Michael Fremer Album Review

 

Wee Tam
(reissue)

The Incredible String Band

Elektra/4 Men With Beards 4m209 180g LP

Produced by: Joe Boyd

Engineered by: John Wood

Mixed by: John Wood

Mastered by: N/A

MUSIC

SOUND






British Psych/Folk Classic Issued by 4 Men With Beards
by Michael Fremer
June 01, 2011

As the liner notes for ISB's self titled debut (Elektra EKS-7322) tell it, in the mid '60s Robin Williamson was singing traditional Scottish ballads, MIke Heron was in an r&b group and Clive Palmer was playing ragtime banjo.

As we all know, the world then went through some kind of strange wormhole and out came a warped universe that turned a skiffle band into the Beatles and an American idolizing r&b cover band into The Rolling Stones.

That's obviously an oversimplification but how else to explain what occurred back in the 1960s? Look at what happened to this group of traditional folk singers!

The group's first album issued on Elektra's more expensive four digit series came and went, attracting a small following in America for what was an album of folky, traditional originals performed with chipper high energy and a nod to Bob Dylan. The multi-instrumentalists played banjo, guitar, fiddle, pennywhistle and mandolin.

After its completion, Palmer left for Afghanistan and Robin went to Morocco. Uh, oh.

Upon his return, Palmer left the group. Williamson and Heron continued on as a duo, releasing Layers of the Onion (EKS-74010) in 1967, which featured one of the most memorable psychedelic covers of the era. The album veered from folky to world music before there was such a term. The songs were far more introspective and drone-like than before and infused with a strong Indian influence.

The album concluded with a wry song called "Way Back in the 1960s" that mimics Dylan while referencing him in the lyrics. "You made your own amusement then," Williamson sings, "...you could eat a real food meal." That was before WW III of course. I remember listening to it "back in the '60s" thinking what it would be like hearing it way in the future when it would be appropriate to say "back in the '60s" and I can assure you, it is nothing like I imagined it might be—except for vinyl still being around.

Just as The Beatles veered away from poppy tunes, the Williamson/Heron duo deep into the metaphorical woods and on the cover of their next and possibly finest album, The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter seemingly into the real forest. The hippie/back to nature era was now in full swing and the cover created the image of a communal band of men, women and children who seemed to slip back in time.

Surely the photo was staged with props but somehow it appeared legitimate and it was easy to believe this band lived in the forest and for all we knew, grew out of the dirt. The music became denser and more convoluted. The lyrics dealt with the big issues of life and death seemingly from a druid's perspective.

These limeys were positively loamy!

And as a college-aged kid from the 'burbs I ate it up and bought into every word and atmospheric musical element. So did all of my friends. You could put that album on and be transported to a different time and definitely a different place filled with odd spirits, mythical beasts ghostly apparitions. It was the most unlikely of scenarios but we bought in and the musical duo delivered aided by increasingly ambitious production by engineer John Wood.

We weren't alone, either. The ISB was big at this point, selling out large concert halls.

Next came the double LP Wee Tam and The Big Huge (Elektra EKS-74036/7) recorded in the Spring and Summer of 1968 and issued in November of 1968 as two separate albums in America for the Christmas gift giving season. Yes, back in the '60s records made great gifts. Just as they do once again!

The cover was unusual in that both the back and front were just lyrics.

The interior gatefold was a photo of just the duo, even though their girlfriends contribute their angelic voices to the mix.

While the cover photos on the American issues move the boys from the dank forest into the sunlight, the music continues its mystical, serpentine path, though somewhat more tunefully. You can almost imagine Richard Thompson and Linda Pettifer (Peters) harmonizing to the Appalachian-like "Log Cabin Home in the Sky" with Linda taking Williamson's higher part and Thompson Heron's lower one.

But that's probably just my imagination running away with me.

The songs contain earthy, religious imagery, life/death questions, exaltation and dark mystery. The music veers from sturdy American hymns to the old English folk music from which it sprang. Somehow, forty three years later it has not turned stale or dated, nor does it sound overly precious.

Some of the songs like the opener, "Job's Tears" are long, ambitious complex constructions, others like "The Yellow Snake" are pristine reflections, while the Heron's instrumental "Beyond the See" never fails to delight and surprise—and that's after listening to it for more than forty years!

The atmospherics are deep and wide thanks to the unerring brilliance of engineer John Wood in his tiny Sound Techniques space where some of the greatest UK folk music was recorded—everyone from Fairport Convention to Nick Drake. Wood's ability to capture the sound of an acoustic guitar was astonishing and despite the many overdubs, the vocals sound pristine. Everything from the silky sounding sitars to the well-textured tablas and other percussion instruments was captured brilliantly by Wood.

While the jacket says "manufactured by Rhino," there's no indication of who mastered this or what the source was. Nor do I know where the 180g LP was pressed. That said, whatever the source and whoever did the mastering and wherever this was pressed, the sonics compare quite favorably to the original UK and American pressings.

Though the images are not quite as delicately wrought as the original, they are still finely drawn and the original's three dimensionality and airiness has been preserved. If this was cut from a digital master, it must have been a high resolution file. If this is 16 bit/44K, I'll eat a compact disc. The thick slab of a pressing was quiet and well produced and the paper on cardboard jacket completes a very nice reissue.

Highly recommended as is the companion disc The Big Huge. I just wish 4 Men With Beards would divulge the source and mastering information.

Thanks to Michael over at www.musicangle.com  for the exclusive rights to reprint this material.   Stop by MusicAngle.com for more reviews and features.

©2011 MusicAngle.com & Michael Fremer - - All rights reserved

Reprinted by Permission

Vinyl Record News & Music Notes

the ebook i was selling about collecting vinyl records is now off the market, getting some well-needed updating and revisions. i hope to have it done as soon as possible.

i also shut down the site, www.collectingvinylrecords.com and will be launching a new site dedicated to the ebook in the near future. for those who have bought the ebook, i thank you for your interest. and, please visit the sponsors and advertisements here at the CVR Blog, they help me pay for medications and living expenses :O)

i am toying with the idea of launching a new site dedicated to album cover art. anyone interested in joining me on this project, let me know. also, i am open to suggestions, what do you want to see?

I am also working on getting more material to the blog. right now, i pick and choose music news and other interesting stories on the net and pass them along to you. i am certainly open to suggestions on the best way to improve the blog, so please email me at rbenson30@wi.rr.com  with your comments!

on to today's vinyl record news & music notes


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Screaming Trees Release 'Last Words: The Final Recordings' August 2

It's been 20 years and not much has changed; just as word becomes official the band are about to reach into their archives, this other band from Washington state you might remember is about to release a 20th anniversary of some album called Nevermind.

The Screaming Trees will are ready to write the final chapter of their incredible musical story when they release Last Words: The Final Recordings digitally on August 2; a CD/vinyl release is planned but still being finalized.

The members of Screaming Trees had their ups-and-downs, culminating in a hiatus in the mid-'90s.

Read the rest at blindedbysound.com

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Mathieu Santos of Ra Ra Riot To Release Debut 7" On Old Flame Records

Old Flame Records is pleased to announce the debut release from Mathieu Santos. Limited to a pressing of 300 green vinyl 7-inch records, I Can Hear The Trains Coming will be available July 26, 2011. To celebrate the release, Old Flame Records is making the title track A-side available for free download. Flip the wax and the B-side features "Northern Mentality" (MIDI Demo) which will exclusively be available on the limited edition pressing.

Read the rest at hangout.altsounds.com












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Dirty Beaches Unveils Speedway King Video; Announces Worldwide Release of 'Badlands'

ZOO MUSIC is pleased to announce Dirty Beaches' critically acclaimed Badlands full-length album is available worldwide. The record will be limited to a first pressing of 500 rare black vinyl records and distributed in the UK and EU by Italian Beach Babes for an exciting new partnership that will make ZOO's releases more affordable outside of the United States. The records can also be purchased directly from ZOO MUSIC.

