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September 25, 2003

FREAKS OF NATURE

Sometimes, the impossible happens, but in fact the history revision started when THE BEATLES released their "Anthology" multi-album with all the fake mixes of the work tapes with the master takes and things like that, which just thikened the myth. Now, there's another myth being "diverted and perverted", as George Harrison would have said if he was alive to veto the forthcoming release of "Let It Be... Naked", a new version of The Fabs' 1970's record.

Recorded mostly during January 1969 sessions at the Twickenham Studios, where the filming of the documentary which would become "Let It Be" was taking place, the album hit the stores in April 1970, at the very same time that the news of the band's split broke. The quartet didn't pay as much attention to the project as to their real farewell masterpiece, "Abbey Road", and it was famous producer Glyn Johns who handled what was originally called "Get Back", instead of George Martin. Still, having had two goes on the album and having created two versions the boys found unsatisfactory - it reflected a bad vibe around the ensemble rather than their return to the rock roots - Johns handed the tapes over to John Lennon's favourite meister, Phil Spector. The "Wall Of Sound" creator put his indelible stamp on the album when he added strings and female voices to some of the songs, "The Long And Winding Road" being the most exemplary of Spector's approach, and had been harshly criticized over the years by Paul McCartney, the instigator of the "Naked" thing.

"De-mixed and re-mixed, un-dubbed of orchestration, choirs and effects and stripped-back to the raw", it's said to appear "as the nature intended". Could be such, but everybody knows the name of Mother Nature's son. And it it was such, there would have been numbers like "The Rocker", "Save The Last Dance For Me" and "Teddy Boy" included, and the dialogue snippets, "Dig It" and "Maggie Mae" wouldn't have been taken off the new version, even though the "Don't Let Me Down" restoration within the context is justified. The content of "Let It Be... Naked" looks like this:

1. Get Back 2. Dig A Pony 3. For You Blue 4. The Long And Winding Road 5. Two Of Us 6. I've Got A Feeling 7. One After 909 8. Don't Let Me Down 9. I Me Mine 10. Across The Universe 11. Let It Be

While the cover artwork is still considered tentative, the fact that it's a negative is quite telling. That's how react to the project long-time fans who (like DME) have the 60 CD-plus "Get Back Journals / Day By Day / Thirty Days" bootleg in their posession: alright, this is for aficionados, but then, why accompany the new album with a 20-minute bonus "fly-on-the-wall" disc featuring extracts of the tapes? More so, there are "historic photography of the recording sessions and extracts of band dialogue from the original booklet that first accompanied early copies of the 1970 album" in the CD booklet, as the press release has it - oh yes, but you can't call the original thing of 150 pages a booklet, as it was a book (another great artefact in DME's collection).

Well, we will place "Naked", out on November 17th, alongside "Let It Be", yet don't whisper about the nature. Too Zen it would be,

THOSE CRIMSON "EYES"

Seeing KING CRIMSON is quite a risky and hazardous experience, so taking it on home to savour in whatever one's personal dose is feels not a bad idea at all. To the band themselves as well, it seems, because Robert Fripp's ensemble unleash the double DVD-set called "Eyes Wide Open", on October 7th. Not much of classic material on there, this should be a delight anyway, though an inclusion of David Bowie's "Heroes" is a dubious delight even with the song's relation to Fripp. But the sound, the sound...

Disc 1 - Live In Japan: Tokyo, April 16, 2003 1. Introductory Soundscape 2. The Power to Believe I (a cappella) 3. Level Five 4. ProzaKc Blues 5. The ConstruKction Of Light 6. Happy With What      You Have To Be Happy With 7. Elektrik 8. One Time 9. Facts Of Life 10. The Power To Believe II (Power Circle) 11. Dangerous Curves 12. Larks' Tongues In Aspic: Part IV 13. The Deception Of The Thrush 14. The World's My Oyster Soup      Kitchen Floor Wax Museum Bonus footage: Tokyo Sound & Camera Check

Disc 2 - Live at the Shepherds Bush: London, July 3, 2000 1. Into The Frying Pan 2. The ConstruKction Of Light 3. VROOOM 4. One Time 5. London Improv I:       Blasticus SS Blastica 6. Dinosaur 7. The World's My Oyster Soup      Kitchen Floor Wax Museum 8. London Improv II:      C Blasticum Cage 9. ProzaKc Blues 10. Larks' Tongues In Aspic: Part IV 11. Three Of A Perfect Pair 12. The Deception Of The Thrush 13. Sex, Sleep, Eat, Drink, Dream 14. Heroes Bonus footage: Improvising Crimson

