MUSIC
NEWS & NOTES SPOTLIGHT
SEPTEMBER
2010 RECORD LABEL SPOTLIGHT
POP
& ROCK
00:02:59
- Weird name for a record label but hey, these are weird times!
On Everything Is Real, singer-songwriter Leeroy
Stagger unleashes a litany of modern pop rock with nods to influences
like classic bands like R.E.M. and Mitch Easter with the more current
rock sound and country rock influences of Steve Earle and Tom Petty.
Commenting on his fourth studio album, Leeroy adds, I dont
want to make records that sound like the ones Ive already made.
This time I wanted to make a classic sounding record like the ones
I grew up listening to. Coming up with a truly near original
pop sound in 2010 is not an easy task, but on a number of tracks,
Leeroy comes close on Everything Is Real. The eleven cut CD
was recorded with able aid from producer John Ellis while also
benefiting from a range of backing musicians including guitarist Kevin
Kane, drummer Pat Steward and many more, all making Everything
Is Real Staggers most realized album to date. www.2minutes59.com
/ www.LeeroyStagger.com
00:02:59 - Probably the most acclaimed CD release on
2:59 is the 2010 CD release of Never Say Never,
from Small Faces founder Ian McLagan. McLaganalong
with Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane and Kenny Jones, founded the highly
influential Small Faces during the tail end of the 60s British
Invasion, an era still often spoken of in the
21st century. McLagan, Jones and Lane were also founding members of
latter period offshoot band, The Faces, (no longer small) with Rod
"the mod" Stewart and Ronnie Wood joining, and with Marriott
going to form Humble Pie with Peter Frampton. Complicated stuff really
that happened 40 years ago already! Unlike Jones who went on to replace
Keith Moon in the Who, McLagan moved to Texas to make music sounding
inspired by both The Small Faces, the Faces and the sound of innovative
Texas rock and rollers he grew up with like Buddy Holly and Buddy
Knox, giant American superstars who hailed out of two towns of Lubbock
and Happy, TX. respectively. Also, McLagans singing sounds greatly
inspired by his old bands mates Rod and Ronnies (note the plural 's').
Having a fun time with a sound that is brought to life more by way
of tin-pan alley and good times than hard rock, McLagan gets solid
support from a wide range of players including guitarist Scrappy
Jud Newcomb, founding Spirit bass great Mark Andes and
Don Harvey, who help lay down a very Faces inspired rock beat.
The artwork and packaging is great and the booklet features key photos
and complete lyrics. If you liked McLagan and Rod Stewart back in
the 70s, youll very much enjoy Macs long awaited
comeback. www.IanMcLagan.com
/ www.2minutes59.com
BAR-NONE
RECORDS - When someone asks me what my favorite David Bowie album
is, lately these past months and past year, I would say the first
Bowie album from 1967 and 1970s The Man Who Sold The Worldwhich
celebrates 40 years this year. What those two albums have in common
is the name Tony Visconti, who produced the great music Bowie
recorded after and including new versions of that 67 album as
well as producing and playing bass on Bowies groundbreaking
hard rock masterpiece from 1970. Having worked with Bowie and a number
of bands and singers through the past five decades, Visconti is back
in a big way in 2010, having recently produced a number of titles,
including a vital new pop work from Bongos founder and pop impresario
Richard Barone entitled Glow. Not only
does Tony produce but he also plays on and co-wrote a number of tracks
here. Think early Bowie pre 70 as well as Viscontis work
as producer of T. Rex and you get a good idea where Barone is coming
from on these newly penned tracks. With so much legacy on the line,
on Glow Barone brings it all back home on a decade spanning
appreciation of and a newly penned chapter of the sound Visconti helped
pioneer in the studio in the late 60s / early 70s with
Bowie and Bolan. With Glow
Visconti
achieves yet another rare sonic victory in the studio, this time assisting
Barones bold pop stance. Guitar fans will note that Glow
features state-of-the-art gear that Barone picked up through his
close collaboration with Gibson Guitars, including the Digital Les
Paul guitar. www.RichardBarone.com
BLACKWINGS
MULTIMEDIA - Genius spanning generations of music lovers comes
into focus on the 2010 CD release of California Kid by
singer-songwriter Circe Link And The Discount Candy Family
Band.
Fans of the great Mike Nesmith of The Monkees will note Mike's son
Christian Nesmith produced the CD andas Ms. Links
co-writer herethe CD is cross-generational pop that sounds inspired
by the great L.A. based pop and rock sounds of the 60s like
the Monkees and even echoes 80s bands like The Bangles. In a
like father like son deja vu move, Nesmith also acquits himself on
electric guitars. Circe is backed by a fine bandincluding
L.A. keyboard wiz, and YES genius Billy Sherwoods brother, Michael
Sherwoodlaying
down the tracks that are captured so well in the final engineering
and mixing of the eleven cut studio album. Plus, the album breaks
new ground for establishing the new generation of pop/rock singer-songwriters
coming out of L.A. in 2010. Ms. Link goes the distance on the album,
firmly establishing her pop presence and her flashy exuberance can
be readily seen on the inside of the cool CD cover artwork. www.CirceLink.com
CAPITOL RECORDS - It used to be anything with the Capitol Records
logo on itespecially one of their vintage Beatles era Capitol
swirl
logoswas a big deal but the 2010 CD from Eli Paperboy
Reed lives up to that honor with the release of Come And
Get It! I had to do a double take after I heard Elis
new single Name Calling because he sounds so much like
a young Otis Redding or a 21st century, blue-eyed soul version of
Arthur Conley or even a young Michael Jackson. With its upbeat Cool
Jerk kind of infectious groove, Name Calling sounds
like it could have come out 42 years ago. In his very retro looking
garb on the inside of the cool looking CD booklet, Elihis full
name is Eli Husocklooks like hes right at home in a kind
of Motown / Philly time warp that really gets it on a century later.
Backed up by a rock band with full horn section, Eli Paperboy
Reed really holds down a groove!
www.EliPaperboyReed.com
CHAD MUSIC - On his self-titled 2010 CD, pop singer-songwriter
Chad Hollister covers so many bases, that he gets your foot
tapping and your head spinning at the same time. Key players like
drummer Dave Mattacks and multi-instrumentalist, album producer
and guitarist Anthony Resta lend a hand and help Chad flesh
out his modern pop-rock sound. The sound is slightly influenced by
pop legends like Harry Nilsson but for a good example of where Chad
is coming from here, check out his cover of the Cars classic My
Best Friends Girl, a track that just exudes Chads
infectious pop groove. www.ChadMusic.com
CREEK
TOURING & RECORDS - Guitarist John Illsley was a founder
member of U.K. rock superstars Dire Straits until the band broke up
in the mid 90s. In early 2010, Illsley released his latest solo
albumhis first since leaving Dire Straits in 95and
the results offer a very Dire Straits inspired mix of rock sounds.
Streets Of Heaven features key appearances from his
old band mate in Dire Straits Mark Knopfler, who adds
in some splendid electric guitar on a pair of tracks, along with other
appearances by Knopfler cohort, keyboardist Guy Fletcher, drummer
Lee Boylan and more. With Illsley handling guitar chores and
the lead vocals, Streets Of Heaven was tastefully produced
by Guy Fletcher. As you can see on Illsleys web site, his Streets
Of Heaven Tour 2010 was canceled due to a carpal tunnel syndrome related
problem with his right hand. On Illsleys web site you can also
see a range of music recorded by Illsley during his time in Dire Straits,
that has also recently been reissued by his label Creek Touring &
Records. www.JohnIllsley.com
DANIELLE SPENCER MUSIC - When one of the top producers in progressive
pop and rock music history, Brooklyns own Tony Visconti plugs
a CD by an up and coming pop chanteuse, music fans in the know sit
up and listen. After reading about Tonys latest production
of Calling All Magicians, by Australian singer-songwriter
Danielle Spencer, mwe3.com tracked down the CD for review.