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GHOST BRIGADE To Release 'Until Fear No Longer Defines Us' In August

Finnish metallers GHOST BRIGADE will release their third album, "Until Fear No Longer Defines Us", on August 19 in Europe and August 23 in North America via Season Of Mist.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. In The Woods
02. Clawmaster
03. Chamber
04. Traces Of Liberty
05. Divine Act Of Lunacy
06. Grain
07. Breakwater
08. Cult Of Decay
09. Torn
10. Soulcarvers

"Until Fear No Longer Defines Us" will be released as a CD digipak limited to the first pressing, a double gatefold coloured vinyl with digital download card, and a collector's box with CD digipak, regular or unisex t-shirt, leather bracelet, postcard hand-signed by all band members and metal button badges.

i love this album cover art!


Read the rest at Blabbermouth

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Red Hot Chili Peppers promise "dynamic" new music

By Lewis Corner, Music Reporter

Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea has described the band's new album as "very dynamic".

The Californian four-piece will release their tenth studio album I'm With You on August 29, with Flea - real name Michael Balzary - explaining that the record contains a mixture of different moods.

Read more at digitalspy.com

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Bruce Springsteen to guest on Pete Seeger LP

By Justin Harp, Entertainment Reporter

Bruce Springsteen has recorded a duet with 92-year-old folk legend Peter Seeger.

The track, 'God Is Counting On Us', was apparently written by Seeger in response to last year's Gulf Coast oil spill and will appear on his upcoming studio LP.

Read more at digitalspy.com

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New Phish Vinyl at Super Ball IX

Phish’s Super Ball IX will not only feature the return of the House of Live Phish but also the band’s own JEMP Record Store. While the store will offer a variety of catalog items it also will offer exclusive new vinyl releases on each day of the festival. These items will include the first-ever vinyl appearances of the The White Tape (on 180g white vinyl) and Party Time (2 LPs on 180g vinyl). In addition, “Two Soundchecks” will be offered on 7” vinyl. This record previously appeared in April during Record Store Day. Information regarding the days and times for these releases will be available on site.

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Spin Doctors to Mark 20 Years of "Two Princes"

The Spin Doctors will commemorate the 20th anniversary of its debut album Pocket Full of Kryptonite with a deluxe two-CD release on August 30 through Epic/Legacy. The album features remastered versions of the original songs such as hits “Two Princes” and “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong,” along with unreleased demos and live recordings. In May, the band reunited for a string UK dates where they performed the Kryptonite album in its entirety. Next week, the group kicks Summer US Tour and is also expected to announce a major fall 2011 Tour.

The seminal NY-based jamband rose to national fame in the early ‘90s, selling over 10 million copies of Kryptonite worldwide. In 1992, The Spin Doctors toured the country alongside Phish, Blues Traveler, The Black Crowes and others as part of the H.O.R.D.E. tour.



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FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE Unveil Agony Album Artwork

Italy's brutal/symphonic horde FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE has revealed the cover art for the band’s Nuclear Blast Records debut, Agony. Marco Hasmann, who worked with the band on the previous releases, Mafia And Oracles, crafted the record’s intricate cover design.

The band comments: “The album cover is about the eternal struggle of mankind; we’re condemned to live facing our evil side, which dwells in every one of us. We are like tied to the ground, forced in chains that can't be broken, so the man in the cover is representing all humanity and its eternal agony, knowing that it's almost impossible to liberate ourselves from the obscurity of our nature. Unless we decide to admit to ourselves who we are and face our doom, that would be the only way to free our kind and rise to an higher conscience, someday.”

super album cover art!







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from our friends over at vintagevinylnews.com

Bangles Sign With Model Music For First Album in Eight Years

The Bangles are readying their first album in eight years, Sweetheart of the Sun, which will be released via their new alliance with Model Music Group on September 13.

Sweetheart of the Sun will be the fifth album in the 27-year history of the group that gave us Manic Monday, Walk Like an Egyptian and Eternal Flame. The three original members, Susanna Hoffs and sisters Vicki and Debbi Peterson, continue to be the principles in the group.

Read the rest at vintagevinylnews

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Hank Williams III to Release Four Albums on the Same Day

With his own new label, Hank3 Records, and the sense that he has thrown off the chains that have been holding him back, Shelton Hank Williams III, aka Hank 3, is coming out swinging with the release of four records on September 6th. That's right -- four.

The unprecedented launch, in a distribution partnership with Megaforce Records, features a broad range of music that bridges more than one head-thumping genre - a familiar theme that true Hank 3 fans have embraced for years. 'Ghost to a Ghost/Guttertown,' a double-album set, is a straight-shooting country collection, flavored with Hank3's trademark hellbilly sound and heavily weighted with Cajun influences and an ambient, lonesome mood, along with a few very special guests including Tom Waits.

Read the rest at noisecreep.com

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and some music history for today, June 25th:

In 1966, the final Beatles world tour kicked off in Munich, Germany as the Fab Four saw "Paperback Writer" leap from number 15 in the US to number 1. Although John Lennon was the Beatle who actually wrote books, the song was penned by Paul McCartney.

Also in 1966, the Beach Boys, the Byrds, Love, Captain Beefheart, the Lovin’ Spoonful and Percy Sledge all appeared at The Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, California.

In 1967, during a North American tour, The Jimi Hendrix Experience gave a free afternoon concert in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. They then played another two shows that evening at the Fillmore West.

Also in 1967, 40 million people saw The Beatles perform “All You Need is Love,” live via satellite as part of the TV global link-up, Our World. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Graham Nash, Keith Moon and Gary Leeds provided backing vocals.



In 1969, the Hollies recorded "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," with Elton John playing piano.

Also in 1969, Mick Taylor made his first concert appearance with the Rolling Stones after he had replaced Brian Jones.

In 1975, Tim Buckley, a popular performer and song writer during the 1960s and early 70s, died from a drug overdose at the age of 28.

In 1984, the soundtrack "Purple Rain" was released five weeks ahead of the film.

In 1987, songwriter Boudleaux Bryant died. With his wife Felice, he wrote The Everly Brothers hits “Bye Bye Love,” “All I Have to Do is Dream” and “Wake Up Little Susie” and “Raining in My Heart,” a hit for Buddy Holly. Other acts to record their songs include Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Tony Bennett, Simon and Garfunkel, Sarah Vaughan, the Grateful Dead, Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, Roy Orbison, Elvis Costello, Count Basie, Dean Martin, Ruth Brown, Cher, R.E.M. and Ray Charles. The team also composed "Rocky Top," which became an anthem for the state of Tennessee.

In 1988, Hillel Slovak, original guitarist and founding member of The Red Hot Chili Peppers died from a heroin overdose shortly after the band returned from a European tour. Slovak recorded two albums with the band, Freaky Styley and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan.

Also in 1988, Jimmy Soul, who hit #1 in the US in 1963 with the novelty tune "If You Wanna Be Happy", died of a heart attack. He was 45.

In 2003, the RIAA announced that it would fight internet piracy by suing individual computer users who they found were downloading music.

In 2004, Eric Clapton raised about $7.5 million for a drug addiction center he set up in the Caribbean by auctioning off some more of his favorite guitars. The items that were sold were the "Blackie" Stratocaster that Clapton played from 1970-1985 for $1 million, a 1964 cherry-red Gibson for $847,000 and a 1939 Martin acoustic that Clapton played on his "Unplugged" album went for $800,000.

In 2006, Turkish-American music producer and arranger Arif Mardin died at age 74 from pancreatic cancer. He worked at Atlantic Records for over 30 years, before moving to EMI. The winner of 11 Grammy Awards, he worked with Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, Roberta Flack, Wilson Pickett, Average White Band, The Bee Gees, Barbra Streisand and Norah Jones.

