The vinyl record collecting blog - with news about new vinyl record releases, vinyl record sales, new music releases, album cover art and weekly features
EMI Label Services/Caroline Distribution are working hand in hand with independent record stores to invoke a great rock tradition: a Battle of the Bands amongst local high-school groups across the nation.
The events are taking place at participating stores through mid-November. The "winning" band as chosen by each local store will have the chance to have a song included on a compilation that will be released on Record Store Day (April 17, 2010). The finalists will then be reviewed and one band will be selected to receive the grand prize of recording time with a legendary music producer, and a complete gear outfit courtesy of Fender Musical Instrument Corporation.
As stated by Dominic Pandiscia, SVP/GM EMI Label Services and Caroline Distribution:
"The Battle of the Bands campaign reinforces the record store as a key hub of activity for students. We're incredibly excited to work with all associated partners to nurture local music talent, while creating exciting events at local independent stores."
Michael Kurtz, co-founder of Record Store Day, a celebration of independent record stores, saw this as a great opportunity to get the local community involved. The compilation of winners will be released on Record Store Day and the winning band from each market will be invited to perform in-store.
"The organizers behind Record Store Day have helped develop artists as incredible as Regina Spektor, Flyleaf, and Linkin Park," said Kurtz. "Additionally, we've been doing our part to help build the audience of such amazing bands as Wilco, Joss Stone, and Evanescence, while celebrating the music of artists like Tom Waits, Green Day and Radiohead with special RSD vinyl releases. It is exciting to now help an aspiring high school band discover that when they work hard, other people will step in to help. Helping the Fender Music Foundation bring funding and resources to the local communities is especially gratifying."
The winning band, to be selected by Merovingian Music President Jack Ponti and Fender Director of Entertainment Marketing Del Breckenfeld, will be outfitted with Fender equipment, including a Fender Road WornTM '50s Strat®, a Fender Road Worn '50s Precision Bass®, a Fender California SeriesTM KingmanTM SCE Electric Acoustic,· a Fender Super-SonicTM Amp; a Fender Bassman® Fifteen Bass Amp; a Gretsch® BlackhawkTM Drum Kit, Sabian® Cymbals and Gibraltar® Drum Hardware. Nine runner-up bands will receive Fender G-DEC® Amps (one per band), preloaded with loops and other tools, for practicing and songwriting.
The winning band will also have studio time with legendary producer/musician/manager/songwriter Jack Ponti (Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper, India.Arie, Aiden, Boyz II Men). The recording will then be mixed by Kevin Shirley (aka The Caveman) who has mixed records for Iron Maiden, HIM, Slayer, Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin.
In addition, participating local bands will have the chance to open for The Sunstreak at select high schools around the country. Signed to Merovingian Records, The Sunstreak, veterans of the Vans Warped tour, self-recorded their soon to be released, Once Upon A Lie on a MacBook, exemplifying the "do it yourself" indie spirit of the "Battle of the Bands" campaign.
1. LP - The Beatles "Let It Be" UK Original Box Set Sealed - $10,099.00
2. LP - John Heartsman And Circles "Music Of My Heart" Private - $5,300.00
3. LP - The Beatles "White Album" UK Pressing 0006864 - $4,899.66
4. LP - The Beatles "Please Please Me" Parlophone UK Gold Black label 1st Stereo - $2,571.43
5. LP - Bob Dylan "John Wesley Harding" Red Vinyl - $3,249.00
As always, a special thank you to Norm at http://ccdiscoveries.blogspot.com for this great data. Stop in and listen to their unique radio show Accidental Nostalgia with Norm & Jane On Radio Dentata - 60 minutes of rare records and nugatory narration. Every Tuesday 4PM PT/7PM ET, Sunday 9AM PT/12PM ET & Monday 12AM PT/3AM ET
Vinyl records are enjoying a bit of a resurgence with sales on a slow but steady increase in the last few years. What makes vinyl so attractive to music consumers is of course the sound quality and the pleasure of actually owning the physical product – you can hold it, admire it and study the album cover art as you listen to the LP.
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Lisa Schnitzer, an art teacher at Williston Middle School in Wilmington, NC who has a special assignment for her art students. As part of their course work, she has the students design their own album cover art. Let’s learn more about this innovative and interesting assignment:
Where do you teach and what subjects?
I teach Visual Art-Grades 6, 7 and 8.
When did you first start this project?
In 1989, when I began teaching in Allendale, New Jersey. I actually had done the project six months before I got my job, when I was a student at Clifton High School, in Clifton, NJ.
I would imagine that over the years that you have seen some great ideas from your students, do you have any cover art that stands out, sort of a top ten list?
All my students turn in creative art work and I have had students do some really impressive and creative album covers for Metallica, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC- lots of heavy metal covers, I think that the music just lends itself to some dramatic visuals.
I would have loved an art project like this when I was in school, are the students excited and interested in the assignment?
They really enjoy the project. It is one project where they can really be as creative as they’d like, without specific instructions, except that the covers must be in a 12 inch by 12 inch format (the dimensions of album covers).
You told me that you have generated a list of good album titles to help the students, can you elaborate?
I have a list of about fifty or so album titles from over the years, some really translate literally, which is a bit easier for middle school students. Some of them are: Cyndi Lauper Hat Full Of Stars, Billy Joel Glass Houses, Aerosmith Permanent Vacation, Jimmy Buffet Off To See The Lizard, Meatloaf Bat Out Of Hell. Also on the list is Neil Young Harvest Moon, Jethro Tull Thick As A Brick, Rush MovingPictures, Cream Strange Brew, David Bowie Ziggy Stardust, Supertramp Breakfast In America, B-52’s Wild Planet and many others.
How may of the students actually have vinyl?
Not too many, but they definitely come in and tell me about their parents’ collections after we start the project! There are also two record shops in town which sell a lot of collectible vinyl.
What are your favorite album covers, what do you think of Sgt. Pepper?
I’m not actually a huge Sgt. Pepper fan and I generally prefer drawn or painted covers rather than photography, but I will say my favorites include Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti (great concept for the cover), Little Feat’s Waiting For Columbus and any of the Neon Park covers he did for them and also Supertramp’s Breakfast In America cover, which was photography, but very surreal.
You state that you have brought in some of your own albums for the students to look at, do they have any favorites?
They love most of the Led Zeppelin covers (I have them all so I bring them in to share); also, they love the story behind Abbey Road and Paul’s supposed demise and such. Elton John’s Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy is another favorite- due to the dirty little pictures all over it.
What kind of requirements do you place on the students for the assignment, are they allowed to use a collage, pictures, certain colors?
When we do this project, my 8th graders are at the point in the semester where we have worked with so many mediums that they are allowed to use anything we’ve used up to that point including fabric, yarn, glitter, paints, inks, magazines, etc. The album covers have to stay clean and within the 12” x 12” limit.
What is the appeal, why is this project important?
