|
HARP GUITAR DREAMS
on Harp Guitar Music
|
LAIKA & THE COSMONAUTS
on YepRoc Records
|
FIRE
on Angel Air Records
|
2008
/ 2009
MUSIC & RECORD LABEL SPOTLIGHT
Pop
& Rock
ANGEL
AIR - Angel Air are in a league of their own when it comes to
bringing English rock legends back into the spotlight, especially
with new live albums from Stackridge and also in 2008 they have a
new live CD from the group Fire. In late 2007 the original
four piece group reunited to play their 1969 recording of The
Magic Shoemaker.
Before he went on to join The Strawbs as lead guitarist and vocalist,
Dave Lambert served as the guitar and vocalist in Fire. Revisiting
Fire’s early work, Lambert’s early progressive rock and
pop influences foreshadowed his work in Strawbs as well and is a solid
testament to the vast amount of high quality rock and folk-rock coming
out the England circa 1970. www.myspace.com/2007Fire
BAR NONE - Starting off with a place setting spaghetti western
instrumental, Greg Kamp soon settles into the same radio friendly
pop groove he crafted as the guitarist in Smash Mouth. Camp covers
lots of ground on his 2008 CD Defektor, handling guitars,
bass and vocals while backed by drummer Mitch Marine and select
players on various tracks. Staking his claim among the musical spirits
of classic rockers like Elvis Costello, Sting and Madness through
to current pop faves Fountains Of Wayne, Camp weaves a wealth of influences
on Defektor— all the while deftly combining ‘60s
pop, rock ‘n’ roll and new wave with hints of funk, reggae
and dance music. www.Bar-None.com
EAGLE
ROCK - Earlier in her career, Tracey Ullman rocked the
music world as an exceptional singer who could cover all manners of
pop music. Moving on as an actress, her resume is now quite varied.
Eagle’s 2008 DVD captures five episodes of her show, Tracey
Ullman’s State Of The Union. Described as Ullman’s
look at ‘The Good, The Bad, And The Absolutely Ridiculous,’
State Of The Union is a side splitting, satirical look at the
state of America today. Ullman is amazing as a singer and equally
brilliant as a comic actress and impersonator. Two plus hours of classic
Ullman, Tracey Ullman’s State Of The Union comes with
loads of extras including bloopers, out takes, screen tests, commentary
and deleted scenes. Impeccably filmed, State Of The Union will
crack you up and beautifully filmed, it’s a joy to watch. www.EagleRockEnt.com
EAGLE
ROCK - Following the release of Old New Ballads Blues in
2006
and Close As You Get in 2007, Gary Moore returns in
2008 with Bad For You Baby.With a resumes that includes
having worked with George Harrison, Thin Lizzy, Greg Lake, Jack Bruce
and innumerable guitar icons, Gary Moore continues to be England’s
ambassador of the blues. Featuring Moore’s midas touch in the
studio on guitar and vocals, Bad For You Baby spotlights Moore
in prime form backed up by a solid band including Sam Kelly
(drums), Vic Martin (keyboards) and Pete Rees (bass).
Moore has a solid catalog with and with a classic album cover art,
Bad For You Baby makes a fine addition. If you like the blues
you’ll like this CD. www.Gary-Moore.com
FUNZALO RECORDS - Jules Shear has the rock thing down but
when he gets all sentimental and spacey no one can touch him. Just
ask Roger McGuinn and Tom Petty—two pop masters who’ve covered
Shear’s music. One of the highlights of Shear’s 2008 CD
More, entitled “We Said Goodbye” sounds like
something that could have been on Shear’s 1983 Todd Rundgren
produced Watchdog debut Lp. 25 years later, the song just kills,
combining an Eno inspired spatial touch with the musical insight of
Brian Wilson circa Surf’s Up.
There’s a couple more equally poignant moments like that
on the 2008 CD release of More released on the AZ.-based Funzalo,
while the rest is Jules giving in to some pretty heavy rock angst
at the close of these dubya double oh’s. With Jules on lead guitar
and vocals backed up by a number of top players, More covers
a stunning range of pop and rock tracks. www.FunzaloRecords.com
ICON MES - A mind blowing mix of swampy blues and all sorts of
out there rock sounds, Slo Leak features guitar legend Danny
Kortchmar paired with fellow rock guitarist Charlie Karp.
Kortchmar has worked with the best in the biz including a long stint
with James Taylor starting the late ‘60s before moving on to
work with Jackson Browne, The Eagles, Linda Rondstadt and many more.
Karp on the other hand played guitar and toured with Buddy Miles for
years, as well as working with Meatloaf and others. New Century
Blues is an action packed CD filled with an awesome
range of sounds. Slo Leak is fittingly described in the liner notes
by Jackson Browne as ‘ultra contemporary, deeply grooving and
wickedly funny.’ www.iconmes.com
IMMERGENT - Some of the biggest names in rock music get together
behind a common purpose on Les Paul & Friends: A Tribute
To A Legend. Produced by Bob Cutarella, the ten track
CD is a mostly bluesy, hard rocking album that features guitar heroes
such as Joe Bonamassa, Richie Sambora, Jeff Golub, Johnny Rzeznik,
Joe Perry, Slash, Peter Frampton, the late Hiram Bullock and more
all paying tribute to the great Les Paul. 93 years young and still
a music icon, Les Paul himself appears on several tracks adding in
some of his patented guitar stylings. A rocking tribute to Les Paul—the
man, the guitar and the sound that turned on generations of guitarists
and guitar lovers, Les Paul & Friends features liner notes
by Slash sheds light on the vast influence Les Paul has had
on guitarists of every musical persuasion.
www.Immergent.com
LIME
RECORDS - With Yes on hiatus, in 2005 and 2006 Chris Squire
toured and recorded and made one brilliant studio album and a pretty
good DVD with The Syn. Compared to the progressive beat-prog sound
of the Syn, Squire’s latest solo studio album is a rewarding
album of electrified hymns and other yuletide classics for rock band
and choir. Featuring a dozen full length religious rockers, Chris
Squire’s Swiss Choir features the famous Yes bass
great paired with keyboardist Gerard Johnson, drummer Jeremy
Stacey and prog guitar ace Steve Hackett. Steve never steals
the show, favoring to season Squire’s hymnal rockers with tasteful
acoustic and electric work. Squire sings a couple leads but mostly
the CD features the players supporting the vocals of The English
Baroque Choir. As the bio blurb states, though no actual Swiss
choirs were used or harmed in the making of this album, don’t
try saying “Chris Squire’s Swiss Choir” three times.
One essential track here is bonus track 13, the CD closer of Squire’s
rare 1981 holiday track, “Run With The Fox.” www.LimeRecords.com
MPL / ATO - 2008, The Fireman rushes in with their third
CD. The brainchild of Apple Records a&r boss Paul McCartney
and the producer known as Youth, Electric Arguments
is the most rocking installment yet by The Fireman. This time McCartney
eschews a mostly ambient / dub instrumental setting for a scaled back
Band Of The Run type eclectic rock affair. Some tracks even
seem like Paul is reminiscent for the Beatles white album era ‘68
sound. Late ‘60s Beatles, Band On The Run D.I.Y. and even
a dose of ‘50 rock and roll collide on a CD that is proving to
be McCartney’s most free form and uplifting album in quite a
while. As great as Macca’s Fireman tracks are, one wonders if
Paul would ever go back as a solo artist to record further instrumental
rock works in the spirit of, say his rarely heard mid ‘80s Press
To Play era “Hanglide” B-side. Whatever style of McCartney
turns you on, there’s plenty to dig and get into on the new Fireman
CD. The hidden track ending of “Don’t Stop Running”
provides a surreal finale with some cosmic flamenco mellotron crescendos.
www.PaulMcCartney.com
MARILLION.COM - Still sounding inspired by Peter Gabriel era Genesis,
the legendary British quintet Marillion owes a lot to ‘70s
era prog-rock yet they capture a sound of their own with 2008’s
Happiness Is The Road. Featuring a sprawling double
CD studio set, there’s no shortage of pop driven prog atmospherics
that would appeal to fans of mid era Traffic and Pink Floyd. Celebrating
30 years, Marillion formed back in 1978 by guitarist Steve Rothery
and singer Fish. Rothery is an ace player in the spirit of contemporaries
like David Gilmour and Alex Lifson. Renewed with the 1989 arrival
of current lead singer Steve Hogarth, Marillion have been going
strong and in 1999 they formed and released a CD called Marillion.com
signaling the band’s business model. No doubt the 2008 release
of Happiness Is The Road should please long time fans and newcomers
alike. www.Marillion.com
MGM
- By bringing Anthony Snape out on his 2008 U.S. tour as his
opening act, guitar god Tommy Emmanuel isn’t the only one now
singing his praises. Working for years in his native Australia, Snape
is making waves in the pop world with the 2007 CD release of his debut
CD Disappearing Day, and American listeners are starting
to pick up on Snape’s solid approach to pop and rock guitar based
songs. With this auspicious debut, Snape sounds like a modern day
Tim Finn in Split Enz. With Snape’s guitar and vocals backed
by a hot band and a great studio sound, Disappearing Day rocks
and goes deep with the folk-rock moments that Snape excels in. www.AnthonySnape.com
MEAN
BUZZ RECORDS - Offering their own post modern mix of power pop
meets glam-rock, the Nashville based Pink Spiders burst on
the scene with their first album, produced by Ric Ocasek. That 2006
album, Teenage Graffiti is now followed by the 2008 CD release
of Sweat It Out. Stacked with one catchy rocker after
the next, Sweat It Out offers a modern take on the sound of
Cheap Trick. The Pink Spiders features the lead vocals of front man
Matt Friction, who has also recently release his first solo
album. Produced by Brendan O’Brien, Sweat It Out
is just the ticket to bring The Pink Spiders to the forefront of the
modern music scene. www.thepinkspiders.com
NACIONAL
RECORDS - The creation of Chile based German producer DJ Uwe
Schmidt, also known as Señor Coconut, Around
The World is like a global tour through a collection
of Latin flavored tributes to club hits. Bridging the space between
Latin and techno music, there’s plenty here to marvel at. Señor
Coconut’s tropical flavored Latin big band music is a real hoot,
sometimes coming off like Ricky Ricardo on acid. Cosmic lounge music,
the sound of Around The World is firmly entrenched in the ‘60s.
