Album Review by Michael Fremer

Projections (reissue)
The Blues Project

Verve/Folkways/Sundazed LP 5317 LP
Produced by: Tom Wilson
Engineered by: Val Valentin (director of engineering)
Mixed by: N/A
Mastered by: Bob Irwin
Lacquer cut by: WG at Nashville Record Productions

Music

Sound





Sundazed Issues Rare Mono Mix of Blues Project Classic

by Michael Fremer
August 01, 2010

The forced revisiting of old, long neglected favorites is one of the great benefits of reviewing reissues. I hadn’t played this chestnut for years, maybe decades and never in the mono mix since by then stereo ruled—at least for me and a small minority of other kids.

I was obsessed back then to find the stereo mixes of everything, not realizing that mono was better for many recordings, like the early Dylans, Stones and Beatles albums, among others.

It wasn’t easy finding stereo releases of rock records in the early to mid sixties. Even at Sam Goody's in Valley Stream, where I used to drive to from Queens as soon as I got my license, didn’t have such a great selection of stereo rock releases. Those that they did have were all segregated in an obscurely placed bin.

I found this one there in stereo in 1966 and so never heard the mono mix. The weird thing is, I just went to look for the stereo original that I know I had and it wasn’t there. It could have been misfiled, which means I may not find it for years. So I can’t compare this to the stereo original. How many times have I seen the stereo original at record conventions for a few bucks and not picked it up because I thought I had it? Don’t ask!

In any case, this Sid Bernstein managed band (well, at least he wrote the liner notes that spelled “Ithaca” “Ithica”) brought Al Koope to the attention of many rock fans (well his face, anyway since no names are included on the jacket), though of course by then he’d played organ on Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited due to a combination of being in the right place at the right time (he was invited to observe by then-producer of the album Tom Wilson who went on to produce this album but not the Dylan album) and Balls with a capital “B.”

Dylan wanted an organ part “Like a Rolling Stone” and Kooper fibbed that he had one. Dylan loved what he came up with and the rest is history of which 100% of kids who bought this album were unaware.

When this, their second album was recorded, the band consisted of Danny Kalb (guitar), Steve Katz (guitar), Andy Kulberg (bass, flute), Roy Blumenfeld (drums) and Kooper on organ and most vocals. For some of us from Queens (Kooper grew up literally around the corner from me), it was clear that these boys had “Yiddische kups” or as Jaime Pressly so famously said it on The Howard Stern Show a few years ago, they had been “slapped a Yarmulke.” This made many of us very proud.

The eclectic album features a catchy hard-blues opener, a dramatically tuneful “Steve’s Song” (by Katz) that resembles something Tim Buckley might have penned, a decent cover of Chuck Berry’s “You Can’t Catch Me,” and a long, extended Kooper blues extravaganza pulled from Muddy’s “Two Trains Running” that these young suburbanites pull off surprisingly well thanks to Kalb’s guitar wizardry and Kooper’s soulful singing.

Side two follows side one’s formula starting with another uptempo blues romp, “Wake Me, Shake Me” arranged by Kooper followed by Bob Lind’s tuneful pop confection “Cheryl’s Going Home.” But then the group hits a breezy, jazzy stride with Kooper’s “Flute Thing,” which holds up remarkably well all these years later and presages his turn to jazz with Blood Sweat and Tears. Speaking of which Jimmy Reed’s “Caress Me Baby” sounds like it informs “Something’s Going On” from the first BS&T album. The closer “Fly Away,” another Reed tune is done as a folksy, jazzy shuffle with a lonesome echo drenched harmonica part.

This is a relatively long and ambitious production packed with good tunes and even better playing. Few albums from that period were as eclectic, with nods to jazz, blues, folk and even early psychedelia. As for the production, well, it’s not great and nothing Sundazed could do would make it better. The sound is kind of hard and high frequency limited with a slightly metallic aftertaste, though a few tunes are better than others and overall it’s not offensive sounding.

I can’t remember the stereo mix but the mono works really well to fill out and strengthen a somewhat weak recording. If you remember this and you copy disappeared in a cannabis haze or your roommate or ex-wife took it, you’ll enjoy the reconnect. If you’re too young for that, you might enjoy hearing when youngsters could really play the blooze.

Thanks to Michael over at http://www.musicangle.com  for the exclusive rights to reprint this material.

Copyright © 2008 MusicAngle.com & Michael Fremer - All rights reserved Reprinted by Permission

Music News & Notes

Elvis Receives Five More RIAA Certificates

Five, count them, five more RIAA gold and platinum records were presented on August 14 during Elvis Presley Week in Memphis. The certificates were earned over the last year but were officially given to the estate of Presley during the annual week saluting his life and career. The presentation was part of Conversations With Elvis at the Orpheum Theater.

The new certificates were for:

•Aloha From Hawaii Deluxe Edition DVD received multi-platinum certification (4X)

•Elvis '68 Comeback- Special Edition DVD received multi-platinum certification (2X)

•50 Greatest Love Songs received gold multi-disc set certification

•The Essential Elvis received gold multi-disc set status

•Blue Christmas received platinum album certification

Presley had previously earned 151 other gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards from the RIAA.

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Third Man Releases Two New Conan O’Brien Albums

Conan O’Brien and Jack White’s Third Man Records are releasing not one, but two new pieces of vinyl that the comedian made on a June stopover in Nashville. The label has announced last Wednesday that “Conan O’Brien Live at Third Man” and a spoken-word 7-inch recording “And They Call Me Mad?” are now available at Third Man’s website.

The rockabilly-flavored live show includes a duet with White of Eddie Cochran’s “20 Flight Rock” while the 7-inch is a spoken-word improvisation of the Frankenstein legend. The B side is White’s interview of O’Brien.

O’Brien has spent the summer on his “Legally Prohibited From Being Funny On Television Tour” and his new show on TBS kicks off in November.

http://www.thirdmanrecords.com/

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Eric Clapton to Release New Album Clapton Sept. 28

Eric Clapton is scheduled to release his 19th solo album, simply called 'Clapton,' on September 28, 2010. It' will be his first solo album since the 2005 CD 'Back Home.' The 14-track set was co-produced by Clapton and his longtime collaborator Doyle Bramhall II. J.J. Cale also joins Clapton on the album as does legendary drummer Jim Keltner. In addition, there are guest appearances from Sheryl Crow, Derek Trucks, Steve Winwood, Wynton Marsalis, and Allen Toussaint.

Clapton and Crow have often teamed up on stage at various performances and reportedly had a personal relationship at one point. Clapton and Winwood were both in the band Blind Faith and recently did a string of dates together. Derek Trucks Band has also toured with Clapton and performed at his annual concert to benefit the Crossroads Treatment Center he helped found in Antigua.

The record mixes covers of older and obscure traditional and country-blues songs as well as a handful of new original tunes penned specifically for the album.

"This album wasn’t what it was intended to be at all," he said. "It’s actually better than it was meant to be because, in a way, I just let it happen. It’s an eclectic collection of songs that weren’t really on the map—and I like it so much because if it’s a surprise to the fans, that’s only because it’s a surprise to me, as well."

Lovers of Covers

Iconic Rock ’n' Roll Images

By Ann Taylor (Aug 19, 2010)


Photo by Laura Brown

Before MP3s, CDs, cassette tapes, and even 8-tracks, there was vinyl. And during the reign of vinyl, album covers were high art, often rivaling the very music they encased.

Annie Liebovitz, Robert Mapplethorpe, H.R. Giger, even Andy Warhol have put their hand to the design of album covers, the large format providing a perfect canvas for some of the most well-known images in the world.

But one of the most lasting impressions has been left by Storm Thorgerson, the man behind Pink Floyd album covers since 1968 — including the iconic Dark Side of the Moon — as well as covers for Led Zeppelin, Peter Gabriel, Steve Miller Band, Black Sabbath, and the Cranberries, among others. Currently showing at the San Francisco Art Exchange’s Lovers of Covers show are more than sixty prints of his celebrated works and several originals.

While Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon cover is undoubtedly Thorgerson’s most famous work, and perhaps the most famous album cover of all time, it is not particularly representative of his typical visual style — Lovers of Covers allows viewers to see that work within the broader context of Thorgerson’s overall ouevre.

Typical of Thorgerson’s work is a surreal, dreamlike quality as well as odd juxtapositions of objects in expansive landscapes, creating quite dramatic compositions, such as the cover for Disco Biscuit’s Planet Anthem. Four women, carefully wrapped in brown butcher paper and tied with string, are ranged across a sandy beach. Like packages of meat at the supermarket, their wrapped forms are inert yet promising, set off dramatically against a cloudless sky as a white sheet floats gently in the breeze.

Along similar lines is the art for The Cranberry’s Bury the Hatchet album, in which a lone naked man cowers in the desert, tiny mesas visible in the far distance behind him, a giant eye staring at him from above. The flatness of the desert and the expansiveness of the clear sky emphasize his nakedness, his vulnerability to the all-seeing eye. These Magritte-esque images seem to tap into nightmare worlds, framing them in desolation and unexpected blue skies.

