|
ROY WOOD
on Castle / Sanctuary
|
GRANT GREEN TRIBUTE
on Evidence
|
2004 GRAMMY NOMINEES
on BMG
|
MARCH
/ APRIL 2004
MUSIC & RECORD LABEL SPOTLIGHT
BGO
- Kinks co-founder Dave Davies released
his excellent Bug album back in 2002 so it’s interesting
to look back at a pair of albums, AFLI 4036 and
Glamour, he made for RCA Records back in 1980/81
period. The Kinks were riding high around that time, knocking ‘em
out during their Arista years with album classics like Low Budget
and Give The People What They Want and on his solo albums
Dave offered his own take on the rockin’ Kinks sound with mixed,
though, now in retrospect, quite satisfying results. On the
oddly titled AFLI 4036—his first album of new material
since the late ‘60s “Death Of A Clown” days—Dave
performs much of the instruments himself and on Glamour Dave
once again performs all the guitars, keys and percussion with the
aid of master drummer Rob Henrit. Released by U.K.-based BGO
in early 2003, the double CD set features both albums, complete with
historic liner notes and lyric sheet. www.bgo-records.com
BMG - BMG, together with a range of Grammy chosen labels has
put together a pretty cool little collection featuring a range of
vocal tracks from the 2004 Grammy nominated artists on their 21 track
2004 Grammy Nominees CD. In an ironic twist of fate,
both the late great George Harrison and Warren Zevon—neither
of whom ever won a Grammy for one of their solo studio albums while
they were alive—are finally up for honors with a couple tracks
from their respective final albums. The fine NYC pop band Fountains
Of Wayne are also featured here as as The Eagles (a contender
for “Hole In The World”), Sting (“Send Your
Love”), Coldplay (“Clocks”) and tracks from
other new artists like Matchbox 20, Evanescence and
Avril Lavigne. Whatever you think about the Grammies, BMG’s
2004 Grammy Nominees CD makes for a pleasing pop spin. www.grammy.com
CAPITOL / EMI RECORDS - A mainstay on the American rock scene
since his 1968 album debut as the leader of The Steve Miller Band
entitled Children Of The Future, guitarist-composer Steve
Miller is given an updated retrospective with Young Hearts
- Complete Greatest Hits. Young Hearts touches
on a couple of key early tracks from Miller’s early psychedelic
R&B albums with Steve Miller Band including 1968’s Sailor
(“Livin’ In The USA”) and Brave New World (“My
Dark Hour” produced by Glyn Johns and featuring a guest spot
by Paul McCartney), although the 22 track 2003 CD compilation mostly
spotlights hits from classic rock albums such as Fly Like An Eagle
(1976), Book Of Dreams (1977) and The Joker (1973).
While Miller released an adult jazz-blues album entitled Born
2B Blue in 1989 and he appeared as a guest artist on Paul McCartney’s
late ‘90s classic Flaming Pie, for the most part he’s
remained out of the public spotlight, although in his own words, Miller
confesses, “I don’t think, as a musician, you really hit
your peak until you’re about 60.” www.stevemillerband.com
Another fine 2003 Capitol Records retrospective takes a look at
the best of roots-rocker Bonnie Raitt. The 2003 CD release
of The Best Of Bonnie Raitt collects bonafide 18 hits
from the nine time Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member,
including tracks from her Capitol releases Nick Of Time (1989),
Luck Of The Draw (1991) and four tracks from her 16th album
2002’s Silver Lining—produced by Mitchell Froom and
Tchad Blake. With liner notes and track notes by Ms. Raitt, The
Best Of Bonnie Raitt is a fitting retrospective from an artist
at the cutting edge of the blues-rock scene since her self-titled
1971 debut. www.bonnieraitt.com
No group that better sums up the spirit of progressive rock than
Jethro Tull. From their early beginnings on their ‘68
This Was debut, Ian Anderson and the merry men of Tull
paved the way for nearly every type of progressive blues, rock and
folk music from 1969 till the present moment. And there’s no
better way to relive the band’s first 25 years as rock trendsetters
than with A New Day Yesterday—a 2003 DVD reissue
on Capitol of the 1993 rockumentary detailing the vivid Tull history.
The ninety minute video is filled with insightful, upbeat interviews
of current and one time Tull colleagues, including guitarists Martin
Barre, the very first Tull ax-man Mick Abrahams, the early
Tull rhythm section of drummer Clive Bunker and Glen
Cornick, drummer Doane Perry, keyboardist John Evans,
bass great Dave Pegg, drummer Barrie Barlow and more.