The wonderful way the album is recorded makes it a stereo showcase
and dig that crazy echo on Señor Coconut’s Latin club
version of Prince’s timeless hit “Kiss,” sung by the
Austrian Frank Sinatra, Louie Austen. Anyone who turned on
to the lounge music craze of the mid ‘90s will dig the kitschy,
retro approach of Señor Coconut. Other highlights include an
electro bossa nova vocal cover of Jobim’s “Corcovado”
and a cha-cha style “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)”. In
addition to Around The World, Señor Coconut also released
El Baile Alemean. Señor Coconut’s
tribute to Kraftwerk, the CD adds textures like maracas, congas, shakers
and vibes-a-go-go that seduce and rearrange the menacing Kraftwerk
electronic vibe. Either way, check out that fab cover art and let
Señor Coconut take you on his appealing sound journey around
the world. www.NacionalRecords.com
PALAGREENO - Commenting on the release of his second full length
CD, singer-songwriter Nick Pagliari adds, ‘This is a people
album. It’s about my life, the lives of my friends and the characters
I’ve developed to tell different stories about struggle and romance
and desire and change.’ Whew! Please And Thank You
finds that Pagliari has all his bases covered on an album that
blends the twang of Nashville with the spirit of Memphis. Pagliari
is a gifted songwriter who was clearly influenced by both the sound
of Stax and the great soul / pop bands that emanated from Nashville
like Big Star and The Box Tops. Although he cut his latest CD in Memphis,
Pagliari has great things to say about Nashville adding, ‘Everywhere
you look in Nashville, there’s great music and great musicians.’
Backed up by a solid band, including guitarist and co-producer Scott
Hardin, Pagliari delivers the goods with Please And Thank You.
www.nickpagliari.com
PET ROCK RECORDS -
Back in late ‘60s, The Beatles and Pink Floyd in Englandand
The Beach Boys and Buffalo Springfield in America were having an enormous
impact on countless pop bands from both continents. The Aliens
counter with a proposition for pop evolution in the 21st century with
their 2008 CD Luna. This whole album is a modern psych-pop
masterpiece. The single off Luna that’s been floated throughout
the U.K. pop media, an up to the minute Brian Wilson style collage
/ experiment called “Theremin” pays tribute to the instrument
that Wilson introduced to modern pop fans in 1966 on “Good Vibrations.”
“Theremin” is a pop masterpiece that pools some incredibly
insightful pop chops and takes the genre a giant leap forward. www.TheAliens.co.uk
ROCK RIDGE MUSIC - NYC based singer-songwriter Steve Wynn
recorded his 2008 CD, Crossing Dragon Bridge in Slovokia.
Working along side co-producer Chris Eckman, the sound of Crossing
Dragon Bridge sounds like a more modern Bob Dylan or Leonard Cohen.
There’s a definite Richard Thompson / Al Stewart singer-songwriter
kind of vibe but the songs, especially “Manhattan Fault Line”
are lushly orchestrated with Wynn’s Dylan-esque lyrics neatly
fitting in the song cadences. Both Wynn and Eckman are fine guitarists
and track three, “Love Me Anyway” features some fine Neil
Young inspired electric work from both while other tracks feature
notable players who help flesh out Wynn and Eckman’s production.
Wynn seemed to strike a musical nerve with the 2008 release of Crossing
Dragon Bridge. Wynn’s slightly Euro flavored songs drift
across the sound stage and leave you wanting to hear it again. www.SteveWynn.net
SHOUT!
FACTORY - Pop maverick, guitarist Matthew Sweet made his
big breakthrough back in the mid ‘80s with the Golden Palominos
and since, as singer-songwriter he’s gone on to record a number
of solid pop solo albums. His 10th studio album, 2008’s Sunshine
Lies is one of his best. Enlisting a top backing band—including
guitarists Richard Lloyd and Greg Leisz and backing
vocalist Susanna Hoffs—Sweet calls his music ‘power-pop-folk-rock-psychedelic-melodic-singer-songwriter-type
stuff. According to Sweet, ‘When it rocks, it rocks its ass off,’
and echoing his big influences, the Beach Boys, Beatles and Byrds,
Sweets delivers another sonic burst of pop artistry of his own with
Sunshine Lies. www.ShoutFactory.com
SIX
SHOOTER - In the spirit of fellow countryman Neil Young, Canadian
rocker Luke Doucet creates a neat balance between raw rock
energy and solid guitar rock. A showcase for his top guitar work,
the title track of his 2008 CD Blood’s Too Rich
strikes a modern pop nerve. From start to finish the album is a testament
to Doucet’s work as a band leader, a singer-songwriter and a
guitarist. Doucet writes music and plays guitar the way Neil Young
and guys like John Fogerty do—rock solid and built to last. Anyone
over 60 will need glasses to read the artwork and lyrics but the CD
packaging is so cool who cares. www.LukeDoucet.com
SPV - German guitar god Uli Jon Roth started out back in
the early 1970’s, even temporarily joining The Scorpions, replacing
Michael Schenker who had left to join UFO. Selling millions with The
Scorpions, Roth went on to form Electric Sun. During the ‘80s
Roth commissioned the building of his Sky guitars—a custom electric
guitar with six octaves and 32 frets. With the 2008 CD release of
Under A Dark Sky, Roth has clearly reached a new level
in his star-studded career. Inspired by his own creative approach
to composing symphonies, concertos and sometimes performing with orchestras
throughout Europe, Roth’s Under A Dark Sky is neoclassical
hard rock at its best. With Roth performing all the guitars, he’s
joined by a wide array of vocalists, a full band and what he calls
his Sky Orchestra and Sky Choir. Hard rock neoclassical metal fans
will be amazed by the comprehensive and sweeping orchestral mix of
both vocal and instrumental sounds. www.UliJonRoth.com
STONY
PLAIN - Described as a true messenger for the blues, singer /
guitarist Rory Block was only 15 when she met blues icon Son
House and in 2008 she released her Son House tribute CD, Blues
Walkin’ Like A Man. Commenting on what an influence Son
House is on her music, Rory adds, ‘Backstage at the Village Gate
in 1965, Son House virtually radiated a golden light. I learned a
deep lesson about the power of the music which became an inseparable
part of me. Later I had a chance to play for him. I will never forget
his amazement as I played Willie Brown’s “Future Blues.”
He was asking people, ‘where did she learn to play like this?’
Released on the Canadian Stony Plain label, Blues Walkin’
Like A Man benefits from support by Dick Waterman, who
managed Son House till the singer’s passing in 1988. Backing
up Rory’s vocals and guitars on the 13 track CD is rock legend
John Sebastian contributing harmonica. Praised by contemporaries
like Bonnie Raitt, Rory Block lives up to her legacy with Blues
Walkin’ Like A Man. www.RoryBlock.com
TEEC RECORDS - As a young boy at the dawn of the ‘60s, I
was amazed by Chubby Checker. The first major R&B rock
singer of the ‘60s, Chubby (born Ernest Evans) swept the country
with “The Twist.” The Twist dance craze swept the country
before the Beatles changed it again with “Twist And Shout”
in ‘63. Now at age 67, Chubby is back better then ever with a
new single “Knock Down The Walls”, replacing his twist beat
with something more along the Euro-pop lines of Sting or Genesis.
Featuring Chubby backed up by a number of players—including guitarist
Roger Filgate—the CD release features 8 different mixes
of the track including the pop mix, the dance instrumental and the
TV instrumental pop mix versions. The style may be a little freaky
for the oldies crowd, but it’s great to hear Chubby’s voice
in 2008. www.ChubbyChecker.com
UMBRELLO
- One of the highlights of 2005 was the return of the SYN.
The British art-rock legend that featured singer-songwriter Steve
Nardelli, late great keyboard icon Andrew Jackman and Yes guitarists
Chris Squire and Pete Banks, SYN arrived during the same era as the
1967 Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd and served as a logical forerunner
to the dawn of the progressive rock era of YES. Now in a logical extension
of their now classic 2005 Syndestructable comeback CD comes
an amazing 2008 track created by SYN vocalist Steve Nardelli entitled
“Reasons And Rituals”. Created as a virtual e-mail song
collaboration, with contributions from great players such as guitarist
Brent Kull and YES keyboardist Tom Brislin, and woven together
by singer Nardelli in the studio, “Reasons And Rituals”
is right up there with the best of Syndestructable as well
another great SYN favorite from ‘06, “Armistice Day.”
As fans await the upcoming SYN Big Sky album, “Reasons
And Rituals” is an excellent snapshot of Nardelli in action.
Well worth it if you can get the link from Steve! www.SynMusic.net
/ www.UmbrelloRecords.com
U-WATCH
/ DKE RECORDS - Commenting on his second solo album, the 2008
CD release of 1000 Miles Of Life, guitarist and singer-songwriter
John Oates claims, ‘It was a wake-up call for me. I’ve
never written songs like this. I was on an inspirational roll. There
was an urgency to it.’ Co-produced by Oates and Jed Leiber,
son of rock and roll icon Jerry Leiber, 1000 Miles Of Life
has the trademark R&B / pop sound that Oates featured in Hall
& Oates. Cut in Nashville, Aspen and L.A., 1000 Miles Of Life
features Oates backed up by seasoned studio hands such as Steve Cropper,
Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck, Sam Bush, The Blind Boys Of Alabama, Dan
Dugmore and others. The famous blue eyed soul sound of Hall &
Oates is never far off and as a solid pop and rock CD, 1000 Miles
Of Life works like a charm. Commenting on stepping out of Hall
& Oates for recording the CD, Oates adds, ‘Doing this album
is good for both of us. When we do come back together, we bring those
experiences to what we do. But this is a very personal record for
me and, without a double, the highlight of my recording career.’
www.JohnOates.com
VERVE FORECAST - A legend of the folk-rock scene of Greenwich
Village from the early ‘60, Richie Havens is an American
musical hero. The conscience of the pop music world, Havens has recorded
well over 25 albums since the ‘60s and in 2008 he keeps his legacy
moving forward with Nobody Left To Crown. Whether writing his
own songs or putting a fresh spin on classics written by masters like
Lennon & McCartney and Dylan, Havens is never at a loss to express
himself. Commenting on his unique song writing interpretations, Havens
openly adds, ‘I’m not in show business; I’m in the
communications business. That’s what it’s about for me.’