Even Thorgerson’s more simple images reflect an unexpected complexity and masterful composition. The cover for Pink Floyd’s Ummagumma, for instance, looks, on the surface, like a picture of the band members casually relaxing in a doorway — scruffy, barefoot rock ’n’ rollers sitting around on a warm summer day. Yet, a second look reveals that the frame to the left of guitarist David Gilmour, who is slumped on a stool in the foreground, is a repeat of the same scene, stretching on into infinity like a reflection of a reflection in a mirror.

An even closer examination discloses a subtle change in each subsequent reframing of the scene: the band members are switching positions. Roger Waters now sits slumped on Gilmour’s stool, Nick Mason has taken Waters’ old position on the floor with knees bent, Richard Wright assumes Mason’s former standing pose with arms akimbo, and Gilmour now scissors his legs in the air in the background, where Wright is in the larger frame. And so on. It is little surprises like these that make even the mundane remarkable in Thorgerson’s work.

However, his covers are not just interesting but empty images; they also tend to point to an idea, a story, or even a joke (see the Steve Miller Band’s Let Your Hair Down, Baby cover). Most, if not all, of Thorgerson’s breathtaking compositions are backed by thoughtful concepts, and depict visual representations of those concepts, such as the artwork for The Mars Volta’s Frances the Mute album or Pink Floyd’s Delicate Sound of Thunder — you can read about them for yourself at the show.

Forty years of rock ’n’ roll history is bound up in stunning visuals in Lovers of Covers, reminding us of the power of the image even in the world of music. This show is not to be missed.

San Francisco Art Exchange
Through September 15th
Free
SF Station: Lovers of Covers

Ask Mr. Music by Jerry Osborne

FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 16, 2010


DEAR JERRY: Is there a simple, non-technical explanation as to why vinyl sounds richer than the same music played on CD or in a digital format?
—Alex Rausch, Grapevine, Tex.

DEAR ALEX: The simplest, non-technical explanation is IT JUST DOES!

Okay, I suspect you want something just a wee bit more technical.

When plastic records are stamped, embedded in the grooves is the full reproduction waveform of the original master recording.

This analog waveform is picked up by a stylus-cartridge, or phonograph needle, then sent to an audio amplifier which drives the speakers.

In the simple analog process, virtually no information (sound) is lost, presumably making the output as rich and warm as the original session itself. From start to finish everything is analog.

Digital recordings provide several advantages over analog, especially when it comes to editing and restoration; however, faithfully reproducing sound is not one of them.

This shortcoming is inherent because the digital sampling rate is predictably unable to keep pace with the rapidly changing inks and oinks, or varying tones, of the recording.

Ultimately, the job of those digital players is to convert the signals to analog anyway, then feed it to an amplifier and speaker system.

The loss is even more understandable for audio originally in analog then converted to digital, only to be returned to analog for playback.

In summary, changing horses midstream is rarely a good idea.




DEAR JERRY: I have read online that the Beatles and Elvis both had No. 1 hits on Cash Box that perhaps only made it to No. 2 on Billboard.

I have the Billboard list, but would like to know their No. 1 songs on Cash Box only. Then the sum of the two would be the grand total.
—Roy McMillan, Lincoln, Neb.

DEAR ROY: Good question, one we have never been asked. Here they are, with Billboard's peak number in parenthesis:

For the Beatles, “Twist and Shout” (BB#2) and “Yellow Submarine” (BB#2), making their total 22.

For Presley, “Return to Sender” (BB#2); “In the Ghetto” (BB#3); and “Burning Love” (BB#2), making his total 21.

And there you have the all-time top two artists in almost every category.









DEAR JERRY: You recent column about answer songs got me thinking about two that I have never been able to find, or even get the details for.

They are the ones that came out in answer to “Big Bad John” (Jimmy Dean) and “Girl on the Billboard” (Del Reeves).

Any assistance will be appreciated.
—Gordon G. Sharp, Greenfield, Wisc.


DEAR GORDON: At the time “Big Bad John” was No. 1 (December 1961), “Small Sad Sam,” by Phil McLean (Versatile 107) made its chart debut. Eventually it would be in the Top 25, which is very good for a response record.

It may seem like splitting hairs, but “Small Sad Sam” is not really an answer song. Obviously inspired by Jimmy Dean's hit, and with similar orchestration, it is a completely different story and in no way answers anything. It is simply a parody.

In 1962, Jimmy himself issued two sequels to “Big Bad John.” In chapter two, “The Cajun Queen” picks up where John and Queenie left off. Chapter three is “Little Bitty Big John,” the first-born son of this happy New Orleans couple with 110 grandchildren.

Both a Pop and Country hit in 1965, “Girl on the Billboard” (United Artists 824) motivated Del Reeves' label mate Joyce Paul to record a real answer song.

A few months later, Joyce's reply, “I'm the Girl on the Billboard” (United Artists 902) came out.


IZ ZAT SO? The girl on the billboard in these songs is the young lady in widespread Coppertone suntan oil ads at the time, seen in the print media as well as on billboards.

Because a playful dog is pulling her shorts, or towel, down, the difference between the tanned and pale portions of her back side are unmistakable.

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 2010 Osborne Enterprises- Reprinted By Permission

Museum Acquires Storied Trove of Performances by Jazz Greats

By LARRY ROHTER

For decades jazz cognoscenti have talked reverently of “the Savory Collection.” Recorded from radio broadcasts in the late 1930s by an audio engineer named William Savory, it was known to include extended live performances by some of the most honored names in jazz — but only a handful of people had ever heard even the smallest fraction of that music, adding to its mystique.

After 70 years that wait has now ended. This year the National Jazz Museum in Harlem acquired the entire set of nearly 1,000 discs, made at the height of the swing era, and has begun digitizing recordings of inspired performances by Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Bunny Berigan, Harry James and others that had been thought to be lost forever. Some of these remarkable long-form performances simply could not fit on the standard discs of the time, forcing Mr. Savory to find alternatives. The Savory Collection also contains examples of underappreciated musicians playing at peak creative levels not heard anywhere else, putting them in a new light for music fans and scholars.

Read the rest here: www.nytimes.com

Legendary Record Store Fat Beats Closes Retail Locations

Yet another legendary music retailer is preparing to shut its doors.

Hip-hop vinyl retailer/distributor Fat Beats announced the closing of its last two retail stores in New York and Los Angeles today, shutting doors on a hip-hop institution that championed independent music and culture for more than 16 years.

Though Fat Beats will continue business as an online retailer and record label, the closing of its retail shops marks the true end of an era. Fat Beats was at once a performance space and sanctuary for hip-hop heads, hosting countless in-store appearances and ciphers.

"The closing of Fat Beats is just like one of my friends passing away," lamented DJ Premier. "They promoted vinyl at its highest degree for the culture of good music and that makes it more difficult to say goodbye." The shop also employed future industry leaders, MC's, DJ's and producers, from DJ Eclipse, DJ Eli, Babu, J.Rocc and Rhettmatic to Ill Bill, Breeze Brewin and Cipha Sounds.

"Anyone that's ever been to Fat Beats knows that it was much more then a record store," longtime manager and underground hip hop king DJ Eclipse told The BoomBox. "Other places claim to host 'where hip-hop lives,' but we really did live, eat and breathe Hip Hop. It was a meeting place for artists, DJs and customers alike. We took pride in promoting and pushing the indie artist that the average person may not have known about. Unfortunately in these times we are suffering from both the state of the music business and the economy. As sad as I am to see the retail portion of the company close I'll always remember the great in-stores we had here and fun times working with the staff."

While Fat Beats owner Joe Abajian claims to be "exploring options for alternate retail locations in the future," and the label will continue to release albums by its artists, including Black Milk, Ill Bill, Tru Master & KRS-One, former Fat Beats A&R Bill Sharp contends that the retail store's closing is indicative of a much larger issue for record sales.

"Record stores -- especially vinyl-driven shops like Fat Beats -- had the power to validate new artists and act as an incubator for new acts to grow into something bigger," Sharp told The BoomBox. "They also acted as community centers where people could meet each other and find out what else is going on within that scene or subculture. Now all of that has migrated to the internet and it's really sad."

"Stores with very storied pasts are closing all over the world, and at an unforgiving pace," Sharp continued. "There used to be over a dozen great shops in London's Soho district, and now there are only a couple. In New York City, even a few years ago, there used to be specialty stores all over the East Village that sold reggae or house or drum&bass or all of the above -- they're all gone."

Visit Fat Beats and support your favorite artists while you still can. Fat Beats NYC closes doors Sept. 4. The Los Angeles location closes on Sept. 18.

SOURCE: http://www.theboombox.com/

This Date In Music Histoyr - August 19

Birthdays:

Don Fardon ("Indian Reservation") is 67

Ginger Baker - Cream (1940)

Johnny Nash - 1972 #1 single "I Can See Clearly Now" (1940)



Roger Cook - Blue Mink (1940)

Billy J Kramer (1943)

Ian Gillan - Deep Purple (1945)

Deana (Dina) Martin - Singer, actor, daughter of Dean Martin (1948)

John Deacon - Queen (1951)

Joey Tempest - Europe (1963)

Lee Ann Womack (1966)

Missy Higgins - Australian singer-songwriter (1983)

Lil’ Romeo (1989)


They Are Missed:

Rockabilly singer Dorsey Burnette died from a heart attack at his home in Canoga Park, California in 1979.

