MWE3.COM
MUSIC NEWS & NOTES
SPRING
2013 RECORD LABEL SPOTLIGHT
POP
& ROCK
BASTA MUSIC - A woman of many talents indeed, Amsterdam, Holland
based Sonja Van Hamel lent her artistic touch to the 2012 CD
by pop maestro Ken Stringfellow, entitled Danzig In The
Moonlight. Turns out Ken also had a hand in producing 
Sonja’s
2012 entitled Transcendental Man. Back in the
mid 1980’s, the now underrated singer-songwriter Anna Domino
was turning heads around in New York City with her ethereal blend
of infectious dance pop. Fans of Ms. Domino are strongly advised to
give a listen to Sonja’s CD. Intelligent, catchy pop with a strong
beat and indelible arrangements, and featuring a range of top musicians,
the 13 track Transcendental Man is simply one of the great
pop albums of 2012. In the spirit of her artwork design for Ken Stringfellow’s
CD, Transcendental Man is decked out in stellar packaging complete
with an incredible looking CD booklet filled with album lyrics and
more of Sonja’s brilliant artwork. If you liked Ken Stringfellow’s
CD, you must hear Transcendental Man. www.SonjaVanHamel.nl
/ www.BastaMusic.com
BASTA MUSIC - Being on a label with a lot of like minded spirits
is a good thing, and Holland based singer-songwriter / keyboardist
Eva Auad lives up to the hype with her 2012 self-titled CD
debut. Eva’s CD is uptempo pop in the spirit of Madonna and the
best of the rising female singers on the scene in the 21st century.
Helping to set her apart is the help of album co-producer Ken Stringfellow.
Eva, like Basta Music label-mate Sonja Van Hamel, also appeared on
Ken’s 2012 Danzig In The Moonlight album. Dynamic dance
pop with strong beat, melodic appeal and expansive arrangements, Eva’s
self-titled Basta Music debut makes her an artist to keep your ears
and eyes on. www.EvaAuad.com
BATTLE WORLDWIDE RECORDINGS - It’s being touted as Americana
on their web site but the 2013 CD from Co-Pilgrim has a definite
kind of classic British pop sound in mind. Sounding kind of influenced
by a mix of McCartney, 10cc and The 
Kinks
among others, A Fairer Sea is a most beguiling spin
for pop fans. Singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Gale gets
solid backup from his band mates and the music is more than up to
the task and gets the job done. A number of players assist and overall,
if you like your pop groovy and atmospheric, Co-Pilgrim is made just
for you. Battle World Wide honcho Darren Smallman is making
waves with a number of his CD titles including the critically acclaimed
album from Super Best Friends Club, but for unsurpassed pop
fun, music fans are strongly advised to pick up the Co-Pilgrim A
Fairer Sea CD. www.BattleWorldwideRecordings.com
BESTE! UNTERHALTUNG / NORDIC NOTES - One of the most diverse
recording labels in Europe, Beste! stops at no border, musical or
otherwise and they move to the big country of Russia for the release
of the self-titled I Am The Morning. Coming 
from
St. Petersburg, I Am The Morning are described as a Neoclassical vocal
indie band and while there’s a definite rock influence there’s
also a solid classical vibe in play. A good comparison would be the
art-rock band Renaissance with lead singer Marjana Semkina sounding
like a young Annie Haslam. The sound is lush and while the CD features
some excellent rock guitar playing, the pastoral sound is greatly
enhanced by the neoclassical Wakeman-esque keyboards of Gleb Kolyadin.
Other players fill up the sound stage on this beguiling progressive
rock sounding CD. Like all Beste! CDs, the packaging is first rate
too. Vocals in English prove that music is indeed the international
language. www.NordicNotes.de
www.BesteUnterhaltung.biz
www.IAmTheMorning.com
BILLY SHERWOOD HQ - Each of the six Billy Sherwood solo
CDs seem to get better with each play. Billy creates very meditative
prog-rock music, very much in line with his albums made in the 1990s
and early 2000’s with YES founder Chris Squire. Very linear in
scope yet full of richly rewarding musical subtleties and nuances,
Billy’s 2012 album, The Art Of Survival features
yet more of Billy’s patented approach to prog. Of course, much
like Billy’s other recent solo albums, including recently Oneirology
and What Was The Question?, the nine track Art Of Survival
album was completely produced, recorded, mixed, written and performed
by Billy himself. So when he’s not busy producing newly made
tribute albums, and working with Tony Kaye in his other band CIRCA,
Billy keeps the pot brewing with his ongoing and ever evolving solo
career. I can still remember Billy 20 years ago, in 1994—playing
with YES, off the side on a raised platform on second guitar—while
the early ‘90s YES played their Talk album live at Madison
Square Garden. Many memories have come and gone, including Billy’s
masterful production on the two greatest YES albums in recent memory,
Open Your Eyes and The Ladder. Some YES fans still say
that the band never recovered or got back their mojo after Billy left
but you can get back some of that vibe with The Art Of Survival.
www.BillySherwood.com
BLUE NOTE RECORDS - The legendary Blue Note Records, home of the
great jazz legends steps out into the territory of pop oldies with
the 2013 CD release of My True Story by New Orleans
pop legend Aaron Neville. Produced by both Rolling Stones cofounder
Keith Richards and rock legend Don Was, My True Story
features Neville and his band breezing through a dozen tracks
every fan of 1950s and ‘60s oldies radio knows by heart. Mixing
a doo-wop swing approach with vintage pop oldies groove is a great
idea and in the hands of these seasoned vets, My True Story
clicks and flashing by in the blink of a sonic eye, it’s a no-brainer
for Neville Brothers fans, Stones fans and fans of oldies radio in
general. According the Neville, ‘I attended the university of
doo-wop-ology. Anything I do has got some doo-wop in it. It’s
just part of me.’ In addition to Richards (on guitars) and Was,
the album also features excellent work by Greg Leisz (guitars),
Benmont Tench (organ), George G. Receli (drums) and
more. Covers of “Ruby Baby”, “Ting A Ling”, “Money
Honey”, “This Magic Moment”, “Under The Boardwalk”
and other memorable hits work like magic under the spell of Neville’s
timeless vocal talents. A most sublime listening experience, My
True Story is the pop oldies revival event of 2013. www.AaronNeville.com
CALI BEE MUSIC - Pop maestro Brad Wilson turns his attention
to the soulful sound of rock ‘n’ blues with the 2012 CD
release of Blues Magic. A great guitarist and
songwriter, Brad sings up a storm on Blues Magic. Some radio
DJ’s in the know have accurately described Blues Magic as
being influenced by blues rock icons such as Gregg Allman, Curtis
Mayfield and The Doobie Brothers too. Assisting Brad on Blues Magic
is his fine band including Adam Gust (drums), Brian
Beal (bass) and Kirk Nelson (keys). Recorded in L.A., Blues
Magic has a wild west SoCal rock ‘n’ roll meets the
soulful sound of of the blues kind of vibe. Fans of the great blues-rock
bands and singers of the 1970’s are advised to give a listen
to Brad Wilson’s kick-ass Blues Magic album. www.BradWilsonLive.com
CHERRY RED RECORDS - Over in England, Cherry Red continues branching
out from their usual par excellence approach to classic CD reissues
and among their new music releases is a 2013 CD from The House
Of Love. Entitled She Paints Words In Red, this
newly recorded album from The House Of Love is a modern day pop music
masterpiece. Although they kicked off back in the 1980’s, with
a combination of what come critic labeled “faux psychedelia and
‘80s gloss”, and have actually released six albums to date,
this new She Paints Words In Red sounds more like early ‘70s
Pink Floyd, with a touch of Velvet Underground in places. The CD is
not overtly psychedelic but dreamy and pastoral nonetheless. Guitarist
Terry Bickers and lead singer Guy Chadwick and company
weave a magical sonic web here as the tracks so merge into each
other with ease. The CD cover art and in fact the entire album packaging,
complete with detailed booklet and lyric, is first rate and quite
imaginative too. Dreamy pop with a touch of Floyd-ian cosmic rock,
with She Paints Words In Red The House Of Love have made a
most worthy comeback album. www.CherryRed.co.uk
CINEMA RECORDS - Not exactly a religious institution, The Catholic
Girls have actually been around a good long time and their bio
is hilarious. After forming 30 years ago, they actually have a CD
out called Exposed! The cover art is quite a hoot. 
Where
else could these gals come from but New Jersey. Anyway, their music
is quite well played. Imagine The Bangles as produced by Phil Spector
or even Marshall Crenshaw for that matter. A trio affair led by Gail
Petersen (vocals guitar), Roxy Andersen (guitars, vocals)
and Doreen Holmes (drums), the album features number of other
musicians as are other key movers and shakers in the N.Y. / N.J. area
who are cited in the album art. Exposed! features a cool kind
of retro, Spector inspired rock ‘n’ roll edge going on here—‘60s
pop with influences from the Beatles and Stones meets Nancy Sinatra
meets the Ramones on a rockin’ rave up by three nice Catholic
Girls. www.TheCatholicGirls.net
CONCERT ONE - Still huge for his 43 million selling 1977 album
Bat Out Of Hell, the singer and band known as
Meat Loaf is still alive and rocking and his 2013 DVD Meat
Loaf - The Guilty Pleasure Tour sounds like Ozzy Osborn produced
by Bruce Springsteen. Captured live in concert in Sydney, Australia
on the singer’s 2012 tour, the Meat Loaf live rock experience
is greatly enhanced by superb filmwork and photography. Apparently
Meat Loaf was involved in every aspect of the two hour DVD, including
editing the 5.1 surround sound mix. Extras include a 35 minute Meat
Loaf documentary with a new interview. www.MeatLoaf.net
DANNY THOMPSON MUSIC - One of the top session bass players in
England for the past 4 decades, Danny Thompson released a superstar
packed comeback album with the 2013 CD release of the 12 track Connected.
Although Danny became famous in the music world thanks to his
historic work with the late great John Martyn, he also played
with 
notable
jazzers like Allan Holdsworth, John McLaughlin and even earlier at
EMI and Olympic studios working with everyone from Cliff Richard to
Engelbert Humperdinck and in more recent times The Who as well. On
Connected Danny reconnects with his jazzy pop roots on a set
of tracks backing up notable vocal legends including John Martyn,
Richard Thompson, Darrell Scott, Martin Simpson,
Tom Robinson, Eric Bibb, the late great Bert Jansch
and many more. Music insiders are raving about the CD centerpiece—a
13 minute live in concert version from 1975 of John Martyn’s
“Inside Out” that incorporates jazz and acoustic psychedelic.
Sure the big names will draw fans to the album but Danny Thompson’s
tasteful stand-up bass sets the tone on the rootsy, jazz pop groove
of Connected. In addition, the CD packaging is excellent featuring
a booklet filled with detailed liner notes and with added notes by
Danny discussing all the artists taking part in the Connected album.
www.TheRealDannyThompson.co.uk
FOLK POP - Founding member of 1980s pop group The Hooters and
the writer of the huge Joan Osborne hit “One Of Us”, singer-songwriter
Eric Bazilian has a 2013 album with multi-instrumentalist Mats
Wester. The 12 track Bazilian Wester album What Shall
Become Of The Baby? was released on the Swedish Folkpop label.
As a guitarist and a singer-songwriter Bazilian is in a class by himself,
yet Wester’s unique musical gift for bringing a sense of Swedish-ness
to Bazilian’s American pop flair helps to add some unique folkloristic
flavors to the album. Between them, Bazilian and Wester cover a ton
of musical instruments including guitars, bass, drums, recorder, hurdy
gurdy, keyboards and the Swedish nyckelharpa while the appearance
of several drummers helps give the album a solid international rock
feel. With hooks galore and top musicianship from both Bazilian and
Wester, What Shall Become Of The Baby? is one of the unexpected
pop pleasures of 2013. www.folkpop.se
FOREVER ROAD MUSIC / ROCKET SCIENCE VENTURES - As a member
of rock legends The Eagles, singer-songwriter Don Felder had
a major part to play in a number of early Eagles classics including
“Hotel California”. Felder’s strengths as a guitarist
and a singer-songwriter are put to excellent use on his 2013 solo
album entitled Road To Forever. In the spirit
of “Hotel California” era Eagles, the 12 track CD is filled
with solid rockers that would please any Eagles fan. What’s most
impressive here, in addition to Felder’s in fine shape voice
and memorable songs, is his fiery electric guitar work which just
leaps out of the speakers. Backed up by a fine band, Felder makes
major inroads for American pop and rock with Road To Forever. www.DonFelder.com
GB MUSIC - Back in 2009 The Vignatis released their excellent
Birth Of The Gypsybilly CD to rave reviews. In 2012, The Vignatis
released the follow up entitled Birth Of The Gypsybilly Vol.2.
