Friday, March 29, 2013

Music Record Shop Weekly




Welcome to the new weekly feature (look for it every Friday) called MusicRecordShop Weekly.  Here we take a look at new releases and some hard to find vinyl that will easily satisfy even the most serious record collectors.  Here's five that we think you will enjoy, including some very hard to find picture discs!:

1. Iron Maiden - Maiden England (Picture Disc)

MAIDEN ENGLAND '88. Now available for the very first time on double LP, this live show was filmed across two sold-out nights at Birmingham N.E.C Arena, UK in November 1988 during the band's
"Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son World Tour."
  • Label EMI (Import)
  • 180 Gram Vinyl Records - 2-LP - Sealed
  • Limited Edition
  • Picture Disc
Track Listing
LP1
1. Moonchild (2009 - Remaster)
2. The Evil That Men Do (2009 - Remaster)
3. The Prisoner (2009 - Remaster)
4. Still Life (2009 - Remaster)
5. Die With Your Boots On (2009 - Remaster)
6. Infinite Dreams (2009 - Remaster)
7. Killers (2009 - Remaster)
8. Can I Play With Madness (2009 - Remaster)
9. Heaven Can Wait (2009 - Remaster)
10. Wasted Years (2009 - Remaster)

LP2
1. The Clairvoyant (2009 - Remaster)
2. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (2009 - Remaster)
3. The Number of the Beast (2009 - Remaster)
4. Hallowed Be Thy Name (2009 - Remaster)
5. Iron Maiden (2009 - Remaster)
6. Run to the Hills
7. Running Free
8. Sanctuary

Order at MusicRecordShop




2. Rodriguez - Cold Fact

There was a mini-genre of singer/songwriters in the late '60s and early '70s that has never gotten a name. They were folky but not exactly folk-rock and certainly not laid-back; sometimes pissed off but not full of rage; alienated but not incoherent; psychedelic-tinged but not that weird; not averse to using orchestration in some cases but not that elaborately produced. And they sold very few records, eluding to a large degree even rediscovery by collectors. Jeff Monn, Paul Martin, John Braheny, and Billy Joe Becoat were some of them, and Sixto Rodriguez was another on his 1970 LP, Cold Fact. Imagine an above-average Dylanesque street busker managing to record an album with fairly full and imaginative arrangements, and you're somewhat close to the atmosphere. Rodriguez projected the image of the aloof, alienated folk-rock songwriter, his songs jammed with gentle, stream-of-consciousness, indirect putdowns of straight society and its tensions. Likewise, he had his problems with romance, simultaneously putting down (again gently) women for their hang-ups and intimating that he could get along without them anyway ("I wonder how many times you had sex, and I wonder do you know who'll be next" he chides in the lilting "I Wonder"). At the same time, the songs were catchy and concise, with dabs of inventive backup: a dancing string section here, odd electronic yelps there, tinkling steel drums elsewhere. It's an album whose lyrics are evocative yet hard to get a handle on even after repeated listenings, with song titles like "Hate Street Dialogue," "Inner City Blues" (not the Marvin Gaye tune), and "Crucify Your Mind" representative of his eccentric, slightly troubled mindset. As it goes with folk-rock-psych singer/songwriters possessing captivating non sequitur turns of the phrase, he's just behind Arthur Lee and Skip Spence, but still worth your consideration.
  • LABEL LIGHT IN THE ATTIC
  • 180 GRAM VINYL RECORD - LP - SEALED
TRACK LISTING
1. Sugar Man
2. Only Good For Conversation
3. Crucify Your Mind
4. This Is Not A Song, It's An Outburst: Or, The Establishment Blues
5. Hate Street Dialogue
6. Forget It
7. Inner City Blues
8. I Wonder
9. Jane S. Piddy
10. Gommorah (A Nursery Rhyme)
11. Rich Folks Hoax
12. Like Janis
13. I'll Slip Away
14. You'd Like To Admit It

Order at MusicRecordShop



3. Rodriguez - Searching For Sugar Man 

The story remains one of the music world's most unusual tales of the 1970s: an obscure debut LP by a Detroit singer-songwriter becomes a source of hope and inspiration to the anti-Apartheid movement in South Africa. Now, the story of Rodriguez and his cult album Cold Fact is the basis for Searching For Sugar Man, a riveting new documentary by filmmaker Malik Bendjelloul. Light In The Attic Records in partnership with Sony Legacy are honored to announce the release of the original motion picture soundtrack, comprising tracks from Cold Fact and its 1971 follow-up Coming From Reality - both reissued in 2008 and 2009 by Light In The Attic. The soundtrack begins with the otherworldly "Sugar Man" and acts as a primer to this long-overlooked musician's fusion of gritty funk, political poetry and blissful psych-folk.
  • LABEL LIGHT IN THE ATTIC
  • VINYL RECORD - 2LP - SEALED BLACK VINYL
TRACK LISTING
1. Sugar Man
2. Crucify Your Mind
3. Cause
4. I Wonder
5. Like Janis
6. This Is Not A Song, It's an Outburst: Or, The Establishment Blues
7. Can't Get Away
8. I Think of You
9. Inner City Blues
10. Lifestyles - Sandrevan Lullaby
11. Street Boy
12. A Most Disgusting Song
13. I'll Slip Away
14. Jane S. Piddy

Order at MusicRecordShop



4. Manowar - Lord Of Steel (Picture Disc)

After trying their loyal followers' tolerance like never before with the generally aimless symphonic fluff that surrounded the handful of real songs contained in 2007's Gods of War album, Manowar gratefully adopted a more serious and focused working approach for their eleventh studio LP, 2012's The Lord of Steel. In fact, the intervening 2010 re-recording of their 1982 debut, Battle Hymns, appears to have reined in the group's thunderous hubris to no end. Notwithstanding the power-thrashing attack of The Lord of Steel's opening title track, which predictably prolongs Manowar's delusions about still playing louder, faster, and meaner than innumerable extreme metal bands (not even close), there's a startling simplicity and directness about many of these songs (for good and ill) that's long been absent from Manowar's oeuvre. Take the fast-ensuing "Manowarriors" as a good case in point: it's predictably corny (sample lyric: "In heavy metal we believe; If you don't like it, time to leave"), but endearingly so, and, more importantly, damn infectious, to boot! The same curious attributes pertain to the steady-marching "Born in a Grave" and the staccato-loving "Annihilation," and, while the turgid "Black List" goes absolutely nowhere and the aptly named "Expendable" is exactly that, the absolutely incredible "Touch the Sky" is arguably the best song Manowar's written in 20 years! Of course, since there's always been a very fine line between laughing with and laughing at Manowar, listeners will have to draw their own conclusions about less ubiquitous material such as "Hail, Kill and Die" (one of the band's long-favored mottos rendered career-retrospective), "El Gringo" (tongue-in-cheek Manowar -- could this be?), and especially the majestic ballad "Righteous Glory" (are they yearning for higher ideals or just trying to hump that mythical harpy over there?), which, if nothing else, spells out the band's personality conundrum perfectly.
  • LABEL MAGIC CIRCLE
  • VINYL RECORD - 2-LP PICTURE DISC - SEALED
TRACK LISTING
1. The Lord of Steel
2. Manowarriors
3. Born in a Grave
4. Righteous Glory
5. Touch the Sky
6. Black List
7. Expendable
8. El Gringo
9. Annihilation
10. Hail Kill and Die
11. The Kingdom of Steel