Although 2008’s Nobody Left To Crown kicks off with two
new Havens originals, he quickly shifts gears with folk-rock covers
of Pete Townshend’s Who classic “Won’t Get Fooled Again”
along with covers of Andy Fairweather Low, Jackson Browne, Peter Yarrow
and even Trevor Horn. Havens is always amazing solo, but on Nobody
Left To Crown he’s backed by a tight band including Walter
Parks (guitar), Shawn Pelton (drums) and more. A Brooklyn
native who moved to the Village and made history all those years ago,
Havens remembers, ‘My albums are meant to be a chronological
view of the times we’ve come through, what we’ve thought
about, and what we’ve done to grow and change.’ Aside from
giants like Dylan and Neil Young, few singer-songwriters combine words
and music as effectively as Richie Havens. www.RichieHavens.com
YEP ROCK RECORDS - Described as a band being on the vanguard of
a new American psychedelia, Mercury Rev have come a long way
since their 1992 debut album. Interestingly, the band that recorded
the 2008 CD release of Snowflake Midnight still evolves
around the core lineup of Jonathan Donahue, guitarist Grasshopper
and Jeff Mercel. For the follow up to 2005’s The
Secret Migration, Mercury Rev took on a slightly different approach
for the recording of Snowflake Midnight. Mercel adds,
‘We wanted to let go of familiar and comfortable ideas of sound
and ways of working,’ with Grasshopper stating, ‘We tried
to work in different ways and on other instruments. I didn’t
even touch a guitar for several months.’ Produced by the legendary
Dave Fridman, Mercury Rev continues to blow minds with the
wild, avant-rock psychedelia in play on Snowflake Midnight. www.MercuryRev.com
2008
MUSIC & RECORD LABEL SPOTLIGHT
INSTRUMENTAL
ARTHUR
CIRCLE MUSIC - Not too many guitarists can compose and record
24 instrumental guitar pieces, transcribe and record them and then
present them on CD with written notation for each piece in book form.
However, that’s exactly what NYC based guitarist Ken Hatfield
has done on his 2008 release Etudes For Solo Guitar In 24 Keys.
No less a guitar expert than Gene Bertoncini has described Hatfield
as ‘The modern day Fernando Sor,’ adding ‘His Etudes
For Solo Guitar In 24 Keys are really beautiful melodic and harmonic
pieces.’ Released as a combined book and CD set and sold together,
as well as a separate CD, Hatfield’s Etudes CD is a real
boon for guitar lovers and musicians alike. While non-players might
not be able to perform the transcriptions, they can clearly enjoy
Hatfield’s guitar mastery—a sound that incorporates all
manners of guitar genres, from classical and ragtime / folk to a more
avant gard, prodigious style that must be heard to be appreciated.
www.KenHatfield.com
ASCENDING REALM MUSIC - A virtual one man band, Colorado based
Brandon Campbell goes all progressive on his 2008 CD Trilogies.
Recording guitars, bass, keyboards and drum programming in his
studio, the effect is monumental yet cohesive. Campbell’s multilayered
electric guitar instrumentals may be inspired by Blackmore and Malmsteen
but the sound owes more ‘70s cosmic Euro music makers like Bo
Hansson and Jarre than to the acoustic Windham Hill New Age era of
the ‘80s. Campbell may be new on the scene yet his meditative,
healing rock should make quick inroads with New Agers and the hard
rock instro scene as well. www.TrilogiesCD.com
BH
TUNES - Imagine if The Beatles were a bunch of pickers
and fiddlers from Appalachia or the Irish countryside? Well that’s
how mandolin player Brian Hebert portrays John, Paul, George
& Ringo with the 2008 CD release of Any Time At All - A
Session Picker’s Tribute To The Beatles. Released on
BH Tunes, the 26 track CD features Beatles classics instrumentally
redone as jigs, marches, polkas, reels, airs and hornpipes. Credited
to Brian Hebert & Friends, Any Time At All is a
fine choice for Beatles fans and those who like celtic style bluegrass
covers of classic rock.
www.BHtunes.com
BONNELL YOUNG - U.K. born guitarist Carlos Bonell—who
studied with classicist John Williams—gives a new meaning to
the term classical rock with his 17 track tribute to the rock group
Queen with his 2008 CD, Queen Guitar Rhapsodies. A couple
years back, Bonell released a comprehensive DVD entitled Classical
Guitar Performance—complete with a multi-angel one hour performance
and instructional chapter. Bonell tempers his fondness for the classic
rock of Queen with some magnificent guitar swells reinventing the
music of Freddie Mercury and Brian May. If you didn’t know better,
you could easily see Bonnell’s music being lauded in 19th Century
Victorian England. The CD also features production from the CD’s
executive producer David Young, who can be found once or twice
a week playing guitar in the Queen musical “We Will Rock You”
in London's West End. www.CarlosBonell.com
BOOSWEET RECORDS - Guitarist Vernon Neilly is a big Stevie
Wonder fan and he gets to prove it with the ten track 2008 CD release
of A Tribute To Stevie Wonder by Vernon Neilly And Friends.
Kicking off with a smokin’ instro of “Boogie On Reggae Woman”
with some fine guitar interplay by Neily and guitarist Greg Howe,
the disc features Neilly and friends serving up a balance of instrumental
and vocal covers of Wonder’s famous R&B and soul music favorites.
Other highlights include tracks featuring guitarist Kiko Loureiro,
singer Christopher Clark, all backed by a hot band with a solid
groove throughout. www.VernonNeilly.com
DOUBLE CROWN RECORDS - Washington state based Double Crown Records
is one of the finest instrumental rock and roll imprints in the world
and one of their coolest CD releases of 2008 is the second album from
Bonney & Buzz featuring guitarist Pete “Buzz”
Miller and Fender bass ace Bill Bonney. Recorded in 2007/08
Bang It Again! finds the R.I. duo pulling out all the stops
on an instrumental rock and roll album that recalls Miller’s
early travels as a guitarist in England back in the ‘60s. Back
in his homeland Miller grew up around giants like Hank B. Marvin of
The Shadows and was equally influenced by U.S. groups such as The
Ventures and early instro rocker Duane Eddy. Miller’s guitar
sensibilities are right on throughout the 17 track Bang It Again!
Highlights include rock instros of beautiful music classics like “Cast
Your Fate To The Wind,” “The Breeze And I” and even
Thelonious Monk’s “Blue Monk,” a jazz classic given
the Miller guitar treatment here. Shades of early Hank and the Shadows
abound though clearly, after hearing this excellent CD, Miller is
overdue for some name recognition himself. All in all Bang It Again!
revives the guitar instro sound with a fresh perspective and solid
playing by Miller, Bonney and all the fine players backing them up.
www.dblcrown.com
ELECTRIC RAGTIME - Back around late ‘85 / early 1986, just
when the CD format had first blossomed, U.K. guitar great Mike
Chapman recorded an electro-acoustic instrumental guitar album
for England’s burgeoning Coda label. Mike shared the spotlight
then with debut Coda CD releases by guitar favorite John Themis, incredibly
recorded wordless vocal albums by Claire Hammill and various Rick
Wakeman piano releases, Chapman’s Coda disc, Heartbeat was
one of the first long guitar pieces that spun close to an hour on
the then quickly developing CD format. As a contemporary of Roy Harper,
Chapman had earlier established himself in his native England and
even recorded with guitar hero Mick Ronson on his 1970 Lp Fully
Qualified Survivor for the legendary Harvest label. More weathered
and time worn, though still qualified, Chapman’s 2008 CD Time
Past & Time Passing combines the best of his folk jazz
sound while demonstrating his clear mastery of the instrumental acoustic
folk jazz guitar realm. www.MichaelChapman.co.uk
FAVORED
NATIONS - Last year, in 2007 Favored Nations released a double
CD set of Center Stage from Tommy Emmanuel and
now in 2008 they follow up with a single disc DVD mirroring the CD
set. Tommy’s many fans will tell you the only way to truly appreciate
his guitar playing is to watch him perform live in a concert setting.
Featuring the same live show from his 2007 Chico, CA. show, the Center
Stage DVD is a great companion piece for the CD and is simply,
one of the great live in concert DVD's of the decade. The nearly two
hour live in concert DVD features Tommy, solo center stage performing
some of his classic tracks including his “Beatles Medley,”
his Lenny Breau tribute, “Lenny Bro’,” his cover of
the early ‘60s Japanese pop classic “Sukiyaki” and
his incredibly atmospheric sound collage called “Initiation,”
which takes you right into the heart of the Australian outback. Bonus
features include Tommy talking about meeting Chet Atkins and Lenny
Breau, making this CD the ultimate introduction to Emmanuel’s
instrumental guitar magic. www.TommyEmmanuel.com
FURIOUS RECORDS - Much of the great era of sonic blues rock guitar
experimentation began in 1967 with Jimi Hendrix and Robin Trower.
