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December,
2000
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JOHN LENNON
At the same time that Double
Fantasy gets the upgraded treatment, Capitol has also reissued a 30th
Anniversary edition of Lennon’s first official post-Beatles studio solo
album simply entitled
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PHIL OCHS
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THE BEATLES FEATURING TONY SHERIDAN In The Beginning (Polydor)
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RICK NELSON Legacy (Capitol)
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THE JIMI HENDRIX
EXPERIENCE The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Experience Hendrix)
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SPIRIT Cosmic Smile (Radio Phoenix)
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BOB DYLAN The Essentials (Columbia)
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BRYAN MACLEAN Candy’s Waltz (Sundazed)
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MARIA MCKEE Ultimate Collection (Hip-O)
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STEVE VAI The 7th Song (Epic)
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LOU REED Metal Machine Music (Buddha)
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DJAM KARET Reflections From The Firepool (Cuneiform)
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VARIOUS
ARTISTS Dick Bartley Presents: On The Radio Vol. 5&6 (Varese)
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STAN ZABKA Zabka’s Themes From Television (Big Island Music)
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Listen
to RealAudio sample: 
It was 20 years ago to
the day that John & Yoko released their final musical statement. Double
Fantasy was the long promised musical breath of life that Lennon and
Ono had been promising their fans since Lennon’s mid-70’s Rock
& Roll album. Just two weeks after it’s release in November of
1980, Lennon was gone, the victim of a mad assassins bullet. The musical,
philosophical and political void that Lennon’s passing created remains
as deep and wide as ever. It’s also been said that Lennon’s passing
forced the Beatle baby boomers to grow up, albeit under extreme
circumstances. What remained following the loss of Lennon was obvious: a
musical legacy that will not and cannot ever be surpassed. As for the Double
Fantasy sessions itself, the music Lennon recorded in his final year
has simply gotten better with the passage of time. Although first released
on Geffen Records, Capitol Records, Lennon’s original
label during the Beatles years, has just reissued a 20th Anniversary
edition of the Double Fantasy album. Those who have picked up the
CD in it’s various incarnations, including the now out-of-print Mobile
Fidelity CD, will surely want to hear Capitol’s new Double Fantasy
because of the inclusion of a never before heard Lennon song entitled
"Help Me To Help Myself". A great rediscovery for Lennon’s
fans, "Help Me To Help Myself", while not a burnished gem along
the lines of "Woman" or "Watching The Wheels",
nevertheless offers a brilliant insight into the greatest musical mind of
the 20th Century. Other reasons for long-time Lennon fans to hear Capitol’s
new Double Fantasy reissue include the superbly crafted CD booklet
filled with poignant photos captured forever during Lennon’s final year
on earth.
Plastic Ono Band. Perhaps the most important
album from the Autumn of 1970, Plastic Ono Band was as much a
philosophical statement as it was a turning point musical moment from
Lennon. The only Beatles member on hand for the sessions was drummer Ringo
Starr. Other musical luminaries appearing include long time Beatles
associates Billy Preston and Klaus Voormann with Phil
Spector and Ono assisting wisely on the production and advisory side.
An album that will be forever etched into the minds of those who listened
with baited breath after they took the Lp home from the record shops, Plastic
Ono Band has now been tastefully remixed at Abbey Road Studios in
London under the supervision of Yoko Ono. Although the album was perfect
in the first place, the addition of two bonus cuts recorded from the same
period, the politically charged "Power To The People" and the
surreal rave up "Do The Oz", adds in some infinite way to the
original greatness of the trend setting Plastic Ono Band album,
which now includes a splendid reconfigured CD booklet. 