STANDING ON THE ROCK

He was the finest Scottish male voice, Frankie Miller. Unfortunately, he can't sing now due to bad health, yet the warbler's still adored by many. And these many should rejoice as there's Frankie remastered albums bound to appear on September 29th, all augmented with bonus cuts - so it's about time to get rid of the previous, Repertoire re-issues. The first batch of the CDs will have the following additional material on:

"Once In A Blue Moon"
- I Can See The Train
- Blow My Whistle
- Rules Of The Game
- And It’s Raining

"Highlife"
- Brickyard Blues (live)
- The Devil Gun (live)
- If You Need Me (live)
- With You In Mind (live)

"The Rock"
- A Fool In Love (live)
- Hard On The Levee (live)
- Sail Away (live)
- Drunken Nights In The City (live)
- Walking The Dog With Rory (live)

"Full House"
- Free And Safe On The Road (live)
- It Takes A Lot To Laugh (live)
- This Love Of Mine (live)
- Down The Honky Tonk (live)

QUIET STORMWATER

He's an unsoppable human machine, Pete Townshend, and despite the fact that THE WHO numbers are just two now, their number's not up still. With the "Tommy" 5.1 remix in the pipeline already, the veteran has set about doing the same trick with "Quadrophenia", so the DVD version is guaranteed. But while polishing the past is a gratifying chore, Pete's not afraid of the future, which lies in the band's new album, another concept thing entitled "The Boy Who Heard Music". The plan is to cut the demo version at the end of the year, then take it to the studio in March 2004 and on the road the following year. As to who will join Townshend and Roger Daltrey in their effort, it's still uknown, though one can bet on Zak Starkey and Rabbit Bundrick.

FUNDA-METAL-LY AND KINGLY

Now that Rob Halford is firmly back at the JUDAS PRIEST mike stand and the tour in the works, what better way to remind everyone of what a force the band can be live than release a good DVD? The DVD featuring the metal kings' fundamental promo videos, rare TV performances and the 1986 show, has a title of "Electric Eye" and due out on November 17th.

Videos: 1. Living After Midnight 2. Breaking The Law 3. Don't Go 4. Heading Out To The Highway 5. Hot Rockin' 6. You've Got Another Thing Comin' 7. Freewheel Burning 8. Love Bites 9. Locked In 10. Turbo Lover 11. Johnny B Goode 12. Painkiller 13. A Touch of Evil

"Priest......Live!" Dallas, 1986 1. Out In The Cold 2. Locked In 3. Heading Out To The Highway 4. Breaking The Law 5. Love Bites 6. Some Heads Are Gonna Roll 7. Sentinel 8. Private Property 9. Desert Plains 10. Rock You All Around The World 11. Hellion/Electric Eye 12. Turbo Lover 13. Freewheel Burning 14. Green Manalishi 15. Parental Guidance 16. Living After Midnight 17. Another Thing Comin' 18. Hell Bent For Leather 19. Metal Gods

BBC Television Performances: 1. Rocka Rolla - Old Grey Whistle Test (25.4.75) 2. Dreamer Deceiver - Old Grey Whistle Test (25.4.75) 3. Freewheel Burning - Old Grey Whistle Test (2.1.1984) 4. Take On The World - Top Of The Pops (25.1.79) 5. Evening Star - Top Of The Pops (17.5.79) 6. Living After Midnight - Top Of The Pops (27.3.80) 7. United - Top Of the Pops (28.8.80)

September 17, 2003

HE WALKED THE LINE

We knew he's been living on borrowed time - and he knew his time ain't long, too. Now the sands of time have run out for the great Johnny Cash, and quite a harsh time it was lately. Once the artist gracefully accepted the fact of his imminent demise, his wife crossed the Styx first, living Johnny with nothing to live for. And on September 12th Cash followed his lady, aged 71.

June Carter Cash was a direct link between the country music progenitors, THE CARTER FAMILY, and Johnny, the man who took their legacy into the very heart of popular culture. He turned the mountain music and music of the hills into a pure rock rebellion and became dear even to those who snubbed at country. When Elvis was coming back to start rolling down, Cash was rocking jailhouses to never go away.

"I Walk The Line", "Folsom Prison Blues", "Ring Of Fire" - there'll be no more renditions as intense as were Johnny's. Now we're robbed of him who was robed in black to reflect the morose state of the world and, unfortunately, not to see it changed for better. Rest in peace, singing cowboy.

