News
January 28, 2003
HOW DEEP IS YOUR SORROW
Contrary to what's been said before, BEE GEES are no more. Immediately after Maurice Gibb's death, his siblings announced they would carry on under the same moniker, but now Barry and Robin say the name won't be used for the future projects because, as Maurice's twin Robin has it, "the BEE GEES to us was the three brothers, and in Maurice's name we would respect that and not be the BEE GEES anymore".
THE MANIC MANTIS
Three years have passed since PRAYING MANTIS released the highly acclaimed "Nowhere To Hide" album, and now the veteran heavy metal band are ready to wreak another work, "The Journey Never Ends", unto public. And that's a special one, as featured will be two lead vocalists, Dougie White, who toured with the band before as a temporary singer, and John Sloman, whose claim to fame lay with URIAH HEEP - curiously, HEEP's current warbler, Bernie Shaw, worked with MANTIS too. No other details on the new album are given yet.
MEET ON THE LIEGE
March 3rd will see the release of three more titles in the FAIRPORT CONVENTION re-issue programme. Each classic album comes augmented with bonus cuts, and here they are:
"Fairport Convention":
- Suzanne (by Leonard Cohen, Ian Mathews on vocals)
- If I Had A Ribbon Bow (the band's debut single)
- Morning Glory (by Tim Buckley, live at French TV, 1968)
- Reno, Nevada (by Richard Farina, live at French TV, 1968)
"Unhalfbricking":
- Dear Landlord (by Bob Dylan, "Unhalfbricking" sessions out-take)
- Ballad Of Easy Rider (by Roger Mcguinn, from "Liege & Lief" sessions)
"What We Did On Our Holidays":
- Throwaway Street Puzzle ("Meet On The Ledge" single B-side)
- You're Gonna Need My Help (BBC session, 1969)
- Some Sweet Day (unreleased single)
BURNING AMBITIONS
For many years DEEP PURPLE's gig at California Jam festival remains one of the finest moments in the band's glorious history - thanks not only to Ritchie Blackmore's combustious act, but also for Ian Paice's blistering drum solo, or David Coverdale's still innocent yet powerful performance. Moments of excellence were aplenty there and then, on April 6th, 1974, though they didn't make it as perfectly to the CD as it did to the famous video. What became available in 1996 and still is on sale is a poor and edited recording of the show, so Purple Records' imprint Sonic Zoom gets into the breach with the release of "Live At Ontario Speedway: San Diego 1974". The new version is taken from the audio track of the said video masters, unearthed in 2002 in pristine condition. Some balance problems that were there are restored now, and the tape has been digitally mastered. Even more, the concert is presented in its entirety this time, with "Lay Down, Stay Down" reinstated in an appropriate place, which makes the CD run at almost 79 minutes.
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1. Burn |
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A SAUCERFUL OF DELIGHTS
Classic Rock Productions, the only label whose name is as descriptive as it gets, waste no time in bringing the fans something new and unique - or old but equally unique. There's much to be salivating about - open your eyes and prick up your ears.
To begin with, the "The Masters from the Vaults" series that started with titles from ATOMIC ROOSTER, CURVED AIR and FOCUS, continues with two more classic names, one being FAMILY and the other VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR caught in their prime in the '70s.
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1. Dim |
1. Theme One |
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What's so valuable about the series is that all the titles come on DVDs as well as in CD Videogram format which allows the discs be played on a normal player, but when they're inserted into a PC there's the same archive film to be watched.
New titles originate from the last year's Classic Rock Festival that took place in New Jersey in October. One of the acts who played there were reformed FOCUS. Thijs van Leer retained in the band all the power, vigor and complexity that the Dutch's best had back in the '70s. "Live In The USA" gives a peek into the classic era with previously unreleased archive material from 1973, yet the bulk of the DVD (and CD) is the said October concert including the greatest tunes such as "Hocus Pocus", Sylvia", "House Of The King" and "Focus III".
The same festival saw URIAH HEEP play two magnigficient sets, acoustic and electric, and "Live In The USA" DVD and CD are stunning documents of those evenings. Here are some of the highlights:
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Why Did You Go? |
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The next artefacts from the label feature shows from the pair of bands that made their names in the '70s too. BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST's "25th Anniversary Concert" sees John Lees, Les Holroyd, Mel Pritchard, Kevin McAlea and Colin Browne perform their hits:
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1. Mockingbird |
The same goes for MAGNUM, whose "A Winter's Tale" was recorded in December 1992 in Birmingham. Pomposity deserves to be seen, not only heard, you know?
