Thursday, September 8, 2011

Vinyl Record News & Music Notes


10 Great Albums that Feature Gibsons on their Covers

Russell Hall

From Peter Frampton’s Frampton Comes Alive! to Jeff Beck’s Blow by Blow, albums throughout rock’s glorious history have often featured Gibson instruments prominently on their covers. In a 2009 feature story, we focused on 10 classic discs that beautifully showcased Gibson acoustics and electrics. Below are 10 additional favorites – some of which are already considered classics, and some of which are destined to achieve that status.

Bob Marley & The Wailers, Live at the Roxy

Recorded on May 26, 1976, at the Roxy nightclub in Hollywood, this live album captured Bob Marley and The Wailers as they were first taking America by storm. Fittingly, the cover shot features Marley with his beloved Les Paul Special. A beautiful instrument, the guitar was distinguished by its aged cherry finish, its mahogany body and its mahogany neck. In an exclusive interview with Gibson.com, Stephen Marley revealed that his father often referred to the guitar as “Old Faithful.”

See the other nine at our friends at Gibson.com



=============

very interesting piece on a hall of fame voice from the 70s and beyond

Jon Anderson | Life After Yes

Written by Jim Ousley

When one thinks of Jon Anderson's soaring alto tenor and the past four decades of his work with Yes, so many things spring to mind—from the brilliant artwork by Roger Dean that graced so many of the band’s classic album covers, to the fiercely melodic bass lines pulsing from Chris Squire's Rickenbacker bass. It was the sound of Anderson's unique voice that tied the whole prog-y thing together. Weaving in and out of the band's densely arranged and orchestrated music, Jon Anderson gave Yes a face and an identity that lives on, even in this age of disposable music and here-today-gone-later-today artists.

Read the rest at playbackstl.com







=============

you can order now and have it in your mailbox on the release day.

Primus: Les Claypool Calls Upcoming Album Great And Funky


Primus’ first album in over a decade, Green Naugahyde, will be hitting shelves on September 13th. The group’s bassist and vocalist, Les Claypool, talked about the upcoming release in a recent interview with MusicRadar.com.

"Truthfully, I think it's a great record," Claypool said. "In some ways, it feels new in that it’s these three guys finally making a record. And in other ways, it's like classic Primus, kind of like the Frizzle Fry period. We're clicking. Hopefully, that comes through to everybody."

Read more at ultimate-guitar.com










=============

maybe they should change the name to the world's largest music museum!

The Record Exchange: St. Louis’ — and possibly the world’s — largest collection of vinyl records

Davis Sargeant | Senior Scene Editor

Little white earbuds. They’re everywhere: between classes, on the MetroLink, in Subway lines. Apple changed the way we listen to music with the iPod, and those little white earbuds are now a fashion statement. To a certain extent, one can glean aspects of another’s character by considering the music he carries in his pocket.

But it was not always so. Before iPods or portable CD players, before Sony’s Walkman and the transistor radio, listening to music was a stationary activity. A visitor to the Record Exchange in south St. Louis will leave with a new sensitivity to media. With a vinyl collection in the tens of thousands and paraphernalia from the entire history of recorded sound, the Record Exchange proves to be a valuable St Louis institution, not only as a superb entertainment store but also as the area’s best music museum.

Read the rest at studlife.com

=============

what stunning album cover art!

KRISIUN: New Album Details Revealed


Brazilian death metallers KRISIUN will release their new album, "The Great Execution", on October 31 in Europe and November 1 in North America via Century Media Records. The band's eighth studio CD "musically expands KRISIUN trademark high-speed death metal violence with a heavily increased amount of diversity ranging from extreme tempo variations over distinct rhythm patterns to clean guitars and even Flamenco parts!" according to a press release.

KRISIUN only used analog gear and instruments this time to avoid the compressed sound that so many musicians produce today.

Read more at Blabbermouth











=============

Classic ALICE COOPER Albums To Be Released On Vinyl


Back On Black Rock Classics will release four original ALICE COOPER albums on vinyl. The titles will be released in October on 180-gram heavyweight vinyl and packaged in deluxe gatefold sleeves. The first 1,000 copies of each title will come on limited-edition colored vinyl.

