News
August 28, 2002
THESE "HOUSES" DON'T BELONG
It's been some time that the surviving members of LED ZEPPELIN and John Bonham's widow requested from the U.S. Copyright Office to renew the copyright for 1973's "Houses Of The Holy" album - and be refused now. The copyright still remains in the hands of Atlantic records, who released the album and whose recording's registration has it as a work made for hire. Alas!
RUNNING TOO BLIND?
Having released Running Blind" in 2001, after two decades of recording sillence, Ken Hensley is ready to unleash a beast and put out no less than four albums.
The first, to start being recorded on October 15th and released in November, is "Born Again", a compilation of Ken's songs originally done by URIAH HEEP but re-cut by his current band, FREE SPIRIT. As of yet, chosen are "Paradise / The Spell", "The Magician's Birthday", "Sweet Freedom", "Weep In Silence" and "Wonderworld", with the rest left for the fans to submit until August 31st at rod@ken-hensley.com .
The second one is to be called "Opramenko", the first FREE SPIRIT collective studio recording of 15 completely new songs.
Then goes "Decadent Dozen", a collection of Hensley's solo songs as treated by FREE SPIRIT.
And finally, "Mixed Messages", new versions of ballads Ken recorded throughout his entire career.
The albums will be laid down one by one and finished and mastered before the end of March 2003.
August 26, 2002
PURPLE DOUBLE-ORGAN-IZED
Not that Don Airey is going to get lazy during DEEP PURPLE's UK tour to start in September, and not that Jon Lord's dream of gathering all the former and present band members for one-off event is coming true, but the British audience will see both keyboardist coming on-stage. Airey will be performing during the first part of each concert up to "Perfect Strangers", in the middle of which, after a brief turning off the ligts, his place will be taken by Lord, who's to stay until the very end of the show.
BITE INTO THE PAST
N-M-C Music have another bunch of rare classic stuff to please the buffs, so go salivating with...
...Prince Lincoln's "Vortex Dub". A collection of rare dub cuts originally issued on vinyl and limited to 500 copies only, this time around is limited too - to 3000 copies, but with two previously unreleased tracks produced by Prince Jammy and Joe Jackson.
Love The Way It Should Be, Kingston, Mechanical Devices, Spaceship, People Love Jah Music, Peoples Minds, Natural Wild, Interstellar Overdub, Nebular Dub, Time Wharp, Universally Dubbed, Terrestrial Dub, Dub Vortex, Regenerated Dub, Cosmic Silence.
...Elvis Presley's "Louisiana '55" gets re-issued to commemorate the sad date of his death - with a bonus disc containing rare interview.
Heartbreak Hotel, Long Tall Sally, I Was The One, Money Honey, I Got A Woman, Blue Suede Shoes, Hound Dog, Baby Let's Play House, Maybellene, That's Alright Mama, Blue Moon Of Kentucky, There's Good Rockin' Tonight, I Got A Woman, Tweedle Dee.
...HAWKWIND's "Cosmic Overdrive" is a specially packaged and priced 3CD set, with each disc dedicated to a different concert. The set is limited to 3000 numbered units.
Disc One - Sundown, Brixton 30.12.72
Space, Orgone Accumulator, Upside Down, Sonic Attack, Time We Left ,10 Seconds Of Forever, Brainstorm, Seven By Seven, Masters Of The Universe, Welcome To The Future
Disc Two - Cambridge Corn Exchange 1971
Masters Of The Universe, You Know You're Only Dreaming, You Shouldn't Do That, Hurry On Sundown, Paranoia, See It As You Really Are, I Do It, Come Home
Disc Three - Live At Wembley Empire Pool, 1973
Gaga, In The Egg, Orgone Accumulator, Wage War, Urban Guerilla, Masters Of The Universe, Welcome To The Future, Sonic Attack, Silver Machine
All three concerts were issued previously, with the earlier N-M-C reissues titled "Year 2000: Codename Hawkwind. Volume One" and "Volume Two. Live From The Darkside".
...STOOGES' "Head On" features Iggy Pop and the gang both in the studio and in concert, in-depth liner notes written by Nina Antonia and pictures by Mick Rock.
Disc One - In The Studio
Head On, Death Trip, I Got A Right, Hard To Beat, Cock In My Pocket, Rubber Legs, Joanna, Pin Point Eyes, Open Up & Bleed, Raw Power
Disc Two - Live In New York 1973
Raw Power, Head On, Wet My Bed, I Got Nothing, Cock In My Pocket, Search & Destroy, Gimme Danger, New Orleans, Rich Bitch
While the first CD is a re-issue of "Studio Sessions", the second one seems to be previously unreleased.