Order at MusicRecordShop



5. The Black Angels - Directions To See A Ghost

“The Black Angels bring the aura of mid-1966 the drilling guitars of early Velvet Underground shows, the raga inflections of late-show Fillmore jams, the acid-prayer stomp of Austin avatars the 13th Floor Elevators everywhere they go, including the levitations on their second album, Directions to See a Ghost. Mid-Eighties echoes of Spacemen 3 and the Jesus and Mary Chain also roll through the scoured-guitar sustain and Alex Maas’ rocker-monk incantations. But he knows what time it is. ‘You say the Beatles stopped the war," Maas sings in ’Never/Ever.’ ‘They might’ve helped to find a cure/But it’s still not over.’

Even so, this medicine works wonders." – David Fricke, Rolling Stone
  • Label Light In The Attic
  • Vinyl Records - 3-LP - Sealed
  • Released: May 13; 2008
Track Listing
1.You On The Run
2. Doves
3. Science Killer
4. Mission District
5. 18 Years
6. Deer-Ree-Shee
7. Never/Ever
8. Vikings
9. You In Color
10. The Return
11. Snake In The Grass

Order at MusicRecordShop


Musicology 101

Let's have a little fun, so here are some rock and roll nuggets so you can win at music trivia games and become a top musicologist!

The Beatles song "Dear Prudence" was written about Mia Farrow's sister, Prudence, when she wouldn't come out and play with Mia and the Beatles at a religious retreat in India.

Peter Frampton was the lead guitar player on Frankie Valli's 1978 hit, "Grease."

A luthier is a craftsman who makes or repairs stringed instruments, such as guitars or violins.

According to Bill Harry, founder of the UK music magazine Mersey Beat and personal friend of The Beatles, the rumor that the group took their name from a line in the movie The Wild Ones, is totally false, as the movie was not released in England until 1968. Nor did it have anything to do with "Beat" music, a term that didn't come out until after the band was established. He says it was Stu Sutcliffe who suggested "Let's have a name like The Crickets."

Bruce Springsteen was once the opening act for Canadian singer, Anne Murray, of "Snowbird" fame.

The Dr. Hook hit, "The Cover of Rolling Stone" was written by Shel Silverstein, a best-selling author of children's poems who was also a contributor to Playboy. When the group appeared on the magazine cover, it was in caricature, not an actual photograph.

In Bill Withers' 1971 Billboard #3 hit "Ain't No Sunshine", he repeats the words "I know, I know, I know..." twenty-six times. This rather annoying repetition was originally meant as a place holder until Withers could think up some better lyrics that he never did come up with.

The studio musicians who recorded the music for many "bubblegum" hits credited to The 1910 Fruitgum Company, The Ohio Express and many others, were actually former members of The Shadows of Knight, who had a hit of their own with "Gloria".

Joe South wrote Deep Purple's US #4 hit "Hush", which he adapted from an old American spiritual that included the line: "Hush, I thought I heard Jesus calling my name."

Vinyl Record News & Music Notes


new from our friends at MusicOnVinyl.com

Camel - Moonmadness

One year after the massive success of Camel's previous album The Snow Goose [MOVLP382] the Progressive Rock band from England released Moonmadness in 1976.  This concept album proved to be their stepping stone to US soil, gaining their highest Billboard Album Chart position to date. 

Its inspiration was derived from the band members' personalities; each one features as subject for the songs "Chord Change", "Air Born", "Lunar Sea" and "Another Night".  Intricate layers of guitar and keyboards set a mood that can be vaguely compared to any Pink Floyd concept album from the same era.  Moonmadness provides a beautiful and interesting journey, with new details coming to light with every listen along the way.
  • 180 gram audiophile vinyl
  • Gatefold sleeve 
Tracklisting:
Side A 
1  Aristillus 
2  Song Within A Song 
3  Chord Change  
4  Spirit Of The Water
  
Side B
1  Another Night
2  Air Born
3  Lunar Sea

  

America - Hearts  

 America, the band that gave the world the Classic Rock evergreen "A Horse With No Name" in 1972 released their fifth album Hearts three years later to great public and critical acclaim.  Hearts was produced by famed Beatles producer George Martin, as was the case for their previous album Holiday.
  
The album was a big hit in the US reaching number 4 on the Billboard album charts, certified Gold by the RIAA.  Hearts yielded three hit singles: "Sister Golden Hair", "Daisy Jane" and "Woman Tonight" proving the sheer quality of core band members Dewey Bunnell, Dan Peek and Gerry Beckley.  Collectively they know how to craft excellent Folk Rock songs which is highly apparent on Hearts – a strong album of near legendary proportions.
  • 180 gram audiophile
  • vinyl Insert
  • Produced by George Martin
  • Includes hit single "Sister Golden Hair"
Tracklisting:
Side 1 
1.  Daisy Jane     
2.  Half A Man    
3.  Midnight     
4.  Bell Tree    
5.  Old Virginia   
6.  People In The Valley 
  
Side 2   
1.  Company     
2.  Woman Tonight     
3.  The Story Of A Teenager     
4.  Sister Golden Hair   
5.  Tomorrow 
6.  Seasons
  
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from Rhino.com
 
Eagles 6-CD Box Set Available for Pre-Order
 
Now available for pre-order, EAGLES: THE STUDIO ALBUMS 1972-1979 contains all six of the Eagles' Asylum studio albums from 1972 - 1979: EAGLES * DESPERADO * ON THE BORDER * ONE OF THESE NIGHTS * HOTEL CALIFORNIA * THE LONG RUN.
 
