News
April 21, 2003
M & M and M & M = M3
A strange arithmetic this may be, but ain't rock 'n' roll a strange thing altogether? Here's a new band, M3, featuring former WHITESNAKE members, Bernie Marsden, Mickey Moody and Neil Murray, and Neil's BLACK SABBATH bandmate, Tony Martin. That makes four "M", not three, yet it's only 'SNAKE credentials that seem to count now, even M3's official web site being called classicwhitesnake.com. Rouding the line-up are ex-BIG COUNTRY Josh Phillips and drummer Jim Copley, who played previously with Paul Rodgers. A couple of tour dates are already set. More on the promising ensemble in forthcoming Neil Murray interview at the DME site.
ALL THE U.F.O. GEARS
Bernie Marsden is not the kind of guys who stand still, but moving, he's not forgetting his glorious past that saw him grace some of the best bands around. Perhaps, the least famous of those was ALASKA. Having released a couple of albums back in the '80s, Bernie has a good smattering of that project unreleased pieces in his closet, which is opened now to make unissued cuts, alternative versions and demos avalable to public. There will be two parts, and "Anthology 1" looks like this:
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1. Need Your Love
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One of the combos Mr Marsden wrapped himself in was U.F.O., and now there's an offshoot project of this monster, THE PLOT, brought forth an album. The ensemble's core are - or were - bassist Pete Way and Bernie's successor, Michael Schenker, who rock and roll on "The Plot", accompanied by Jeff Martin of BADLANDS. A power trio, yes. An interview with Pete is on the cards, and here's what to talk about:
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1. You And Me
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A BRACE OF BRUCE
Jack Bruce has always been one hell of a musician, effortlessly embracing blues, jazz rock and putting his Midas touch on everything. Always adventurous in the studio, on-stage is where Jack shines the greatest - from his Alexis Korner and CREAM days to now. To be convinced he's still the same, one should go no further than "Live At Canterbury", a DVD just released by Classic Rock Productions. Recorded at the Canterbury Fayre music festival last summer, it catches top-notch performance by Bruce and his CUICOLAND EXPRESS featuring, among others, former P-FUNK meister Bernie Worrell, Jack's collaborator on 1995's magnificient "Monkjack", and ex-LIVING COLOR Vernon Reid, who played on 2001's "Shadows In The Air". The material from the latter found its way into Jack's concert set, augmented on the DVD with the interview footage.
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1. Surge
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Meanwhile, Jack Bruce re-issue programme is underway and, surprisingly, not only adds collectable material to the musician's classic albums but also unearthes two previously unreleased titles, the first being "Live At Manchester Free Trade Hall, 1975", a double-CD set featuring Mick Taylor, fresh from THE ROLLING STONES, and Carla Bley:
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1. Can You Follow?
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The second CD is called "Jet Set Jewel": recorded back in 1978, it remained in the vaults until now, although three tracks from it cropped on the "Willpower " compilation in 1989.
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1. The Boy
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THE KEY IS RIGHT
End of May in Japan and June in Europe will see the release of the new Glenn Hughes' album, "Songs In The Key Of Rock". With the title being an allusion of Glenn's hero Stevie Wonder's masterpiece "Songs In The Key Of Life" and touted by Hughes as a return to his '70s heyday, the record must be huge even if it's just a bit better than 2002's "Building The Machine". Still, you can never quite be sure with this guy, so keep you finger's crossed and money ready.
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1. In My Blood
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BY HIGH NUMBERS
Another chance for THE WHO fans to rejoice: after long-overdue re-issue of "My Generation", the shelves are to be hit by the "Who's Next" Deluxe Edition. Deluxe means deluxe: there's twice as much material than on the original 1971's album on the two CDs. While the second one is the live recordings made at London's "The Young Vic" theater, the main treat is the additional tracks on the first discs, which come from the notorious "Lifehouse" sessions. Still not released in their entirety - Pete Townshend's tapes released under the same title had been done later - those provided the foundation for some LPs, and here's the part that ended up on "Who's Next". As for bonuses from the actual recording sessions for the album, there's none.
