MWE3.COM
MUSIC NEWS & NOTES
NOVEMBER
2011 RECORD LABEL SPOTLIGHT
POP
& ROCK
BESTE!
UNTERHALTUNG / TUTL - Hailing from Reykjavik, Iceland,
singer-songwriter Gudrid Hansdóttir brings her introspective
brand of pop music to the world wide stage with the 2011 CD release
of Beyond The Grey. Maybe it’s because she’s
from Iceland that her music has such a pastoral, ethereal effect.
Even so, most of Gudrid’s introspective songs here are sung in
English, with some Icelandic words interspersed for effect, so there’s
no problem getting her musical messages (and spectacular melodies)
through to international listeners. Sounding, say for instance like
a modern day pop version of Joni Mitchell, (fellow country woman Bjork
is another signpost) Gudrid gets excellent support from her band including
producer Mikael Blak, who adds in an a variety of instruments
including bass, organ, mellotron, theremin and more. Also on hand
on the album’s more uptempo pop-based tracks are Benjamin
Petersen (guitars) and Derek Murphy (drums). Released on
the German based Beste! Unterhaltung label—sister label to the
eclectic Nordic Notes album—Beyond The Grey makes for
a most illuminating, enlightening, international pop music experience.
The packaging and accompanying booklet, is also top notch and overall,
gives new meaning to the words 'CD release'. www.gudrid.fo
BLUE TUXEDO - Egged on by singer-songwriter / guitarist Simon
Bristoll, the English pop-rock group known as Captain Wilberforce
has been garnering some well deserved accolades for their 2011
CD entitled Ghost Written Confessions. The CD
catches you right away with a series of hard-hitting pop-rock tracks
in the spirit of Todd Rundgren and XTC. Interestingly on their Facebook
page, the group cites heroes like The Fab Four, The Who, Jellyfish
and Queen and you can really hear how devoted they are to the art
of classic pop-rock. The Captain gets solid backing from his cohorts
who help carry these memorable tracks into the end zone. www.CaptainWilberforce.com
CHERRY RED RECORDS - After way too long out of the public ear,
rock legend Suzi Quatro returned in 2011 with the all powerful
In The Spotlight. Harking back in style to her
leather clad mid ‘70s sound, Suzi once again reunites with long
time producer Mike Chapman and the result is a rock solid CD
that takes no prisoners. Recorded in the U.K., In The Spotlight
features Suzi’s vocals and big bass guitar sound getting
amazing backing from producer Chapman and a number of players including
Nat Allison (guitars), Jez Davies (keys) and powerhouse
drummer Owen Martin. As producer, Chapman assumes a dominant
role here writing a number of tracks that raise the roof in the spirit
of mid ‘70s Sweet, Bowie and and of course, Suzi Quatro. There’s
even a touching Elvis tribute track here entitled “Singing With
Angels”, that also features guest appearances by long time Presley
guitarist James Burton and the King’s backup singers The
Jordinaires. The CD is superbly packaged and in the CD booklet,
Suzi waxes philosophically about her lengthy career as an entertainer
and how after coming back to Detroit in 2010 to celebrate her 60th
birthday—after recording Back To The Drive in 2006 and
writing her autobiography Unzipped in 2007—she felt free
and at peace for the first time in her life. The result of all this
peace? In The Spotlight—surely one of the great rock ‘n’
roll comebacks of 2010-2011 and resoundingly among the most kick-ass,
powerhouse rock albums of the millennium. www.SuziQuatro.com
DEACON RECORDS - Guitar hero Steve Hunter is renowned world
wide for his amazing work, live and on record, with Alice Cooper and
Lou Reed. Steve’s recent solo albums are also quite amazing and
much the same could be said about his production on the 2011 album
from his wife Karen Ann Hunter. Entitled Empty Spaces,
the 11 cut CD is filled with glorious songs and stately melodies,
with each track superbly fleshed out by Steve’s amazing electric
and 
acoustic
guitar work. With Karen’s songs and voice as the centerpiece,
the Empty Spaces album is as close to heaven as you can get
without actually dying! Commenting on the 2011 CD, Karen adds, ‘Empty
Spaces is my second solo album, the first was more jazz and blues
with much harder vocals. However, Steve heard me do some Sade and
Norah Jones live before I moved over to marry him, and when he heard
me sing them he thought I should do an album using my very soft voice
and Empty Spaces was the result.’ There’s way too
many highlights to discuss in a review yet (“Butterfly Blue”
is pure sonic bliss) yet when pushed to discuss the title track Ms.