It sure sounds like guitarist Chris Schreiner has listened
to both of those giants before recording his 2008 CD Only Human,
by his alias The Guy. There’s plenty of hypnotic groove,
neo-soul and R&B instrumental guitar twists and turns. Only
Human falls into the postmodern instrumental fusion camp and will
also appeal to fans of both Satch / Steve Vai and Metheny. A Berklee
grad who has recorded with drumming legend Kenwood Dennard, The Guy
is backed up on Only Human by fine players like Tyger MacNeal
(drums) and Dave Livolsi (bass). www.WhosTheGuy.com
GILLA ZILLA - Inspired by Stephen Siktberg’s Mel Bay book,
Christmas Music For Acoustic Guitar and John Fahey’s popular
Christmas albums, acoustic guitar ace Richard Gilewitz released
his own CD of holiday classics arranged for guitar, cello, violin,
mandolin, banjo and piano. The 15 track, 2008 CD release of Strings
For A Season fuses together the Gilewitz style of classically
inspired Baroque guitar with a fondness for the “American Primitive”
style of acoustic guitar playing made popular in the ‘60s by
guitar giant John Fahey. In support of his guitar inspired vision
of these Yuletide classics, Gilewitz has surrounded himself with top
players including fellow guitarist Tim May (resophonic guitar)
and the album’s engineer / mixer Tim Roberts. Gilewitz
is renowned for his live concerts, and his mastery of the guitar translates
quite nicely on his Christmas classic Strings For A Season.
www.RichardGilewitz.com
HACKTRAX
- Steve Hackett is best known as both guitarist of the
original Genesis and an innovative solo artist and in 2008 his brother
John Hackett steps forth with his latest solo album. Prelude
To Summer For Flute & Guitar is an exquisite, modern classical
acoustic influenced instrumental music CD featuring John Hackett on
flute and guitar with assistance from guitarists Steve Hackett and
Chris Glassfield and added keyboards from Nick Magnus.
There can be no denying the melodious nature in John Hackett’s
instrumental music, yet the cutting edge quality of progressive music
is never far away. The Hackett brothers made a major impression with
their Sketches Of Satie CD and Prelude To Summer follows
in a similar direction with emphasis on the all original 18 track
lineup. Liner notes by John Hackett offer insight into the lighthearted
childhood the brothers shared while the CD also features stellar painting
artwork by father Peter Hackett. www.Hacktrax.co.uk
HARP
GUITAR MUSIC - Huge in the ‘80s thanks to the advent of the
CD and big name labels offering a new ambient and meditative sound
such as Windham Hill, New Age music is making a comeback in the millennium
thanks in part to the 2008 CD release of Harp Guitar Dreams.
Produced by harp guitar enthusiast Gregg Miner and featuring
a wide range of outstanding guitarists such as Alex de Grassi,
Muriel Anderson, Andy McKee and others, the 13 track
Harp Guitar Dreams is a sublime musical experience for guitar
enthusiasts and listeners looking for an intelligent and well produced
instrumental, acoustic-based guitar CD to just chill out with. Even
with the advent of downloading and file sharing, it’s nevertheless
worth it to pick up the actual CD of Harp Guitar Dreams as
it features excellent artwork and packaging with a full color booklet
filled with track by track interviews with each artist discussing
their love of the harp guitar. For guitar lovers who might not know,
the harp guitar was a big deal at the turn of the 20th century and
several players here perform on instruments that were actually made
in 1912! That’s a fact that you‘d never realize as Miner
and his fellow harp guitarists have made an album that transcends
time and leaves an ethereal magical effect on the listener. Don’t
forget to take a look at the label’s excellent web site which
features a number of Harp guitar releases along with a range of good
old regular six string guitar CDs. www.HarpGuitarMusic.com
HOT
CLUB / ZONIC
- An American music legend, the late great Jimmy Carl Black—who
passed away on November 1, 2008—was a key member and drummer
of the original Mothers Of Invention, appearing on classic Mothers
albums like Absolutely Free. Mothers Of Invention founder Frank
Zappa sadly passed away back in 1993 but Jimmy Carl Black rocks on
in 2008 with a number of releases under his own name and he’s
paid the highest honor by Norwegian guitarist / composer Jon Larsen
on a double CD set entitled The Jimmy Carl Black Story.
Larsen’s guitar work is exemplary here and backed by a number
of talented Norwegian players, he’s crafted an amazing instrumental
album that sounds inspired by the avant gard instrumental tendencies
of the early Mothers. Some cuts on the mostly instrumental CD feature
Jimmy Carl Black on spoken word vocals. A second CD included in the
double CD set features the Jimmy Carl Black Story as told by Black
himself. As fabulous as Larsen’s Zappa-esque instrumentals are
on disc one, Black comes alive on the second CD retelling a number
of classic Mothers tales of the ‘60s involving Zappa, Captain
Beefheart, Hendrix and much more. While guitarist Larson may be best
known for his albums with his legendary Django Reinhardt ensemble
Hot Club de Norvge, which he founded way back in 1979, his tributes
to the late Jimmy Carl Black adds yet another chapter to his musical
repertoire. www.hotclub.no
INNER
KNOT - No band of guitarists interprets the classics—rock,
jazz and classical—better than the California Guitar Trio.
On their follow up to their 2004 album, Whitewater, CGT come
up with another winner with Echoes, this time fusing
classic instrumental covers of Pink Floyd, Mike Oldfield, Beethoven,
Queen and even Lynyrd Skynyrd. Recorded in Kentucky in May 2007, Echoes
makes for yet another stellar instrumental CD from guitarists Hideyo
Moriya, Paul Richards and Bert Lams. The two lead
off tracks—covers of the surf rock classic “The Cruel Sea”
and “Music For A Found Harmonium” (by Simon Jeffes of Penguin
Cafe Orchestra) properly sets the foundation for what could very well
be the greatest CD yet from the brilliant California Guitar Trio.
www.CGTrio.com
K SCOPE - On the scene since his days in the mid to late ‘70s
as the keyboardist in the group Porcupine Tree, Richard Barbieri
has had a long career. In ‘93 he joined Porcupine Tree, releasing
Fear Of A Blank Planet in 2006. For Stranger Inside,
his second solo CD, released in 2008, Barbieri joins forces in the
studio with his Porcupine Tree band mate Steven Wilson, double
bass player Danny Thompson and others. Sounding inspired by
avant rock legends like Eno and Tangerine Dream, the all instrumental
album features a awesome sonic spectrum that combines a sonic rock
sound with world beat and prog fusion. www.Kscopemusic.com
KINGDOM OF ROCK - A CD of vastly expansive instrumental rock,
Magnified Existence by U.K. guitarist Graham Elks sounds
like Black Sabbath (at times) or Genesis (at other times) if they
had gone for a progressive instrumental rock sound. Elks soars and
rightly so has been compared to giants like Satriani, Hackett, Schon
and Schenker. Performing all the guitars, bass, keyboards and programming,
Magnified Existence is the latest and maybe greatest in a series
of classic instrumental rock albums from the prodigious, gifted Elks.
www.GrahamElks.com
KOCH - Cosmic country instrumental music of the highest caliber,
Glide marks the return of Jerry Douglas following
2005’s The Best Kept Secret. In between recordings, Beard
Guitars released the Jerry Douglas Signature Resonator Guitar. While
primarily instrumental, Glide does feature two vocal tracks
featuring country music singing legends Rodney Crowell and
Travis Tritt. Few American instrumental artists can combine
elements of bluegrass, country, rock, folk, Celtic, Scottish and New
Orleans-inspired music as well as Douglas and to help realize that,
Glide features guest appearances from Earl Scruggs,
Sam Bush, Edgar Meyer, Tony Rice, Carmella
Ramsey and members of Jerry’s touring band, including drummer
Doug Belote, bassist Todd Parks, violinist Luke Bulla
and guitarist Guthrie Trapp. After working with Eric Clapton
at the 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival in Chicago, being on tour with
his band opening for Paul Simon (Fall 2006) and appearing live on
A Prairie Home Companion, Douglas reinvents his studio sound
with the modern Country Americana vibe of Glide.
www.JerryDouglas.com
LE Q RECORDS - The enormous influence of Gypsy Jazz giant Django
Reinhardt continues unabated in the millennium. 60 years after Django's
heyday, guitarists of all persuasions can be founding listening to,
practicing and recording Django’s classic guitar works from the
WWII era. Over in England, Le QuecumBar and Brasserie is regarded
as the premier venue for Gypsy Swing in Europe. A great idea of the
bar was to start a record label and in 2008 Gypsy Jazz lovers can
enjoy their latest double CD of instro guitar sounds entitled Stars
Of Gypsy Swing from Le QueCumbar’s Le Q label. Who would
have thought of guitarist Hank B. Marvin playing Gypsy Jazz?
But here’s the one time Shadows rock instro giant amazing guitar
lovers with two tracks of vintage Gypsy Jazz greatness featuring the
bespectacled one backed up by some fine players at his Australian
studio. Will wonders never cease? Other guitar giants contributing
a pair tracks a piece here include John Jorgenson, Stephane
Wrembel, John Etheridge, Andreas Öberg and
a host of others. Excellent guitar sounds all around and a fine booklet
with profiles of all the players and of the Le QuecumBar and Le Q
Records make this swinging Gypsy Jazz CD set an out of the box winner.
www.LeQRecords.com
LONE RIDER RECORDS - From over in England, guitarist Peter
Williams sent over his CD of holiday music entitled Especially
For You: Instrumentally Christmas. Coming out of the Shadows
school of electric guitar instrumentals, Williams kicks off his Xmas
album with a vintage Shadows number from the ‘80s to set a spiritual
tone and proceeds to hit all the big holiday classics—from “Jingle
Bells” to “Auld Lang Syne.” Playing those great melodies
on his guitar, while adding in percussion and keyboards, Williams
proceeds to remake these holiday classics sound great as guitar instrumentals.