The interview segments are neatly interspersed with a wealth of vintage
Tull performance footage and full length, uncut bonus video tracks
dating back to fascinating live performances of “The Witch’s
Promise” and “Teacher” from 1970 French TV all the
way up to the celebrated 1993 reunion with all Tullies, past and present.
EMI / Capitol have been busy reissuing all sorts of classic DVDs including
late 2003 titles from Frank Zappa entitled Does Humor
Belong In Music. Recorded live at The Pier in NYC on
August 26th 1984 the 14 track concert film was first released on VHS
in 1985 and—with a set list spanning Zappa’s entire career—the
DVD makes it’s DVD debut on EMI/Virgin. Other 2003 DVDs on Capitol
/ EMI/ Virgin include Sinead O’Connor - The Value Of Ignorance
+ The Year of The Horse (a 20 track DVD of two live shows
from 1988 in London and 1990 in Brussels and Amsterdam) and Enigma
- MCMXC A.D. (a 40 minute longform video of the album mixed
in 5.1 Surround Sound and DTS and featuring four videos and an interview
with Enigma founder Michael Cretu). www.emicap.com
/ www.j-tull.com
CASTLE / SANCTUARY - Roy Wood could have been bigger
than The Beatles. His songs, guitar playing and vocals on all those
great Move singles and albums and his work with Jeff Lynne and Bev
Bevan on the first and original ELO album is still the stuff of legends.
History aside, it’s still a mystery as to why Roy hardly gets
the chance to establish himself as a modern day recording artist.
Long time fans however, will be overjoyed to find a great sounding
19 track 2003 CD compilation, entitled Outstanding Performer!
on Castle / Sanctuary that taps into a number of Roy’s
post ELO ‘70s outfits and early ‘80s recordings with Wizzard
and Roy Wood’s Helicopter. Although the ‘record
industry’ has a long way to go when it comes to making right
the sad neglect of Wood’s pop genius and rock legacy, Castle
Records gives it a go with Roy Wood Outstanding Performer! Wood’s
early band mate in The Move, Ace Kefford is also given a welcome
reissue in 2003 on Castle. Entitled Ace The Face: The Lost 1968
Album...and more!, combines Kefford’s unreleased
‘68 solo sessions with producer Tony Visconti along
with a number of other pop rarities, including tracks written
by Kefford for The Move just before he left the band. Fascinating
historical stuff really with contributions from a range of players
including guitar ace Jimmy Page, Ace The Face provides intriguing
background into one of the early founders of the great Move dynasty.
www.roywood.co.uk
/ www.themoveonline.com
/ www.acekefford.com
COLLECTOR’S CHOICE - One of the great post-70s rock groups,
Let’s Active, are recalled on a number of 2003 reissues
on the mighty Collector’s Choice label. First off Cypress
/ Afoot pairs two separate IRS releases from ‘83/’84
while Big Plans For Everybody reissues the band’s
1986 album on IRS. Both CC reissue CDs capture band founder and LA
mainman Mitch Easter in prime form. Easter sounded equally
influenced by ‘60s baroque-pop groups like Left Banke as much
as he was by REM, one of the prime architects of the burgeoning Athens,
GA. pop scene of the early ‘80s. Either way it wouldn’t
be until Easter reformed the band for their all-time classic Everydog
Has His Day, in 1988, that Let’s Active struck
gold. Big-eyed pop influences abound, such as classic ‘80s alt-pop
singers like Marti Jones and Marshall Crenshaw and with EHHD, Easter
joined the ranks of the best. Collector’s Choice has done a super
job on their Let’s Active reissues, adding in tracts of liner
notes (hey guys how about some bigger type!), original cover art and
key unreleased tracks. www.ccmusic.com
EVIDENCE RECORDS - Although he passed away in 1979, at the
age of 47, guitarist Grant Green left behind a repertoire of
music and style of guitar playing that is still being rediscovered.