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1. All England's Eyes |
9. Only In America |
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NEKTAR's "Remember The Future" was the album that brought the band as high in the charts as to the number 5 position in 1973. And here's a film featuring the original line-up and the legendary liquid light show producer Mick Brockett and including a complete performance of their masterpiece,
just recently restored on the CD.
2002's Canterbury Fayre festival saw inimitable Jack Bruce and his stars-ridden band CUICOLAND EXPRESS perform a selection of the best pieces from Jack's 40-years long career, including those originally recorded within a certain trio. "Live At Canterbury" DVD and CD are set to bring such a heavy guest in every house which has "White Room" or ready to be filled with "Sunshine Of Your Love".
Finally, there's a "Progressive Rock Anthology" DVD compilation that gathers together best cuts from the Classic Rock Productions catalogue and includes, as a bonus feature, performances from MOSTLY AUTUMN and KARNATAKA, the nowadays' prog protagonists.
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VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR - Theme One |
EMPIRES GET BURNED
MAGNUM back on the road with a new album, "Breath Of Life", the band's lead singer, Bob Catley returns to solo path. But, unlike 1999's "Legends" and 2001's "Middle Earth", his new outing, "When Empires Burn", to be released soon, is a collaboration not with TEN's mastermind Gary Hughes but with the group's new keyboardist Paul Hodson, who the vocalist worked before with in HARD RAIN. The album features also ex-HARD RAIN and now MAGNUM bassist Al Barrow. Recorded are the following songs, still to be sorted out for inclusion into the album: "My America", "This Is The Day", "Heaven Can Wait", "When Empires Burn", "I’ll Be Your Fool", "Children Of The Circle", "Gonna Live Forever", "Meaning Of Love", "Prophecy", "Every Beat Of My Heart" and "Someday Utopia. The cuts that will be left off will appear on a single preceding the "When Empires Burn" release.
ARTHUR IS THE KING OF ALL THIS LAND
Meanwhile, TEN's leader Gary Hughes, is busy putting the finishing touches on the rock opera "Once And Future King" based on the myths and legends of King Arthur. The cast of characters include, among others still to be revealed, HAREM SCAREM's Harry Hess, Lana Lane, Sean Harris of DIAMOND HEAD, Dougie White, now with Malmsteen, MAGNUM's Bob Catley and special guest Arjen "Ayreon" Lucassen on keyboards embellishing the music cloth woven by TEN's musicians. The opera will be released as two separate CDs with a few months gap between them.
FAMILY BUSINESS
February 7th will mark two years since FOGHAT motor Dave Peverett's passing. All this time the band's future has been in limbo - until now: new album, "Family Joules", the group's first since 1995, is out on March, 1st.
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1. Mumbo Jumbo |
January 23, 2003
TOO MANY CROOKS
In the wake of recent police seizure of THE BEATLES rehearsal tapes, another artefact surfaced to be auctioned at the Cooper-Owen Rock Legends auction on February 20th: "Too Many Cooks", a song sung by Mick Jagger and produced by John Lennon in 1974, during the latter's "Lost Weekend" in L.A. The title is rather known among the collectors and made it onto the several bootlegs, such as "Lost Lennon Tapes", but this copy is said to have come from Jagger's bandmate Ronnie Wood who had given it to a friend of his. How did the tape got into Wood's hands - Ron joined THE ROLLING STONES as late as 1976 - is unknown. Still, even if the thing goes up for sale, released in the forseeable future won't be.
WISHING TO AVOID AN UNPLEASANT SCENE
Revising the past is good for putting the record straight - but not as good for altering the classic records covers. The first time when a cigarette got airbrushed from the picture on a sleeve was with Bruce Springsteen's "Tracks" collection, yet there was a famous shot on the new compilation, and it's not the same with THE BEATLES' "Abbey Road" cover. It took at least six attempts for Iain Macmillan to capture the band cross the street outside EMI's studios in St. John's Wood, so it's a little wonder Paul McCartney lit a cigarette, which some USA poster companies have removed from their prints. That was made without the permission of Apple Records, who owns the rights to the image and, although agreeing on the smoking-causes-harm subject, is rigthly angered with the said move.
ONE STEP CLOSER
January 22nd brought John Wetton's new album, "Rock Of Faith", to the Japanese fans who have the privilege to obtain two bonus tracks, "Cold Comfort" written by John and Billy Liesegang, whose album, "No Strings Attached ", featuring Wetton, was re-issued recently, and THE BEACH BOYS' classic "God Only Knows", recorded live in Mexico City. To mark the new release, the official John Wetton website underwent a major change.