An authority on classic guitar instrumental music Williams has a number
of instro albums to his credit, including his 2007 CD Lone Rider:
Great TV & Movie Western Themes.
www.peterandsonjawilliams.com
MT
- Strong on both substance and style, McKay Tebbs released
his CD, The Way in 2008. Tebbs excels here, putting
together a solid instrumental rock mix while adding in a few vocals
along the way. The CD is well recorded and a number of fusion influences
appear including Santana and Steve Morse. Best described as adventurous
smooth jazz with folk edges, The Way is a solid introduction
to this Berklee grad, backed up here by a number of fine players.
www.McKayTebbs.com
MODERNE SHELLAC -
In his liner notes for the 2008 Richard Bennett CD, Code
Red Cloud Nine, guitar icon Duane Eddy writes, ‘I
believe these jazz flavored tracks might reflect the real ‘heart
and soul’ of Richard Bennett. Of course, I think that about everything
I hear him play, whether it’s jazz, blues, country, pop or rock
and roll.’ Duane is right on the money on a CD that finds Bennett
delving into the spirit of his early guitar mentor Al Casey, the guitar
legend who passed away in 2006. Casey was a supreme session guitarist
who worked with everyone from Sinatra to The Beach Boys. Featuring
his guitar solos backed up by fine players, including Ted Tredhak
(drums), David Hungate (bass) and rhythm guitarist Mike
Noble, Bennett ties his generation to Casey’s guitar legacy
with 12 Bennett originals that provides a wide range of instrumental
guitar sounds and styles. www.Richard-Bennett.com
MUSIC ROAD RECORDS
- This is the kind of album people used to buy just
because the cover art looks so great. Austin based John Inmon is
getting rave reviews in the guitar world for his instrumental classic
from 2008. Featuring Inmon backed up in the studio by a top band,
Songs For Heavy Traffic straddles the borders between
Americana, smooth jazz and instrumental pop. Inmon’s originals
fit tastefully between a Pat Metheny and Steve Morse guitar sound,
but where Inmon really really shines is on his choice of covers. There
aren’t many guitarists who could disagree on covering time proven
classics like “Cast Your Fate To The Wind” and “In
My Life” and Inmon does both Vince Guaraldi and The Beatles proud
with his instrumental versions. Inmon’s cover of “Sukiyaki”
tastefully enshrines this melodic jewel. The musical antidote after
being pummeled on the freeways of life, Songs For Heavy Traffic
is a select late night set of tasty guitar tracks. www.MusicRoadRecords.com
PRESENCE
RECORDS - The music of Finland has produced some of the greatest
Euro-rock legends of the modern rock era. Carrying the torch lit by
Finnish masters such as the late, great Pekka Pohjola and guitar icon
Jukka Tolonen, Finland's Presence Records label have excellent
instrumental 2008 CD albums by Time Traveller and Kataya.
Featuring guitarist Juhani Nisula backed up by a solid band,
the Time Traveller CD explores the depths of the Finnish musical psyche.
With ten tracks, Chapters 1 & 2 by Time Traveller,
combines instrumental jazz-rock, sometimes with a more Finnish traditional
instrumental coloration. Featuring lush and seductive wordless female
vocals on three cuts, the twelve track Kataya CD, entitled
Canto Obscura is even more adventurous and with repeat
listens yields some great musical revelations. While mostly instrumental,
the interplay of guitarist Sami Sarhamaa with keyboardist
Matti Kervinen echoes great U.K. prog-rock legends like Caravan
laced with a cutting edge modern repercussion. With the Presence CD
release of the excellent Jeavestone CD, Spices, Species
& Poetry Petrol the label is clearly establishing itself
in the spirit of the classic Finnish Love Records label and Sweden's
Silence imprint. Those are nobel aspirations but these three 2008
albums are nevertheless an excellent introduction to the Presence
sound of Finland. www.PresenceRecords.fi
REVERB SYNDICATE - Cool cover art, cool liner notes and ultra
cool space age guitar sounds come together on the second full length
CD by Canadian instro rockers The Reverb Syndicate. Filled
with upbeat, driving instrumentals, the 11 track Sputnik A-Go-Go
finds the Reverb Syndicate reveling in the great tremolo guitar sounds
of legends like The Ventures and Shadows. Recorded in late 2007, the
all original album features fine song writing and musicianship all
around especially the twin guitars of James Rossiter and Mike
Bradford. www.TheReverbSyndicate.Ca
SGV - From the land of the midnight sun, Sweden, comes The
Ryders. Instro rock legends The Shadows are huge in Scandinavia
and fittingly, the 2007 CD from The Ryders is entitled In The
Shadows. Kicking off with the title track, written by guitar
hero Martin Cilia of The Atlantics, In The Shadows features
16 tracks of guitar instrumental magic that covers classics by The
Shadows, The Ventures, Sweden’s great composer Lenny Clerwell,
Jerry Allison and Sonny Curtis of The Crickets and even a cover of
Bruce Springsteen’s “All That Heaven Will Allow,” here
as one of the CD’s two vocal cuts. A fine quartet of gifted instro
rockers, The Ryders feature some excellent lead guitar from Kurt
Fröberg. In The Shadows is a top choice for fans of
classic guitar instrumental magic. www.ryders.se
THE
GUITAR LABEL - For his first solo album in five years, Scottish
guitarist Martin Taylor has recorded a guitar duets album,
featuring only himself. Taylor has worked with the best artists of
his generation including Chet Atkins, Steve Howe, Joe Pass and Jeff
Beck. Commenting on the release of Double Standards,
Taylor comments, ‘I’ve recorded duets before using overdubbed
guitars, I even did it once with 22 guitars. This is the record I
have wanted to make for ages and it’s even better than my expectations.’
A harmonious, lush sounding solo jazz guitar CD, Double Standards
features Taylor dueting with himself on a dozen of the most famous
jazz classics ever written including “Bluesette,” “Alfie,”
“Someone To Watch Over Me” and “Triste.” In his
liner notes for Double Standards Taylor goes on at length about
the recording process and credits his sound engineer, Stuart Hamilton
and mix / mastering engineer Andrew Tulloch for helping
Taylor hear the other guitar he had playing in his head. www.MartinTaylor.com
TOMPKINS
SQUARE RECORDS - The acoustic guitar—both the steel string
and classical nylon string—are among the two most important musical
instruments ever invented. A portable orchestra with 6 and sometimes
12 strings, both guitars have given us all a wealth of music over
the past three hundred years. NYC based Tompkins Square Records continues
doing a great job annotating and releasing new and historic recordings
of the finest acoustic guitar instrumentalists. Instrumental folk
guitarist Peter Walker recorded for the Vanguard label back
in the ‘60s and in 2006 Tompkins Square released A Raga For
Peter Walker—his first new album in 40 years. In 2008, they
follow up with a Walker’s latest album entitled Echo Of
My Soul. Although Walker's sound is entrenched in the
John Fahey school of primitive acoustic instrumental, Walker’s
Echo Of My Soul reflects his fascination with Spain’s
flamenco guitar style. Commenting, Walker adds, ‘The music on
this CD was reviewed and acclaimed in Andalucia by some of the “old
guard” who have encouraged its release. These Spanish-inspired
pieces reflect my passion for this musical rubric.’ Recording
up in Woodstock, N.Y., Walker remains a mesmerizing exponent of the
postmodern acoustic guitar world. Walker is not alone on the Tompkins
Square label and in 2008 the label also released their latest CD sampler
entitled Imaginational Anthem Volume Three. Tompkins
Square label producer Josh Rosenthal has done an excellent
job assembling acoustic guitar instrumentals featuring a number lesser
known, yet equally deserving guitar figures including Richard Crandell,
Ben Reynolds, Greg Davis and eight other guitarists.
A mesmerizing foray into acoustic guitar land, Imaginational Anthem
Volume Three is overflowing with the legacy and spirit of the
acoustic guitar. Rosenthal’s informative liner notes fills in
the historical fact and figures behind the music. www.TompkinsSquare.com
VISIONLAND
MUSIC - German based guitarist Klaus Brendel is making
waves with a pair of CDs he recently released on his Visionland label.
The 2007 release of Shine On Blue Moon and the 2008
release of Midnight Taxi establish the prolific Brendel
as a guitarist who can do just about anything within the instrumental
guitar realm. From the Dickie Betts inspired Americana instrumental
sound of Shine to the pop and smooth jazz instro sound of Midnight
Taxi, Brendel establishes his guitar credentials with a pair of
solid, easy on the ears instrumental sounds. Backed up by solid instrumentation,
both CDs should appeal to guitar fans worldwide. www.KlausBrendel.com
VIZZTONE
LABEL GROUP - A new label dedicated to releasing instrumental
jazz and rock music, Vizztone picked up the 2007 CD from fast-rising
guitarist Matthew Stubbs. On his CD, Soul Bender,
Stubbs sounds like he’s channeling the guitar sound of the great
Stax soul guitarist Steve Cropper. Stubbs may only be 25 years young
but he sounds like he’s been around and there’s plenty of
R&B, blues, jazz and rock instrumentals on Soul Bender
and Stubbs keeps the fretboard action moving and grooving. Vizztone
also have a new 2008 CD from keyboardist Bruce Katz entitled
Live At The Firefly. Katz tours with Gregg Allman and
on his Vizztone CD, he pairs his keyboard skills with a hot backing
group. www.Vizztone.com
WHALING CITY SOUND - Guitarist John Stein has a number
of CDs out on Whaling City Sound and in 2008 he released Encounter
Point. Four Stein originals rub elbows with several classic
covers including several Jobim originals. With his nine track CD spotlighting
keyboardist Koichi Sato (from Japan), legendary bassist John Lockwood
(from South Africa) and drummer Ze Eduardo Nazario (Brazil), Stein
has assembled world class quartet that further enables him to achieve
some remarkable musical telepathy. www.WhalingCitySound.com
WILSON CREEK - A peer of the late, great Chet Atkins, guitar icon
Jerry Reed passed away in September 2008 but his spirit lives
in the grooves of the 2008 CD release of guitarist Darrell Toney.