Assembling some of today’s hottest jazz guitar stars for their
2003 CD, A Tribute To Grant Green, producers Jim Eigo and
Dave Stryker reintroduce nine Green tunes the guitarist originally
recorded for Blue Note records back in the ‘60s and ‘early
‘70s. As the liner notes, written by Jim Ferguson point
out, Green was often overshadowed by towering jazz guitar giants such
as Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell and Joe Pass, yet his subtle integration
of R&B and jazz elements with swing, Latin and funk grooves still
makes a unique jazz experience. The guitarists appearing on this Grant
Green tribute on Evidence fittingly includes Grant’s oldest son
Greg Green (covering the title track to Green’s ‘65
album Matador and “A Wee Bit O’ Green” from
1961’s Grant’s First Stand), along with guest guitar
spots by Mark Whitfield, Dave Stryker, Russell Malone,
Ed Cherry and Peter Bernstein. Describing the passion
and precision these young guitar stars bring to the table, the CD
liner notes by Ferguson offers a good indication of the historic weight
Green’s jazz guitar classics still carry. www.ophira.com/grantgreen
FUEL 2000 - Proof that keyboard legend Keith Emerson
works well with electric guitarists can be heard on the album classic
from The Nice entitled The Thoughts Of Emerlist Davjack.
Recorded a few years before Emerson started Emerson, Lake &
Palmer, the debut Nice album was reissued by Fuel 2000 in 2003 complete
with a range of B-sides, rarities, alternate tracks and excellent
liner notes. Originally put together by Rolling Stones producer Andrew
Loog Oldham as a backup group for U.K. soul singer P.P. Arnold, the
early Nice featured Emerson, drummer Brian Davison, Keith
“Lee” Jackson (bass, vocals) and guitar wiz David
O’List. In the months following the December ‘67 release
of Emerlist Davjack, O’List left the band, and—despite
the raised specter that Steve Howe (with Bodast at the time) or even
Jimi Hendrix would replace him—The Nice ended up a trio that
would go on to record a number of fine albums before Emerson would
join forces with Greg Lake and Carl Palmer. Despite all the pomp and
circumstance to follow, The Thoughts Of Emerlist Davjack—featuring
two different Nice instrumental versions of the Leonard Bernstein
classic, “America”, and a range of other mind-boggling studio
classics—remains one of greatest symphonic-rock albums of the
late ‘60s. In an interesting historic twist, Emerson, Jackson
and Davison—along with new guitarist Dave Kilminster—reformed
The Nice for a series of critically acclaimed 2003 tour dates. www.keithemerson.com
/ www.davekilminster.com
‘60s pop completists will surely dig The Psychedelic
Sixties—the latest archival pop compilation from Fuel
2000. Lesser known classics, all produced by guitar great Jimmy
Page for Immediate Records, such as covers of the Jagger/Richards
classic “Sittin’ On The Fence” (by Twice As Much)
and the Pete Townshend favorite “Circles” (here covered
by The Fleur De Lys) mix in with bonafied pop chart classics
by The Nice, Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall with
Eric Clapton on guitar and vocals, The Small Faces,
Soft Machine, The Yardbirds, Red Crayola and
The Knickerbockers. There’s also a moody psych-pop track
from a Houston, TX-based group called Moving Sidewalks, who
featured none other than ZZ Top guitarist Billy F. Gibbons.
Liner notes by pop author and historian Greg Russo are exemplary.
There’s hardly a off kilter note here among the 17 excellent
sounding chestnuts on Fuel’s first installment of The Psychedelic
Sixties. www.Fuel2000.com
FAVORED
NATIONS - With a new Gibson Custom Show Johnny A. Signature guitar
and a 2004 studio album on Favored Nations, Boston based Johnny
A. is set to break more guitar records. In 2000 the Boston native
released his debut album, which was shortly afterwards picked up by
Steve Vai and his Favored Nations label and a few years later the
label releases his second album, Get Inside. The ‘A’
man’s honorable mix of lounge guitar sounds coupled with some
mean finger pickin and a jazzy approach to instrumental rock has won
him over quite a few admirers and in the spirit of the soulful guitar
sounds of Stax guitar great Steve Cropper, Johnny A. glues it all
together with power of soul and some smokin’ rock and jazz. In
fact, in his amazing liner notes, Carter Alan is right on target
in describing other key “get inside” guitar influences including
the power riffing of Jeff Beck, the countri-fried guitar picking of
Scotty Moore and the smokey, lounge guitar sounds of Wes Montgomery
while track 11, “Stimulation” combines all those influences
and rocks out like never before. With memorable support performances
by a number of players including Rick O’Neal (electric
bass) and Ron Stewart (drums), Get Inside is an album
of classic instrumental guitar music driven to the outer limits. The
expressive CD artwork and packaging seals the deal and insures
Mr. A.’s arrival among guitar fans. www.johnnya.com
IMP - Over in Sweden, Light Valley Shadows released their
third CD entitled Just Cruisin’ Back on their own
Instrumental Music Production label. Featuring guitarists Roger
Nilsson (rhythm) and Stig Larsson (lead guitar) the five
piece instro rock band skillfully romp their way through retro-tinged
instro guitar classics such as the Jerry Lordan classic “Diamonds”
and fourteen other classics made famous during the ‘60s by legends
like The Shadows, The Ventures, Dick Dale and more. Just Cruisin’
Back a stellar example of just how well these Swedish masters
perform this evergreen style of music. www.instro.nu
IPG - Chicago-based Independent Publishers Group and
their subsidiaries Acapella Books and the Chicago Review
Press have a number of fine music related books released in late
2003. High on the list is a new book by Charles L. Granata
that explores the genius of the great Brian Wilson entitled
Wouldn’t It Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the
Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. The 1966 album release
of Wilson’s Beach Boys classic Pet Sounds is still widely
regarded as one of the groundbreaking pop releases of the ‘60s.