Packaged in a sleek, black clamshell box, EAGLES: THE STUDIO ALBUMS 1972-1979 showcases each of the six studio albums that helped the band define an era, including the No. 1 albums ONE OF THESE NIGHTS, HOTEL CALIFORNIA and THE LONG RUN.

THE STUDIO ALBUMS 1972-1979 kicks off with the band’s 1972 debut, EAGLES, the first of several of the band’s albums produced by the acclaimed Glyn Johns. The disc spawned the hits “Witchy Woman,” “Take It Easy” and “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” and is followed by DESPERADO, which quickly went gold after its release in 1973, thanks to the title track and “Tequila Sunrise.”

Remembered for the faves “Already Gone” and the smash “Best Of My Love,” 1974’s ON THE BORDER follows. That disc was the precursor to the Eagles’ first No. 1 album, 1975’s Grammy®-decorated ONE OF THESE NIGHTS, a quick and huge hit that is home to “Take It To The Limit,” the title track and “Lyin’ Eyes.”

Additionally, THE STUDIO ALBUMS 1972-1979 includes 1976’s HOTEL CALIFORNIA, the album that immortalized the band with the unforgettable title song as well as the Top 20 hits “Life In The Fast Lane” and “New Kid In Town.” HOTEL CALIFORNIA was followed up in 1979 by the band’s third consecutive No. 1, THE LONG RUN, yet another multi-platinum effort made famous for the title track, “I Can’t Tell You Why” and the No. 1 hit “Heartache Tonight.”

Order HERE


Stephen Stills - Carry On 4-CD Box Set
 
Stephen Stills' CARRY ON is in stores today! The 4-CD boxed set features classic cuts from the legendary singer-songwriter's Buffalo Springfield, CSN and solo years, and includes 25 previously unreleased recordings.
 
Legendary singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Stephen Stills has released more than 250 songs since 1966, some solo, others with iconic bands including Buffalo Springfield, Manassas and, most famously, with David Crosby, Graham Nash and Neil Young. On the new four-CD set CARRY ON, producers Graham Nash and Joel Bernstein—in collaboration with Stills—outline the remarkable 50-year scope of Stills' career with 82 tracks, 25 of them previously unreleased. In retracing the musical paths he’s explored, it’s clear that Stills is more than a prolific hit-maker (“Love The One You’re With,” “Southern Cross”)—he is also a songwriter who speaks his mind (“For What It’s Worth”) and his heart (“Suite: Judy Blue Eyes”) equally well, and is comfortable playing diverse genres including folk, rock, blues, jazz, country, and Latin.

The tracks unfold mostly in chronological order, and the anthology leads off with its oldest entry: “Travelin’”—a previously unreleased recording that Stills made at age 17 in Costa Rica (one of the many places he lived growing up in a military family). The youngest track, recorded only a few months ago, features CSN performing “Girl From The North Country” in New York City during a sold-out five-night run at the Beacon Theater that closed the group’s acclaimed 2012 world tour. CARRY ON, which features a 113-page booklet with rare photos and extensive liner notes by Michael O’Hara Garcia, David Bender, and NY Times Best Selling author Daniel Levitin, will be available as a 4-CD boxed set on March 26 from Rhino for a suggested price of $54.98. A digital version of the set will also be available.

In addition to essential studio and live recordings, CARRY ON covers new ground with more than an hour’s worth of previously unreleased material including “No-Name Jam,” a 1970 recording of Stills in London trading guitar licks with his friend Jimi Hendrix. Other previously unissued highlights include the songs “Welfare Blues” (1984), “Little Miss Bright Eyes” (1973), and “Who Ran Away?” (1968), and early demo versions of “Forty-Nine Reasons” and “The Lee Shore,” and “Black Coral,” a song Stills and Young released as a duo in 1976—the version here features all four members of CSNY. “The Treasure” offers a peek into Stills’ process—originally released in 1972 on Manassas’s self-titled debut, this version was recorded by Stills three years earlier with bassist Calvin Samuels and drummer Conrad Isidore during sessions for Stephen Stills 2.

CARRY ON also features a number of classic songs newly remixed by Nash and Stanley Tajima Johnston, including “Everydays,” “To A Flame,” “See The Changes,” “4+20” and “Change Partners,” the latter with Jerry Garcia on pedal steel guitar. There is also a newly edited version of Stills performing “Cuba Al Fin” at the Havana Jam in 1979.

Several songs make their CD-debut with CARRY ON, including “Uno Mundo,” “War Games” and the single mix of “Love The One You’re With.” Stills’ time on stage is represented as well with a number of previously released performances, including several from his acclaimed 2005 album Man Alive. The collection boasts new live tracks, including CSN singing “No Tears Left” in 1997 at the Fillmore in San Francisco, and CSNY on stage in 2002 at Madison Square Garden with Memphis Horns Booker T. Jones and Donald “Duck” Dunn covering Otis Redding’s “Ole Man Trouble.” Other famous players turn up on CARRY ON’s wealth of material as well, including Herbie Hancock, Eric Clapton, Maynard Ferguson, Ray Baretto, Willie Bobo, and Larry Harlow.

Order HERE
 
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from www.thrilljockey.com

Tortoise - Tortoise
 
We are quite proud to bring back the very first Tortoise album from 1994 to vinyl!
 
Sold out on vinyl for many years this new edition has been remastered to vinyl by Roger Seibel at SAE Mastering and pressed on virgin vinyl at RTI. The packaging emulates the original, with an insert and a chipboard jacket that was custom silk-screened by Dan Macadam at Crosshair in Chicago.
  
Tortoise's self-titled debut incorporates many musical styles and influences and combines them into one very distince sound. So distinct that sometime after the release of this record they became recognized as the leaders of a new musical movement. Tortoise exploits the recording studio, in that they utilize the recording process as a compostional tool or "sixth member", thus creating a boundless parameter in which to create music. Recorded at Idful Studios by John McEntire.
  
For this record Tortoise is
 
Douglas McCombs
John Herndon
Dan Bitney
John McEntire
Bundy K. Brown
 
01. Magnet Pulls Through
02. Night Air
03. Ry Cooder
04. Onions Wrapped In Rubber
05. Tin Cans & Twine
06. Spiderwebbed
07. His Second Story Island
08. On Noble
09. Flyrod
10. Cornpone Brunch
 
Order HERE
 
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For Immediate Release

Seattle Vinyl Imprint Tsurumi Records Joins Frenchkiss Label Group For Digital Distribution

(Seattle, WA) – March 28, 2013 Seattle-based indie punk and garage rock record label Tsurumi Records joins NYC-based Frenchkiss Label Group for their digital distribution.
 