In 2007, Hank Medress, best known as the voice behind The Tokens' "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", died of lung cancer at the age of 68

In 2009, a Sgt. Pepper souvenir poster bearing the signatures of all four Beatles sold for $52,500 at a Pop memorabilia auction in New York City.

In 2009, Sky Saxon, lead singer and founder of the 1960s band The Seeds, who had a Top 40 hit in 1967 with "Pushin' Too Hard", died unexpectedly in an Austin, Texas hospital. At the time of his death, he had been scheduled to begin a tour of the United States and Canada with a reformed versions of The Seeds.



On June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson died while in his bed at his rented mansion at 100 North Carolwood Drive in the Holmby Hills district of Los Angeles. Attempts at resuscitating him by Conrad Murray, his personal physician, were unsuccessful. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics received a 911 call at 12:22, arriving three minutes later at Jackson's location. He was reportedly not breathing and CPR was performed. Resuscitation efforts continued en route to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, and for an hour after arriving there at 1:13. He was pronounced dead at 2:26 local time.

Michael Jackson - Thriller Music Video



birthday wishes to Carly Simon (66), Tim Finn (Split Enz, Crowded House) (59) and George Michael (48), just to name a few....

Ask Mr. Music by Jerry Osborne

FOR THE WEEK OF JUNE 20, 2011

DEAR JERRY: I just discovered a wonderful video series online with excerpts of Billboard's No. 1 hits in order, from January 1955 through December 1979. For those 25 years, there are about 550 tunes. It's like the soundtrack of my life!




The artists and song titles in this “Time Tunnel Medley,” as it's called, are not listed, which means I need help identifying the instrumentals. The vocals are all pretty recognizable.

Are you able to name all of those No. 1 instrumentals?
—Tina Jean Carlson, Fredonia, Wisc.


DEAR TINA JEAN: Ready, willing, and definitely able. Here are the 29 No. 1 instrumentals in order, including a few with occasional vocal extras, such as “The Hustle” and “Fly Robin, Fly”:

1955: “Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White” (Perez “Prez” Prado & His Orchestra); “Unchained Melody” (Les Baxter His Chorus & Orchestra); “Autumn Leaves” (Roger Williams).

1956: “Lisbon Antigua” (Nelson Riddle & His Orchestra); “The Poor People of Paris” (Les Baxter His Chorus & Orchestra); “Moonglow and Theme from 'Picnic'” (Morris Stoloff).

1957: None.

1958: “Tequila” (Champs); “Patricia” (Perez Prado & His Orchestra).

1959: “The Happy Organ” (Dave 'Baby' Cortez); “Sleep Walk” (Santo & Johnny).

1960: “The Theme from 'A Summer Place'” (Percy Faith & His Orch.).

1961: “Wonderland By Night” (Bert Kaempfert & His Orchestra); “Calcutta” (Lawrence Welk & His Orchestra).

1962: “Stranger on the Shore” (Mr. Acker Bilk with the Leon Young String Chorale); “The Stripper” (David Rose & His Orchestra); “Telstar” (Tornadoes). All three of these acts are English.

1963 - 1967: None.

1968: “Love Is Blue (L'amour Est Bleu)” (Paul Mauriat & His Orchestra); “Grazing in the Grass” (Hugh Masekela).

1969: “Love Theme from Romeo & Juliet” (Henry Mancini His Orchestra & Chorus).

1970 - 1972: None.

1973: “Frankenstein” (Edgar Winter Group).

1974: “Love's Theme” (Love Unlimited Orchestra); “TSOP The Sound of Philadelphia” (MFSB Featuring the Three Degrees).

1975: “The Hustle” (Van McCoy & Soul City Symphony); “Fly Robin, Fly” (Silver Convention).

1976: “The Theme from S.W.A.T. (Rhythm Heritage); “A Fifth of Beethoven” (Walter Murphy & the Big Apple Band).

1977: “Gonna Fly Now (Theme from 'Rocky')” (Bill Conti); “Star Wars Theme / Cantina Band”; (Meco).

1978: None.

1979: “Rise” (Herb Alpert).

My review of this list inspired some gripping observations:

Only once did one instrumental replace another as the nation's top hit. In March 1956, when “Lisbon Antigua” (Nelson Riddle & His Orchestra) gave way to “The Poor People of Paris” (Les Baxter His Chorus & Orchestra). Equally unusual is these two titles held the top two chart spots one week, then merely reversed positions the next.

At the opposite extreme, over five vocally-abundant years (Dec. 1963 - Feb. 1968) separated “Telstar” (Tornadoes) and “Love Is Blue (L'amour Est Bleu)” (Paul Mauriat & His Orchestra).

In May 1956, two versions of “Moonglow and Theme from 'Picnic'” were in the Top 5, one by Morris Stoloff and the other by the George Cates Orchestra.

Twice, the No. 1 song of the entire year was an instrumental: “Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White” (Perez “Prez” Prado & His Orchestra) (1955) and “The Theme from 'A Summer Place'” (Percy Faith & His Orch.) (1960).

As for Perez Prado (“Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White” and “Patricia”), he and Les Baxter (“Unchained Melody” and “The Poor People of Paris”) are the only ones with two tunes on the list.

Three versions of “Unchained Melody” ranked in Top 10 in May 1955: Besides the instrumental, there were two similar vocal versions, one by Al Hibbler and another from Roy Hamilton.

“Unchained Melody” is one of five songs on the list with a modicum of voices. The others are: “Tequila” (Champs); “The Hustle” (Van McCoy & Soul City Symphony); “Fly Robin, Fly” (Silver Convention); and “Gonna Fly Now (Theme from 'Rocky')” (Bill Conti).

Except for Silver Convention, all of the acts are males.

The only No. 1 instrumentals in 1977 are both film themes: Conti's “Gonna Fly Now (Theme from 'Rocky')” and Meco's “Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band.”

Of these 27 artists, nine are foreign-born: Perez Prado (Cuba); Percy Faith (Canada); Bert Kaempfert (Germany); Mr. Acker Bilk (England); David Rose (England); Tornadoes (England); Paul Mauriat (France); Hugh Masekela (South Africa); and Silver Convention (Germany).


IZ ZAT SO? We must also acknowledge eight instrumentals from these same 25 years that didn't quite top the Billboard charts, but did reach No. 1 on Cash Box:

1955: “The Crazy Otto (Medley)” (Johnny Maddox & His Rhythmasters); 1958: “Topsy II” (Cozy Cole); 1961: “Exodus” (Ferrante & Teicher); 1965: “A Taste of Honey” (Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass); 1968 “Classical Gas” (Mason Williams); 1972 “Outa-Space” (Billy Preston); 1973 “Dueling Banjos” (Eric Weissberg & Steve Mandell); and 1974 “The Entertainer” (Marvin Hamlisch).

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 2011 Osborne Enterprises- Reprinted By Exclusive Permission

Vinyl Record News & Music Notes

Super Deluxe Edition of Nirvana's 'Nevermind'

Universal Music Enterprises and Universal Strategic Marketing have just announced the 4-CD/1-DVD Super Deluxe Edition of Nirvana’s Nevermind will be available globally on September 19, 2011. The CDs will include previously unreleased tracks, rarities, b-sides, BBC radio appearances, alternative mixes, rare live recordings and an unreleased concert in its entirety on DVD.

Released in September of 1991, Nirvana’s Nevermind garnered near-unanimous praise and rose within a few months to the #1 slot on Billboard’s US sales chart. Nevermind was propelled to #1 across the globe by their young fans worldwide that identified with the band and embraced their anthem "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and its landmark music video. Since then, it has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.