During the American
tragedy known as Vietnam, many voices sung out with raging alarm about the
most unjust war in U.S. history. One of finest of those brave singers had
to be the late, great Phil Ochs. A protest singer who later journeyed into
the realm of highly produced baroque-rock and folk-rock albums for A&M
Records and more before he met his untimely end, Ochs made his mark with
early albums on Elektra Records. Now with political turmoil in the air
again it appears to be an apropos time to reexamine Ochs’ A&M output
once again. The reissue leaders at Collector’s Choice have just
reissued three new Ochs CD titles including his first A&M release, Pleasures
Of The Harbor (1967), Tape From California (1968) and the
double CD set of Rehearsals For Retirement (1969) w/ Gunfight At
Carnegie Hall (1970). While each of Ochs’ A&M albums were still
seasoned with the folk-rock and protest music anthems of his Elektra
years, by the time 1970’s Gunfight At Carnegie Hall was released
Ochs had seemingly given up the fight and had returned to his love of ‘50s
rock and rollers like Elvis and Buddy Holly. Each of these new CD reissues
on Collectors Choice proves that Ochs was a major talent with a gallant
voice and songwriting skills that put most of his ‘60s contemporaries to
shame. His untimely passing in 1976 no doubt left many of his fans to
ponder the words what if? For those pop and folk fans curious enough to
trek back to the politically treacherous days of the late ‘60s and early
‘70s, they need look no further than these essential Ochs’ reissues. 
Before Beatlemania and all
that Fab Four stuff, The Beatles were a struggling rock and roll
band. Arduous months of live gigs at the Star Club in Germany primed the
band for the greatness that soon followed. In a trip back into the musical
time-tunnel, Polydor recently upgraded and reissued these very
first recordings featuring The Beatles. Made back when The Beatles were
working with singer Tony Sheridan, these recordings were the idea
of pop conductor and Polydor A&R head Bert Kaempfert. Recorded
in Hamburg between the Summer of ‘61 and January ‘63, the music herein
displays the shared affinity of early rock and roll by both The Beatles
and Sheridan, who sings up quite a storm with the Fabs in tow. Beatles
fans who have followed the various incarnations of the In The Beginning
album will tell you that major highlights are John Lennon, who
sings up a storm on "Ain’t She Sweet" and "Cry For
A Shadow", a timeless guitar instrumental penned by Lennon and guitar
ace George Harrison. These pre-Fabs took a back seat by letting
Sheridan’s Presley-sounding vocals dominate most of these tracks, but
nevertheless, the album will always be revered by Beatles collectors.
Polydor’s new CD features improved sounding remastering, upgraded
artwork including 1970 liner notes from Sheridan and 1985 notes by early
Beatles promoter Bill Harry. As always, In The Beginning provides
an essential missing piece to the early Beatles. 
In honor of his 60th
birthday on May 8th 2000 and in remembrance of his tragic passing in ‘85,
Capitol Records has just issued a new four CD box set saluting the
spirit and brilliance of rock and roll icon Rick Nelson. Kicking off with
his 1957 Top 10 hit, a cover of Fats Domino’s "I’m
Walking", Rick Nelson - Legacy takes in 100 tracks spread over
four CDs. The set highlights music Nelson recorded for various record
labels including Verve, Imperial, Decca, Capitol and
Epic Records. Nelson will always be remembered for his most popular
song "Traveling Man" and it’s b-side "Hello Mary
Lou", and that fact was unmistakable when the box was sectioned into
four separate parts. Those parts include: Disc 1 - I Don’t Mess
Around, Boy, disc 2 - Hello Mary Lou, Goodbye Imperial, disc 3
- Easy To Be Free and disc 4 - Rave On. The 48 page booklet
is highlighted by remembrances from Nelson’s four kids as well as
various top players and producers who worked with the rock and roll
legend. Elvis Presley once said that "If James Dean sang, he would
sound just like Ricky Nelson". Rick Nelson - Legacy proves
that - from his ‘50s rock and roll years when he was a member of the Ozzie
& Harriet cast, up through ‘60s classics like "It’s Up To
You" and "I’ve Got A Woman" and the ‘70s country-rock
hit "Garden Party" - Rick Nelson remains a pivotal player in
rock and roll history. In the following interview Rick’s son Gunnar
Nelson describes how the Rick Nelson - Legacy box set came to
fruition: "Honestly it’s taken fifteen years to get a definitive
piece of work done for a variety of reasons. The estate was a mess for 10
years after our dad died. Basically it was the first time in history that
we were able to get MCA and Capitol / EMI together on a definitive piece
of work. MCA and Capitol had done their own little collection albums. But
they had never been able to co-release a box set that would span Rick
Nelson’s entire career. They either had the early years, the Rockabilly
years, or they had the Stone Canyon Band years. Since we got the green
light about two years ago, it’s really been a labor of love and a ton of
work that really involved a combination of things. It took (brother) Matthew
Nelson and I talking to at least a hundred different people that had
known our father throughout the years to track down a garage in the middle
of Hollywood, just plain garage that I guess Ozzie had rented out in the
‘50s, and had stored a bunch of tapes in there. I opened up the door and
looked inside and sure enough, wall to wall racks of the original session
tapes. No one had ever seen them before. They were covered in 30 years of
dust. Basically there are a bunch of things on the box set that have never
been heard before, like stereo versions of some of his biggest hits. Back
then, mono was really the defacto standard. So the stereo versions of them
were never released and never heard. And for the first time ever I mean,
in that tape vault we found the stereo versions of songs like "Poor
Little Fool" and "Travelin’ Man". I mean the fact that I
was holding "Hello, Mary Lou", the original master tape, in my
hand, it made me cry when I found them. It was just an incredible find.