Soul singer Betty Everett died in 2001 (age 61). She had the 1964 US #6 single "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss')."

Saxophonist LeRoi Moore, a founding member of the Dave Matthews Band, died in 2008 (age 46). Publicist Ambrosia Healy said he died from injuries sustained in a vehicle accident in June on his Virginia farm.

Wayne Wadhams, lead singer of the Fifth Estate ("Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead") died in 2008.


History:

Pat Boone appeared on the cover of Newsweek magazine in 1957.

In 1964, The Beatles kicked off a North American tour at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California, to a crowd of 17,130. Playing 12 songs which made up their repertoire for the entire tour: ‘Twist and Shout’, ‘You Can't Do That’, ‘All My Loving’, ‘She Loves You’, ‘Things We Said Today’, ‘Roll Over Beethoven’, ‘Can't Buy Me Love’, ‘If I Fell’, ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’, ‘Boys’, ‘A Hard Day's Night’, and ‘Long Tall Sally’. Supporting acts were The Righteous Brothers, The Bill Black Combo, The Exciters, and Jackie DeShannon.

The High Numbers, (The Who) played at The Scene in Soho London, England in 1964.

During a US tour in 1966, the Beatles appeared at the Sam Houston Coliseum, playing two shows to over 25,000 fans. Tickets cost $5.00.

The Beatles scored their 14th US #1 single in 1967 with "All You Need Is Love." Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Keith Moon, Graham Nash, Marianne Faithfull and Walker Brother Gary Leeds all sang backing vocals on the track.



The final "Monkees" TV show aired on NBC in 1968.

In 1969, Joni Mitchell, David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Jefferson Airplane all appeared on the ABC TV Dick Cavett Show from Television Center in New York City.

Led Zeppelin kicked off a North American tour at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, Canada in 1971. The band played to a sold out crowd of over 17,000 fans, another 3,000 fans outside the venue who didn't have tickets started a battle with local police.

Chicago started a nine-week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1972 with 'Chicago V'.

In 1972, NBC-TV presented "The Midnight Special" for the first time with John Denver as the first host.

A riot broke out in 1980 after Alice Cooper cancels a Toronto concert due to an asthma attack.

In 1988, "Crazy" by Patsy Cline, and Elvis Presley’s, "Hound Dog" were announced as the most played jukebox songs of the first hundred years. The jukebox had been around since 1906, but earlier models had been first seen in 1889.

In 1996, James Brown appeared in Montauk, New York, as part of his Back at the Ranch tour. Brown who had a history of beating his wife, offered money that was raised at the event to an anti-violence organization called The Retreat, but was turned down.

Fleetwood Mac's reunion album "The Dance" was released in 1997.

In 1999, Lauryn Hill won New Artist Of The Year and Album Of The Year at the US 'Source Hip Hop Music Awards' in Los Angeles. R. Kelly won R&B Artist of The Year; DMX won Artist Of The Year and solo and live performer Of The Year.

In 2003, a man from Nottinghamshire who sent threatening emails to S Club singer Tina Barrett was jailed for six months. 41 year-old Steven Hindley, showered the singer with roses, chocolates and teddy-bears. But when the messages were ignored, he began to mention threats to the band, including a potential sniper attack. One email begged Miss Barrett to visit him at his home, claiming he was the victim of an incurable brain-tumour and had just three weeks to live.

A suitcase thought to contain Beatles memorabilia and recordings discovered at an Australian flea market in 2004 turned out to be a hoax with many of the items mere photocopies or phonies. There are no recordings.

A life-size bronze statue designed by Paul Daly of Phil Lynott was unveiled on Harry Street in Dublin in 2005. The ceremony was attended by his former Thin Lizzy band members Gary Moore, Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham.



In 2006, VH1 Classic broadcasted the final episode of the legendary BBC music program Top Of The Pops with performances by the Rolling Stones and David Bowie. The program includes rare footage of John Lennon, T. Rex, U2, Elton John and Rod Stewart.

In 2007, the surviving founding members of Boston play Come Together, a concert in Beantown paying tribute to late frontman Brad Delp. Extreme and Godsmack (playing mostly acoustic) also perform. The show culminates with an introduction of the past and present Boston members in attendance and a performance of "Don't Look Back."

Elvis Presley went to #1 on the UK album chart in 2007 with 'The King.'

Lady Gaga's album "The Fame" was released in 2008.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum benefit begins in Cary, NC in 2008. Performing during the two-day event are Cream's Jack Bruce, Jefferson Starship, former Styx singer-keyboardist Dennis DeYoung and one-time Traffic guitarist Dave Mason. Concert proceeds also go to the John Entwistle Foundation, a charity named for the late Who bassist.

Music News & Notes

Cover Art of David Archuleta's 'Other Side of Down'

David Archuleta has revealed official cover art of the effort. The former "American Idol" contestant is seen sitting on a chair and smiling ear to ear in this artwork.

Led by single "Something 'Bout Love," 'The Other Side of Down' has been pushed back to October 5 after previously slated for September 14 U.S. release. The delay was made because he "would like to make sure he's delivering the best possible album and he needs just a little more time to do it."








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Courtney Love Settles Lawsuit Over Nirvana Publishing Sale

It appears that Courtney Love has settled a $1 million lawsuit over profits from her late husband Kurt Cobain's Nirvana catalogue. Bosses at management firm London & Co. sued Love in 2008, claiming she had failed to share the earnings from a sale of Nirvana's publishing rights.

The company head honchos claimed the sale was worth around $20 million. An Associated Press reports suggest attorneys for London & Co. and Love's legal team told a judge in Los Angeles last week, (August 11) that they had settled. The case was dismissed. Love has controlled many of the rights to Cobain and Nirvana's work since the rocker's suicide in 1994. No details of the settlement have been revealed.

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Slovenian Kings of Thrash NEGLIGENCE have revealed the artwork for their new album Coordinates Of Confusion!

Coordinates Of Confusion has been mixed by Ruzz (drums) in their own Negligence studio in late spring of 2010 and was mastered at West West Side Music in New York by Alan Douches. The band comments, "We're stunned by the result of the mixing and mastering and can't wait for you metal heads to hear it!"

Coordinates Of Confusion will be released October 12th, 2010 in North America.










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THE SORROW: New Album Artwork Unveiled

Austrian metalheads THE SORROW are set to release their third, self-titled album on October 29 via Drakkar Records. The follow-up to 2009's "Origin Of The Storm" was recorded at Principal Studios (DIE TOTEN HOSEN, IN EXTREMO) in Senden, Germany with producer Toni Meloni.

According to a press release, "The band have learned from the creative process of 'Origin Of The Storm', which was marked by tight schedules and high expectations. They have become totally independent in artistic terms, having embarked on a search to find themselves. The result? Their most impressive recording to date. 'The Sorrow' — the album — is unusual, courageous and oozes a musical atmosphere from the first to the last note which is unequalled in today's metal world.

The band's debut album, "Blessings from a Blackened Sky", was released in July 2007 via Drakkar Records.



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Huey Lewis and The News Album cover art

Here is the Huey Lewis and The News ‘Soulsville’ album cover art. The new album is set to be released on Nov. 2, 2010 on W.O.W. Records. This will be the first new release in nine years from the iconic rock band known for such signature hits as "The Power of Love," "The Heart of Rock & Roll" and "I Want a New Drug."

The highly-anticipated CD is a collection of covers of 1960s and 1970s Memphis Soul classics, from the legendary Stax Records, whose artists in its heyday included Isaac Hayes, Booker T & The MG’s, Otis Redding, and Sam & Dave among others. The multi-Grammy winning band recorded the album at the historic Ardent Studios in Memphis, TN.

In a statement, Huey Lewis said of the project, in which he collaborated with co-producer Jim Gaines (‘Sports,’ ‘Fore!’) who worked at Stax on many of the label’s iconic recordings: “We’re especially proud of the collection. There should be a number of surprises for everyone.”

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All That Remains' 'For We Are Many' Album Artwork Revealed

All That Remains have revealed the album cover for their upcoming fifth album, 'For We Are Many,' which is scheduled for release onOct. 12 from Prosthetic/Razor & Tie. The album was produced by Adam Dutkiewicz.

"I'm really proud of the artwork for this disc," vocalist Phil Labonte told Noisecreep about the album's cover design and concept. "I wanted it to be heavy and let the art speak for itself. That was part of the reason for leaving the name of the band off the cover."

Labonte continued, "This is the first time I've had the idea for a cover before we started. Other discs, I would tell the artist, 'I can tell ya what I don't want, but I can't tell ya what I want.' Travis Smith is really cool to work with. He'd done 'The Fall of Ideals,' so I knew him and he's great to work with. I'd told him what I wanted, and it came together pretty fast. Hope people dig it like we do."

New Music Releases ~ August 17, 2010

Here are the latest releases for this week. Lot's to choose from - Collecting Vinyl Records Blog Picks Are In Red.

