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JANUARY /
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 NEIL YOUNG |
 ALLMAN BROTHERS |
 JOHN LENNON |
 DAVIE ALLAN |
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THE BEATLES The Capitol Albums Vol. 1 (Capitol / Apple)
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PAT MORAZ & BILL BRUFORD Music For Piano And Drums (Winterfold)
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NEIL
YOUNG
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ALLMAN
BROTHERS BAND Stand Back: The Anthology (Hip-O / UMG)
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JOHN
LENNON Rock 'N' Roll (Apple / Capitol / EMI)
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DAVIE
ALLAN & THE ARROWS Anthology '64 - '68 (Sundazed)
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A
hot button issue that’s sure to keep the proverbial musical telephone
ringing off the hook well into ‘05, the four CD box set release
of The Capitol Albums Volume 1 will either prove to be
a musical panacea for long time Beatles fans or this kiss of
death for non-believers, purists and sundry international fans never
exposed to these American-only releases. Actually, Capitol Records is
only finally legitimizing and setting in stone something bootleggers
and collectors have known for quite a few years already. The fact is,
the original Beatles Lps as released in the USA on Capitol were punch
for punch, track lineup by track lineup, more fab, more impressionistic
and more (cost) effective (marketable) than the group’s Fab-endorsed
Parlophone albums. Case in point comes by way of the very first Beatles
Lp release on Capitol in the US, Meet The Beatles.
If you look at the Fab’s first two UK albums (Please, Please
Me and With The Beatles), nowhere is to be found a little
song called “I Want To Hold Your Hand”. The band’s first
‘signature’ song kicking off the late ‘63 Meet The
Beatles release, “I Want To Hold Your Hand” can single-handedly
take the credit—along with “She Loves You”, another hit
single not released on their U.K. albums—for sparking off the essence
of the worldwide Beatlemania phenomenon. That and other comparative
footnotes aside, as someone who grew up with these different looking
and sounding albums, I admit to being more intrigued by the U.S. Beatles
albums, an effect quite tangible from Meet The Beatles on, including
their three ‘60s soundtracks and the Summer ‘66 smash Revolver,
which marked the end of the obvious U.S. / U.K. Beatles album differences.
More important, this first ever CD reissue series pairs both authentic
stereo and mono mixes of the Beatles U.S. releases, offering the ultimate
sonic comparison. Keep in mind that many purists still regard the mono
mixes as the definitive versions straight through and including The
Beatles (double white album) and Abbey Road. No less an expert
than the late great George Harrison admitted to preferring the mono
mix of Sgt. Pepper’s. One can only hope that Capitol goes
the distance this way with every Beatles record. Definitive as it is,
Capitol’s 2004 Beatles box also sports a 48 booklet, lovingly encasing
each album in spiffy, mini Lp jacket sleeves and finally represented
in the best CD sound quality yet. With the release of The Capitol
Albums Volume 1, combining Meet The Beatles
(24 tracks), The Beatles’ Second Album (22 tracks),
Something New (22 tracks) and Beatles ‘65 (22
tracks), justice has finally been served back in the USA. 
Having
secured a first rate musical reputation during that fabled ‘69-74
era, drummer Bill Bruford and keyboardist Pat Moraz teamed
in both ‘83 and ‘85 for a pair of albums that are considered
progressive music masterpieces. Both the ‘83 album Music
For Piano And Drums, and it’s ‘85
follow up Flags retained the best qualities of Bruford’s
drumming in Yes with that incredible Moraz piano technique. Although
it’s only the two of them locked in a prog-jazz grand piano/drum
duet layered with some tasteful electronic keyboard effects, the sound
is enormous and quite majestic, leaving one to only ponder the Bruford
/ Moraz match up in Yes that never happened. Both CD reissues are featured
here with bonus tracks on what is being heralded as the first two reissues
on Bruford’s new Winterfold Records. Winterfold is planning
to revive and remaster Bruford's entire output between 1978 and 1985,
while also planning for possible unreleased sessions. Interestingly,
Bruford has simultaneously started a second label called Summerfold
Records, which will devote it's resources towards overhauling his
various releases since ‘85. 
Back
in the winter of ‘69, Neil Young and Crazy Horse recorded
their signature album, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere. Young
followed up with After The Goldrush and Harvest, and
that period has remained his most influential as a recording artist.