Tony was quite right in describing Danielle as a modern day Kate Bush
and Brian Wilson inspired songstress. In a word, the 13 cut CD is
impeccably produced, recorded and packaged. An all around exemplary
Visconti-produced long player, Calling All Magicians showcases
a fine crew of musicians who back up Ms. Spencers ambitious
progressive pop composite. With Visconti ably detailing the sounds
in the studio, Calling All Magicians features some expert playing
from Ms. Spencer on piano and all lead and backup vocals, along with
electric and acoustic guitars performed by Mark Punch and many
other fine players. Even with so much sound and vision in play, the
songs are the real stars here and readily elevate Ms. Spencer to a
stellar bardo in the rock world of 2010. Ms. Spencers MySpace
page is quite impressively designed. www.MySpace.com/DanielleSpencer
DOUBLOON RECORDS - Sort of a trans-America recording, the 18 track
Fiery Blue CD pairs the talents of NYC based singer
Simone Stevens with Austin, TX. guitarist / producer Gabe
Rhodes. From San Diego, Paul Marsteller is credited with
writing all the music here and
he also adds in some guitar work. Also credited here is NYC singer
Quinn Bogt-Welch, who adds in her backing vocals. Theres
some excellent guitar work on the album including some very tasty
George Harrison style slide, very noticeable on track 14 Turn.
The results conjure up a moody kind of pop album that mixes up folk,
rock and country with Americana type edges that sort of reminds one
of the work of earthy pop chanteuse Sam Phillips with T-Bone Burnett
but theres always a steady pop beat in the forefront. Its
that good and the pairing is top notch throughout, including the multitalented
Rhodes, who seems to be able to play any instrument. The music of
Marsteller is also quite effective throughout. The cross-section of
sounds is positively amazing and topping it off is some tasty drumming
by one time Tin Machine / David Bowie drummer Hunt Sales, whose
heroic dad is/was pop culture superstar and comic genius Soupy Saleswho
was born one week after my mom and died two days after my mom on October
22, 2009. www.FieryBlue.com
HEMIFRÅN - Under their Music From Home series,
Swedish label Hemifrån offers up a pretty cool compilation of
acoustic based folk-rock entitled Music From Home.
This 17 cut 78+minute folk-rock based concept CD features some big
names and some not so big yet.
Case in point on the yet side is a 2010 studio track from Swedish
pop-rock genius Klas Qvist called A Place To Call Your
Own that is simply smashing and is an interesting move after
his critically acclaimed 09 solo album, Meet Citizen K. Graham
Nash and David Crosby appear on the lead off, anti-war
song recorded in 2010 by Joel Rafael called This Is My
Country while Jackson Browne kicks in a CD closing live
in 2005 cut called The Rebel Jesus. Early 70s folk-rock
legends Batdorf & Rodney turn in brilliant live in 2008
Home Again while other new tracks from California pop
hero Jeff Larson and a host of others makes Music From Home
a relaxing acoustic based journey into familiar musical terrain.
www.hemifran.com
JARDINE TOURS - As one of the founding and earliest members
of The Beach Boys, Al Jardine was a key component to the groups
huge success in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Following
the final Beach Boys album on Columbia / Caribou, the one with the
classic Getcha Back, Brian
Wilson finally went on to create a long overdue solo career filled
with incredible musical peaks. In the wake of Dennis Wilsons
early demise, Al, Mike Love and Carl Wilson went on to keep the Beach
Boys name alive with limited input from Brian who was way too comsumed
with writing his well documented solo masterpieces over the past 23
years. Compared to the ostensible right wing politic of the hard headed
Mike Love, the genius of Brian and extreme genius of Dennis, Al was
always the most easily likable guy in the Beach Boysa
peacemaker with a voice of pure golden sunshine that Brian always
expertly implemented to flavor his unique multilayered harmony based
vocal arrangements. Anyway, who would guess it, but Al Jardine is
back in 2010 with his first ever solo album entitled (what else but)
A Postcard From California. Its so great
to hear Als voice again and Brian Wilson and a host of
other rock icons pop in and out with cameo shots. With a key voice
from the classic Beach Boys sound in the bag, the album features well
renowned sessioneers and band players. Al is no slouch on guitar either
and he pairs his steady electric fretboard work with other players,
including his sons Matt Jardine and Adam Jardine. Brian
turns up on a number of tracks, adding his fabled vocal harmony work,
especially on a track that will prove to be the album highlight among
Beach Boys fans called Dont Fight The Sea. The cut
is an early track first worked on in the 70s, with Al adding
more parts over the years, including some killer vocals from Brian
and Carl Wilson, who sadly didnt live to see it finished.
Anyway, featuring Als lead vocalsand some steady studio
backing from long time Jardine guitarists Ed Carter, Scott
Matthews and Michael LentDont Fight The
Sea is an unheralded Beach Boys style classic track worthy of
rediscovery. A ton of pop culture icons appear on various tracks including
Neil Young, David Marks, America, Steve Miller
with the late Norton Buffalo, Glen Campbell, David
Crosby, Alec Baldwin and even Flea from Red Hot
Chili Peppers. Neatly packaged, with track by track info and cool
cover art concept, A Postcard From California is a splendid
welcome back and a long overdue solo album from one of the 60s
most revered celebrated pop music voices. www.AlJardine.com
KOOL
KAT MUSIK - The
KKK of pop, Kool Kat MusiK really hits its stride with the 2010 CD
release of the latest Maple Mars album entitled Galaxyland.
Founded by singer-songwriter and electric guitar ace Rick Hromadka,
the four piece Maple Mars have recorded their definitive pop masterpiece
that spans generations while drawing from the world of pop gone by.
A triple threat musician,
Rick Hromadka is a real hero among the pop intelligencia and the IPO
crowd and theres no escape from his galaxy of pop sounds. One
early comparison I thought about while spinning Galaxyland
was a cross between the classic 60s pop band The Association
as produced by Jimi Hendrix! Hromadka has a great guitar sound that
Hendrix would dig while his healthy respect for pops past puts
him on the right road. The sound of the Galaxyland CD fully
captures the vast Maple Mars pop composite. Backed by Ron Pack
(vocals, drums), Trevor Zimmerman (vocals, bass) and Steve
Berns (guitars), Rick serves the Maple Mars spirit well and kicks
it into overdrive on what will come to be viewed as the groups
best album to date. Also, dont just buy the download, but check
out the expertise put into the design and color schemes of the CD
cover art, booklet and packaging. Back in the 60s a cover like
that would stop you in your tracks and it would probably be bought
immediately, back when album jackets were considered art. You can
go follow Rick and Maple Mars on Facebook where you can often find
him postulating on the meaning of just what qualifies as a classic
album! Such devotion to the pop art form springs to life in Galaxyland.