Disc 1:
1. Baba O'Riley |
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Disc 2 - Live At The Young Vic:
1. Love Ain't For Keeping |
SPACE TRUCKIN"
Last year proved vital for AYREON, as the project's mastermind Arjen Lukassen finally managed to take on the road and play live. For those who missed the tour, there's still a chance to have a taste of it on April 28th, when "Ayreon", a double CD and DVD are out. The main content is the same on both formats, although DVD contains three bonus cuts.
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Disc 1:
1. Intro / Lift Off |
Disc 2:
12. Isis And Osiris |
April 9, 2003
ONE FOR THE MONEY, TWO FOR THE SHOW
To say that Paul McCartney's wealth comes from THE BEATLES royalties only would do no justice to his good feel for the right investments, including those into the music catalogues. Macca owns rights to the songs by Buddy Holly and Scott Joplin, to "Hello, Dolly" and "Happy Birthday" among others, and now 23 cuts by Carl Perkins are at Paul's disposal, too. There are the tunes the Fabs, Carl's fans, covered - "Honey Don't", "Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby" and "Matchbox" - and the one Elvis took to the top, "Blue Suede Shoes".
Perkins, who died in 1998, was present at the BEATLES' sessions which produced their versions of his classics, and in 1982 took part in McCartney's "Tug Of War", so there's a fair belief in that Carl's catalogue won't get mis-handled now.
WATCHER OF THE STORMS
Even though 2002 must have proven a hectic time for Steve Hackett with all the touring and putting out the "Somewhere In South America..." 2CD / DVD package, the guitar maestro got inspired enough to come up with a new album - a real rock one! - called "To Watch The Storms", tentatively released on May 26th. Recorded with Steve's touring band plus old pal Ian McDonald (of KING CRIMSON and FOREIGNER fame), who accompanied Hackett on his famous 1996's Japan gig, the album will appear in two formats: the standard edition with 8-page booklet and a deluxe special edition package housed, with a 48-page hard back book, in a slipcase.
That's how the artist himself describes what he brings on,
"Some songs are influenced by schools of thought that at one time would have been deemed incompatible... In other words this is an album deliberately designed to confound the purists! This record is something of a personal sampler - from the freedom of jazz to the strictures of classical, but emotionally it feels like one hell of a musical journey".
Sounds like something not to be missed out, does it? And looks like this:
Standard Edition
1. Strutton Ground |
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Special Edition
1. Strutton Ground |
A BATTLE CRY
Once upon a time there lived a supergroup, though the term was yet to be coined, and the ensemble were known as THE WARRIORS. Some of them had risen to bigger things with the time, John Anderson dropping an "h" and fronting YES, his brother Tony taking to LOS BRAVOS, bassist David Foster anchoring BADGER and drummer Ian Wallace joining KING CRIMSON and becoming an in-demand session player. But that was later, while during the '60s THE WARRIORS did rock, having released a single called "You Came Along" for Decca in 1964, appearing on "Thank Your Lucky Stars" legendary show and touring, touring, touring...
More on the band read in a forthcoming Ian Wallace interview, but the subject emerged with the recording from those tours being released by Voiceprint. Sure, "Bolton Club '65" is a covers set, yet knowing what those boys evolved into, the value's higher than the price.
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1. You're Always On My Mind |
12. Unidentified |
GO EAST
This age seems to be missing a powerful and melodic supergroup, so there's always a solid demand for the products of one. And the one always in demand is ASIA, not the band Geoff Downes is still at the helm of, but an ensemble which was riding high in the '80s. No wonder, then, that Voiceprint has some titles to offer to the thirsty, the first being "Dragon Attack", another document from the 1990's "Now And Then" tour:
Disc 1:
1. Opening |
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Disc 2:
1. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes |
Next title comes from Geoff Downes. "The Collection" sums up the keyboard player's of THE BUGGLES, YES and ASIA 25-year long career with an array of stunning tracks, originals as well as covers done in Geoff's recognisable style, plus a couple of previously unreleased cuts. Quite a deal!
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1. East West |
10. Don't Walk Away |
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Meanwhile, here's another official bootleg by Downes' partner in crime, John Wetton, third in this year's line. Judging on its content, "Live in Osaka" has been recorded during the veteran's October '97 Japanese trek. Will there be more until the 2003 ends?
Disc 1:
1. Intro |
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Disc 2:
1. Rendezvous 6:02 |