Monday, September 26, 2011

Vinyl Record News & Music Notes

Pink Floyd Extensive Catalog Reissue Here

An inflatable pig floats above London's Battersea Power Station on Monday in a recreation of Pink Floyd's 1977 album cover for Animals


Residents living near London's Battersea Power Station were greeted with an unusual sight in the sky on Monday: a floating pink pig inspired by the cover of Pink Floyd's Animals.

The giant, inflatable pig — measuring nine metres by four-and-a-half metres — soared over the derelict facility on Monday.

The scene featured on the 1977 album cover was recreated Monday to mark the release of Why Pink Floyd...?, a new offering that provides remastered versions of the band's 14 studio albums, unreleased material and collector's editions.

Released under the banner "Why Pink Floyd?," the band will issue remastered editions of all 14 of its albums along with unreleased material from its archives for super-deluxe box sets. Fans can expect alternative takes, unreleased tracks, restored live concert screen films and live recordings, as well as new booklets and artwork for each of the discs.

The band is offering three types of reissues: remastered CDs called "Discovery," CD/DVD/Blu-ray/memorabilia box sets dubbed "Immersion" and "Experience," which couples one classic album with an additional disc of related content from that project.

“This is a unique collaboration between EMI and one of the most creative and influential bands in history. We have worked together for more than a year on this program, which incorporates all the elements that have made Pink Floyd one of the most inspiring forces in modern music," said Roger Faxon, CEO of EMI Group. "Why Pink Floyd? Because their music is without equal, and these exciting new releases will allow music fans to rediscover their incredible legacy and demonstrate that an appreciation for artistic quality never goes out of fashion.”

The first release from the campaign is the special editions of "The Dark Side of the Moon" on Tuesday: a six-disc "Immersion" box set and two-disc "Experience" version. All 14 digitally remastered studio albums will also be available on Tuesday, either separately or as a box set.

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i read with anticipation, but the list is missing some of the icons. that said, it is a great read and we should and will be getting to know more about these artists in the future!

10 Album Cover Artists You Should Know

by Nicole Rallis

A good record cover will stop you dead in your tracks, and make you curious not only about the music it accompanies, but about the artist who created it. Album art is often our first introduction to a band’s latest collection of songs, giving a visual aspect to the sonic creations inside the sleeve. Some acts take on the daunting task themselves, many with fantastic results, while other musicians enlist painters, photographers, crafters, and illustrators for the project. Even in this time of digital downloads, we’re not immune to the effects of a great album cover, and we find it unfortunate that the people behind these pieces rarely get the credit they deserve — so we’ve rounded-up ten that you should know.

Read the list and see some great artwork at flavorwire.com

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the AP has a great read about this historic album:

Grohl, Novoselic, Vig reminisce about 'Nevermind'

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of "Nevermind," which has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, Universal is re-issuing the remastered album Sept. 27 with various special editions. Bonus material includes obscure B-sides, alternate mixes, live recordings and video of the band's 1991 Halloween concert at Seattle's Paramount Theatre.

A limited super deluxe edition features rehearsal recordings captured on a boombox ("It was in the bottom of a box of stuff that was gonna get thrown out," Novoselic recalls) and the original unused "Nevermind" mixes that Vig hoarded until the group began planning for the album's anniversary last year.

AP talked to drummer Dave Grohl, bassist Krist Novoselic and producer Butch Vig

Grohl: Who knows? I know that if Krist and I went in that booth right now and recorded on that board, we could sound exactly the same. That's how simple the whole thing was.

Read it Here

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what an amazing concept, i would hope that other stores can learn something from this and i hope that we see more!

Believe it: Former Believe in Music employees to stage record store reunion in Grand Rapids

By John Sinkevics | The Grand Rapids Press

Count me in as a onetime believer in Believe in Music.

During its heyday in the 1970s and 1980s, the West Michigan-based independent record store chain had every conceivable album release music mavens might covet and a passel of well-informed employees to help track down rarities.

I still remember buying Elvis Costello's “My Aim Is True,” Bob Seger's “Stranger in Town” and Bruce Springsteen's “Darkness on the Edge of Town” from the Fulton Street store all on the same day, hauling these vinyl gems home and playing these classics repeatedly and oh so happily on my turntable.

Many of the true believers weren't just customers, but employees – as many as 500 of them – who worked at some point in two dozen stores across the region at the chain's peak.

“It felt like family” working at Believe in Music, noted former employee Kristi Surine Bast, who called it “a place where people liked to hang out.”

Owner Russ Stuut and his wife, Maggie McCracken, opened their first Grand Rapids store in 1973, ushering in the Believe in Music era.

Amid intense retail competition and dramatic changes in the record industry – which has undergone upheaval due to online music downloading – they closed their last shop 29 years later.