His 2004 greatest hits collection on Reprise reflects that fact, bookending
a slew of memorable FM radio classics from those golden years. Also
included on the 16 track CD are other all time Young favorites including
“Like A Hurricane” (1975 from American Stars ‘N’
Bars), “Hey Hey, My My” (1978 from Rust Never Sleeps),
“Rockin’ In The Free World” (1989 from Freedom)
and the title track from his 1991 Harvest Moon collection.
These 16 tracks represent the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Young’s
incredibly prolific musical pen, yet for a variety of reasons, classics
like “Down By The River”, “Helpless”, “Ohio”
(both from Young’s tenure with CSN&Y) and “Needle
And The Damage Done”—all featured here—have etched out
a permanent place in the landscape of 20th Century music lore. Featuring
track by track discography information, the CD is paired with a DVD-Audio
version, which mirrors the standard CD, adding in lyrics and video clips
of “Harvest Moon” and “Rockin’ In The Free World."
A
2004 double CD set on Hip-O / UMG, The Anthology, taps the best
of Southern rock legends The Allman Brothers Band, as recorded for Capricorn
Records and various labels between 1969-2003. Fresh from his work as
session guitar for Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin, Duane Allman
lead the Allman’s through a sprint of now classic blues rock
albums, till his untimely death in 1971. Despite the passing of their
trademark guitar sound and vision, Duane’s brother Gregg Allman
and second guitarist Dickey Betts continued the band’s
success till the departure of Betts in 2002. There’s even a track
from the 1994 Tom Dowd produced Where It All Begins and
a 2003 track featuring the Allman’s lineup on their first post-Betts
CD on Sanctuary, Hittin’ The Note. Even so, it’s still
their early ‘70s rock classics with Duane Allman that still retains
the biggest influence. 
Released
in 2004 under the supervision of Yoko Ono, John Lennon
Acoustic and the simultaneous release of Rock ‘N’
Roll show two distinct sides of John Lennon’s recorded
output during the fleeting ‘70s. The subject of extensive bootlegging
through the years, the mid ‘70s Rock ‘N’ Roll album
remains an influential moment from the official first end of Lennon’s
public career before finally moving back to NYC, only to be shot five
years later by a deranged, gun-toting religious psycho. Bolstered by
his then companion—John’s assistant whom he referred to as
Mother Superior, May Pang—Rock ‘N’ Roll featured
Lennon waxing prolific and elaborate on set of ‘50s rock and roll
standards, backed by some legendary musicians, especially guitarists,
including Lennon, Jesse Ed Davis and Steve Cropper. From his 2003 20th
Century Guitar interview Cropper recalls, “Leon Russell was there.
You had four other guitar players. Five and Lennon. So there were six
guitars on the track. He had horns. He had two keyboard players. He
had two drummers and a percussionist and three background singers. It
was just a wall of sound.” Also recently commenting on this excellent
sounding Rock ‘N’ Roll remaster, May Pang adds, "John
would've loved this technology. All of his remixed albums sound so good.
We can now hear all the little nuances." Released worldwide by
EMI and Capitol in the USA, the CD is enhanced by bonus tracks and some
way cool Lennon artwork—exemplified best by an inset tray card
with his hilarious Rock And Roll caricature. John Lennon Acoustic,
in the other hand features 16 acoustic demos performed as only Lennon
could, with a definite highlight being a swinging doo-wop version of
his Plastic Ono Band epic, “God”. Acoustic versions
of his Double Fantasy songs are equally revealing and the CD
is fleshed out with priceless pics and complete guitar chord charts
/ diagrams of all the songs. 
Back
in the ‘60s guitarist Davie Allan set the music scene ablaze
with his unique approach to the guitar instrumental genre pioneered
by The Shadows and Duane Eddy. Released by Sundazed in 2004 as a 40
track double CD set or a 28 track double Lp pressed on 180gm vinyl,
Devil’s Rumble / Anthology ‘64-’68 is the
final word on the ‘60s recordings from Davie Allan & The
Arrows. Many of Allan’s guitar instrumentals provided the ultimate
soundtrack of the ‘60s world of biker and hot rod flicks like The
Wild Angels and Sundazed has wisely compiled the best of
Allan’s ‘60s studio albums along with hard to find singles
and rare soundtracks appearances. Released with the participation of
guitarist Allan and original Arrows producer Mike Curb, Devil’s
Rumble compiles a slew of tracks recorded by Allan for the Tower
and Sidewalk record labels, and, complete with a 16 page booklet the
set offers a real historical treat for fans of ‘60s instrumental
guitar groups. www.DavieAllan.com