Since I am a child (teenager) of the 70’s, I try to instill in my students the intense enormity of album cover art and how much of a part of our social scene that they were! I saw over thirty concerts between my three years in high school, beginning with Steve Miller in 1976 and I tell them that music was much more social back then, iPods have isolated folks and music is not shared as much, which to me is very sad. We all had a hard enough time actually seeing our bands in music videos, which really changed music in a positive way. When we were in high school, we often didn’t see the musicians unless they were on the Midnight Special, Don Kirschner’s Rock Hour or Saturday Night Live, and when you did get to see a band you liked it was such a special treat!
Let’s look at some of the creative album cover art that has been turned in:
It’s encouraging that an art teacher recognizes the social and cultural importance of album cover art and teaches these values to her students. And as vinyl record sales continue to rise, more and more young music lovers will soon embrace the superior sound of vinyl and get to know album cover art personally.
Written By Robert Benson Copyright 2009 CollectingVinylRecords.com
Depeche Mode to release ‘Fragile Tension,’ ‘Hole to Feed’ as double A-side single
Depeche Mode next month will release the third single from this year’s Sounds Of The Universe — a double A-side featuring “Fragile Tension” and “Hole to Feed” — on CD, 12-inch vinyl and as a digital download.
Showing uncharacteristic inconsistency, DM isn’t issuing the new double-sided single as a 7-inch, even though the album’s first two singles, “Wrong” and “Peace,” are available as 45s. Yet “Fragile Tension”/”Hole to Feed” is being released as a double 12-inch; the decision not to issue “Peace” in that format (the first Depeche Mode single since 1981’s “Dreaming of Me” not to be on 12-inch) already has sparked a fan petition in protest.
Out Dec. 7 in Europe (a U.S. digital release is still pending), the new single collects umpteen new remixes of the two title tracks, as well as album tracks “Come Back” and “Perfect.” It’s only the third double A-side single from Depeche Mode, following 1984’s “Blasphemous Rumors”/”Somebody” and 2006’s “John the Revelator”/”Lilian.”
It’s not known yet whether Depeche Mode plans a video for “Fragile Tension,” but the band already has released a face-licking-filled clip for “Hole to Feed.”
Double 12-inch vinyl:
1. “Fragile Tension” (Stephan Bodzin Remix) 9.14 2. “Fragile Tension” (Kris Menace’s Love On Laserdisc Remix) 6.24 3. “Hole To Feed” (Popof Vocal Mix) 8.42 4. “Hole To Feed” (Paul Woolford’s Easyfun Ethereal Disco Mix) 9.24 5. “Perfect” (Roger Sanchez Club Mix) 7.24 6. “Perfect” (Ralphi Rosario Dub) 8.26 7. “Peace” (Herve’s ‘Warehouse Frequencies’ Remix) 5.10 8. “Peace” (Sander Van Doorn Remix) 8.02
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Get Some Balls, The Show Must Go ON!
Morrissey’s reputation as the world’s most unreliable concert draw remains solidly intact, thanks to incoming reports he walked offstage just one-and-a-half songs into tonight’s Liverpool concert after a fan tossed a drink at him.
Disgruntled fans are documenting the incident on Twitter, and reports vary as to whether Moz actually was hit or not, and whether the offensive projectile was a beer bottle, a plastic water bottle, a cup of some variety or some other kind of liquid-bearing vessel. (Watch the video of it below and you can be the judge.)
According to a fan posting on Morrissey-solo.com, Moz took the stage and said, “It’s Saturday night. It’s raining. It’s Liverpool. And it’s perfect,” then opened with The Smiths’ “This Charming Man.” He was playing the night’s second song, “Black Cloud,” when, the Liverpool Echo reports, “he was struck just moments after shaking hands with members of the audience by what appeared to be a half-full plastic glass.”
Morrissey plainly took offense at the gesture, and left the stage, along with his band, leaving 7,000-odd befuddled fans at the Echo Arena in Liverpool having just witnessed a very short concert. Fans report the following announcement was made: “Morrissey’s been hit in the head with a bottle of beer. The show won’t be continuing.”
Grow some balls, these people actually paid money to see you 'perform' (obviously-I'm not a big fan of 'Moz')
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Pixies Play Subdued Cut On Conan
The Pixies appeared on “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” last Friday to perform the closest thing the band ever had to a pop hit, Doolittle’s “Here Comes Your Man.” Get a load of the sheer size of the Minotaur box set that Conan holds up in the intro!
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'UP TO NOW' THE BEST OF SNOW PATROL OUT NOW!
Up To Now the best of Snow Patrol is now available in the shops and to download.
The thirty track, double album of singles, cover versions, rarities and compositions by The Reindeer Section, is available on CD & DVD, Standard CD, download and Limited Edition Box Set, which is available exclusively from SP.com and not available in the shops.
The beautiful heavyweight box sets are numbered and contain the double disc album on CD, three heavyweight vinyl’s, two DVDs, a lithograph print by Bradley Quinn and an LP-sized booklet. To order the box sets simply click here.
D-A-D: 'Behind The Seen' Limited-Edition Vinyl Released
While the band is touring Europe, Danish hard rockers D-A-D are celebrating their 25-year anniversary by offering the very limited "Behind The Seen" vinyl on November 16 featuring rare, unreleased and B-side songs. Only 500 copies were made worldwide.
The track listing is as follows:
01. Strong Where You Belong 02. Women Are Crazy 03. Wonderful 04. Stop Me 05. The Dentist 06. Motorlove 07. Big Ones 08. Look What The Drug Dragged In 09. Burn The Bridges 10. Last Mango In Paris 11. I'm A Little Cloud 12. In Real Life 13. Favours 14. Horizon 15. You Filled My Head 16. Jacketless In December 17. Tyrants 18. Time Swallows Time
"The Overmuch Box", a collection of D-A-D's complete works in a box, is due on November 16. It contains — besides a CD with never previously released tracks and b-sides and a 160-page book about the band — remastered versions of the bands ten albums. All albums have been remastered by Chris Athens, who has previously mastered albums such as COLDPLAY's "X & Y", N*E*R*D's "Fly Or Die" and KELIS's "Tasty". Athens has also worked with remastering music of world artists like OZZY OSBOURNE and JOHNNY CASH.
"The Overmuch Box" will celebrate D-A-D's 25th anniversary by containing 10 remastered studio albums:
* Call Of The Wild (1985) * D.A.D. Draws A Circle (1987) * No Fuel Left For The Pilgrims (1989) * Riskin' It All (1991) * Helpyourselfish (1995) * Simpatico (1997) * Everything Glows (2000) * Soft Dogs (2002) * Scare Yourself (2005) * Monster Philosophy (2008)
The package will also contain D-A-D's first release ever, the EP "Standin' On The Never Never" (1985) — remastered and released on CD for the first time. "The Overmuch Box" will also contain the bonus album "Behind The Seen" (2009), featuring eight previously unreleased tracks plus 10 rare b-sides and bonus tracks. Also included will be a book in English about the life and times of D-A-D, based on a number of recent interviews with the band, by author Michael Valeur. The 160 pages are generously illustrated by D-A-D bass player Stig Pedersen.