Universal is also planning to celebrate the anniversary with "various events and releases" throughout the year, according to a statement.


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Judas Priest Single Cuts - The Complete UK CBS/Columbia Singles

Judas Priest and Sony Music are proud to announce the release of the complete CBS/Columbia singles collection, Single Cuts.

Few heavy metal bands have managed to scale the heights that Judas Priest has during their 40 year career. Responsible for not only issuing some of metal's all-time classic albums (British Steel, Screaming For Vengeance and Painkiller among them) and anthems ('Breaking The Law', 'Living After Midnight' and 'You've Got Another Thing Coming’), the group has been one of the leading arena rock acts for decades. To date the band have sold in excess of 30 million albums worldwide.

Single Cuts is not only a testament to Priest's enduring influence but also tells the story of why they are such a force in metal.

Boasting a massive 52 tracks across 20 discs the collection includes legendary cuts such as "Dissident Aggressor", "Living After Midnight", "Breaking The Law", "Turbo Lover" and "Painkiller". Also featured are much-loved tracks such as Priest's unique cover of "The Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown)" plus a raft of live b sides.

Housed in a deluxe, numbered box, Single Cuts brings together the CBS/Columbia singles from 1977 to 1992, including 7" and 12" cuts. All singles are issued on vinyl replica CDs with original labels and 7" vinyl artwork wallets.

Tracklist:

1977
Diamonds and Rust
Dissident Aggressor

1978
Better By You, Better Than Me
Invader

1978
Evening Star
Starbreaker

1978
Before The Dawn
Rock Forever

1979
Take On The World
Starbreaker (Live at the Agora Ballroom, Cleveland 1978)
White Heat Red Hot (Live at the Agora Ballroom, Cleveland 1978)

1979
Evening Star
Beyond The Realms Of Death (Live at the Agora Ballroom, Cleveland 1978)
The Green Manalishi (with the Two-Pronged Crown)

1980
Living After Midnight
Delivering The Goods (Live In Tokyo)
Evil Fantasies (Live In Tokyo)

1980
Breaking The Law
Metal Gods

1980
United
Grinder

1981
Don’t Go
Solar Angels

1981
Hot Rockin' 3:03
Breaking The Law (Live)
Steeler
You Don't Have To Be Old To Be Wise

1982
You've Got Another Thing Comin'
Exciter (Live)

1982
(Take These) Chains
Judas Priest Audio File

1984
Freewheel Burning
Breaking The Law (Live from US Festival May 1983)
You've Got Another Thing Comin'

1984
Some Heads Are Gonna Roll
The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown) (Live)
Jawbreaker

1986
Turbo Lover
Hot For Love

1986
Locked In
Reckless
Desert Plains (Live)
Freewheel Burning (Live)

1990
Painkiller
United
Better By You, Better Than Me

1991
A Touch Of Evil
Between The Hammer And The Anvil
You've Got Another Thing Comin' (Live)

1992
Night Crawler
Breaking The Law (Live)
Living After Midnight (Live)



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AC/DC and Metallica Editions of Monopoly Due This August

by Amy Sciarretto


An AC/DC-themed edition of the popular board game Monopoly is due out this August. A Metallica version is also on the docket. Key details have recently emerged about both editions.

For the AC/DC version, game pieces will include cannons (from 'For Those About to Rock'), dynamite bundles (from 'TNT), and the schoolboy hat favored by guitarist Angus Young. We'd love to see devil horns for 'Highway to Hell' and late singer Bon Scott, among other things.

Read more at noisecreep.com







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VOLBEAT: '16 Dollars' To Be Released On Limited-Edition 7" Illustrated Vinyl

"16 Dollars" from Danish metal rock 'n' rollers VOLBEAT is being released on a seven-inch illustrated vinyl in a very limited edition. In addition to the studio version, the single features a bonus track with live recordings from the Forum in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The single will be made available on July 11 and can be purchased for 5,99 £ exclusively from U.K.'s What Records. (Note: Only 500 copies are being made available worldwide.)








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AXEL RUDI PELL Pays Tribute To RONNIE JAMES DIO On 'The Ballads IV' 

SPV/Steamhammer has set a September 27 release date (one day earlier internationally) for "The Ballads IV", the new compilation from German guitarist AXEL RUDI PELL. In addition to all of the group's ballads since the release of "The Ballads III" (which came out in 2004), the disc includes three newly recorded songs.

"The Ballads IV" will be released as standard version, double gatefold LP in colored vinyl and as a digital download.

Read more at Blabbermouth





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GRIMEY'S BEST SELLERS 6/13 - 6/19, 2011

Top 25 Vinyl:

1. The Flaming Lips w/ Prefuse 73 - The Supermoon Made Me Want To Pee 12"
2. Radiohead - Supercollider 12"
3. My Morning Jacket - Circuital
4. Eastern Block - Wing Walker 7"
5. KORT - Please Don't Touch 7"
6. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
7. The Flaming Lips w/ Neon Indian - Is David Bowie Dying? 12"
8. Black Lips - Arabia Mountain
9. Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi - Rome
10. Neil Young & The International Harvesters - A Treasure
11. The Features - Rambo 7"
12. Vetiver - Errant Charm
13. Dawes - Nothing Is Wrong
14. The Head & The Heart - The Head & The Heart
15. Okkervil River - I Am Very Far
16. KORT - Invariable Heartache
17. Foster The People - Torches
18. Paul McCartney - McCartney
19. Paul McCartney - McCartney II
20. Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math
21. The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow
22. Adele - 21
23. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
24. The Black Keys - Thickfreakness
25. My Morning Jacket - At Dawn

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ZZ Top Releasing New Music

Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top promises "The Little Ol' Band from Texas" will be releasing its first new album in seven years; hopefully by the end of the year.

ZZ Top Releasing New CD: MyFoxHOUSTON.com

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amusing, but not really insightful:

Stephen Colbert Visits Jack White

Last night's "Colbert Report" is the first of a three-part series that will continue tomorrow and Thursday on the "Report".

The Colbert Report
Tags: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

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

and in music history for today:

In 1846, in Paris, France, 32 year old Adolphe Sax, a Belgian musician and musical instrument designer, patents the saxophone. Sax continued to make instruments throughout his life, however, rival instrument makers challenged the legitimacy of his patents and initiated a campaign of litigation against him and his company, driving him into bankruptcy twice, in 1856 and 1873.

In 1963, The Safaris' "Wipe Out" is released in the US, where it will enter the Billboard Hot 100 two weeks later and reach #2 by mid-August. The record would also reach #5 in the UK. The song would be re-issued in 1966 and climb to #16 on the Billboard Top 40 and again in 1970 when it failed to chart.

Also in 1963, 13-year old Stevie Wonder first entered the U.S. singles chart as Little Stevie Wonder with “Fingertips Parts One and Two.”

In 1964, the Beatles played their first ever show in New Zealand at Wellington Town Hall. The local Chief Constable refused a police escort for The Beatles leaving just two policemen to control over 5,000 fans.

In 1969, singer, actress, Judy Garland, died of a barbiturate overdose aged 47, she was found on the floor of her rented Chelsea home, in London, UK.

Also in 1969, Blind Faith's first and only LP was released.

In 1971, the seminal album 'Blue' was released by Joni Mitchell.

In 1974, Gordon Lightfoot started a two-week run at the top of the Billboard album chart with "Sundown". The title track reached #1 on the Pop and Adult Contemporary charts as well as #13 on the Country chart, while "Carefree Highway" reached #10 on the Pop chart, #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #81 on the Country chart.

In 1981, Mark David Chapman pleads guilty to murdering John Lennon in December of 1980 and was sentenced to 20-years-to-life in prison. The most hated man in Rock and Roll history was denied parole at his first hearing in October of 2000 and again in October 2002, October 2004, October 2006, October 2008 and September 2010. He is still in New York's Attica state prison, right where he belongs.  let him rot!