Although at the time, the album was tad too sophisticated for many
of the Boys’ teenybopper fans, in retrospect Pet Sounds
has grown in it’s stature over the years and now is widely acclaimed
for it’s many technological recording advances. Commenting on
this new IPG book, bass great Carol Kaye—one of the key
players used by Wilson during the Pet Sounds sessions—adds,
“as a musician who was there at the creation, I can assure you
that this is the book to read if you want to understand Brian
Wilson and the making of Pet Sounds.” The Making of the Beach
Boys’ Pet Sounds is the latest book in a series entitled
the Vinyl Frontiers Series from IPG / Chicago Review Press
who have also thus far released Jimi Hendrix and the making
of Are You Experienced (by Sean Egan), Revolution:
The Making of the Beatles’ White Album (by David Quantick)
and When The Levee Breaks: The Making Of Led Zeppelin
IV (by Andy Fyfe).
Another fine book on IPG / Chicago Review Press, Van Morrison:
Can You Feel The Silence presents a fascinating new biography
of Belfast rocker Van Morrison. Born George Ivan Morrison in
1945, Van the Man rose to fame as the leader of ‘60s rockers
Them and following the release of his solo classics Astral Weeks
and Moondance he went on to become one of the trendsetting
rock giants of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. The first full
length biography of Morrison in nearly two decade, the 576 page book
written by noted author Clinton Heylin (who’s also authored
books on Bob Dylan, Sandy Denny and The Sex Pistols), follows Morrison
from his early years in working class Belfast all the way to his current
musical activities. With 28 chapters including “A Van Morrison
Sessionography 1964-2001”, Can You Feel The Silence chronicles
a true rock pioneer while gaining further insights distilled from
over one hundred interviews with various Morrison cohorts.
Another book released through IPG is an Acapella book entitled Bossa
Nova, written by Ruy Castro. The nearly 400
page paperback book expertly chronicles the rise of the Bossa Nova
sound and it’s chief innovators like Joao Gilberto and
Antonio Carlos Jobim while also richly describing the bohemian
lifestyle and culture of Rio de Janeiro and all tantalizing tales
of the nightclubs, groupies and the music scene from the heyday of
the ‘50s and ‘60s Bossa Nova years. Subtitled, The Story
of the Brazilian Music That Seduced The World, Bossa Nova—complete
with select discography, a glossary of musical and other Brazilian
terms and names and maps of key Rio neighborhoods in the ‘50s
and ‘60s—reveals the golden era of the Brazilian jazz form
that changed the course of ‘60s jazz and pop. www.ipgbook.com
MAGIC RECORDS - Over in France, Magic Records continues
reissuing valuable recordings from the glory days of ‘60s European
instrumental guitar groups. Magic chronicles the music of the French
instrumental group Les Fingers with a new double CD set entitled
Complete Sixties Instrumental. The group’s
lead guitarist Jean Claude Olivier was greatly influenced by
players like Barney Kessel and George Benson as well as classic British
guitar groups like The Shadows and The Outlaws. The double disc set
features excellent artwork and the 56 tracks shine a light on one
of the top groups from the mid ‘60s French guitar instrumental
scene. Another new Magic release, also entitled Complete ‘60s
Instrumental compiles 28 instrumental guitar tracks from French
rockers Les Champions. Although the band was also known for
their vocal tracks, Magic has culled the best of their instrumental
sides and has tastefully organized them on one CD. Back in ‘62,
Les Champions backed rock pioneer Gene Vincent on his French tour,
and—complete with the notes Vincent wrote for one of their early
album covers—there’s some noteworthy Euro guitar history
worth revisiting here. Over the past five years, Magic have reissued
scores of classic albums from rock legends like Canned Heat, The Shadows
and The Hollies and likewise, in 2003 they’ve taken on a cool
25 track 2003 anthology from ‘60s Euro-rockers Los Bravos
entitled Black Is Black. The group’s
trademark song, “Black Is Black” took the worldwide pop
charts by storm in 1966 and Magic’s Los Bravos collection shines
a light on an underrated ‘60s pop legend.