As far as the definition of pop classic, may I be
so bold as to infer that Maple Mars comes pretty darn close on Galaxyland
I might add. www.MapleMars.com
KOOL KAT MUSIK - Pop producer Jamie Hoover was big in
the 80s, having established his impeccable pop credentials with
the highly influential American pop singer Marti Jones as well as
Hoovers own group The Spongetones. Anyway, Jamie continues on
as one of Americas great pop music producers and the proof in
the pudding so to speak comes via the 2010 CD release by singer-songwriter
Frank Royster. On his second solo album for the N.J. based
Kook Kat Musik labelthe 13 cut Innocence Is BlissFrank
performs just about every instrument in addition to taking on the
lead and harmony vocals while receiving able assistance from a range
of players including Mr. Hoover, who displays his usual finesse on
lead / rhythm guitars and harmony vocals. A rockin band indeed
backs up Franks wide screen vision of pop in the 21st century.
Theres even Franks timely cover of John Lennons
album closing Beatles VI classic Every Little Thing
that closes out the CD while Franks son, McCartney Royster
appears here too. Talk about keeping it all in the family! Pop
and rock fans who enjoyed listening to Marti Jones and Don Dixon back
in the mid 80s, as well as fans of The Spongetones and classic
American pop bands like The Smithereens will find a lot to like here.
www.FrankRoyster.com
/ www.KoolKatMusik.com
PINK HEDGEHOG - Label boss Simon Felton is doing a bang-up
job on the Pink Hedgehog label, and old Simon strikes gold with the
2010 CD release of The Sound Of Meat by U.K, pop trendsetters
Schnauser. Singer-songwriter Alan Strawbridge has assembled
eleven new pop jewels for the 21st century. Backed up by Holly
McIntosh on bass and backing vocals and John Fowle on drums.
Even though these songs really stick in your head, The Sound Of
Meat is very much a band project. As has already been noted in
the U.K. press, the album takes a cue from the heyday of 60s
British pop and psychedelia while the band openly cites influences
like the Kinks, Soft Machine and current bands including The Shins
and Field Music. Represented in image by some impressive CD cover
art and packaging, Schnauser offers up some fine Syd era Floyd joins
Arthur Lee Love induced retro-delica perfect for sonic consumption.
The hills are alive with The Sound Of Meat. www.Schnauser.co.uk
/ www.PinkHedgehog.com
PRESAGIO - The spirit of prog-rock is alive and well in grooves
of the 2009 CD from the Chilean band Aisles, entitled In
Sudden Walks. The lead vocals, sung in English, are
deftly handled by Sebastián Vergara while the group
also sports inventive electric guitar
work from Rodrigo Sepulveda and Germán Vergara,
with the later handling the production chores as well. The sound is
quite cutting edge and the arrangements borrow from that classic 70s
U.K. and European progressive rock sound. With a great rock beatcourtesy
of drummer Juan Carlos Ragliantiand keyboards of Luis
Vergara keeping the sound moving, the CD is filled with imaginative
arrangements and an excellent studio sound. Aisles cite influences
like Genesis, Marillion, YES, Pink Floyd and King Crimson so if those
classic bands turn you on, perhaps Aisles will do the trick as well
with the release of In Sudden Walks. The Aisles CD is available
from MuseaRecords.com, CDBaby.com as well as from the prog-rock experts
at KinesisCD.com. www.AislesProject.com
SADDLE CREEK - Writing reviews in the age of the internet is
a pure joy. Back when I was in the "music biz" 25 years
ago, you had to keep on the streets just to get into the stores and
get mags into your sound. Now you just surf on the internet and you
can hear just how cool the new Mynabirds album is in one fell
swoop! Singer-songwriter Laura Burhenn made a lot of music
lovers quite happy with her songs and singing
with the alternative pop-rock group Georgie James and following the
breakup of that group last year, shes back with the debut Mynabirds
CD entitled What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Flood.
Quite a mouthful, but the songs here cut right to the chase with
fine production, studio sheen and of course, Ms. Burhenns music
and voice are in stellar form throughout. Commenting on the album
she adds, I wanted to write something honest and raw, to make
a record that sounded like Neil Young doing Motown, or a revival at
a Buddhist monastery. With a sound that would no doubt impress
old Neil, the ten track 33 minute Mynabirds
CD just
blows through and before you know if youre hitting the replay
button. A bunch of fine musicians assist throughout the Mynabirds
album, which is overall greatly enhanced by fine co-production and
multi-instrumental wizardry from Richard Swift. Extra credit
must go to the Omaha, Nebraska based Saddle-Creek who have designed
an appealing package boasting fine graphic details and inserts. www.Saddle-Creek.com
SHOUT! FACTORY - Blues guitarist hero Stevie Ray Vaughan was
one of the greatest musicians ever to come from Texas, and you could
say pretty much the same thing about his older brother Jimmie Vaughan,
who is well represented on the 2010 Shout! Factory release of Plays
Blues, Ballads & Favorites. Blues and blues-rock
fans will love this album although theres no denying its cross
over appeal with the oldies set and blues fanatics. Like his brother,
Jimmie Vaughan is one formidable guitar slinger, yet his vocalsas
well as his ace band, topped off by the appearance of singer Lou
Ann Bartonmakes this album one of the quickest, most easygoing
blues rock spins of 2010. www.JimmieVaughan.com
SURRENDER
ALL -
Okay heres another weird one for you! Electronic rockers UNKLE
take the spirit of 70s glam rock to a whole new level with their
2010 CD When Did The Night Fall. Theres a bunch
of different versions featuring remix cuts, instrumental mixes, etc.