In 1990, Kripp Johnson, a founding member of the Dell-Vikings, died of cancer at the age of 57. One of the first racially-integrated Rock 'n' Roll groups, the Dell-Vikings had two top 10 hits in 1957, "Come Go With Me" and "Whispering Bells".

In 1993, Ozzy Osbourne came out of retirement and announced he would tour with Black Sabbath.

In 1995, newsman Dan Rather performed What's the Frequency Kenneth? with R.E.M. during a sound check.



birthdays today include: Peter Asher (Peter & Gordon) (67), Kris Kristofferson (75), Howard Kaylan (Turtles) (64), Todd Rundgren (63), Cyndi Lauper (58), Gary Beers (INXS) (54) and Steven Page (Barenaked Ladies) (41), just to name a gew

Vinyl Record News & Music Notes

great insights!

A Slightly Cranky Meditation on Vinyl Records

By Edy Eddins

I love all things old. I love old cars. I like holding a real book in my hand instead of an electronic reader. I would rather listen to big band and roots music than the over-produced popular artists of the day. And I love vinyl records.

As an audiophile, I use tube amps, vintage speakers, and a turntable. But more than that,I love album art. I would spend hours at Stan’s Records in my hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana, thumbing through row after row of records. Even if I had never heard of the artist, I was captivated by the album art. The jackets to albums by Bostson, Kansas, Journey, and thousands provided hints of the auditory delights that lay inside. I have often bought albums by artists of whom I had never heard, based purely on the cover.

Record stores were shrines erected to the musicians and their labors. These houses of worship were home to the sages who lived and breathed their wares like Trappist monks. They could quote bands and songs like scripture. When I went into a record store, these brethren shared my joys and secrets

Read the rest at goodmenproject.com

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fantastic piece over at popmatters, well worth the time

Waxing Nostalgic: The Mantras of the Music Geek

By Dave Whitaker

Paul managed a record store in the early ‘90s. For those unfamiliar with the concept, music was once purchased at actual physical locations on actual physical media. Quaint, isn’t it?

Anyway, reminiscing around a table at Joe’s Crab Shack, Paul recounted his memory of the resurgence of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” courtesy of Wayne’s World. When the song first charted in 1975, it was a number one in the UK and went top ten stateside. On its second go-round in 1992, it topped the charts again on British soil and bested its original US peak, this time going all the way to #2.

Read more at popmatters.com

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Stars of Original No Nukes Show Coming Back to Support Japan Nuclear Disaster Relief

A group of artists who performed at the original No Nukes concerts in 1979 are coming back together with some new additions in support of Japan disaster relief efforts. The concert will be held on Sunday, August 7 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA with proceeds going to Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) and other organizations throughout the world who promote "safe, alternative, non-nuclear energy."

Read the rest at our friends at vintagevinylnews.com















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this from our friends at vinylcollective.com



Top 10 Albums – June 20, 2011

Here are the Top 10 Albums on Shop Radio Cast for the week of June 14 – June 20, 2011:

1. Swellers – Good For Me
2. Portugal The Man – In The Mountain In The Cloud LP
3. Ruiner / Attica Attica Under the Influence Volume 14 7″
4. Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground – Introducing
5. Blink 182 – Enema Of The State LP (Exclusive)
6. The Menzingers – A Lesson In The Abuse Of Information Technology LP
7. NOFX – “Untitled” 10″ (Hardcore Covers)
8. Alkaline Trio – Damnesia
9. White Wives – Happeners
10. Big D and The Kids Table – For The Damned, The Dumb and The Delirious 2XLP (Exclusive)


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

take a listen today, you will find an interesting show!!

New Vinyl Record Talk Tuesday June 21th 8pm ET/ 5pm PT

Ringo's birth home is back in the news, and just for Tiffany at CRAGG we bring back The Pussy Cat song. And we ask in our poll, just what kind of pussy do you want scratching at your back door?

It's also a great big whoring show today, where just about everything we play is available in our store. We've got Northern Soul from The Jive Five and The Spellbinders, plus we share our big find last week, a Shelly 11-18-71 Rolling Stones "Hot Wax" with the alternate takes of "Brown Sugar" and "Wild Horses". If you don't know what we're talking about, Norm will give a history lesson.

Plus, as always the Top 5.

Go to Vinyl Record Talk Today!

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

and in music history for today:

In 1948, Columbia Records started first mass production of 33-1/3 records.

In 1955, Johnny Cash's first single, "Cry Cry Cry," was released.

In 1958, Bobby Darin's "Splish Splash" enters the US record charts, where it would reach #3. Bobby would later say that the song only took him about ten minutes to write. ya think?

Jimmy Page made his live debut with the Yardbirds in London in 1966.

In 1966, working at Abbey Road studios in London, the Beatles recorded from start to finish, a new John Lennon song “She Said She Said.” The song was reportedly based on a bizarre conversation that Lennon had with Peter Fonda while John and George Harrison were tripping on LSD.



In 1973, the soft rock group Bread, lead by David Gates, give their final concert in Salt Lake City. A truck accident earlier in the day had destroyed the band's equipment, so they had to play with borrowed instruments and amps.

Ritchie Blackmore quit Deep Purple to form Rainbow in 1975.

James Taylor's "How Sweet It Is" was released in 1975.

In 1981, Donald Fagan and Walter Becker announced the break-up of Steely Dan.

In 2001, John Lee Hooker, American blues singer and guitarist died in his sleep aged 83. Had hits wilth “Boom Boom,” “Dimples” and “I'm In The Mood.” His songs have been covered by many artists including Cream, AC/DC, ZZ Top, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Van Morrison, The Yardbirds, The Doors and The White Stripes. He appeared and sang in the movie The Blues Brothers.



Eminem's album "Recovery" was released in the U.S and the U.K in 2010.

Also in 2010, Billboard magazine estimated that Michael Jackson's album catalog had generated about $383 million in sales and that MJ Inc. had earned at least $1 billion in revenue in the year following his death.

birthdays today (among others) include Ray Davies (Kinks) (67), Greg Munford (Strawberry Alarm Clock) (62), Joey Kramer (Aerosmith) (61), Nils Lofgren (60), Pat Sansone (Wilco) (42) and Brandon Flowers (Killers) (30)

New Vinyl Record and Music Releases - June 21, 2011

Bon Iver's self-titled sophomore album tops a list of CVR Blog picks as well as Jill Scott's The Light Of The Sun, These Hearts with Forever Ended Yesterday, I Set My Friends On Fire with Astral Rejection and OK Go's 180/365.

Vinyl reissues include of Sugar's Copper Blue, The Tallest Man on Earth EP, two from Yes (Close to the Edge and Fragile), Radio Dept's Lesser Matters and My Morning Jacket's Celebracion De La Ciudad Natal.

Other vinyl releases this week include Beastie Boys with Hot Sauce Committee Part 2, Depeche Mode's Remixes 2: 81-11 (6 LPs), Sarah Jarosz with Follow Me Dow, Barn Owl's Shadowland, Levon Helm's double LP Ramble At The Ryman, Matt Bauer's The Jessamine County Book Of The Living and Pontiak's Comecrudos.

Plenty of hardcore metal this week including releases by Ed Gein with Bad Luck, August Burns Red's Leveler, Vanna with And They Came Baring Bones and Wolverine's Communication Lost; to name a few


Help support the CVR Blog and buy your new and reissued vinyl at:




buy it at insound!


