savaged were reissued on CD with remastered sound and extra bonus tracks, in addition to another live album being issued solely for the Japanese market, Show Me Everything.

06.06.2017.

V.A. - Super Rare Electric Blues '60s Era (2014)

Terrific set of great electric blues rarities - mostly from the 60s along with some from the 50s. Includes tracks not previously reissued on CD as well as many hard to find on CD. The emphasis is on tracks featuring hot guitar and it doesn't get much hotter than Sly Williams' Boot Hill with a guitar solo that will peel the paint off your walls and the flip I Believe In A Woman is almost as tough. There are a fair number of great blues guitar instrumentals including three by Ike Turner - two of them under his alter ego of Icky Renrut. There are more instrumentals from the great New York guitarist Jimmy Spruill (one under his own name and one with The Charlie Lucas Combo), the superb and influential West Coast guitarist Lafayette (who also sings on the superb Weekly Blues), The Rocking Brothers (hot group with Johnny Guitar Watson on guitar who also appears on Floyd Dixon's Let's Go Smitty), Earl Hooker, two instrumentals from the Johnny Otis Orch. featuring stellar guitar from Pete Guitar Lewis and others. On the vocal side we have fine sides from Juke Boy Bonner, Guitar Tommy Moore, Bob Reed (a fine version of Howling Wolf's I'm Leaving You), Johnny Morisette, Willie Cobbs, Little Miss Janice (superb bluesy gospel from 14 year old vocalist accompanying herself with very funky guitar), G."Davy" Crockett, Prince Charles, Jimmy Witherspoon (his unexpected but very effective cover of the rock 'n' roll hit Endless Sleep) and lots more. Superb sound and brief introductory notes from compiler James Austin.

DISC 1: 01. Icky Renrut - Ho Ho 02. Wild Jimmy Spruill - Hard Grind 03. Juke Boy Bonner - Rock With Me Baby 04. Lafayette Thomas with Al Price Orchestra - The Thing 05. Flash Terry - She's My Baby 06. Sly Williams - I Believe In A Woman 07. Piano Slim - Squeezing 08. Guitar Tommy Moore - I Ain't Botherin' Nobody 09. The Rocking Brothers - Behind The Sun 10. Guitar Shorty - Ways Of A Man 11. Lafayette Thomas - Weekly Blues 12. Johnny Otis feat. Pete ''Guitar'' Lewis - One Nighter Blues 13. Bob Reed & His Band - I'm Leaving You 14. Joe Liggins & His Honeydrippers - In The Wee Wee Hours 15. Floyd Dixon feat. Johnny ''Guitar'' Watson - Let's Go Smitty 16. Johnny Morrisette - Brick 17. Ike Turner - Cubano Jump 18. Lafayette Thomas - Lafayette's A-Coming 19. The Egyptians - Party Stomp 20. Willie Cobbs - You Don't Love Me 21. Muvva ''Guitar'' Hubbard & The Stompers - Congo Mombo 22. Little Miss Janice - Scarred Knees 23. Charlie Lucas Combo - Walkin' 24. Johnny Jones & The King Casuals - Blues For The Brothers 25. Cliff Driver & His Drivers - Changing Times

DISC 2: 01. Gus Jinkins & Orchestra - Tricky 02. John Fred & His Playboy Band - Boogie Children 03. Buddy Guy & His Band - You Sure Can't Do 04. G ''Davy'' Crockett - Did You Ever Love Somebody 05. Johnny Otis Orchestra feat. Pete ''Guitar'' Lewis - Midnight In The Barrel House 06. Sly Williams - Boot Hill 07. Buddy Guy & His Band - This Is The End 08. George Smith - All Last Night 09. Guitar Tommy Moore - Your Car Machine 10. Lafayette Thomas - Cockroach Run 11. Benny Sharp & His Orchestra - St. Louis Sunset Twist 12. Lonnie Brooks - Mr. Hot Shot 13. Prince Charles - Come On Home 14. Henry Artis & The Nitehawks - I've Got The Blues So Bad 15. Guitar Crusher feat. Jimmy Spruill Orchestra - Since My Baby Hit The Numbers 16. Earl Hooker - Wild Moments 17. Icky Renrut (vocal by Jimmy Thomas) - Jack Rabbit 18. Claude & The Hightones - High Sailing 19. Larry Dale feat. Mickey Baker & Champion Jack Dupree - Midnight Hours 20. The Poor Boys - Washboard 21. Artie Wilson - Tarzan 22. Homesick James - Set A Date 23. Mercy Baby - Pleadin' 24. Bobo Jenkins - Nothing But Love 25. Jimmy Witherspoon - Endless Sleep

05.06.2017.