Read the rest at mlive.com

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JOB FOR A COWBOY Begins Recording New Album

Arizona metallers JOB FOR A COWBOY have entered Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida to begin recording their next album for an early 2012 release via Metal Blade Records. The band is once again working with producer Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, CHIMAIRA, DEVILDRIVER), who helmed the group's latest EP, "Gloom".

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DIO: 'The Last In Line' Deluxe Edition

Universal has scheduled a November 16th Japanese release date for the deluxe edition of DIO's classic 1984 sophomore album, 'The Last In Line.' The reissue features the high-fidelity SHM-CD format (compatible with standard CD players) and cardboard sleeve jacket. It also includes a bonus disc with live tracks, B-sides and more.

Tracklist

Disc 1:
1. We Rock
2. Last in Line
3. Breathless
4. I Speed at Night
5. One Night in the City
6. Evil Eyes
7. Mystery
8. Eat Your Heart Out
9. Egypt (The Chains Are On)

Disc 2:
1. Stand Up And Shout (Live B-Side)
2. Straight Through The Heart (Live B-Side)
3. Eat Your Heart Out (Live)
4. Don’t Talk To Strangers (Live)
5. Holy Diver (Live B-Side)
6. Rainbow In The Dark (Live B-Side)
7. One Night In The City (Live Pinkpop Festival)
8. We Rock (Live Pinkpop Festival)
9. Holy Diver (Live Pinkpop Festival)
10. Stargazer (Live Pinkpop Festival)
11. Heaven And Hell (Live Pinkpop Festival)
12. Rainbow In The Dark (Live Pinkpop Festival)
13. Don't Talk To Strangers (Live Pinkpop Festival)

It can be pre-ordered HERE

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Tom Waits Set To Release a 78rpm Record

Tom Waits is set to guest star on a very limited edition 78 rpm vinyl record, which will see him performing with New Orleans jazz legends the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

504 copies of "Tootie Ma Was A Big Fine Thing" / "Corrine Died On The Battlefield" will be released on November 19. The two songs are Mardi Gras Indian chants and were originally recorded by Danny Barker in 1947, reports The End Of Being. The first 100 copies will be sold alongside a custom made Preservation Hall 78 rpm record player. Profits from the single sale will go to the Preservation Hall Junior Jazz & Heritage Brass Band.

Tom Waits wis scheduled to release his new album 'Bad As Me' on October 25.

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a very interesting read, i try to present all the views about the sound of vinyl. clearly, this author became confused :O)

SCOTT COX: Vinyl is cool, but better than digital? I have the answer

The Bakersfield Californian

There seems to be a bit of a resurgence of music on vinyl records going on, and I recently got caught up in it. And by "caught up in it," I mean scary-mad-scientist obsessed to the point of driving my family out of the house and spending hours straining my ears to compare vinyl against digital, analyzing every hiss, pop and click for clues to whether vinyl is better -- or if it's just cooler to say that it is.

It started in March when my friend Ed Jurdi of the Band of Heathens called before their show at the Crystal Palace. When I told him how cool the new record was, he wanted to know if I had it on CD or vinyl. I told him that this was 2011, so of course I had the CD. He said that if I hadn't heard the album on vinyl, I hadn't heard it at all. I called him a crazy hippie and that was that.

Then, a week later, the UPS guy brought me a box from Austin, Texas. It was chock-full of Heathens merch, from bumper stickers to beer koozies (I still can't figure out why Texans love those stupid things), CDs, shirts and at the bottom was the new album, in all its 180-gram vinyl glory. One small problem: I hadn't owned a turntable since 1983, the year I bought my first CD player. I was so convinced that vinyl was over that I gave my Bang & Olufsen Beogram turntable to my dad and never looked back.

But that's where my analog-obsessed son came to the rescue: He had mooched the old B&O from my dad after the old man had "upgraded" to a new turntable........

Read the rest of this interesting article and opinion at bakersfield.com

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Debut Release by Seattle's Fuzzy Cloaks Now Available

Fuzzy Cloaks is the side-project of THE PHARMACY's Scott Yoder and is based in Seattle, Washington. This tape features 8 songs and is limited to 100 hand numbered copies (First 13 are the "Silver" Edition, rest are black). The tape, "Solar Hits" features 8 tracks of bedroom garage-pop perfection and comes with a digital download when purchased from Kind Turkey Records. It's limited to 100 hand numbered copies and features two-sided full color art.

Download included with purchase from the label! It will serve as a primer for the upcoming 4 track EP 7" by The Pharmacy coming on Kind Turkey Records in November.

You can hear an excellent cut, "Bongfire" from the tape here: www.kindturkey.com

You can purchase the tape at www.kindturkeyrecords.com



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not a real religious man, however, i loved the music from jesus christ superstar and i listened to some of this and love the music!