Besides the regular version, "The Overmuch Box" comes as a deluxe limited edition in a cow-skull-shaped metal box containing both "The Overmuch Box" and a cow-skull-shaped USB key. The 2GB USB contains all 10 studio albums, the "Standin' On The Never Never" EP, the "Behind The Seen" bonus album, plus ultra-rare live recordings, not available anywhere else!!!
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KISS: Video Interview Posted Online
The members of KISS were interviewed by Altitude and Sprint TV prior to their October 31, 2009 performance at the 11th annual Voodoo Experience music festival in New Orleans. Watch the chat below.
More than 150 acts played on eight stages in three separate areas — named Le Ritual, Le Flambeau and Le Carnival — around the city.
Other major acts on the Voodoo Experience bill included JANE'S ADDICTION, WOLFMOTHER, EAGLES OF DEATH METAL, MEAT PUPPETS and DOWN.
Guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley says that he feels no shame in KISS being lumped in with other vintage, or classic rock acts — in fact, the band is thrilled with the fact that they're now spanning there different generations with their music and bombastic live shows.
Stanley, who's out on the road with KISS in support of their first album in a decade, called "Sonic Boom", told Metal Hammer magazine, "I'm proud to be in the category of classic rock bands — what's better than the word 'classic?' Are you kidding? If you want to call LED ZEPPELIN a classic rock band and then you want to call us a classic rock band, I'm not fighting. If I'm going to be lumped in with anybody, let me be lumped in with my heroes. That doesn't preclude you from being current. It means that you have a solid history and a foundation, which most bands will never achieve because they won't survive that long."
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!!! Drummer Jerry Fuchs Dies After Falling Down Elevator Shaft In New York yesterday...
!!! drummer Gerhardt (Jerry) Fuchs has tragically died after falling down five stories of an elevator shaft in Williamsburg, New York.
The 34-year-old fell to his death at 12.30am (EST) yesterday morning when a manual freight lift stopped slightly above the fifth floor.
Fuchs and his friend attempted to jump the few feet to the floor, but the New York Times reports that the drummer's clothing got caught as he jumped and he fell through the gap. His friend landed safely.
He was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, but died at 3.30am.
!! had earlier performed with MSTRKRFT on the Late Show With David Letterman in the city.
As well as !!!, Fuchs had played drums for Turing Machine, Maserati and The Juna MacLean.
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Arctic Monkeys To Release New Single Through Oxfam
Arctic Monkeys will release their next single 'Cornerstone' exclusively through the charity shops of Oxfam.
The band previously did the same thing with their last single 'Crying Lightning' which went on to sell 10,000 vinyl copies.
The limited edition 'Cornerstone' 10” record will go on sale in 50 of Oxfam's stores on November 16th. Fans who buy the vinyl will get a code which allows them to download the MP3 files of the songs.
Additionally the band will be planting 'Golden Tickets' inside the records enabling fans the chance to win tickets to see Arctic Monkeys forthcoming UK tour.
The results have been compiled and we have the top selling vinyl records sold at eBay during the month of October of 2009, sorted by week. There are some interesting sales for the month including the top money sale going to the Beatles LP "Please Please Me" (Stereo Parlophone Gold UK First Press) coming in at a little over $7,300, this is familiar because last month’s top seller was the same LP, which came in at just below $8,700. Next on the money list is a silk-screened test pressing LP “Out Of Step,” from the American hardcore punk band Minor Threat, which sold for $5,900; they also had another copy of the same record that sold for just under $3,000 two weeks later.
Classical music also scored some big returns with the LP Johanna Martzy "Bach: The unaccompanied Violin Sonatas" (Columbia Box set UK), selling for $5,625, a LP by Leonid Kogan called "Beethoven Violin Concerto" (Columbia SAX 2386 UK Pressing) which sold for $4,610, a Georges Enesco LP, Bach Sonatas Continental , which sold for $3,300 and the LP by Devy Erlih "Bach Sonatas and Partitas for solo Violin" (ADES France) clocking in at just under $3,300. 45 rpm record s also sold well in the month with several records selling for around $3,000 and one, a 45 rpm by William Powell "Heartache Souvenirs" / "The Chicken Shack" (Power-House), that sold for a cool $5,000.
Here are the weekly results:
Week Ending 10/10/2009
1. LP - The Beatles "Please Please Me" Stereo Parlophone Gold UK First Press - $7,328.72
2. LP - Johanna Martzy "Bach: The unaccompanied Violin Sonatas" Columbia Box set UK - $5,625.00
3. 45 rpm - William Powell "Heartache Souvenirs" / "The Chicken Shack" Power-House - $5,000.00
4. LP - Jackie McLean "New Tradition" Ad-Lib - $4,036.00
3. LP - Slayer "25 Years Of Not Showing Mercy" Test Press Fan Club Release - $2,716.00
4. LP - Militia "The Sybling" - $2,550.00
5. LP - The Beatles "White Album" UK Mono #0007192 - $2,532.62
Week Ending 10/31/2009
1. 45 rpm - Soul Brothers Inc "Tear Drops" / "Don't Wait Too Long" Salem - $3,500.00
2. 45 rpm - Frankie Beverly & The Butlers "Because Of My Heart" / "I Want To Feel I'm Wanted" Fairmount - $3,200.00
3. LP - Minor Threat "Out Of Step" test pressing silkscreened - $3,050.00
4. LP - Sonny Clark "Cool Struttin'" Blue Note Mono original - $3,002.00
5. LP - The Beatles "Please Please Me" Parlophone UK Gold Black label 1st Stereo - $2,571.43
As always, a special thank you to Norm at http://ccdiscoveries.blogspot.com for this great data. Stop in and listen to their unique radio show Accidental Nostalgia with Norm & Jane On Radio Dentata - 60 minutes of rare records and nugatory narration. Every Tuesday 4PM PT/7PM ET, Sunday 9AM PT/12PM ET & Monday 12AM PT/3AM ET
Do You Have Valuable Records? Buy Your Record Price Guides Here:
Earlier this year, Beatles fans and music lovers alike were greeted with news of, not ONE, but TWO box sets from the Fab Four. Both sets would have added extras, such as sound bytes of the Fabs in the studio as they were making each album, plus visual clips which are added to each disc in the form of a CD rom component.