THE LAST RITES

December of 2002 took the life of a true hero, the one who had always been as down-to-earth as any of his fans. At that time fans were waiting for the new Joe Strummer and THE MESCALEROS album, and who could say "Streetcore" would be the artist's last record ever? The band finished it without their leader, and the collection comprised of eight new pieces and two covers will see the light of day on October 20th. Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" may have signalled Strummer's return to reggae, the love of his life, yet it sounds like a testament now...

1. Coma Girl 2. Get Down Moses 3. Long Shadow 4. Arms Aloft 5. Ramshackle Day Parade 6. Redemption Song 7. All In A Day 8. Burnin' Streets 9. Midnight Jam 10. Silver And Gold

VIVA, BARBUDOS!

Perhaps, it's all because of beards - the beards of Billy Gibbons' and Dusty Hill's and Frank Beard - but something strange was happening with ZZ TOP's release schedule. Their new studio album, "Mescalero", saw delay after delay, and hit the shelves just recently. For that reason, shifted back was also the band's career-spanning 4CD-box set "Chrome, Smoke & BBQ", which finally has an issue date set: October 14th.

The set embraces the Texan trio's 80 tracks, including some from the artists' pre-ZZ band THE MOVING SIDEWALKS and a smattering of rarities, plus an 80-page book giving the first-hand account on ensemble's story and the songs. A limited edition of 15,000 copies will be out in BBQ shack-inspired box with card-stock cut-outs representing the barbecue scene, and flip-book animation of the barbudos' stage moves.

THEY'RE JUST THE BAND

1975 was not the best year for the heavy funk bakers TRAPEZE: the British band's recording contract fizzling out and no hope of their original singing bassist Glenn Hughes' return, the group still soldiered on for more dates, with the guitarist Mel Galley handling the vocals. One of those shows, recorded in Nottingham, is out now on "Live At The Boat Club". What a solid set that was, boasting protracted workouts of TRAPEZE's famous tunes! A worthy addition to any collection.

1. Back Street Love 2. You Are The Music 3. Jury 4. Star Breaker 5. Way Back To The Bone 6. Medusa 7. Black Cloud 8. Sunny Side Of The Street 9. The Raid

WHIPPIN' FROM THE PAST

Previously, if you wanted to savour the Southern rock at its most fryin' and cookin', you couldn't go no further than THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND's benchmark "Live At Fillmore East", but in October you'll be able to do this - with an amazing concert document recorded almost one year earlier: "Live At The Atlanta International Pop Festival" see Duane, Gregg and their partners in crime ravin' and ragin' on July 3rd and 5th, 1970 through their first two albums' highlights. Each night given a CD, "Mountain Jam" on the second disc features another blues great, Johnny Winter, which raises the value of the set even higher.

Disc One: 1. Introduction 2. Statesboro Blues 3. Trouble No More 4. Don't Keep Me Wonderin' 5. Dreams 6. Every Hungry Woman* 7. Hoochie Coochie Man 8. In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed 9. Whipping Post 10. Mountain Jam Pt. I 11. Rain Delay 12. Mountain Jam Pt. II		Disc Two: 1. Introduction 2. Don't Keep Me Wonderin' 3. Statesboro Blues (*) 4. In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed 5. Stormy Monday 6. Whipping Post (*) 7. Mountain Jam
All tracks previously unreleased except those noted (*).

IT CAME FROM PASSION

Some bands have just been made for the stage: whatever brilliant they might be in the studio, it's before the vast crowd that they reign giving it their full. One of such bands undoubtedly is UFO, and four CDs which make up the "Live On Earth" box set - said to be endorsed by Phil Mogg and Michael Schenker - caught them in the act on three nights, of which the most interesting is that of 1977, as it quite differs from "Lights Out" recorded the very same year. Sound quality may vary, but not the band's abandon.

CD 1: 1. Natural Thing 2. Mother Mary 3. A Self-Made Man 4. Electric Phase 5. This Kids 6. Out in the Street 7. One More For The Rodeo 8. Venus 9. Pushed To The Limit CD 2: 10. Love To Love 11. Too Hot To Handle 12. Only You Can Rock Me 13. Lights Out 14. Doctor Doctor 15. Rock Bottom 16. Shoot Shoot Vienna, Austria 28.1.1998

CD 3: 1. Lights Out 2. Getting Ready 3. Love To Love 4. On With The Action 5. Doctor Doctor 6. Out In The Streets 7. This Kids 8. Shoot Shoot 9. Rock Bottom 10. Too Hot To Handle Cleveland, Ohio July 1977 CD 4: 1. Natural Thing 2. Mother Mary 3. Let It Roll 4. This Kids 5. Out In The Streets 6. Venus 7. Pushed To The Limit 8. Love To Love 9. Only You Can Rock Me 10. Too Hot To Handle 11. Lights Out 12. Doctor Doctor 13. Rock Bottom 14. Shoot Shoot 15. C'mon Everybody Cincinnati, Ohio 31.8.1995

