New Documentary LENNONNYC Premieres Tonight

As we approach the 30th anniversary of his death and two months after what would have been Lennon's 70th birthday (Oct. 9), we are again seeing Yoko Ono keep a firm grip on Lennon's legacy (I, for one, applaud her work in this regard).  Already completed or in the works (among other projects) are:  three new books, two movies, and an 11-CD Signature box set.  Up next is tonight's revealing new documentary, LENNONYC (which coinidently arrives on DVD by Christmas).

I don't normally talk about television shows, however, if you can check your local listings, the LENNONNYC special is certainly must watch TV (can you tell I am a Lennon fan?)

The documentary focuses on the New York years of Lennon's and Ono's lives. The film unearths fascinating glimpses of Lennon recording his legendary album 'Double Fantasy' and is also filled witty banter and candid home video. Much of his iconic solo work, including "Woman," "Mind Games" and "I'm Losing You," was written at his home on Manhattan's Upper West Side.  It also chronicles his music and almost political career in the early ’70s, as he fought deportation while fronting a protest band called Elephant’s Memory, whose members recall their amazement at being adopted by a Beatle.

The Dakota




Here is a preview of the documentary:

Autographed Copy Of 'Double Fantasy' On The Market Again

The copy of the 'Double Fantasy' album that John Lennon signed for his killer is up for sale again. The autographed album went on sale today for $850,000. The anonymous buyer is selling the album for more than 5 times what the buyer had originally paid for it.  Given the fact that could be the most important rock and roll artifact ever, maybe the album is appropriately valued. But, how can you place a value on something so rare?

The album's original owner, Phillip Michael, was a maintenance worker who found the album outside the Manhattan apartment building where Lennon's killer, Mark David Chapman, murdered the legendary singer-songwriter just moments earlier. Apparently, Michael had submitted the album to police, who later returned it to him after the investigation into Lennon's death on December 8, 1980. Nearly two decades later, Michael sold it to an anonymous buyer for $165,000.

Photographer Paul Goresh took a now infamous photo of the moment as Lennon signed the album.












Lennon signing Chapman's Double Fantasy album a few hours before the shooting.

With the approaching 30th anniversary of Lennon's death, along with Chapman's most recent denial of parole in September, has only added to the notoriety of Lennon's murder and the value of the album. It will be interesting to see what it sells for.......

Top 5 eBay Vinyl Records Sales - Week Ending 11/20/2010

Soul 45's take the top two spots on the list for the first time in many months, and both bid up well over $5k. A very low number White Album and two classical records round out this week's list.





1. 45 rpm  - Fluorescent Smogg "All My Life" / "Little Joe" W.G. - $7,406.05

2. 45 rpm - Ray Agee "Hard Loving Woman" / "I'm Losing Again" Soultown - $7,100.00

3. LP - The Beatles "White Album" Mono UK Pressing #0000092 - $4,956.29

4. LP - Lee-Makanowitzky "Beethoven Sonatas" Lumen Box Set French Pressing - $4,000.00

5. LP - Stross Q. Markel "Beethoven String Quartets" Aarton 8277 - $2,500.00

More on this week's top 5 on Vinyl Record Talk  Tuesday 8:00PM Eastern / 5:00PM Pacific on Radio Dentata.

Music News & Notes

The White Stripes Reissue First Three Albums

The White Stripes are set to reissue their first three studios albums — 1999’s debut LP, 2000’s 'De Stijl,' and 2001’s 'White Blood Cells,' on November 30th on frontman Jack White’s personal imprint, Third Man Records.

All three records have been out of print since 2005 and according to the label, “the utmost care was taken in presenting these records in the best way possible.” Here is what White had to say:

"We started by mastering each LP from the original analog master tapes, the first time this process had been used for any of these titles. While extremely labor-intensive, this method ensured that the material was never converted into a digital signal. The result is an audio quality that stiffens the hairs on the back of your neck.

“We pressed each record on 180-gram vinyl, again, the first time any of these three albums have been afforded this superior vinyl weight.

“For artwork, we started from scratch and went back and tracked down all the source material, working from the original photographic prints to provide the crispest versions possible of these album covers.

“From there, we printed the artwork on the deluxe old-style, tip-on sleeves from the wonderful folks at Stoughton Printing in California. This process involves printing the artwork on on sheet of paper (a slick) which is then folded over and hand-glued to a heavy board blank jacket. The difference in the final product of a tip-on sleeve as opposed to a regular, direct-to-board sleeve is akin to the difference between hardcover and paperback books.”

Each record will come with a coupon for mp3 downloads of the entire album. For the collectors, Third Man pressed limited numbers of each title on split-color red and white vinyl.