On the 9/9/09 Beatlemania happened all over again, with both box sets being sold out in hours after going on sale. Many shops couldn’t fill their quota, resulting in disappointments everywhere. It’s taken some four years for the technical people at EMI /UK to find clean master tapes of the first four original mono albums and come up with a first time on CD, “stereo mix.” I have to say that after hearing the “new” versions and comparing them to the “original” vinyl versions, that, whilst they do sound great, only a diehard vinyl addict would spot the difference. Being as they are in the CD format, they’ve enhanced the music contained on each disc, by increasing the treble, and decreasing the bass, to make it crisp, and give it a “modern” sound. Onto the box set, which saw the light of day on the 9/9/09. The first album,”Please, Please Me” has two tracks that are still in MONO, “Love Me Do” and P.S. I Love You.” There is no known stereo mix of both tracks. I found this to be a little bit disappointing, from the point that, we were told that this is the “first” time in the world that the first four albums would be heard in true stereo. As for the packaging (digi packs), for me, I would rather the discs came in jewel cases, because each time the disc is taken out of the cover there’s no protection for the discs, subsequently they get scratched. The extra photos, plus the CD rom features are great, but for my money, I would’ve been quite happy with jewel cases, and drop the CD ROMs.
The stereo box set will set you back, roughly $300 (Australian). Pretty good value, considering you get 13 albums plus a DVD containing all the CD rom components, enabling you, the listener to watch it on your plasma, reliving the excitement from the fabs all over again. The MONO box set is slightly more expensive, somewhere in the region of $375 (Australian). Again it contains the first 10 albums, digitially remastered, with the final three albums appearing in stereo only, plus the past masters, appearing as a double album this time.
The sound quality overall is great, with more clarity given to all tracks, apart from “Love Me Do” and “P.S. I Love You.” However, the original cover artwork has been retained, with extra photos, plus extra sleeve notes, which make for interesting reading. It’s great to hear the differences between the mono and stereo versions, such as the double tracked voice of John on “If I Fell.” (Fantastic). “Tell Me Why” sounds louder and brighter this time around, as do all tracks contained in the box set. For all diehard Beatle fans, who bought the first edition of the Beatles discs, do yourself a favour, and invest in a copy of the new Beatles Box Set. You won’t be sorry.
FOOTNOTE; A bonus for all Beatle fans, who preordered copies of the Box Set and missed out. You’re in luck, as the record companies have come to the party and in late October are issuing another batch of both the Stereo and Mono box sets. Once again we can all go Yeah! , Yeah! Yeah! Enjoy.
Patti Page ("Alleghany Moon") is 82 Michael Johnson ("Bluer Than Blue") is 65 Gerald Alston - Manhattans (1942) John Perez - Sir Douglas Quintet (1942) Bonnie Bramlett - Delaney & Bonnie (1944) Rodney Slater - Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (1944) Donald Murray - Turtles (1945) Roy Wood - Move and ELO (1946) Alan Berger - Southside Johnny & The Ashbury Jukes (1949) Bonnie Raitt (1949) Rickie Lee Jones (1954) Porl Thompson - Cure (1957) Terry Lee Miall - Adam And The Ants (1958) Seventies teen-idol Leif Garrett (1961) Rat - Neds Atomic Dustbin (1970) Corey Taylor - Slipknot (1976) Tiffani Wood - Australian singer (1977)
They Are Missed:
Soul singer Ivory Joe Hunter died in 1974. Hunter was best known for his R&B hits, "Since I Lost You Baby," "I Almost Lost My Mind" and "I Need You So."
Born today in 1947, Minnie Riperton (the Stevie Wonder produced single "Loving You"). She died of cancer July 12, 1979.
Country Dick Montana, lead singer of the Beat Farmers, collapsed and died on stage in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada in 1995.
History:
Buddy Holly's radio show made its debut on KDAV-AM in Lubbock, Texas in 1953.
Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock" movie was released nationwide in 1957.
In 1961, Brian Epstein phoned the Liverpool Cavern in an effort to get a ticket to the next Beatles show. He would become the band's manager shortly after seeing them.
The first album on Stax Records – 'Green Onions,' by Booker T. & the MG’s – was released in 1962.
Dick Clark's traveling Caravan of Stars opened its fall 1963 tour in Teaneck, New Jersey. The bill featured Bobby Vee, Brian Hyland, the Ronettes, LIttle Eva and the Dovells among others.
In 1965, the Beatles worked on a new George Harrison song "Think For Yourself" at Abbey Road for their forthcoming Rubber Soul album. After rehearsing the song, they recorded the basic instrumental track in one take.
The Dave Clark Five performed for Queen Elizabeth at the Royal Variety Show in London in 1965.
The film "How I Won the War," starring John Lennon, premiered in the US in 1967.
Cynthia Powell Lennon was granted a divorce from her husband of six years, John Lennon, in a London court in 1968. John was absent from court. He was attending to Yoko Ono who was in a hospital, where it was feared she might suffer a miscarriage (she miscarried on November 21).
In 1968, it was announced that Jean Terrell would replace Diana Ross in the Supremes. Ross left to start a solo career.
On the second date of their US tour in 1969, the Rolling Stones broke the Los Angeles concert gross record that was held by the Beatles since 1966. They also added an extra date to their L.A. Forum stand and a fourth date to their upcoming gig at New York's Madison Square Garden.
"Something," the first Beatles A-side composed by George Harrison, entered the UK singles chart in 1969. It peaked at #4 in the UK and went on to be a #1 on the US chart.
Today in 1969, the song "Wedding Bell Blues" by 5th Dimension topped the charts and stayed there for 3 weeks.
The Allman Brothers Band's epic self-titled debut was released on Capricorn Records in 1969.
Doors’ singer Jim Morrison recorded his poetry in 1970. In '78, the surviving Doors composed music to go with the poetry and released the ill-advised “An American Prayer.”
In 1971, David Bowie began recording what will become “Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars” in London.
In 1971, Sly & the Family Stone had huge hits with "Family Affair" and "There's a Riot Goin' On". The album's title could well describe some of Sly's concerts during this time. Much to his fans' dismay, he's a frequent no-show. Of eighty concerts booked in 1970, he canceled 26 and had ducked out of 12 of forty shows in '71.
Led Zeppelin's Led Zeppelin IV, commonly referred to as Zoso, was released in 1971. The album includes the rock epic "Stairway to Heaven."
David Bowie made his US TV debut in 1975, performing "Fame" on the Cher CBS-TV show.
Suzi Quatro began her role as Leather Tuscadero on ABC-TV's "Happy Days" in 1977.
The Grateful Dead's "Shakedown Street" LP was released in 1979.
Bruce Springsteen started a four week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1980 with "The River," his first US #1 album.
Sonny Bono, running as a Republican, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994, representing the Palm Springs area of California.
'Hell Freezes Over', the first album of new recordings by the Eagles since 1980, was released in 1994. It includes four new studio compositions, including the hit single "Get Over It."
Michael Jackson and Sony Corp. of America combined forces in 1995 and created the world's third-largest music publishing company with more than 100,000 titles.
Johnny Paycheck officially joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1997. He was the 72nd member of the radio show's cast.