Even so, some tracks feature male/female voices over a driving electronic
rock beat that reminds of Roxy Music, Goldfrappe, Neu and any number
of those pioneering Teutonic electronic wizards, from Kraftwerk and
Can on. Featuring the rock smarts of Unkle music maestro, James
Lavelle, When Did The Night Fall is the groups fourth
album so theres some history here and judging from the amazing
groove going on here, theres a bunch of music lovers crying
(for) UNKLE! www.unkle.com
VIZZTONE / REDSTAR - Just when youre ready to
typecast Peter Parcek as a blues guitarist in the spirit of
Buddy Guy and Peter Green, he comes back at you with a sprawling nearly
eight minute instrumental that also blends in influences from Rory
Gallagher and
Clapton. Parcek started out relocating from New England to England
in the mid 60s and found himself in the midst of the great British
blues / rock boom. Even getting to perform with a band at the Marquee
club, on the bill with Pink Floyd, Parcek frequently saw Beck, Page
and Clapton playing in England during that period and you can really
hear the hands of experience on Parceks 2010 CD The Mathematics
Of Love by The Peter Parcek 3. The Boston area
based Parcek did a stint as guitarist and band leader with piano great
Pinetop Perkins and he strikes blues rock gold on his 2010 CD. Backed
up by his solid rock trio sound with a number of guest artists, such
as instro guitar ace Ronnie Earl and with producer Ted Drozdowski
on board, Parcek on vocals sounds like a 21st century Rory Gallagher,
mixing his own original compositions with time honored originals by
Peter Green, Lucinda Williams, blues icon Jessie Mae Hemphill and
more. But the key here is Parceks white hot blues rock guitar
which adds a whole lot more to his mix of blues-rock and instrumental
rock tracks. Parceks trio cover of Greens Showbiz
Blues is a highlight as is the Beck inspired instrumental Rollin
With Zah and track 9, Busted a barn storming instrumental
rock tour de force written by music icon Ray Charles, with special
guest appearance by rock keyboard icon Al Kooper that sounds
inspired by the spacier sides of Beck and Clapton and truly transcends
rock instro genres. www.PeterParcekBand.com
WALT
DISNEY RECORDS - Americas greatest living music pop music
composer, musician and singer, Brian Wilsonfounder and
genius behind The Beach Boysis going to make his legions of
fans very happy with his 2010 CD release Brian Wilson
Reimagines Gershwin. The 14 track album
features Brian putting a whole new spin on the music of fabled
American music icon George Gershwin, who back in the '20s and
'30s wrote some amazing music with his brother Ira Gershwin,
including standards like Summertime, I Got Rhythm
and Rhapsody In Bluesongs re-imagined here by Brian
Wilson and company. So what could be more American than Brian Wilson
revisiting the Gershwin brothers on the home turf of Disney Records,
whose icon is Mickey Mouse, possibly the first pop culture star of
them all? It doesnt get cooler than than and that great American
spirit of rock and roll is alive and well on Brian Wilson Reimagines
Gershwin. Brian was planning this Gershwin tribute album back
in 2009 and, with the blessing of the Gershwin estate shedding further
light on the project, Brian even completed two Gershwin songs that
the fabled composer left unfinished. Who better to do this classic
George Gershwin tribute than Brian Wilson and his fantastic band of
gifted pop music specialists? Back in the 90s, Brian told the
music world that if The Wondermints were around when Smile was
being recorded back in late '66, he would have taken that album on
the roadand
so he did forty years later. Compared to stodgy, anti-progressive
antagonizer types like Mike Love, the Mints are really on Wilsons
wave, so to speak, and core Wondermint members and others help Brian
carry this baby into the end zone! So whos in Brians band
on the Reimagines Gershwin CD? Well just the coolest of Americas
pop coolDarian Sahanaja, Nick Walusko, Scott Bennett,
Nelson Bragg, Probyn Gregory, Taylor Mills and Jeffrey Foskettall
the great singers and musicians who graced Brian Wilson album classics
from the first decade of the 2000s and they really help seal
the deal on Brians superlative tribute to the Gershwin brothers.
Adding to the fun is the work of Paul Von Mertens, who helps
Brians sound sparkle with his added arrangements and orchestrations,
not to mention his memorable harmonica work. Reimagines Gershwin
is such an authentic sounding Brian Wilson creation that while
listening to it you could almost imagine some of these tracks appearing
on Smile and Pet Sounds. Brian Wilson Reimagines
Gershwin makes a strong case for the multigenerational healing
powers of music. So how cool is that Mickey and Minnie? Add some music
to your day, indeed. www.BrianWilson.com
INSTRUMENTAL
ACID
LAKE PUBLISHING - Back in the mid 1980s Will Ackerman
introduced American ears to the Windham Hill sound.
Ackermans approach to producing and recording instrumental New
Age acoustic guitar music remains the stuff of legends. While hes
toned down his solo career somewhat, Will remains a producer in demand
and long time fans will want to hear his production of the 2009 CD
from guitarist Matt Millecchia. A self-produced 12 cut CD,
Silhouette Of A Season is one of the best solo acoustic
guitar albums of the past year and Ackermans deft touch in the
studio truly enhances Matts magical guitar compositions. The
music is the perfect stuff to relax and chill out with after a hard
days night while the CD also benefits from a host of backing
musicians including Ackermans acoustic guitar, Michael Manring
(fretless bass), T. Bone Wolk (bass, accordion) and more.
Silhouette Of A Season just sounds better, spin after spin.
www.MattMillecchia.com
BRAZJAZZ RECORDS - The biggest names in guitar jazz over the past
four decadesMetheny, Scofield, Bensonmay owe a lot to
the masters of earlier decades, yet they continue to pave new roads
for music fans and guitarists alike. One such artist bringing the
jazz guitar traditions of the past into the future is Wayne Brasel.
A masterful jazz guitarist and composer, Brasel hits his stride with
the 2010 CD release of If You Would Dance, recorded
by The Wayne Brasel Quartet and released on the Brazjazz
label. Latest news is that Wayne is currently an associate professor
and head of the jazz guitar department at the University of Stavenger
in Norway. Recorded in Santa Monica during the summer of 2009, If
You Would Dance is a completely solid instrumental guitar based
album that further establishes Brasel as a real contender in the jazz
guitar world. Throughout the nine track CD, Brasel gets solid support
from his quartet, but clearly the accent here in on the guitarists
impeccable guitar skills. www.WayneBrasel.com
ELECTROMANTIC
MUSIC - Funny, I was just talking to SYN founder Steve Nardelli
about Italian rock era composers and the conversation turned to a
1978 album I had on vinyl back then from Italian drummer Toni Esposito.
This was just the other week when lo and behold in mid August 2010
I should receive a CD from another great Italian music legend from
the 70s. Back in the very late 70s I recall being very
impressed by an LP from Venegoni & Co. entitled Rumore
Rosso. Led by guitarist Gigi Venegoni, the group named
after him recorded several more albums in the 80s, yet after
the longest time, late in 2006, Gigi reformed the band and, just like
that, out of the blue, the long awaited Venegoni & Co. comeback
album, Planetarium proves to be well worth the long
wait. Superbly recorded instrumental guitar-based fusion, the sound
is definitely Euro-centric, Italian flavored fusion, and as such,
the CD will easily appeal to fans of the electric group oriented works
by guitar giants like Al DiMeola, Jan Ackerman and Swedish guitar
icon Janne Schaffer. MWE3.com might have missed this one back in 2007
but its a fine album well worth the time for fans of the illustrious
legacy of Italian instrumental music as well as the amazing history
of European jazz rock music over the past 33 years. With the 2007
CD release of Planetarium, its clear the Italian based
Electromantic label is truly a bastion of progressive Italian progressive
and jazz-rock music with an accent on the classic sound of both the
60s and the 70s. www.venegonieco.com
/ www.electromantic.com
HOWESOUND
- In 2008, Steve Howe released his instrumental jazz tribute
album, The Haunted Melody and in early 2010, Howe released
the live companion album to that album, called Travelling.
Recorded live in 2008 in the U.K. and Canada, the 12 cut CD features
a near complete concert with The Steve Howe Trio, which
pairs Steve with his son Dylan Howe (drums) and Ross Stanley
(Hammond organ). Featuring pretty faithful interpretations of
music from the instrumental release of The Haunted Melody, the
live Travelling album features live covers of Howe and company
interpreting music from his jazz heroeshere by Jimmy Smith and
Kenny Burrell to Miles Davisas well as instrumental covers of
Howe classics and historic pieces co-written with YES song writing
partner Jon Anderson. Sadly, theres no Hank Marvin covers! (Hank
was Steves first big guitar influence) but, theres a live
version of The Haunted Melody favorite Laughing With
Larry (Hey Steve, you are too lucky, I never laughed with Larry,
he only laughed at me!) plus, as if to underscore Steves love
of classic pop melodies, theres even a welcoming (if slightly
schmaltzy) instro cover of the hugely popular 70s Hollies
classic He Aint Heavy, Hes My Brother that
Hank and the Shadows did a much better job with back in the late 80s.
www.SteveHowe.com
LEO
RECORDS - A mysterious photograph is pictured on the cover art
of the 2010 CD from Carolyn Hume and Paul May entitled
Come To Nothing. In the U.K. Ms. May is renowned
in musical circles for her piano / keyboard skills, and theres
a definite air of mystery on the nine track CD, which is listed on
the back of the CD cover as consisting of "Come To Nothing"
parts 1-9. The U.K. based Leo Records is quite well known for their
adventurous avant gard instrumental, jazzy kind of releases and one
of the labels finest albums, Come To Nothing superbly
mixes Ms. Mays sparse yet effective piano improv with never
obtrusive drums and right time /right place percussion from Paul May.