All three albums will be available on black vinyl for purchase from the label’s online store starting on November 30th.

The split-color and black vinyl of The White Stripes will be available for purchase on November 30th at Third Man Records’ Nashville, Tennessee HQ, with the split-color and black vinyl of De Stijl and White Blood Cells to follow on December 7th and December 14th, respectively.

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Black Friday Vinyl Releases

This Friday (deemed 'Black Friday') there is another batch of special, limited edition vinyl records that will be released courtesy of Record Store Day.

Drumroll!!!

Limited Black Friday Releases Include:

Badly Drawn Boy – It’s What I’m Thinking LP & download card
The Beatnuts – The Beatnuts (vinyl-only reissue of debut) 2-LP
George Benson – White Rabbit LP
Black Crowes – Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys 10” picture disc
Black Keys – Brothers (two 180-gram 45-RPM LPs w/ bonus CD & 10”)
The Bug – Infected EP 12” single
Cage the Elephant – Shake Me Down 7” single & download card
Cee-Lo Green – F**k You 12” single
Dr. Dog – four brand new songs on a double 7”
The Doors – The Doors 180-gram mono LP
Drive By Truckers – The Thanksgiving Filter 10” & download card
Bob Dylan – The Times They Are A-Changin’ / Like A Rolling Stone (2010 mono version) 7” red-vinyl single
Roky Erickson w/ The Black Angels – Night of the Vampire DVD
Gaslight Anthem – Tumbling Dice b/w She Loves You 7”
Grinderman – Heathen Child w/ Robert Fripp on the b-side 12” single
George Harrison – All Things Must Pass 180-gram 3-LP
Harvey Milk – Harvey Milk 2-LP
The Heavy – How You Like Me Now 10” EP
Jimi Hendrix – Little Drummer Boy, Silent Night / Auld Lang Syne
Freddie Hubbard – Red Clay LP
Inspectah Deck – Manifesto Redux (Dub Step) CD
Iron & Wine – Walking Far From Home (CD & LP single)
Sharon Jones – I Learned the Hard Way (7” Box w/10 bonus tracks & color booklet)
Killing Joke – Absolute Dissent 2-CD
Metallica – Live at Grimey’s CD or LP
MGMT – Congratulations/Congratulations (Erol Alkan Remix) gatefold 7” single w/ 20-page illustrated story book
OFF! – First Four EPs 7” box set w/ Raymond Pettibone arwork
Pantera – Cowboys from Hell: The Demos LP
Queens of the Stone Age – Queens of the Stone Age LP
Tom Petty – Nowhere 7” single
Sisters – Ghost Fits LP
Slayer – World Painted Blood / Atrocity Vendor 7” red translucent single
Soundgarden – The Telephantasm 7” single
Southern Culture on the Skids – The Kudzu Ranch CD
Bruce Springsteen – Save My Love / Because the Night 7” single
The Sword – (The Night the Sky Cried) Tears of Fire b/w Farstar (hexagon 10” single)
The Ting Tings – Hands/Hands (Passion Pit Remix) 7”
KT Tunstall – Have Yourself a Very KT Christmas CD
Stanley Turrentine – Sugar LP
U2 – Wide Awake in Europe EP 12”

So, to buy these records, you have to actually go into your local record store, or give it a few days (or maybe even sooner), these all will show up on eBay with steep price tags attached to them.....

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JAG PANZER 'Scourge Of The Light' Artwork'

Here is the cover artwork for 'Scourge Of The Light,' the new album from Colorado power metallers JAG PANZER. It was painted by Los Angeles artist Justin Yun.

"Scourge Of The Light" is tentatively scheduled for a February 2011 release via SPV/Steamhammer Records.

Great cover art!















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Lamb of God 'Hourglass' Box Sets'

Each set comes in a wide variety of sizes and configurations, making them attractively affordable options for any heavy metal fan:

'Hourglass: Vol 1 -- The Underground Years'
-- Available in stores only
-- 13 Lamb of God songs from their early years culled from their first album 'Burn the Priest' and 'New American Gospel,' which was their first release under the LOG moniker, and 'As the Palaces Burn'

'Hourglass: Vol 2 -- The Epic Years'
-- Available in stores only
-- 13 songs from their Epic Records catalog

'Hourglass: The 3 CD Anthology'
-- Available in stores only
-- The ultimate Lamb of God retrospective of 44 tracks spread across three CDs; volumes 1 and 2 join volume 3, containing 18 rare or previously-unreleased songs