Lastly, the man behind Magic Records, Martial Martinay,
proves his worth as a fine guitarist and music stylist on his own
with the release of his own 18 track 2002 CD entitled Acoustic
Sound Orchestra. Ably performing all the guitars and
instruments himself, Martinay has composed a number of guitar instrumental
classics of his own while also putting a breezy instro guitar spin
on pop standards like The Beatles’ “Blackbird”, “Washington
Square” and Dylan’s classic “Blowin’ In The Wind”.
Acoustic Sound Orchestra is a fine effort from Martinay, a
man who continues to impress both as a recording guitarist and as
a savvy record company honcho. www.magic-records.com
MOBILE FIDELITY - Back in the ‘90s, Sebastopol, CA.-based
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab reigned supreme as the kings of audiophile
gold disc reissues. Following the killing off of the original Mo-Fi
by unscrupulous distributors and the sad and untimely death of Mo-Fi
founder Herb Belkin, it seemed all but lost for those listeners
who thrilled to Mobile’s glorious sounding 24k gold CDs. Several
years later, in 2002, new interest in the label’s now highly
collectible gold disc reissues from the ‘90s and the newly burgeoning
SACD formats sparked a reformation of the label by some of Belkin’s
original engineers. Taking a more cautious approach to their once
full steam ahead release schedule, Mo-Fi retooled in 2003-04 and are
back in action with new gold CD reissues from Beatles founder John
Lennon. Although Lennon’s first two solo classics—Plastic
Ono Band and Imagine—were reissued by Capitol
Records in the early 2000’s, Mo-Fi make good on their early audiophile
legacy with 2003 gold disc reissues of Lennon’s two early solo
classics. Mo-Fi’s elegant sounding 2003 gold CD of Plastic
Ono Band is an excellent example of the label’s refueled
devotion to audiophile reissues. Mirroring Capitol’s upgraded
and expanded edition of Plastic Ono Band, Mo-Fi’s gold
CD adds in bonus tracks of Lennon’s 1970 45 smash “Power
To The People” and an oft-neglected Lennon rarity “Do The
Oz”. Mo-Fi also steps up to the plate with two hybrid Stereo
/ SACD silver CD versions of two classic Kinks albums from
the ‘70s. Mo-Fi’s 2003 reissues of Everybody’s
In Show Biz (from 1972) and Low Budget (1979)
mirror the expanded late ‘90s Vel-Vel Records reissues, with
their bonus tracks and lengthy, detailed CD booklets. Mobile Fidelity’s
Ultradisc stereo / SACD reissues of both Kinks classics sound excellent
and are worth investigation by discerning audiophiles. Another 2003
arrival on Mo-Fi is silver disc hybrid stereo / SACD reissue of Lost
In Space by pop songstress Aimee Mann. The original
lead singer in the ‘80s band ‘Til Tuesday, Mann has released
a number of fine solo CDs over the years and her 2003 album, Lost
In Space, recently reissued by Mo-Fi, is one of her best. Keep
your ears open for future audiophile gold disc and hybrid SACD reissues
from the newly revived Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab. In other related
Mo-Fi news, the label has just introduced the first ever 24KT Gold
ULTRADISC CD-R—described as the first gold disc CD-R designed
for professional, data critical, music and graphic archival applications,
and all other data storage where there is no margin for loss or error.
www.mofi.com /
www.thebeatles.com
NO SWEAT RECORDS - The Plungers sound greatly influenced by
the ‘60s rockin’ twang sound of The Ventures, The Shadows
and even the vintage ‘50s guitar sound of Buddy Holly and drummer
Jerry Allison. The band’s 21 track 2003 CD Guitars Gone
Wild! has something for everyone, but mostly the album features
some rocking guitar rave-ups played with a sense of style and finesse
usually reserved for the best instro surf-rockers. www.theplungersband.com
NOTEWORTHY JAZZ - The latest recording from jazz guitarists Vince
Lewis and Steve Abshire, entitled Two In The Pocket,
is a groove-filled duo CD filled with their trademark sound of
American swing and pop-based mainstream jazz. A Heritage Guitar Performing
Artist since ‘91, the Virginia-based Lewis has been praised by
all the big guitar mags including 20th Century Guitar while the equally
skilled Abshire has appeared in concert with guitar legends such as
Herb Ellis and Tal Farlow while also backing up vocal stars like Della
Reese and Rosemary Clooney. On the swinging Two In The Pocket,
the guitarists are backed up by a fine rhythm section and the
piano of Robert Redd. Fans of the great Les Paul and other
guitar heroes such as Wes Montgomery and Kenny Burrell are advised
to hunt down the classic guitar-jazz sounds of Two In The Pocket.