Revelations Book II Double Vinyl Album

This recorded gem was recently mastered at Masterdisk New York City. Revelations Book II is soundtrack story about the second coming of Jesus Christ who arrives in the future of today as a rock-n-roll star. The album concept was conceived by Ron English who wrote all the lyrics and is a limited edition of 1000 copies

We believe for several artists and bands who particpated in recording of Revelations Book II, it represents the best of their respective discography. The album is a great work of collaboration in recorded music. Due to be released in late October 2011. Album to be released in vinyl and projected to be a musical play.

About Ron English: www.popaganda.com

One of the most prolific and recognizable artists alive today, Ron English has bombed the global landscape with unforgettable images, on the street, in museums, in movies, books and television. English coined the term POPaganda to describe his signature mash-up of high and low cultural touchstones, from superhero mythology to totems of art history, populated with his vast and constantly growing arsenal of original characters, including MC Supersized, the obese fast-food mascot featured in the hit movie “Supersize Me,” and Abraham Obama, the fusion of America’s 16th and 44th Presidents, an image widely discussed in the media as directly impacting the 2008 election. Other characters carousing through English’s art, in paintings, billboards, and sculpture include three-eyed rabbits, udderly delicious cowgirls and grinning skulls, blending stunning visuals with the bitingly humorous undertones of America’s Premier Pop Iconoclast.

About Revelations Book II limited edition vinyl:

Concept and Lyrics by Ron English
Producer : Ron English
Executive Producer: Leonardo Z. Sotomayor

Songs and name of Bands

Side 1(18:50)
I. I AM HERE - Cloud Cover
II. GODWOMAN + - Phoebe Legere
III. TOMORROW’S CHILD - Daniel Johnston
IV. SEED OF GOD - The Reverend Vince Andersen
V. HOLY TERROR - Cloud Cover

Side 2 (16:28)
VI. GOOD NEWS - Railroad Jerk
VII. I AM THE ALL - Sara Hickman
VIII. I AM SHE - Kathy Geary
IX. THE THUNDER/PERFECT MIND - Earl Norman
X. THIN ICE - Patti Rothberg

Side 3 (15:06)
XI. POPGOD - Illness
XII. ISCARIOT THE PATRIOT - Mojo Nixon
XIII. SUCKER BORN AGAIN EVERY MINUTE + - The Reverend Vince Andersen and his Love Choir
XIV. READ BETWEEN THE LIES - The David Ellis Group
XV. CRUCIFIED - Seamonster

Side 4(16:48)
XVI. HOLE IN THE SKY - Sexpod
XVII. TOURIST ATTRACTION - Wammo
XVIII. MAN OF LIGHT - The Tomorrowpeople
XIX. ETERNITY’S END - Steinway

popgod.com
kickstarter.com
youtube.com

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and in music history for today, september 26th:

In 1887, Emile Berliner, a 36 year-old German immigrant living in Washington DC, applies for a patent on his invention, the gramophone. The machine was the first to play flat discs as opposed to Thomas Edison's wax cylinder apparatus. The patent would be granted in November.

In 1937, American blues singer Bessie Smith died aged 43 after being involved in a car accident while traveling along Route 61 outside Memphis, Tennessee. Her 1923 song “Downhearted Blues” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2006.

In 1956, Fats Domino's "Blueberry Hill" entered the US Pop chart, where it will reach number four.

In 1960, Connie Francis became the first female singer in the Rock and Roll era to have two consecutive number one singles when "My Heart Has a Mind Of Its Own" went to the top of the Billboard chart. It followed "Everybody's Somebody's Fool".

In 1961, Bob Dylan started as opening act for the Greenbriar Boys. He stayed two weeks.

The Kinks release their first US hit, "You Really Got Me" in 1964. The song will spend 10 weeks on the Billboard chart and rise to #7.

45 rpm SongFacts

Ray Davies wrote this with the help of his brother (and Kinks guitarist) Dave. Ray played it for Dave on piano, and Dave tried it on guitar. Their first version was 6-minutes long.

Dave Davies got the dirty guitar sound by slashing the speaker cone on his amp with a razor blade. The vibration of the fabric produced an effect known as "fuzz," which became common as various electronic devices were invented to distort the sound. At the time, none of these devices existed, so Davies would mistreat his amp to get the desired sound, often kicking it. The amp was a cheap unit called an Elpico.

Before they released this, The Kinks put out 2 singles that flopped. If this didn't do well, there was a good chance their record label would have dropped them.

When the Kinks heard the first version they recorded of this, they hated the results. It was produced by Shel Talmy, their manager at the time, and Ray Davies thought it came out clean and sterile, when he wanted it to capture the energy of their live shows. Dave Davies girlfriend backed them up, saying it didn't make her want to "drop her knickers." The Kinks' record company had no interest in letting them re-record this, but due to a technicality in their contract, The Kinks were able to withhold the song until they could do it again. At the second session, Dave Davies slashed his amp and Talmy produced it to get the desired live sound. This is the version that was released.