With some live dates already slated for 2003, there's major event to be held in 2004, the 2nd John Wetton Fan Convention, that will take place on July 3rd and 4th, in Pensylvania, and aside from live sets from John and his special guests and extracurriculum activities, will incorporate a master class for bass players, taught by Wetton himself.
To bide the time still, another Wetton concert album is to be out in February, called "Live In Argentina". The set was recorded in 1996 and features Thomas Lang on drums and Martin Orford on keyboards.
CD 1:1. In The Dead Of Night |
CD 2:1. Drum Solo |
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BEFORE THEY SAID, "YES"
YES came into the life of many a listener in 1983, having released a hugely successful album "90125", which featured a new guitar player, Trevor Rabin, in place of Steve Howe who went to ASIA when Rabin failed to register with John Wetton. Prior to joining YES, South African Rabin was working on his solo album that remained unreleased, as a good portion of the songs provided the basis for "90125". Now there's a unique chance to hear the stuff in its original form, with the release of Rabin's "90124". Surely a must have item.
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1. One Track Mind |
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A NIGHT IN THE LIFE OF A BLUES SINGER
Following two successful sets by Phil Lynott, "Live In Sweden", and his band's GRAND SLAM, "The Studio Sessions", is the GRAND SLAM concert recording - or two. "Live 1984", preceded by the "Whiskey In The Jar" single, comprises two CDs, an audio and a video ones and comes from the private archives of the band's keyboard player Mark Stanway. A legendary performance in Phil's native Ireland must be a brilliant addition to any collection.
CD 1:1. Nineteen |
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CD 2 – video:1. Yellow Pearl |
WIZARDS OF A THOUSAND KINGS
The second URIAH HEEP reissue programme continues with two more classic albums, 1971's "Look At Yourself" and 1972's "Demons And Wizards", newly remastered, augmented with rarities and presented as deluxe collectors editions with 20-page booklets bearing liner notes from Ken Hensley. The tracklistings are familiar but the bonus material looks like this:
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Look At Yourself:- What's Within My Heart |
and
Demons And Wizards:- Why - extended '72 version, previously unreleased |
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ACQUIRING THE TEST OF TIME
The GENTLE GIANT journeys may be long over yet the trail still lingers on, and the line of live albums becomes longer yet. Now, there are two more sets to find their way into the fans' homes in February.
The first is "Artistically Cryme" recorded in September 1976 in Sweden on the "Interview" tour:
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CD 1:1. Opening / Intro |
CD 2:1. Excerpts From Octopus: |
The second album has a title of "The Missing Face" and comes from the Cleveland show of November 1977, when the band were promoting the "Missing Piece" LP.
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1. Opening |
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January 14, 2003
TO WHERE THEY ONCE BELONGED
Rumours abound the EMI's possible release of THE BEATLES' previously material seized by police on January 10 in England and the Netherlands, but that seems unlikely, especially with the plans for the original 'Get Back / Let It Be" album to be out in September.
What the police confiscated from audio pirates is a collection of 500 to 550 reels of tape, each about 16 minutes long, the mono tapes made by the "Let It Be" film crew for reference purposes in January 1969, and not the multitrack masters recorded by The Fabs. The masters have always been in posession of Parlophone, so there's no sense in holding one's breath, as - in case anything were to be released indeed - the stuff could have been not half as thrilling as preserved on the infamous "Thirty Days" bootleg.
THE WINGS OF HEAVEN ON HIS SHOES
It seems classic rock came to passing phase. Another in the already long line of sad losses is BEE GEES' Maurice Gibb, Barry's younger brother and Robin's twin, who passed away on January 12th at a hospital in Miami aged 53. Maurice, the one with the highest voice of all three, experienced cardiac arrest before emergency surgery for an intestinal blockage, but his brothers aren't content with the official explanation and have vowed to investigate the circumstances of their sibling's death. Still, the band will be stayin' alive, inspite of all, as it was when they overcame the death of the youngest Gibb, Andy, in 1988.
BELTANE WALKER
And there's another one of the rock bricklayers gone, Mickey Finn, the be-bop bongo player with T. REX, who reinstated the Marc Bolan-less band a couple of years ago. Mickey died on January 11th, at the age of 56, from kidney and liver problems.
BEAT THE BUG
One may consider THE KINKS' main talent lay with Ray Davies, but it was his younger brother who came up with at least two of the band's classics, "Death Of A Clown" and "Suzannah's Still Alive", and some immortal riffs. In the wake of his last studio album, "Bug", Dave Davies comes up with a concert set called "Bugged... Live!", featuring all the expected stuff and much more. Enough to re-value the man.