SANTA LUKATHER

That's good, a tradition of making Xmas albums being introduced to rock. Recent years saw such records from the likes of Annie Haslam and Glenn Hughes, and Steve Lukather is joining their ranks with an album called "SantaMental". Recorded for the last year's release, it was shifted for this Christmas, but that doesn't matter when here's a timeless thing. What makes "SantaMental" all the more timeless is an array of guest musicians including fellow axemen Eddie Van Halen, Slash and Steve Vai as well as legendary soul crooner Sammy Davis Jr. who adds his voice to, you name it, "Jingle Bells". The disc's out in October - oh deer!

1. Joy To The World 2. Greensleeves 3. Jingle Bells 4. Carol Of The Bells 5. Broken Heart For Christmas 6. Angels We Have Heard On High 7. Winter Wonderland 8. Look Out For Angels 9. Silent Night 10. Goodbye 11. The Christmas Song

THE VELVET TRINITY

VELVET UNDERGROUND were dissolving slowly, letting go their leading lights one by one. Yet on January 29th, 1972 Lou Reed, John Cale and Nico were back together, for one night only - at Paris' Bataclan club - performing pieces both from the band that spawned the three and solo. The unique recording is out now, entittled "Bataclan '72". A must for the fans, while others may slowly peel at the more familiar places.

1. Waiting For The Man (Reed) 2. Berlin (Reed) 3. Black Angels Death Song (Reed) 4. Wild Child (Reed) 5. Heroin (Reed) 6. Ghost Story (Cale) 7. The Biggest, Loudest, Hairiest Group Of All (Cale) 8. Empty Bottles (Cale) 9. Femme Fatale (Nico) 10. Abscheid (No One Is There) (Nico) 11. Frozen Warnings (Nico) 12. Janitor Of Lunacy (Nico) 13. I'll Be Your Mirror (Nico) bonus tracks: Rehearsals 14. Pale Blue Eyes 15. Candy Says

CURIOSIER AND CURIOSIER

Tony Franklin's debut album "Brave New Tomorrow" proved a success but the classy bassist's fans were rather surprised to trace no hard rock vestige on the record. Now Tony has made up for that, having released - as far, only in Japan - the follow-up, "Wonderland", which features not only Franklin's BLUE MURDER colleague Carmine Appice and Gregg Bissonette who share the drum stool, but also mighty David Coverdale, whom Tony was helping out with a solo album before the singer resurrected WHITESNAKE. That's for only track though, as the main vocal duties are taken by the bassist himself and one Scott Kail.

1. Higher 2. Playng My Song 3. Today 4. Get It Together 5. Sunshine Lady 6. Marakesh Express 7. Surrender 8. On My Way 9. Time's A Healer 10. Watching The Story 11. Never Be The Same

JUMPING OUT OF SHADOWS

He's not the same but still mesmerising, and Peter Green's magnific blues presence is all over his SPLINTER GROUP's first ever DVD, "In Concert". Recorded at Basingstoke during their "The Cold 100" tour, it features amazing acoustic set alongside standard - well, if this word applies to Greeny - electric one. Not Boston Tea Party, sure, yet you can't get better than this now.

Acoustic set: 1. Hitch Hiking Woman 2. Sweet Home Chicago 3. Dead Shrimp Blues 4. Can You Tell Me Why (Legal Fee Blues) 5. Little Queen of Spades 6. Hell Hound on My Trail 7. Albatross Electric Set: 1. I Believe My Time Ain't Long 2. Running After You

3. Little Red Rooster 4. Ain't Nothing Gonna Change It 5. Shadow On My Door 6. Must Be A Fool 7. The Stumble 8. Cool Down 9. Man Of The World 10. Dangerous Man 11. Need Your Love So Bad 12. Real World 13. The Green Manalishi 14. Black Magic Woman 15. Look On Yonder Wall

OVER CUCKOO'S NEST

There's nothing to be sure of when it comes to the invincible Robert Wyatt, except quality of music and flight of imagination. All of this characterize his new outing, "Cuckooland", to be released on September 29th. PINK FLOYD, THE JAM and ROXY MUSIC fans should also stand in line to hear their heroes contribution to the SOFT MACHINE driver's brew.