Hunter adds ‘Empty Spaces, the title track, is about the
memories that get buried deep inside as one gets older, it is meant
to be reflective but not sad.’ Further discussing the album and
Steve Hunter’s role in the recording, Karen further states, ‘Steve
arranged, played or programmed, produced and engineered everything
on the album and I wrote all the songs. He had never recorded vocals
before but managed to get the most wonderfully warm sound on my voice.
The production and songs have gained praise from a number of major
producers, songwriters and engineers. Steve played mostly his Taylor
acoustic, his Baby Taylor as well as an Oscar Teller nylon string
along with his fave electric guitars.’ From start to finish,
Empty Spaces is not quite folk, not quite rock, not quite New
Age, yet the sound borrows from all three genres. Another musical
signpost, perhaps a subliminal one, is the influence of Beatles guitar
ace George Harrison and the album sounds quite astral in that respect.
When pressed to explain exactly what kind of sound Karen and Steve
were going for she also explains, ‘You asked what we set out
to achieve, well that is easy, we just wanted to write and record
a great album together, an album that was full of music that we would
enjoy listening to. We both love melody, harmony and atmosphere so
that is what we produced.’ www.CDbaby.com
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON - A subsidiary of Universal Music and sister
label to Decca Records, Deutsche Grammophon released 
their
first ever album from Tori Amos. The 14 track Night Of
Hunters details Tori’s classical training and is as far
as you can get from her late 1980’s, rock based solo debut on
Atlantic. Even so, it’s rare an album from a pop artist underscores
such a deep fondness and understanding of classical music. Sounding
sort of influenced by artists such as Kate Bush and Enya, Night
Of Hunters is a neo-symphonic masterpiece that features Tori on
vocals and grand piano backed up by a symphony orchestra. Also on
hand is her daughter Natashya Hawley. The sound is first rate
and the packaging is really state of the art. Considering what actually
happened (to the late Steve Jobs) in 2011, track seven here, “Job’s
Coffin” is both haunting and revealing at the same time. An album
that sounds better with each spin, Night Of Hunters is the
most daring work yet by a truly pioneering and innovative artist.
www.DeccaRecords.com
EXPRESSION RECORDS - U.K. guitar hero Phil Manzanera gets
back to his Latin roots with his 2011 CD Corroncho.
Recorded with Colombian artist/sculptor Lucho Brieva, the
12 track Corroncho CD finds the esteemed Roxy Music guitarist
sharing the vocal spotlight with Lucho. The two get further support
from a fine band, with guest appearances from Robert Wyatt,
Chrissie Hynde and Annie Lennox. The songs are all sung
in Spanish and, even though these bouncy Latino flavored track may
seem to have little in common with Manzanera’s progressive rock
and rock roots, his pop side comes out to play on an album that blends
a wealth of Spanish music sounds—from salsa, Cumbia, pop, ballads
and low-fi chillout music. Manzanera’s guitar sound is everywhere
as is his fondness for South American songs, rhythms and politics.
www.MVDb2b.com
MANHATON
RECORDS - Somewhat of a cult artist, Peter Bruntnell released
Black Mountain U.F.O. in 2011. Bruntnell’s most
recent album, Peter And The Murder Of Crows was released in
2010 and Black Mountain U.F.O. is just about as memorable plus
you get that multi-panel cover art when you obtain the physical CD.
Throughout, Bruntnell gets solid support from his band and he turns
in a fine performance on a number of guitars and synth keyboards.
Black Mountain U.F.O is one part alternative country, another
part psychedelia delivered in a characteristically British fashion.