The original "Guitar Hero" game was released in North America in 2005.
The Beastie Boys celebrate their 24th anniversary in 2005 with the release of "Solid Gold Hits." The 15 track compilation includes material from '86 to '04.
The Whisky-A-Go-Go club, the legendary L.A. venue that was the launching pad for the Doors, was designated a landmark by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in 2006 as part of the festivities launching a yearlong celebration of the band's 40th anniversary. All three surviving Doors members take part in the festivities, which include signing copies of their autobiography, The Doors by the Doors. Drummer John Densmore even hosts a reading of Jim Morrison's poetry.
In 2008, AC/DC started a two-week run at #1 on the US album chart with ‘Black Ice’ the band's fifteenth studio album and the second-best selling album of 2008.
SACRED OATH's Debut Repackaged In Twentieth-Anniversary Edition
Cult classic debut from SACRED OATH repackaged in twentieth anniversary edition for store shelves November 10.
WorldSound label group has repackaged the cult classic debut album from Connecticut heavy metallers SACRED OATH, A Crystal Vision, in a twentieth-anniversary edition (compact disc) for release on November 10, 2009.
Originally released by Mercenary Records in 1988, A Crystal Vision has come to be regarded as one of the seminal metal albums that spawned the power metal movement of the '90s, despite the band breaking up shortly after its release.
The reissue faithfully preserves the contents, song order, and front cover design of the original Mercenary release but features the front cover artwork as it was always meant to be seen, in full color. The original pressing of the vinyl LP had the artwork in brown sepia tone, much to the band's dismay.
I cannot tell you how pleased I am that this album is still being celebrated twenty years later, and that the cover art will finally be seen as it was intended back then, says Rob Thorne, the band's lead singer and founding member. This is certainly the best edition of A Crystal Vision ever.
The package also contains an eight page booklet with song lyrics, art, and unseen archival photos of SACRED OATH from 1988.
This reissue is part of WorldSound's exclusive license to press and distribute the entire SACRED OATH catalog, including the acclaimed live album Till Death Do Us Part, Darkness Visible and the self-titled Sacred Oath which was released on August 25. Distribution is through E1 Entertainment in the U.S.
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New MUDVAYNE Album Artwork Unveiled
Bring Back Those Black Lights!
Here is the artwork for the new self-titled album from MUDVAYNE. Reportedly the first album to ever use blacklight-reactive ink (making it only visible under a black light), the CD's cover image was created by world-renowned tattoo king Paul Booth.
Every bit of art and text in the packaging of the record will be printed on ink that can only be seen under a black light .
Commented Booth: This project has been absolutely killer to work on! The whole black light concept was totally experimental and quite the challenge, so of course, as an artist, I was drawn to it like a moth to a bugzapper.
He added, I am happy to see bands focusing more energy on their album art… something I thought the Internet had killed. Hailz to MUDVAYNE and everyone at the label for going the extra mile!
The album will be available in the following formats:
***1. Super Deluxe - Limited-edition run of only 1,000 copies which will be sold direct to the consumer from the band's site. Pre-order it at Mudvayne.com starting next Tuesday, November 10 and receive the digital album two weeks before release!
It contains:
a. The deluxe version of the album b. The album on glow-in-the-dark vinyl (also blacklight-reactive) c. A 24-inch blacklight d. A 24x24 poster designed by Paul Booth in blacklight-reactive ink e. An 8x8 blacklight-reactive decal designed by Paul Booth
***2. Deluxe – Limited-edition first run of 100,000 copies. Pre-order it at Mudvayne.com starting Tuesday, November 24 and receive the digital album two weeks before release!
It contains:
a. The album in jewel case b. A LED, keychain-sized blacklight c. Special blacklight-reactive packaging designed by Paul Booth
***3. Vinyl
a. Glow-in-the-dark vinyl (also blacklight-reactive) b. Blacklight-reactive art designed by Paul Booth
***4. Jewel Case
a. Blacklight-reactive art designed by Paul Booth
Due on December 22 via Epic, Mudvayne has been described by drummer Matt McDonough as the best CD the band has recorded since our second album, The End Of All Things to Come.
The album was produced by Dave Fortman's (SLIPKNOT, EVANESCENCE) right-hand man, Jeremy Parker, and is "a little more retro for MUDVAYNE" from a songwriting point of view, according to singer Chad Gray. We've been kind of making this natural progression, and I think for this one, we just sort of naturally regressed, he told Noisecreep.
We took the smarter songwriting guys that we've become and mixed it with the not-smart songwriting guys that we were ... I mean, we used to just take 20 parts, cram it together, and call it a song. Over time, playing in a band, you kind of know what to expect. It doesn't really make it easier, but you kind of have this thing in your head that you kind of know where you're going. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel before entering the tunnel. It's faint, and dim, but it's there.
MUDVAYNE wants to give the fans a chance to hear another track off the forthcoming album. The band has teamed up with AOL's Noisecreep to debut the track Scream With Me. Head over to www.noisecreep.com starting Tuesday morning, November 10 to listen to an exclusive stream of the song.
MUDVAYNE's fourth studio album, The New Game, has sold more than 200,000 copies in the United States since it came out in November 2008, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD shifted 48,000 units in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 15 on The Billboard 200 chart.
After the success of 2009’s British Design Classics, 2010 opens with a look at the classic art of the album cover. For decades the album sleeve has been the canvas for some of the most imaginative graphic artists in the world. This stamp issue salutes this unique art form and celebrates some of the greatest examples, used by UK artists.
This band of designers and photographers have not only reflected the visual styles of many musical cultures, but have also defined and created them, too. The stamp issue explores some of the most potent graphic images of modern times, many of which have provided a visual soundtrack to people’s lives.
Many of the most significant graphic designers of the last 40 years are represented by this selection of ten iconic album covers.
This issue celebrates the work of the album sleeve designer, not the music. Royal Mail began with very extensive research of existing lists and polls of ‘Greatest Album Covers’ in books, music press and the web. This trawl of literally thousands of albums uncovered many that were common to most lists.
The editors of three of the UK’s most influential music publications together with a number of graphic designers and design writers were asked to independently list the most significant album sleeve artwork used on records by British artists.
Royal Mail reviewed all the research to assemble a shortlist of albums that spanned the decades from the 1960s. Some albums could not be included for operational reasons (for instance, designs that were too dark), after final deliberation the ten albums were arrived at.
By Gregg MacDonald Fairfax County Times Thursday, November 5, 2009
For one Merrifield company, vinyl records never lost their groove.
Furnace MFG Media Duplication Solutions touts itself as the "sole U.S. provider of high-performance vinyl records."
The company, as part of its overall compact disc, DVD, Blu-Ray and USB duplication business, also manufactures vinyl records for major labels and artists such as Tom Petty, Neil Young, Green Day, R.E.M., Metallica and Madonna.
Eric Astor, Furnace's president and chief executive, is also the company's top audiophile and vinyl proponent.