1,2,3 - New Heaven
Ace - Five A Side (2 CDs)
Anamanaguchi & Starscream - “My Skateboard Will Go On”/”Shred the Gnar (Into the Stars)” (7")
Ancestors - Invisible White
Atari Teenage Riot - Is This Hyperreal?
Attack! Attack! - The Latest Fashion
August Burns Red - Leveler
Bad Company - Straight Shooter (Gold CD)
Barn Owl - Shadowland (vinyl)
Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 (vinyl)
Bill Cosby - Icon
Billie Holiday - Icon
Bing Crosby - Icon
Blanck Mass - Blanck Mass
Blaq Poet - Blaq Poet Society
Bobby - Bobby
Bodies of Water - Twist Again
Bon Iver - Bon IVer
Buddy Guy - Icon
Carly Simon - No Secrets (Gold CD)
Cassettes Won’t Listen - EVINSPACEY
Centro-matic - Candidate Waltz
Cindy Bradley - Unscripted
Cliffie Swan - Memories Come True
Converge / Dropdead - split 7"
Cream - Icon
Dave Alvin - Eleven Eleven
Death - Human (remastered with bonus tracks)
Depeche Mode - Remixes 2: 81-11 6 LPs (vinyl)
Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction
Devin Townsend Project - Ghost
Diamond Rings - Special Affections (reissue)
Digitalism - I Love You, Dude
Dinosaur Jr. - Bug (reissue)
Diva - Glitter End
Dr. Michael White - Adventures in New Orleans Jazz, Part 1
Dream Machine - Dream Machine
Ed Gein - Bad Luck
Elitist - Fear in a Handful of Dust
Elvis Presley - Real (3 CDs)
FM Belfast - Don’t Want To Sleep
Father's Children - Who's Gonna Save The World
Fit For An Autopsy - The Process Of Human Extermination
Follow That Bird - “Wooden Bones” (7")
Gary Nicholson - Texas Songbook
George "Harmonica" Smith - Teardrops Are Falling - Live In 1983
Giant Sand - Black Out: 25th Anniversary Edition (reissue)
Giant Sand - Glum: 25th Anniversary Edition (reissue)
Giant Sand - Goods & Services: 25th Anniversary Edition (reissue)
Girlyman - Everything's Easy (reissue)
Grieves - Together/Apart
Guano Apes - Bel Air
Head Cat - Walk the Walk…Talk the Talk
Helms Alee - Weatherhead
Holcombe Waller - Into the Dark Unknown (reissue)
INXS - Full Moon Dirty Hearts (remastered)
INXS - Swing (remastered)
I Set My Friends On Fire - Astral Rejection
Iceage - New Brigade
In Flames - Sounds Of A Playground Fading
Ingram Hill - Blue Room Afternoon
JEFF the Brotherhood - We Are the Champions
Jackmaster - Fabriclive 57
Jill Scott - The Light Of The Sun
Jim Lauderdale - Reason & Rhyme
Jim O'Rourke - Old News #5 (vinyl)
Jim O’Rourke & Oren Ambarchi - Indeed
John Paul Keith - The Man That Time Forgot
Jungle Rot - Kill On Command
Justin Moore - Outlaws Like Me
KXP - KXP (vinyl)
LMFAO - Sorry For Party Rocking
Larry Jon Wilson - New Beginnings / Let Me Sing My Song To You
Laura Cantrell - Kitty Wells Dresses: Songs of the Queen of Country Music
Laurel Halo - Hour Logic EP (vinyl)
Levon Helm - Ramble At The Ryman 2 LPs (vinyl)
Liam Finn - FOMO
MF Doom - Operation Doomsday (remastered 4-LP box set)(vinyl)
Madeline - Black Velvet
Making Friendz - Social Life
Matt Bauer - The Jessamine County Book Of The Living (vinyl)
Matt Nathanson - Modern Love
Matthew Shipp / Beans / William Parker / HPrizm - Knives From Heaven
Meekos & Me - Anxious Little Turtles
Megan Bonnell - Maps
Michael Bolton - Gems: The Duets Collection
Minerva Lions - Great Strides, Priestess & Queen (EP)
Miracle Parade - Hark!…And Other Lost Transmissions
Motorboater - Sport
My Morning Jacket - Celebracion De La Ciudad Natal (reissue) (vinyl)
Natalie Walker - Spark
New Years Day - The Mechanical Heart (EP)
Nickel Creek - Nickel Creek (remastered) (vinyl)
Nickel Creek - This Side (remastered) (vinyl)
Nickel Creek - Why Should the Fire Die (remastered) (vinyl)
Night Ranger - Somewhere in California
Nighty Nite - Dimples EP
OK Go - 180/365
Olivia Newton-John - Portraits: A Tribute to Great Women of Song
Pain - You Only Live Twice
Paleo - Fruit of the Spirit
Patsy Cline - Fingerprints (reissue)
Paul Hardcastle - Hardcastle VI
Peter, Paul & Mary - Weave Me the Sunshine (remastered)
Peter Furler - On Fire
Peter Tosh - Equal Rights: Legacy Edition (2 CDs)
Peter Tosh - Legalize It: Legacy Edition (2 CDs)
Phil Perry & Kevin Sanlin - For Those Who Love / We're The Winners
Pitbull - Planet Pit
Planks - The Darkest of Grays/Solicit to Fall
Pontiak - Comecrudos (vinyl)
Priory - Priory
Radio Dept .- Lesser Matters (reissue) (vinyl)
Righteous Brothers - Icon
Ron Banks - Truly Bad
Roxy Music - Manchester Manifesto (2 CDs)(reissue)
Rubblebucket - Omega La La
S.O.S. - I Owe You Nothing EP (Good Fight)
Sandy Denny - North Star Grassman & The Ravens (2 CDs)
Sarah Jarosz - Follow Me Down (vinyl)
Seun Kuti - From Africa With Fury: Rise
Seven Sisters Of Sleep - self/titled
Simple Plan - Get Your Heart On!
Sorry Bamba - Volume One 1970-1979
Sourvein - Black Fang
Spring Offensive - Pull Us Apart (reissue)
Steve Winwood - Icon
Stonewall Jackson - The Lonesome In Me
Stuvesant - Fret Sounds
Suede - A New Morning (reissue)
Suede - Coming Up (remastered with bonus CD & DVD)
Sugar - Copper Blue (reissue)(vinyl)
Symphony X - Iconoclast
Tally Hall - GOOD & EVIL
Teddybears - Devil’s Music
Telepathe - “Throw Away This”/”Destroyer” (7")
The Black Dahlia Murder - Ritual
The Black Rabbits - Hypno Switch
The Chain Gang of 1974 - Wayward Fire
The Crimson Armada - Conviction
The Get Up Kids - Simple Science (reissue)
The Grown Ups - Handholder
The Head - Hang On
The Hush Now - Constellations (reissue)
The Japanese Popstars - Allegiance
The Knux - Eraser
The Mast - Wild Poppies
The Nighty Nite - Dimples (EP)
The Parlotones - Live Design
The Tallest Man on Earth - The Tallest Man on Earth EP (reissue)(vinyl)
The View - Cutting Corners (EP)
These Hearts - Forever Ended Yesterday
These Trails - These Trails
Thin Lizzy - Icon
Through the Sparks - Almanac (MMX) Year of Beasts
Tim Easton & the Freelan Barons - Beat the Band
Turbid North - Orogeny (reissue)
Ty Segall - Goodbye Bread
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Vanessa Carlton - Rabbits On The Run
Vanna - And They Came Baring Bones
Various Artists - Chicago Blues: A Living History- The (R)Evolution Continues
Various Artists - Complete Pop Instrumental Hits Of The Sixties, Volume 1 - 1960 (3 CDs)
Various Artists - True Soul V.1: Deep Sounds From The Left Of Stax
Various Artists - Sympathy For Delicious
Viva Voce - The Future Will Destroy You
Waldo - Love Don't Grow On Trees
Weather Report - Live in Offenbach 1978 (2 CDs)
Weird Al Yankovic - Alpocalypse
When Saints Go Machines - Konkylie
White Hills - H-p1
Wild Moccasins - Skin Collision Past
Witches - Forever
Wolverine - Communication Lost
Wonderful - Wake Up to Dreamland
World’s End Girlfriend - Seven Idiots
Xibalba - Madre Mia Por Los Dias
YACHT - Shangri-La
Yes - Close to the Edge (reissue)
Yes - Fragile (reissue)
ZZ Top - Live In Germany 1980



New Jazz Releases

Remember, if you are a record company and have new releases or know of any I missed (especially vinyl), please email me and I will add your music to the list. I also do reviews of new vinyl, email me for more information.