 Support the Collecting Vinyl records (CVR) Blog by buying all your vinyl here:









Aerosmith - Live on Air
Alan Parsons Project - Tales of Mystery and Imagination (Vinyl)

Alice Cooper - A Fistful of Alice (2 LPs)(Vinyl)  Buy Alice Cooper Here

Alice Cooper is no stranger to the Friday Music label. As we continue to offer some of his greatest works through our extensive Alice Cooper 180 Gram Audiophile Series, we are so very proud now to announce his incredible concert recording A Fistful of Alice. This Capitol Records era album features all of his big hits including one of a kind workouts on "School's Out," "Eighteen," "Desperado," "Only Women Bleed," as well as later smashes like "Poison" and the rare studio track "Is Anyone Home?" Originally released as a CD and digital release only, we are doubly proud to be issuing this for the first time as a deluxe 2xLP Audiophile album! This limited edition album comes in a deluxe gatefold cover, which includes all of the original colorful graphics, plus the five star mastering from the original Guardian Records/Capitol Records tapes by Joe Reagoso (School's Out and Welcome to My Nightmare). Recorded at Sammy Hagar's Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Alice Cooper brings out his superstar rockstar friends for this historic live recording - how about Slash, Rob Zombie and Sammy Hagar! This music is extensive non-stop smashes, the band is killer, and the hard rock excitement is second to none. Alice Cooper's classic A Fistful of Alice, now on audiophile vinyl, will be one of the most anticipated limited edition releases this year!

American Hi-Fi - Fight the Frequency
Andrea Bocelli – Carmen: Duets and Arias
Antagonist - World In Decline
Antibalas - Who Is This America? (reissue with bonus track)
Arab Strap - Philophobia (remastered with bonus CD)
Arab Strap - The Week Never Starts Around Here (remastered with bonus CD)
Aretha Franklin - Best of (DVD/Quadraphonic) (Rhino Handmade Exclusive)
BXI - Boris & Ian Astbury
Baby Eagle - Dog Weather
Ben E. King - Original Album Series (5 CDs)
Benjy Davis Project - The Angie House/More Than Local (reissue)
Blondie - At the BBC (2 CDs)
Blossom Toes - This Is the Magic Mixture
Blossom Toes - We Are Ever So Clean

Brian Wilson – Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin  Buy Brian Wilson Here

Brian Wilson has re-recorded and re-imagined twelve classic songs from the Gershwin Brothers and completed two new Wilson/Gershwin compositions. The Gershwin estate gave Wilson access to rare, unfinished pieces of music by George Gershwin, with which Brian crafted collaborative compositions unlike anything the world has heard. Wilson chose to record George and Ira Gershwin songs because he considers the late composers of classics like "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Rhapsody in Blue" and "Summertime" as a critical influence on him. "I've always loved George Gershwin. The earliest music I remember hearing is 'Rhapsody in Blue,'" says Wilson, referring to Gershwin's groundbreaking 1924 orchestral piece. "Along with Irving Berlin, Gershwin basically invented the popular song, but he did something more. He had a gift for melody that nobody has ever equaled, yet his music is timeless and always accessible. This is the most spiritual project I've ever worked on."




Camu Tao - King of Hearts
Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band - Original Album Series (5 CDs)
Chief - Modern Rituals (vinyl)
Chocolate Milk - We're All In This Together / Milky Way
Ciara - Basic Instinct
Conrad Herwig - The Latin Side of Herbie Hancock
Crocodiles - Sleep Forever
Darker My Love - Alive As You Are (vinyl)
David Bowie - David Bowie (2 CDs)
David Gray – Foundling
Dolly Parton - The Fairest Of Them All: My Favorite Songwriter, Porter Wagoner
Dollyrots - Little Messed Up
Duke Robillard - Passport to the Blues

Eels - Tomorrow Morning (vinyl)   Buy Eels Music Here

Ennio Morricone - Le Clan Des Siciliens (vinyl)
Esperanza Spalding - Chamber Music Society
Everly Brothers - Original Album Series (5 CDs)
Filter – The Trouble With Angels [Deluxe Edition]
Geographer – Animal Shapes EP
Germs - Media Blitz (reissue) (vinyl)
Hey Monday - Beneath It All
Human Beinz - Human Beinz in Japan
Human Expression - Love At Psychedelic Velocity
INXS - Platinum: Greatest Hits

Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier (2 LPs Picture Discs)(Vinyl)   Buy Iron Maiden Here

VINYL FORMAT. The vinyl format of The Final Frontier comes as a deluxe double picture disc!

Iron Maiden are true pioneers and one of the most influential bands of the heavy metal genre. Thirty years on from their eponymous debut album in April 1980, The Final Frontier is Maiden's fifteenth studio album, making a remarkable average of a new album every two years for thirty years. The band reunited with longtime Maiden producer Kevin "Caveman" Shirley in early 2010 at Compass Point Studios in Nassau to record the album, and then moved to L.A. to finish the recording and do the mixing. Compass Point Studio is very familiar to the band; it was where they recorded the Piece of Mind (1983), Powerslave (1984) and Somewhere in Time (1986) albums.







Jayhawks - Hollywood Town Hall (reissue) (vinyl)
Jayhawks - Tomorrow the Green Grass (reissue) [vinyl]
John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers - So Many Roads (4-CD box set)
John Mellencamp - No Better Than This
John Renbourne & Stefan Grossman - In Concert (2 CDs/1 DVD)
Jon Lindsay - Escape From Plaza-Midwood
Kem - Intimacy
Kemialliset Ystavat - Ullakkoalo (vinyl)
Kem – Intimacy [Deluxe Edition]
Kinks - Arthur (2 LPs)(Vinyl)
Knights Of The Abyss - The Culling of Wolves
Like Pioneers - Piecemeal
Lissie - Catching a Tiger
Live At Kexp Volume Six
Lloyd Miller & Heliocentrics - Lloyd Miller & Heliocentrics (vinyl)
Los Lobos - Tin Can Trust (vinyl)
Loudness - Original Album Series (5 CDs)
Lucero - Rebels Rogues & Sworn Brothers (vinyl)
Margie Joseph - Original Album Series (5 CDs)
Matthew Dear - Black City (vinyl)
Miles Away - Endless Roads
Miss May I - Monument
NOFX - The Longest EP (vinyl)
New Horizons - Something New / Gonna Have Big Fun
Nikki & Rich - Everything
Nils – What The Funk?
Nutz - Tightened Up: Live in Nothingam 1977
Offspring - Happy Hour
Orbs - Asleep Next to Science
Porter Wagoner - What Ain't To Be, Just Might Happen: Featuring The Rubber Room
Quiet Riot - QR III
Quiet Riot - Quiet Riot
REO Speedwagon - Not So Silent Night (3 Bonus Tracks)
Rae Spoon - Love Is a Hunter
Rascals - Original Album Series (5 CDs)
Ray LaMontagne - God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise (vinyl)
Return To Earth - Automata
Rickie Lee Jones - Flying Cowboys (Audio Fidelity)
Sea of Bees - Songs For the Ravens (vinyl)
Shannon Whitworth - Water Bound
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Let It Sway
Soundtrack – Dexter: Season 4
Soundtrack – The Switch
Steeleye Span - Another Parcel of Steeleye Span (3 CDs)

Superchunk - No Pocky for Kitty (remastered) (vinyl)

Superchunk - On the Mouth (remastered)(vinyl)   Buy Superchunk Music Here
 

Tallest Trees - The Ostrich or the Lark
Tea Leaf Green - Looking West
The Burial - The Winepress
The Last Felony - Too Many Humans
Theodore Shapiro - Dinner for Schmucks (soundtrack)
Thomas Koner - Nnatatak, Teimo, Permafrost
Tim Reynolds – Limbic System
Toadies - Feeler
Tom Paxton - Original Album Series (5 CDs)
Tom Waits - Closing Time (reissue) (vinyl)
Tom Waits - Heart of Saturday Night (reissue) (vinyl)
Tom Waits - Nighthawks at the Diner (reissue) (vinyl)
Tom Waits - Small Change (reissue) (vinyl)]
Trace Adkins - Cowboy's Back in Town
Van Halen - Live on Air
Various Artists - Afro-Beat Airways
Various Artists - Bubbling Under 1: 32 Tracks That Bubbled Under The Billboard Charts 1961-1964
Various Artists - Dexter, Season 4: Music From The Showtime Original Series
Various Artists - Live At KEXP Volume Six
Various Artists - The Switch: Music From The Motion Picture
Various Artists - We Did It: Dora’s Greatest Hits
Walter Gibbons - Jungle Music
Wilson Pickett - Original Album Series
X - Under the Big Black Sun (remastered) (vinyl)
Zak Sally - Fear of Song (vinyl)

New Music releases are put together from a variety of online sources by Robert Benson - http://collectingvinylrecords.blogspot.com  