Read more at Blabbermouth









=============

Rolling Stones Appearances on Ed Sullivan Coming to DVD


For the first time ever, all 17 of the Rolling Stones' performances on the Ed Sullivan show are coming out on DVD. Six Ed Sullivan Shows Starring the Rolling Stones hits stores on November 1 from Universal Music Enterprises and Sofa Entertainment.

Read more at our friends at vintagevinylnews.com







=============

NICKELBACK: Here and Now to be Released November 21

TWO SINGLES "WHEN WE STAND TOGETHER" AND "BOTTOMS UP" TO BE RELEASED SIMULTANEOUSLY, SEPTEMBER 26

2012 WORLD TOUR TO BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY


NEW YORK, Sept. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Multi-platinum rock band Nickelback announced today that they will be releasing Here and Now November 21 on Roadrunner Records, a Warner Music Group label. As a testament to Nickelback's rare versatility to achieve multiple successes at various radio formats for more than a decade, Roadrunner Records will release two singles simultaneously. "When We Stand Together" and "Bottoms Up" will ship to Pop and Rock radio stations respectively on September 26, 2011 and will be available for sale digitally September 27, 2011. Nickelback will embark on a new world tour in support of the release in early 2012 with dates to be announced shortly.

Produced by Nickelback and recorded at Mountain View Studios, Vancouver, BC, Here and Now is Nickelback's seventh studio record and is the follow up to 2008's widely successful Dark Horse which has been certified 3-times platinum, racking up over five million digital single sales and more than 52 million video plays over the course of the album's campaign.

"We're four people who love making music, the way we like to make it," says Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger. "We entered the studio this year with a vision, and it all came together. We're extremely happy with the results, and can't wait to share them with our fans."

Roadrunner Records President Jonas Nachsin added, "Through our many years of working with Nickelback, we have always been amazed by the band's continuing ability to record songs and albums that inspire and thrill millions. After hearing the newest material, we are sure they have done it again, and we are dedicated and eager to promote the band across the globe."

Nickelback is one the biggest rock bands in the world having sold almost 50 million albums worldwide. Since their 2001 breakthrough hit song "How You Remind Me," Nickelback has sent 18 singles rocketing onto various Billboard charts.

Nickelback's now classic All The Right Reasons insured Nickelback an indelible place in rock history, spending a staggering 112 consecutive weeks in the Top 30 of the Billboard Top 200, certified 8-times platinum in the U.S. and having sold more than 11 million copies worldwide, topping charts in four countries. All The Right Reasons spun off seven multi-format singles and made Nickelback the first band in Nielsen BDS history to send five singles onto the CHR charts. All five of the album's videos hit No. 1 on VH1's playlist, while Nickelback has sold more than 12 million single digital downloads and more than 9 million ringtones of the album's songs. All The Right Reasons won the American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Album and helped the quartet to three Billboard Music Awards in 2006 and a pair of Juno Awards in Canada. And on the road, Nickelback has sold more than 2 million concert tickets over the course of the album cycle.

About Roadrunner Records:

Originally founded in 1980 in the Netherlands, Roadrunner Records earned its place as one of the most prominent international independent record labels. Established primarily as a hard rock label, Roadrunner, a member of the Warner Music Group family of labels, now boasts depth and variety in its artists. The label has experienced unprecedented success with multi-platinum artists Nickelback and Slipknot, platinum Theory of a Deadman, gold-certified Stone Sour and Killswitch Engage, as well as modern heavy hitters Korn, Dream Theater, Megadeth, Trivium and Opeth. Roadrunner's current roster also includes Lenny Kravitz (via a partnership with Atlantic Records), plus such diverse acts such as up and comers Young The Giant, The Parlor Mob, Black Stone Cherry and Airbourne. Loud & Proud Records, a label joint-venture with Roadrunner, is home to established rock acts including Rob Zombie, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, The Steve Miller Band and KISS (Europe and select territories). Roadrunner catalog includes now-classic albums from seminal artists such as Type O Negative, Sepultura and King Diamond. For more information about Roadrunner, visit: www.roadrunnerrecords.com.

http://www.nickelback.com
http://www.facebook.com/Nickelback
http://twitter.com/nickelback
http://www.myspace.com/nickelback
http://www.youtube.com/nickelbacktv
www.roadrunnerrecords.com