Bruntnell may be unpredictable musically, yet spin for spin, there’s
always something to marvel at on his various album releases. Of note
is the “Black Mountain U.F.O.” title track which after hypnosis,
Bruntnell admitted he had been abducted by an alien spaceship, whose
inhabitants instructed him to write the song. www.PeterBruntnell.net
ROPEADOPE
RECORDS - Some noted writer at one of the most prestigious guitar
magazines in the world used to term schizophrenic (in a humorous way)
to describe the 2011 CD release of Entre Nous by guitarist
Clay Ross. Growing up in South Carolina, Ross was groomed to
become a preacher—gving sermons over Sunday dinners with his
family as a ten year old. The young guy they called “The Reverend”
has done good on his latest album album on the Brooklyn Ropeadope
Records label. With the 2011 CD release of Entre Nous, Ross
splits his music craft into compartments combining forays into rock,
jazz, funk, world beat, bluegrass and more. As a singer, Ross is quite
adept at fusing a sound that is rock, but not quite rock, Brazilian
sounding but not quite world beat. The record is split into instrumental
and vocal sections and you’d be hard pressed to say which is
more interesting. A number of musicians aid Ross on Entre Nous
although, clearly the center stage spotlight here is on Ross,
his excellent guitar sounds and of course his songs, which you can
hum along with as they haunt you. There is a CD (perhaps for
review only?) of the Entre Nous album, available with 17 cuts
although it seems as though the download album currently on Amazon
only features 13 cuts. What’s missing on the Amazon download
page are some great instrumentals including an instrumental of an
unforgettable track here called “Battle Hymn.” Clearly,
Entre Nous should be made available on CD and not just as download
only album, so write your congressman. www.clayross.com
TVP
- Turning the shock factor up to ten, NYC based singer-songwriter
/ keyboardist Kristeen Young puts it together in dramatic fashion
on her 2011 album V The Volcanic. Sometimes considered
a sign for victory, here it more likely signifies the name Visconti,
as in legendary rock producer Tony Visconti. Simply put, on
Ms. Young’s album, Tony has done another fantastic production
job. Considering Kristeen’s dramatic vocal mannerisms, there’s
a definite Bowie-esque vibe around. Think Bowie jamming with King
Crimson circa 1981 or even Kate Bush in full synth rock mode and you
get an idea of the scene here. While that’s clear, the whole
thing is kicked up a notch with a post modern NYC attitude. Utilizing
a range of top backing musicians, Tony Visconti also plays guitars
and bass here while on several tracks, Downtown legend Lou Reed
adds in his some of his own enthralling, metal machine music style
rock rhythm guitar crunch. Even with Visconti and company supplying
cutting edge and very dramatic etchings, the centerpiece here is Ms.
Young’s soaring voice and keyboards. Mastering at Sterling Sound,
Visconti once again pushes modern rock to the max on an album that
sounds familiar yet is completely new. www.KristeenYoung.com
YOUNG
AND LOST CLUB - Wild name for a record company, but the U.K. based
Young And Lost 
Club
Records is keeping the progressive pop world alive with For
The Shadows, the debut CD from the group known as Oh
Minnows. Sounding like a modern day Brian Eno circa Another
Green World, multi-instrumentalist Chris Steele-Nicholson is
actually from the US and the album was recorded in various locations
across the USA including Chicago, San Francisco and North Carolina.
Interestingly, there is a CD of the album available yet Young And
Lost Club are promoting it so far as a download release. There’s
some great layered electric guitar sounds on the album that also sounds
inspired by groups like Tears For Fears complete with ‘80s synths
and effects boxes adding to the electronic backdrop. www.YoungAndLostClub.com
INSTRUMENTAL
ACOUSTIC-MUSIC - Based in Germany, the Acoustic Music Records
label was founded by guitarist Peter Finger back in 1989. In
the spirit of Finger’s eclectic approach to acoustic guitar instrumentals,
his label released the critically acclaimed Compositions Pour
Guitare(s) by French guitarist Michel Haumont.
Echoing the approach of the great Pierre Bensusan, Haumont is skilled
at extracting unique elements of sound and depth from the acoustic
guitar. As far as acoustic based instrumentals, Haumont is more subdued
than say Tommy Emmanuel for example, although there’s still plenty
to marvel at here. Throughout his 14 track CD, Haumont receives fine
backing by a wide range of acoustic guitarists—including label
founder Peter Finger, Roland Dyans, Dan Ar Braz and
many more. The CD booklet is printed in three languages including
English. Also on Acoustic-Music in 2011 is Soleado by
Sin Distancia Trio. An instrumental guitar trio, Sin Distancia
Trio evokes some of Al DiMeola’s more Gypsy jazz stylings making
them the samba / nuevo version of the California Guitar Trio. Also
in 2011 on Acoustic-Music is Follow Through from acoustic
guitarist Zane Charron. Pleasant enough, the solo acoustic
CD features 13 acoustic guitar based vocals with a few instrumentals
consisting of Charron originals and vocal covers of Fred Neil, Steve
Miller and Jerry Garcia. www.acoustic-music.de
/ www.sin-distancia.com
FAVORED NATIONS / DIGITAL NATIONS - Ever since guitar hero
Steve Vai started up his Digital Nations label back in the
early 2000’s, there’s been a roll back of sorts, all around,
regarding releasing actual CDs, say compared to promoting music exclusively
as download files. Even so, 
when
FN releases an actual, silver disc CD, it’s usually a total winner
and happily that’s the case with the 2011 CD release of Interstellar
Groove Machine, from guitarist Chris Bullen.