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1. Intro / I Need you |
THEIR OFFERS MAY BE SWEET
Well, yes, may be - but no sweeter than Phil Lynott's original versions. Still, with all the love to the man, Nuclear Blast set to release a THIN LIZZY tribute album, with the following artists covering the following classics:
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1. SKYCLAD - Emerald |
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WAY BACK TO THE BONE?
Glenn Hughes never stops trying to compensate all the years he lost to drugs. Playing permanently and just recently, on January 11th, having performed at the peace march in LA, he's ready to start recording the follow-up to 2001's "Building The Machine". If that record saw Glenn approach the style he originally kept to with TRAPEZE, the new one will go the same route consciously.
In Hughes' own words, the album to be called "Songs In The Key Of Rock" (an allusion on Glenn's idol Stevie Wonder's 1976's masterpiece "Songs In The Key Of Life") has been "written with a '70s vintage frame of mind. I surrounded myself with '70s stuff: '70s clothes, '70s everything, and I found myself back in 1973. The sounds you will be hearing and the songs are trippy and hard and greased up rock. You can serve this one up nice and hot on the summer barbecue". It will be released in May in Japan and early June in Europe.
NEW SHAPES OF THINGS TO COME
Hard to believe, but THE YARDBIRDS, who have been around, in one form or another, for some years now, have a new album - their first since 1967! - on their hands to hit the shelves on April 22nd. This line-up boasts two original members, guitarist Chris Dreja, the one replaced ages ago by Eric Clapton, and drummer Jim McCarty, and three freshly recruited players, guitarist Gypie Mayo, bassist John Idan and harmonica player Alan Glen. Yet what else makes this record all too special is a whole array of guest musicians, including one very special, as he was a Yardbird too: Jeff Beck. There are songs both old and new, "An Original Man (A Song for Keith)" being dedicated to the band's late singer, Keith Relf.
1. I'm Not Talking
2. Crying Out For Love
3. The Nazz Are Blue (feat. Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter, guitar)
4. For Your Love (feat. John Rzeznik, vocals)
5. Please Don't Tell Me 'Bout the News
6. Train Kept A Rolling (feat. Joe Satriani, guitar)
7. Mr. Saboteur
8. Shapes Of Things (feat. Steve Vai, guitar)
9. My Blind Life (feat. Jeff Beck, guitar)
10. Over, Under, Sideways, Down (feat. Slash, guitar)
11. Mr. You're a Better Man Than I (feat. Brian May, guitar)
12. Mystery Of Being
13. Dream Within a Dream
14. Happenings Ten Years Time Ago (feat. Steve Lukather, guitar)
15. An Original Man (A Song for Keith)
ALL THE WAY TO CLEVELAND
With U.F.O. put on hold and his friend Phil Mogg venturing off with SIGN OF 4, Pete Way is in the action as well. On February 18th out will be the mighty bassist's concert album "Alive In Cleveland", recorded on October 4th, 2002. Accompanied by guitarist Walt James and drummer Scott Phillips, Pete belted out his main band's smashes as well as songs from his solo projects "Amphetamine" and "The Plot". The latter is still to be released, but the samples are on Way's new site, the only place where the live CD can be purchased - and they're signed, by the way. Well, by Way.
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1. American Kid (What A Shame) |
THE CRANKERS AT WORK
The band MORTICE fronted by URIAH HEEP warbler Bernie Shaw have completed the 12-songs album "Mayhem", available here. Log in and have a smoking work!
SOMETHING OLD BUT NEW
Some people are restless, and it's amazing how their music can have such a relaxed mood when they have their 25th album out - like Richard Thompson, who's to release an album "The Old Kit Bag" on February 3rd in Europe and in the USA in April. Nothing new on there in terms of style, as the title suggests, but the material is top-notch as usual, and as usual featuring Richard's no-related friend Danny Thompson on upright bass.
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1. Gethsemane |
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January 6, 2003
SO HERE WE ARE
Hello to everyone! Hope this year found all of you well.
Sorry all over for a slight delay with the news: actually, there's no breathtaking news to report at all - there'll be some things soon, and some new reviews are already added - still, the season is quite hectic for the one who works in a newspaper. And that is the reason for being absent from the site.
Anyway, everything's OK - as those who's been worrying will be glad to know - although it's was only one block and ten minutes that lay between DME and the latest suicide bombings in Tel Aviv. Well, let's ours be an Apolitical Blues, as Lowell George had it...