The best yet pairing of this musical collaboration, Come To Nothing
is actually the fifth CD collaboration between Hume and May. Quite
accurately, the music of Hume and May is described as haunting
and mesmerizing, full of suspense and ghostly echoes. Even with
so much intrigue in the airfrom the striking CD cover art, right
down to the evocative, minimalist atmosphericsCome To Nothing
is nevertheless quite a musical achievement. Youll find
yourself hitting the replay button to once again try and figure out
just what is really happening here. Ms. Humes website features
a number of music clips from her solo works as well as her albums
with Paul May. www.CarolynHume.com
MOON
BOY MUSIC - A thoroughly inventive instrumental tribute album
to the music of John Lennon and the Beatles, Liverpool:
Re-Imagining The Beatles is a stunning and haunting
work of art from New Age keyboard genius David Lanz. There
is a very heavy air of musical karma brought to light here through
the brilliant melodies of John Lennon. Most Beatles fans know that
Lennon was the voice and vision behind songs like Rain,
Eight Days A Week, Because, Im
Only Sleeping, Yes It Is and Norwegian Wood
however Paul McCartney is also represented here with Lanz re-imagining
his Things We Said Today and Lovely Rita.
By deconstructing and re-imagining these indelible melodies of Lennon
& McCartney as floating, meditational soundscapes, Lanz has created
a thing of sonic beauty. Snippets of melodies appear then reappear
amid the sonic seasonings that echo the spirit of the Beatles as re-imagined
as Neoclassical flavored instrumental and New Age inspired piano based
renditions. A number of musicians appear including Gary Stroutsos
(Xiao flute) and Walter Gray (cello). Several other players
add in some intriguing sonic flavors including, co-producer Gary
Lanz (autoharp) and the late Larry Knechtel, who
adds Hammond organ on an ethereal composite of Rain / Eight
Days A Week. In fact, upon further inspective, the CD is actually
dedicated to Larry Knechtel who passed away in 2009. Ironically this
appearance is one of Larrys last ever, and how fitting that
he should be playing on such a heavenly sonata style arrangement of
these song classics. With the inventive work of Lanz and the Satie
inspired flute of Stroutsos, ethereal is in fact the key word here.
In fact, this music is near weightless and overall, Liverpool
is superbly recorded with plenty of atmospheric echo and strategic
effects to help it rise above a mere solo piano Beatles tribute. Fitting
in among the Beatles covers, Lanz even adds in a leadoff tribute original
called Liverpool and a set closing atmospheric tribute
to Beatles captain John Lennon called London Skies. Clearly
one of the best piano based instrumental Beatles tributes ever, Liverpool:
Re-Imagining The Beatles is tastefully packaged with pictures
of Lanz actually visiting the Beatles hometown of Liverpool
while the project is put into further perspective by some very reflective
liner notes penned by Lanz himself. www.DavidLanz.com
ORIGIN
RECORDS - A 2008 tour of Africa inspired saxophonist / composer
Geof Bradfield and the results can be heard on his second Origin
Records release entitled African Flowers. Proficient
on both tenor & soprano saxophone as well as bass clarinet and
flute, Bradfield toured Africa as a member of the Ryan Cohan
quartet and likewise, Cohan returns the favor and appears on Bradfields
new album along with Jeff Parker (electric guitar), Clark
Sommers (bass), George Fludas (drums) and Victor Garcia
(percussion / trumpet / flugelhorn). The sound is a cohesive and
swinging blend of instrumental new jazz that really shines
a light on the sound of each instrument. Theres a definite Coltrane
/ Tyner influence and even a slight Metheny-esque kind of guitarist
vibe, yet the sound is also quite modern throughout the twelve track
CD. Commenting on his cross-cultural sonic homage to the dark continent,
Bradfield says, With African Flowers I hope to communicate
to the listener the expansive spirit and deep soulfulness I experienced
as a traveler in Africa.' www.GeofBradfield.com
SOLO ELECTRIC CELLO - Currently one of the most acclaimed New
Age recordings, Elements, by electric cellist
Matthew Schoening is just the ticket for winding things down
after a hard days night. Recorded live in front of a live audience,
the five track CD clocks in at 46 minutes and offers a good snapshot
of just how effective Schoening is at entertaining in a live setting.
Just how Schoening is able to execute this can be linked back to his
mastery of the art of live looping and layering while only using his
electric cello as his instrument. The full range of sounds Schoening
gets, via the loops and layering, is quite amazing at times. The all
instrumental album will appeal to a broad range of music fans into
alternative classical, instrumental, avant-garde and more. Interestingly,
the CD is structured around the elements of water, air, fire, earth
and spirit. With so much music emanating out of Matthews solo
cello, Elements is one CD that just unveils fresh musical insights
with each press of the play button. Elements is Schoenings
fourth solo album and follows his 2008 album The Art Of Live Looping.
www.SoloElectricCello.com
STRUT - A cutting edge label releasing unusual instrumental based
music, Strut is based in Germany but their American branch, K7 is
based in Brooklyn, N.Y. First up with the Strut logo is Rising
Sun by Ottawa Canada fusioneers The Souljazz Orchestra.
Kind of sounding
like a cross between Art Blakeys albums from the 60s,
Soft Machine, Italian percussionist Toni Esposito and the Afro beat
of Fela Kuti, this sextet also reminds one a little of the classic
American and British TV soundtrack music from the 60s and early
70s that blended a host of imaginative arrangements. Spearheaded
by the keyboard based compositions of Pierre Chrétien
and drummer Philippe Lafrenière, Souljazz is mostly
horn based yet they bunch their intriguing horn driven unison lines
with a hefty helping of strategic echo that sounds influenced by African
intensity with a cutting edge jazzy soundtrack edge that keeps the
instrumental sound consistently grooving. Strut also has a double
CD remix / remaster set from late, great NYC remix DJ Walter Gibbons
entitled Jungle Music, subtitled Mixed
With Love: Essential & Unreleased Remixes 1976-1986.