...T. REX's "Boogie On", commemorating the 25th anniversary of Marc Bolan's tragic death, continues the line of his band's releases on N-M-C. It's a numbered limited to 3000 copies edition featuring rare tracks - 1972's acoustic radio sessions in LA and 1971's Rotherdam recordings - on CD 1 and an interview with Marc on CD 2.
Jeepster, Cosmic Dancer, Mainman, Ballrooms Of Mars, Mystic Lady, Girl, Baby Strange, Hot Love, Get It On, Cadillac, Ride A White Swan
STING VISUAL
It's as simple as that: SCORPIONS are releasing magnificient DVD called "A Savage Crazy World", the content of which looks like this:
Live Tracks:(Live in Berlin, Crazy World Tour 1991) |
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Music videos:Rhythm of Love (uncensored) bonus videos:Alien Nation |
August 25, 2002
BELEW PRINTS
While KING CRIMSON were finishing the work on the new album and an EP to be released later in the year, the band's singer / guitarist Adrian Belew immersed himself in the compiling of "Dust", a rarities collection tracking down the artist's history - lest someone forgets Belew's CV includes such giants as Frank Zappa, David Bowie, Joe Cocker, TALKING HEADS and more. There'll be over 100 tracks included, among them the following:
Peas - Adrian's band GAGA, 1978
Lone Rhino
Swingline
The Man In The Moon
Buy That Face - Animal Grace original version
Dust - "Three Of A Perfect Pair" rehearsals
Heartbeat - rehearsal with outtakes from "Beat"
Man Behind The Curtain - remix of the BEARS song incl. early demo
Superboy - remix of the BEARS song incl. early demo
Elephant Talk - THE BEARS live
Kiss It Goodbye - unreleased BEARS demo
She Left Me - BEARS
Big Blue Sun
House Of Cards
Member Of The Tribe - instrumental version
Coconuts - instrumental version
Bird In A Box
Hot Zoo - variations
I Know What I Know And That Is All I Know And I Know It - with PROPHET OMEGA
Shoe Salesman - Dixieland version
One Time - demo
People - demo
What Do You Know? - full-length version
The Beach Goes On - orange juice commercial
The Gutter And Other Good Places - excerpts from the documentary
Blackbird - impromptu version
Neurotica - vocals only
Duck Funk Symphony
Pygmies
The release is said to happen this autumn.
Meanwhile, on September 1st, Adrian will offer his new song, "Asleep", for free download at adrianbelew.net. The song was written in the wake of September 11th tragedy.
NOT A BAD COMPANY
Finally, there's some news on the forthcoming live album from BLACKMORE'S NIGHT: out on October 14th, it'll be called "Past Times With Good Company" and include tracks recorded earlier this year in Groningen and New York. Still, no words on how it corresponds with DVD and video to be released soon.
CD 1:1. Shadow Of The Moon |
CD 2:
8. 16th Century Greensleeves |
August 21, 2002
ROCK THE LEGENDS
Legends Of Rock, that's how the classic rock live show is called to hit Britain in November under auspices of Uli Jon Roth. During this three-hour gig, "Deutsch Hendrix" will play his own material featuring an old compadre, ex-JETHRO TULL drummer Clive Bunker, and perform some extra sets together with his friends: Jack Bruce - songs of CREAM, Michael Schenker - SCORPIONS hits, and Glenn Hughes - DEEP PURPLE material. Hopefully, all of this will be recorded for posterity.
LICKY FINGERS
Octover 1st will see the release of "Forty Licks", the two-disc collection of THE ROLLING STONES greatest hits, the first CD being dedicated to ABKCO era material, the second to the Virgin period. Marking the band's 40th anniversary, the set will include - exactly like promised before - four new songs produced by Don Was. While full tracklisting still remains a secret - though it's not difficult to guess on some of the songs - the title of the first single has been given away: "Don't Stop".
GET IT WHILE IT'S HOT
That's hot, indeed, though these GRAND FUNK RAILROAD recordings were committed to tape 31 years earlier. Anyway, "Live - The 1971 Tour" is a must, just look at it;
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1. Intro |
No less interesting, though aimed mainly at collectors, is "Trunk Of Funk", out on August 27th. It's the box set comprising four first GRAND FUNK re-issues and looking like an old leather trunk with a space left to house another eight classic albums which will be released over the next year. There are stickers for a happy owner to decorate the trunk individually. Each box is numbered and there are only 10,000 copies manufactured.