DELANEY & BONNIE AND FRIENDS - On Tour with Eric Clapton (1970) [Deluxe Edition, 2010] & Motel Shot (1971) [Expanded Edition, 2017]

Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett assembled an all-star group of "friends" in 1969 for a weeklong tour of England, a legendary excursion that would produce On Tour With Eric Clapton, one of rock's most powerful and enduring live albums. Clocking in at a mere 40 minutes, the original left fans wanting more for decades. The set, which comes packaged in a mock road case, contains Delaney & Bonnie & Friends' complete performance at London's Royal Albert Hall, plus a composite of the next night's performances at Colston Hall in Bristol, and both the early and late shows from the tour's final stop at Fairfield Halls in Croydon. Along with the Bramletts, the touring band showcased on these discs includes guitarists Eric Clapton and Dave Mason, bassist Carl Radle, drummer Jim Gordon, organist Bobby Whitlock, Jim Price and Bobby Keys on horns, percussionist Tex Johnson, and singer Rita Coolidge. Along with unreleased versions of all the songs from the original, this reissue also contains several songs not featured on the 1970 album, including "I Don't Know Why" a track the Bramletts penned with Clapton; "My Baby Specializes" and "Everybody Loves A Winner" from the Bramlett's debut Home; "Get Ourselves Together" from the couple's 1969 follow-up Accept No Substitute; the traditional "Will The Circle Be Unbroken"; a cover of Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'"; and the instrumental "Pigmy".



Though they never achieved the popular success enjoyed by some of their peers, Delaney & Bonnie Bramlett spearheaded the roots-rock revolution of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s along with The Allman Brothers and The Band, turning away from the exoticism of psychedelia towards music “rooted” in blues, country, and soul. Witness the fact that the “And Friends” that played with the pair included Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Leon Russell, Dave Mason and Bobby Whitlock….out of Delaney and Bonnie’s various aggregations arose Derek and the Dominoes and Joe Cocker’s band for the legendary Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour. And for Motel Shot, the duo’s fourth studio album and their third for Atco/Atlantic, the circle of “friends” included Cocker, Whitlock, and Mason, plus appearances by Duane Allman, Gram Parsons, and John Hartford among others! But for the most part, this is a largely acoustic, charmingly informal affair dipped in gospel and dominated by the Bramletts and Whitlock; the Motel Shot title refers to informal, after hours jam sessions on the road. But there’s a whole lot more to the story (and to this release!). The project began not in a hotel room but in the living room of engineer Bruce Botnick, with November 1970 sessions as a prospective release for Elektra Records. But, after Delaney had a falling out with label head Jac Holzman, the project moved to Atco, who put the “band” into a proper studio to re-record much of the material. Those later sessions comprise the original album, which has heretofore only appeared briefly on CD in Japan; but, after hours of tape research, co-producers Bill Inglot and Pat Thomas uncovered the original “living room” sessions that yielded the eight unreleased tracks on this Expanded Edition CD release – and notably is the first American CD release of the original Motel Shot album as well. Remastered by Inglot, with an essay by Thomas that includes exclusive (and extremely candid) quotes from Bonnie Bramlett, Bobby Whitlock, Bruce Botnick, and Jac Holzman, Motel Shot finally is presented here the way it was originally conceived, and takes its rightful place as one of the great albums of the classic era of the roots rock movement.

04.06.2017.