Fans of Steve Vai’s uncanny knack to bowl you over with a sonic
barrage of hard rock / heavy metal instrumentals (and the occasional
vocal) will totally enjoy Bullen’s CD. An all instrumental, electric
guitar based tour de force, the 9 track Interstellar Groove Machine
album just amazes from start to finish. Throughout, Bullen handles
the writing and the guitars while receiving top drawer support from
a range of gifted backing players, including bass ace Ric Fierabracci,
Jim Cote (bass) and Shane Gaalaas (drums). The CD is
superbly recorded and the artwork and packaging is truly mind expanding.
Bullen waxes philosophically in the extensive album liner notes on
an album that just sound better with each spin. Fans of Vai, Satch
and the great rock metal instrumental guitarists who’ve gone
before and have come since would be well severed by getting on board
Chris Bullen’s Interstellar Groove Machine.
www.CBullen.com/blog/
www.Digital-Nations.com
FAVORED
NATIONS - It’s a pretty bold move in and of itself, yet covering
The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band as
an all instrumental hard rock suite is the latest musical move from
Texas guitarist Andy Timmons. Already getting accolades from
guitar heroes such as Steve Lukather and Tommy Emmanuel, Andy
Timmons Band Plays Sgt. Pepper features Timmons in the studio
with his group Andy Timmons Band, also featuring Mike Daane
(bass) and Mitch Marine (drums). Featuring note for note
melodic translations, the album also features Timmons adding in some
occasional riffs and leads that further takes the music into orbit.
It’s great how Timmons closes out “For The Benefit Of Mr.
Kite” with a coda from another Lennon penned Beatles song “I
Want You” (She’s So Heavy), yet it works. Many guitarists
have steered clear of something like this yet Timmons possesses the
chops and the insight to put melody and arrangement together in a
way that does justice to the time honoured Beatles album classic.
www.AndyTimmons.com
FONOSINTESI - With the 2011 CD release of Organum,
trumpet master Giorgio Li Calzi creates a sonic stew that
is truly mind expanding. A student of ECM trumpet master Enrico
Rava, Giorgio takes that spatial free jazz element of ECM in the
mid ‘70s and really extrapolates with a wide range of electronics
that adds in a truly futuristic touch. For instrumental electronic
music and jazz fans, Organum is a must. Guitar fans will want
to hear this for several tracks here that feature the guitar sonics
of both Roberto Cecchetto and Matteo Salvadori. Several
of the more jazz-rock tracks also features the solid rhythm section
of Alessandro Maiorino (bass) and Enzo Zirilli (drums).
The combination of Giorgio’s trumpet blasts and sonic landscapes
perfectly mesh with the electronics of Marconi Union while
the superbly packaged CD is further enhanced by the pair of vocal
cuts that feature singers Haley Alker and Thomas Leer.
www.GiorgioLiCalzi.com
HEAR MUSIC / MPL - Always a master of classical flavored
musical motifs involving orchestrations within the context of a rock
group, Paul McCartney was also quite skillful about creating
that classical kind of vibe in The Beatles. Paul has dabbled in non-rock
classical type albums in the past with mixed results, yet he once
again steps up to the plate for the 2011 CD release of Paul
McCartney’s Ocean’s Kingdom—an
innovative classical symphonic work commissioned by the New York City
Ballet. Released by Concord Music Group, and issued on the Hear Music
/ Telarc label, the four part classical suite was produced by John
Fraser and is performed by The London Classical Orchestra.
Interestingly, the Ocean's Kingdom CD was released in late
2011—the same time Paul’s 1967 classical soundtrack to The
Family Way saw its first ever official CD release by Varese. A
quite different type of album from the man who helped pioneer the
entire rock music genre, the music on Ocean’s Kingdom
is pretty illuminating stuff, especially for a modern classical orchestral
instrumental album, yet whether it will be readily accepted by Beatles
fans is another matter. www.ConcordMusicGroup.com
HEART OF STEEL RECORDS - When it comes to speaking foreign languages,
the art of instrumental rock guitar acts as a truly universal way
of connecting people from all over the world. Case in point is a 2011
CD release from Italy’s Heart Of Steel Records called Metallo
Beat, by the group Dolcetti, featuring
guitarist Gianni “Jana” Rojatti. Rock metal guitar
hero Alex Masi makes a cameo while throughout the album Gianni
gets solid support from drummer / co-producer Erik Tulissio,
with mixing / mastering handled by European rock crossover producer
and bass player Fabio Trentini. Musically, the eight track
Metallo Beat album is all over the map—borrowing from
instro surf-rock as well as elements of the instrumental prog-metal
that Alex Masi is well known for. There’s plenty of imaginative
instrumental rock in play on Gianni Rojatti’s Metallo Beat
CD to please the most ardent instro rock and surf-rock disciples.