'Hourglass: The Vinyl Box Set'
-- All six Lamb of God studio albums for the first time on 180-gram vinyl in a linen-wrapped collectors box
-- Includes 'Burn the Priest,' 'New American Gospel,' 'As the Palaces Burn,' 'Ashes of the Wake,' 'Sacrament' and 'Wrath'

'Hourglass: The USB Box Set'
-- All six Lamb of God studio albums on individual USB drives in collector's packaging
-- Includes 'Burn the Priest,' 'New American Gospel,' 'As the Palaces Burn,' 'Ashes of the Wake,' 'Sacrament' and 'Wrath'

'Hourglass: The Deluxe Set'
-- A collector's set, including the 3-CD anthology, vinyl box set, USB box set and a linen-bound, 144-page book of the art of Lamb of God as created by K3n Adams -- and his commentary on it

'Hourglass: The Super Deluxe Set'
-- Limited to 300 packages
-- Includes a Mark Morton Signature Series Jackson Dominion D2, 4-by-6 inch 'Pure American Metal Flag,' 3-CD anthology, vinyl box set, USB set, book, an 'Hourglass' sticker and a signed 8-by-10 inch photo in a personalized Lamb of God coffin case

Pick the vinyl!

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AC/DC Trading Cards "Postponed Indefinitely'

The trading cards that I told you about a month or two ago have run into a snag.  According to ACDCzone, Press Pass has issued a notice on their web site saying that the AC/DC trading cards, which were due for release on or around November 24, have been "postponed indefinitely".

A message on their web site from November 17 reads: "We regret to announce that the AC/DC product has been postponed indefinitely. We will let you know if the situation changes. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us."

Dubbed "AC/DC High Voltage", the product was supposed to feature the following:

* 100-card base set (24 packs per box, 5 cards per pack) takes you on a journey from AC/DC's Austalian beginnings through the recent "Black Ice Tour".
* Subsets based on some of AC/DC's best-known songs, including "It's A Long Way To The Top", "Back In Black", "Thunderstruck" and "Rock 'N Roll Train".
* Foil inserts: "We Salute You" and "On The Highway to..."
* Autographed memorabilia

Sad, I was looking forward to getting a set....

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SIRENIA New Album Track Listing, Cover Artwork, Release Date Revealed

Norwegian/Spanish female-fronted gothic metallers SIRENIA will release their new album, 'The Enigma Of Life,' on January 21, 2011 via Nuclear Blast Records.

The track list:

1. The End Of It All
2. Fallen Angel
3. All My Dreams
4. This Darkness
5. The Twilight In Your Eyes
6. Winter Land
7. A Seaside Serenade
8. Darkened Days To Come
9. Coming Down
10. This Lonely Lake
11. Fading Star
12. The Enigma Of Life
13. Oscura Realidad (bonus track)
14. The Enigma Of Life (acoustic version; bonus track)

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F**K THE FACTS Recording Bonus EP

Canadian rockers FUCK THE FACTS are back in the studio this week recording a bonus EP that will only be available with the vinyl version of the band's upcoming full-length album, 'Die Miserable.' The EP will feature four new songs not available on the CD version of the album, as well as a re-recorded version of the song "Unburden" (taken from the "Collection Of Splits 2002-2004").

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Transit to release 'Something Left Behind'

Punk rockers Transit are set to release a new EP on February 22, 2011 via Mightier Than Sword. The 8-song digital, CD and vinyl release will include an acoustic rendition of one song from each of the band's previous releases, along with three brand new songs. The band commented on the record:

"The 'Something Left Behind' EP is our first acoustic release, and an idea we've been toying around with forever, and now we finally have some time and the means to create it. The decision to do the EP with Mightier Than Sword was an easy one. We're all into the label and everything they're doing, and it's run by genuinely awesome dudes. We're more than excited to make this happen."

1 .Indoor Voices (new song)
2. Castaway (acoustic version originally from the "Let it Out" EP)
3. For The World (acoustic version originally from the "This Will Not Define Us" full-length)
4. Just Go, Just Leave (new song)
5. Stay Home (acoustic version originally from the "Stay Home" EP)
6. Please, Head North (acoustic version originally from the Man Overboard "Split" EP)
7. Hope This Finds You Well (acoustic version originally from the "Keep This To Your Self" full-length)
8. Something Left Behind (new song)

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La Sera's Self-titled Debut LP Set For February Release

On February 15th, Hardly Art will release the self-titled debut full-length from La Sera. La Sera is the new project from Katy Goodman of Vivian Girls/All Saints Day. The band also features Jenn Prince and Jonathan Weinberg. Earlier this week Hardly Art released the debut 7" from the La Sera. This 7" features album standout "Never Come Around" and exclusive b-side "Behind Your Eyes."