They were all in that tape vault. We were really concerned because this
thing wasn’t really a tape vault at all, it was literally just a garage.
And we thought, ‘Oh, my god, this stuff has been here for 50 years!’
When we played the tapes back they played back perfectly. I’m actually
stunned that we were able to coordinate the hundreds of people that were
involved in putting the box together. To actually make it a reality. The
box set was really a jumping off point. Over the next five years we have a
comprehensive plan to work with MCA and Capitol to reissue the original
albums on CD." 
On September 12th, 2000 Experience
Hendrix released the long-awaited new box set from guitar icon Jimi
Hendrix. A lavishly packaged box, Jimi Hendrix Experience is released
as both a CD set and as a limited edition 8 LP box set. Since Experience
Hendrix, under the supervision of Jimi’s kid sister Janie Hendrix,
took over the helm as the caretaker of Jimi’s recorded legacy, long time
fans have been treated to not only a superb revival of Jimi’s time-honored
catalog, but also to an ongoing reissue series of newly rediscovered gems from
the extensive Hendrix library of tapes. Jimi Hendrix Experience is an
incredible collection of rare and unreleased tracks. The eighty page CD book
is filled with insightful essays and never published photos. Beginning with
the start of the Hendrix legend in Paris 1966, the four disc set spotlights an
array of alternate takes, instrumentals as well as insightful music from Jimi’s
final sessions at his own Electric Lady studios recorded before his demise in
September 1970 at age 27. In the words of the box set’s co-producer John
McDermott, "These live and studio recordings showcase Jimi’s
amazing growth as an innovative musician and composer," adding, "I
hope Jimi’s fans come away with a new appreciation for his remarkable
talent." Jimi Hendrix Experience is one experience no Hendrix fan
should miss. 
One of the greatest ‘60s
progressive rock and roll bands, Spirit was guided by the talents of the
amazing singer-songwriter and guitar great Randy California. In a
tragic twist of fate, California perished while swimming off the coast of
Molakai, Hawaii on 1/2/97, just at the time when Sony/Legacy was in the
process of upgrading all the classic Spirit albums from the ‘60s. Although
Spirit was all but written off by a number of record labels following their
late ‘60s/early ‘70s heyday, California’s musical vision stayed true to
the band’s reputation for being one of the most creative musical entities of
all time. As Cosmic Smile aptly portrays, California remained a
creative force right up until his passing a few years ago. 15 tracks featuring
some of Randy’s last musical moments have been compiled on this historic new
CD released by NYC-based Phoenix Gems. Several legendary members of
Spirit, including Jay Ferguson, Matt Andes and long-time Spirit
drummer Ed Cassidy appear here, although through the art of studio
multi-tracking, California performs many of these songs on his own. Recorded
between 1991-95, Cosmic Smile is a fitting testimony to California’s
genius and is an essential spin for any fan of Spirit. In addition, the CD
features top liner notes and track data. 
As we await the official Columbia
/ Legacy rollout of the Bob Dylan back catalog, due around Summer 2000,
the label releases a fresh Bob Dylan retrospective. Spanning two CDs, the set
includes all the best of Dylan’s folk, rock and country hits. The thirty
track set winds it’s way through ‘60s smashes from "Blowing In The
Wind" (1962) to "Like A Rolling Stone" (‘65) and then moves
on compile numerous hits from the past three decades up until today, 2000.