REMEMBERING GEORGE
As it was reported previously, KOCH Records set to release a George Harrison tribute album someday soon. With details to follow, the tentative tracklisting looks like this:
My Sweet Lord - Julian Lennon
Taxman - Bill Wyman's RHYTHM KINGS
Not Guilty - Dave Davies
I Me Mine - Marc Ford
While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Peter Frampton
Something - Bonnie Bramlett
Wah Wah - HEART
Cloud 9 - Todd Rundgren
If I Needed Someone - THE SMITHEREENS
Here Comes The Sun - Midge Ure
Devil's Radio - MASTERS OF REALITY
It's All Too Much - Wayne Kramer
Savoy Shuffle - THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS
Got My Mind Set On You - Violent Femmes
BARREL SCRAPING
BARRELHOUSE BROTHERS ain't a band but a blues brotherhood of THIN LIZZY's original guitarist Eric Bell and Jimi Hendrix soulmate Noel Redding who plays bass, MOUNTAIN drummer Corky Laing and STATUS QUO skinsman John Coughlan, piano player Colin Earl of MUNGO JERRY and FOGHAT fame, and some less well-known musicians. They are ready to unleash their incendiary music in October, when their first album is out.
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1. Too Many Hot Dogs |
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August 13, 2002
SAMSON LOST
Another sad news: Paul Samson, the heavy guitar legend, has lost his battle with cancer on August 9th at his Norfolk home. Aged only 48, at the time of his death Paul was working on a new album to follow the June release of "Live The Blues Night" featuring classic blues numbers with contributions from SAVOY BROWN, TEN YEARS AFTER's Ric Lee, Mick Abrahams of BLODWYN PIG, Pete Brown, Chris Farlowe and others. Now that will be a fitting tribute to a man who, in the early '80s, led his own outfit fronted by Bruce Dickinson to move later to work with former GILLAN bassist John McCoy and to the projects of his own.
THE DRAGON KILLER
Those who still didn't get a hold of DIO's latest album, "Killing The Dragon", shall not hurry and buy it because October 7th will see the limited tour edition release. A set is to include an additional CD with extra material:
- Fever Dreams - Ronnie James Dio and DEEP PURPLE, live 2000
- Rainbow In The Dark - Ronnie James Dio and DEEP PURPLE, live 2000
- Push - video
- screensaver.
HEAR THE HUMMING BIRD
It's a lifelong friendship between Rick Wakeman and Dave Cousins. The first time the two recorded together was in 1970 when Wakeman joined THE STRAWBS - to leave the band a year later and hit big with YES. Although Dave and Rick not only met many times in the following years but also occasionally played with each other, like at Classic Rock Society Awards night a while ago, there was no proper collaboration between them since 1971. Until now, as the veterans have recorded an album, "Hummingbird", earlier this year, before Rick went to play with YES again. Some material is not so new - Dave previously recorded it in other forms - but, given a Wakey treatment there's a new angle to it.
The players are: Rick Wakeman on keyboards, Dave Cousins on vocals, guitar, dulcimer, banjo, FAIRPORT CONVENTION's Ric Sanders on violins, Mac McGann on tipple and Wakey's faithful rhythm section, bassist Chas Cronk and drummer Tony Fernandez.
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1. The Young Pretender (Cousins / Wakeman) |
SCAR-EY MONSTER
History repeating, Gary Moore once again comes back to the power trio format he fashioned before with a certain THIN LIZZY incarnation of Phil Lynott, Brian Downey and himself and, later, with BBM, in company of former CREAM members, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. This time around the Irish legend's partners in crime are PRIMAL SCREAM skinsman Darrin Mooney and bassist Cass Lewis, formerly with SKUNK ANANSIE. The name of the band is the title of the guitarist's new album, out on September 2nd: "Scars". Hardly a long-term project, it looks exciting nevertheless.
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1. When The Sun Goes Down |
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GUITAR ATTACK
September 16th is when "Attack!", a new album from Yngwie J. Malmsteen's RISING FORCE will see the light of day. The recording features a completely new line-up of Yngwie on various stringed instruments and vocals (er, on "Freedom" only), Derek Sherinian on keyboards, Patrick Johansson on drums and Doogie White on vocals. Following Graham Bonnet and Joe Lynn Turner, Doogie is the third in a line of former RAINBOW singers who Malmsteen's been working with. In preparation for the European tour, starting in late October, Yngwie quit The Ultimate Guitar Experience he was a part of, together with Uli Jon Roth and Al Di Meola.