Much like their lauded classic ‘09 CD, Birth Of The Gypsybilly
2 continues to find Vignatis founders Fabrice Vignati (guitars,
vocals) and Tracy Vignati (vocals, clarinet) refining their
vision of retro-flavored swinging Gypsy Jazz pop/rock sounds with
excellent results. Backed up by some excellent side players, the first
couple of Gypsy jazz-rock continue onwards. Tracy still reminds the
listener of a modern day Mary Ford while the electrifying fretboard
work of of Fabrice sounds like a cross between Gypsy Jazz guitar master
Django Reinhardt and rockabilly guitar hero Brian Setzer. The sounds
of Gypsybilly are alive and well on this latest masterpiece CD from
The Vignatis. www.TheVignatis.com
GRA GROUP - Wow, 45 years after their huge hit “Incense And
Peppermints” changed the course of pop music back during the
Summer of Love, 1967, Strawberry Alarm Cock returned with Wake
Up Where You Are. Still featuring some of the original
members, Strawberry Alarm Clock revamped their sound and really revved
things up for their 2012 comeback album, which features some new tracks
as well as a cross section of newly re-recorded lesser known tracks
the band recorded back in their late ‘60s heyday. Although Wake
Up Where You Are doesn’t include a remake of “Incense
And Peppermints”, the sound of their new CD really accurately
recaptures the original band’s unique flair for vocal harmonies
and pop psychedelia that marked their original sound. Produced, engineered
and mixed by one of the key guys behind the original band, Steve
Bartek, Wake Up Where You Are is a solid comeback from
Strawberry Alarm Clock, who are now planning another album filled
with all new music. Relive the spirit of the 1960’s with timeless
pop psychedelia of Strawberry Alarm Clock. www.GRAgroup.com/SAC.html
HEADS UP / CONCORD MUSIC GROUP - There’s plenty of
pop smarts in play on the 2012 CD by Erin Boheme. The Wisconsin
bred Ms. Boheme’s second release, What A Life
benefits greatly from the top production of pop hero Michael Bublé,
except for one track here produced by Mark Portmann. Recorded
in Vancouver Canada and L.A., the What A Life CD features some
of the top session guys on the scene today including guitarist Dino
Meneghin and keyboardist Alan Chang, the latter who also
co-produced the ten track What A Life CD along with Michael
Bublé. Erin’s CD is also enhanced, on certain tracks,
by some tasty string arrangements. Erin cites Frank Sinatra as one
of her biggest influences and, with the swinging, jazzy pop in evidence
on What A Life, you can be sure ‘Ol Blue Eyes would be
a big fan of Erin Boheme too. www.ConcordMusicGroup.com
HEAR MUSIC - The late Summer 2012 CD release of Just Tell
Me That You Want Me: A Tribute To Fleetwood Mac takes the
casual Fleetwood Mac fan through tribute covers of some of the historic
band’s famous tracks. Mostly focusing on the mid ‘70s era
of the band—with Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks—the
17 track tribute CD all but skirts many of the major influences of
classic Mac album like Kiln House, Bare Trees and English
Rose. One English Rose track that is covered here is the
classic Peter Green instrumental “Albatross”, which mournfully
kicks off this tribute album. The song “Albatross” is given
a somewhat reasonable cover version here by Lee Ranaldo Band,
while the CD also features a range of decent, credible Mac covers
by Marianne Faithfull, Billy Gibbons, Tame Impala,
MGMT, Lykke Li, Karen Elson and many more. If
you were born after 1974 chances are you don’t remember or know
anything about the joy and wonders of the original Fleetwood Mac—the
classic Mac with Peter Green, Danny Kirwan and Jeremy Spencer. That
still lingering feeling of neglect has long been a big sticking point
among the original fans but that’s the music business for you.
As far as a good sampler of the post 1975 Fleetwood Mac, Just Tell
Me That You Want Me isn’t bad at all and some of these tracks
(especially Tame Impala’s psych-pop cover of “That’s
All For Everyone” from Tusk and a bizarre, just plain
weird CD closing cover of “Future Games”, title track of
Mac’s 1971 album by, MGMT) might just make converts of this album
among the band’s original fans still reluctant to face the tragic
loss of the original Fleetwood Mac. Just Tell Me That You Want
Me: A Tribute To Fleetwood Mac is well packaged, no liner notes
but track by track details fills the listener in on who’s playing
on what track here. www.ConcordMusicGroup.com
HI-FI DOLEY T - From
the land down under comes organist / vocalist Clayton Doley and
his sensational 2012 CD entitled Desperate Times.
These are in fact desperate times yet Clayton’s 9 track CD
is so much fun you won’t feel 
desperate
after rocking out with his album. In his list of musical influences
Clayton cites great organ icons like Booker T. Jones, Brian Auger
and Billy Preston and you can bet that those guys would like Clayton’s
approach to rootsy jazzy pop. Interesting that Clayton was actually
invited to Toronto Canada by singer-songwriter Harry Manx and the
whole album was in fact recorded in Toronto. In addition to Clayton’s
soulful singing and B3 organ work, Desperate Times features
some killer, near Clapton-esque electric guitar work from Champagne
James Robertson, with Clayton also getting backed up by solid
drumming from Davide Di Renzo. Liner notes shed some light
on Clayton's musical mission here. Most of the originals click and
there’s some fine covers of “Seventh Son” and “Chicken
Shack” to help firm up Clayton’s blues cred. Desperate
Times is a fine pick for jazzers and blues buffs who like to rock
out. www.ClaytonDoley.com
IKAR
MUSIC LAB - Imagine if Jewish music from 2000 years ago was played
today by a group of young musicians bent on transcending cultural
differences and you come away with the 2012 CD release of Judeo
by L.A. based singer-songwriter Hillel Tigay. Described
as the “Rock Cantor”, Hillel is actually a
Hazzan at the IKAR synagogue in Los Angeles and his music combines
ancient Hebrew psalms and biblical verses set to new original melodies
composed by Tigay. To complete this wide-ranging 10 track CD, released
in time for Hanukkah 2012, Hillel brought together a wide range of
musicians, including those from countries such as Turkey, Iran and
Armenia who were brought in to play or get close to the authentic
instruments of the era. Much more than just Jewish music, Judeo
is being described as ‘an ambitious, open-armed collaboration
of creeds and cultures.' Commenting on the CD, Hillel adds, ‘The
ancients were keenly aware that music had a singular power to bring
the presence of God into their midst. The music recorded here attempts
to offer the listener, whether deeply pious, agnostic or secular,
a tangible sense of something greater than oneself.’ www.JudeoMusic.com
IZUMI RECORDS - The online world of digital downloads and hard
to find CDs is a hit or miss affair but sometimes the old expression,
seek and ye shall find is a good motto for music lovers to adhere
to. Case in point is the 2012 CD from the group known as Foreign
Slippers. Coming to London by way of Norrköping, Sweden,
singer-songwriter Gabi Fröden sounds inspired by all manners
of great female singers—from Debbie Harry to Anna Domino. I would
think Ms. Domino is a good comparison, especially that eclectic approach
to pop on the 2012 CD from Gabi’s group moniker Foreign Slippers.
Another signpost here would be rising superstar Adele. Fans of Adele
will love Foreign Slippers. There’s a whole lot of experimental
music on the group’s Farewell To The Old Ghosts,
which is mostly available as a digital downloads but for purists
there is a CD too. Amid the musical charms on the CD is a brilliant
single called “Avalanche” which should be a big smash in
a more fair and just world. Seek out the Foreign Slippers CD, even
if you have to inquire to Gabi directly but by all means start grooving
to “Avalanche” asap. www.ForeignSlippers.wordpress.com
JETTY RECORDS - Sounding like a young Leonard Cohen as produced
by Phil Spector, NYC singer-songwriter Peter Galperin returns
in 2013 with his second solo album entitled A Disposable Life.
Featuring Peter in the studio backed up by a number of first rate
musicians, including multi-instrumentalist Robert Aaron as
well as master audio mixologist 
Andrew
Schlesinger, the 8 tracks on A Disposable Life clock in
at just under 36 minutes, yet there’s hardly a minute of wasted
time. No instrument stands out per se but Galperin’s vocals and
guitar work, as well as the sonic keyboard sounds by Robert Aaron
are first rate throughout. Although Galperin’s lyrical subject
matter is somewhat cynical and incisive, the whole thing is delivered
with such panache and soul-searching sustenance, that it doesn’t
come off so much as protest music as much as like a sonic TV show,
case in point being the title track “A Disposable Life”
(complete with cutting edge lyrics set to a super relaxing bossa nova
beat no less), “There’s No Future” (‘it’s
just another bad year for the world’) and even a hilarious
song praising the multiple uses of “Bubblewrap” (‘I’ll
take plastic over pleasure’) yet every track here has its
rewards. Peter Galperin’s best album to date, A Disposable
Life is a modern day pop masterpiece from start to finish.
www.petergalperin.com
LA PETITE TEMPÊTE - A sonic masterpiece and a very enjoyable
CD, The Ritual introduces the musical talents of Stockholm
Sweden based singer-songwriter Jenny Gabrielsson Mare. Jenny’s
2012 CD showcases 12 tracks that 
demonstrate
a fondness for her various influences including the Twin Peaks
soundtracks, Nick Cave, Billy Holiday, Maria McKee, Edith Piaf
and more. In fact, for some discerning ears, Jenny’s international
sounding cosmic cabaret pop music is somewhat reminiscent of NYC singer-songwriter
legend Anna Domino. Described as an ‘indie vaudeville jazz pop
artist', Jenny’s music is a sonic delight filled out nicely by
her vocals and performances on keyboards, guitars, percussion and
more. A number of players assist including strings, cellos, horns
and more where they’re required. The Ritual isn’t
so much rock or straight ahead pop as it 
is
atmospheric, jazzy chill out sounds and the album is delivered with
conviction and confidence. The recording is excellent and the eye
catching album packaging also enhances the overall sonic experience.
Speaking to mwe3.com about her album, Jenny says, "About
the two CD's... My debut album Black Stars was produced by
a friend of mine, Katharina Nuttall. I more or less gave her the freedom
to choose and arrange her favorites amongst my songs. I think she
did a great job and she is so talented especially when it comes to
coaxing the best out of the artist she's working with and to really
refine someone's expression. When the time came to start working on
my second album The Ritual, the plan was to work with Katharina
again.
In spring 2011 I was going through kind of a manic phase, artistically,
and I wrote almost 30 songs over the duration of only a four or five
months. I worked my full-time job by day and wrote songs and watched
Twin Peaks and Hitchcock by night and danced to old timers like
The Andrew Sisters and Rosemary Clooney. It was a crazy but creative
spring.
Nuttall once again helped me sort out which songs to finally record.
Katharina was set on producing this album as well but she is very
much in demand so she had to back out of the project and instead of
hiring another producer I decided to produce the album myself. Based
on the demos I had recorded during that spring. And the result is
more of a mirror of myself and the few month in which the material
was written.
To sum up: Where Black Stars was the result of over ten years
of song writing and in many ways an interpretation of me and my work,
The Ritual is so much closer to who I am, and my vision as
a songwriter and performer.
I started playing in punk rock bands when I was around 13 years old.
My older brother is a jazz musician and I think he's kind of proud
I moved in his direction. But I still cherish the punk rock energy,
the ‘je m’en fou’ attitude still alive inside of me.
Someone once described my music as “Rebellion disguised as jazz
performed under the influence of moonshine in a 1930’s speakeasy.”
www.gabrielssonmare.se
LA RECORDS - Back in 2010, U.K born, NYC based singer-songwriter
Louise Aubrie released her debut CD, Fingers Crossed...
to great critical acclaim. Next up for this up-and-coming song
stylist is her 2013 CD entitled Time Honoured Alibi.
