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SUMMER 2007
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 THE TRAVELING WILBURYS |
 BRUFORD |
 NEIL YOUNG |
 ALAN PARSONS |
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VARIOUS ARTISTS All My Loving (Music Video Distributors)
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THE MOODY BLUES Live At The BBC 1967-1970 (Deram) 
Not
merely content with creating some of the most adventurous concept albums
of the ‘60 and perfecting the term progressive rock, The Moody
Blues were also frequent guest stars on a number of BBC related radio
and TV shows between 1967-1970. The heyday of the second Moody Blues
lineup—the one with both Mike Pinder and Justin Hayward—’67-’70
was the time when the great U.K. rock legends were defining progressive
music as we would come to know and love it. Nay sayers who doubted that
the Moodies could hold their own in a live setting—no doubt because
of the orchestral Mellotron drenched arrangements of Pinder and the
studio genius of producer Tony Clarke—will eat their words
upon hearing Deram’s 41 track double CD set. Although several of
these tracks are scattered as bonus cuts on Deram’s 2006 Moody
Blues Deluxe Edition remasters, Live At The BBC 1967-1970 is
the first time all the Moodies BBC tracks of that era have been collected
under one roof. A second CD of live performances from a variety of television
shows—including tracks from Tom Jones Show (1968) and Lulu’s
TV show (from 1968)—along with in depth 2007 liner notes and never
before seen color photos of the Classic 7 Moodies lineup seals
the deal on this vital retrospective. www.mikepinder.com
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THE
TRAVELING WILBURYS
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BRUFORD Rock Goes To College (Winterfold)
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NEIL
YOUNG Live At Massey Hall (Reprise)
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ALAN
PARSONS PROJECT The Essential Alan Parsons Project (Arista / Legacy)
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While
the music world of 2007 celebrates all the magic that came of Monterey
Pop and the whole L.A. / San Francisco axis on West Coast, a DVD
that finally came out in 2007 takes a unique look at the cultural revolution
spiraling out of London in 1967. Instigated by The Beatles—and
specifically made at the bequest of John Lennon—noted U.K.
film maker Tony Palmer was inspired to put direct a pop music
documentary designed to capture some the greatness that was then happening
in the U.K. and specifically London. According to Palmer, ‘It was
John Lennon’s idea—the film. He said to me ‘you’ve
got to do something to get these guys exposure on television. They’re
hammering at the door, except the guys on the inside are deaf, and probably
dumb & blind as well.’ So I did, and All My Loving was
the result. Even using the title was his suggestion. It caused a hell
of a stir, but then I suspect he knew that it would.’ In England,
and probably the whole world in 1967, the most visionary person in the
music world was John Lennon. Thanks to Lennon’s revolutionary vision
that year, All My Loving features key bands who made bold statements
in the music world of 1967—including rare performance video footage
and interviews with The Beatles, Cream, Donovan, Jimi Hendrix, The Who,
Frank Zappa and more. Among the memorable chapters on the hour long
movie is an incredible psychedelic day-glo Pink Floyd video for “Set
The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun.” As Palmer proved on his
excellent Cream at the Albert Hall filmed later in 1968, All My Loving
isn’t some ordinary festival retrospective. It’s Palmer’s
heady, sometimes disturbing look at the whole scene in play on the world
stage and how if played out in London during 1967. Back in 1967 when
Palmer crafted his unparalleled rockumentary—as well as time between
when it was actually shown on the BBC in March of 1968—there was
no blueprint for what was happening and in the spirit of ‘67, Palmer
approached the highbrow concept All My Loving with a fresh, innovative
vision. Considering it was shown once, late night on BBC television
nearly forty years ago, thank the lord it has finally come out, available
on DVD through the iconoclastic U.K. record label Voiceprint, with U.S.
distribution from the ever cutting edge video mavens at Music Video
Distributors. Among the most important rockumentaries of the year 1967,
All My Loving makes essential video viewing forty years on, and
the DVD is capped off by an excellent 2007 interview with Palmer. 
The
bootleggers were hip to the one and only Traveling Wilburys back in
the ‘90s, compiling and cross-sectioning rare studio remix tracks
and related music by all TW members, some of which is brought to light
here. A pair of essential rarities here include a cool, never before
heard cut from the first Traveling Wilburys lineup with Bob Dylan
singing an unusual ELO style prog-rock track from the early ‘70s.