Joined by a number of top Nashville cats—including Brent Mason
(guitar) and Eddie Bayers (drums)—Toney taps into
the Reed’s guitar repertoire on Jerry Reed...Revisited,
a CD that covers the best of Reed and more. Reed is considered the
gut-string finger style guitar equivalent of Jeff Beck and in the
words of David Hungate, who plays bass on the CD, ”Like
Django, Chet and a few others, Jerry Reed created a unique style of
guitar playing.” Toney grew up listening to Chet and Jerry and
had this to say about Reeds influence on his formative years, ‘Back
in 1967, I saw Jerry Reed perform on television and was completely
blown away. It wasn’t just the fact he could play fast, it ws
so musical, soulful, laced with genius and totally original. I knew
I had to learn to play like Jerry.’ Considering that Toney has
done such a stellar job on these fourteen country-jazz inspired instrumentals,
somewhere Reed must be smiling down from guitar heaven.
www.DarrellToney.com
2008
/ 2009
MUSIC & RECORD LABEL SPOTLIGHT
REISSUES
& RETROSPECTIVES
ACE RECORDS - Produced by guitarist Mike Vernon of the
Austin based instro rockers 3 Balls Of Fire, Hot Rod Twangin’
compiles 24 tracks from studio / session guitar icon Jerry
Cole. He may have just recently passed away, but Cole’s guitar
sound is as vibrant as ever and fans of his many albums will thrill
to this 2006 compilation of his 1960’s Crown Records instrumentals.
A guitarist’s guitarist, Cole played on Pet Sounds, on
Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers In The Night” and added
12 string on the Byrds’ “Mr. Tambourine Man,” to name
just a few. With voluminous liner notes by producer Vernon—in
addition to historic notes by Cole and a number of photos and memorabilia—the
Hot Rod Twangin’ CD features the cream of Cole’s
hot rod and surf-rock instrumentals, all composed by Cole. www.3ballsoffire.com
ACROBAT - Arguably the most talented and most tasteful pop duo
to emerge in the U.S. during the first British invasion, Chad &
Jeremy are one of several key artists from the ‘60s to be
chronicled by the Acrobat Music label. The 18 track Yesterday’s
Gone compiles all their big ‘60s hits under one
roof. Bad management aside, Chad & Jeremy have had numerous compilations
over the years, and Acrobat’s CD sounds very good and features
liner notes of these ‘60s sides complete with interesting production
credits. Who knew Shel Talmy produced “A Summer Song”? In
addition, Acrobat has also released a number of vintage recordings
on their CD Premier Collection series including Ike
& Tina Turner Sing The Blues. Drawing on 18 sides
blues guitar great Ike Turner and singer Tina Turner cut
for Blue Thumb in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, the CD is
classic blues based featuring the famous couple covering giants like
Jimmy Reed, Otis Redding, B.B. King and many more. Acrobat’s
B.B. King And His Orchestra Live features one hour of
classic King cut live in Cannes in 1983. Acrobat likewise offers Glen
Campbell, featuring the Rhinestone Cowboy himself caught
live at a rare 1981 concert recorded in Dublin. The classic Jefferson
Airplane lineup with singer Grace Slick is featured on
the 18 cut Jefferson Airplane Cleared For Take Off.
Recorded live from Winterland over three days in March 1967, Cleared
For Take Off, sounds like a cool Airplane CD bootleg with adequate
sound quality and liner notes that painstakingly retell the history
of these fabled concerts.
www.AcrobatMusic.net
ANGEL
AIR - Back in 1971, guitarist Phil Cordell had a Top 5
record with the song “I Will Return” in England with his
group Springwater. In 1984, U.K. rock and rollers The Shadows recorded
their famous instrumental cover of the song on their Guardian Angel
album. A multi-instrumentalist, singer and producer, who could do
it all, Cordell passed away in 2007 and in 2008 Angel Air put his
story into focus with the CD release of Hearts On Fire.
Cordell’s anthology features 22 tracks including “I Will
Return,” a number of vocal tracks provided a fine showcase for
Cordell’s one man band studio approach that seem to echo rock
giants like Roy Wood and early Bowie. www.angelair.co.uk
CHERRY RED RECORDS - Since the 1970’s R. Stevie Moore
has remained a cult hero recording out in New Jersey. The famous
radio station WFMU out in West Orange featured Moore’s music
throughout the ‘80s back when he started the R. Stevie Moore
Cassette Club, and till today Moore continues selling home made recordings
to curious collectors. Leave it to England’s Cherry Red label
to release a 2008 silver disc compilation of Moore’s homespun
pop and rock tracks. With a cover spoofing the first American Beatles
Lp cover, the music on Meet The R. Stevie Moore! - An Introduction
To The Godfather Of Home Recording is not unlike some of Paul
McCartney’s homemade sounds. With dozens of albums of his own,
Moore has had a several releases out on other labels over the years.
Featuring voluminous liner notes and great front, back and inset CD
artwork, this 24 track Cherry Red collection spans some of Moore’s
rarest home recordings made between 1974-1986. www.RStevieMoore.com
CHERRY RED RECORDS - Over in the mother country, Cherry Red
Records is doing a simply smashing job of reissuing classic and rare
rock albums from the North America and England. The English have proven
to be incredibly astute annotators of archival rock albums and case
in point is Cherry Red’s 2008 CD remaster of Danseparc
from Canadian rockers Martha And The Muffins. Back in the
mid ‘80s, while I was running my label Breakthru’ Records,
I invited Martha Johnson and Mark Gane and they actually
came up and visited me in my work space at Lincoln Center. I was a
huge fan of their band and of course had aspirations of expanding
my roster of mostly instrumental guitarists from Sweden and Finland!
I still marvel at the band’s first self titled classic from the
summer of 1980, yet Danseparc, a pop masterpiece in the same
spirit from 1983, is not without its own charms. Gane’s
guitar work and monotone vocals made him a brilliant cross between
Phil Manzanera and Brian Eno while Martha’s vocals made room
for a thinking man’s Blondie. Also appearing on the CD is fellow
Canadian and producer great Daniel Lanois. Martha And The Muffins
were the masters of moody, ambient pop with progressive overtones
that had its day back in the ‘80s, and now Cherry Red's CD makes
for a fine keepsake with this first ever remaster of Danseparc.
www.CherryRed.co.uk
CUNEIFORM
- Back in the mid 1970’s jazz-rock was really taking off.
On both side of the Atlantic, instrumental power fusion bands were
all the rage. Stateside of course, Chick Corea and Mahavishnu Orchestra
were selling millions while in Europe and specifically England a new
breed of instrumental fusion bands were hot. Forming the band Isotope,
guitarist Gary Boyle was a new name to watch in ‘74. Featuring
Boyle and jazz-rock bass ace Hugh Hopper, Isotope recorded
some blistering instro fusion albums and in 2008, the band is recalled
on a new CD entitled Golden Section. Featuring six tracks recorded
in 1975 for Radio Bremen, studio tracks recorded in NYC in 1975 and
other cuts make in London in July ‘74, Cuneiform’s Isotope
CD features a number of rare photos of this powerhouse fusion ensemble
along with an in depth interview with Boyle and Hopper. www.CuneiformRecords.com
EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT - Eagle Rock continues to demonstrate
why they’ve earned their reputation as kings of the DVD revolution.
Eagle released George Benson Absolutely Live during
the summer of 2008. Filmed and recorded in Ireland in 2000, the 105
minute, 17 track show features the jazz guitar icon in concert backed
up by keyboard great Joe Sample, The BBC Big Band and
member of the Ulster Orchestra. All the key elements of Benson’s
jazz guitar legacy are here—his mix of cool jazz and straight
ahead jazz improv and inimitable vocals. Also included on Eagle’s
DVD is a mini documentary entitled “The Making Of Absolutely
Live,” biography and photo gallery. Also out on Eagle in 2008
is Lynyrd Skynyrd Sweet Home Alabama. Capturing
two concerts recorded for the German TV Rockpalast series, the two
hour DVD combines a complete 14 cut Skynyrd show from June 23, 1996
with three songs from a 1974 show featuring the original Lynyrd Skynyrd
featuring original band member, the late great Ronnie Van Zant.
With both the ‘96 and ‘74 shows never before released on
DVD, Sweet Home Alabama is a fitting tribute to these
rock ‘n’ roll hall of famers. Eagle Rock’s “Classic
Albums” series continues in ‘08 with their documentary DVD
on the making of Rio by U.K. rock superstars Duran
Duran. Originally released in 1982, Rio established Duran
Duran as major players and tracks like “Hungry Like The Wolf”
were heard everywhere back then. In addition to new interviews, vintage
clips, new and archival footage, the 90 minute rockmentary of Rio
also features new performances filmed in Boston exclusively for
this program. Fans of blues rock superstars Led Zeppelin will learn
much about where that band’s impetus came from with the 2008
DVD release of Down The Tracks: The Music That Influenced Led
Zeppelin. Although they had an enormous impact with
the teenybopper rock crowd back in 1969, Led Zeppelin’s roots
were greatly impacted by well known blues icons like Muddy Waters
and Howlin’ Wolf. Muddy and Howlin’ Wolf, and somewhat
lesser known yet equally influential blues masters are among the musical
giants featured on Eagle’s 93 minute DVD. Down The Tracks:
The Music That Influenced Led Zeppelin back the roots and influences
that helped shape the wide screen sound and vision Led Zeppelin. Also
featured here are some of England’s legendary music journalists
along with interviews and in performance footage from U.K. and U.S.
music giants like Davey Graham, Son House, Bob Brozman,
John Renbourne and Bukka White. www.EagleRockEnt.com
FANTASY
RECORDS - Back in 1968, Creedence Clearwater Revival burst
onto the rock and roll world with a barrage of catchy Top 40 singles
while the Lps that followed between ‘68 and ‘71 established
them as true rock and roll innovators. Unveiling their 40 Anniversary
Edition 2008 Reissues of the original Creedence Clearwater Revival
albums, the band’s first label, Fantasy Records has remastered
all six CCR albums from the original tapes, each one complete with
rare and unreleased bonus tracks and detailed liner notes. Perhaps
the coolest thing for fans who must already own one or more of the
various Creedence CDs reissued over the years is Fantasy’s colorful
and appealing digi-pak packaging and expanded booklets. With their
‘08 CCR remasters, each CCR CD now sports a wealth of rare photos
from each album photo shoot and in depth liner notes that chronicle
the history of each of these six CCR classics. www.ConcordMusicGroup.com
JAWBONE PRESS - Guitar fans will be both amazed and entertained
by Classic Electrics - A Visual History Of Great Guitars.