In addition to his work with Abshire on Two In The Pocket,
Lewis has also released a 7 track, 45 minute 2003 CD entitled
Makin’ A Move. More original guitar jazz
from Lewis—with cool titles like “East To Wes” and
“Night Mayor”—Makin’ A Move tastefully
echoes the guitar spirits of Wes Montgomery and smooth jazz
icon Earl Klugh. www.noteworthyjazz.com
/ www.vincelewis.com
PARANORMAL - High quality instrumental rock music is an art form
best left to experts such as Australia-based guitarist Brett Garsed.
The guitarist released his excellent CD, Big Sky in
early 2003 and even though it went unnoticed by the masses it remains
an excellent effort filled with imaginative fretboard work that mixes
the best spirits of guitar giants like Steve Morse, Pat Metheny and
Pink Floyd ax-man David Gilmour. Garsed made his mark early on playing
with Australian pop star John Farham and at the end of the ‘80s
as a member of the U.S. pop group Nelson, with Ricky Nelson’s
sons. A couple years back Garsed released another excellent instrumental
album entitled Tapestry, recorded with Ginger Baker’s
son Kofi and bassist Ric Fierabracci under the group name Mojo.
Bassist Fierabracci also appears on Big Sky along with drummer
Toss Panos. For guitar-rock fusion buffs, it doesn’t get
much better than the soaring, towering sounds of Big Sky. www.brettgarsed.com
PATRICK O’HEARN - Synthesist, multi-instrumentalist and bass
great Patrick O’Hearn has worked with a number of fine guitarists
over the past 25 years including David Torn and Warren Cuccurullo
and his band mate in the pioneering Group 87, Peter Maunu. A spectacular
electronic music CD in the spirit of Brian Eno and beyond, O’Hearn’s
2003 CD, Beautiful World continues along the lines of
Pat’s recent trance-inducing recordings. Rippling waves of lush,
peaceful New Age sounds ebb and flow across the sound stage creating
the aural of equivalent of watching clouds jettison across an open
skyline. There’s something quite childlike yet at the same time
so sophisticated about O’Hearn’s experimental musical watercolors.
Performing much of the ‘chill’ electronica here on various
instruments—including synthesizers, bass, acoustic and electronic
percussion, textural guitars, piano and Chapman stick—O’Hearn,
joined sporadically by his Group 87 comrade Peter Maunu—has recorded
another remarkable soundtrack for your next intergalactic space adventure.
www.patrickohearn.com
POHJOLA RECORDS - Despite their immense proclivity for all types
of music performance, from sweeping orchestral, electric jazz and
Sakamoto-inspired cinematic soundtrack sounds, XL, deep down
really knows how to rock. For a good example of the quintet’s
varied style is their 2003 album, take a listen to Visual,
their 5th and clearly their best yet. The album is the latest
release on the Pohjola imprint, a music label started twenty years
ago for the purpose of releasing music from Finland’s greatest
rock instrumental composer of the 20th Century—Pekka Pohjola.
Pohjola’s most interesting signing to date has proved to be XL.
XL guitarist Jarmo Saari is turning out to be one of Finland’s
most intriguing instrumental rock fusion composer /arrangers over
the past five years and he brings his band to new heights on Visual.
Very much in the spirit of all that ground-breaking instrumental
prog-rock Pekka Pohjola released during much of the ‘70s and
‘80s, XL is at once challenging, melodic, potent and to the point.
While we patiently wait for Pohjola to throw his hat back into the
jazz-fusion arena, we have Visual to keep us inspired and happy.
www.XLFinland.com
RPH PRODUCTIONS - Those who grew up on a musical diet of The
Beatles will often tell you that it was the lesser known songs,
and consequently the productions, of Lennon & McCartney
as well as George Harrison that shone a unique light on some of their
best work. In that spirit, NYC based RPH unleashed a cool collection
of Beatles magic as reconstructed by a number of vocalists and musicians.
Entitled From A Window: Lost Songs Of Lennon & McCartney.