Already hailed as one of the acclaimed reissues of 2010, the double
CD set features Gibbons in full remix mode, having a ball reworking
lesser known disco classics from Gladys Knight, Salsoul
Orchestra, Bettye Levette, Arthur Russell, Stetasonic
and many more. Gibbons had a real knack for the art of the 12
mix and was king of the NYC D.J.s during the late 70s
disco era that followed into the early 80s. Much more than just
mere disco, these tracks often feature some really gifted musicians
summoning up extended instrumental reworkings, grooves and edits that
also owe a debt of musical gratitude to high voltage disco funk kings
like Isaac Hayes and Barry White. Strut Records continues on in 2010
with a range of new releases from Lloyd Miller (an eclectic,
jazzy instrumental sound track called The Heliocentrics),
and on the vocal side, a Salsa music collection called Salsa
Explosion! (subtitled The New York Salsa Revolution
1969-1979), a multi -part excursion into South African
music called Next Stop Soweto (subtitled Vol. 2:
Soul, Funk & Organ Grooves From the Townships 1969-1976), and
back on the instrumental side, Mulatu Steps Ahead,
the 2010 CD of Western jazz and Ethiopian modes from the father
of Ethio jazz Mulatu Astatke. With each of these World Beat,
jazz and remix remasters, Strut takes the music way out there. www.Strut-Records.com
REISSUES & RETROSPECTIVES
ANGEL AIR RECORDS - The music archivists at U.K. based Angel Air
unearth pop-rock gold with the 2010 CD release of Run From The
Wildfire by English rockers Rococo. Formed back in
the early 70s, and featuring rock journalist Roy Shipton
(keyboards, vocal) lead singer Ian Raines and a host of
other top rock players of the times, Rococo recorded their album in
the 70s and also had asingles
deal with the Deram label yet for some reason, their music has remained
unreleased till now. As
is indicated in the well done liner notes, the Rococo song writing
team of Shipton and his rock journalist buddy Jeff Ward both
originally worked for Melody Maker as music scribes during the tenure
of the late great Ray Coleman and clearly these guys had a sound of
their own. Although overshadowed by numerous bands of the same eralike
City Boy, 10cc and even Supertrampclearly Rococo had a similar
high standard approach when it came to progressive pop and rock during
an era of the incredibly high musicianship that was emanating out
of the U.K. during that time. Complete with a pair of bonus cuts,
Run From The Wildfire may have been recorded back in the 70s,
yet theres a vital aura of musical rediscovery and fascination
with their music that makes it worth taking a listen 35 years later.
Another archival masterpiece from the vaults of Angel Air is a
various artists compilation called The Best Of Homegrown Music
1968 to 1980. As far back as 1962, singer-songwriter
Brian Carroll was involved with Transatlantic Records and producer
legend, the late great Gus Dudgeon. Teaming up with fellow musician
Damon Lyon Shaw, Carroll formed Joint Production which morphed
into Homegrown Music, the label for which this multi-artist collection
is named after. Working with Shaw and a host of bands, including Factory,
Five Day Rain, One Way Ticket and more, Carroll established
himself as a producing musician and record company genius. The majority
of tracks from The Best Of Homegrown Music come out of the
heyday of classic rock1968 to 1975with some tracks as
late as 79. Semi-psychedelic pop and rock well worth revisiting,
The Best Of Homegrown Music features an in depth CD booklet
packed with a wealth of information on Carroll and company. Another
Angel Air classic reissue in 2010 is Better Late Than Never
from Cold River Lady. Discovered by Cream lyricist
and Jack Bruce song writing partner Pete Brown, way back in
1971, Cold River Lady finally got the chance to record Better Late
Than Never in 1991 for Browns then Interoceter Records and
Brown even wrote the introduction to the informative CD liner notes
on the bands Angel Air remaster. For music fans looking for
a better description, from the liner notes, Better Late Than Never
is described as an album that has a strong folk influence,
but sophisticated flavors from the likes of Arthur Lee, Tim Buckley
and Caravan were also present in the mix. www.rococo.ws
/ www.angelair.co.uk
ANGEL
AIR RECORDS - Ever since the summer 69 release of the first
Taste album, Irish blues guitar legend Rory Gallagher has remained
a household word among blues rock fans. In 1971, following Taste,
Rory released his first ever solo album. That self-titled album featured
Irish bass ace Gerry McAvoy, who remained in Rorys band
till 1991 when he rejoined rockers Nine Below Zero. Angel Air has
done a great job unearthing some tasty rock tracks Gerry made during
downtime in Rorys band in the 70s and 80s. In the
liner notes for the 2010 CD release of Cant Win Em
All, Gerry adds, Im delighted this material
is now seeing the light of day. Its lovely to have something
out on CD under my own name and I very much hope both Rory Gallagher
and Nine Below Zero fans will enjoy it. Throughout the
eleven track CD, Gerry displays a real knack for singing and writing
music along with his impressive bass skills. Backed up by a range
of playersfour different guitarists, drummer Brendan ONeill
and moreGerrys sound is similar to Rorys in
a way. Both Gerry and Rory were immersed in the blues yet both could
always be counted on to come up with a catchy hook, riff and melody,
all at the right place and right time. www.RidingShotgun.com
BGO RECORDS - I remember buying BGO CD remasters as far back
as the late '80s and early '90s. Such was the devotion of big name
guys in the U.K. music business like Mike Gott and Andy Gray that
BGO continues maximizing the implementation of the CD as the most
viable and trusted method for music listening. With hundreds of CD
releases in their catalog over years, BGO keeps the CD flame bright
with summer 2010 CD titles from huge legends like Cass Elliot.
Music fans first heard Cass as the lead voice of The Mamas And The
Papas. By the time the band split up way toosoon,
Cass was the one who got famous as a solo artist first and, her final
three releases are compiled on a 2010 BGO double CD. Her final two
studio albumsthe 1972 self-titled Cass Elliot and
The Road Is No Place For A Ladycomprise CD one while
CD two features her Las Vegas show called Dont Call Me
Mama Anymore. There's no Mamas & Papas best of
here. This is an artist looking to upgrade her stature as a viable
solo artist and, tragically she was well on the way before dying in
London in late July, 1974. This was Cass Elliot at her best. BGO,
over the years has proven to be quite eclectic in its release schedule
and case in point is a 2010 CD from jazz flugelhorn master Kenny
Wheeler entitled Windmill Tilter - The Story Of Don Quixote.
Filled with atmospheric jazz that borrows from early fusion as
well as '60s soundtracks, this album is a way cool rediscovery recorded
in 1968 and features Wheelers music backed up by the jazz masters
of the 60s, including a number of big name U.K. brass players
from John Dankworth Orchestra plus jazz guitar icon John
McLaughlin and future SKY drummer Tristan Fry. Of course
fans will remember Wheelers flugelhorn also being a feature
on Bill Brufords debut album and rock fans who dug him there
will dig this more straight ahead, visionary instrumental fusion set.
The CD is well packaged with original artwork and 1969 Lp liner notes
from John Dankworth, while newly penned in depth notes from
Alyn Shipton puts the album history into perspective. Some
of BGOs earliest CD reissues were by Quicksilver Messenger
Service and now in 2010 they fill in a missing link with the most
famous second Quicksilver album from 1968, Happy Trails.
Liner notes by David Wells are exemplary. Although founding
members Dino Valenti and John Cipollina passed away
in 1994 and 1989 respectively, long time members Gary Duncan and
David Freiberg have resurrected the name in recent years. Even
so, with its rare mix of psychedelia and Bo Diddley beats, nothing
beats Happy Trails for vintage, visionary rock psychedelia,
to say nothing of that fantastic cover art which is another story
in and of itself. Also out form BGO is a double CD set entitled Road
Noise from U.K. pop chanteuse Judie Tzuke. In early
2010, Wrasse Records released Moon On A Mirrorballa double
CD retrospective from Tzuke, including tracks from her late 70s
/ early 80s tenure on Elton Johns Rocket Records label
as well as new music. Now in 2010, BGO digs into the vaults for Road
Noise: The Official Bootlega double CD live in concert set
recorded in the U.K. in the spring of 1982. Backed up by a tight band,
Road Noise demonstrates just how powerful Judie is in concert,
while 2010 liner notes by Michael Heatley puts the finishing
touches on this fine addition to her star-studded career. BGO also
has a double CD set out from Blondie front woman Debby Harry.