"Record albums are an experience that can't be duplicated digitally," said Astor, 38, of Falls Church. "I remember saving up for them, smelling them, reading the liner notes, admiring the artwork on the cover. It was an event."
A new generation is discovering vinyl. Based primarily on the sales of vinyl records, the company this year has already doubled its 2008 revenues and moved into a new facility three times larger to accommodate climbing record sales.
Astor declined to reveal how much the privately owned company has made this year, saying only that Furnace is a "multimillion-dollar" business.
"We are on track to make 1 million records this year," said the company's chief operating officer, Manish Naik, of Vienna. "Part of my job is to see that we don't let vinyl take over the entire business."
Vinyl record sales are spinning upward. Nielsen SoundScan reports show that vinyl record sales increased 85.8 percent between 2006 and 2007 and 89 percent between 2007 and 2008.
Naik says that many Best Buy electronics store locations dedicate space to vinyl records. "Go to the Tysons Corner location and see what they've done there for yourself," he said.
"Vinyl never died," Astor said. "What happened was that sometime in the late 1980s when compact discs were all the rage, all the major record labels put out an edict that discs were the way to go."
Astor said because MP3s and music downloads have brought down CD sales, vinyl records are being looked at as profitable once again. "Vinyl is more expensive to make than a CD, but you make more profit than you do from selling downloaded music," he said.
But Astor said the vinyl experience is the real selling point. "Music used to be fun and dangerous. There was a level of insanity that was unpredictable. A vinyl recording captures that much better than the limited frequency range that digital recordings are capable of. People are hearing music again the way musicians actually made it, and the way they wanted you to hear it."
Doug Roach, 57, owner of Herndon antique store Roaches in the Attic, agreed. He estimated his vinyl record collection at about 2,000 albums.
"The younger generation is starting to acquaint themselves with the vinyl experience," he said. "There were some records made in the 1970s called 16-track audiophile albums. In my opinion, the clarity of those albums is even better than digital CDs.
Paul Revere & The Raiders Complete Columbia Singles from CCM!
Following the success of singles collections from Jan & Dean, Gary Lewis & The Playboys, and Jay & The Americans, CCM is super proud to announce the next installment of terrific sixties rock 'n' roll: Paul Revere and The Raiders: The Complete Columbia Singles.
This three CD set will feature 65 classic tracks in all their original hit single glory, meaning those much-sought-after mono mixes (where applicable). Ace engineer and PR&TR tape guru Bob Irwin will handle the remastering chores so you can be sure the sonics will slam like never before.
As usual, there'll be a nifty booklet that includes notes based on in-depth interviews with those on the scene back then, picture sleeve images, and cool vintage photos.
Exact release date is not set yet but look for this CD set either in December '09 or January '10
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3 Doors Down release 'The Better Life' fan pack
3 Doors Down has released "The Ultimate Pack," a limited-edition set that includes a re-mastered version of "The Better Life," the band's 2000 debut, according to a press release. In addition to the album, the set includes a limited-edition, re-mastered version of the album on green vinyl. Both the CD and the vinyl record include new album artwork.
Also included in the "pack" will be an "Early Entry Pit Pass" laminate that provides a fan and one guest early admission into shows at venues with general-admission ticketing. The "Pit Pass" will allow fans to grab a place at the front of the venue, but it does not include an admission ticket to the concert.
In addition, the band is including in the new set a limited-edition poster, T-shirt and an instant download of the hit single "Kryptonite."
"The Ultimate Pack" is available for $125 exclusively at the band's website. http://www.3doorsdown.com/
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B.B. King continues roadwork, some with Buddy Guy
B.B. King isn't letting his recent 84th birthday slow him down as he plots an extensive fall and winter itinerary featuring a mixture of solo shows and co-headlining dates with Buddy Guy. The legendary bluesman returns to the stage Nov. 10in Portland, OR, working his way along the West Coast through early December. Following a New Year's Eve (12/31) performance in Tulsa, OK, King will take a month-long hiatus before hitting the road with Buddy Guy for a theater run that currently spans 13 cities.
King, a 14-time Grammy winner, scored the highest-debuting solo album of his nearly 60-year career with his latest release, "One Kind Favor." The set, which surfaced in August of last year, debuted at No. 37 on The Billboard 200 chart.
Produced by T Bone Burnett (Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Roy Orbison), "One Kind Favor" features covers of old blues songs that inspired King as a young man, and was made to sound like it was recorded in the '50s. Players include Dr. John on piano, Nathan East on standup bass and Jim Keltner on drums.
A 14-track live set entitled "B.B. King Live at the BBC" surfaced in March.
After more than 60 years in the music business, King still takes his stage appearance seriously, thanks in large part to a piece of advice given to him by his second cousin, fellow blues musician Bukka White.
"If you want to be a good blues singer, people are going to be down on you, so dress like you're going to the bank to borrow money," King revealed in a recent interview with the UK's Telegraph.
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Hair Revival Recording Will Get Vinyl Release
Today's Hair fans will get the chance to experience listening to that musical the same way their parents did when Ghostlight Records releases the cast recording of the acclaimed 2009 Broadway revival on vinyl Nov. 24.
Already a best seller in its digital format, the new cast recording of Hair arrives on vinyl as a limited edition re-mastered LP. The double-album packaging will also include a collector's edition booklet. The $50 vinyl edition is available for pre-order online at Sh-K-Boom. The vinyl set will also be on sale at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre beginning Nov. 24, where the Tony-winning is now playing.
In addition to songs not originally featured in the original Broadway production of Hair, the 37-track 2009 revival recording includes the curtain-call reprises of the musical's title song and "Let the Sun Shine In."
The complete track listing for Hair follows:
"Aquarius" "Donna" "Hashish" "Sodomy" "Colored Spade" "Manchester England" "I'm Black"/"Ain't Got No" "Sheila Franklin"/"I Believe In Love" "Ain't Got No Grass" "Air" "Kama Sutra"/"The Stone Age" "I Got Life" "Initials" "Going Down" "Hair" "My Conviction" "Easy To Be Hard" "Don't Put It Down" "Frank Mills" "Hare Krishna/Be-In" "Where Do I Go?" "Electric Blues" "Oh Great God Of Power"/"Manchester England (Reprise)" "Black Boys" "White Boys" "Walking In Space" "Minuet"/"African Drums" "Yes I's Finished On Y'All's Farmlands" "Four Score"/"Abie Baby" "Give Up All Desires"/"Hail Mary"/"Roll Call" "Three-Five-Zero-Zero" "What A Piece Of Work Is Man"/"How Dare They Try" "Good Morning Starshine" "Aquarius Goodnights"/"Ain't Got No"/"Yip Up The Sun" "The Flesh Failures"/"Eyes Look Your Last"/"Let The Sun Shine In" "Curtain Call: Hair (Reprise)" "Curtain Call: Let The Sun Shine In (Reprise)"
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RED COLLAR TO RELEASE PILGRIM ON LIMITED EDITION VINYL ON DEC. 1ST VIA LOOSE CHARM RECORDS PRE-ORDER AVAILABLE NOW
PHYSICAL DISTRIBUTION DEAL INKED WITH SUBURBAN HOME RECORDS
Red Collar will release a limited edition vinyl version of their acclaimed debut album Pilgrim on December 1, 2009 via Loose Charm Records. The 500-copy run will be hand-numbered red vinyl packaged in screen-printed sleeves, and the first 100 copies will also be printed with metallic silver ink. The original album sequencing has been reworked to present more of a Side A/Side B feel and while – due to space – the record will contain only nine of the 11 album tracks, every copy will come with a download card for all 11 tracks in addition to one bonus track, a cover of Jawbreaker’s “Jinx Removing.” A pre-order is available now on Red Collar’s website and via Vinyl Collective, and will also be at the band’s show at the Troika Music Festival in Durham, NC, on November 7th at the Trotter Building (11:30pm set time). Full Pilgrim vinyl.
