December 11, 2003

DRINK TO THE SOUND OF THE SONG PARADE

That’s still not confirmed but looks quite like truth: to tie-in with the World AIDS day, EMI have made QUEEN whole back catalogue available for download from online retail sources. Some of the money should go to the charity that deal with the very same disease which killed Freddie Mercury. The albums, listed below, can be purchased either in full or as single tracks to make a neat compilation:

Queen
Queen II
Sheer Heart Attack
A Night At The Opera
A Day At The Races
News Of The World
Flash Gordon
Jazz
The Game
Hot Space
The Works
A Kind Of Magic
Live Magic
The Miracle
Innuendo
Live At Wembley ’86
Live Killers
Made In Heaven

THE ROCKIN’ HORSE

Not long before his untimely death, George Harrison broke the news on the plans to issue his remastered catalogue, continuing the work started with “All Things Must Pass” and“Wonderwall Music”. Then the tragedy made George’s last ever album, "Brainwashed", the priority release, but now the time has come to move on, and on February 23rd, 2004 – two days before Harrison would have turned 61 – all the artist’s records that were out on his label, Dark Horse, will see the light of day again. Each studio album comes augmented with bonus tracks, although there could be much much more of those, yet something’s spared for the upcoming Harrison anthology for which the street date hasn’t been set yet. “Live In Japan”, to be released as a double SACD, bears no additional material on it, but “Somewhere In England” features the original artwork that George wanted on there.

Serious fans must not hurry to buy the CDs still, because alll these and a bonus DVD are out March 15th, packaged as a box-set, called simply “The Dark Horse Catalogue”. Meanwhile, three other albums – “Living In The Material World”, “Dark Horse” and “Extra Texture” – remain in limbo.

“Thirty Three & 1/3”
– Tears Of The World“George Harrison”
– Here Comes The Moon (demo)

“Somewhere In England”
– Save The World (alt. version)

“Gone Troppo”
– Mystical One (demo)

“Cloud Nine”
– Shanghai Surprise
– Zig Zag

JUST NOT HERE

Late February – early March will bring something very special to Rick Wakeman‘s fans all around the world. The keyboard wizard has concocted many concept in his life, with “King Arthur” he even staged a performance on ice, but none of those turned into a movie proper – until now: “Out There” is a DVD companion to this year’s album of the same title, the first album in many years Rick recorded with THE NEW ENGLISH ROCK ENSEMBLE. Continuing Wakeman’s quest for the origins of music, it picks up where 1976’s “No Earthly Connection” left off and features the artist and the band on and off-stage, and featured tracks include: Out There, The Mission, To Be With You, Universe Of Sound, Music Of Love and The Cathedral Of Sound.

A KIND OF MAGIC

“Magic Night (The Magician’s Birthday 2003)” is a title of yet another URIAH HEEP live recording made at the band’s annual gathering which took place at London’s Astoria Theatre on November 8th, 2003 and featured special guests John Lawton and MOSTLY AUTUMN’s Heather Finlay. Now the limited edition DVD/CD set with a 24-page booklet is ready to be shipped to those quick enough to order it from Classic Rock Productions. The set’s amazing and the musicians are seen on blistering form. Hopefully, the next HEEP release will be their new album.

1. Cry Freedom
2. Shadows Of Grief
3. Pilgrim
4. Bad Bad Man
5. Devil’s Daughter
6. Wise Man
7. The Other Side Of Midnight
8. Firefly
9. Heartless Land
10. Free Me
11. The Wizard
12. Been Away Too Long
13. Stealin’
14. Too Scared To Run
15. Love In Silence
16. Easy Livin’
17. July Morning
18. Lady In Black

FLOOD OUT OF LAKE

Last month, it was mentioned here that Greg Lake has dived into his archive to dig out a lot of gems from the various projects he was involved with. So there are three CDs out for grabs. The first, “From The Underground 2”, features many faces of Greg:

1. Black Moon (ELP live)
2. Check It Out (RIDE THE TIGER)
3. Love Under Fire (RIDE THE TIGER)
4. Cold Side Of A Woman (Greg Lake with TOTO)
5. Step Aside (EMERSON LAKE & POWELL studio rehearsal)
6. Preacher Blues (ELP live)
7. Hold Me (Greg Lake)
8. Heart On Ice (GREG LAKE BAND live)
9. Blue Light (RIDE THE TIGER)
10. You’re Good With Your Love (Greg Lake with TOTO)
11. You Really Got A Hold On Me (Greg Lake with TOTO)
12. Epitaph (KING CRIMSON, Hyde Park ’69)
13. Fanfare For The Common Man (GREG LAKE BAND live feat. Gary Moore)

The other two albums come from the short period when Carl Palmer’s place in the ELP trinity was taken by another heavyweight, Cozy Powell. “The Sprocket Sessions” is a full band studio rehearsal committed to tape in London in 1986:

1. The Score
2. Learning To Fly
3. The Miracle
4. Knife Edge
5. Tarkus
6. Pictures At An Exhibition
7. Lucky Man (excerpt)
8. Still You Turn Me On
9. Love Blind
10. Mars Bringer Of War
11. Touch & Go
12. Pirates

“Live In Concert” is exactly what the title suggests – a 1986’s recording from the trio’s one and only tour, made in Florida:

1. The Score
2. Touch & Go
3. Knife Edge
4. Pirates
5. From The Beginning
6. Lucky Man
7. Fanfare For The Common Man
8. Mars Bringer Of War / Drum Solo
9. Medley:
– Karn Evil 9 (2nd Impression)
– America
– Rondo 

December 11, 2003

Category(s): News

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