Featuring eight new Aubrie originals, the CD once again benefits
from the top notch production of Boz Boorer, who also contributes
keyboards, and has co-written one of the new songs. Backing up the
vocals of Louise is her band 
including
Rob Ritchie (guitars), Matt Wigton (bass) and Fred
Kennedy (drums). The Louise Aubrie sound is very much rooted in
a kind of Phil Spector wall-of-sound approach to pop and garage band
hard rock. Her self assured vocals are superbly tracked in the tight
mix to great effect and the CD sound is nicely balanced out by Boorer’s
guided studio techniques. Boorer has worked with U.K. singer Morrissey
for 20 years. Recorded in Portugal, mixed in London and mastered in
Los Angeles, Time Honoured Alibi has a cross-border international
flair, greatly enhanced by Ms. Aubrie’s confident, near defiant
vocal delivery. Fans of Morrissey, Sandie Shaw’s great late ‘80s
album and even the Velvet Underground and Phil Spector’s girl
group legacy are well advised to check out this new hard rocking set
by rising rocker Louise Aubrie. On Time Honoured Alibi, singer-songwriter
Louise Aubrie adds a new and quite electrifying chapter to the time-honored
legacy of great girl rockers. www.LouiseAubrie.com
LATENT
RECORDINGS - From the big country to the north, Canada, comes
Skydiggers, who have released a fine album with their early
2013 release of Northern Shore. You might say
they’re influenced by the catchiest moments from The Band, but
these guys also have a solid pop streak a mile wide and for the most
part they keep the songs toe-tapping and radio friendly. Imagine Neil
Young’s Harvest album produced by Marshall Crenshaw. One
of the best kept secrets in the Americana pop world, Skydiggers actually
have a number of albums going back to the mid 1990’s still, better
late then never, and the release of the 15 track Northern Shore
makes for a solid pop revelation. Well done vocals, solid production
a round of fine tunes makes Northern Shore time well spent
for the serious pop aficionado. www.skydiggers.com
LIMEFIELD RECORDINGS - Back in the 1960s and ‘70s we would
have bought this on vinyl just for the cover art alone. I’m talking
abut the 2013 CD from the the Manchester England band known as Baked
A La Ska. Entitled Just Desserts, the eleven
track CD blends a mix of Ska music with a dash of Reggae, but it’s
so much fun to hear you won’t even be able to tell these blokes
are from northern England. Featuring a number of singers including
Frank “The Skank” Knopov and Country Ranks,
the Baked A La Ska sound is big and features a cross section of players
who fill out the sound including Wilkinson Sword (guitar),
Robin Sunflower (harmonica, effects), Danny Ward (drums),
Matt Owens (bass) and more including a fully blasting horn
section. Their Reggae / Ska infused cover of Steve Miller’s “Abracadabra”
melts like butter under the weight on these great players. Baked A
La Ska is about the most fun you can have with a CD these days. www.BakedAlaSka.biz
LIMEFIELD RECORDINGS - Most rock fans have never really heard
or understood the music of Jacques Brel, although rock innovators
such as David Bowie and Alex Harvey did work wonders, introducing
rock fans to several of Brel’s more accessible compositions.
Some of those very same numbers are paid tribute once again on the
2012 CD release of Love & Death - The Songs Of Jacques Brel.
The new CD from the Liverpool, England band known as Dead Belgian,
the ten track Love & Death features some of Brel’s
most accessible songs, including “Next”, “My Death”
and “Amsterdam”, all sung in English, while some tracks
are sung in French by Fionnuala Dorrity. An expressive vocalist
in her own right, Ms. Dorrity gets solid back-up by her band mates
including percussionist Andy Delemere. Fans of Bowie, Alex
Harvey, Scott Walker, Leonard Cohen and Edith Piaf (to name just a
few artists influenced by Brel) are strongly recommended to check
out Dead Belgian. www.DeadBelgian.com
LOS RECORDS - One of the first bluegrass bands to incorporate
drums and tour rock and roll clubs, Leftover Salmon have been
rocking the music world with their rootsy Americana sound since 1989.
Eight years after their last album, Leftover Salmon return in 2012
with Aquatic Hitchhiker. Produced by Steve
Berlin of the band Los Lobos, Aquatic Hitchhiker is above
all a good time kind of record. Sounding like one part Grateful Dead
circa American Beauty and one part String Cheese Incident,
the CD shows these guys can play. Guitarist / singer Drew Emmitt
is backed up by a solid group, including fellow guitarist / vocalist
Vince Herman and newcomer in banjo wizard Andy Thorn.
If you like your country rock played with a side of progressive poly-ethnic
Cajun "slamgrass", Leftover Salmon are for you. Leftover
Salmon’s Aquatic Hitchhiker is a tasty sonic dish worth
stopping off to enjoy. www.LeftoverSalmon.com
MC RECORDS - Based in Long Island, N.Y., MC Records makes inroads
in the blues-rock world with Cruel Sunrise, the
2012 CD release from blues belting guitar blaster Rick Holmstrom.
Rick is a native of Alaska and ever since since his disc jockey dad
turned him on to Chuck Berry when he was just 12, he’s been a
big music fan ever since. Another influence of Holmstrom’s is
The Staple Singers and Mavis Staples contributes vocals on
a pair of tracks here. Rick’s band, featuring Jeff Turmes
(bass, slide guitar, sax) and Stephen Hodges (drums) is
solid throughout. In addition to the blues-rock influences, there’s
also a rootsy rock influence not unlike The Band. Fans of The Band
and guitar great Steve Cropper should give a listen to Holmstrom’s
Cruel Sunrise. www.MC-Records.com
MERMAID RECORDS - A whole new generation of Paul McCartney fans
are popping up everywhere, in part thanks to great musicians such
as Tim Christensen. It seems Tim has paid tribute to Paul's
great post-Beatles work with a live CD + DVD entitled Pure McCartney.
A double disc set featuring the soundtrack and video of a live
show recorded in Copenhagen on June 18, 2012, in honor of Paul’s
70th birthday, Pure McCartney reenacts Paul’s Ram
album in its entirety with the addition of several other period
piece favorites from Paul’s fabled canon of classic early ‘70s
hits. Ram has remained one of McCartney’s most revered
albums and Tim pulls off the event with verve and much dignity. Paul
maybe 70 years young but Ram remains a timeless classic. It’s
amazing that Tim and his band truly revive the amazing energy that
the original album had and in a live setting, the crowd really flips
out. With Tim backed up by cohorts, Mike Viola and Tracy
Bonham, along with members of the group known as The Damn Crystals,
Ram has rarely sounded so great in a live setting. The CD is
superbly recorded while a DVD features the live concert in its entirety
and makes a fine companion to the CD. McCartney fans don’t miss
Pure McCartney. www.TimChristensen.dk
MUSIC THEORIES RECORDINGS - One of the first prog-rock supergroups
of the 21st century, Flying Colors unites some of the leading
lights in rock. On guitars Steve Morse (lead guitars) and Dave
LaRue (bass), on keyboards and vocals Neal Morse, on drums
Mike Portnoy and lead vocals features Casey McPherson.
The resulting Flying Colors features a cross-section
of near metal prog, filled with expert musicianship and memorable
melodic sounds. The combined vocal effect of McPherson and Neal Morse
is quite amazing while, one of the great instrumentalists of all time,
Steve Morse has never sounded better. Commenting on the album, the
multitalented Neal Morse says, ‘What an amazing group of musicians...I
am thrilled to be part of this unique, diverse and dazzling album.’
The production by Peter Collins is first rate and the studio
sound and sound mix is like the icing on the cake on this essential
modern day progressive rock classic. The CD features excellent cover
art while the CD booklet contains a cross section of graphics and
complete lyrics. www.FlyingColorsMusic.com
MVD
VISUAL / WIENERWORLD - MVD also distributes (here in the
U.S.) the illustrious U.K. DVD / CD company Wienerworld and
high on the list of new Wienerworld DVD releases is the late 2012
release of 10cc Live In Concert, subtitled Featuring
Graham Gouldman And Friends. Cofounder of 10cc, Gouldman
is one of the living legends of the original British Invasion of the
mid 1960s, having written huge hits for groups including The Hollies
and The Yardbirds. Moving into the 1970s, Gouldman’s contributions
to rock history with 10cc can’t be underrated or overlooked.
Released on MVDvisual through Wienerworld, the 204 minute DVD features
an outstanding performance from the 21st century version of 10cc,
featuring Gouldman backed by a great band, including guitarist Rick
Fenn. The 10cc live in concert experience features Gouldman &
company romping through all the classic 10cc hits while the DVD is
bolstered with a round of bonus features including 10cc cofounder
Kevin Godley reuniting with 10cc, new interviews with Graham
Gouldman and a segment entitled “The Art Of 10cc with Storm Thorgerson”.
Long time fans as well as those who wonder what happened to the great
10cc can find the answers on this superbly filmed and tastefully structured
DVD. www.MVDb2b.com
NORDIC
RECORDS - Groups like Pink Floyd and Genesis made a huge impact
in the progressive music world back in the early 1970s and even today
young bands from all of the world espouse the free form musical thinking
these legends brought to 20th century music. One group from Oslo Norway
bringing back that progressive rock ethos is Kosmoratik. The
group’s 9 track 2012 CD, Gravitation offers a 21st
century update on state of the art 
symphonic
pop in the best spirit of the early 1970s. Featuring the vocals of
Eivind Johansen and Lise Lotte Ågedal backed up
by the soaring electric guitars of Odd Gunnar Frøysland,
the group sound of Kosmoratik is further fleshed out by a number of
players here. Speaking to mwe3.com about the Kosmoratik sound, the
group's guiding light, Eivind Johansen adds, “I do consider us
part of the prog-rock scene, in the sense that we experiment with
structures and have an open mind towards what we do. We do not easily
fit into any genres.” The sound of Kosmoratik's Gravitation
CD is full bodied and always captivating while the songs are filled
with lush prog-rock soundscapes and memorable melodic twists and turns.
If you like well done progressive rock with new ideas and fresh sonic
vistas give Gravitation by Kosmoratik a spin. Word has it Kosmoratik
are readying a much anticipated second release planned for later in
2013. www.kosmoratik.com
OK! RECORDS - It was 50 years ago today that The Beatles
were poised to conquer the music world. One band from Argentina carrying
on the art-pop spirit of the 1960s, Baby Scream hit hard and
fast with the 2013 CD entitled Baby Scream. With
a bunch of CDs already out under their name, Baby Scream are really
at their zenith on their 14 track CD. Led by guitarist / singer-songwriter
Juan Pablo Mazzola, the Baby Scream is a good find for
power-pop fans. Truly speaking the international language of power-pop
love and peace, Baby Scream takes a sonic journey through the
past darkly and returns with the future pop sounds of now. www.BabyScream.blogspot.com
REAL WORLD RECORDS - One of the rising stars of Peter Gabriel’s
Real World label, Charlie Winston strikes a blow for 21st century
pop with the 2013 release of Running Still. Sounding
like a younger version of Peter Gabriel, Winston’s 
voice
and song writing approach is very Gabriel-esque in places. Another
comparison would be Daniel Powter but there’s enough originality
on tap to make Winston stand out on his own. Although the copyright
says 2011, the Real World web site says the release date is January
2013. Either way, complete with solid production from Tony Berg,
Running Still is a rocking little record indeed. Hard hitting
rockers, dance tracks and subtle piano based ballads combine for a
magical audio experience. Performing guitars, keyboards, bass and
lead vocals, Charlie gets top support from a number of players who
help to add much luster to this very appealing modern pop classic.
Also out on Real World in 2013 is Santiman by The
Creole Choir Of Cuba. Recorded at Real World studios in England,
the CD was produced by the illustrious John Metcalfe (a great
artist in his own right). Featuring a choir of classically trained
musicians, the 15 track Santiman features freedom songs that
combine lush harmonies sung by Haitian emigrants in Cuba. www.RealWorldRecords.com
SCI FIDELITY / HIGH COUNTRY RECORDINGS - Featuring the
multitasking guitar skills of Andy Falco, the group known as
The Infamous Stringdusters returned in 2012 with a double CD
set. Released on the Sci-Fi label, the label famous for albums by
String Cheese Incident, the 2 CD set, Silver Sky features
a wealth of country rock and jam band style moves and sounds inspired
by groups like Grateful Dead, circa American Beauty and the
New Riders. The newest member of the Stringdusters, Andy Falco gets
great support from the entire band including Travis Book (bass),
Jeremy Garrett (fiddle), Andy Hall (dobro) and Chris
Pandolfi (banjo). Perhaps what makes The Infamous Stringdusters
so special—in addition to their impeccable string work and shared
percussion work—is their unique wall of harmony vocals. Disc
one features the group’s new studio album while the second CD
here, entitled We’ll Do It Live features a live
in concert experience with The Infamous Stringdusters. www.TheStringDusters.com
SQUIGGLY - Interesting to note that singer-songwriter Martha
Tilston has been making records for the past decade, releasing
her first recordings way back in 2000. Her 2013 CD, Machines
Of Love And Grace is a mostly a low key folksy affair filled
with delicate acoustic guitar work and breathy vocals. The 11 track
CD is nicely packaged and the booklet is filled with lyrics and credits.
Although the CD is quite laid back in style, while also armed by contributions
from several players, Martha claims that the album features nuanced,
political songs dealing with the various turmoils of the 21st century.