“This Durham, NC band follows up their promising initial EP with an even better debut album, injecting the EP’s anthemic, post-hardcore sound reminiscent of Fugazi and Mission of Burma with a healthy dose of blue-collar Springsteen rock, a natural fit for the band’s class-conscious idealism, expressed in catchy songs with bristling guitar hooks and shouted gang choruses.” – KEXP.org
Every once in a while I find a fantastic article that is both informative and very relevant to vinyl in particular. Take the time to swing on over to the All About Jazz site and read this comprehensive look at the record making process:
SOURCE: JazzWax by Marc Myers
I don't know about you but I've always been curious about how Mosaic Records remasters recordings for its box sets. A long-time fan of Mosaic's restorations and attention to detail, I favor the “Producer's Note" that appears at the back of each set's calendar-size liner-notes brochure. Written by Scott Wenzel, Mosaic's award-winning producer, the note often tosses around terms like “metal parts," “lacquer discs" and “second generation LPs." After listening to Mosaic's new Classic Artie Shaw Bluebird and Victor Sessions, I decided enough was enough. I was going to get to the bottom of the process.
My first call was to Scott Wenzel, who told me how Mosaic's projects begin:
“The entire team here meets to discuss project ideas and the availability of original source material. Once we agree to move forward on a project, we work out a license agreement with the company that owns the masters. Then I research the discographical data and begin to create a master list of each track and the various known takes. I also assign the liner notes to a writer. When I've completed the list, I reach out to one of our superb transfer, sound restoration, and mastering experts to handle the project."
In the case of the Artie Shaw box (and many other Mosaic projects), that person was Andreas Meyer [pictured], who runs Meyer Media. So I called Andreas to find out what steps took place:
JazzWax: Did you simply drive over to Sony's RCA vault and pick out what you needed?
Breaking news just in from Warner Bros Records to my email box. I am excited to post this, Neil Young has always been a favorite, heck, I own everything he's ever released. This is a true master pleasing his fans with this special boxed set, grab your today!
DATELINE — Burbank, CA — As part of its ongoing Archives reissue campaign with legendary singer-songwriter Neil Young, Reprise Records will release re-mastered versions of the first four of Young’s classic solo albums, 1969’s Neil Young and Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, 1970’s After the Gold Rush, and 1972’s Harvest.
These very special reissues, which will be available on November 24th, have each been re-mastered from the original analog master tapes by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering Studios in Hollywood, CA.
The albums are being reissued on both vinyl and compact disc.
The individual albums are being issued on 140 gram vinyl to retail.
There is also a box set of the four albums pressed on audiophile 180 gram vinyl. Vinyl will be pressed at Pallas MFG/Germany—the world’s premiere record-pressing plant.
The box sets will be individually numbered in gold foil stamp and strictly limited to 3,000 units worldwide. They will only be available through www.becausesoundmatters.com and www.neilyoung.com.
Tom Biery, General Manager of Warner Bros. Records and vinyl enthusiast commented:
”In all my years of working vinyl releases, I was shocked at just how incredible these Neil Young re-masters sound. There is no doubt in my mind that when listening to these recordings on the new, upgraded vinyl format, it will be as close as anyone will audibly come to actually being in the studio listening to the original master tapes. It now sounds as if you are in the room with Neil during the session."
The four albums will also be released on 24 karat gold CDs, packaged in Gary Burden designed cardboard wallet packs. The four gold CD albums are housed in a numbered slip case, limited to 2,500 worldwide, and available only through www.becausesoundmatters.com and www.neilyoung.com.
All four titles have already been released to retail on standard CDs, housed in jewel boxes.
On June 2nd, Reprise Records released Young’s highly anticipated collection Archives Volume 1 1963-1972—the first of several in the Archives series of CD box sets that focus on the life of one of the most original artists of the rock era. This collection, which is also available on Blu-Ray and DVD, is currently in stores. Of Young’s Archives series, the Chicago Sun-Times has written: “Not only is it absolutely amazing, it quite possibly is a model for the only kind of recorded product that independent and chain stores alike will still be selling in the post-CD future.” Raved the Chicago Tribune: “The Archives appears to be nothing less than revolutionary in how it will present an artist's back catalog.”
The Archives Volume 1 1963-1972 covered Neil Young’s recorded career up to and including his first four album releases.
For more on Neil Young and the ongoing Archives series, please visit www.neilyoung.com.
Serious record collectors are hunters, often seen rummaging through thrift shop bins and garage sales, searching for the rarest game possible.
Toronto’s Akim Boldireff and Aaron Keele (The Record Guys) have found some super rare recordings over their careers, often being sold by folks with no idea of the record’s worth. You, the reader may have a small fortune in old records.
Boldireff and Keele want to appraise your collection at The Toronto Downtown Record Show this Sunday. They will be among 60 different vendors, staffed with experts. Getting several quotes on your collection has never been easier.
“People sell rarities because they don’t know what they’re worth,” explains Boldireff by phone. “In North York I found a $700 copy of the first Rush recording, the one on the old Moon Label, before the band had a record deal, with different cover art and mixing.
“It cost me a dollar,” he says happily.
That sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime find, but Boldireff assures me it’s not. “That far from my biggest discovery,” he says. “Part of the challenge for a collector is knowing what’s worth what. For example, many people don’t know Plastic Cloud, but this Canadian ’60s psychedelic group’s only record is worth a solid grand. I found it in Toronto, also for a buck.”
A rarity’s value depends on what a collector is willing to pay, which is partly to do with being a fan of a band as well as loving rare records. That’s why record shows like this one are so helpful: Different collectors offer different prices. Also, the needs of individual collectors change regularly over time.
“I just have about 10,000 records at home,” he says, “but I’ve been collecting for decades now, and so that’s just a fraction of what I’ve bought over the years. Collectors know their purchases are investments and can become cash quick if bills have to be paid.”