Color photos are quite effective in the abridged CD booklet which also offers
a two page color montage blending every Dylan album cover. All in all, The
Essentials is worth checking out by the Dylan completest while also
representing a concise introduction for the novice looking to (no doubt)
explore the roots of these musical milestones in Dylan’s ongoing musical
legacy. 
It was quite apparent from
their very first recordings on Elektra Records that Love would be a
force to be reckoned with. Featuring the singing and songwriting skills of
both Arthur Lee and Bryan MacLean, Love recorded some amazing albums during
the mid-late ‘60s. As solo artists, neither MacLean or Lee was able to
completely revive the incredible magic they conjured so magnificently in Love
way back then. Ironically, MacLean sadly passed away almost two years ago, but
Upstate New York-based Sundazed rekindled interest in the pop great
with their acclaimed compilation ifyoubelievein from a couple
years back. Sundazed now follows up with a new 20 track MacLean compilation of
mostly acoustic demos recorded between ‘71-84. Also highlighted is a 13
minute radio interview with MacLean from 1998. Even on these acoustic demo
tracks, which are now almost too painfully honest and revealing to take in,
you can clearly detect the same MacLean genius responsible for classic Love
gems like "Orange Skies" and "Alone Again Or". For pop
fans, MacLean’s loss was immense, but all the same, it’s still estimable
that Sundazed continues to keep his name out there with these intimate,
close-up reflections of the artist’s last and most candid songs. A heartfelt
musical statement indeed, Candy’s Waltz also spotlights reflective
liner notes from Bryan’s sister and fellow artist Maria McKee. 
The sister of the late, great
pop songwriter Bryan MacLean, singer-songwrtier Maria McKee was also
the lead singer in the country-rock group Lone Justice. Although Lone
Justice received accolades for their tasty countrified pop-rock albums, McKee
sought out her muse in the form of an acclaimed solo career. By the time McKee
released her ‘96 album, Life Is Sweet, she had transformed her
country-rock inclinations to a more focused artistic style clearly inspired by
the musical high drama of David Bowie, for instance. McKee has been
threatening to release a follow-up to Life Is Sweet and in the liner
notes for her new Hip-O Records collection she adds that her upcoming
album will be "a more intense version of Life Is Sweet. It’s
more direct and penetrating." In the interim, those who’ve missed any
stage of her musical development is advised to hunt down McKee’s Hip-O CD.
17 tracks, including a number of Lone Justice cuts and tracks from Life Is
Sweet and other McKee titles round out the disc, which is accompanied by
extensive liner note and arresting photos. 
Commenting on the concept of
his new compilation, guitar great Steve Vai says, "Singing, swooning
guitar has always touched my heart very deeply, and I thought it would be
interesting to leave the 7th track on each one of my records to that sweeping
guitar ballad." Recording numerous solo albums since his first CD, Flex-Able
in 1982, Vai finally compiled enough number 7 album tracks to make his
first 7th song collection. The guitarist also says, "Hopefully in the
next 20 years, I’ll have a Volume II of The 7th Song." Although
he’s recorded seven solo albums to date, The 7th Song is further
fleshed out by several newly recorded bonus tracks. Vai is well known for his
blazing guitar chops and fiery rock/jazz arrangements, yet the emphasis on The
7th Song is on the guitarist’s love of guitar-based instrumentals filled
with atmospheric melodies. Vai adds, "The most profound musical statement
you can make is with melody. The guitar is the most soulful and expressive
instrument when properly wielded." Some of the great sidemen who helped
Vai record these tracks include Mike Keneally (keyboards) as well as
drummers Terry Bozzio, Gregg Bissonette and Mike Mangini.
Vai’s session work with Frank Zappa, David Lee Roth and Alice Cooper is well
documented. Accompanied by track by track notes by Vai, The 7th Song
offers new appreciation of the guitar great’s solo catalog. An imaginative
release by one of the preeminent guitarists around today, The 7th Song is
the first in a series of 12 archival CD projects planned by Vai. 
In the liner notes of the 25th
Anniversary edition of Metal Machine Music, rock great Lou Reed sums it
up best when he adds, "I wasn’t just squealing and making noises. But
if you just like loud feedbacking guitars - well, there it is."