Have new music for the list? Email me at rbenson30@wi.rr.com  

New Jazz Releases - August 17, 2010

Aaron Lington / Paul Tynan - Bicoastal Collective 2 ( )
Amstad / Brennan / Doran / Heral - Triangulation-Whirligigs (Leo Records -- City Hall -- )
Anthony Braxton - 19 Standards (Quartet) 2003 (Leo Records -- City Hall -- )
Anthony Braxton - 19 Standards 2003 ( )
Antibalas - Who Is This America? (Rope-A-Dope -Red- )
Art Ensemble Of Chicago - Kabalaba Live At Montreux (Aeco )
Bill Evans - You Must Believe In Spring (Wea Japan )
Brain Sound - An Attempt To Record Coincidence ( )
Brostrom Quartet & Hakan - Refraction (Art Of Life )
Bruce Williamson - Standard Transmission (Origin )
Bruno Amstad / John Wolf Brennan / Christy Doran - Triangulation: Whirligigs ( )
Casa Loma Orchestra / Glen Gray - Spotlight On Swing ( )
Catalyst - Catalyst Vol. 1-Complete Recordings (PORTER )
Catalyst - Catalyst Vol. 2-Complete Recordings (PORTER )
Catalyst - Complete Recordings 1 ( )
Catalyst - Complete Recordings 2 ( )
Charles Mingus - Black Saint And The Sinner Lady (Analogue Productions )
Charlie Ventura - Bop For The People (Sounds Of Yesteryear )
Chet Baker - Chet Baker & Crew (Jazz Track )
Chet Baker (Trumpet / Com / Vocals - Stan Meets Chet (Original Recordings Group )
Chie Imaizumi - Time Of New Beginnings (Capri )
Christy Doran - Triangulation:Whirligigs (Leo )
Cliff Jordan & John Gilmore - Blowing In From Chicago (Analogue Prod. )
Coleman Hawkins - Sonny Meets Hawk! (Pure Pleasure )
Colin Stranahan - Life Condition (Tapestry )
Colorado Saxophone Quartet / Pagan, Michael - Twelve Preludes & Fugues ( )
Conrad Herwig - Latin Side Of Herbie Hancock (Half Note )
Coppa Biagio Flight Band - Mingus Uni&Versus (Phantom )
David Sanborn - Original Album Series (Phantom )
Dehumanizers & Deep Throat - New World Oder (Pig )
Di Toro Michele - Puzzle (Phantom )
Duke Ellington - Duke Ellington And John Coltrane (Analogue Productions )
Eddie Sauter & The SWF Big Band - In Germany 1959 (Montpellier )
Enten Eller & Javier Girotto - Ecuba (Phantom )
Esperanza Spalding - Chamber Music Society (Telarc Distribution )
Fabio Zambelli Trio - Ele' (Phantom )
Faruq Z. Bey & Northwoods Improvisers - Emerging Field (Entropy Stereo Recordings )
Frank Gratkowsi - Deployment (Leo )
Frank Gratowski / Simon Nabatov - Schmickler: Deployment ( )
Gabor Szabo - In Budapest Live (1974) (Moiras )
Garcia / Marina / Negrini / Succi - Scoolptures-Materiale Umano (Leo Records -- City Hall -- )
George Duke - Original Album Series (Phantom )
Gerry Hemingway / Ivo Perelman - Apple In The Dark ( )
Gerry Mulligan - Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster (Original Recordings )
Glen Gray & The Casa Loma Orchestra - Spotlight On Swing (Montpellier )
Gratkowski / Nabatov / Schmickler - Deployment (Leo Records -- City Hall -- )
Hadley Caliman & Pete Christlieb - Reunion (Origin )
Hadley Caliman / Pete Christlieb - Reunion ( )
Hakan Brostrom - Refraction (Art Of Life )
His Orchestra / Carl Kress / Jo Stafford - At The Supper Club ( )
Ivo Perelman & Brian Willson - Stream Of Life (Leo Records -- City Hall -- )
Ivo Perelman & Gerry Hemingway - Apple In The Dark (Leo Records -- City Hall -- )
Ivo Perelman / Brian Wilson - Stream Of Life ( )
James / Miller / Mitchell / Van Bergeyk - I Got Rhythm (Stephan Grossmans Guitar Works )
Jeff Richman - Like That (Nefer Music Records )
Jerry Gray & Ray Eberle Orchestra - Millermen (Montpellier )
Jimmy Dorsey & Patti Page - Let's Go To Town (Sounds Of Yesteryear )
Jimmy Dorsey / Patti Page - Let's Go To Town ( )
Jo Stafford - At The Supper Club (Sounds Of Yesteryear )
John Coltrane - My Favorite Things (Phantom )
John Coltrane - Slowtrane (Indie Europe/Zoom )
Kenny Werner - No Beginning No End (Half Note )
Kenny Werner - No Beginning, No End (Half Note )
Larry Swingtet Franco - Fahrenheit (Phantom )
Lull - Zipper (Leo )
Manins - Latitude (Phantom )
Mariano Di Nunzio Trio Barracina - Sonata A 3 + 2 (Phantom )
Matt Jorgensen - Tattooed By Passion: Music Inspired By The Paintin (Origin )
Matt Jorgensen - Tattooed By Passion: Music Inspired By Paintings ( )
Maurizio Petrelli & Big Band - Pugliamerica (Phantom )
Mccoy Tyner - Inception (Universal Japan/Zoom )
Mercury Falls - Quadrangle (Porto Franco )
Michael Pagan & Colorado Saxophone Quartet - Twelve Preludes & Fugues (Tapestry )
Miles Davis - Cookin' With The Miles Davis Quintet (Analogue Prod. )
Milo Fine - Concerning The Other Condition/Spontaneous Composition Generator (Nero's Neptune )
Milo Fine & Paul Metzger - Concerning The Other Condition / Spontaneous Composition Generator (180 Gram Vinyl Limited) (NERO'S NEPTUNE RECORDS )
Milo Fine & Paul Metzger - Concerning The Other Condition/Spontaneous Composi (Neros Neptune Records )
Milton Nascimento - Clube Da Esquina ( )
Modern Jazz Quartet - Jazzology (Indie Europe/Zoom )
Nat "King" Cole - Just One Of Those Things (Analogue Prod. )
Nat "King" Cole - St. Louis Blues (Analogue Prod. )
Nat "King" Cole - Where Did Everyone Go? (Analogue Prod. )
Nat "King" Cole - St Louis Blues ( )
Nat "King" Cole - Where Did Everyone Go ( )
Nils - What The Funk? (Baja )
Nils - What The Funk ( )
Northwoods Improvisers - Emerging Field (Entropy Stereo )
Paul Tynan & Aaron Lington - Tynan,Paul & Aaron Lington Vol. 2-Bicoastal Collective (OA2 )
Pearl Django - Systeme D (Modern Hot )
Philippe Garcia / Nicola Negrini / Achille Succi - Scoolptures: Materiale Umano ( )
Phronesis - Alive In London (Edition Records/City Hall )
Phronesis - Alive ( )
Piero Frassi Trio - Serenity (Phantom )
Polly Gibbons - Bang Bang (M&I )
Ray Anthony - Dream Dancing Christmas (Aero Space )
Ray Anthony & His Orchestra - TV Shows 1954 (Montpellier )
Ray Anthony / His Orchestra - 1954 TV Shows ( )
Ray Eberle / Jerry Gray - Miller Men ( )
Rebecca Kilgore - Sings Jermone Kern (Audiophile )
Renato Sellani - Chopin Piano Solo (Phantom )
Robert Byrd - Mountain Fiddler (County )
Roberto Marino - Trasparenze (Phantom )
Roland Kirk - Gifts & Messages (Candid )
Ronnie Scott - Ronnie Scott & His American Friends (Candid )
Sainkho Namchylak - Not Quite Songs (Leo )
Sainkho Namchylak & Nick Sudnick - Not Quite Songs (Leo Records -- City Hall -- )
Sainkho Namchylak / Nick Sudnick - Not Quite Songs ( )
Sara K. - Hell Or High Water (Stockfisch )
Som - Free Jazz And North Indian Fusion (Random Chance )
Spin Marvel - Spin Marvel 2: Reluctantly Politcised Me James ( )
Steve Kuhn - I Will Wait For You:Music Of Michel L (Venus Jap/Zoom )
Sun Ra - Live At The Horseshoe Tavern Toronto 1978 (Transparency )
Sun Ra - Live At The Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto 1978 (Transparency )
Superimpose - Talk Talk (Leo )
SWF Big Band / Eddie Sauter - In Germany 1959 ( )
Teresa Teng Forever - Teresa Teng Forever ( )
Thelonious Monk & John Coltrane - Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane (Analogue Prod. )
Tohpati Ethnomission - Save The Planet (Moonjune Records/City Hall )
Tom Rizzo - Imaginary Numbers (Origin )
Tubby Hayes - Inventivity (Candid )
Urs Leimgruber - Chicago Solo (Leo Records -- City Hall -- )
Wallis Bob & His Storyville Ja - Vintage Bob Wallis (Fellside/Lake R )
Wes Montgomery - Body & Soul (Candid )
Zu - Carboniferous (Trips Und Traume )

Reissues
Bill Evans - Moon Beams (Pid )
Bob Mintzer - Bop Boy (Explore Records)
Hank Mobley - Workout (Blue Note`)
Hank Mobley - Dippin' (Blue Note)
Hank Mobley - Dippin (EMI )
Hi-Lo's - Listen! (E!)
Horace Parlan - Movin' & Groovin' (Classic Records )
Horace Silver - Blowin' The Blues Away (Classic Records )
Jackie McLean - New Soil (Blue Note)
John Coltrane - Giant Steps ( )
Sonny Rollins - Tenor Madness (Fantasy)

New release information provided by www.allaboutjazz.com

The Upcoming Release Center at allaboutjazz.com is the most comprehensive new release listing for jazz music on the internet.  The information is updated biweekly by John Kelman

14th Avenue 'tycoon' launches a record label from a coffee shop

By Frances E. Dinger

Porchlight Coffee & Art owner Zack Bolotin is a busy man. Beginning this fall, the modest storefront on 14th Avenue will serve not only as a coffee shop, art gallery and new and used record store but will also be the home of Bolotin's own record label. His low ROI ambition was enough to have him named "Best Po' Man's Tycoon" by the Seattle Weekly.