Tsurumi will issue their first ever soundtrack for the underground indie horror flick "The Revenant" this Spring. "The Revenant" marks their first release through Frenchkiss as well.  It will be available online beginning April 16.

Tsurumi Records is a label that also focuses on vinyl productions. Their titles are independently distributed at local and regional record shops throughout the country. They are home to garage punks the Beautiful Mothers, indie rockers Fonzarelli, experimental Japanese rock band Golden, the Second Academy, the Mustang Jerx and DJ Macky Ramone (find out more from label head Jeff Davis on how he got “knighted” by Marky many years ago).

"My attitudes and tastes about music mirror that of FrenchKiss and therefore many of my creative values and professional goals are being met. I couldn't be more thrilled,” comments Tsurumi Records owner and founder Jeff Davis.

Frenchkiss Label Group is a hands-on boutique distributor focused on growing visibility for independent labels as their bottom line. For more information on Frenchkiss Label Group, visit www.frenchkisslabelgroup.com. For more information on Tsurumi Records, visit www.tsurumirecords.com.

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album cover art of the day:

          

















      
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from our friends at www.vinylcollective.com
 
Don’t call it a comeback…

 

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Ask Mr. Music by Jerry Osborne

FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 25, 2013

DEAR JERRY: One of the history channels ran a show about famous lynchings, including a segment on Tom Dula, who the Kingston Trio immortalized as "Tom Dooley."

Apparently there was insufficient evidence to convict Tom of killing his sweetheart, but he was neither the first nor the last whose innocence would not be determined until after the execution.

Seemed like a big story, so why did it take nearly 100 years for someone to make a record about it?
—Terry Lombard, York, Pa.

DEAR TERRY: A big story indeed, probably the O.J. trial of its day, minus Court TV.

What is known is Dula's pregnant fiancée, Laura Foster, was stabbed to death in Wilkes County, N.C., in May 1866. As to the killer's identity, the truth may never be known.

Reportedly, more evidence pointed to Ann Melton, Dula's "other woman," than to himself. Tom maintained his innocence without implicating Melton, right up to moments before he swung from the gallows (May 1, 1868).

The Kingston Trio's version suggests a lover's triangle existed between "a condemned man named Tom Dooley," "a beautiful woman" (Foster) and "a Mister Grayson."

Col. James Grayson did assist in the capture of Dula, but the third corner of that "eternal triangle" was Ann Melton, not Grayson.

Ironically, James Grayson's nephew, Gilliam B. Grayson, a singer and fiddler, wrote the first song about "Tom Dooley" (changed from Dula) in September 1929. He teamed with guitarist Henry Whitter, and, performing as Grayson and Whitter, they recorded G.B.'s tune (Victor V-40325).

From this original, the Kingston Trio retained the "hang your head, Tom Dooley, hang your head and cry, you know you're bound to die," refrain.

They also kept G.B.'s nod to his uncle James, so both versions include "hadn't a been for Grayson, I'd be in Tennessee."

Ninety years later, and allowing for a conviction loaded with reasonable doubt, the Trio omitted accusatory references such as "ya killed poor Laura Foster … you took her on the hillside and there you took her life."

To this day, an official marker stands near the execution site, placed by the United States Department of the Interior - National Park Service. It reads: "The song ["Tom Dooley"] did not reveal the other woman [Ann Melton], who may have done the deed."


DEAR JERRY: I have a 45 of "Saving My Love for You," one of Johnny Ace's biggest hits. Of course I had to check out the flip side, "Yes, Baby," and I was surprised to hear a woman singing with Johnny. It's actually a duet, though the labels on both sides credit only "Johnny Ace and Band."

Who is she and why is she unnamed? Possibly someone signed to another label who was moonlighting?
—Curly Henderson, Norman, Okla.



DEAR CURLY: As rampant as moonlighting was in the first half of the 20th century, whether uncredited or using pseudonyms, that is not the case with the babe on "Yes, Baby."

She is Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton, whose original version of "Hound Dog" (Peacock 1612) topped the R&B charts about seven months before doing "Yes, Baby" with Johnny Ace (Duke 118).

Because Duke was a subsidiary of Peacock Records, there was nothing sneaky about Thornton's collaboration with Ace.

Thanks to Big Mama's "Hound Dog," and three straight smash hits by Johnny Ace ("My Song"; "Cross My Heart"; and "The Clock"), Duke-Peacock sold over 1.5 million records in 1953.

It's hard to understand why the company ever pressed "Yes, Baby" without Willie Mae's name on the label, but it didn't start out that way. First pressings properly credit "Saving My Love for You" to Johnny Ace and Band, and "Yes, Baby" to Johnny Ace & Willie Mae Thornton.

In early 1954, just as "Saving My Love for You" was heading toward No. 2 on the R&B charts, Johnny Ace, and Willie Mae Thornton, accompanied by C.C. Pinkston's Orchestra, were touring Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Next Johnny and Big Mama hooked up with the Johnny Board Orchestra for a jaunt through Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan.

Duke-Peacock seemingly had multiple reasons to plug both Ace and Thornton; however, subsequent pressings of "Yes, Baby" credit only "Johnny Ace and Band."

Maybe it was something Big Mama said.


IZ ZAT SO? One little known yet extraordinary accomplishment by Johnny Ace, who — other than an oddball split single with Earl Forest (Flair 1015) — recorded exclusively for Duke, is that every one of his first eight Duke records rose to a single digit position on the R&B charts, including three chart-toppers:

No. 1 "My Song" (1952, Duke 102)
No. 3 "Cross My Heart" (1953, Duke 107)
No. 1 "The Clock" (1953, Duke 112)
No. 3 "Saving My Love for You" (1953, Duke 118)
No. 6 "Please Forgive Me" (1954, Duke 128)
No. 9 "Never Let Me Go" (1954, Duke 132)
No. 1 "Pledging My Love" (1955, Duke 136)
No. 7 "Anymore" (1955, Duke 144)

Even among the all-time R&B giants (James Brown; Ray Charles; Fats Domino; Louis Jordan; Michael Jackson; Marvin Gaye; Stevie Wonder; Temptations; Isley Brothers; Aretha Franklin; Gladys Knight; Dinah Washington; etc., etc.) this intriguing streak by Johnny Ace stands alone.