www.myspace.com
LONG TALE RECORDINGS / REAL WORLD WORKS - A master of sonic
manipulation and audio illusion, the music of Bob Holroyd is
a lot like entering the musical twilight zone. Sort of more spatial
and disturbing than other music that might qualify for New Age music,
Holroyd’s 2011 CD Afterglow is a stunning follow
up to Holroyd’s Re: series of releases from 2010. As opposed
to the remix / World Beat music that was featured on that series,
Afterglow serves as a relaxed, stately minimalist based sound
collage that, minus drums is a work composed and constructed from
Holroyd’s live and treated piano along with other musicians adding
in various instrumentation including cello, trumpet and guitar loops—in
essence producing a series of ambient textures and intimate musical
spaces. Holroyd is well established in England as a composer of music
for films and television and clearly, in the spirit of Eno's instrumental
ambient music albums, such his classic Music For Airports,
Holroyd’s Afterglow album is a worthy sonic investment
that holds up well spin after spin. www.BobHolroyd.com
RIDICULOUS RECORDS - Guitar maven and founder of England’s
Pipeline magazine, Alan Taylor hipped his readers to the 2011 CD from
guitarist Philip Pell. The 12 track release of Hopeless
is actually as far from the implied title as you can get!
Perhaps Pell is a hopeless guitar romantic, here at times channeling
the sonic influences of guitar giants such as Duane Eddy and Hank
Marvin. In 
addition
to the classic sounds, Pell occasionally throws in some unique post
‘60s etchings, including what sounds like mellotron keyboards
on, notably on track 3 “Drifting South” and the cool canned
horns on track 9, “Breaking Wind” which sounds like instrumental
John Fogerty jamming with The Shadows. The CD adds in a couple of
vocal tracks, including a spoof on the early 1960’s hit “The
Monster Mash” called “The Monster Crash” about PC computer
crashes. Either way, Pell adds in a cool guitar solo at the end. Amid
the mostly instrumental originals are Pell covers of one time Shadows
guitarist John Farrar and the song writing team of Duane Eddy and
Lee Hazelwood. The album is clearly a labor of love, say compared
to a strategically implemented commercial release, yet the music is
also uniquely English sounding jazz instrumental rock, with a couple
vocals in places, that should appeal to surf-rockers and jazz-based,
soundtrack music fans who keep an open ear for varied, eclectic guitarists
with tasteful fretboard ideas. email: pellmet@hotmail.com
TRONDANT-ORBIAN MUSIC - When it comes to the art of sonic guitar
as written and performed within the realm of the New Age / Rock Fusion
genre, few do it better than Ohio based Mark Dwane. The mwe3.com
web site featured Mark’s 2009 album Other Worlds last
time around and now in 2011, Mark has unveiled what some are already
considering his ultimate recorded statement 
yet.
Released at the close of 2011, The Singularity features
ten original tracks, all composed, performed and produced by Dwane.
Although the CD is self-produced, it is packaged within a truly amazing
CD cover art that bespeaks of the music within. Dwane’s music
is somewhat reminiscent of Jan Hammer’s late 1980’s, cinematic
soundtrack music on Miramar, although clearly more omnipresent is
Dwane's guitar sound, which although digitized, synthesized and computerized
is still organic in its approach to guitar performance. Duane has
listed George Harrison and Jimmy Page among his big guitar influences
and clearly, fans of Harrison’s more adventurous instrumental
guitar works (anyone remember George's Wonderwall soundtrack?)