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1. Razor Eater |
QUI PRO QUO
Still not shedding a light on the upcoming covers album, STATUS QUO have presented another one, featuring original material and called "Heavy Traffic". Out on September 23rd, it will mark the band's 40th year in recording business.
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1. Blues And Rhythm |
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August 7, 2002
THE TWAIN WILL MEET
The news is brief but good for all the RENAISSANCE fans. Having decided to take some time off his concert duties with different projects, IQ keyboardist and Giant Electric Pea label head Martin Orford negotiated the European release of RENAISSANCE's "In The Land Of The Rising Sun" live album (the tracklisting's here). So there's no need to spend a fortune on the Japanese copy anymore - just wait until September.
BILE ERUPTION
This could be expected: David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar have cut up their Sam & Dave tour. Hagar accuses Roth of all the deadly sins - big ego, small voice and growing baldness.
VAN HALEN fans didn't care though, and the duo's trek was a success.
NOT FRIGHTENED OF SAYING IT
Towards the first year of George Harrison passing, his infamous autobiography, "I, Me, Mine", is to be re-issued, prefaced with George's widow Olivia introduction. Originally published in 1980, the book enraged John Lennon, strangely not mentioned by his former bandmate. Beside of narrative, "I, Me, Mine" features lyrics to many of Harrison songs with his own commentaries and is a unique portrait of an artist so mysterious. A timely step now, when many speculative books on the subject emerged.
THE LULLABIES IN AN ANCIENT TONGUE
It's been a long waiting to be over on August 19th. KING CRIMSON Collectors' Club is finally putting out the band's legendary Hyde Park performance that took place on July 5th, 1969. That's the same free concert headlined by THE ROLLING STONES which saw Mick Jagger mourning the death of Brian Jones - but it also gave the audience a taste of the beast that was CRIMSO's first line-up of Robert Fripp, Ian McDonald, Greg Lake, Mike Giles and Pete Sinfield. So here it is, the recording of the historic event, the ensemble's earliest live document to the date.
1. 21st Century Schizoid Man
2. In The Court Of The Crimson King
3. Get Thy Bearings
4. Epitaph
5. Mantra
6. Travel Weary Capricorn
7. Mars
bonus tracks:
8. Band reunion meeting (Epitaph Playback, London March 15th, 1997)
9. 21st Century Schizoid Man: instrumental version (Morgan Studios, June 12th, 1969)
MOUNTAIN FIRES
They love to rock, Leslie West and Joe Lynn Turmer, but sometimes they rock together. And not only as parts of VOICES OF CLASSIC ROCK formation. Some years ago Joe covered "Mississippi Queen", then he helped Leslie with the guitarist's solo album, "As Phat As It Gets", so it's only logical that the singer made it onto MOUNTAIN's latest album, "Mystic Fire", providing vocals for the title track and "The Sea". As a whole, the record looks like this:
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1. Immortal |
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WRING THAT BOX
It seems, the previous news of the DEEP PURPLE box set called "Listen, Learn, Read On" that EMI are to release soon were significantly less appetizing than the truth is. The 120-page book is not the case, though it will offer an exhaustive story of the band's first - and the most glorious - coming to life in 1968-1976. The main attraction is the wealth of tracks which appear here for the first time ever, like those recorded for BBC and a song by David Coverdale's early combo, GOVERNMENT, among the pre-DP pieces on the first CD out of six. Hopefully, there'll be some other outlet for rarities because the rest is the material the real fans are long in posession of.
CD1: Pre-PURPLE & DP MK11. Keep A Knockin' - THE OUTLAWS |
CD2: DP Mk 1 & 21. Why Didn't Rosemary |
CD3: DP Mk 21. Mandrake Root |
CD4: DP Mk 2 & 31. No No No |
CD5: DP Mk 31.Sail Away |
CD6: DP Mk 3 & 41. Stormbringer |
August 1, 2002
CLASSY CLASSIC CELEBRATION
With some unique all-stars formations around, you could hardly say that the first ever Classic Rock Festival would be instigated by URIAH HEEP. Success of the band-centered and guests-embellished The Magician's Birthday Party events which took place in 2000 and 2001 has proved there'd be no misfire with pushing it all further. So the very end of November wil see a fantastic celebration, The Classic Rock Festival incorporating The Magician's Birthday Party. A programme? Here it is!