SOURCE Roadrunner Records

=============

GRIMEY'S BEST SELLERS 8/30 - 9/05, 2011

Top 25 Vinyl:

1. Beirut - The Rip Tide
2. Bon Iver - Bon Iver
3. Butch Walker & The Black Widows - Spade
4. Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
5. Jacuzzi Boys - Glazin'
6. The Jayhawks - She Walks In So Many Ways 7"
7. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Mirror Traffic
8. The Flaming Lips w/ Lightning Bolt - I'm Working At NASA On Acid 12"
9. Brendan Benson / Ben Blackwell - Last Night In Detroit 7"
10. Radiohead - Give Up The Ghost remix 12"
11. JEFF The Brotherhood - We Are The Champions
12. Black Lips - 200 Million Thousand
13. Big Star w/ John Davis - Live Tribute To Alex Chilton 7"
14. Stephin Merritt - Obscurities
15. Washed Out - Within & Without
16. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
17. Animal Collective - Sung Tongs
18. Black Lips - Good Bad Not Evil
19. The Ettes - Wicked Will
20. The Avett Brothers - Emotionalism
21. The Head & The Heart - The Head & The Heart
22. Robert Earl Keen - Ready For Confetti
23. Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum
24. The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow
25. Paperhead - Paperhead

=============

two things from my tuesday post were brought to my attention as being a bit misleading, so, thanks to Tim at Sundazed.com for e-mailing me!

in my music history section on tuesday:

The Flexi-Disc is used for the first time by Nestles Chocolate in 1967.

to clarify this:

Flexible records were commercially introduced as the Eva-tone Soundsheet in 1960, but were previously available in the Soviet Union as "roentgenizdat", "bones" or "ribs", underground samizdat recordings on x-ray film. Every year between 1963 and 1969, The Beatles made a special Christmas recording which was made into a flexi disc and sent to members of their fan club.



In 1968, working at Abbey Road studio’s in London, The Beatles recorded overdubs onto the new George Harrison song “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Eric Clapton added the guitar solo and became the first outside musician to play on a Beatles recording. George Harrison later said that Clapton's presence had another effect on the band: "It made them all try a bit harder; they were all on their best behavior."

as Tim points out:

While Eric Clapton was certainly the most prominent outside musician to first appear on a Beatles record, many others had preceded him. George Martin played keyboard on several tracks, including his famous sped-up harpsichord solo on "In My Like" and there was the string quartet on "Eleanor Rigby," the piccolo trumpet on "Penny Lane" and the full orchestra (plus the room's air conditioner) on "A Day In the Life." Though not technically a musician, roadie Mal Evans often added handclaps and whatever else was needed during recording sessions, such as helping hold down the final piano chord on "A Day in the Life." Thus, Eric was not the first but was, without a doubt, an invaluable part of that recording.


Thanks Tim!

=============

and speaking of Sundazed.com, they are reissuing some great music!!

The Magic Band

Oxford, UK-June 6, 2005 2-LP set

This title will ship to arrive to you on our street date of Sept. 27

Live recording of the legendary and innovative Magic Band’s 2005 reunion!

Famously forged in a cauldron of intense artistic pressure, the Magic Band emerged as a group unlike any other in popular music. Under the tenacious tutelage of Don Van Vliet, better known as Captain Beefheart, this strikingly innovative unit took their music to unexplored places, creating a musical language all their own. Throughout the band’s chaotic history with Beefheart, drummer John “Drumbo” French served as the chief translator, deciphering the Captain’s often cryptic instructions into a discernable direction for the band. His tireless efforts provided the essential conduit through which Beefheart’s multi-hued compositional visions transformed into concrete audio sculptures. In simpler terms, he was the glue.

In response to repeated fan requests, French assembled an all-star cast of Magic Band veterans—Denny “Freebo Reelers” Walley/guitar, Gary “Mantis” Lucas/guitar, Mark “Rockette Morton” Boston/bass and Michael Traylor/drums—and brought them to the U.K. for several concert tours between 2003 and 2006. Freed from the confines of his drum kit, French stepped into the front man role, singing and playing harmonica. Exploring songs from the Magic Band’s rich catalog, the group returned to these compositions with fervor, faithfully recreating them while simultaneously adding new sonic colors to the palette. Enraptured audiences across the empire reveled in the revived music, thrilled to hear the long-silent repertoire performed again.