"[I started the label] just because there are very few bands that I know and like who will actually sell a lot of records," said Bolotin.

Bolotin has been playing music since the age of 15 and is the front man for the band Like Claws. Despite having a background in music, Bolotin wants to stay out of the production of the records. He says he has faith in the bands to do their own producing.

The label will be vinyl only but digital download codes will be included with all of the records.

"I personally haven't bought a CD in forever," Bolotin said. "It's either digital or vinyl and it's the same with a lot of other people I talk to."

Porchlight isn't the only Hill coffee provider mixing itself into the record label biz. Last summer, Caffe Vita made a stir when it signed a unique deal with the Blue Scholars.

Bolotin says his label will be financed primarily through sales at the coffee shop which celebrated its one year anniversary in June.

Bolotin decided to go into the coffee and record business after graduating from Seattle Central Community College. The neighbor of recently closed Tiempo clock shop has seen more success than Bolotin expected. Though most of the coffee sales happen in the morning, he says the shop has been selling at least a few records a day when Bolotin originally expected to sell a few a week.

The first release, a vinyl printing of Seattle band Grand Hallaway's "Promenade," is scheduled for mid fall. Ideally, Bolotin would like to put out two to three records each year, more records than are released under Caffe Vita's label, but he doesn't foresee that happening for a little while and in store shows are still a rare occurrence. Bolotin hopes most of the record sales will happen online and at the bands' shows.

He is currently looking at some bands outside of Seattle for the next releases but, according to Bolotin, nothing is for sure yet.


SOURCE: http://capitolhillseattle.com/

Death of vinyl isn't final: Beloved record albums are coming around again

Michael Heaton, The Plain Dealer


Michael Pultz helps with record sales at Loop in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood. The shop also sells coffee and art. Pultz has a collection of 10,000 vinyl records at home.

For people too young to remember vinyl records, they must look today like some kind of licorice Frisbees. How could the uninitiated ever appreciate the deep emotional ties and the nostalgic pull of the art on the 12-by-12-inch album cover, or the love that went into reading the liner notes? Listening to a vinyl record back in the day meant you were engaged in the act. You had to stay in the room to listen to it and then turn the record over after 30 minutes. That's how the album cover became your best friend. You memorized the lineup of the musicians. You read the lyrics to the songs. On some occasions, you got a giant complimentary poster that went up on the wall of your basement or in your bedroom or wherever your turntable and speakers were.

The record filled your room with sound. Deep, rich analog sound. There was a sense of reverence about the purchase, the playing and the storage of the albums. Your album collection was you. You were a rocker, a folkie or a poet all based on your record collection. It represented all that you were, the depth of your soul, your taste in art, your sense of humor.

If you wanted to measure the potential of someone becoming your friend or lover, looking at their album collection was key. If you liked the way someone looked on the outside, their record collection told you what they were like on the inside of their heart and their head.

No wonder vinyl records are making a comeback. According to the latest Soundscan statistics, LP sales in 2009 were 2,496,000, a 33 percent increase over 2008. People who really love music love vinyl.

Vince Sluzars is president of Gotta Groove Records on Superior Avenue in Cleveland. They pressed their first vinyl album last August. So they just turned 1 year old.

"Sales of vinyl albums have gone up every year since 2006," he says. "I think 2008 was up 130 percent over 2007. Last year was the highest vinyl sales since 1991, when they quit making vinyl. So it's clearly on the rise, and yet it will always remain a niche business. Since the iPod, kids are no longer buying CDs. So now there is a move back to the vinyl album, which is tangible and tactile and a more engaging experience.

"This year, we have made records for national acts like Dave Allen and the Guilty Women. We've done a Tom Waits reissue of 'The Early Years' and we're doing the new Hold Steady album. We've made records for bands in Canada, Australia and China. And we've done a record for at least 40 local bands. We do a lot of metal and punk music. I have to give them credit for keeping the vinyl thing alive. The fans are hardcore."

Terry Stewart is president of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. He owns between 250,000 and half a million vinyl records.

"The first record I ever bought was 'Sugar Blues' by Clyde McCoy in 1948. Vinyl records are about the tactile nature of the art form. The touch. It's about the act of putting the needle on the record. The smell of the cardboard cover. My greatest find as a collector was at an estate sale in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. That's where I found a copy of the Johnny Burnett Trio. I listen to my records every day."

Several newer area stores are also getting into vinyl, like the Loop record-CD-coffee shop in Tremont. When it comes to vinyl, they sell new records by new bands or old records that have been newly reissued on vinyl.

"Ten years ago, iPods took off, and people pronounced that CDs would soon be dead," says Michael Pultz, who works in Loop's music department.

"That hasn't happened and won't for a while, I believe. I don't think there is a lot of difference in vinyl sound that is discernable to the human ear. Most new vinyl records now, as opposed to old records that are newly reissued on vinyl, include a free download so you can have it on your iPod as well. The college indie music crowd loves vinyl. Anybody who gets their music information from Pitchfork.com is likely to be a vinyl fan."

"There's a big-time resurgence in vinyl right now," says Peter Gulyas, owner of Blue Arrow record store on Waterloo Road in Cleveland's Collinwood neighborhood. "We specialize in vintage vinyl records. We've been open a year and half. We're paying the bills for right now. . . . What we're really selling is nostalgia. I'm always looking for old vinyl, I go to garage and estate sales. I have friends who are always on the lookout for me. Everyone loves the cover art. And so do I, as you can tell from the floor of the shop." The floor, alone worth a visit to Blue Arrow, is tiled completely in vintage LP covers.

"I think that most people listening to vinyl these days enjoy the warmth that they perceive to be missing from CDs, and the experience of listening to an album that you can actually hold in your hands," says Matt Wardlaw, director of operations for the Beachwood-based radio syndication company Envision Radio Networks (envisionradio.com).

"The vinyl experience keeps you engaged in listening to the actual music, because at least once every 25 to 30 minutes, you have to get up and flip the album over."

John Hannibal has an Internet radio station called Radio Hannibal. He, too, is a vinyl lover.


Peter Gulyas owns Blue Arrow on Waterloo Road in Cleveland. They specialize in vintage vinyl as opposed to new reissued records.


"There are two main reasons that I, like others, love vinyl," he says. "The first is the audio quality. Granted, a good stereo system is needed to appreciate it, but due to the analog nature of vinyl, the musical wave form is much smoother as opposed to the zeros and ones of digital. This translates to a better listening experience, more nuance . . . a richer sound. The other falls under the romanticism of vinyl. For oldsters like me, it harks back to a time when all we had was vinyl. For the youth, it's like the love of vintage cars. The ritual of cleaning the record, placing it on the turntable, setting the tone arm down, etc."

Charlotte Morgan, a former music critic for Scene magazine, is working on a book called "The Death of Vinyl Records."

"For my book, I selected a great group of subjects. They were mostly music critics and writers. I asked each person in the group if they noticed something in music had changed with the death of vinyl in the '80s," she says of her concept.

"They all agreed there was something magical about vinyl."

As the vinyl revival proves, they're not alone.


Thanks to www.cleveland.com for the reprint rights.

Pink Floyd Video Surfaces

This is the Hoping Foundation benefit performance from last month by Roger Waters and David Gilmour. The set included a cover of the Teddy Bears' To Know Him is To Love Him, Wish You Were Here, Comfortably Numb and Another Brick in the Wall.



Hoping Foundation benefit performance from Hoping Foundation on Vimeo.

This Date In Music History - August 17

Birthdays:

John Seiter - Spanky And Our Gang (1944)

Gary Talley - Box Tops (1947)

Sib Hashian - Boston (1949)

Kevin Rowland - Dexy's Midnight Runners (1953)

Grammy Award winning guitarist, Eric Johnson (1954)

Colin Moulding - XTC (1955)

Belinda Carlisle - Go-Go's and solo (1958) (I always loved this video):



Gilby Clarke - Guns N' Roses (1962)

Maria Mckee - Lone Justice, solo (1964)

Steve Gorman - Black Crowes (1965)

Jill Cunniff - Luscious Jackson (1966)

Donnie Wahlberg - New Kids On The Block (1969)

Kelvin Mercer - De La Soul (1969)

Mike Lewis - Lostprophets (1979)


They Are Missed:

The late Mark Dinning ("Teen Angel") was born in 1933.