Much more low-key than say some of the more sonically enduring songs
of Kate Bush, Machines Of Love And Grace will find a home among
21st century folk music enthusiasts. www.MarthaTilston.co.uk
STONE
TAPE RECORDINGS - English folk music will never be the same again
after the 2012 CD release of Garland Sessions by the
group known as The Owl Service. What makes The Owl Service
so unique is that, in addition to the more usual folksy English influences,
the Owl Service includes electric guitars, sitars and pretty wild
sounding electronic music influences throughout the 19 track, 68 minute
CD. Performed, recorded, mixed and mastered by Owl Service mastermind
Steven Collins, Garland Sessions also features a range
of superb female vocalists as well as a range of accompanying players
who really help flesh out this beguiling, modern day English folk
music masterpiece. Liner notes by Steven Collins along with superb
artwork and packaging help to put Garland Sessions over the
top. Fans of English folk music will love this CD. www.StoneTapeRecordings.co.uk
TILLSAMMANS RECORDS - The spirit of Syd Barrett and that whole
full blown period of U.K. psychedelia is still alive and well on the
early 2013 CD release of the self titled Beaulieu Porch
album. The brainchild of Simon Berry, the CD has a bit
of a home spun affair type feel, but Simon’s heart and head are
clearly in the right place. A number of music scribes in the U.K.
are comparing the CD to John Lennon’s Mystery Tour period
and while that’s reaching a bit, there’s still plenty of
colorful paisley pop and nimble psychedelia to recommend it. All the
songs, production, instruments, recording and artwork were done by
Simon himself, so if you find yourself pining for some of the wide-eyed
psych-pop grandeur of those early Syd Barrett CDs during the fabled
“See Emily Play” period, you might just find Beaulieu Porch
hits a sweet spot. Anyway, the CD, blows you away and just breezes
on by so it’s at least worth a listen. www.BeaulieuPorch.com
V12 RECORDS - Going back to his 1960s albums with Procol Harum
Robin Trower always had a way with the blues. After years of
albums as a solo artist, Robin teamed again with Jack Bruce and the
resulting album, Seven Moon was among the best album of 2008.
Once again, Robin Trower redefines the blues as an art form with his
2013 album Roots And Branches. The resulting
11 track album mixes fresh Trower originals with richly drawn covers,
touching on Trower’s biggest musical influences. Kicking off
with “Hound Dog” and “The Thrill Is Gone”, Trower’s
guitar and vocals lends another familiar touch on album that is chock
full of progressive blues rock signposts. On Roots And Branches
Trower’s band is first rate and they help him frame his lead
vocals and one of a kind guitar sound. www.TrowerPower.com
VIZZTONE - Headed up by record label mogol Richard Rosenblatt,
Vizztone is one of the top blues-rock labels in the U.S. these days
and they hit pay dirt with the 2012 CD release of What’s
It Gonna Take by singer-songwriter and guitarist Doug Deming.
The 11 cut CD, credited to Doug Deming & The Jewel Tones,
features a rock solid mix of traditional blues, country flavored roots-rock
and much more. What’s It Gonna Take features Deming backed
up by his group including Dennis Gruenling (harmonica), Andrew
Gohman (upright and Fender bass) and Kevin Neel (drums).
A guitarist on the rise, Deming cites greats like T-Bone Walker and
Charlie Christian among his big influences while years of backing
major blues artists including Kim Wilson (of the Fabulous Thunderbirds)
have helped him hone his own blues rock guitar styles and vocal techniques.
There’s enough accessible, upbeat electric blues on Doug Deming’s
What’s It Gonna Take to make this a major find for blues-rock
fans young and old. www.DougDeming.com
INSTRUMENTAL
ALOUD MUSIC - Hard rock instrumental music is alive and well on
III by the group known as Toundra. A quartet
of fine young musicians from Spain, Toundra rock hard and rock fast
on III. Borrowing from heavy metal and hard rock, on their
3rd album the group come up with some unique sounds. Not for the faint
of heart, Toundra have been compared to popular instrumental rock
groups including Explosions In The Sky and Mogwai, yet coming from
Spain they offer a new perspective on the state of indie rock music
from Spain in 2013. III was released on vinyl and CD and the
cover art is excellent yet disturbing in some Dali-esqueways. Musically,
there’s no words to get in the way of Toundra’s hard rock
assault, so fasten your sonic seat belts, batten down the hatches
and crank up Toundra. www.AloudMusic.com
BASTA MUSIC - The Dutch musicians have always leaned toward the
romantic side of European music. In the 1970’s Holland produced
some of the greatest art-rock and progressive rock icons, from Focus
to Kayak and then some. One label 
going
even further back than the 1970s is the Basta Music label. Having
released an excellent CD from romantic rock songstress Sonja Van Hamel—produced
by pop icon Ken Stringfellow—Basta turn their attention to their
early 2013 CD by the humorously titled Schnauzer Radio Orchestra.
Entitled Music For A 1950s Radio Orchestra, the
CD is superbly packaged and the music equally fits. Full of vintage
electronic keyboards—incuding Philicordas, Omnichords, Wurlitzers
and Moogs—the Schnauzer’s 12 track CD clocks at just under
36 minutes but it may very well be the most fun you’ll ever have
with indescribable, instrumental music. The brainchild of vintage
music aficionado Rob Geboers, Schnauzer Radio Orchestra works
on so many levels that it truly boggles the musical imagination. www.BastaMusic.com
BASTA MUSIC - Although it was released back in 2011, the CD
Kamiki is a fine release from the Holland-based band
known as Ocobar. Filled with a wide range of instrumental guitar
styles—from surf-rock, to funk and exotica and beyond, Ocobar
features the trio lineup of Cok van Vuuren (guitars), Bart
Wijtman (bass, keys) and Rob Wijtman (drums). The group
also dabbles in a range of diverse instrumentals—including various
music used in commercials and documentaries. In addition to the above
genres, Ocobar also dabble in a wild strain of nostalgic World Music
but with a solid modern edge as evidenced by track six here entitled
“Surfin’ The Sushi”, which sounds like Japanese folk
music played on electric guitars. Another track here, “Kamiki
Bar”, sounds like ZZ Top doing instrumental crunch rock. The
whole CD is played to perfection with a musical and a somewhat humorous
edge that keeps you coming back for more. Several guest artists pop
in to assist the trio and as we’ve come to expect from Basta
Music, the sound, packaging and presentation is first rate. Guitar
instrumental fans looking for some new thrills won’t find a more
diverse assortment of instrumental music then the sounds of Ocobar.
www.ocobar.com
/ www.BastaMusic.com
BESTE! UNTERHALTUNG / NORDIC NOTES - One of the top
indy record labels in Germany, Beste! / Nordic Notes keeps releasing
intriguing albums and one of their recent best is the 2013 Sutcliffe
III CD from Germany based instro rockers Sutcliffe.
The mostly instrumental CD features eight cuts and clocks in at under
40 minutes but for fans of retro style instrumental
rock, the 2013 release of Sutcliffe III is a dandy. More Love
Tractor than The Ventures, there’s nevertheless some solid garage
feel and surfy type guitar instrumental sounds on hand. Sutcliffe
raised eyebrows with their 2010 CD Mom Where Are The Seahorses,
and on III they continue to solidify their guitar noir
sound with an album of dark and light that surfs on a perfect sonic
storm. Fans of Sutcliffe may also want to give a listen to their recent
single CD (also on their Sutcliffe III CD), entitled “Ever
Wonder”, featuring a track with lead vocals from the beguiling
Icelandic singer Gudrid Hansdottir www.sutcliffe.de
Beste! moves on to the country of Finland for their latest from
the band known as Taipuva Luotisuora. Finland is no shrinking
violet when it comes to hard and heavy instrumental rock and Taivpuva
are one of the best of the new breed. The six piece ensemble are best
described as neoclassical hard rock / heavy metal instrumental rock
and they put on a fine display of sonic pyrotechnics on their 2013
Beste! / Nordic Notes CD entitled Taipuva Luotisuora 8.
Eight albums in Taipuva show no signs of slowing down. Rock guitar
mavens and hard rock instrumental fans will love this as will the
instro prog set seeking out the latest sonic thrill. www.luotisuora.net
www.NordicNotes.de
www.BesteUnterhaltung.biz
BONK PRODUCTIONS - In the hands of musicians like Pete Townshend
or Jimi Hendrix the guitar can be a weapon, ready to cut you down
at every turn or, in the hands of Mark Knopfler or Hank Marvin, the
guitar can be a surgical instrument of 
sublime
relaxation. The latter comparison may be more appropriate in the case
of Necessity, the 2012 CD from Toronto, Canada
guitar hero Jamie Bonk. Necessity is Bonk’s seventh
album and on the 12 track CD the focus is on his electric guitar work.
The all instrumental album kind of echoes some of Knopfler’s
soundtrack and more Shadows-esque type rockers. When I say rock, I
mean it in the most relaxing way possible. The album will literally
transport you to a kinder, gentler world. Is there a term called New
Age Rock? Well if so, put Jamie Bonk’s Necessity right
into the bin. Jamie cites Metheny and Frisell among his guitar big
influences but there’s hardly any overt jazz stylings on hand
and you can cross off the term daredevil pyrotechnics too. Bonk’s
band is first rate throughout. You won’t find a more peaceful,
toe-tapping instrumental guitar album then Necessity, even
if you try. www.JamieBonk.com
C# MUSIC PRODUCTIONS - One of the top jazz guitarists on the world
stage, Boston-based Giovanni Moltoni has a solid reputation
for making great albums and his best yet is the 2013 CD release of
Tomorrow’s Past. Moltoni has roots 
in
Italy but he grew up in the US and his reputation in and around the
Berklee School Of Music is legendary. Now a professor at Berklee,
he recorded Tomorrow’s Past mid 2012 in studio A at Berklee.
On Tomorrow’s Past, Moltoni has chosen a fine band with
the rhythm section of Fernando Huergo (bass) and Bob Tamagni
(drums) given a unique sound thanks to the inclusion of trumpeter
Greg Hopkins, whose tone is somewhat similar to flugelhorn
master Kenny Wheeler. Moltoni’s nimble, fluid electric guitar
sound accompanied by the stately horn sound of Hopkins yields some
impressive sonic results. Tomorrow's Past is one of the great
guitar-based instrumental jazz albums of 2013. www.GiovanniMoltoni.com
CANTALOUPE
MUSIC - Back in 1983 seems like a lifetime ago—in fact 30
years is a very long time but one album from 1983 sounds as good as
new. That album—Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks, was
originally recorded by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois as a documentary
soundtrack about the Apollo space missions. Who would have thought,
nearly 30 years later pedal steel guitarist BJ Cole would join
forces with the group known as Icebreaker for a remake of the
entire Apollo album. Recreating the original Apollo
album nearly note for note, the 13 track, 52 minute CD on Brooklyn
based Cantaloupe Records qualifies as one of the great New Age instrumental
achievements released in 2012. Icebreaker have, over the course of
several albums, established themselves as one of the most adventurous
forces on the 21st century U.K. music scene and with BJ Cole as a
willing accomplice they pull off what some Eno fans would have thought
impossible. Recorded live on May 1st and 2nd, 2010, and finally released
in 2012, this newly recorded version of Apollo features excellent
packaging, while in depth liner notes by Tim Boon, head of
research at the Science Museum, James Poke, the artistic director
of Icebreaker and further notes by BJ Cole sheds light on this unusual,
but highly rewarding and faithful remake of the always classic Apollo:
Atmospheres & Soundtracks. www.CantaloupeMusic.com
DEEP
EDDY RECORDS -
Based in Austin Texas, Deep Eddy Records is the last word when it
comes to 21st century American surf-rock instrumental guitar music.
Back in 2012 Deep Eddy released a surefire guitar instrumental classic
from The Coconauts entitled Get Coco-Naughty and
in late 2012 and early 2013 Deep Eddy are making waves with a whole
range of instro rock classics including the self-titled CD from The
Surf Zombies. A rocking, 15 track instro rock classic, The
Surf Zombies is a fine 
CD
indeed, and you can’t miss it thanks to the ultra cool and quite
hilarious CD cover art of the skeleton on the surf board. The CD makes
a fine follow up to Deep Eddy’s other Surf Zombies CD, entitled
Lust For Rust. Also on Deep Eddy in 2013 is a
fascinating 12 track CD sampler featuring three Deep Eddy bands—The
Man From RavCon, The Nematoads and Los Fantasticos.
Entitled il Triello (“Three Western Tales”)
the CD is part of the “Deep Eddy Western Series” espousing
the timeless influence of classic guitar-based Spaghetti Western theme
music. From San Antonio comes The Phantomatics and Deep Eddy
has their six track EP entitled She Left Her Brains At The Drive-In.
Once again, the theme here is monster instro tunes and B-movies
sure to stir interest among fans of shock-horror-surf instrumentals.
Another CD sampler on Deep Eddy from 2012, Radical Waves compiles
24 instrumental surf-rockers from just about as many bands including
The Coconauts, Mister Neutron, The Insantitizers,
The Surf Zombies, The SpyTones and a whole lot more.