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

Vinyl Record News & Music Notes

this writer offers a caution to music buyers:

Only Rock 'n Roll

45 x 45s: Rolling Stones records for obsessive compulsives

by Mervyn Dendy

The Rolling Stones have just released another box set. Entitled The Singles 1971-2006, it consists of 45 CDs allegedly (I will explain at the end why I say “allegedly”) containing all the official singles released by the Stones in the UK and/or the US in 7-inch, 12-inch or CD format between 1971 and 2006. A producers’ note at the back of the small hardcover book accompanying the set announces that the aim of the collection is to gather the tracks which originally featured on those singles, and the booklet notes written by journalist and broadcaster Paul Sexton describe the box as a “loving recreation of the band’s singles output” starting from 1971. That, of course, was the year in which the Rolling Stones Records label was introduced, and in which the now famous lip and tongue logo was seen for the first time.

Each of the 45 singles comes in its own cardboard sleeve reproducing the original sleeve, while the artwork on the labels of the CDs themselves replicates the labels of the singles.

Read more at newstime.co.za

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very engaging article about digital and analog mediums, however, any way you spin it, it's all about the music:

Music in the Digital Age | Gear evolves, love of tunes still remains

Written by Jeffrey Lee Puckett

Conor Oberst can imagine a time when technology has advanced to the point where we leave the physical world behind, our consciousness uploaded and allowed to roam free. A desire for art will result in art.

“You just have to imagine a record, and it'll exist,” said the Bright Eyes musician, who has become deeply interested in the work of Ray Kurzweil, a technology philosopher who has written about an intelligence explosion that could redefine existence.

“He essentially says that a time will come when technology will eclipse human intelligence, and we'll be able to keep our consciousness going through uploading it into machines, and we won't have to eat anymore, we won't have to die anymore. He looks at it as just the next stage of human evolution, and I don't think it's that crazy.

“There is obviously a million steps between here and there, but in our lifetime, if you think about how we're only 15 years into the Internet, imagine how 20 years from now people will be interacting. It's definitely fascinating, but also a bit frightening as well.”

The seeds of the theory are all around us, and musicians such as Oberst are intimately involved. The human need for music has been at the heart of a decade's worth of technological advancements that have fundamentally changed the ways in which many people access, store and listen to their music.

Read the rest at courier-journal.com

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George Thorogood And The Destroyers To Release New Studio Album

On their 17th studio album, George Thorogood and The Destroyers pay tribute to their Chess Records heroes, including many of Thorogood’s legendary mentors who helped to launch his career in rock & roll.

Titled 2120 South Michigan Avenue, the 13-track album will be released by Capitol/EMI on July 12 on CD, vinyl LP, and digital download. "2120" features Thorogood’s raw, rocking turn on classics by a who’s-who of the blues, including Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf, Buddy Guy, Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Walter and other Chess greats, as well as new original songs written by Thorogood, the album’s producer, Tom Hambridge, and Richard Fleming.

Read more at ultimate-guitar.com

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very well written piece on an indie favorite

How Fleet Foxes are handling high expectations second time around

Huge success began a steep learning curve for the Seattle band. Bandleader Robin Pecknold explains how the second album put the band in a 'dark place' and how they came through it

by Laura Barton

It feels odd to be meeting Robin Pecknold here, in the plainest of rooms backstage at the Hammersmith Apollo; the walls are pale and bare, the tables empty, the sofa curiously shiny. It seems somehow the very antithesis of the rich, adorned, lived-in music Fleet Foxes create. So when Pecknold arrives, he brings a sudden warmth to the room – colours its blankness with the mild scruffiness of baggy coat and woolly hat, a mug of tea to nurse a burgeoning sore throat, and fills the echoey space with a pleasing inarticulacy – sentences that run aground, ideas that seem to beach themselves midway through.

We are here to discuss the band's second album Helplessness Blues, a record eagerly anticipated after the startling success of the band's 2008 self-titled debut, whose unusually pastoral vision and stunning vocal harmonies touched a chord with an unexpectedly large number of people. "It was hard toeing the line between making something that felt like a sequel and a new thing entirely," Pecknold says of the new record. "We didn't set out thinking, 'Let's make it more X or more Y.' It was just what felt intuitive. But I don't think I could have written these songs three years ago."

The three years that have passed have been a steep learning curve for Pecknold. In the beginning, Fleet Foxes had been just him and his best friend, Skyler Skjelset, writing songs influenced by their parents' record collections and, in time, playing them around their hometown of Seattle. They quickly garnered attention from audiences and local press and, by the end of 2007, word had spread sufficiently that the band accrued more than a quarter of a million plays over two months on their Myspace page. At the start of the following year they signed to Bella Union, swiftly followed by Sub Pop for the US, releasing the Sun Giant EP in the spring and their first album at the start of summer.

Read the rest of this revealing interview at guardian.co.uk



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Townshend's Quadrophenia Tour Guitar Brings Over $50,000 at Christie's Auction

Last Tuesday, Christie's in London held an auction of Rock and Pop Memorabilia that raised over $680,000.

Topping the bidding was a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe guitar owned and played by Pete Townshend during the Who's 1972/73 U.S. tour in support of the album Quadrophenia. The piece brought $51,250.

The majority of the balance of the big bids went to John Lennon and Beatles memorabilia including autographs, gold records, lyrics and even a gift given to Julian Lennon by John and Yoko.

The following are the lots that brought more than $10,000.

•Gibson Les Paul Deluxe guitar owned and used by Pete Townshend during the Who's U.S. Quadrophenia Tour in 1972 and 73 - $51,250

•John Lennon signed Final Fantasy album cover with Lennon drawn caricatures of himself and Yoko Ono - $38,950

•Gold record for the Beatles' White Album (The Beatles) - $22,550

•A handwritten letter by John Lennon from 1967 - $20,500

Read more at our friends at vintagevinylnews.com

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

USA

Albums:
1. Adele :21
2. Lady Gaga :Born This Way
3. Original Broadway Cast Recording :The Book Of Mormon
4. Tech N9ne :All 6s and 7s
5. Ronnie Dunn :Ronnie Dunn
6. All Time Low :Dirty Work
7. Jason Aldean :My Kinda Party
8. Brad Paisley :The Is Country Music
9. Various :Now 38
10. Death Cab For Cutie :Codes and Keys


Singles:
1. Adele :Rolling In The Deep
2. Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer :Give Me Everything
3. LMFAO :Party Rock Anthem
4. Katy Perry feat. Kanye West :E.T.
5. Bruno Mars :The Lazy Song
6. Lady Gaga :The Edge Of Glory
7. Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull :On The Floor
8. Black Eyed Peas :Just Can't Get Enough
9. Jason Aldean :Dirt Road Anthem
10. Nicki Minaj :Super Bass


UK

Albums:
1. Take That :Progress
2. Lady Gaga :Born This Way
3. Adele :21
4. Arctic Monkeys :Suck It And See
5. Adele :19
6. Paul Simon :So Beautiful Or So What
7. Bad Meets Evil :Hell The Sequel
8. Seasick Steve :You Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks
9. Caro Emerald :Deleted Scenes From The Cutting Room Floor
10. Electric Light Orchestra :All Over The World