This was the first hit for The Kinks. It gave them a lot of publicity and led to TV appearances, magazine covers, and 2 gigs opening for The Beatles. They didn't have an album out yet, so they rushed one out to capitalize on the demand. This first album contained only 5 originals, with the rest being R&B covers.

Ray Davies recalled in an interview with NME how his brother Dave created the distortion effect on this song. Said Ray: "We stuck knitting needles in the speakers, or in Dave's case, he slit the speakers with a razor blade. In those days we played records on a radiogram so loudly that they all sounded fuzzy. We thought, 'That's a great sound,' without realizing the speakers were buggered. Everyone else was using really clean guitar sounds, so for 'You Really Got Me' we hooked a little speaker up to a clean amp and came up with thunderous, unaffected, pure power."

Ray Davies told The NME that the Van Halen version of this tune is his favorite Kinks cover. He explained: "It was a big hit for them and put them on a career of excess and sent them on the road. So I enjoyed that one."



Also in 1964, Roy Orbison started a three-week run at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Oh Pretty Woman.”

In 1967, Gladys Knight And The Pips' "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is released in the US, where it will top out at #2.

Brian Jones (Rolling Stones) was fined $150 for possession of marijuana in 1968.

Abbey Road was released was released by the Beatles on September 26th, 1969 in the United Kingdom and 1 October 1969 in the United States. The album cover, showing the band crossing the street, will become one of the most imitated in recording history. The zebra crossing itself has become so popular with Beatle fans, it has its own webcam.

Abbey Road is widely regarded as one of The Beatles' most tightly constructed albums, although the band was barely operating as a functioning unit at the time. Rolling Stone placed it at number 14 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". In 2009, readers of the magazine also named Abbey Road the greatest Beatles album.

Abbey Road became one of the most successful Beatles albums ever. In the UK the album debuted straight at number 1. Abbey Road spent its first 11 weeks in the UK charts at number 1, before being displaced to number 2 for one week by the Rolling Stones debuting at the top with Let It Bleed. However, the following week—which was the week of Christmas—Abbey Road returned to the top for another 6 weeks, completing 17 weeks at the top. In all it spent 92 weeks inside the UK Top 75.

Reaction in the US was similar. The album debuted at number 178, then moved to number 4 and in its third week to number 1, spending 11 non-consecutive weeks at the top. Abbey Road spent a total of 129 weeks in the Billboard 200, re-entering the chart at number 69 on 14 November 1987 when it was released for the first time on CD. Abbey Road was certified 12x platinum by the RIAA in 2001. This was also the first Beatles' album to reach the 10-million mark in worldwide sales.

It was the final studio recordings from the group and featured two George Harrison songs “Something” and “Here Comes the Sun” plus “Come Together,” “Sun King'”and “Golden Slumbers.”

The Fillmore West opened in San Francisco, CA in 1969.

In 1970, Tamla-Motown Records announced that the Jackson 5 had sold 10 million singles world wide in nine months.

In 1974, 'Walls and Bridges' was released by John Lennon. He would not release any more new material for almost 6 years.


In 1975, the Rocky Horror Picture Show" opened in theaters.

In 1976, Boulder, Colorado's Firefall saw their song "You Are The Woman" enter the Billboard chart on its way to #9. They would place five more songs in the Top 40, including "Just Remember I Love You" (#11 in 1977) and "Strange Way" (#11 in 1978).

In 1979, the Clash released their first US single. It was their remake of Bobby Fuller Four's "I Fought The Law."

The Prince song "Purple Rain" was released in 1984.

In 1987, the Grateful Dead's "Touch Of Grey" peaks at #9 on the US singles chart, becoming their only Billboard chart hit.

In 1989, Paul McCartney opened his Get Back tour in Dramen, Norway. It is the first tour where he plays many of his and John Lennon's Beatles songs.

In 1992, Nirvana appeared at the Castaic Lake Amphitheatre, Castaic, California.

In 1997, the initial 300,000-unit shipment of Elton John's "Candle In The Wind 1997" sold out in Japan on its first day of release.

In 1998, MTV Russia premiered with the program Prodigy Live in Moscow.

In 2003, Robert Palmer, who reached number 14 in the US in 1979 with "Bad Case Of Loving You", died of a heart attack at the age of 54. He found success both in his solo career and in the supergroup Power Station, and had Top 10 songs in both the US and the UK.

birthdays today (among others) Bryan Ferry (66), Olivia Newton-John (63), Cesar Rosas (Los Lobos) (57), Tracey Thorn (Everything But the Girl) (49) and the late Shannon Hoon (Blind Melon) was born in 1967 (died 1995)

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