 

Jerry Osborne answers as many questions as possible through this column. Write Jerry at: Box 255, Port Townsend, WA 98368 E-mail: jpo@olympus.net   Visit his Web site: www.jerryosborne.com

All values quoted in this column are for near-mint condition.

Copyright 2013 Osborne Enterprises - Reprinted By Exclusive Permission


Vinyl Record News & Music Notes



HIM ANNOUNCE TWO BRAND NEW TEARS ON TAPE LIMITED EDITION COLOR VINYL PRESSINGS

HIM ANNOUNCE TWO BRAND NEW TEARS ON TAPE LIMITED EDITION COLOR VINYL PRESSINGS- ORDER HERE

 Tears On Tape, To Be Released Via Razor & Tie In U.S. & Canada April 30th

 
(New York, NY) -Due to overwhelming demand, HIM's new album Tears on Tape (Razor & Tie) is being made available for pre-order in two brand new, limited edition color vinyl pressings (translucent green apple and translucent royal blue). Previous vinyl pressings in both transparent and cream color are now completely sold out.

The new vinyl pre-orders come with a full digital album download upon release date - Order Now HERE **

Tears on Tape will be released on April 30th on Razor & Tie in the United States & Canada. The album will also be released on April 26th in Finland and April 29th in the U.K./Ireland, Germany and the rest of mainland Europe.

HIM's Tears on Tape is also available on the iTunes Store HERE  in the United States. Listen to the first song off the album "All Lips Go Blue" on Revolvermag.com.

Tears on Tape is the Finnish rock band's eighth official album and was recorded in their home country with long-time producer Hiili Hiilesmaa and mixed by long time-band associate, Tim Palmer (U2, Ozzy Osbourne, Pearl Jam, Robert Plant).

HIM's upcoming headline Tears On Tour run is close to selling-out with both Los Angeles shows (May 3rd - 4th), Chicago (May 8th), New York City (May 10th) and Philadelphia (May 12th) already completely Sold-Out. A second night in New York City has been added (tour dates below).

Formed in 1992 by vocalist Ville Valo, guitarist Mikko "Linde" Lindstrom, and bassist Mikko "Mige" Paananen, HIM's previous albums have seen them win a worldwide following, becoming the first Finnish act to achieve platinum sales in the U.S. To date, HIM has sold a combined 1.75 million albums and over 1 million digital tracks in North America. HIM's current lineup is Valo(Vocals), Linde (Guitars), Mige (Bass), Burton (Keyboards), and Gas (Drums).

** Please note: Due to vinyl production manufacturing times, vinyl orders will ship after the album release date of 4/30. Buyers will still receive a digital download of Tears on Tape on 4/30.

HIM U.S. Tour Dates
May 3 - Los Angeles, CA- House Of Blues (SOLD OUT)
May 4 - Los Angeles, CA- House Of Blues (SOLD OUT)
May 5 - San Francisco, CA- The Fillmore
May 8- Chicago, IL - House Of Blues (SOLD OUT)
May 9 - Toronto Canada -Danforth Music Hall
May 10 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza (SOLD OUT)
May 11 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
May 12 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre Of Living Arts (SOLD OUT)

 HIM Links
 www.heartagram.com/
 www.facebook.com/theheartagram
 www.razorandtiepublicity.com

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from our friend Drew at THE PLANETARY GROUP


Automatic Children - Johnny/Now You Know 7" vinyl

NYC collective Automatic Children sound a little bit like every cool rock band your older sibling or somewhat friendly record store clerk told you about growing up, thrown into a blender and spit out, creating an entirely potent blend of upbeat, guitar-driven pop.

On their latest 7'' Johnny/Now You Know, loud hooks recall Surfer Rosa-era Pixies, while the high-registered vocal delivery of Adam Lippman echoes The Get Up Kids, matched with the world/weary smarts of Paul Westerberg. Influences aside, the simple fact is that Automatic Children are a rock band, streamlined to the basics, who have taken the best of the best and reflected it back in their own way, creating music for discerning fans who are too old to care about trends  and like their rock lean, fun, and unpretentious.

Rounded out with Ed Vail (bass/backing vocals) and Kevin Letsch (drums) Automatic Children is at heart the combined songwriting efforts of Adam Lippman and Crista Giuliani. The two met when Adam auditioned Crista to sing and play backup in his solo band in 2006. Once the connection was made and the chemistry and mutual influences obvious after a few shows, the decision to form a proper band was solidified and the rest is history.

"The music is based on our lives, and our experiences, with a little bit of politics thrown in," explains Lippman. Adds Crista, "I think with multiple songwriters, you get a very diverse sound. I think it's good to have different songs for different moods. Who would want to eat the same thing every night for dinner? 

Automatic Children were called one of the top NYC bands by The Deli Magazine. Twice. Check them out. We think you'll understand.

The two 7" releases were mastered by Steve Fallone at Sterling Sound (TV on the Radio, Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo, Ra Ra Riot).

PRESS QUOTES
“These are songs that bring back memories of youth and pop culture before it was taken over by tampered social media and self-gratifying facebook fans. Both tracks are noteworthy for their melodic hooks and sentimentality. If nostalgia can be melted into a record, Automatic Children offer that reaction and emotion, and on beautifully colored vinyl too.” - Anti Pitchfork

“Automatic Children follow their heart, the soul of rock and roll pumping through every beat and never off-track from the band’s purpose, to produce a great song you’ll want to listen to again and again. ” - RCRD-RVNG



Band Members
 Adam Lippman: Vocals, Guitar
 Crista Giuliani: Vocals, Guitar
 Ed Vail: Bass, Backing Vocals
 Kevin Letsch: Drums

www.automaticchildren.bandcamp.com
www.automaticchildren.com
www.reverbnation.com/automaticchildren
www.youtube.com/automaticchildren
www.myspace.com/automaticchildren
www.facebook.com/automaticchildren

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from Grimeys.com

GRIMEY'S BEST SELLERS 3/18 - 3/24, 2013

Vinyl Top 25:

1. Justin Timberlake - 20/20 Experience
2. William Tyler - Impossible Truth
3. Low - The Invisible Way
4. Phosphorescent - Muchacho
5. Various - Sound City: Real To Reel
6. Brittany Howard & Ruby Amanfu - I Wonder 7"
7. My Bloody Valentine - MBV
8. Caitlin Rose - The Stand-In
9. Foxygen - We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors...
10. Father John Misty - Fear Fun
11. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
12. Colleen Green - Sock It To Me
13. Clutch - Earth Rocker
14. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Specter At The Feast
15. Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls
16. The Lumineers - The Lumineers
17. Bon Iver - Bon Iver
18. The Lone Bellow - The Lone Bellow
19. Black Crowes - Wiser For The Time
20. Son Volt - Honky Tonk
21. Marnie Stern - The Chronicles Of Marnia
22. They Might Be Giants - Nanobots
23. Night Beds - Country Sleep
24. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
25. Nick Drake - Pink Moon

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from our freinds at SoundStageDirect

This Week's Bestselling Vinyl Records

1.  MFSL Original Master Record Sleeves (50)
2. John Lennon with The Plastic Ono Band - Remember Love/ Give Peace A Chance
3. Dire Straits - Dire Straits
4. White Zombie - La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Vol. 1
5. Dire Straits - Love Over Gold
6. Jimi Hendrix - People, Hell & Angels
7. Vangelis - Blade Runner Soundtrack (Pre-Order)
8. In The Groove Vinyl Record Cleaner
9. Yes - Going For The One
10. Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon

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from TheOmegaOrder.com

Top 5 Best Sellers

1. HALO 4 - Original Soundtrack (Limited/Numbered Special Edition Boxset)
2. AGALLOCH - Pale Folklore
3. OBTEST - Is Kartos I Karta (ltd. ed. A5 digibook)
4. SIGH - Gallows Gallery (T-shirt)
5. 16 - Bridges To Burn
 

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Vinyl Record News & Music Notes



Music History - March 26th

highlights:

In 1970, "Woodstock" opened in movie theaters throughout North America.  Entertainment Weekly called this film the benchmark of concert movies and one of the most entertaining documentaries ever made.

In 1975, the movie musical "Tommy," directed by Ken Russell and based on the Who album of the same name, premiered in London, starring Who lead singer Roger Daltrey in the title role, Ann-Margret, Jack Nicholson, Elton John, and Tina Turner.

In 2005, Australian drummer Paul Hester died aged 46, after he "attempted suicide" and died from strangulation after being found hanged in a park in Melbourne. He had been a member of Crowded House, Split Enz and Largest Living Things. After leaving Crowded House in 1994 Hester appeared on many TV and radio shows in Australia.



March 26th birthdays include - Diana Ross (69), Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) (65) and Kenny Chesney (45)












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from our friends at Exhibit Records

Chet Atkins and Les Paul - Chester & Lester

Exhibit Records is proud to present:

"a vividly spontaneous interchange of ideas (and ingenuity) between Chet Atkins and Les Paul."

Chester & Lester was probably the only jam session record to win a Grammy™. Today, such an album would merely seem like clever marketing: two virtuosos from different genres, country and pop, joining forces. Not so in 1976. Truth was, Chet Atkins and Les Paul had way more in common than many realized. Each made groundbreaking records that put electric guitars on the map and influenced the sound of rock. Both experimented with electronics. The electric guitar models named for both men over half a century ago are considered classics, still produced today by the same companies. Three decades can't diminish Chester & Lester's wonderfully free musical and personal interplay. On record, their divergent personalities were reflected in their verbal bantering, Chet's taciturn personality and dry humor a terrific foil for Les's ornery schoolkid exuberance. It was something both admired about the record.  

Side One:
        It's Been A Long Time
        Out of Nowhere
        Medley: Moonglow/Picnic (Theme from "Picnic")
        Caravan
        It Had To Be You
 Side Two:
        Avalon
        Birth of the Blues
        Someday Sweetheart
        Deed I Do
        Lover Come Back To Me 

MUSICIANS:

Chet Atkins - guitar
Les Paul - guitar
Randy Goodrum - piano
Henry Strzelecki or Bob Moore - bass
Larrie Londin - drums
Paul Yandell, Ray Edenton, or Bobby Thompson - rhythm guitar

Recorded in RCA's "Nashville Sound" Studios, Nashville, Tennessee

Mastered for this LP by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio

Buy at Exhibit Records

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Todd Rundgren on His Frustration With the Music Industry: 'I'm Not a One-Hit Wonder As Some Suggest'







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Don't Call It a Comeback: New York's Vinyl Resurgence








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Alice Cooper and Tom Sheppard Use Kickstarter for Horror Comic Series






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25 Albums You Should Own on Vinyl











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25 Ways to Have Fun with Album Covers








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Direct-to-Vinyl Recording Makes a Comeback




 

Monday, March 25, 2013

New Music Releases - March 26, 2013







Alex Calder - Time
Amaranthe - The Nexus
Blake Shelton - Based on a True Story …
Bon Jovi - Icon
CHVRCHES - Recover (EP)
Caravels - Lacuna
Cerrone - Underworld: Anthology
Cnoc An Tursa - The Giants of Auld
Conditions - Full of War
Country Joe and the Fish - Electric Music for the Mind and Body (reissue)
Crime & The City Solution - American Twilight
DJ Koze - Amygdala
Dan Michaelson and the Coastguards - Blindspot
Dark Sermon - In Tongues
Dengue Fever - In the Key Lines 
Denise LaSalle - Making A Good Thing Better: The Complete Westbound Singles 1970-76
Depeche Mode - Delta Machine (vinyl)
Diamond Version - EP4 (12")
Dido - Girl Who Got Away
Donovan Wood - Don’t Get Too Grand
Finntroll - Blodsvept
Fuzztones - Snake Oil
Gamma Ray - Master of Confusion (EP)
Gene Clark - Here Tonight: The White Light Demos
Grateful Dead - Go to Heaven (reissue) (vinyl)
Hot As Sun - Night Time Sound Desire
Hum - You'd Prefer an Astronaut (reissue) (vinyl)
Hypocrisy - End of Disclosure
Iron Maiden - Maiden England ’88‘ (DVD) (CD) (vinyl)
James Ferraro - Cold 
Jimmy Cliff - Icon
John Zorn - Mysteries
Julian Eastman - The Julius Eastman Memory Depot
Julian Lynch - Lines
Jungle Rot - Terror Regime
Kvelertak - Meir
Lapalux - Nostalchic
Lapland - Lapland
Lil Wayne - I Am Not a Human Being II
Little Green Cars - Absolute Zero
Maggie Rose - Cut to Impress
Melanie Amaro - Truly
Mwahaha - Mwahaha
OneRepublic - Native
Primitives - Everything's Shining Bright: Lazy Recordings
Sade - X2: Soldiers of Love / Diamond Life
Saxon - Sacrifice
Sebastian Bach - ABachalypse Now (live CD/DVD)
Senses Fail - Renacer
Sevendust - Black Out The Sun
Simple Minds - Celebrate: Greatest Hits
Skizzy Mars - Phases 
Smoke Fairies  Blood Speaks
Stephen Stills - Carry On (4-CD box set)
Steve Forbert - Alive On Arrival / Jack Rabbit Slim (Special Anniversary Edition)
Strokes - Comedown Machine
Stryper - Second Coming
Suicidal Tendencies - 13
Tartufi - These Factory Days
The Black Lillies - Runaway Freeway Blues
The Color Morale - Know Hope
The Horrors - Higher (2CD) (4LP) (DVD box set)
The Milk Carton Kids - The Ash and Clay
The Waterboys - Appointment with Mr. Yeats (reissue)
Thompson Square - Just Feels Good
Tool - Opiate (reissue) 
Twinstar - The Sound Of Leaving
Tyga - Hotel California
Van Halen - Studio Albums 1978-1984 (1st six albums boxed)
Various Artists - Finders Keepers: Motown Girls 1961-67
Warm Soda - Someone For You
Wavves - Afraid of Heights
Wax Idols - Discipline + Desire
Wendy and Lisa - Wendy & Lisa
Wire - Change Becomes Us
Y La Bamba - Oh February