should give Duane’s latest masterpiece a spin. Check out The
Singularity because of that cool cover art that conjures other
worldly dimensions, but listen to it because of the music. www.MarkDwane.com
658 RECORDS - Bay area guitarist Lee Vilensky blurs the
lines between surf-rock and retro / instro guitar jazz with the 2011
CD release of Dirty Dealings On A Latin Moon. Released
by Lee Vilensky Trio, the 13 track CD makes for a wild, yet
thoroughly engaging guitar ride. One minute it sounds like Vilensky
is reviving‘60s jazz guitar icon Howard Roberts, the next sounds
like he’s jamming with The Ventures and the next it sounds like
he’s working on some film music scores with soundtrack composer
icon Henry Mancini. On his web site, Vilensky states, ‘Sometimes
words just get in the way.’ No problem here as all the tracks
on Lee’s fine CD are true guitar based instrumentals that should
offer much inspiration and interest among guitar fans. On Dirty
Dealings On A Latin Moon Vilensky gets solid support from his
band mates Jamie Lease (drums) and Bill Macbeath (bass)
but the spotlight is mostly on Vilensky’s wide screen, guitar
based, highly charged musical imagination. www.LeeVilensky.com
REISSUES & RETROSPECTIVES
EARMEAL
- Back in his native Sweden, guitarist / composer Janne Schaffer
is rightly considered a hero. Composing and performing with his
often involved band mate, Bjørn J:son Lindh, Schaffer
has recorded some of the most memorable and durable instrumental jazz-rock
and instrumental rock fusion albums of the past 40 years. The cream
of Schaffer’s solo career can be found on his 2010 box set called
Music Story, released on his own Earmeal label.
Released on Lp in 1973, following years of backing numerous Swedish
musicians, including pop legends ABBA, Janne’s first album, Halkans
Affär was a total fusion affair featuring a hot band
including J:son Lindh. That ‘73 album is featured here—paired
with Janne Schaffer Schaffer’s Andra LP (1974)—as
disc one of the 12 album (10CD) + 3DVD Music Story box set.
The box set continues on, including a pairing of Katharsis (1975)
+ Earmeal (recorded with Toto in 1978), Presens
(1980), Blå Passager Och Röda Vågor
(1982), Traffic (1985), Electric Graffiti
(1988), Ögonblick (1992), Av Ren
Lust (1995), På Andra Sidan Månen (2000),
and a bonus CD of tracks recorded circa 2010 entitled Bonusplatta
2010. Also rounding out the box are three DVD titles
featuring Janne Schaffer live in concert— Hörselmat
i Montreux 1980, Janne Schaffer - Kårhuset
1974 and a superbly produced Christmas type music concert
from 2009, featuring Janne and his band backed up by strings and a
choir, entitled Julstämning. Beautifully
packaged, the Music Story box set features an extensive booklet
with text (printed in Swedish) and while I was only able to program
the DVD titles on my computer, they are truly enchanting and a sight
(and sound) to behold. The overall CD sound throughout is excellent,
making the box a fantastic overview of Schaffer’s brilliant career
as a guitar trendsetter in Sweden. In November 2011, mwe3.com spoke
to Petter Karlson about the inside story behind the Music
Story box set (coming soon!). www.JanneSchaffer.se
MVD
VISUAL / PRIDE DVD - Musicologists will be discussing the
music and history of The Beatles for centuries to come. An equally
fascinating period is the decade following the break up of the Fab
Four and that period is put to the test on a fascinating 2011, 139
minute DVD entitled Composing Outside The Beatles: Lennon &
McCartney 1973-1980. A worthy follow up to the first
volume—Composing Outside The Beatles: Lennon & McCartney
1967-1972—there’s plenty of archival footage and
snippets of actual music on 1973-1980 to make this DVD well
worth the time to watch and watch again. The cover art and packaging
is superb while the actual scenes with John and Paul are enhanced
by in depth interviews with Denny Laine, Klaus Voorman,
Wings drummer Denny Seiwell and a host of esteemed rock critics—including
Robert Christgau and other in the know scribes. Cofounder,
along with Mike Pinder, of The Moody Blues, Wings great Laine in particular
is quite effective at retelling the tale of McCartney’s early
solo flights. www.MVDb2b.com
MVD VISUAL / CLASSIC PICTURES - Back in mid 2005, U.K.
based Classic Pictures released an excellent DVD featuring YES guitarist
Steve Howe entitled Steve Howe’s Remedy Live.
Howe and YES fans who might have missed that U.K. import can now
find the same title as newly released Stateside by MVD. Released in
2011, the MVD version of the Remedy Live DVD features the exact
same DVD complete with Howe performing with his group Remedy. The
DVD features classic YES reworked by Howe backed his sons Dylan
Howe (drums) and Virgil Howe (keys) along with guitarist
Ray Fenwick (second guitar) and Derrick Taylor (bass).
The CD Howe was promoting on that tour was Steve Howe’s Remedy
Elements and fittingly, the DVD features several live renditions
of key tracks from that album, along with other classic Howe-related
moments from his vast YES history, his classic early solo years and,
there’s even a cover of his Tomorrow classic “My White Bicycle”.