There’s some fine singers on hand who take only the most
politic liberties with these evergreen pop melodies. Highlights include
a CD closing cover of that rarest of Fab memories, a ditty given by
John and Paul to Billy J. Kramer & The Dakota’s called “I’ll
Be On My Way”, covered here by the cool Johnny Society.
Singer Graham Parker puts his spin on “Bad To Me”
(another Fab cover/original by Mr. Kramer) and “Come And Get
It” (a McCartney-composed hit for Badfinger). Further spotlights
by B-52’s Kate Pierson, (doing a mean Cilla Black),
Cheap Trick’s Robin Zander...so much more + the superlative
guitar work of fretboard ace Duke Levine puts the finishing
touches on this brilliant 17 track Beatles tribute. The only thing
missing here would have to be one George Harrison song...say
a bonus hidden track of Cheap Trick doing that ‘69 George ditty
by Jackie Lomax, “Sour Milk Sea”. Oh well. www.rphproductions.com
RAINBOW QUARTZ - An amazing band coming out of the holy land that
gives progressive pop fans reason to enjoy, Rockfour released
their latest CD, Nationwide on NYC-based Rainbow Quartz.
The quartet, featuring the guitar of Baruch Ben Izhach, have
released four albums sung in Hebrew and now with their second English
album they tip their hats to the mid ‘60s pop sound of The Moody
Blues and The Zombies. There’s also an obvious Bowie influence,
circa the Low era, at work here with Izhach’s guitars
and the vocals of Eli Lulai giving new meaning to the term
Israeli rock. Another excellent pop band that deserves credit for
their prodigious output and undying spirit, Myracle Brah released
their 2003 album on Rainbow Quartz, called Treblemaker.
An underrated pop singer-songwriter and guitarist in the spirit of
greats like Pete Ham and Emmitt Rhodes, Andy Bopp turns in
another fine performance with able assistance from his power-pop trio
bandmates Paul Krysiak (bass) and Joe Parsons (drums).
Myracle Brah keeps the spirit of pop alive and well with Treblemaker.
www.rainbowquartz.com
RAVEN RECORDS - Up and out on Raven in 2003 is a comprehensive
22 track, 77 minute anthology from Buffalo Springfield founder Stephen
Stills entitled Turnin’ Back The Pages: The Columbia
Recordings 1975-1978. After nearly ten years of recording
for Atco/Atlantic, Stills was signed to Columbia Records. Raven’s
2003 Stills retrospective recasts the best of his Columbia years including
tracks from Stills (from 1975), Illegal Stills
(1976) and Thoroughfare Gap (1978). Capping
off this 22 track anthology of Still’s Columbia recordings are
a couple of tracks Stills recorded on the famous Al Kooper Supersession
album, also on Columbia, from 1968. A wealth of Stills originals—along
with covers of “The Loner” (written by Neil Young),
“Midnight Rider” (the Gregg Allman / Allman Bros.
classic) and Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away”—guest
spots by David Crosby, Graham Nash, Flo & Eddie,
Dave Mason and Ringo Starr, and liner notes that thoroughly
recaptures a complete Stills history, make Raven’s CD a vital
rediscovery. www.suitelorraine.com
/ www.ravenrecords.com.au
REV-OLA / CHERRY RED - Back in the mid to late ‘60s the
names Gary Usher and Curt Boettcher were synonymous
with high quality pop like the classic Association 45 “Along
Comes Mary” (produced by Boettcher) and, also from 1967, the
group Sagittarius who burst on the scene at the dawn of the FM radio
craze with “My World Fell Down”. Aided and abetted by pop
cohorts like Keith Olsen, Lee Mallory and Sandy Salisbury,
Usher and Boettcher recorded the eleven tracks featured on the Rev-Ola
CD reissue entitled Voices Of The Millennium. The
2003 CD features a number of tracks here that glisten with that classic
late ‘60s soft-psychedelic stamp of approval that Usher and Boettcher
became synonymous with over the years. Making total sense out of these
classic late ‘60s days of wonder, the CD’s 2002 liner notes
by Joe Foster puts the finishing touches on this lost classic
of classic West Coast art-pop. www.revola.co.uk
SANCTUARY - One of the best labels to emerge in the new millennium,
Sanctuary have been making all sorts of brilliant efforts on
behalf of a number of artists inexplicably neglected by the major
labels. High on that list is Beach Boys founder, the great Brian
Wilson, who is feted with a 2003 Sanctuary DVD of his 2002 concerts
in London, England. Brian Wilson Presents Pet Sounds: Live In
London recaptures Brian’s 2002 performance of
the Beach Boys’ 1966 masterpiece. Performing the entire Pet
Sounds album from start to finish, Wilson is joined by his band,