The 2010 double CD set pairs two of Harrys solo albumsRockbird
(from 1986) with Debravation (from 1993). Also
out recently from BGO is a 23 track single CD from Ike & Tina
Turner. The 23 track BGO CD combines two of Ike & Tinas
most popular studio albumsCome Together (released
in 1970) and Nuff Said (released in 1971). Compared
to the covers-heavy sound of Come Together (featuring covers
of the Beatles, Stones and Sly Stone), the 71 release of Nuff
Said offers eleven Ike & Tina originals. 2010 liner notes
by David Wells puts a fresh spin on the early 70s musical heyday
of this dynamic soul-rock duo. Although Ike Turner passed away
in 2007, his legacy lives on in the grooves of his fantastic productions
and guitar work. www.BGO-Records.com
EAGLE VISION - Arising
out of the ashes of The Nice and King Crimson, Emerson, Lake &
Palmer quickly established themselves as the leaders of the progressive
rock movement of 1970. The bands first self-titled album was
a huge commercial success and redefined
the way post-Beatles rock fans listened to music. As groups like YES
and Genesis struggled to find a place as major contenders, which of
course they would by late 1971, the first ELP album just bowled everyone
over immediately and their roller coaster ride to the top was nonstop
throughout much of the 70s. In between the first ELP album and
the Summer 1971 release of Tarkus, ELP filmed and recorded
a live concert that was quite daring for its time. Filmed live at
the Lyceum in London in December 1970, Pictures At An Exhibition
featured the trio of Keith Emerson, Greg Lake and
Carl Palmer performing a souped up, rock / jazz version of
the Mussorgsky classical masterpiece while putting a unique spin on
the quickly evolving classic prog-rock genre. Of course, Emerson had
done this kind of thing before with his group The Nice, but ELP recording
and releasing Pictures was a huge artistic success that not
only blew away the prog-rock crowd, but overall further established
ELP as worldwide musical trendsetters. The Lp version of Pictures,
featuring a different performance from the video, and engineered
by audio genius Eddie
Offord, was released on Island in late 71. Unbeknownst to most
ELP music fans at the time, the live Lyceum show was filmed and a
movie of that show actually came out in the cinemas in 1973. Of course,
most American fans didnt get to see it until years later when
it surfaced as a DVD. Eagle Rock sets the record straight on that
December 1970 show with a fantastic 2010 DVD reissue of the ELP movie
Pictures At An Exhibition. This 40th anniversary look back
at Pictures, recaptures the video of the December 9th, 1970
show in its most complete form, presenting the entire Pictures
composition with live versions of classics from the first ELP
album along with Emersons Rondo from the Nice era.
Amazing graphics and special effects enhance this fascinating trip
down memory lane, while also adding in footage of a previously unreleased
1971 live performance from the Belgian TV program Pop Shop
in addition to the
original theatrical trailer for the Pictures movie. Eagles
144 minute DVD of Pictures At An Exhibition follows their earlier
ELP DVD releases of Emerson, Lake & Palmer - The Birth Of A
Band: Isle Of Wight Festival 1970 and Emerson, Lake & Palmer:
Live At Montreux 1977. In
addition to their historic Emerson, Lake & Palmer DVD release
of Pictures, Eagle have a number of other amazing DVD titles
released during the summer of 2010, and high on the list is a memorable
DVD from Electric Light Orchestra entitled Live: The
Early Years. Featuring highlights from three different
ELO concerts, the 91 minute DVD is a real eye opener for music fans
who might have missed them during their early 1971-73 era when they
were untouchable as musical innovators. The more popular they became
the less innovative they would become but during their 70s and
early 80s years ELO became so popular that original fans hardly
recognized them anymore. The 1976 ELO concert at the New Victoria
Theatre in London is pretty cool as is their 1974 Rockpalast show
for German TV but their 1973 show at Brunel University (featuring
a quite amazing Jeff Lynne without sunglasses) offers key insights
into the band that Lynne had started with sadly, ousted key member
Roy Wood and ELO / Move drumming wizard Bev Bevan, who remained
a key member of ELO till Lynne left the band to form Traveling Wilburys
with Beatles guitarist George Harrison. Like their ELP DVD of Pictures,
Eagle tastefully
present their ELO DVD with excellent packaging and key liners notes
by rock scribe Malcolm Dome. Another title available on Eagle
during the Summer 2010 is a fresh off the presses DVD release of Berlin
- A Concert For The People (A 79 minute August 30, 1980 live
in Berlin concert from U.K. prog-rock legends Barclay James Harvest).
Amazingly, the concert featured BJH performing live before an audience
of up to 250,000 people. Also included here is the previously unreleased
Time Honored Tales which is a sequence of five original
promotional films created in support of the 1975 Barclay James Harvest
album, Time Honored Ghosts. Also on Eagle is Going Home,
a 90 minute DVD reissue of a 1994 home video by Jackson Browne,
which serves as a documentary of his, up till then 25 year career
while combining live performances, rare footage and key interviews
and performances by key Browne cohorts including Don Henley, Bonnie
Raitt, David Crosby,The
Eagles, Graham Nash, David Lindley, Jennifer Warnes and more. In addition,
the DVD also features key performances from Brownes incredible
band including guitarists Mark Goldenberg and Scott Thurston.
Eagles release of Cry Tough is a 252 minute double
DVD set from Nils Lofgren performing three different shows
on the German Rockpalast TV show from 1976, 1979 and 1991). Lofgrens
bandincluding his brother / guitarist Tom Lofgrenis
in peak form throughout and the DVD booklet features new liner notes
from Rockpalast honcho Peter Ruechel and well as brief liners
from Nils himself, who adds, These memorable Rockpalast shows
remain great musical adventures for my bandmates, crewmates and I.
www.EagleRockEnt.com
HOWESOUND - Back when I was the music reviews editor with 20th
Century Guitar magazine between 1998 and 2009, I had the opportunity
to meet Steve Howe on several occasions, although I had met
and interviewed him years before joining the mag. Of course, during
my tenure there, the concensus was that the mag always featured Steve
on the cover whenever possible. Many music lovers, especially Americans
of the progressive ilk (you know who you are!), go back a long way
with Steveway back in fact to 1971s The Yes Album,
when Steve first made his mark here in the U.S. in a huge way
by joining, recording and then touring with YES. Times have sure changed
since the Acunto brothers closed down TCG magazine in the dark days
of late December 2008 but Steve Howe rolls on, both as a member of
the current 2010 YES and as a solo artist. Back in the 90s Steve
had a number of fine solo albums out under his own name, including
two of his greatest albumsThe Grand Scheme Of Things and
Quantum Guitar as well his famous 99 Bob Dylan tribute called
Portraits Of Bob Dylan. It was also back in the 90s that
Steve debuted his Homebrew series. I remember going
with Real News editor Craig Gordon and the lovely graphic artist Hye
Chon Hong to a '93 show at the Bottom Line in NYC when Steve totally
captivated with crowd with just an acoustic guitar. It was one standing
ovation after another! After several successful Homebrew titles,
in 2010 Steve continues on with the 2009 CD release of Homebrew
4 on his HoweSound label. Like the earlier Homebrew
albums, Homebrew 4 features a further 19 tracks of Howe
works in progress, demo tracks and other Howe compositions that have
till now remained in the vaults. Although these instrumental and vocal
based home recordings are not meant to supplant the more
finessed final productions, they offer an up close and personal look
at Howes compositional frames of mind. In his own words from
the liner notes Steve adds, Theres often a mood of excitement
in the actual creation of the piece that doesnt totally transport
to the further developed and mastered recordings. Homebrew
4 offers Howe fans yet another inside vantage point at just how
some of his greatest solo works took flight and came to fruition.