Last but not least among this batch of Deep Eddy CD releases is Dessert
First from Austin Texas based Danger Cakes. Described
as Austin’s most unique, most fun and most rockin’ all-female
rockabilly/R&B combo, the ten track CD was recorded live at Roadhouse
Rags in South Austin. More rockabilly than instro, the CD nevertheless
will most likely find a home among Deep Eddy’s devoted audience.
When it comes to hard-hitting instrumental surf-rock and Texas style
female rockabilly, catch a wave with Deep Eddy and their impressive
CD catalog. www.DeepEddy.net
DOODLIN’ RECORDS - Having played with some of the greatest
bands and artists of the 20th century—from Frank Zappa and Weather
Report to Santana and Genesis—keyboard / drumming legend Chester
“CT” Thompson is making some well 
earned
musical waves of his own with his early 2013 CD entitled Mixology.
Mixing a touch of the progressive into a steamy jazz-fusion brew,
the 11 track CD features Chester grooving out big-time on Hammond
organ while backed by some top jazzers like guitarist Barry Finnerty,
fellow keyboardist Dr. Lonnie Smith, a horn section and no
less than four different drummers. Eschewing the headier aspects of
prog-rock, Mixology is actually a “feel-good” old
style jazz jam mixing a solid Booker T. style instrumental groove
into a jazzier jam sound. The results offer an instrumental fusion
album that will just take your mind off the crap of the world and
get you feeling groovy in no time. In depth liner notes take you behind
the scenes and shed light on Thompson’s legendary role as an
indispensable musical multi-tasker. www.DoodlinRecords.com
FREAKSVILLE RECORDS - That great cover art alone makes this CD
worth picking up. We're talking about the 2012 CD release of The
Tangible Effect Of Love by the France based group called The
Loved Drones. Funny, some of the eight track CD sounds like Isaac
Hayes jamming with Stereolab or German avant gardists Faust and one
track in particular here—track 5, entitled “The Hindenburg
Omen” sounds a bit like French jazz rockers Coincidence back
in 1978. It’s just that good. Of course, there’s so much
variety on the CD. It’s mostly instrumental, futuristic and experimental
fusion based but there’s several offbeat vocals that sit nicely
over some synth driven fusion jams. The brainchild of the multitalented
Benjamin Schoos, The Loved Drones sound both nostalgic and
futuristic at the same time. Schoos gets solid support from his Loved
Drones mates and the whole album is perfectly exotic sonic bliss.
www.TheLovedDrones.com
GREYDISC
RECORDS - A sonic feast of various stringed fretboard instruments
and percussion, Becoming is the latest recorded chapter
from the international guitar duo of Kevin Kastning and Sándor
Szabó. On the 69 minute, 14 track Becoming both
guitarists are joined by percussionist Balázs Major.
Kastning is one of the most prolific of all the experimental American
guitarists recording in 2013 and both Sándor and Balázs
are from Hungary so this is quite an 
international
musical collaboration. Even so, the all instrumental fare extends
way beyond border crossings. Recorded on location in March 2012 at
the concert hall in Hungary where the trio were set to perform that
night, Becoming is filled with all the dynamics and musical
tension guitar fans have come to expect from the versatile and always
challenging guitar sound Kastning has brought to the music world with
the myriad of sonic complexities he has recorded over the past decade
on his Greydisc label. Perhaps the most interesting part here—in
addition to the wild guitars and sounds brought to life here—is
the sound that Balázs adds on his percussion instruments which
include unusual instruments such as gongs, udus, and African clay
drums. Either way Balázs never dominates the spotlight, preferring
instead to accentuate the delicate array of unusual acoustic guitars
both Kastning and Sándor so skillfully perform on here—including
12 string bass-baritone guitar, baritone classical guitar (Kastning)
and classical guitar, 16 string guitar, 10 string viola caipira guitar
(Szabó). Kastning also adds some piano and Szabó a chinese
instrument called Guzheng. With their near telepathic guitar chemistry,
Kastning and Szabó, together with percussion master Balázs
Major, arrive with their greatest sonic achievement yet with the impeccably
written, recorded and performed sounds on Becoming. www.KevinKastning.com
/ www.SándorSzabo.com
/ www.Balázs
Major.com
J&M RECORDS - Smooth jazz continues to be a favorite destination
among music fans and you’d be hard pressed to find a cooler,
breezier album of instrumental jazz sounds than the 2013 CD release
of Summer Rain by Jeanette Harris. Based out
in California, Ms. Harris is a masterful sax player and she gets more
than adequate support from a range of like minded jazzers including
guitarist Darrell Crooks, keys man George Freeman and
a whole lot more. The drum programming is great and it fully supports
the strong beat that accompanies these tracks but the main star here
is Jeanette’s excellent saxophone work. Smooth jazzers, chill
out music enthusiasts and dance music fans looking for a solid instrumental
album of superbly recorded music must give a listen to Summer Rain
by Jeanette Harris. www.JeanetteHarrisBand.com
MOONJUNE RECORDS - When it comes to new and exciting instrumental
music, NYC based Moonjune Records continues breaking sonic barriers
and borders between countries far and wide. Case in point is Dawai
In Paradise by Indonesian 
guitarist
Dewa Budjana. A world class guitarist, Dewa recorded his 12
track album in both Jakarta and Santa Monica while backed by some
top artists including Weather Report drummer Pete Erskine and
harmonica wiz Howard Levy. Among the engineers helping Dewa
get a great sound is Mike Pinder’s oldest son Dan Pinder,
recording Dewa in Santa Monica. A great album of exotic instrumental
Indonesian flavored jazz-rock, Dewai In Paradise is as close
to jazz fusion nirvana as you can get here on earth. Instro fusioneers
don’t miss Dewa’s exotic guitar trip. www.moonjune.com
MOONJUNE
- The huge boom of melodic European progressive rock music took
over big time back in the mid to late ‘70s thanks to sonic pioneers
like Pekka Pohjola, Zamla, Focus and many other greats. One relatively
recent group, from Israel, keeping that melodic jazz-rock aura alive
in the 21st century is Marbin, and specifically the group’s
excellent 2013 CD, Last Chapter Of Dreaming. Commenting
on Last Chapter, Marbin guitarist Dani Rabin adds, 'Last
Chapter was a HUGE production and we learned a lot and are extremely
proud of the record. It’s the best thing we’ve ever done
up to date.' In addition to the progressive Euro instrumental jazz-rock
side, on some tracks you can also hear a definite Middle Eastern /
Eastern European collage of musical genres. Dani Rabin invents
a new guitar language in the finest spirits of guitar pioneers such
as Jukka Tolonen and Jan Akkerman, while the driving melody-centric
sax from Danny Markovitch sounds a bit influenced by the old
Romania sounds of Klezmer swing icon Dave Tarras and in fact, some
of this outstanding Marbin album reminds one of the mid ‘70s
sound of Finnish World Beat exponents Piirpauke with Sakari Kukko.
The third Marbin album, and second for Moonjune, Last Chapter Of
Dreaming is strongly recommended to fans of the classic Eurock
sound of the 1970's
while World Music fans with an open ear to instrumental jazz-rock
won’t go wrong with this album either. Long live the modern day
composer. www.MarbinMusic.com
MUTE - Some wise-ass critic once said something to the effect
of all musical progress stopped in 1978. That may or may not be true,
but that doesn’t stop a whole new generation of musicians and
recording artists from trying to breath new life into the music world.
Case in point is the 2012 CD from the group known as Land Observations
and their album Roman Roads IV-XI. At the
core of Land Observations is guitarist James Brooks, who has
obviously spent some time listening to early Eurock pioneers like
Michael Rother and even Vini Reilly of Durutti Column. Both Rother
and Reilly specialized in instrumental guitar landscapes that are
both lush and sparse at the same time. Espousing the same musical
ethic as the above mentioned guitar innovators, James Brooks adds
fuel to the fire with a CD of superbly relaxing and quite precise
guitar extrapolations that conjure images of the history and geography
of former Roman roads, as well as other key “roads” during
the Roman empire no less. It’s no wonder then that the entire
album was recorded in Berlin, Germany, home of the Teutonic sounds
of Michael Rother and other musicians who no doubt espouse his vision.
Although not quite as harrowing, one or two tracks here also evoke
the images originally set forth by guitar giant Robert Fripp so the
CD is also recommended to music lovers who thrilled to Robert’s
Frippertronics type sound as well. The 33 minute CD is quite well
recorded while the CD packaging, featuring a sparse yet effective
multipage booklet, is quite excellent as well. It will be interesting
to see where James Brooks heads to next as with Roman Roads IV-XI
he’s off to a smashing start. Recommended for cosmic New
Age guitar lovers, leave on repeat play and visit Roman Roads often.
www.mute.com
/ http://www.landobservations.blogspot.co.uk/
OZNOT
RECORDS - Even with all the download files floating through cyberspace
(lol), it’s nice to see an artist put his his (or her) heart
and soul into an actual CD pressing. If that’s what you like,
as I do, give a listen to the 2013 CD from smooth jazz king Drew
Davidsen. Drew’s latest solo album is chock full of instrumental
guitar goodness. The album True Drew is true to Drew’s
jazzy influences and in the extensive CD packaging and liner notes,
Drew goes into depth about all this and more. Guitar fans will have
their own favorite tracks here but track one “My Guitar”,
an infectious instro overture, says everything you need to know about
Drew, who cites symphonic jazz guitar king Pat Metheny as being an
influence, especially on this cut. Other tracks on True Drew
echo the sounds of Wes Montgomery and George Benson, yet there’s
enough originality in Drew’s instrumental music to help set him
apart from the smooth jazz guitar pack. Throughout the 13 track True
Drew CD, Drew gets solid backup from a range of key musicians
but the sound of True Drew is focused right on Drew’s
original guitar tracks and his tasty guitar stylings. www.DrewDavidsen.com
PONDEROSA MUSIC & ART - The 2013 CD masterpiece from
Italian existentialist composer Ludovico Einaudi, entitled
In A Time Lapse is a fascinating instrumental album
filled with neoclassical musical wonders. Of course it’s neoclassical
in nature but, with its modern edge and recording style, it’s
also state of the art New Age music in many regards. Upon repeat listening,
I’m not surprised that Ludovico actually studied with the brilliant
Italian composer Luciano Berio and there’s a kindred spirit here
with some of Berio’s “out there” musical concepts.
Ludovico masterfully performs a number of instruments including electronics,
looping, piano, celesta and even acoustic guitar and bass but it’s
the accompaniment, featuring a number of players performing classical
strings and things that gives In A Time Lapse much of its ethereal
feel and design. The CD has been described as minimalism and even
classical light, but In A Time Lapse is much more than that.
In A Time Lapse is actually a thing of beauty, music beyond
description, a sonic painting that needs no words. As beautiful and
picturesque as In A Time Lapse is, it’s equally matched
by the truly glorious CD packaging, which features some of the most
aesthetically pleasing and colorful CD artwork of the year. Where
music and art meet in wonder is where you’ll find In A Time
Lapse. www.einaudiwebsite.com
REAL WORLD RECORDS - With all the trouble in the Middle East
and specifically the country of Syria, it’s worth noting that
a band from London called Syriana has released one of the best
World Beat albums of 2013. That CD, called The Road To Damascus
is filled with an array of exotic Middle Eastern vibes, wild
instruments, occasional Arabic vocals and much more. The mostly instrumental
CD is the brainchild of Nick “Dubulah” 
Page,
the half Greek / half English producer and guitarist / bassist of
the group Trans Global Underground and producer of Dub Colossus. For
The Road To Damascus, Nick teamed up with Syrian qanun player
Abdullah Chhadeh, as well as Irish double bass player and composer
Bernard O’Neill, and a range of other Middle Eastern musicians
and vocalists, and the results are sonically startling to say
the least. Nick’s guitar playing is great when it’s spotlighted,
(check out the exotic soundtrack-y / James Bond inspired track 5 “Galatian
Bride At Dawn”) , but mostly it’s the exotic Middle Eastern
sounds that will leave you breathless and/or on the edge of your seat.
Page and his producers went to Syria and worked with seven Syria-based
string players. Commenting further on The Road to Damascus, Page
adds, ‘The cold war and its iconography had divided east and
west. We decided to create a project that would bridge them.’