including The Wondermints, guitarist Jeff Foskett and
Wilson collaborator Andy Paley. More than up to the challenge
of performing one of the ‘60s greatest studio masterpieces, Wilson
and Co. literally slay the London crowd, many of whom were among the
earliest believers who ushered in the album with welcome arms when
it was released way back in ‘66. Also in the crowd during one
of these London shows from January and June, 2002 was Wilson’s
Pet Sounds collaborator, Tony Asher, whose presence
no doubt makes these shows that much more valuable. Although Sanctuary
released a CD culled from these Pet Sounds Live concerts
back in 2002—complete with fine liner notes by long time
Wilson associate David Leaf—the DVD of the Pet Sounds
concert event is much more engaging and fun to watch. In addition
to the 57 minute concert, the DVD is further enhanced by an excellent
40 minute Pet Stories documentary of the album including candid,
in depth interviews with Wilson, Tony Asher, bass great Carol Kaye,
drumming icon Hal Blaine and many more. Liner notes by Sylvie
Sims caps off this fine Brian Wilson rockumentary. www.brianwilson.com
/ www.sanctuaryrecordsgroup.com
/ www.superiorstreet.com
/ www.fluxgroup.com
STANLEY RECORDINGS - What a cool name for a record label, eh?
And lo and behold their latest release is a 31 track Pink Floyd tribute
album released as a double CD entitled A Fair Forgery Of Pink
Floyd. It’s nearly impossible to achieve that same level
of brilliance that Floyd exhibited in their youth, but these inspired
artists give it a go. A few big names are here including guitar ace
Mike Kenneally and ‘70s rocker Graham Parker along
with a slew of lesser known yet equally gifted associates of bands
like Wild Colonials, Luscious Jackson, etc. Perhaps the unifying thread
on this wildly diverse covers album is the expert pop production,
engineering and mixing work of producer John Would and Floyd-induced
vision Stanley Recordings honcho Dan Johnson, who also manages
the band (no surprise here) and FF contributor, Which One’s
Pink. www.stanleyrecordings.com
VANGUARD RECORDS - With a catalog that’s a veritable audio
museum, Vanguard is a legend among folk music record labels. For this
ex-teenybopper one of their finest moments as a label still has to
be a 1962 recording by a folk-trio called The Rooftop Singers,
who went to the top of the charts with the number 1 hit “Walk
Right In”. The folk song, recorded earlier in 1929 by Gus Gannon,
was given a fresh breath of life by The Rooftops and really captured
the freewheelin’ spirit of the pre-Beatles early ‘60s. That
lost innocence is recaptured again on the 27 track compilation taken
from the group early ‘60s Lps. Their brass ring at pop stardom
was a fleeting pre-folk/rock slant on a vintage classic and was never
to be repeated but, for a minute back there in early ‘63, The
Rooftop Singers offered a little slice of musical heaven. With amazing
liner notes and track info, Best Of The Vanguard Years puts
a fine spin on some vintage ‘60s Americana. www.vanguardrecords.com
ZTT - Back in the mid ‘80s, The Art Of Noise defined
the concept of mixing atmospheric ‘60s exotica with popular New
Age sound that came into prominence the ‘80s with artists like
Vangelis and Patrick O’Hearn. Interestingly the mysterious instrumental
potpourri and sound collage of The Art Of Noise was produced by Trevor
Horn—who not too long before had also mysteriously transformed
Yes from Symphonic virtuosi into an ass-kicking, post New Wave prog-pop
group during their early ‘80s comeback. Over in England, the
group’s founding label, ZTT have reissued three 2003 Art Of Noise
titles as SACD, playable in stereo, SACD stereo and 5.1 surround sound.
Featuring the talents of a number of Art Of Noise players including
the multi-talented Anne Dudley, these 2003 ZTT reissues include—their
classic Daft (back to ‘83 with early singles, their
debut album and mini album Into Battle), Propaganda (from
1985 / with a new stereo mix by Trevor Horn and Steve Lipson), and
a live album put together by Art Of Noise, Horn and 10cc founder Lol
Creme—combining various live performances from 1999, 2000
and 2002—entitled Art Of Noise Reconstructed...for your
listening pleasure. Horn’s work with Yes and Art
Of Noise is legendary and his SACD production and overall sonic genius
on each of these late 2003 AON reissues pays great respect to the
spirit of these timeless recordings. Available exclusively thru’:
www.ZTT.com
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