1. Just A Bit 2. Old Europe 3. Tom Hay’s Fox 4. Forest (feat. David Gilmour & Brian Eno) 5. Beware 6. Cuckoo Madame 7. Raining In My Heart 8. Lullaby For Hamza

9. Trickle Down (feat. Phil Manzanera) 10. Insensatez 11. Mister E 12. Lullaloop (feat. Paul Weller) 13. Life Is Sheep 14. Foreign Accents 15. Brian The Fox 16. La Ahada Yalam

September 4, 2003

GREAT EYE IN THE SKY

Despite all his hard rock credentials, Joe Lynn Turner is an all-rounder, and those who doubt the singer's ability to embrace progressive realms should go no further than THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT September and October concerts. Yes, while America catches up with Joe's upcoming "JLT" album and the second studio outing from the HUGHES-TURNER PROJECT, the veteran vocalist will be warbling alongside the very same man whose work is heard on "Abbey Road" and "Dark Side Of The Moon". "I Robot" or "Cask Of Amontilado", anyone?

ALL SHEEP OF THE FAMILY

The FAMILY aficionados have all the reasons in the world to be happy - or unhappy, that really depends. Following an amazing Roger Chapman's box set "Family And Friends' (the tracklisting's here), out is a fine line of the band's re-issues as well as something completely new for a fuller killer effect: a vintage live recording. The problem could be that each album is augmented with tasty bonus material, which means one should either get rid of the previous remastered CDs released in 2000, or get drooling greening with envy. What's up for grabs? Here are those added tracks:

"A Song For Me"
- No Mule's Fool
- Good Friend Of Mine
- Drowned In Wine (live)
- The Cat And The Rat (live)
- Wheels (live)
- A Song For Me (live)
"Anyway"
- Strange Band (alt. live version)
- Part Of The Load (live)
- Lives And Ladies (live)
"Fearless"
- In My Own Time
- Seasons
- Between Blue And Me (live)
- Sing 'em The Way I Feel (live)
"Bandstand"
- The Rockin Rs
- No Mule's Fool (live)
- Good News - Bad News (live)
- Weavers Answer (live)
"It's Only A Movie"
- Hometown
- Holding The Compass (live)
- Weavers Answer (live)
- Dim (live)
- Procession / No Mule's Fool (live)

As for the concert recording, "Family Live" is out for the first time ever - previously there were only BBC performances - and captures the Chapman-Whitney-Wetton-Palmer-Townsend line-up in winter of 1973 on stage of London's "Rainbow":

1. Good News - Bad News 2. Spanish Tide 3. Part Of The Load 4. Drowned In Wine 5. Holding The Compass 6. Between Blue And Me 7. Children 8. In My Own Time 9. Take Your Partners 10. Weavers Answer

BACK TO THE BASE

Theirs is a long long long history - having started when the beat was the king, THE HOLLIES moved along nicely, through late '60s psychedelia to the '70s straight rock even when the band lost such a luminary as Graham Nash to CSN&Y. This year marks the ensemble's 40th anniversary, and for the fans to have a glorious celebration no better present than the box set. Entitled "Long Road Home", the 6 CD collection comprises both classic tracks and rarities as well as previously unreleased tracks, with the last disc gathering live cuts. Now they're heavy, soul brothers!

THOSE FLIGHTS TONIGHT

Perhaps, the most underrated of all the West Coast psychedelic purveyors, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE have, nevertheless, always had quite a steady following who for many years hoped to see their heroes’ records properly re-issued one wonderful day. And this day has finally come – not only these gems are re-released in all the due glory, but there’s also a smattering of rare material adding value to each of the CDs. Take a pilot seat, and off we go!

”Takes Off”
- High Flyin' Bird
- It's Alright
- Go To Her (version 1)
- Let Me In (alt. unedited version)
- Chauffeur Blues (alt. version)
- And I Like It (alt. version)
- Blues From An Airplane (instr. take 10)
”Surrealistic Pillow”
- In The Morning
- J.P.P. Mc Step B. Blues
- Go To Her
- Somebody to Love (mono single version)
- White Rabbit (mono single version)
- Come Back Baby
”After Bathing At Baxter's”
- The Ballad Of You & Me & Pooneil (live - long version)
- Martha (mono single version)
- Two Heads (alt. Version)
- Title Unknown (Marty Balin acoustic demo)
- Young Girl Sunday Blues (early instr. version)
”Crown Of Creation”
- Ribumbabap Rubadubaoumoum
- Would You Like A Snack
- Share A Little Joke (single version)
- The Saga Of Sydney Spacepig