This recording captures an especially memorable performance at the intimate Zodiac club in Oxford, England from June 6th, 2005. Riding the momentum of two successful concerts in Portsmouth and Penzance, the group was careful to keep their focus and not become overconfident. That night, surrounded by an enthusiastic audience that included many friends and acquaintances, the band played a transcendent set. As French relates in the album’s liner notes, “It was on this night when I was able to savor the words and music of Don Van Vliet and in a sense ‘re-discover’ the greatness of the work. I could feel the power of the compositions as they rained down upon the crowd, and I found myself laughing all over again at many of the double-entendres, and euphemisms.” How fortunate, then, that tape was rolling on this enchanted evening! John French personally mixed these eighteen tracks for release, ensuring that the zeitgeist of this special show would be preserved for all time. Sundazed celebrates this prized addition to the Magic Band’s discography, bringing it to you on compact disc and 180 gram vinyl 2-LP set for your listening pleasure. Gimme dat harp, boy!

TRACK LIST:
1. Gimme Dat Harp Boy
2. Dropout Boogie
3. Diddy Wah Diddy
4. Low Yo Yo Stuff
5. When It Blows Its Stacks
6. Kandy Korn
7. Hair Pie
8. On Tomorrow
9. China Pig
10. Steal Softly Thru Snow
11. Abba Zaba
12. My Human Gets Me Blues
13. Alice In Blunderland
14. Electricity
15. Evening Bell
16. The Floppy Boot Stomp
17. Big Eyed Beans From Venus
18. Mirror Man

Pre-order it at Sundazed.com

=============

and in music history for today:

In 1935, the Hoboken Four, with member Frank Sinatra, appeared on the Major Bowes Amateur Hour.

In 1952, after Atlantic Records bought Ray Charles’ contract from Swingtime, Charles recorded his first session for Atlantic, cutting four songs. Over the next seven years, he would record such classics as “Mess Around,” “I Got a Woman,” “Hallelujah, I Love Her So” and “What’d I Say.”

In 1954, radio personality Alan Freed begins broadcasting on New York's WINS at an annual salary of $75,000. Although the phrase "rock and roll" had been around for a while, Freed is generally given credit for making it popular.

In 1958, Dick Clark signed a recording contract with ABC-Paramount Records. His first release is an album by the Bandstanders of current hits.

In 1965, an advertisement in Variety announced auditions for the Monkees. Among those who tried and failed were Stephen Stills, Danny Hutton, Paul Williams and Charles Manson.

In 1971, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences presents Elvis Presley with the Bing Crosby Award, given to performers who "during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic or scientific significance to the field of phonograph records."


In 1973, The Allman Brothers started a five week run at the top of the US album chart with "Brothers And Sisters", the group's only US #1 LP.

In 1973, Marvin Gaye started a two-week run at #1 on the US singles chart with “Let’s Get it On,” his second US #1.



In 1977, guitarist Jimmy McCulloch left Wings to help re-form The Small Faces. McCulloch had played with Paul McCartney’s band on the Venus and Mars and Wings at the Speed of Sound albums, as well as on the Wings Over America tour. He died two years later at the age of 26.

In 1988, Elton John sold some of his costumes and concert memorabilia at an auction in London for $6.2 million.

In 1993, Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love appeared on stage together at a show in Hollywood. They performed the Nirvana song “Pennyroyal Tea.”

In 1997, Derek Taylor, the publicist for The Beatles died at age 67. Taylor had been responsible for many of the legends surrounding their career and had also worked with The Beach Boys and The Byrds. In 1967, he helped organize the Monterey Pop Festival together with Lou Adler and John Philips. He helped launch The Beatles Anthology in the ’90s.

In 2003, David Bowie played the first interactive concert which was sent to 21 movie theaters in Europe. Audience members could talk to him via ISDN lines

birthdays today include (among others) Sal Valentino (Beau Brummels) (69), Michael Lardie (Great White, Night Ranger) (53), Aimee Mann (51), Pink (born Alicia Moore) (32) and Dante Drowty (Dante and the Evergreens) (70)