Described as the place where imagination and reality overlap, Syriana
have created a true multicultural melting pot of sonic delights with
the beguiling sounds of The Road To Damascus.www.RealWorldRecords.com
ROUGH TRADE RECORDS - When Mike Oldfield debuted his Tubular
Bells album back in 1973, who would have thought 40 years later
the group known as Pantha Du Prince would have taken the whole
thing to the next level. The brainchild of German composer Hendrik
Weber, the 2012 Pantha Du Prince album Elements Of Light
is a most remarkable auditory experiment. Credited to Pantha
Du Prince & The Bell Laboratory, the five part Elements
Of Light CD mixes chiming bell sounds, tubular and otherwise with
all manners of experimental electronics that never gets in the way
of the glorious chiming effects from bells galore. It’s one part
New Age instrumental and one part hypnotic experimental, somewhere
say between Oldfield’s more purist visions and say Harry Partch
or even Henry Cowell. That’s not to say Elements Of Light
is anywhere near dissonant. Arming Hendrik and his incredible
idea are a carillon of 50 bells, plus numerous marimbas, tubular bells,
vibraphones, all manners of percussion, and that’s just the tip
of the musical iceberg. You could put this CD on and meditate or trance
out, or just plain chill out to it. It’s just that amazing and
relaxing. Hard to believe Elements Of Light is already the
fourth Pantha album but check it out and chill, you’ll be glad
you did. www.PanthaDuPrince.com
SGV - One of the best 21st century rock and roll guitar instrumental
groups from Sweden, The Ryders keep releasing great CDs and,
as a fine follow up to their 2007 album, In The Shadows, the
late 2012 CD release of Destination X more than lives
up to expectations. All the great bands from Sweden, Finland and Norway
cite both The Shadows and The Ventures among their big influences
and on 
Destination
X, lead guitarist Kurt Fröberg and company cover two
of the Shadows’ all time 1960’s classics—”It’s
A Man’s World” and “The Lost City”. Commenting
on The Ryders covering a most fortuitus choice of tracks Kurt adds,
'Both the songs "It´s A Man’s World" and "The
Lost City" have always been among my favorite Shads tunes and
we have also had both of them included in our live performances. "Thunderbolt"
is also a favorite since I bought Brian Bennett’s LP Rock
Dreams way back.' Other instrumental covers and several vocal
tracks composed by various members of The Shadows, Lennart Clerwall,
The Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison and more make Destination X a
most valuable musical destination indeed for guitar instrumental fans.
www.Ryders.se
SUBLIMINAL SOUNDS - Going back to 1969 and the dawn of the Bo
Hansson classic, Lord Of The Rings, Swedish guitar hero Kenny
Håkansson was right up there with the greatest. Although
he toured as an opening act (with his first band Mecki Mark Men) for
Jimi Hendrix back in the late 1960’s, it was to be with his group
Kebnekajse that Kenny would earn his musical stripes. Having
made a comeback of sorts with Kebnekajse in the 2000’s, Kenny
returns with one of his best albums with the 2012 CD release of Aventure,
by Kebnekajse and released in Sweden on the Subliminal Sounds
record label. Featuring a solid six piece group lineup with Kenny’s
guitar at the center, Aventure is pretty much slanted towards
Kenny’s usual penchant for instrumental electric "World
Folk Groove" music, yet the Hank Marvin influence is ever too
far away, especially the Swedish music / Shadows influence on track
eight “Tikli ja Tiira”. Recorded at the famous Silence Studios
in Koppom with engineer Anders Lind manning the boards, the
studio sound and CD sound is first rate. Fans of Kebnekajse, Kenny’s
solo albums and those great Bo Hansson albums Kenny played so fantastically
on back in the 1970’s are strongly advised to pick up on the
groovy instrumental psychedelic Swedish folk groove in play on Aventure.
www.KennyHakansson.se
SULATRON RECORDS - Instrumental cosmic psychedelic is huge among
a whole new generation of music listeners, and in Europe new labels
are springing up everywhere in an effort to revive this nearly forgotten
musical artwork. In Germany, the Sulatron label has a couple titles
from Electric Moon and like minded musical cohorts Sula
Bassana. The Electric Moon CD, Inferno (originally
released on CD-R and now on silver disc CD) and the
Sula Bassana Dreamer are both quite intriguing instrumental
albums that combine a number of Teutonic instrumental influences—from
Tangerine Dream and Can to all manners of experimental post-punk era
groups. The 2012 Sula Bassana Dreamer CD is actually a tenth
year anniversary edition of this 2002 album and it has been newly
remastered by Eroc from Grobschnitt as well as including 2
bonus tracks. Even if you think you’ve heard it all, these two
CDs on Sulatron are mind boggling instrumental masterpieces and are
a fitting tribute to a German music scene that was once quite influential
and as these CDs point out, is still quite influential. www.sulatron.com
SURF INSANITIZERS - If instrumental surf music had a classically
trained guitar maestro, it would have to be guitarist Conrad Swarz
of the Oregon-based group The Insanitzers. Back in 2010,
Conrad released the first CD by his group The Insanitizers entitled
Whimsical Surf. Lo and behold, in 2013, Conrad follows up that
album with yet a new Insanitizers album entitled Wild Surf Guitars.
The Wild Surf Guitars CD once again features excellent sound
and artwork / packaging with fresh liner notes from Conrad. Commenting
on his latest symphonic surf masterpiece, Conrad adds, ‘If Mozart
played rock ‘n’ roll today, he might play as we do.’
Say no more. Instro surf-rock enthusiasts are strongly advised to
pick up on the latest surf-rock wave by The Insanitizers. www.CDBaby.com/cd/insanitizers2
SURF MUSIC UNLIMITED - Referred to musical lovers in the know
as the greatest instrumental surf-rock band in New York City, The
Supertones, featuring guitar ace Tim Sullivan, have yet
another fine new album with the release of the 16 track Mysto
Incognito. The Supertones have long been associated
with instrumental surf music in the spirit of legends like The Ventures
and Dick Dale and on their new CD they don’t disappoint. Mysto
Incognito features a round of fresh Supertones’ originals
along with classic covers by the likes of legends like Jerry Lordan
(“Diamonds”) and a new Supertones cover of “Harlem
Nocturne”, no doubt enhanced by the inclusion of a new Tim Sullivan
original called “Rockaway Nocturne”. This latest Supertones
lineup truly does justice to these rockin’ rave-ups. Mysto
Incognito is one of the coolest instrumental guitar albums of
2013 and it will not disappoint long time Supertones fans. contact:
SupertonesSurf@hotmail.com
THE INFRANGIBLE SYNDICATE - Best known as the guitar player for
Steely Dan back in the 1990s and later with Donald Fagen, session
guitar ace Drew Zingg cuts loose on his self-titled debut CD.
With a mix of electrifying blues-rock guitar riffing and jazz-fusion
drive, Drew’s guitar playing is smoking hot and the mostly instrumental
album will be fine choice for fans of electric guitar greats such
as Jeff Beck, Robben Ford and John Scofield’s more acid-jazz
based efforts. Track four here, “The Black Dog” sounds like
Robin Trower going rock instrumental on an all out sonic assault.
Jimi Hendrix fans will love this track and at least appreciate much
of the rest. Drew’s band reads like a wish list for studio /
session watchers including Beck drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, while
the CD was superbly produced by George Walker. Amid the instrumental
fare, there’s also a couple of vocal tracks featuring Michael
McDonald while Boz Scaggs takes the other vocal on this
jewel of a guitar based rock instrumental album. www.dzdap.com
TURENKI / KUUMOLA RECORDS - When it comes to instrumental rock
and guitar based music, the country of Finland never ceases to amaze.
Home of the late great progressive rock innovator Pekka Pohjola, Finland
is also home to a number of Shadows style bands. It seems that over
the past 50 years at least, the guitar has ruled in Finland. Among
the many great Finnish guitar groups operating in 2013, The Steelers
are one of the best and proof is their 2012 CD entitled Merikannon
Parhat, released on the Finland based Turenki Records.
While all the text and information is in Finnish, the sound of the
all instrumental CD has no borders and overall this latest Steelers
CD should hold much appeal among guitar worshipping surf-rockers from
every continent. www.Turenki.com
ULTIMAE RECORDS - Swedish electronic music conceptualist Magnus
Birgersson continues onwards with the latest CD 
foray
from his group Solar Fields. The 2013 CD release of Origin
#02 features more of the patented electronic chill music that
Solar Fields is renowned for and then some. Instrumental electronica
filled with floating atmospheres and cultivating contrasts, Origin
#02 is actually the second chapter in a series of four retrospective
albums featuring previously unreleased music from the Solar Fields
archives, this time out compiling tracks composed between 2003 and
2009 that were then mixed and reassembled in 2012. Very much influenced
by the late 1970’s sounds of Tangerine Dream and Jean Michel
Jarre, Solar Fields creates a very user friendly instrumental
electronica perfect for your next intergalactic mind excursion. Although
Origin #02 is being pitched as a digital download, CD aficionados
must track down Ultimae’s CD release which, as is usual for them,
comes with alluring multi-panel digipak artwork and detailed booklet
brimming with evocative artwork that will no doubt enhance the aesthetic
listening experience. www.ultimae.com
/ www.SolarFields.com
VARÈSE
SARABANDE - Although best known for their acclaimed soundtrack
CDs and wide range of reissues over the years, L.A. based Varèse
have been dabbling in progressive instrumental rock and fusion this
past year and now they release one of their finest albums ever. The
2012 CD release of Three Fates Project by The Keith
Emerson Band features the renowned progressive rock keyboardist
together with guitarist Marc Bonilla and backed up by the 70
piece Munich Radio Orchestra conducted by Terje Mikkelson.
The result is a progressive music fan's dream come true—the ultimate
classical rock maestro backed up by a full rock band and symphony
orchestra. The sound is striking to say the least. Kicking off with
a full scale, two part, seven minute cover of the Emerson Lake &
Palmer classic “The Endless Enigma Pt. 1 & 2”, Emerson
and company are in rare form. Featuring Emerson in full flight backed
up by Bonilla’s hard rock guitar skills, drummer Troy Luccketta
and six string bassist Travis Davis, the results are like nothing
Emerson has done yet. Of course, Emerson has often dabbled in orchestral
works going back to The Nice but Three Fates Project is very
unique in that it’s fully orchestrated and featuring a hard rock
guitar sound, something that critics often complained was missing
from ELP. In addition to the orchestral ELP remakes, new Emerson originals
and other new music contributed by Bonilla, highlights also include
a 20 minute, instrumental concertante version of “Tarkus”.
Long time ELP fans are strongly suggested to give this magnificently
recorded, wide ranging orchestral Emerson album classic some serious
listening. www.VareseVintage.wordpress.com
WHALING CITY SOUND - One of the top jazz guitarists in the U.S.
today, John Stein released his fabulous Hi-Fly CD in
early 2011 and in 2012 he followed up with another fine outing entitled
Bing Bang Boom!. Essentially the same quartet
that recorded Hi-Fly, the ten track Bing Bang Boom also
features John’s solid quartet—John Stein (guitars), Jake
Sherman (piano, keys), Zé Eduardo Nazario Drums)
and John Lockwood (acoustic bass). There’s a good reason
that, in addition 
to
being a top recording guitarist, John Stein also teaches music theory
at the famous Berklee school in Boston. Stein and his band just lives
and breathes bebop guitar jazz. In the past, John has cited jazz guitar
legend Jim Hall as one of his key influences and fans of Hall’s
legendary jazz guitar prowess will appreciate the vital group interplay
on Bing Bang Boom!. In addition to several new Stein originals,
the Bing Bang Boom! CD features fresh quartet covers of jazz
legends such as Charles Mingus, Billy Strayhorn, Victor Young and
Cole Porter, as evidenced by the CD closing cover of Porter’s
“You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To.” As with his other
quartet recordings, the sound of Bing Bang Boom! is modern
yet there’s some vintage sounding musical signposts that gives
the CD a comfortable, relaxing vibe. When it comes to recording instrumental
jazz guitar, few musicians have it so clearly in the pocket as John
Stein. www.JohnStein.com
REISSUES & RETROSPECTIVES
ANGEL
AIR - As a founding member of the U.K. band Medicine Head, singer-songwriter
John Fiddler has released a number of albums, many of which
have seen CD reissue of Angel Air Records. In 2013 Angel Air have
a never before released album from Fiddler entitled State Of
The Heart. Originally released on cassette back in
1991, the CD is kind of low-fi sounding yet the songs are not without
their charms and the tracks click. Several players assist and with
some fine remastering, the CD sounds great and further recaptures
the spirit with cool packaging and new and revealing liner notes and
lyrics. Angel Air have several albums from David Courntney in
their huge catalog and in early 2013 they added an 18 track, 2 albums
on 1 CD by Courtney entitled Midsummer Madness / Shooting Star.