VELVETT FOGG - Velvet Fogg... Plus (1969) [1989]

Velvett Fogg were a British psychedelic rock band. Tony Iommi was a member in mid-1968, but soon left to form Black Sabbath. Velvett Fogg were one of many new bands within the underground scene, that were formed at the end of the 1960s that would attempt to take pop music to a higher level of creativity. Birmingham also had its own flourishing underground music scene during that time with a variety of innovative groups emerging. The line up of Velvett Fogg all came from within this alternative music scene in the city. Velvett Fogg were formed in 1968 from members of a Birmingham band Gravy Train. Up front was soul singer Ernie Handy, Bob Hewitt was lead guitarist, with Graham Mullett on drums, and Mick Pollard on bass guitar. Londoner Frank Wilson who played Hammond organ, was also on vocals, eventually becoming band leader and lead vocalist. The newly formed band spent most of the year touring Germany playing at army bases and clubs. Their stage act included a light show and a go-go dancer. Velvett Fogg recorded the tracks for their debut album on Pye Records under the direction of Jack Dorsey. Apparently, Dorsey aimed to get the band onto the then-popular progressive band wagon. "I was a classically trained pianist but we all had to play way below our capabilities" says Frank Wilson. The band were also allowed to record covers of a few songs they liked and these included psychedelic-sounding versions of New York Mining Disaster 1941 by The Bee Gees and Tim Rose's Come Away Melinda.

TRACKS: 01. Yellow Cave Woman 02. New York Mining Disaster 03. Wizard Of Gobsolod 04. Once Among The Trees 05. Lady Caroline 06. Come Away Melinda 07. Owed To The Dip 08. Within The Night 09. Plastic Man 10. Telstar 69

CHUCK BERRY - The London Chuck Berry Sessions (1972) [2010]

The London Chuck Berry Sessions is an album of studio recordings and live recordings by Chuck Berry, released by Chess Records in October 1972. Side one of the album consists of studio recordings, engineered by Geoff Calver; side two features three live performances recorded by the Pye Mobile Unit, engineered by Alan Perkins, on February 3, 1972, at the Lanchester Arts Festival in Coventry, England. At the end of the live section, the recording includes the sounds of festival management trying in vain to get the audience to leave so that the next performers, Pink Floyd, can take the stage; the crowd begins chanting "We want Chuck!"

"My Ding-a-Ling", from the live side of the album, was edited to approximately 4 minutes for release as a single. It was Berry's first and only single to reach number 1 in both the US and the UK. This Japanese CD adds another 5 tracks from the same Lanchester Arts Festival, two single edits and a BBC TV recording of South Of The Border.

TRACKS: 01. Let's Boogie 02. Mean Old World 03. I Will Not Let You Go 04. London Berry Blues 05. I Love You 06. Reelin' And Rockin' 07. My Ding-A-Ling 08. Johnny B. Goode 09. Sweet little Sixteen (live) 10. Roll 'em Pete (live) 11. It Hurts Me Too (live) 12. Around and Around (live) 13. Promised Land (live) 14. Roll 'em Pete (live single edit) 15. My Ding-A-Ling (Live Single Edit) 16. South of the Border

MAHALIA JACKSON - Oh, My Lord (2001)

General critical consensus holds Mahalia Jackson as the greatest gospel singer ever to live; a major crossover success whose popularity extended across racial divides, she was gospel's first superstar, and even decades after her death remains, for many listeners, a defining symbol of the music's transcendent power. With her singularly expressive contralto, Jackson continues to inspire the generations of vocalists who follow in her wake; among the first spiritual performers to introduce elements of blues into her music, she infused gospel with a sensuality and freedom it had never before experienced, and her artistry rewrote the rules forever.

"Oh, My Lord" is a collection in the Past Perfect Silver Line series covering the great Mahalia Jackson, with a bare minimum of liner notes and information.

TRACKS: 01. God's Gonna Separate the Wheat From the Tares 02. Oh, My Lord 03. (I'm Goin' to) Wait Until My Changes Comes 04. I Have a Friend 05. Tired 06. Since the Fire Started Burning in My Soul 07. Jesus Is With Me 08. Bless This House 09. I Gave Up Everything to Follow Him 10. Come to Jesus 11. City Called Heaven 12. I Bow on My Knees 13. Hands of God 14. It Is Not Secret 15. Beautiful Tomorrow 16. In the Upper Room 17. He's My Light 18. Run All the Way 19. What Then 20. Nobody Knows