Put together by guitar expert Walter Carter, the 370 page soft
cover book features in depth profiles of the most historically significant
electric guitars that shaped the music of the rock and jazz world
over the past 50+ years. A renowned expert on vintage guitars and
guitar companies, the Nashville based Carter has written many books
on the subject of all things guitars including illustrated histories
on Gibson, Epiphone, Ovation and Martin guitars. Described as ‘a
comprehensive pictorial history of the genuine classics to have emerged
during the first 70 years of the electric guitar,’ Classic
Electrics follows the histories the hollow bodies of the ‘40s
and ‘50s to the classic solid body electric's of the modern rock
era. With loads of pictures and information, Classic Electrics
is a vital and detailed resource on the greatest guitars of the
20th century. www.JawbonePress.com
LEGACY
- Sony Legacy continues on a roll with the 2008 CD release of
The Clash Live At Shea Stadium. Back on October 12 & 13th,
1982, The Clash opened for The Who at NYC’s Shea Stadium.
Amazingly, the Clash set was recorded by famed producer Glyn Johns
and Legacy’s 16 track digipak CD captures the second night’s
performance of the Clash in its entirety. The tapes from the show
were discovered by the late Joe Strummer and regarding the
shows Strummer was quoted as saying. ‘We played Shea Stadium
with the Who and it was fun to play “Career Opportunities”
in a place like that, when six years earlier we’d written it
in Camden Town.’ Coinciding with the Clash Shea Stadium CD is
a 2008 autobiography entitled The Clash By The Clash. Officially
authorized by the band, the book features in depth interview with
Strummer and his band mates. Another Legacy release sure to make waves
in late 2008 is Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison: Legacy Edition.
An archival release, Legacy packs their latest Cash reissue set with
two CDs—a 65 minute CD from the first show with seven bonus cuts
and a second 75 minute CD from the second set with more unreleased
tracks—plus a DVD featuring a new documentary on the album including
interviews with Merle Haggard, Rosanne Cash, Marty Stuart and even
former inmates who watched Cash in concert as it happened at Folsom
Prison back on January 13, 1968. www.LegacyRecordings.com
MUSIC VIDEO DISTRIBUTORS - A look back at a 1987 concert featuring
Lovin’ Spoonful founder John Sebastian and fellow guitarist
David Bromberg is innocently nostalgic. Sebastian’s claim
to fame were his great song productions with the Lovin’ Spoonful
on Kama Sutra and then his solo debut on Reprise and lastly in his
post “Welcome Back Kotter” phase after which he failed to
generate big sales. On Eagle’s 2008 DVD entitled John Sebastian
- Welcome Back with David Bromberg Live At Iowa State University,
Sebastian sticks with the hits. The DVD adds on a bio and a backstage
interview. MVD are also working with the Germany based Inakustik label
and among their latest is a 2008 DVD from Living Colour featuring
guitarist Vernon Reid entitled Living Colour - The Paris
Concert. Caught live at the New Morning in Paris July 2007,
the 17 track DVD was filmed in high definition. Although he ended
up playing huge stadiums, Cat Stevens got his start in cabaret and
in 2008 MVD unveils Cat Stevens - Tea For The Tillerman Live.
Filmed in L.A. for a June 1971 show at KCET radio studio, the
the eight track live in the studio film captures Cat Stevens at
the very start of his star studded ascent to the top of the folk-rock
world here in the U.S. Backing up Steven’s guitar and vocals
is his longtime cohort guitarist Alun Davies with the bass
and congo of Larry Steel. The intimate setting makes this a
special look back at Cat’s early days. The MVD DVD of Desperately
Seeking Paul McCartney is a pretty silly but amusing movie
involving a pretty well known newscaster Ruth Anson, who met
Paul McCartney back in NYC when the Beatles arrived in 1965 and during
an interview Paul, jokingly I’m sure, asked to marry her. Anyway
40 years later Ruth seeks “closure” as she embarks on a
personal quest to meet the Beatle and she milks it for what its worth
on this 84 minute movie. In addition to this full length movie, the
MVD DVD also features a alternate live video soundtrack featuring
a dozen original Beatles sounding video clips from a great Rutles
sound alike band that in itself is worth the price of the DVD! Texas
guitar slinger Johnny Winter is given the DVD treatment by
MVD with Johnny Winter - Live Through The ‘70s.
The 111 minute DVD feature archival Winter performances from the ‘70s
including clips from Danish TV (1970), three tracks from the Royal
Albert Hall (1970), Beat Club (1970), Rockpalast (1979) and Musikladen
(1974) performances from German TV, Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert
(1973) and Soundstage Blues Summit from Chicago (1974). The Johnny
Winter DVD on MVD features complete performance discography and in
depth liner notes. Prog-rock supergroup Yes released a fine
DVD called Yesspeak several years back. That in depth look
at the circa 2003 reunion of the classic Yes lineup of Howe, White,
Wakeman, Anderson and Squire is complemented by the 2008 DVD on
MVD entitled YES - The New Director’s Cut. The
double disc DVD features two complete YES performances from their
35th anniversary Summer 2003 tour along with rare behind the scenes
footage of the classic Yes lineup. Honoring the legacy of prog’s
most advanced ‘70s group, MVD’s double DVD set features
4+ hours of classic YES on film. www.MVDvisual.com
POLYDOR - In 2008 UMe started up their 3CD Playlist Plus
series with 3CD sets on the Polydor label by The Velvet Underground
and The Moody Blues. Featuring late ‘60s recordings with
the lineup with Lou Reed and John Cale, the V.U. package features
38 tracks. Polydor’s 36 track Moody Blues Playlist Plus
spans tracks from 1967 through to 1999’s Strange Times
and the 2003 December album. Polydor also overhauled Still
On Top - The Greatest Hits by singer-songwriter Van Morrison.
The original Still On Top from 2006 is expanded now with three
CDs including a range of Morrison’s solo output from the 1964
release of “Gloria” with his group Them through to his 2005
album Magic Time. www.ILoveThatSong.com
RENAISSANCE RECORDS - The vocals and guitar of Russ Ballard
was the key to the sound of Argent back in 1971. The core four piece
original Argent lineup is still the definitive one and Ballard is
also remembered for his solo releases with the 2008 CD release of
Russ Ballard Anthology on Renaissance Records. Renaissance
is a CD collector’s dream come true featuring a catalog with
rare and obscure classic rock masterpieces from Esquire, City Boy
and a staggering range of big hair singers from Eastern Europe and
Russia no less. For their Ballard anthology, Renaissance draw on nine
different Ballard solo albums, beginning with his self-titled 1974
Epic album through to The Seer from ‘93. www.renaissancerecordsus.com
RHINO - When you think about the incredible roster of Reprise
Records back in 1970, it simply boggles the mind. Although Frank Sinatra
founded the label back around 1960, by 1970 they had the best. One
artist who made his Reprise debut in 1970 was guitar legend Ry
Cooder. Although I don’t believe Ry ever recorded with or
played guitar for Brian Wilson, I know for sure he worked lots with
Wilson’s song writing partner Van Dyke Parks, who’s
production concepts and piano work is featured all over Cooder’s
early albums. Leave it to Rhino to put Cooder’s extensive back
catalog into a logical double CD set. Packed with a booklet that chronicles
Cooder’s rock albums and his famous instrumental acoustic guitar
soundtrack work with full credits and excellent period piece photos,
The Ry Cooder Anthology: The UFO Has Landed, spotlights
34 tracks, spanning 28 years up to and including a track from Cooder’s
2008, I, Flathead album. Like Van Dyke and producers Lenny
Waronker, Cooder recorded meticulously in the studio, and that classic
production shine gets dusted off and shines on this remastered double
CD set. www.rhino.com
RHINO - ZZ Top already had eight albums by the time the
band released Eliminator way back in 1983. The birth
of MTV and a barrage of smash hit singles and memorable videos helped
turn Billy F. Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard
into international superstars and the words ZZ Top into household
words. Among the first albums to chalk up sales of ten million copies,
Eliminator is ZZ at it’s most iconic. Singles hits and
subsequent videos of “Legs,” “Gimme All Your Lovin’”
and “Sharp Dressed Man” are permanently imbedded into the
consciousness of those music fans lucky to remember when MTV focused
on actual music. Rhino and Warner Brothers records celebrate 25 years
of Eliminator history with a 2008 18 track collector’s
edition of Eliminator, featuring the original pressing, unreleased
live tracks, remixes and a second disc—a DVD with those now historic
videos and rare television performances. With Rhino deluxe packaging
always means rare photos topped off by lyrics and detailed liner notes,
this time by ace musicologist Bob Merlis. www.ZZTop.com
RHINO
- Following the massive successes of the first two CSNY albums,
the group’s U.K. ambassador Graham Nash took out time
to record his fabled first solo album, Songs For Beginners.
Featuring anti-war anthems like “Military Madness” and “Chicago,”
the CD was an instant FM radio hit when it came out back in 1971.
In 2008, Rhino reissued the CD as a double disc set featuring a new
stereo mix of the original eleven track album plus a DVD featuring
a 5.1 surround sound mix, an advanced resolution mix, lyrics plus
a new video interview with Nash. 
The
CD always sounded great and the 5.1 mix on the DVD is a boon for audio
buffs, but even more revealing are the new liner notes which feature
Nash retelling the tale of making the album. With great songs that
hark back to CSN and his early career with The Hollies, Songs For
Beginners featured Nash in the studio backed up by music legends
like Neil Young, drummer Johnny Barbata, Rita Coolidge and from the
Grateful Dead Jerry Garcia and Phil Lesh. Clearly Songs For Beginners
was Graham’s everyman attempt at spreading peace and stopping
war and on that (from the CD liner notes) he adds, ‘Is a part
of what I have always brought to CSNY—humanity and patience.