In 1973, former Temptations singer Paul Williams was found dead in his car, after shooting himself. He owed $80,000 in taxes and his celebrity boutique business had failed.

Session drummer Gary Chester died of cancer in 1987. He had been a member of The Coasters and played on many major hits for other acts including: "Brown Eyed Girl," "Under The Boardwalk," "Walk On By," "It's My Party.'

Bass guitarist Bertrand Odom died of kidney failure in 2004. He had worked with James Brown.


History:

Elvis Presley released his first number 1 hit, "I Forgot to Remember to Forget / Mystery Train" in 1955. It hit the top of the country charts several months later and stayed there for 5 weeks.

In 1960, after going through several names (including their most recent - Silver Beetles), John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison, along with then-drummer Pete Best, settle on The Beatles. They begin their first Hamburg engagement at the Indra Club, Grosse Freiheit, Hamburg, West Germany, playing the first of 48 nights at the Club. The owner, Bruno Koschmider, asked The Beatles to "Mach Shau", or really put on a show, which led to the band screaming, shouting, and leaping about the stage and sometimes playing lying on the floor. John Lennon once appeared wearing only his underwear and on another occasion, wearing a toilet seat around his neck. The Beatles lodged in a single room behind the screen of a nearby movie house. It’s their first engagement outside England.

A riot broke out at a Gary "U.S." Bonds concert in Boston in 1962.

The Kinks "You Really Got Me" was released in 1964.



In 1964, Glasgow council in Scotland announced that all boys and men with Beatle styled haircuts would have to wear bathing caps after a committee was told that hair from ‘Beatle-cuts’ was clogging the pools filters.

The Byrds were forced to cancel a concert during their UK tour at The Guildhall, Portsmouth in 1965 when only 250 of the 4,000 tickets had been sold.

During a North American tour in 1965, the Beatles played two shows at Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada. The attendance for each show was 18,000.

The Hollies recorded "Stop, Stop, Stop" in 1966.

Gary Puckett & the Union Gap recorded "Woman Woman" in 1967.

The Hunter Davies’ biography of The Beatles was released in 1968. John Lennon later complained the book glosses over what the group was really like.

Deep Purple's "Hush" was released in 1968.

The Doors started a four-week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1968 with 'Waiting For The Sun.'

The Rascals (formally the Young Rascals), started a five week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1968 with "People Got To Be Free." The group had thirteen US top 40 hits.



In 1969, the final day of the three day Woodstock festival took place at Max Yasgur's farm in Bethel, New York. Acts who appeared included Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Ten Years After, John Sebastian, Sha Na Na, Joe Cocker, Country Joe and the Fish, The Band, Ten Years After, Johnny Winter and Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Over 186,000 tickets had been sold but on the first day the flimsy fences and ticket barriers had come down. Organisers announced the concert would be a free event, prompting thousands more to head for the concert. There were two deaths - a teenager was killed by a tractor as he lay in his sleeping bag and another died from a drugs overdose.

In 1971, Allman Brothers Band guitarist, Duane Allman, played at the funeral of Soul legend, King Curtis, who was murdered in New York.

Gladys Knight appeared on ABC-TV's "Dating Game" in 1972.

Bad Company's "Can't Get Enough" was released in 1974.



Eric Clapton started a four-week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1974 with '461 Ocean Boulevard.'

UK group Paper Lace scored their only US #1 single in 1974 with "The Night Chicago Died," it made #3 in the UK.

In 1977, President Jimmy Carter eulogized Elvis Presley (who died the day before) saying he “permanently changed the face of American popular culture." Not surprisingly, Florists Transworld Delivery (FTD) reported that in one day the number of orders for flowers to be delivered to Graceland had surpassed the number for any other event in the company's history.

In 1979, the New York Post reported that Anita Pallenberg (the wife of Keith Richards) was linked to a witches coven in South Salem, New York where Richards owned a house. A policeman claimed he was attacked by a flock of black-hooded, caped people and a local youth claimed he had been invited by Pallenburg to take part in ‘pot smoking sex orgies’. Locals also claimed they found ‘ritualistic stakes’ and small animals that had been ‘sacrificed’ near the house. Cool....

John Phillips of the Mamas & the Papas was arrested as part of a drug ring in 1980.

Prince's song "Delirious" was released in 1983.

Motley Crue gave its performance debut at the Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donington, England in 1984.

In 1986, Rick Allen (Def Leppard) played his first concert with his band since losing his left arm in a car accident.

42 people were beaten or stabbed at a Run D.M.C. concert in Long Beach, CA in 1986.

In 1991, Nirvana shot the video for "Smells Like Teen Spirit" at GMT Studios in Culver City, California, costing less than $50,000 to make, the shoot features real Nirvana fans as the audience.



In 1995, Depeche Mode singer Dave Gahan was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre after an apparent suicide attempt. Police had found him at his Los Angeles home with a two-inch laceration on his wrist.

Security guards carried Courtney Love offstagein 1995 after she began fighting with Hole fans because they weren't cheering loud enough during the last night of the Lollapalooza tour in Mountain View, CA. Cool again.....

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony started a three-week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1997.

In 1999, Led Zeppelin topped a chart of Britain's most bootlegged musicians, compiled by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), after identifying 384 bootleg titles featuring Led Zeppelin performances. The bootleg chart was complied from the BPI's archive of some 10,000 recordings seized over the past 25 years. The Beatles, came in second with 320 entries, other acts listed included The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Pink Floyd.

Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland held the #1 position on the US singles chart in 2002 with "Dilemma." The UK #1 album was 'By The Way' by The Red Hot Chili Peppers and the US #1 album was 'The Rising' by Bruce Springsteen.

Marilyn O'Grady, a Republican candidate for the New York Senate, launched a "Boycott the Boss" television commercial in 2004. Springsteen has been vocal about the ousting President Bush in the upcoming election. The conservative candidate says Springsteen "thinks making millions with a song-and-dance routine allows him to tell you how to vote. Here`s my vote - boycott the Boss. If you don`t buy his politics, don`t buy his music." Bitch.....

Hollywood Records released an updated version of Queen's "Greatest Hits" in 2004. This set features live recordings of "Under Pressure" and "Tie Your Mother Down," plus an unreleased version of "I'm in Love With My Car." The package also includes unreleased photos by Mick Rock. The original "Greatest Hits" came out in '81.

The ownership rights to Nine Inch Nails' 1991 debut album went on the block with other items in 2005 to payback a defaulted loan. TVT Records, who held the rights to "Pretty Hate Machine" took out a $32 million loan in 1999 using part of the label's catalog as collateral.

High School Musical 2 premiered on the US Disney Channel and Family Channel in 2007. Watched by a total of 17.2 million viewers in the United States, making it the highest rated basic cable broadcast in U.S. history.

In 2008, Jackson Browne was suing US Republican presidential candidate John McCain for using one of his songs without permission. Browne claimed the use of his song Running on Empty in an advert was an infringement of copyright and would lead people to conclude he endorses McCain. Browne was seeking more than $75,000 in damages.

Today, Iron Maiden unleashes “The Final Frontier,” the band's 15th studio album. It was cut at Compass Point Studios where Iron Maiden recorded “Piece Of Mind,” “Powerslave” and “Somewhere In Time.” "The studio had the same vibe and it was exactly as it had been in 1983,” says frontman Bruce Dickinson. “We felt very relaxed in such a familiar and well-trodden environment.”

John Mellencamp’s “No Better Than This” drops today as well. The "roots" album was recorded, with the help of T-Bone Burnett, at historic locations, including Sun Studios in Memphis.

Music News & Notes

Celtic Comedy Music Has a New Godfather, Marc Gunn Releases Kilted For Her Pleasure

Marc Gunn releases his latest CD, an all-out Celtic comedy music album for those who love to laugh by the undisputed "Godfather of Celtic Music Online"

New Orleans, LA (PRWEB) August 16, 2010 - "Do you like kilts and Celtic music?"

That's the question Celtic folk musician, Marc Gunn, asks with his latest CD, "Kilted For Her Pleasure". The album is all-out Celtic comedy music for those who love to laugh by the undisputed "Godfather of Celtic Music Online". Gunn has offered more Celtic MP3 downloads free and legally than any other Celtic musician online. His latest CD is a testament to his dedication to the fun Celtic music he loves.

The album features fifteen tracks of sing-alongable Celtic songs that range from the traditional to the twisted. Traditional pieces include the popular Clancy Brothers' song "Beer, Beer, Beer" and the less-known but sprightly bawdy, song "Maid Went to the Mill".

Some of the more fun songs are originals penned by Marc Gunn. "A Drop of Vulcan Blood" is a parody of an old Sea Shanty that is rewritten about Star Trek. "Monahan's Mudder's Milk" is a Celtic tribute to the Sci Fi Western TV show "Firefly" by Joss Whedon. At it's base, it's a Woody Guthrie-style worker's rights song about a man trying to escape the oppression of a dead-end job. Then there's the title track, "Kilted For Her Pleasure", which explains just why Gunn loves the kilt.

"I love wearing a kilt," says Gunn dressed in his newest olive green Utilikilt, "but it's so much more than the love of my Scottish heritage. It's a love of my whole Celtic culture... Not to mention the looks I get from the ladies."