Fans of 1970’s pop may remember Courntney as the songwriter
of hits like “One Man Band” and “Giving It All Away”,
two hits made popular by Roger Daltrey. Courtney’s 1975 album
First Day (also reissued on CD by Angel Air) was followed by
Midsummer Madness, yet for some reason the album never came
out, until now. On Angel Air’s 2013 reissue, the nine track Midsummer
Madness is paired with another Courtney album entitled Shooting
Star, which also has remained unreleased till now. A number of
musicians back Courtney’s songs and vocals on both albums, including
members of Argent, while in depth liner notes by James McCarraher
sheds light on Courtney’s underrated and all too brief solo
career. www.AngelAir.co.uk
BGO
RECORDS - BGO continues on a roll into 2013 unearthing albums
you thought had never even come out. Case in point is Balin
/ Lucky—a 77 minute two albums on one CD
from Jefferson Airplane co- founder Marty Balin. Released in
1981 and 1983, both albums fit neatly on one CD and liner notes from
John Tobler takes the listener from Marty’s early years
as the voice of The Jefferson Airplane and back to the early ‘80s
when these albums were hardly noticed. Slick, commercial Top 40 dance
pop is the fare of the day here, but Balin’s voice was one in
a million and his unique vocals and seasoned approach saves the day
on these long forgotten relics from the Marty Balin archives. In 2012,
BGO released a double album from cofounder of Soft Machine, singer-songwriter,
the late great Kevin Ayers. The final two album Ayers released
on Harvest Records, Rainbow Takeaway and That’s
What You Get Babe were first released in 1978 and 1980 respectively
and both feature Ayers nonchalant approach to progressive pop in general.
Rainbow Takeaway features some fine production from Anthony
Moore who also adds in keyboards with further contributions from
top session guys like guitarists Ollie Halsall, Geoff Whitehorn,
Mo Foster and others. Released in 1980, That’s What
You Get Babe was a somewhat more upbeat affair with the added
programming of synthesizers by Hans Zimmer. Detailed liner
notes by David Wells takes the listener back to that heady
1978-80 period of anything goes in the pop world. BGO have several
CD titles out by guitar session hero Eric Gale and in 2013
they released 2 albums on 1 CD remaster of Ginseng Woman /
Multiplication. First released in 1977 and 1978 respectively,
both albums were issued on Lp on Columbia Records and were major hits
in the instrumental jazz fusion world. Both albums feature the cream
of the crop of American jazzers from that amazing time in music history.
Rock and roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis is 78 years young and
BGO continues reissuing many of his albums on CD. In early 2013 BGO
pairs Jerry Lee's 1970 album She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbye
with his 1971 album There Must Be More To Love Than
This. Both albums were huge hits on Country music radio
and in the know fans rate both albums up there with his best honky
tonk flavored country rock. Back in the 1970s you couldn’t go
far on the radio dial without hearing the sound of Bachman-Turner
Overdrive and their huge hit “Takin’ Care Of Business”
from 1974. In 2013, BGO Records revive the golden day of the 1970s
with a 16 track, 2 albums on 1 reissue CD of the first two BTO albums,
Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Bachman-Turner Overdrive
II. Of course BGO's BTO CD features their huge hits,
“Takin’ Care Of Business” (from BTO II) and
“Let It Ride” (from BTO I) as well as in depth notes
discussing the sonic significance of guitarist Randy Bachman and
company. www.BGO-Records.com
CHERRY RED - Cherry Red are having a field day over in Merry Old.
"Merry Olde" as in Mother England, which was positively
swinging back in the 1960s. Before 10cc, there was the genius of Graham
Gouldman and then again, there was also Hotlegs. The other
half of 10cc, the part with Kevin Godley and Lol Creme,
tried their luck in 1969 with impresario Giorgio Gomelsky and then
with their second incarnation as Hotlegs, who are commemorated by
Cherry’s Grapefruit Records imprint with You Didn’t
Like It Because You Didn’t Think Of It - The Complete Sessions
1970-1971. Of course, here in the colonies, Kevin and
Lol couldn’t get arrested as Hotlegs but apparently, as far as
the coming greatness with 10cc, clearly they were on the right track.
Cherry Red’s 14 track CD compiles every track released by Hotlegs,
including two versions of their sleeper hit “Neanderthal Man.”
In addition, the CD features newly commissioned artwork and newly
penned liner notes, making the package a fine look back at (half of)
a (then) burgeoning musical dynasty. Another must have collectible
CD on Cherry Red is Paradise Lost: The Complete UK Fontana Recordings
by 1960s U.K. popsters The Herd. Perhaps the most notable
thing about The Herd was that the group featured guitarist Peter
Frampton in one of his earliest band lineups. Another fine reissue
CD released on Cherry’s Grapefruit imprint, their Herd CD features
way cool packaging including a 16 page booklet filled with rare pics
along with in depth liner notes discussing The Herd during that heady
1967-68, pre-prog era of pop psychedelia. Cherry spin-off label Now
Sounds looks back at the late great Del Shannon with a
2012 remaster of Home & Away. Conceived by
Del and produced by Rolling Stones mastermind Andrew Loog Oldham,
the album was originally planned to be the British answer to Pet
Sounds. The album goes far and beyond Del’s original early
‘60s pop blueprint and as such is filled with the 1967 baroque
rock sounds of harpsichords and various horns and strings. The original
eleven track album is bolstered by several rare mono mixes along with
a new 16 page booklet detailing the history of the Home & Away
album along with rare photos by famed photographer Gered Mankowitz.
www.CherryRed.co.uk
CHERRY RED / RPM RECORDS - For years, U.K. based Cherry
Red Records have been tempting and tantalizing music collectors with
their amazing assortment of collectible CD reissues. They’ve
even branched out with new albums, having released the debut Squackett
CD on their Antenna Records imprint. One of their fine labels, RPM
have a most impressive double CD compilation from master singer-songwriter
Roger Cook entitled Running With the Rat Pack - Albums,
Singles,
Unreleased 1972 - 1973. Cook, as part of the Cook -
Greenaway song writing team was responsible for innumerable hits including
the brilliant “Something’s Gotten Hold Of My Heart”,
recorded by both Gene Pitney and The Shadows. Running With The
Rat Pack focuses mostly on Cook, the singer-songwriter but the
results are quite impressive. Some of England’s greatest session
musicians can be heard on this 30 track double CD set, which features
in depth liner notes by Kingsley Abbott. Another musician who
made his mark writing huge hits for Hank Marvin and The Shadows, Jerry
Lordan is paid a long overdue homage on the Cherry Red / RPM Records
release of All My Own Work—a collection of his
early 1960’s solo sides for EMI / Parlophone Records. The 24
track single CD set features Jerry’s own original version of
his biggest composition “Apache”, a huge number one instrumental
hit for The Shadows in 1960 as well as Jerry’s original version
of both “Diamonds” and “Scarlet O’Hara”—huge
very early 1960s hits in England by Shadows cofounders Jet Harris
& Tony Meehan—while other tracks here, made famous in the
U.K. by noted stars like Anthony Newley and even American rock and
roll pioneer Dale Hawkins. It’s hard to believe that this release
marks the first time these Lordan originals are seeing the light of
day on CD. Either way All My Own Work is a fitting look back
at one of the most significant songwriters in English pop music history.
In depth liner notes by Rob Bradford and August 2012 liner
notes by Jerry’s widow Claudine Lordan fills in the history
behind this most amazing songwriter. www.cherryred.co.uk/rpmshout.asp
EXPERIENCE
HENDRIX / LEGACY - Although he would have turned 70 on
November 27, 2012, the late great Jimi Hendrix is remembered once
again with the March 2013 CD release of a fresh album of for the most
part unheard tracks entitled People, Hell And Angels.
Essentially a new album of unreleased studio material, the album
is superbly packaged with a tastefully presented CD booklet including
track by track liner notes shedding fresh light on each song here.
The center piece of People, Hell And Angels is being hyped
as “Somewhere”, a track Jimi recorded on March 13, 1968
with Buddy Miles (drums) and Steve Stills (bass). Co-produced
by Janie Hendrix and John McDermott, People, Hell
And Angels is being touted as the musical companion and successor
to Jimi’s 2010 CD, Valleys Of Neptune. Although People,
Hell And Angels is mostly filled with songs that were later perfected,
along with a few instrumental jams and sketches of songs still in
the development stages, Jimi’s patented one of a kind vocals
and electrifying guitar sounds are more than fabulous throughout.
Coupled with some truly outstanding CD packaging, People, Hell
And Angels is a most welcome treat for Hendrix fans seeking out
fresh insights into musical chapters that might have taken place had
Jimi not left the planet way too soon. www.JimiHendrix.com
JASMINE RECORDS - Although he died way too early, age 39 in
1965, music icon Bill Black left the music world a stellar
legacy. Having recorded some life changing recordings—on stand-up,
“dog house” bass, with Elvis and Scotty Moore—Bill
went to to cut a number of instrument sides, the best of which is
recalled on a 2012 double CD set from Bill Black’s Combo,
on U.K, based Jasmine Records, entitled Smokin’.
A quartet of fantastic players, centered around guitar prodigy
Reggie Young, these sides, cut at the dawn of the 1960’s,
feature Bill and his boys cutting a slew of instrumental sides that
everyone should know, including rootsy, near surf-a-billy instrumentals
of amazing songs like “Don’t Be Cruel”, “Mack
The Knife”, “Bo Diddley” and so much more. With 52
tracks, and insightful liner notes by Groper Odson, you can’t
go wrong with this magical retrospective of early instrumental rock
‘n’ roll and the timeless genius of the great Bill Black.
www.Jasmine-Records.co.uk
MVD / CHROME DREAMS - Distributed in the U.S. by MVD, the
U.K. based Chrome Dreams is just awesome. Their documentaries are
never less than fascinating and lately they’ve been branching
out into CD compilations. Although Chrome Dreams is most associated
with rock history, but from the U.S. and the U.K., their new best
of jazz history CD series takes a fresh look at the time-honored American
art form with the 2012 double CD set entitled The 25 Best Jazz
Tunes Of 1960. A seminal year to be sure, this 158
minute double CD set compiles classic jazz tracks that made their
debut in 1960 including now classic tracks from legends such as John
Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Miles Davis, Wes Montgomery,
Art Blakey, Charles Mingus, Modern Jazz Quartet and
much more. Each CD is maxed out with up to 79 minutes per disc and
the CD was superbly remastered and features in-depth liner notes by
noted jazz musicologist Charles Waring. Much the same could
be said about the next jazz compilation from Chrome Dreams entitled
The 25 Best Jazz Tunes Of 1961, which features
many of the same artists from the 1960 set with the inclusion of other
classic 1960’s jazz legends including Dave Brubeck, Dizzy
Gillespie, Gary Burton, Ray Charles, Bill Evans
and so much more. www.MVDb2b.com
/ www.ChromeDreams.co.uk
MVD / CHROME DREAMS - Also available through MVD in
2013 is the latest DVD box set from U.K. documentary experts Chrome
Dreams on The Rolling Stones—a 2 DVD box set entitled
Mick Vs. Keith - The Strange Case Of Jagger & Richards.
Although featured together in a slip case cover, the set is actually
comprised of two distinct yet connected DVD titles—Keith
Richards Under Review and The Roaring 20s - Mick Jagger’s
Glory Years. The two DVDs go into depth on the history
of The Rolling Stones and specifically just how these two history
making musicians helped shape music history over the past 50 years.
Hard to believe it’s been a half century since The Rolling Stones
burst on the music scene and the story is scoped out in fastidious
depth and detail complete with archival film footage and history making
music clips from the Stones and the numerous musicians who helped
inspire their journey. Combining for nearly 4 hours of Stones’
history making, the DVDs feature excellent commentary and narration
from English rock musicologists including Alan Clayson, Barney
Hoskyns and Nigel Williamson. For the complete story on
the always competitive yet highly rewarding relationship of Jagger
& Richards, give a good look at Mick Vs. Keith. www.MVDb2b.com
MVD VISUAL / MIG MUSIC - MVD are making available a
number of CD/DVD titles out from the German based Rockpalast series
on MIG Music, including a 2013 CD/DVD from the late great Ronnie
Lane. Caught live on the Rockpalast TV show in Deutschland on
March 3rd, 1980. the Ronnie Lane Band featured the Small Faces cofounder
with a full 8 piece band with outstanding performances from Wings
guitarist Henry McCullough and Rolling Stones keyboard legend
Ian Stewart. The sound is excellent on both the CD and the
DVD is professionally filmed. Hard to believe it’s been a third
of a century but 1980 truly kicked off the rock's war era. Stewart,
McCullough and company aid Lane in supreme style. Anyone expecting
a folk-rock, more laid back type of set from the great Ronnie Lane
will be in for a sonic jolt as the CD/DVD is a fitting musical document
featuring Lane & Company rocking out with vigor and style. www.MVDb2b.com
NOT NOW MUSIC - Over in the U.K. apparently the copyright
laws have expired for music made during or before 1960 so some labels
are taking advantage and releasing compilations of early music. Case
in point is Surf’s Comin’—a 3 CD, 60
track set featuring classic guitar instrumental music from some of
the biggest names in guitar history. Although, even in England, Duane
Eddy, Link Wray and The Ventures were superstars
by 1960, it was The Shadows, featuring guitar hero Hank Marvin
who best captured the hearts and minds of pre-Beatles England. So
here in 2013, Not Now Music has taken advantage of the never ending
fascination with the early instrumental surf and pre-surf music craze
with their well produced Surf’s Comin’ set. Being
that the genre of “instrumental guitar” really took off
and evolved after 1960, especially in the case of The Shadows, there’s
a kind of rawness to this collection but overall, it’s not without
its charms. In addition to key early tracks, recorded between 1957
and 1960, from the above mentioned artists, Surf’s Comin’
also features other more obscure instrumentals by The Scotty
Moore Trio, Dale Hawkins, Johnny & The Hurricanes,
Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith, Bert Weedon,
Dick Dale, Phil Spector, The Bel-Airs, The
Fireballs and lots of other rarities (there’s even a couple
vocal tracks from from the likes of Dick Dale and a pre-Beach
Boys Bruce Johnston). Succinct liner notes, contributed here
by Nigel Cross, give some perspective but overall, it’s
a low budget affair (listed on Amazon for three dollars and change!)