I think it’s very plain that this album was made by a human being,
one that has experienced everything that everyone else goes through.’
www.GrahamNash.com
RHINO ENCORE - Although
he died on September 20, 1973, singer-songwriter Jim Croce
lives on with three 2008 CD reissues on Rhino’s Encore series.
The Philly-born Croce released his first breakthrough album, You
Don’t Mess Around With Jim in 1972. Produced by production
legends, Terry Cashman and Tommy West, Croce’s
1972 ABC Records debut spawned several huge hits including the famous
title track, “Time In A Bottle” and “Operator (That’s
Not The Way It Feels)”. 1973’s Life And Times
spotlighted Croce’s number one hit single “Bad, Bad Leroy
Brown” and the album was still high on the charts when Croce’s
plane went down in Natchitoches, Louisiana in 1973. One of Croce’s
greatest songs, “I Got A Name” was also the title of his
final album, I Got A Name. The album was released shortly
after Croce’s untimely end. In addition to the excellent title
track, I Got A Name also featured the equally brilliant “I’ll
Have To Say I Love You In A Song.” After many years of forgotten
memories, in 2008 I heard “I Got A Name” on the Delilah’s
nationally syndicated radio show and it really stunned me that Croce’s
music still sounds so vital and innovative. 35 years after his end,
Croce’s music is ripe for rediscovery. www.Rhino.com
/ www.Delilah.com
RHINO - By early 1970, the ‘60s were truly over and the prog
wars were in full bloom. Ground zero for the dawn of prog-rock was
London and following the innovations of the Beatles and then Moody
Blues and Traffic, England began cultivating genius rock groups including
King Crimson Yes, Jethro Tull, Van Der Graf, Strawbs and tons of great
bands. Although they didn’t make the same impact as Yes or Tull,
Genesis have a legion of fans that are going strong till today.
Featuring the first five Genesis albums, remastered and each paired
with a DVD, Genesis, In The Beginning 1970-1975 spotlights
the classic lineup with singer and front man Peter Gabriel and
guitar icons Anthony Phillips, who basically co-founded the
band and was replaced by supremely gifted guitarist Steve Hackett,
who joined Genesis in time for Nursery Cryme in 1971. Of course
all three went on to fabled solo careers that continue on. With the
axis of Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks
carrying on the Genesis sound in the ‘80s and ‘90s,
that band—now featuring Collins, Rutherford and Banks, guitarist
Daryl Steurmer and drummer Chester Thompson—achieved unbelievable
success only dreamed about by the original 1969 and early ‘70s
band. With each DVD featuring recent interviews with the original
5 piece lineup and other goodies, perhaps the best thing about this
2008, 7 CD / 6 DVD box set is a bonus CD/DVD filled with a CD of rarity
Gabriel era tracks that seem to click and a DVD with an intriguing
video documentary on the band featuring interviews with all as it
relates to the history of Genesis. With Rhino having previously released
box sets of Genesis, 1983-1998 and Genesis 1976-1982,
Genesis, In The Beginning 1970-1975 completes the trilogy.
www.Rhino.com
SPV - Back in the ‘60s for folk and then folk-rock music
it was Dylan and Donovan. The amazing story of folk-rock icon Donovan
Leitch is the stuff of legends. England’s answer to Dylan’s
overpowering folk-rock image in the ‘60s, Donovan pioneered a
number of pop genres, much of which is explored on the best yet DVD
biography about him yet, entitled Sunshine Superman: The Journey
Of Donovan. A fascinating three hour film by Hannes Rossacher,
Sunshine Superman features the film on DVD1 with a second two
hour DVD featuring extended versions, TV appearances, music videos,
video of four new 2008 unreleased songs, a chapter called “The
Private Donovan” and vintage and recent concert footage including
a new video track for “Season Of The Witch,” taken from
a 2008 jam in NYC. Truly the finest ever video documentary on the
Donovan story, Sunshine Superman is a region 0 DVD so thankfully
everyone on Earth can watch this outstanding work.
www.Donovan.ie
UNIVERSAL MUSIC COMPANY - Universal / Chronicles continue on with
their Deluxe Edition rock classics and 2008 brings double disc CD
remasters of the first two Elton John albums. Actually Elton
had been recording for a while but his self-titled 1970 Elton
John was a huge breakthrough. The ten track album’s centerpiece,
“Your Song” was described by John Lennon at the time as
being the best thing since the Beatles happened. Expanded on from
it’s original 40 minutes to running over 110 minutes, the Deluxe
Edition Elton John features the original album on CD one with
a second 20 cut CD consisting of demo tracks, incomplete band demo
tracks, rare singles and BBC sessions. Much the same can be said for
the 2008 Deluxe Edition of Elton’s 1971 Tumbleweed Connection.
Expanded from the original 47 minute album to an expanded 108
minutes, Universal’sTumbleweed Connection adds in more
demo cuts, BBC tracks as well as the original nearly nine minute version
of “Madman Across The Water”—this version featuring
the late, great Mick Ronson on electric guitar. Both Elton
Deluxe CD sets feature original artwork, lyrics, 2008 liner notes
and complete lyrics sheet. Now going by the name Yusef, Cat
Stevens was a contemporary of Elton John and in fact they recorded
together before they hit the big time. Universal have released the
second and third Cat Stevens albums made for A&M Records as expanded
double CD Deluxe Edition remasters. Both Tea For The Tillerman
and Teaser And The Firecat were immensely popular
when they came out circa 1971. Reissued as double CD Deluxe sets,
both are filled with bonus tracks (several recorded in 2006), lyrics
and 2008 liner notes by Yusef, guitarist Alun Davies and Paul
Samwell-Smith—original Yardbirds bass player and Cat Stevens
producer. www.CatStevens.com
/ www.EltonJohn.com
UME
/ GEFFEN - Bo Diddley passed away in June of 2008. The
Beatles’ generation of music listeners probably heard Bo’s
influence on The Rolling Stones and Yardbirds. Even Buddy Holly, who
so influenced The Fab Four, was influenced by Bo, covering his first
“Bo Diddley” song early on in the mid ‘50s. My own
personal favorite reworking of Bo Diddley was a Quicksilver Messenger
Service cover of “Mona” from 1968. With the exception of
two tracks from 1964 and 1966, the 41 track, double CD 2008 release
features classic Diddley from 1955-62. Bo Diddley Gold
captures the essence of Bo Diddley’s rare combination of
rock and the blues. Great cover art and track by track dates and personnel
with classy liner notes from Bill Dahl. www.ILoveThatSong.com
VARESE
- One of America’s greatest commercially brilliant songwriters,
John Phillips is remembered on the 2008 CD release of Pussycat.
Produced by Mick Jagger and Keith Richard—as
well as featuring contributions from guitarists Ron Wood and
ex-Stones member Mick Taylor—Pussycat was recorded
in NYC and London in ‘76 and ‘77. Promptly shelved into
obscurity, the album’s original masters were rediscovered in
2003, two years after Phillips died. The sound exudes that classic
post Wall & Bridges, NYC Beatles style pop of that
fleeting, last innocent era. Phillips, best known for his classic
singing and song writing with The Mamas & The Papas, is in great
form throughout the original ten track album, which is accompanied
here by bonus tracks with new mixes and a couple out takes from Phillips’
recording sessions for the Nicolas Roeg film The Man Who Fell To
Earth. www.varesesarabande.com
VIRGIN / EMI - Singer-songwriter David Bowie has enough
great songs to fill up a number of best of collections and in 2008
he’s assembled a CD collection featuring a dozen of his own favorite
recordings from his career. iSelect: Bowie starts of
with “Life On Mars” from 1971’s Hunky Dory and
follows with a number of tracks from album classics such as Diamond
Dogs, Aladdin Sane, Lodger and more. Also included is a rare Bowie
track called “Some Are”—a rare track from the Low
sessions—and a new remix of “Time Will Crawl” from
the mid ‘80s CD Never Let Me Down. In his lengthy CD liner
notes Bowie adds, ‘There are a host of songs that I’ve recorded
over the years that for one reason or another I’ve often wanted
to re-record some time in the future.’ Regarding this new remix
of “Time Will Crawl” Bowie adds, ‘This track from Never
Let Me Down is one of those. I’ve replaced the drum machine
with true drums and added some crickey strings and remixed. I’m
very fond of this new version with its Neil Young of Shortlands accents.’
Closing out iSelect: Bowie is a live version of “Hang
On To Yourself” taken from the 2008 CD
release of Live Santa Monica ‘72. www.emicap.com
YEP ROC - Laika & The Cosmonauts burst onto the world
scene in a big way in the mid ‘90s, just when the music world
was finally rediscovering the timeless legacy of maestros like Les
Baxter, Ennio Morricone and Martin Denny and while surf rock giants
like The Shadows and Duane Eddy saw their sound copied and sometimes
even improved upon by countless bands taking part in the wave of retro
nostalgia. Of course coming from Finland, birthplace of symphonic
instrumental prog and the land of the tango, Laika & The Cosmonauts
wasted no time in distilling and serving up silverdisc platters featuring
a wide and varied instrumental rock. Back when Glenn Dicker and Chris
Cote started Upstart Records, their specialty was bringing to light
great instro guitar bands like Laika and Teisco Del Rey. Dicker is
top man at YepRoc now and he pays tribute to Laika & The Cosmonauts
with Cosmopolis, a 27 track 2008 CD on the YepRoc
label that sheds light on a few ‘88-89 cuts, mostly primo late
‘90s material and a bunch of new songs recorded between 2003
and 2007. www.YepRoc.com
Attention Artists and Record Companies: Have your CD reviewed
in www.mwe3.com and 20th Century Guitar. Send to CD Reviews Editor,
MWE3.COM P.O. Box 630249, Little Neck, N.Y. 11363-0249 e-mail: rss54@mwe3.com