With the concert footage backed up by some incredible bonus footage
of Howe in rehearsal and live solo, Remedy Live remains essential
viewing for progressive rock fans and especially YES fans. www.MVDb2b.com
RAVEN
RECORDS - The best Australian CD reissue label, the extensive
reissue catalog of Raven Records reads like a who’s who of musical
royalty. One of the key founders of Raven is the still rockin’
Glenn A. Baker, who is considered one of the most informed musicologists
in the land down under. It would take a whole lot more room to discuss
the great things Raven has brought to the music world since the worldwide
boom of the CD back in 1984, yet one 2011 CD release on Raven certain
to bring a smile to the ears of music lovers is from ‘60s pop
pioneers The Spencer Davis Group—entitled Somebody
Help Me: The Best Of 1964-1968. Lately, Raven has been
concentrating a lot on American country music reissues including titles
by country music superstars like Loretta Lynn, Bobby Bare, Jerry Jeff
Walker, Charlie Rich, topped off by a 2011 two on one CD release,
featuring two 1970’s album releases from American country music
superstar George Jones entitled We Can Make It / I Wanta Sing.
Even with such a country music heavy release roster in 2011, it’s
more than gratifying to see Raven put their usual midas touch on their
26 track Spencer Davis Group CD compilation. Kicking off their CD
with “Keep On Runnin” (composed by Jackie Edwards), the
CD packs in most of the classic Spencer Davis Group hits—all
sung by pop music icon Steve Winwood, who left Spencer Davis
Group in 1967 to form Traffic with Dave Mason and Jim Capaldi. Key
to Raven’s huge success is the fact that their CD reissues always
feature extensive booklets packed with rare photos and liner notes.
In the case of their Spencer Davis Group CD, liner notes are penned
by Aussie musicologist Ian McFarlane. For instance, who knew
that Steve Winwood and the late great Traffic producer Jimmy Miller
co-wrote the huge ‘60s chart topper “I’m A Man”?
Several different U.K. / U.S. mixes of classic Spencer Davis Group
hits are included while the CD closes out with a couple of post-Winwood
Spencer Davis Group hits, including the great “Time Seller”,
which was the single from the brilliant With Their New Face On
album from April 1968. Spencer Davis Group, also featuring guitarist
/ rock pioneer Spencer Davis, would go on to make other albums,
yet for a fleeting moment in the mid to late ‘60s, Spencer Davis
Group, featuring Steve Winwood, broke all the rules and came up with
a brilliant combination of R&B, pop and rock that music fans still
come back to 45 years later. www.RavenRecords.com.au
RHINO
RECORDS - Back in 1968, Iron Butterfly was surely a band
to watch. Their huge single “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” was everywhere
and though they were never able to recapture the moment, the Iron
Butterfly legacy is still something to marvel at. Leave it to Rhino
and their Rhino Handmade division to unveil a double CD set of epic
proportions, recapturing the first Iron Butterfly shows in NYC, which
occurred at the Fillmore East on April 26 and 27, 1968. Visually,
Fillmore East 1968 is truly something to behold. Sound
wise, as indicated in the detailed liner notes, these 22 previously
unreleased songs recorded at the Fillmore East catches the band with
singer/organist Doug Ingle, bassist Lee Dorman, guitarist
Erik Braun and drummer Ron Bushy just before their
huge success. Over the two shows the group featured tracks from its
first album Heavy, with songs that would appear two months
later on the In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida album. The remastered sound
is stellar and the packaging alone will surely make this double CD
set an instant collector’s item. www.rhino.com
SUNDAZED - The holy grail for CD and vinyl LP collectors, Sundazed
is getting mucho plaudits for their 2011 CD remaster of Walk
Away Renée / Pretty Ballerina. Back
during 1966, pop prodigies The Left Banke was a big deal on
AM radio coast to coast and 45 years later, Sundazed goes all out
on an exact Lp jacket style CD remaster of the album including exact
reproductions of the original album cover art. The genius behind The
Left Banke was pop genius / keyboardist / composer Michael Brown,
and while The Left Banke was over in a flash, Brown kept his reputation
alive, forming Stories with Ian Lloyd at the dawn of the 1970’s.