sure to please newcomers and surf-rock instro enthusiasts looking
to add to their CD collection. www.NotNowMusic.co.uk
REAL
GONE MUSIC - L.A. based Real Gone Music teams up with power-pop
legend Shoes for a 21 track 2012 CD compilation called 35
Years - The Definitive Shoes Collection 1977 - 2012. Having
recorded over 180 songs since 1974 on a string of now classic pop
albums, Shoes features the band sound of brothers John Murphy and
Jeff Murphy while long time member Gary Klebe rounds
out the classic Shoes lineup. Having released what many are saying
in the best Shoes album yet, the 2012 comeback CD Ignition, Real
Gone’s Definitive Shoes set features 21 tracks compiled
from eight studio albums including their Black Vinyl Shoes album
from 1977, various albums for Elektra Records, their 1994 album Propeller,
a cut from the now classic Ignition and much more. As Definitive
Shoes displays, the broken in, timeless Shoes pop sound is like
a well worn friend coming back for a visit. www.RealGoneMusic.com
RGF RECORDS - Coming out of the Birmingham, England scene that
spawned great bands like The Move and Moody Blues, singer-songwriter
Steve Gibbons has long been overlooked but thanks to Road
Goes On Forever Records that oversight is a thing of the past.
Gibbons started making a name for himself as a solo artist back in
the mid 1970s and his all time classic album Down In The Bunker
is one of the best from that era. The highlight of the CD
is the song “Down In The Bunker” which is one of Steve’s
best rockers. The entire album sounds like a cross between Bob 
Dylan,
Mark Knopfler and Elvis Costello, plus producer Tony Visconti is
actually credited playing moog on the “Down In The Bunker”
track. Recalling playing on The Steve Gibbons Band track “Down
In The Bunker”, producer legend Tony Visconti recently told mwe3.com,
‘Do you mean a Moog synthesizer? I thought, at the time, that
Steve was going to have a very big hit. The record was amazing, I
pulled out all the stops. His band were top musicians. Then after
it was finished his one of his managers committed suicide and that
brought all the promotion to a halt. I still play the “Down In
The Bunker” every couple of months. For Steve, it was his masterpiece.’
Steve’s action packed band also features original Move member
Trevor Burton who is credited on bass throughout the 19 track
Down In The Bunker CD, which thanks to this top reissue comes
complete with booklet filled with lyrics and liner notes. RGF Records
has a number of Gibbons CD remasters, including a 2011 double CD retrospective
by Steve Gibbons Band entitled There & Now
Volume 1, which features “Down In The Bunker”
along with 41 other classics from The Steve Gibbons Band. www.rgfrecords.co.uk
ROCK BEAT RECORDS - L.A. based Rock Beat Records is breaking
new ground for American reissue CD labels. Case in point is Rock Beat’s
2012 double CD box set from Moving Sidewalks entitled The
Complete Collection. The 26 track double set CD chronicles
the early works of ZZ Top founder and rock guitar god Billy F.
Gibbons. Gibbons could sing the phone book and it would probably
be entertaining but lucky for us, his early works with The Moving
Sidewalks and his other band The Coachmen are very much in
the spirit of early ZZ Top, albeit without the ultra pizzaz and showmanship
ZZ have come to be known for. Even so, these Moving Sidewalk tracks
sound great and are truly hypnotizing. Overall the whole double CD
set is a must for ZZ Top fans and for fans of classic 1960s underground
garage bands and psyche-rock nuggets collectors. Extra credit must
go to Rock Beat for their amazingly detailed 54 page CD booklet which
is filled with excellent period piece photos of Gibbons & Co.
along with detailed liner notes by esteemed musicologist Bill Bentley.
Also new and essential from Rock Beat in 2012 is an absolutely fascinating
4 CD box set entitled Surf-Age Nuggets - Trash & Twang Instrumentals
1959 - 1966. Produced by James Austin, and featuring
in depth liner notes by Austin and both Alan Taylor and Dave
Burke of the celebrated instrumental rock quarterly Pipeline Magazine,
from England, the 4 disc set compiles 104 tracks from some of the
coolest, yet also mostly completely unknown guitar instrumental bands
from the USA recording at the dawn of 1960s and well into that magical
decade. This whole concept is absolutely right up the alley of Alan
and Dave of Pipeline, who specialize in unearthing just about every
guitar instrumental known to man, from the U.S. and, per their Pipeline
work, the U.K and beyond. That said, the high quality of the impeccable
remastering is only bettered by the amazing packaging of the 4 CD
box set. Focusing on surf-rock, the 60 page booklet is actually built
right into the box set, which should absolutely win some kind of Grammy
award for innovative packaging. In his review of Surf-Age Nuggets
in the Spring 2013 issue of Pipeline, Alan Taylor favorably compared
this box set to Rhino’s famous Cowabunga! box set also
stating that this new box is “both highly listenable and an automatic
essential purchase for collectors.” Like Alan also correctly
noted in his Pipeline review, there’s way too many highlights
on Surf-Age Nuggets to fit into a mere CD review. Surf-rock
fans and collectors of vintage guitar instrumentals from the late
1950s and well into the ‘60s are strongly advised to pick up
and check out this instant guitar classic, before it too goes out
of print. www.smoreent.com
SILVA
SCREEN RECORDS - The follow up to his 1978 horror movie, Halloween,
the 1980 film release of The Fog featured another
stellar soundtrack by movie maker / musician John Carpenter. The
movie soundtrack was released in 2000 and now in 2012 Silva Screen
Records have released an updated version of the long deleted original
2000 CD reissue. This late 2012 reissue of The Fog soundtrack
features the original album, expanded with 20 minutes of additional
music, all remastered by long time Carpenter collaborator Alan
Howarth, plus a radio interview with the Fog star Jamie
Lee Curtiss. This 2012 reissue also features a second CD featuring
a 20 track disc of the entire 1980 film score cues. The sound of the
newly remastered soundtrack of disc one is excellent and stands up
quite well compared to other film soundtracks and electronic music
albums from well known artists such as Tangerine Dream. The music
on the second CD mirrors the nightmarish vision of the film and makes
an interesting contrast to the more accessible sounds of disc one.
The CD booklet is quite extensive and takes the listener back to 1980
and works its way up to the story behind the 2012 reissue. Also out
on Silva Screen in 2012 is the soundtrack to Pusher,
with music by Orbital. Much more synth driven and percussive
with a solid dance music type instrumental score, than The Fog,
this 26 track CD on Silva Screen features the music from the 2012
film as composed by brothers Phil Hartnoll and Paul Hartnoll
along with several bonus tracks and an extensive booklet detailing
the Orbital’s music behind the movie score. The interesting thing
about both The Fog and the Pusher soundtracks is how
well they both stack up both as soundtrack CDs and as listening experiences
in their own right. www.silvascreenusa.com
SPEECHLESS MUSIC - Among the most underrated and under-recorded
guitarists in America today, Scott Bradoka calls his 2013,
17 track CD collection Never Been Cool. Just
that name alone conjures up all kinds of perceived detriments, yet
in a concerted effort to bring his name back into the limelight, with
Never Been Cool, Bradoka has put together a well-rounded collection
of remixed archival tracks from the past fifteen years along with
several newly recorded tracks. For guitar buffs who have followed
his career over the past decade, you can’t really mention the
name Scott Bradoka without at least mentioning the name Eric Bazilian,
the singer-songwriter who turned rock fusion guitar instrumental advocate
when he teamed up with Scott for his 2003 album Create Your Own
Reality. Even though Bazilian made his name as the singing guitarist
/ composer of the rock group The Hooters back in the 1980s, joined
in 2003 with Bradoka the two achieved a rare balance of musical muscle
and compositional integrity, a combination that made for truly ground
breaking musical history, most notably on Bazilian’s instrumental
“X2000”, a track that was featured as the crown jewel on
CYOR. If you had to pick one of the greatest instrumentals
that captured the intensity and the passing of the greatest generation
and the passing of the torch into the great unknown it is “X2000”.
Looking back on working with Bradoka on 
Create
Your Own Reality, Bazilian recently told mwe3.com, ‘Of all
the records I've been involved in this is actually one of my favorites.
Scott was amazing and inspiring to work with.” And when further
questioned about about other great tracks he and Bradoka worked on
Bazilian adds, ‘They really are, and I made a conscious effort
to let Scott's voice as an electric guitarist stand alone, though
I did end up playing a solo on “X2000”. It was a blast playing
all those bass, sax, keyboard and dobro parts.” Another great
Bradoka / Bazilian work of sonic art that was another highlight of
CYOR is a unique sounding instro rock version of the Brian
Wilson / Beach Boys song “California Girls”. We all know
Brian loves jazz so, even though it’s ten years after, he’s
well advised to groove out with Scott and Eric. One must also applaud
Bazilian’s excellent sax work on that track. There’s so
many great songs on Never Been Cool and, while it’s super
hard to reach the sonic nirvana of“X2000”, you might want
to reword that after giving a listen to the sonic grandeur of a new
track here entitled “Mojado” which is a personal favorite,
I’m told by Bradoka. The new tracks including “Mojado”
were recorded with Steve Kalafski (on second guitar), Bradoka
co-composer Glen Radomski and long time Bradoka band drummer
Scott Williams. Of course in addition to “X2000”
and the new tracks, there’s plenty of Scott’s great jazz-rock
instrumentals on hand here including “Black Crayon” and
“Friends”, another two highlights with Bazilian. A solid
combination of guitar based instrumentals that merge jazz, rock, fusion,
funk, hip-hop, soundtrack sounds and more, Never Been Cool is
proof that Scott Bradoka has always been cool. www.ScottBradoka.com
VARÈSE VINTAGE - Back at the dawn of the 1990’s,
English guitarist Adrian Legg made a name for himself thanks
to a series of acoustic guitar based instrumental CD titles released
on the now defunct Relativity Records, originally based in New York
City. At that time, some couldn’t quite figure Adrian out. One
part folk, one part New Age, one part classical, Legg was accurately
described by one U.K. music critic as being a “cross between
Robert Fripp and Garrison Keeler”. Although culled from five
different CD titles, between 1990 and 1994, as well as adding in one
bonus live track from the winter of 1994, the music on the 2013 CD
release of The Very Best Of Adrian Legg exudes a kind
of timeless feel, perhaps definitively portraying Legg as a dazzling
acoustic guitar technician, a player who arrived at the height of
the New Age music boom, yet offered something completely different
and uniquely rewarding at the same time. The 15 tracks collected on
this excellent retrospective on the esteemed Varèse Vintage
label perfectly captures the brief, yet effective Legg-mania that
ensued among guitar aficionados during that memorable, yet fleeting
era of the early 1990’s. Commenting in the excellent CD liner
notes here, written by Jerry MCulley, Adrian, looking back
at that time reflects, ‘I was honored and stimulated by the interest
and positive reaction. I think I felt that as a musician I belonged
somewhere at last.’ www.AdrianLegg.com
/ www.VareseVintage.wordpress.com
VARÈSE SARABANDE - Also out on Varèse
in 2012 is a CD soundtrack to the film Winged Migration,
which was originally released as a film called Le Peuple Migrateur.
Described by no less than Mike Oldfield as “a very beautiful
film”, the soundtrack for the movie first came out in 2001 and
now in 2012 / early 2013, the CD is once again available on Varèse
Sarabande, the kings of the CD soundtrack. In addition to the soundtrack
music by Bruno Coulais, the CD also features a cross section
of pop vocal selections featuring Robert Wyatt, Nick Cave
and Gabriel Yacoub. Wyatt, one of the legends and founding
architects of the progressive rock movement of 1968/69 and cofounder
of Soft Machine, in particular fits in quite well on this spellbinding,
quite relaxing cross section of instrumental and vocal tracks. Lyrics,
liner notes about the movie and full credits are other good reasons
to pick up on this timeless music soundtrack. www.VareseVintage.wordpress.com
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