Vinyl Record News & Music Notes


from PolyVinylRecords.com

Saturday Looks Good To Me & Love Will Find You LPs 
 
After years of being out of print, Saturday Looks Good To Me's self-titled debut album is now on vinyl once again -- this time on blue vinyl in a hand silk-screened jacket.

This release, which is limited to 500 copies, also includes five bonus tracks not found on the original pressing.

Get it HERE



We're also excited to announce the first ever vinyl pressing of SLGTM's third album, Love Will Find You -- also limited to 500 copies in hand silk-screened jackets.

Pressed on beautiful red vinyl, Love Will Find You was the group's first record to feature a full band sound of the kind that would be featured on future releases.

Get it HERE




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like what they are doing, take a listen to the bands and support them!

Small Plastic Songs Features Skullsquadron, Ya Aha, The Aerotrope Guild, Restless Leg

Small Plastic Songs’ is the first release from new boutique vinyl label Record Collective Limited and is an eclectic release featuring new singles from the forthcoming debut albums of four of Sydney’s most promising up and comers.

The four songs on the split ep share an ethos but little more, the result being a diverse, punchy compilation.

Side A features a sonic journey through 90’s inspired sound bending of Wind Shear by Skullsquadron, and an aggressive punk classic in waiting in How The Land Became Plastic by Ya Aha.

Side B features the ethereal down-tempo Time Speeds by The Aerotrope Guild, and the sunny jangle of Two Sides by Restless Leg.

The Record Collective Limited (RCL) exists because the music business is broken. RCL aims to facilitate boutique, short run releases made by and with cool bands and artists, and takes its inspiration from legendary DIY record labels like Merge, Flying Nun, Siltbreeze, and Half A Cow.

www.facebook.com/restlesslegband
soundcloud.com/theaerotropeguild

facebook.com/pages/YA-AHA/141265890946

facebook.com/pages/Skullsquadron

The record is available HERE

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Record Store Day: Guide to Hard Rock + Metal

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Emerson, Lake & Palmer Announce Record Store Day Exclusive Box Set





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Record Store Day: Guide to Classic Rock Releases





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ZZ Top Announce 2013 North American Tour






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'Sgt. Pepper' Auction: Autographed Beatles Album Bidding Exceeds Expectations by $80K







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and some eeire album cover art to start the week



CRITICAL SOLUTION: Debut Album Details Revealed
















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Strychnia Reveals "Reanimated Monstrosity" EP Artwork
 

Friday, March 22, 2013

Music Record Shop Weekly



Welcome to the new weekly feature (look for it every Friday) called MusicRecordShop Weekly.  Here we take a look at new releases and some hard to find vinyl that will easily satisfy even the most serious record collectors.  Here's five that we think you will enjoy:

1. Jamiroquai - Emergency On Planet Earth

Supercar lover and showman Jay Kay started Jamiroquai in Manchester during the early nineties, seeing their debut Emergency On Planet Earth receive massive amounts of critical and public acclaim.

Backed by an incredibly tight band, Jamiroquai delivered a Stevie Wonder-esque brand of highly infectious and addictive Funk with a capital F. So infectious in fact, it became a Pop staple almost overnight.

Having amassed a huge fanbase in the UK, the popularity of this horde of planet savers spread worldwide over their subsequent two albums.
  • Label Music On Vinyl
  • 180 Gram Vinyl Records - 2-LP - Sealed
  • PRINTED INNERSLEEVES
  • REMASTERED AUDIO 
Track Listing
LP1
1. When You Gonna Learn?
2. Too Young To Die
3. Hooked Up
4. If I Like It, I Do It
5. Music Of The Mind

LP2
1. Emergency On Planet Earth
2. Whatever It Is, I Just Can't Stop
3. Blow Your Mind
4. Revolution 1993
5. Didgin' Out

Order HERE

 

2. Jamiroquai - Return Of The Space Cowboy

Best selling sophomore albums are one of the music industry's rarest gems. One example of such a gem is Jamiroquai's second album Return Of The Space Cowboy. Improving on their infectious blend of funky R&B and Acid Jazz, Jamiroquai delivered Return Of The Space Cowboy in 1994, hitting the charts with a vengeance and amassing global recognition as THE leading Pop Funk band. Incredibly groovy and tight, Jamiroquai expanded their compositions into the realms of Jazz and this was accompanied by a positive but critical message regarding human rights and environmental issues. The hits "Space Cowboy" and "Light Years" propelled Return Of The Space Cowboy into all-time favourite status among alternative Pop lovers all over the world. Now with enhanced, remastered audio.
  • Label Music On VInyl
  • 180 Gram Vinyl Records - 2-LP - Sealed
  • PRINTED INNER SLEEVES
  • REMASTERED AUDIO
Track Listing
LP1
1. Just Another Story
2. Stillness In Time
3. Half The Man
4. Light Years
5. Manifest Destiny

LP2
1. The Kids
2. Mr Moon
3. Scam
4. Journey To Arnhemland
5. Morning Glory
6. Space Cowboy