That song, “Like A Ship” and a never before heard Wilburys
version of “Runaway” with the late great Del Shannon
are just two of four bonus cuts on a double disc Rhino remaster of The
Traveling Wilburys Collection. Reissued by Rhino in May 2007, the
triple disc set bookends the two studio albums on a CD apiece, adding
in a 16 page (standard) or 40 page booklet (on the deluxe set), with
liners by Mo Ostin. Both versions of The Traveling Wilburys
Collection include a never before seen 24 minute documentary on
the Wilburys, with the DVD adding in 5 video clips. Shook by the passing
of Lefty Wilbury (a/k/a Roy Orbison) on 12/6/88, Spike
Wilbury - George Harrison, Clayton Wilbury
- Jeff Lynne, Muddy Wilbury - Tom Petty and Boo
(Dylan) soldiered on and came up with a nearly as great second album
in 1990 but by the early ‘90s that magic of the original five Wilbury
brothers was the stuff of legends. 
Back
in 1979, the jazz-rock scene that started so promisingly in the early
‘70s was peaking. Like volcanic ash rising to the surface of the
instrumental fusion world, Bruford forged the talents of the greatest
jazz-rockers of the age. Founding Yes drummer Bill Bruford—joining
forces with Dave Stewart (keyboards), Allan Holdsworth (guitars)
and Jeff Berlin—was a short lived musical miracle that recorded
one brilliant vocal / instrumental debut effort with jazz singer Annette
Peacock in 1977 and a second Bruford quartet album in 1979.
Holdsworth and Ms. Peacock didn’t stick around long enough for
The Bruford Tapes—caught live at My Father’s Place
on Long Island—but now it seems Bill has unearthed a live concert
CD and companion DVD, originally recorded and filmed for the BBC at
Oxford Polytechnic on March 7th, 1979 with the original five Bruford
members including Ms. Peacock. Not quite as glorious sound-wise as The
Bruford Tapes, the 2007 CD Rock Goes To College is nevertheless
the only live artifact of the power and grace that Bruford and this
legendary lineup brought to the jazz-rock world in 1979. The DVD and
CD booklets also feature extensive discography info and some truly ironic
liner notes from Bill Bruford. 
If
the role of an artist is to break new ground while also keeping a mindful
eye on past glories, few artists are doing as good a job as Neil Young.
Castigated by some for taking an anti-Iraq
War stance on his brilliant 2006 CD/DVD Living With War - In The
Beginning, Young remains a vital force in the rock world. Recorded
live on January 19, 1971, Live At Massey Hall captures an acoustic
live set recorded live on Young’s home turf in Toronto. Impeccably
recorded, the 17 track live CD blends a number of solo songs with other
tracks Young recorded around the same time with CSN&Y and before
with Buffalo Springfield. The Massey Hall CD features several
acoustic covers from After The Goldrush but as long time fans
know, waiting in the wings was 1972’s Harvest and Massey
Hall debuts several Harvest tracks including the exquisite
medley of “A Man Needs A Maid / Heart Of Gold Suite,” combining
two rock classics with great effectiveness. Produced by Young and long
time producer David Briggs, Massey Hall is the latest
installment in Young’s in depth Archive Performance Series,
which is shaping up to be among the most significant reissue series
of the 2000’s. In addition to the CD, Live At Massey Hall also
comes as a CD with a DVD combo-pak featuring the complete live CD and
a DVD with rare live and documentary footage. Later in 2007 Young is
promising to release his long awaited 8 CD, 2 DVD + 150 page book as
Neil Young: The Archives Vol. 1 - 1963-1972. 
One
of the premier reissue labels still alive and well, Sony Legacy obtained
the rights to Arista and the whole RCA catalog a few years ago when
Sony merged with BMG and they’ve been cranking out some amazing
titles for audio collectors and music fans. High on the list is The
Essential Alan Parsons Project. Parsons has sold untold amounts
of albums since the mid ‘70s and they do the symphonic rock world
a service with their fine distillation of the early Parsons repertoire.
Parsons rose to fame working early on with great musicians as is well
documented with his lengthy apprenticeship at EMI records working alongside
England’s legendary studio engineers and audio producers late ‘60s
and early ‘70s. Drawn from ten different Parsons studio albums,
these songs sound better now than they did 27 years ago. As this 34
track essential collection indicates, Parsons and his cohort Eric
Woolfson employed a range of great players including guitarist Ian
Bairnson. Among the vocalists vocalists appearing include Colin
Blunstone, Gary Brooker, John Miles and Woolfson.
Legacy’s Essential APP is the best bet for an overview but
Arista and Legacy have big plans for the entire Parsons catalog, so
prog-rockers should check it out. 