However, it is the contemporary songs that shine the brightest on this album. Comedy songwriter Spaff co-wrote the song "St. Patrick Never Drank" and satirically announces that the good Saint never touched alcohol, despite the fact that St Patrick's Day is probably the most-drunken day of the year. However, the funniest song by far is Daniel Glasser's comedic lullaby called "Close Your Eyes". The reason? "Because the demons in your bed are gonna eat you up."

The album is an exciting breakthrough into an untapped market for Celtic comedy music. "Celts love to laugh as much as anyone," Gunn begins, "I just thought I'd give them something for our contemporary Celtic culture."

In the spirit of the indie musician, Gunn paid for the album entirely through fan sponsorships. Thirty-eight fans donated various amounts of money, from $40 to $500, to help pay for this album. That includes the Executive Producer, a collectible toy store owner credited as "Lord and Master Larry Owens of www.NRFBToyStore.com". In just two short months, the album was paid for in its entirety by Gunn's passionate fans.

Track listing:

1. Kilted For Her Pleasure
2. A Drop of Vulcan Blood
3. Maid Went to the Mill
4. Close Your Eyes
5. Beer, Beer, Beer
6. To the Begging He Will Go
7. The True History of No Pants Day
8. Jock Stuart, A Man Who Wears a Kilt Every Day
9. St. Patrick Never Drank
10. Call of the Bodice
11. The Mower
12. The Widow and the Devil
13. Kitty Cat
14. The Sailboat Armada
15. Monahan’s Mudder’s Milk

Marc Gunn is available for interviews at (512)470-4866.  MP3 downloads of album songs are also available for review. Find out more at http://www.marcgunn.com/.

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Lloyd Set to Release First Single, 'Lay It Down,' for Polow da Don's Zone 4 Label

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- With cool crooner Lloyd newly signed to acclaimed songwriter/producer Polow da Don's Zone 4 joint venture with Interscope Records, the smooth singer's debut single for the label, "Lay It Down," will be released on Monday, August 16, 2010. The track, produced by Awesome Jones (aka Polow da Don), will lead the release of Lloyd's fourth album but first for Zone 4/Interscope, King Of Hearts, scheduled for early 2011.

"It feels good to start fresh with Polow and Interscope, making music is fun again. We took my sound to another level with "Lay It Down," commented Lloyd. Polow adds, "This is real music, real singing, classic."

Lloyd lays down the enticing "Lay It Down" after last year's collaboration with Lil Wayne, the track "BedRock" from Young Money, hit #2 Pop and #2 R&B/Hip-Hop. His most recent album, Lessons In Love, soared to #1 R&B and Top 10 Pop in 2008, as "Girls Around The World" featuring Lil Wayne scored a Top 15 R&B/Hip-Hop hit. Lloyd's second album, 2007's Street Love, debuted at #2 Pop and R&B, went gold, and spun off the #1 R&B/Hip-Hop and #10 Pop "You," again featuring Lil Wayne, as well as the #4 R&B/Hip-Hop and Top 20 Pop "Get It Shawty." New Orleans-born but now an Atlanta resident, Lloyd made his album debut in 2004 with Southside, whose title track duet with Ashanti charted Top 30 Pop and Top 20 R&B/Hip-Hop.


SOURCE Interscope Records

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THE JOHN LENNON Box Of Vision® Limited Edition Collection to Commemorate the 70th Anniversary of Lennon's Birth

Pre-Order Now Underway For Collection Due This Fall

Includes First LP Size Book Of Complete Album Artwork And Storage For The Entire John Lennon, and John Lennon and Yoko Ono, CD Catalog

LOS ANGELES, Aug.16 /PRNewswire/ -- In commemoration of the 70th anniversary of John Lennon's birth, THE JOHN LENNON Box Of Vision®, a limited edition individually numbered collection, is now available for pre-order at http://www.boxofvision.com/  for early October delivery, and will be available at retail this Fall through EMI Music Services. Officially licensed by Yoko Ono Lennon, the stunning new collection includes:

•A 166-page hard bound book containing all of John Lennon's, and John Lennon and Yoko Ono's, LP artwork, brilliantly restored in pristine new LP-size art prints. This is the first time that all of this album artwork has been collected together in a single LP sized book. This book includes front covers, back covers, gatefolds and inserts arranged to create the feeling of holding and enjoying the entire LP collection in your lap. It includes the complete artwork from WEDDING ALBUM, arranged for the first time in book form, to be viewed as an actual wedding album would; the complete calendar artwork for LIVE PEACE IN TORONTO 1969; and the complete artwork for all of John's, and John and Yoko's, officially released studio LPs, worldwide compilations and live albums originally issued in the LP format.

•The "Catalography," a brand new, full color discography of John's, and John and Yoko's, album catalog, with an exclusive essay and textual guide; newly restored reproductions of classic Lennon album advertisements; John's handwritten "sound" notes to DOUBLE FANTASY and MILK AND HONEY; and more.

•The patented BoxOfVision CD storage system, built to store all of John Lennon's official CD releases, it can hold up to 32 different CD albums, in an expandable and adaptable format to accommodate any fan's collection. (CDs not included).

•In addition, this limited edition collection includes two (2) art-adorned recordable DVDs, and two (2) different art-adorned recordable CDs, intended for fans to record and store audiovisual and audio content they choose. Boxofvision has received permission from Yoko Ono to create these unique recordable discs using classic John, and John and Yoko, art elements.

Ideal for fans, collectors and holiday gift giving, the limited edition set (less than 7500 numbered copies will be made available worldwide) is the perfect complement to Lennon's remastered albums and new collections to be released October 5 by EMI Music. Housed in a unique "artist's canvas" oversized Box (measuring over 15 inches by 13 inches, and 4 inches deep), the set is wrapped in a stunning, silver-inked portrait of John Lennon, with a precise reproduction of John's original line drawing "Baby Grand" on the back. The retail list price is $124.99.

The JOHN LENNON Box Of Vision was conceived by Jonathan Polk, of Boxofvision LLC. "To mark the 70th anniversary of John's birth, we have created something special that we believe his fans will treasure, and we hope they will pass on to their children as a way of helping to preserve the legacy of John's music and ideals for future generations," said Polk. The JOHN LENNON Box Of Vision is being released in conjunction with the John Lennon Time Capsule project, three time capsules which will be sealed on October 9, 2010 to be unsealed in a worldwide ceremony on October 9, 2040.

Boxofvision LLC creates and distributes elegant products for fans to store and display the bodies of work of great recording artists, like last year's collectible THE BEATLES Box Of Vision and the upcoming BOB DYLAN "Archive."

For a "video tour" and more information on The JOHN LENNON Box Of Vision visit:

www.BoxOfVision.com/johnlennon

For more information on the JOHN LENNON TIME CAPSULE Project, please visit

www.BoxOfVision.com/TimeCapsule

SOURCE Boxofvision LLC

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Ozzy Osbourne Might Try to Make Music Other Than Metal  

Say it ain't so! It's being reported that Ozzy Osbourne recently told the folks at VH1 that he would like to flex his creative pipes and perhaps record something that's not metal. While that may seem shocking, (he IS the 'prince of darkness') since his name is practically synonymous with heavy metal, it might do the former Black Sabbath frontman some good to try something new.

"Being Ozzy Osbourne is great, I mean it's been wonderful being the singer of Black Sabbath, having all those hits through Sabbath and then on my solo career is one thing," Osbourne admitted, "But then if I want to do anything branching away from the heavy stuff, people will go, 'Oh, he's sold out. Oh, he's not doing it. Oh, he's singing a love song. Oh, he's singing about the ...' or whatever."

Osbourne also said he'd like to form a fake band in order to be able to expand his creative horizons. He commented, "I would like to form a fictitious band just to make a different record but it's the time it would take. I mean, it takes me all my time just to do an Ozzy record. But I would dearly like to get a mini-supergroup together. Nothing like heavy rock, like a bluesy vibe."

A bluesy rendition of "Iron Man?" Go for it Mr. Oz ....

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Slayer To Release Vinyl Box Set

American thrash metalheads Slayer have recently announced that they will be releasing a box set this year called, "The Vinyl Conflict" which, as the name suggests, features vinyl copies of all of their releases through American Recordings.

Ten albums on 11 discs, The Vinyl Conflict will feature the band's entire Def/American Recordings catalogue: Reign In Blood (1986), South Of Heaven (1988), Seasons In The Abyss (1990), the double-record Live Decade Of Aggression (1991), Divine Intervention (1994), Undisputed Attitude (1998), God Hates Us All (2001), Christ Illusion (2006), and World Painted Blood (2009). The Vinyl Conflict will be released on October 12th, 2010.

"Most longtime Slayer fans may not have these records at this point," said American Recordings' Dino Paredes, "or their copies are completely beat-up, so to have the complete catalogue in this first-class presentation is terrific. For the newer fans, this is their opportunity to really get into this band the way that they could have if they were born 20 years earlier."

"Everything about 'The Vinyl Conflict' - the look of it, the feel of it - is very strong, very powerful, very Slayer," added Paredes, "from the music to the dripping, bloody pentagram on the front of the box. It's perfect."