The CD includes excellent packaging and graphics that accompany track
by track liner notes by Steve and, theres even a cameo performance
from long time Howe associate in ASIA, keyboardist Geoff Downes.
Another Homebrew 4 highlight is Steves retooled solo
demo version of Lilys Of The Fielda track
co-written by Steve and Annie Haslam and a song that became the anthem,
so to speak, of the November 1995 Lilys concert event that was
organized by Steve and Annie in conjunction with Larry "Laughing
With Larry" Acunto of 20th Century Guitar magazine. As Steve
well knows (and as he told me personally) a proper live CD of that
amazing concert event is 15 years late yet, yet is still being obstructed
by Larry Acuntos dogmatic insistence of removing all of the
3 hour concerts spoken word intros, segues and vital comedic
sketches featuring the shows MC, the great pop culture hero
and now Minnesota Senator Al Franken, Larrys nemesis in the
Democratically controlled Senate of 2010. Steve, did you know that?
www.SteveHowe.com
MVD VISUAL / CHROME DREAMS - One of the best among all
the U.K. DVD makers of rockumentaries, Chrome Dreams is well
represented in the U.S. by PA.-based MVD. Chrome have a number of
fine DVD rockumentary titles out in 2010 spearheaded by The Rolling
Stones 1969-1974: The Mick Taylor Years. Of course,
when U.K. blues guitar great Mick Taylor joined The Rolling
Stones in time for the late summer 69 release of Honky
Tonk Women, some original Stones fans who grew up on their amazing
60s 45 rpm singles were still in shock and dismay over the July
3, 1969 death of Brian Jones, who many believe held the key
to the bands magical '60s pop masterpieces. Anyway, Mick Taylor
was the guy who joined in place of Brian, and this DVD is a fine expose
on the years Taylor joined the Stones and recorded Let It Bleed,
Sticky Fingers, Exile On Main Street, Goats Head Soup and
Its Only Rock And Roll. As usual, Chrome Dreams leaves
no stone unturned regarding this era, all the while pairing original
documentary and concert footage of The Stones with some of the biggest
music critics on either side of the Atlantic, who wax philosophically,
long after the fact, on the meaning of it all. The DVD also features
some fairly recent interview footage with Taylor who left the band
in the mid 70s over artistic disagreements. Clocking in at 99
minutes, youd be hard pressed to find another as complete a
documentary on the Stones during this crucial time in their early
70s years. Chrome Dreams / MVD also has an DVD on Cream guitar
icon Eric Clapton entitled The 1960s Review.
The two hour DVD presents an in depth look at Claptons early
career with The Yardbirds, John Mayalls Bluesbreakers, Cream
and Blind Faith while also including new interviews with John Mayall,
Tom McGuiness, Chris Dreja, Cream biographer Chris
Welch and a host of other music critics and scribes. The Chrome
Dreams / MVD DVD release of Frank ZappaThe Freak-Out
List presents an intensive look at the musical roots and influences
of Mothers Of Invention founder Frank Zappa. Turns out, Zappas
influences were some of the most eclectic names in 20th century music
historyfrom avant gard classicist Edgard Varese to 50s
doo-wop groups from the Bronx. Complete with rare video footage of
The Mothers and the Freak Out list of artists, the 88 minute DVD also
features interviews with Mothers Of Invention group members Ian
Underwood, Don Preston and George Duke. As on all
the Chrome Dreams DVD releases, The Freak-Out List features
extra add ons, here including a segment called Frank Zappas
Record Collection. Each Chrome Dreams DVD offers priceless insights
into the key players in classic rock history. www.MVDb2b.com
/ www.ChromeDreams.co.uk
UMe
- The sudden death of Brian Jones in July of 1969 was such
a shock that original fans of The Rolling Stones barely had
time to recover before the band released Honky Tonk Woman
at the end of that summer. Then the old one, two, Woodstock and the
Beatles breakup and that was 1969 for you in a nutshell! Without
Brian and the Beatles to drive them on, the Stones as they became
known as werent quite as cosmic anymore. The 60s and the
AM radio hit singles Stones era was officially over. Knocked off,
over and out of the Stones by Keith Richards in a cosmic musical
dual where the 60s were sacrificed and blind faith fell, Brian
Jones became the first major rock star of the Beatles era to perish.
The rude awakening of Sticky Fingers followed and then by 1972,
the Stones released their double album masterpiece Exile On
Main Street, which was reissued as a double CD set
on Universal Music during the summer of 2010. Interesting to note
that backing up the 2010 CD pressing of the original 18 cut Exile,
the double CD also features a second, ten track CD of newly uncovered
Stones tracks from the original sessions, including some of which
that were actually reworked in 2009 with new lyrics and vocals by
Mick Jagger, some new guitar licks from guitarist Mick Taylor
and backing vocals from current Stones singers Cindy Mizelle
and Lisa Fischer. Its been noted by one astute writer
that one of the newly reworked tracks here, So Divine (Aladdin
Story) portends a rip-off of sorts of the Brian Jones
sitar intro riff from Paint It Black but Jones isnt
even credited in any song writing credits here. Another newly reworked
vintage song here, Following The River features new lyrics
and vocals added in 2009 and an instrumental from 1970 called Title
5a neat little guitar jam featuring Keith Richards,
Charlie Watts and Bill Wymannearly harkens back
to the beat group days of 60s with Brian in the band and it's
a great way to close out the bonus second CD here. Title 5
as its known here is actually under 2 minutes, yet offers keen
insight into just how much of an underrated guitar genius Richards
was back in the 60s. Its a real shame he never pursued
recording this type of instrumental free jam sound as its kind
of indicative of his Satisfaction groove type of guitar
sound. As cool as the newly discovered tracks are on disc two of the
2010 double CD set, its the original eighteen cutsneatly
fitting on CD1 and that comprised the original Exile On Main Street
produced by the late, great Jimmy Millerthat are
still the meat of the matter so to speak. Despite coming out on CD
for 20+ years, the sound is quite good on this 2010 remaster set.
The double digi-pak packaging is good but the original Exile, double
black vinyl pressing was quite uniquely packaged and came with a number
of amazing connected post card inserts that are missing here. Youd
have to find the mid 90s Virgin Records collectors edition
CD pressing to find all the original Lp style, albeit miniaturized,
artwork. Stones fans who grew up with their singles and monumental
albums like Satanic Majesties Request, Decembers Children,
Beggars Banquet and Let It Bleed were never completely
sold on Exile. The sound without Brian Jones and the attention
to pop detail and orchestration was gone, replaced by an overt kind
of sexy, drug induced sonic rock and roll mania. Even so, 38 years
after it was first released, the original 18 track Exile On Main
Street still smolders with an unbridled rock energy that perhaps
sounds better and more urgent now then when it was first released
in '72. Caught in between the pop revolution of the 60s and
Las Vegas, the Stones opted for Vegas but in doing so, they gave us
quite a wild ride over the years. For their 2010 remaster, UMe have
put together a fine package, made essential with the ten track bonus
CD, that also includes a thin little booklet with near miniature text
and stylized photos from the heyday of the historic Exile sessions.
www.RollingStones.com
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