Musicologist Scott Schinder does a fine job in his liner notes
of explaining in succinct details the meteoric rise and fall of the
Left Banke. Sundazed founder Bob Irwin does his usual top notch
job on the mastering of the eleven track stereo mix. The band’s
two big hits are here and Sundazed for sure should win some kind of
grammy type award overall for this amazing historical relic brought
to life again. Also available on CD (and on Lp) from Sundazed in 2011
is a reissue of the rare second album from The Left Banke, entitled
The Left Banke Too. Recorded with and without
songwriters Michael Brown and Tom Feher, the ten track album
is for the most part a fitting show case for front man Steve Martin-Caro,
Tom Finn (bass / guitar) and George Cameron (drums).
Although Brown reunited with The Left Banke for the group’s third
hit “Desirée”, included here too, the music on the
Paul Leka produced The Left Banke Too was to be the
last pop fans heard by the group up to and (so far) including their
2011 reunion. Sundazed was at the forefront of the CD explosion starting
back in the late 1980’s and, as this reissue indicates, 25 years
later Bob Irwin’s Sundazed Records continues to perfect the reissue
CD art form. www.sundazed.com
SUNDAZED
RECORDS - One of the most revered and respected names in American
pop music history, Al Kooper was a central focus in the NYC
based Blue Project and the group’s history is front and
center againi on a 2011 CD mono remaster of the group’s 1966
breakthrough CD Projections. Part of the Sundazed
mono remasters series, Projections is like a time capsule back
to the heady, mid ‘60s psychedelic music upsurge. If you haven’t
heard the nine cut Projections in its original mono glory,
the Sundazed remaster is the way to go. Included is the original album
artwork and original liner notes by the late, great Sid Bernstein
as well as new CD liner notes by Tim Hibbs. Al Kooper,
guitar aces Steve Katz (who would soon be joining Al Kooper
in the original Blood, Sweat & Tears) and Danny Kalb in
all their early glory are reasons enough to pick up on the mono mix
remaster. Fans of mono remasters will also rejoice upon hearing the
2011 Sundazed CD remaster of the 1966 album debut from The Mamas
And The Papas—If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears.
With every track a classic—including both “Monday, Monday”
and “California Dreamin”—the original 12 track album
put main songwriter John Phillips and company on the map, not
only as a great singles band, but as one of the premier West Coast
pop bands of the mid ‘60s. In addition to featuring the original
mono mix of If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears, the Sundazed
CD cover art reinstates the original toilet cover art, which was airbrushed
out of early editions of the CD, along with fresh liner notes detailing
the group’s brief yet timeless and magical time at the top of
the pop charts. Both of these mono mix CD releases on Sundazed, from
the Blues Project and the Mamas And The Papas, underscores the fact
that 1966 was nothing less than a totally groovy year in American
pop culture history. www.sundazed.com
VARÈSE
VINTAGE RECORDS - It’s a testament to The Beatles that, during
their all time creative peak during the Autumn of 1966, they also
experienced their busiest recording schedule too. In the midst of
recording “Strawberry Fields Forever”, Paul McCartney
was also able to prepare and see recorded his first ever solo
album which was actually an orchestral instrumental soundtrack album
for the U.K. movie The Family Way. It’s
mind boggling to think it possible with Sgt. Pepper less than
six months off, under the direction of George Martin, the Family
Way movie score was recorded in November 1966 and released by
Decca Records on January 6th, 1967. Looking back on the album McCartney
stated, ‘John was away filming How I Won The War, so I
had time to do it.’ Too bad Hank Marvin wasn’t around to
lay down his guitar take on track seven here called “2M5”,
and how about amazing track 9 “7M1”? All these tracks are
titled after the music cues from the Family Way movie. All
in all, The Family Way offers further proof that McCartney
and Martin’s orchestral rock experimentations were truly ahead
of their time. It's either that or that they were perfect for its
time, while also considering that, back then the Family Way Lp
release was for the most part, not even noticed by most of the teenybopper
Beatles fans. Masters of the CD reissue world for much of the past
3 decades, Varese does a great job on the stereo mix of the album
which is here remastered for the first time on CD from 1/4” tape.
The Family Way CD did appear in 2003 on the French Canadian
XXI Records, but that CD was actually a “needle drop” made
from a vinyl LP so, kudos to Cary Mansfield and the crack crew
at Varése for having finally reissued the first ever legit
CD of one of the long lost canons from the vaults of The Beatles.
The CD is capped off by a rare track by The Tudor Minstrels entitled
“Theme From The Family Way” that was put together by Decca
using the album's session musicians, and released as a 45 rpm release
by Decca Records to promote the movie and music. www.varesesarabande.com
www.VareseVintage.wordpress.com
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