Order HERE



3. Jamiroquai - Traveling Without Moving

Travelling Without Moving [1996] intentionally offers more of what Jamiroquai does best: highly addictive funky grooves with a social consciousness that is matched by front man Jay Kay's charisma. The third effort of Jamiroquai was carried by an inventive video for "Virtual Insanity"; the album's flagship song. Pressed on two heavy weight champions packed in a gatefold sleeve, Travelling Without Moving is finally available on vinyl again, this time with remastered audio for maximum aural pleasure!
  • Label Music On Vinyl
  • 180 Gram Vinyl Records - 2-LP - Sealed
  • PRINTED INNER SLEEVES
  • REMASTERED AUDIO
Track Listing
LP1
1. Virtual Insanity
2. Cosmic Girl
3. Use The Force
4. Everyday
5. Alright
6. High Times
7. Drifting Along
8. Didjerama

LP2
1. Didjital Vibrations
2. Travelling Without Moving
3. You Are My Love
4. Spend A Lifetime
5. Do You Know Where Youre Coming From?
6. Funktion (Ruff Mix)

Order HERE



4. Raveonettes - Pretty In Black

The second full-length album of Danish Fifties/Psych Pop duo The Raveonettes was released in 2005. On Pretty In Black, Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo abandoned the strict recording rules the band laid upon themselves on their preceding efforts (including limiting the amount of different chords in one song, keeping an entire album in one tuning - which was in fact B Flat Major for The Chain Gang Of Love and keeping song running times under three minutes. Instead, the group further expand on their signature sound of Fifties inspired Rockabilly Noise Pop with the eerie feel of a thriller movie soundtrack.

Special appearances on this album are made by Maureen Tucker of Velvet Underground on drums, Martin Rev on drum machine and Ronnie Spector, also known as Veronica Bennett of the fabulous
Ronettes on backup vocals.
  • Label Music On Vinyl
  • 180 Gram Vinyl Record - LP - Sealed
  • Limited Edition - 1000
  • Colored Vinyl - Pink/Black Marbled
  • Numbered

Track Listing
LP1
1. The Heavens
2. Seductress of Bums
3. Love in a Trashcan
4. Sleepwalking
5. Uncertain Times
6. My Boyfriend's Back
7. Here Comes Mary
8. Red Tan
9. Twilight
10. Somewhere in Texas
11. You Say You Lie
12. Ode to L.A.
13. If I Was Young

Order HERE




5. Steve Hackett - Genesis Revisited II

If you love quality rock music, then you will certainly have heard Steve Hackett's work on some of the greatest songs of the past four decades. Whether with Genesis, GTR or on his solo output, the man has been a giant of the prog genre. The success he enjoyed with Genesis on six acclaimed studio albums allowed Hackett to subsequently become a consummate and powerful artist in his own right. All you have to do is check out the breadth and depth of the music on his solo records to appreciate that the man has grasped the opportunity to be in control of his own destiny. To create impassioned music that has never become rooted in clichés or stuck in a rut. His latest album basks in the title of 'Genesis Revisited II'. A follow-up to 1996's 'Genesis Revisited', as the title suggests, it sees the guitarist reinterpreting the golden era of the great band - one in which he was crucially involved - while also remaining true to the original spirit which produced such a remarkable string of timeless songs. "This time around, I've tried to satisfy what everyone wants, including myself. Initially, I was thinking of just going for the best songs not featured on the first album. But then people thought I should do those tracks where the guitar was emphasized. So, I've done both. I've also included four songs, which have Genesis connections, where the song was written originally for the band, or rehearsed by them. For instance, there's 'Please Don't Touch', which I wrote for Genesis, but eventually ended up recording myself."
  • LABEL CENTURY MEDIA
  • VINYL RECORDS - 4-LP + CD - SEALED
  • Import 2012 (White Vinyl)
TRACK LISTING
1. Chamber Of 32 Doors
2. Horizons
3. Supper's Ready
4. The Lamia
5. Dancing With The Moonlit Knight
6. Fly On A Windshield
7. Broadway Melody Of 1974
8. The Musical Box
9. Can-Utility And The Coastliners
10. Please Don't Touch

1. Blood On The Rooftops
2. The Return Of The Giant Hogweed
3. Entangled
4. Eleventh Earl Of Mar
5. Ripples
6. Unquiet Slumbers For The Sleepers...
7. ...In That Quiet Earth
8. Afterglow
9. A Tower Struck Down
10. Camino Royale
11. Shadow Of The Hierophant

Order HERE



Musicology 101

We also want to have a little fun, so here are some rock and roll nuggets so you can win at music trivia games and become a top musicologist!


The husband and wife song-writing team of Felice and Boudleaux Byant have said that they wrote the Everly Brothers' 1958 number one hit "All I Have To Do Is Dream" in about 15 minutes.

According to legend, to add the authentic sound of a motorcycle engine to The Shangri-Las' "Leader Of The Pack", one was driven through the lobby of the hotel and up to the floor of the recording studio.

However, in an interview four decades later, Shangri-Las lead singer Mary Weiss scoffed at this story and said that the motorcycle sound was simply taken from an effects record.

Bobby "Boris" Pickett, who topped the Billboard Pop chart in 1962 with "The Monster Mash", once had his tour bus break down outside of a town called Frankenstein, Missouri. No, really!

When asked about their controversial hit song "One Toke Over The Line" during an interview with Brewer and Shipley, they said that "toke" had nothing to do with marijuana, but meant token or ticket. Hence the line about "sittin' downtown in a railway station."

The recording of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" that appears on the album was meant to be a soundcheck while the band waited for the arrival of their producer. When the rehearsal was completed, it was agreed that another take was not needed.

While The Byrds were debating possible titles for their ninth album, producer Terry Melcher filled out the record company's official label sheet, writing the placeholder (Untitled) in a box specifying the album's name. Without anyone associated with the band realizing, Columbia Records went ahead and pressed the LP, calling it "Untitled."

It was during his time with The Yardbirds, 1963-65, that Eric Clapton acquired his nickname, Slowhand. Whenever Clapton broke a guitar string, he would immediately stop playing and start restringing his guitar. The crowds would often start a slow handclap until he had his guitar restrung and could resume playing.

When The Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia heard the finished tape of The Jefferson Airplane's newest album, he remarked "Sounds like a surrealistic pillow," and the album's name was born.   The LP contained the hit single "White Rabbit," which peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.  "Somebody to Love" was also a track on the influential album and Rolling Stone magazine ranked  Airplane's version #274 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.