Singles:
1. Example :Changed The Way You Kiss Me
2. Calvin Harris :Bounce
3. Ed Sheeran :The A Team
4. Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer :Give Me Everything
5. Tinchy Stryder & Dappy :Spaceship
6. Nicole Scherzinger :Right There
7. Alexandra Stan :Mr Saxobeat
8. Aloe Blacc :I Need A Dollar
9. LMFAO :Party Rock Anthem
10. Jennifer Lopez :I'm Into You


Europe

Albums:
1. Take That :Progress
2. Rihanna :Loud
3. Bruce Springsteen :The Promise
4. Shakira :Sale El Sol
5. Pink :Greatest Hits ... So Far
6. Bon Jovi :Greatest Hits
7. James Blunt :Some Kind Of Trouble
8. Susan Boyle :The Gift
9. Kings Of Leon :Come Around Sundown
10. JLS :Outta This World


Singles:
1. Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull :On The Floor
2. Rihanna :S&M
3. Adele :Rolling In the Deep
4. Lady Gaga :Born This Way
5. Black Eyed Peas :Just Can't Get Enough
6. Jessie J. feat. B.o.B. :Price Tag
7. Katy Perry :E.T.
8. Snoop Dogg Vs. David Guetta :Sweat
9. LMFAO :Party Rock Anthem
10. Bruno Mars :Grenade

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

and in music history for the day:

In 1948, Toast of the Town, which would later be called The Ed Sullivan Show, premiered on CBS-TV. The first show was produced on a budget of $1,375. Only $375 was allocated for talent, $200 of which was shared by two of the young stars that evening, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.

In 1969, the first of a three-day music festival began in Newport, California. Featured artists included Ike and Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Byrds, The Rascals, Steppenwolf, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Janis Joplin, Johnny Winter, Eric Burdon and Love. A three-day ticket cost $15. Hendrix received $125,000 for his appearance, at the time the highest fee ever paid to a rock act for a single appearance.

Also in 1969, David Bowie signed with Philips Records and then entered Trident Studios in London to record "Space Oddity", a song he wrote after seeing the 1968 Stanley Kubrick movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. The tune will top the UK chart in November, 1975 and reach #15 in America.

In 1972, The Tallahatchie Bridge, made famous in Bobbie Gentry's "Ode To Billie Joe", collapsed into the Yazoo River. Although an article which appeared in the November 1967 issue of Life magazine showed a picture of Bobbie walking across it, she later said that she didn't have any particular span in mind when she wrote the song. It's also worth noting that Chocktaw Ridge, which is also referred to in the song, is located a hundred miles away on the east side of the I-55, and not anywhere near the Tallahatchie River as it passes through Leflore County.

The Talking Heads performed their first show at CBGB in 1975.

Also in 1975, 'Tonight's the Night' by Neil Young & Crazy Horse was released.

In 1978 'Double Vision' by Foreigner was released.

At the top of the charts today in 1981 were Stars on 45 with Medley: Intro Venus / Sugar Sugar / No Reply / I'll Be Back / Drive My Car / Do You Want to Know a Secret / We Can Work It Out / I Should Have Known Better / Nowhere Man / You're Going to Lose That Girl .



In 1987, a concert at Radio City Music Hall celebrated the return of Dion to New York after 15 years. Also appearing were the Del-Satins, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Five Satins and Carlo of the Belmonts.

In 1992, Mariah Carey scored her sixth U.S. #1 single with “I'll Be There,” a song The Jackson Five first took to #1 in 1970.

In 1997, 59 year old Lawrence Payton of The Four Tops died of liver cancer at his home in Southfield, Michigan.

In 2000, the Ronettes were awarded $2.6 million in back royalties from Phil Spector.

In 2004, Paul McCartney played his 3,000th live show in Petersburg, Russia (2,535 with the Quarrymen/Beatles, 140 with Wings, 325 solo). Organizers for the gig hired three jets to spray dry ice into the clouds so it wouldn’t rain during his concert. they can do that?

In 2006, Claydes Charles Smith, a co-founder and lead guitarist of Kool and the Gang died after a long illness. He was 57.

birthdays today include Cyndi Lauper (58), John Taylor (Duran Duran) (51), Brian Wilson (69), Dolores "La La" Brooks (Crystals) (64) and Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam) (45) just to name a few.

ERASURE RETURNS WITH BRAND NEW ALBUM - TOMORROW’S WORLD – Fall 2011

ANNOUNCE US TOUR DATES - FIRST TOUR IN 5 YEARS!

Synthpop pioneers Erasure are back with Tomorrow’s World, the band’s first album in more than four years. The new album is out Fall 2011 and is produced by one of the UK dance scene’s most exciting new talents, Frankmusik, whose remixing credits include Lady Gaga, Pet Shop Boys, Ellie Goulding, and Far East Movement and whose solo album Complete Me debuted at number 13 in the UK Albums Chart. Tomorrow’s World was mixed by Rob Orton.

After Erasure’s triumphant return to the stage for Short Circuit presents Mute at the Roundhouse, London, a one-off performance which saw Vince Clarke perform with very special guests Alison Moyet and Feargal Sharkey, plus a performance at 2011’s Ultra Music festival, Erasure is bringing the new album to the U.S. for their first tour in five years! The 25-date US tour begins August 31st in Tampa, continues through September, and finishes in Seattle on October 6th. Tickets go on sale Friday June 24th at Ticketmaster, as well as TicketFly. Ticket presales, which will offer a chance to preorder the new album Tomorrow’s World, will start on Wednesday June 22nd. Anyone preordering the album will get exclusive early access to tracks from Tomorrow's World before the tour starts!

Tomorrow’s World was written in New York, London, and at Vince Clarke’s cabin studio in Maine following a short break, which found Andy Bell recording and releasing his second solo album Non Stop, and Vince Clarke reuniting with former Yazoo partner Alison Moyet for a recent tour. It was recorded in Maine, London and Los Angeles between January and June 2011, with Vince using his vintage collection of analog synths for the final touch. The end result is a collection of electronic songs that sound totally contemporary and classic at the same time. All songs are written by Bell and Clarke.

From Lady Gaga to La Roux, the futurist, electronic sound Erasure championed is more relevant today than ever, and once again re-charging the global music scene. The award-winning duo of Vince Clarke and Andy Bell unleashed on the nation a succession of both influential and chart-topping pop anthems. Songs like “A Little Respect”, “Sometimes”, “Victim Of Love”, “Ship Of Fools”, “Chains Of Love”, “The Circus”, and “Breathe,” ensured a formidable presence on the singles charts complemented by five consecutive No 1 albums in the UK including “The Innocents”, “Wild!”, “Chorus” and the beginning of the worldwide Abba revival “Abba-esque”.

Tomorrow’s World is set for release on Mute in Fall 2011.

www.erasureinfo.com
www.mute.com
www.twitter.com/muteusa

Top 5 eBay Vinyl Record Sales - Week Ending 06/18/2011

A Metallica test pressing tops the list this week, and again a Beatles "Please Please Me" gets the #2 spot. Another Warhol cover makes the list, and the private press "Uncle Funkenstein" shows up again for the second time in a month. An Italian jazz LP from 1960 rounds out this week's list.





1. LP - Metallica "Kill Em All" Test Pressing - $6,660.00

2. LP - The Beatles "Please Please Me" Parlophone UK Gold Black Stereo 1st - $4,041.25

3. LP - CBS Radio Broadcast "The Nation's Nightmare" Andy Warhol Cover - $3,172.00

4. LP - Uncle Funkenstein "Together Again" - $3,000.00

5. LP - Trio Tomassi "Zamboni 22" Adventure - $2,905.55


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