SUMMER 2007
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THE TRAVELING WILBURYS |
BRUFORD |
NEIL YOUNG |
ALAN PARSONS |
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VARIOUS ARTISTS All My Loving (Music Video Distributors) While the music world of 2007 celebrates all the magic that came of Monterey Pop and the whole L.A. / San Francisco axis on West Coast, a DVD that finally came out in 2007 takes a unique look at the cultural revolution spiraling out of London in 1967. Instigated by The Beatlesand specifically made at the bequest of John Lennonnoted U.K. film maker Tony Palmer was inspired to put direct a pop music documentary designed to capture some the greatness that was then happening in the U.K. and specifically London. According to Palmer, It was John Lennons ideathe film. He said to me youve got to do something to get these guys exposure on television. Theyre hammering at the door, except the guys on the inside are deaf, and probably dumb & blind as well. So I did, and All My Loving was the result. Even using the title was his suggestion. It caused a hell of a stir, but then I suspect he knew that it would. In England, and probably the whole world in 1967, the most visionary person in the music world was John Lennon. Thanks to Lennons revolutionary vision that year, All My Loving features key bands who made bold statements in the music world of 1967including rare performance video footage and interviews with The Beatles, Cream, Donovan, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Frank Zappa and more. Among the memorable chapters on the hour long movie is an incredible psychedelic day-glo Pink Floyd video for Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun. As Palmer proved on his excellent Cream at the Albert Hall filmed later in 1968, All My Loving isnt some ordinary festival retrospective. Its Palmers heady, sometimes disturbing look at the whole scene in play on the world stage and how if played out in London during 1967. Back in 1967 when Palmer crafted his unparalleled rockumentaryas well as time between when it was actually shown on the BBC in March of 1968there was no blueprint for what was happening and in the spirit of 67, Palmer approached the highbrow concept All My Loving with a fresh, innovative vision. Considering it was shown once, late night on BBC television nearly forty years ago, thank the lord it has finally come out, available on DVD through the iconoclastic U.K. record label Voiceprint, with U.S. distribution from the ever cutting edge video mavens at Music Video Distributors. Among the most important rockumentaries of the year 1967, All My Loving makes essential video viewing forty years on, and the DVD is capped off by an excellent 2007 interview with Palmer. www.mvdvisual.com/allmyloving/
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THE MOODY BLUES Live At The BBC 1967-1970 (Deram) Not
merely content with creating some of the most adventurous concept albums
of the 60 and perfecting the term progressive rock, The Moody
Blues were also frequent guest stars on a number of BBC related radio
and TV shows between 1967-1970. The heyday of the second Moody Blues
lineupthe one with both Mike Pinder and Justin Hayward67-70
was the time when the great U.K. rock legends were defining progressive
music as we would come to know and love it. Nay sayers who doubted that
the Moodies could hold their own in a live settingno doubt because
of the orchestral Mellotron drenched arrangements of Pinder and the
studio genius of producer Tony Clarkewill eat their words
upon hearing Derams 41 track double CD set. Although several of
these tracks are scattered as bonus cuts on Derams 2006 Moody
Blues Deluxe Edition remasters, Live At The BBC 1967-1970 is
the first time all the Moodies BBC tracks of that era have been collected
under one roof. A second CD of live performances from a variety of television
showsincluding tracks from Tom Jones Show (1968) and Lulus
TV show (from 1968)along with in depth 2007 liner notes and never
before seen color photos of the Classic 7 Moodies lineup seals
the deal on this vital retrospective. www.mikepinder.com
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THE
TRAVELING WILBURYS
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BRUFORD Rock Goes To College (Winterfold) Back
in 1979, the jazz-rock scene that started so promisingly in the early
70s was peaking. Like volcanic ash rising to the surface of the
instrumental fusion world, Bruford forged the talents of the greatest
jazz-rockers of the age. Founding Yes drummer Bill Brufordjoining
forces with Dave Stewart (keyboards), Allan Holdsworth (guitars)
and Jeff Berlinwas a short lived musical miracle that recorded
one brilliant vocal / instrumental debut effort with jazz singer Annette
Peacock in 1977 and a second Bruford quartet album in 1979.
Holdsworth and Ms. Peacock didnt stick around long enough for
The Bruford Tapescaught live at My Fathers Place
on Long Islandbut now it seems Bill has unearthed a live concert
CD and companion DVD, originally recorded and filmed for the BBC at
Oxford Polytechnic on March 7th, 1979 with the original five Bruford
members including Ms. Peacock. Not quite as glorious sound-wise as The
Bruford Tapes, the 2007 CD Rock Goes To College is nevertheless
the only live artifact of the power and grace that Bruford and this
legendary lineup brought to the jazz-rock world in 1979. The DVD and
CD booklets also feature extensive discography info and some truly ironic
liner notes from Bill Bruford.
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NEIL
YOUNG Live At Massey Hall (Reprise)
If
the role of an artist is to break new ground while also keeping a mindful
eye on past glories, few artists are doing as good a job as Neil Young.
Castigated by some for taking an anti-Iraq
War stance on his brilliant 2006 CD/DVD Living With War - In The
Beginning, Young remains a vital force in the rock world. Recorded
live on January 19, 1971, Live At Massey Hall captures an acoustic
live set recorded live on Youngs home turf in Toronto. Impeccably
recorded, the 17 track live CD blends a number of solo songs with other
tracks Young recorded around the same time with CSN&Y and before
with Buffalo Springfield. The Massey Hall CD features several
acoustic covers from After The Goldrush but as long time fans
know, waiting in the wings was 1972s Harvest and Massey
Hall debuts several Harvest tracks including the exquisite
medley of A Man Needs A Maid / Heart Of Gold Suite, combining
two rock classics with great effectiveness. Produced by Young and long
time producer David Briggs, Massey Hall is the latest
installment in Youngs in depth Archive Performance Series,
which is shaping up to be among the most significant reissue series
of the 2000s. In addition to the CD, Live At Massey Hall also
comes as a CD with a DVD combo-pak featuring the complete live CD and
a DVD with rare live and documentary footage. Later in 2007 Young is
promising to release his long awaited 8 CD, 2 DVD + 150 page book as
Neil Young: The Archives Vol. 1 - 1963-1972. www.neilyoung.com
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ALAN
PARSONS PROJECT The Essential Alan Parsons Project (Arista / Legacy) One
of the premier reissue labels still alive and well, Sony Legacy obtained
the rights to Arista and the whole RCA catalog a few years ago when
Sony merged with BMG and theyve been cranking out some amazing
titles for audio collectors and music fans. High on the list is The
Essential Alan Parsons Project. Parsons has sold untold amounts
of albums since the mid 70s and they do the symphonic rock world
a service with their fine distillation of the early Parsons repertoire.
Parsons rose to fame working early on with great musicians as is well
documented with his lengthy apprenticeship at EMI records working alongside
Englands legendary studio engineers and audio producers late 60s
and early 70s. Drawn from ten different Parsons studio albums,
these songs sound better now than they did 27 years ago. As this 34
track essential collection indicates, Parsons and his cohort Eric
Woolfson employed a range of great players including guitarist Ian
Bairnson. Among the vocalists vocalists appearing include Colin
Blunstone, Gary Brooker, John Miles and Woolfson.
Legacys Essential APP is the best bet for an overview but
Arista and Legacy have big plans for the entire Parsons catalog, so
prog-rockers should check it out. www.legacyrecordings.com
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