Obviously a collector can’t keep a copy of every record, which is why shows like these will always be a great opportunity for vinyl fiends. This is also where you can discover if you’re a real record hunter; capital C Collectors like the stalking part most of all.
“The chase is in often better than the catch,” says Boldireff, paraphrasing Mötorhead. The Toronto Downtown Record Show isn’t just a place for sweet deals; it’s a way to learn about the worth of your collection, or of that collection someone left in your basement. The Toronto Downtown Record Show takes place @ The Estonian Banquet Hall, 958 Broadview Ave. on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. www.therecordguys.com
I am very proud to continue our feature (look for this every Friday), music reviews that are written by the senior contributing editor of Stereophile magazine- Michael Fremer. It has been a pleasure to speak with Michael and learn more about audio sound and equipment. In fact, his new DVD, "It's A Vinyl World, After All" has hit the shelves and is selling out very quickly. This is a must have for anybody who loves vinyl, it is a true masterpiece.
ALBUM REVIEW: Neil Young (new reissue) Neil Young Official Release Series Discs 1-4 Box Set
Warner Brothers/Reprise 4 180g LP, numbered Box Set Produced by: Neil Young, Jack Nitzsche, David Briggs, Elliot Mazer, others Engineered by: various engineers Mixed by: various mixers Mastered by: Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering
Review by: Michael Fremer 2009-11-01
When Buffalo Springfield broke up, Neil Young set about building his solo career. The high-production work with Jack Nitzsche that had created classics like “Expecting to Fly” and “Broken Arrow” brought Neil back to the producer/keyboardist/orchestrator, who gained fame working with Phil Spector but the results on Young’s eponymous debut album were not as memorable. In fact, many critics and fans alike back in 1969 considered the album a disappointment and a misstep.
The “overproduction” charge was compounded by two issues: first was the original mix that buried Young’s voice, second was the label’s disastrous choice to master using the Haeco-CSG system. Invented by Howard Holzer, A&M’s chief engineer, Haeco-CSG was about cost cutting not sonic improvement.
By the late ‘60s, stereo had taken hold among album buying youngsters but most rock was still heard on AM radio or FM in the car, which was mostly monophonic. Stereo records played back monophonically usually produced terrible results: folding stereo down to mono upped common L/R information by 3 dB, which is major. That means vocals placed in both channels so they’d appear in the phantom center channel would be way too loud in mono. Not many rock singers of the era needed that kind of exposure, so Holzer invented a system to deal with the problem.
Unfortunately, his solution was to phase-shift common L/R right information so that it didn’t get the 3dB boost. Imagine, though, what happened to image focus and soundstage clarity! It produced a sonic mess that ruined many releases of the era, including Neil’s debut and Roots The Everly Brothers’ superb “comeback” album that inexplicably hasn’t been reissued yet on vinyl.
Neil remixed the first album, made sure it was mastered without Haeco-CSG and put a wide banner with his name on it at the top of the front cover in an effort to save the debut but it was too late. The album never recovered. Relatively rare original pressings with the first cover, mix and Haeco-CSG processing were quite collectible for a time, going for hundreds of dollars. I’m not sure what the going rate is today.
Time has actually been kind to Young’s debut. “The Loner” and “I’ve Been Waiting For You” are fuzz-tone laden standouts. “I’ve Loved Her Too Long” maintains its warm grip and even the surreal, Dylanesque overreach of “The Last Trip to Tulsa,” with Young’s acoustic guitar center stage and his voice off on the right channel, arrives nicely burnished through the time tunnel.
One could argue that the first album isn’t a high priority but no one would say that of the next three in this four, 180g LP box set: Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, After the Goldrush and Harvest.
With a set list that includes “Cinnamon Girl,” the title tune, “Round and Round,” “Down By The River,” and “Cowgirl In The Sand,” the second album with Crazy Horse is a hard-rocking, no-nonsense follow-up to the tentative debut and contains no filler. But surely you didn’t need to be told that.
Nor do you need to be told about the enduring folk/rock brilliance of After the Goldrush or Young’s greatest album chart success Harvest. If you do, you’re not forking over the big bucks for this 180g box set anyway. You’re more likely to opt for a 140g individual album or two.
What you’re really interested in hearing about is the sound quality of these reissues. But first a word about the packaging: Warner Brothers has gone to the trouble and expense of using deluxe paper over cardboard jackets that are authentic to the originals, though there are barcodes, new catalog numbers and updated mastering credits— all tastefully and respectfully done. All original posters and inserts are included. Pick up the new Harvest and you’ll be hard-pressed to tell it from the original, so perfectly does the new, thick outer paper stock match the original.
What’s very different about these reissues though, is the sound: I have multiple originals of all of them, including both the original Haeco-CSG version of the debut album and the re-do (obviously, though Warner Brothers and Young went with the original cover, the second mix was used) and I have to tell you, these reissues, mastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman and pressed at Pallas in Germany (buy a copy of my second DVD It’s a Vinyl World, After All and you can take a guided tour of Pallas, shot in high definition), sound far superior to the originals.
Look, I’ve been listening to these four albums for up to forty years now and I was not prepared for what I heard on all four of these albums. Grundman’s chain is sounding better than ever after what I hear are a series of upgrades.
Starting with the second album, Young arranged for multiple voices, often his own multi-tracked, but never before have the individual voices been so clearly locked in three dimensional space and timbrally distinct. The way the voices project into 3D space (including Young’s main centered one) is positively eerie (assuming your system can reproduced this, because trust me, it’s in the grooves in a way it’s not on the originals). Instrumental textures are far richer, fuller and better defined. Harmonics are fully fleshed out. Reverb trails extend to infinity before disappearing into background pitch blackness. There is so much more there there in every respect, it’s almost stupefying.
You can see Young before the microphone and experience every little vocal tick and breath pressurization. It’s not important because you can hear these details. It’s important because hearing them imparts greater meaning to the proceeding and certainly a greater appreciation of his singing and the deliberateness of his communications skills.
I wish I could tell you that the 140g versions, pressed, I assume, from the same stampers, sounded as good, but even correcting for the VTA/SRA differences, they don’t. They do sound plenty good, mind you, and better than the originals, but not quite as good as the 180g versions contained in the box set. And good as the Blu-ray versions are at 192k/24 bit, they don’t touch the vinyl.
So, my advice is: when the numbered, limited edition box is finally introduced shortly, if you’re as big a Neil fan as I am, don’t hesitate until it’s too late. Buy and enjoy this box set.
Warner Brothers, thanks to the tireless and meticulous efforts of Warner Brothers Senior Vice President and vinyl fanatic Tom Biery, demonstrates yet again, that it is possible for a major label to do vinyl correctly: cutting from analog masters, pressing at the best plants and packaging to provide fans with the genuine experience. It’s sad that the others don’t have the will to properly manage the task.