Considered an enigmatic avant gard statement by pop fans at the time, MMM owes
more to Reed’s fondness of the free-form jazz of Albert Ayler and Ornette
Coleman or John Cale then it does to Velvet Underground albums like Loaded or
even Reed’s all-time classic Transformer. A bizarre yet meticulously
crafted instrumental recording, the album depicts Reed’s fascination with
turning four electric guitars into a disturbing/engaging sonic barrage, a wall
of unrelenting sounds and feedback of sorts. John Cale, Reed’s onetime
bandmate in Velvet Underground recorded a couple intense, highly experimental
albums back in the early ‘70s, but some of Reed’s fans weren’t quite
ready to absorb the avant gard trip of MMM. Perhaps in an effort calm
the critical uproar created by the album, Reed shot back tactfully with the
doo-wop flavored Coney Island Baby. Carefully remastered by record
engineer legend Bob Ludwig (who’s also interviewed in the engrossing
liner notes), the Buddha Records 25th anniversary of MMM sounds
great on CD and is topped off with enhanced album packaging. If anything, the
sounds Reed created on MMM during the strange days of the mid-70’s
are more intriguing today than it might have first been perceived 25 years
ago. In addition to MMM, Buddha Records have upgraded several
other CDs from Reed’s late ‘70s Arista Records years including Rock
And Roll Heart, Growing Up In Public and The Bells.
Maryland-based Cuneiform
Records should be applauded for releasing several new albums and an
assortment of archive CDs from the legendary California-based avant-gard space
rock group Djam Karet. In the spirit of Cuneiform’s recent reissues of Suspension
& Displacement and Burning The Hard City, two vintage Djam
Karet titles simultaneously issued in ‘91, comes a recent CD reissue of the
band’s 1989 title Reflections From The Firepool. Considered the first
real Djam Karet album, Reflections has held up quite well since it’s
‘89 release. Guitarist Gayle Ellett & company have gone onto
record some great music since Reflections was first released, yet upon
hearing Cuneiform’s new CD reissue it’s obvious that the album clearly
remains one of the best prog-rock albums from ‘89. Described by fans as
sounding like an instrumental cross between Pink Floyd, The Dead and King
Crimson, Djam Karet can always be counted on to merge inventive sonic textures
into a progressive instrumental rock setting. Complete with new cover art, Reflections
From The Firepool remains essential listening for fans of instrumental
progressive rock. Fans should keep an eye out for a new Djam Karet CD due out
on Cuneiform in Spring 2001. 
Back in the ‘60s pop and
R&B sat side by side in the singles racks. Radio was just as kind to pop
fans, with the sound of Motown and Merseybeat sitting on the same musical
fence. L.A.-based Varese Vintage have assembled another two on the
radio series. While On The Radio volumes 1-5 spotlighted some of the
best pop and folk-rock sounds of the ‘60s and early ‘70s, these latest
additions to the series spotlights some of the great R&B and
pre-disco dance music so popular back then. A highlight of volume six has got
to be the inclusion of the great Top 25 song hit "(I Wanna) Testify"
by The Parliaments (1967-written by George Clinton). Also on
volume six are The Isley Brothers (with 1969’s "It’s Your
Thing) and Archie Bell & The Drells to name just few of the 16
tracks here. Almost as interesting is volume five which includes the great ‘60s
AM soul smash "Cool Jerk" by The Capitols along with 15 other
soul music classics. If you dig classic chart-topping R&B and soul music
from the heyday of the ‘60s then On The Radio 5&6 is definitely
your thing. 
Anyone interested in
Television music composers from the ‘60s should check out the new reissue by
TV theme music composer Stan Zabka. Zabka’s talents as a pop orchestrater
are quite apparent. Recorded in Paris with a 43 piece string orchestra and
first released in 1964, the album features 12 of Zabka’s sublime easy
listening pop jewels including music he composed for various television shows
like the original Tonight Show theme, "Chimes". With all the
interest in ‘60s retro easy listening music, soundtracks and television
music, Zabka’s Themes From Television is a rare treat worth checking
out by collectors and newcomers alike. The album features liner notes by Zabka’s
former boss, the Tonight Show’s own Johnny Carson.