Day Zero, November 28, Thursday
Mean Fiddler Club:
- KARNATAKA
- THE LAWTON-DUNNING PROJECT
Day One, November 29, Friday
Shepherd's Bush Empire:
- NEKTAR - original line-up with Larry Fast on keyboards
- URIAH HEEP - electric set, featuring Manfred Mann (who played on original "July Morning") and more guests to be announced
Day Two, November 30, Saturday
Shepherd's Bush Empire:
- URIAH HEEP - acoustic set featuring DEF LEPPARD's Joe Elliott and more
- ASIA - 20th Anniversary show including surprise guests and Chris Slade (who drummed with HEEP in 1980)
Day Three, December 1, Sunday
Mean Fiddler:
- MOSTLY AUTUMN
- CARAVAN - featuring Steve Marriott's bassist Jim Leverton and former Robert Plant's guitarist Doug Boyle
There will be Heep Festival Club happening on Friday and Saturday comprising various HEEP-related events including a book launch, Q&A sessions, rarities auction, informal performances by past and present band members. But, as a kind of preparation to all this, Heepvention 2002 is announced to be housed in Patriots Theater at The War Memorial, Trenton, NJ in October. A sort of American leg, indeed:
Day One, October 5, Saturday
- MOSTLY AUTUMN
- ASIA - 20th Anniversary show, Chris Slade on drums
- URIAH HEEP - electric set
Day Two, October 6, Sunday
- KARNATAKA
- NEKTAR- original line-up
- URIAH HEEP - acoustic set
Why don't join in the fun?
BOW DOWN TO BOOGIE CHILE
September 24th is the release date of eagerly awaited John Lee Hooker tribute album, "From Clarksdale To Heaven". There's more to it than was announced initially, as what's to be out is only the first volume which features the cream of British blues, with American stars to appear on the second part later on.
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1. I Want To Hug You - Zakiya Hooker |
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GOODBYE TIME TRAVELLER
There are great producers as responsible for creating a classic as an artist himself - now, their number is diminished by one. Gus Dudgeon, a man behind Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", David Bowie's "Space Oddity", TEN YEARS AFTER first album and many many more, not to mention Gus engineering "Bluesbreakers With Eric Clapton", died on July 23rd in a car crash in western England, aged 59. "He was an incredibly talented producer and a very dear friend for many years. I will miss him terribly," Elton John said. Rest in peace, music man.
ST. VITUS... OH, ST. PETER DANCE
"Dancing With St. Peter" is a title of THE SIGN OF 4 new album, out in September. The project,formerly known as STONETOWNE, is a collaboration between UFO singer Phil Mogg and guitarist Jeff Kollman. The tracklisting goes like this:
Driven, Overload, Dancing With St. Peter, Where The River Runs, Clap Hands, Beautiful Friend, Bad On Bad, Afterglow, Down, Las Meadows, Seems To Me.
The other musicians involved are bassist Jimmy Curtain and drummer Shane Gaalaas, who worked previously with Glenn Hughes Kollman is currently writing and recording songs with for a still-unveiled project.
RINGO'S FLOWER HOUR
The King Biscuit Flower Hour label is known for dabbling with historic performances - but who will argue that one by Ringo Starr's ALL-STARR BAND isn't of the kind? Recorded in 2001, the show features such legends as Ian Hunter, Greg Lake and Roger Hodgson - enough to go for the album.
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1. Photograph |
VOICE FROM AMERICA
July 20th-21st saw John Wetton Fan Convention take place in the USA where those who love the veteran's music not only chanced to meet their hero but also witnessed Wetton reuniting with his ASIA partner, Geoff Downes. Downes joined the band of John Wetton on bass and vocals, keyboardist John Young, guitarist John Mitchell and drummer Steve Christey to perform a couple of classics, while Young played a set of his own too. Both this gig and the main one are out on CDs now and available for ordering at the Wetton's official site.
There are two versions of John Wetton's CD, unedited one - with pauses between songs and chat with audience, and a shortened one, containing only songs but with two more on it. So you gotta decide... Songs, by the way, include Billy Joel's "Allentown" and THE BEACH BOYS' "God Only Knows". The proceeds will benefit Sierra Leone.
Unedited version1. Introduction |
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Edited version1. Voice of America |