News
March 18, 2004
NOTHING TO BE FRIGHTENED OF
This one belongs to the rock treasure trove from many points: "Look At Yourself" URIAH HEEP's third album featured an eponymous smash song and the band's grand epic "July Morning", a fantastic, mirror-adorned cover and some cool guests, Manfred Mann and OSIBISA. That same musicians are to take part in HEEP's annual festival, The Magician's Birthday Party, which this year will be a celebration of the said 1971's LP. The date is November 6th, the place Shepherd's Bush Empire, London. The tickets are up for grabs here. Surprises await...
WALTZ OFF THE VAULTS
Classic Rock Productions continue opening the doors to the past, dusting off great never-before-released performances from the high-flying artists.
Already gathering rave reviews is EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER's "Masters From The Vaults" DVD that features the prog mammoths' footage shot in Paris early in their career. A nutty but enticing stuff!
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1. Barbarian |
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"Inside Genesis - A Critical Review 1975-1980" is a completely different thing, a look in the world of GENESIS when they were parting ways with Steve Hackett and becoming post-prog stadium masters. Presenting previously unreleased interviews with the band and the critics' words, the DVD is sprinkled with rare performances from the Duke tour including:
- Dance On A Volcano
- Deep In The Motherlode
- Follow You Follow Me
- Duke's End
- I Know What I Like
From progressive to aggressive, SLADE's "The Singles - A Critical Review 1971-1991" is a glam bonanza: 21 hit singles in video form - unseen performances and interviews, live kicks and TV cuts. Everything a fan can dream of.
WHEN IT CAME, NO ONE WAS SPARED
April 14th, on Ritchie Blackmore's birthday, a long-overdue remastered edition of DEEP PURPLE's "Burn" is out to mark this legendary album's 30th anniversary. While it would be great to hear the tracks in pristine quality, there's nothing rare on the dics, the bonuses being "Coronarias Redig" (a "Might Just Take Your Life" single B-side) and remixes of "Burn", "Mistreated", "You Fool No One" and "Sail Away". With the recordings of the "Burn" rehearsals in existence, they were considered too poor-sounding to be released. A pity.
BURDON'S NEW BURDEN
It's been so long since the legendary Animal, Eric Burdon released a new material. What is that he's been doing all those years except for playing live? The answer might lie in the title of the growler's fresh album, "My Secret Life", out now. Can't kill the Boogieman? Sure, you can't!
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1. Once Upon A Time |
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GLITTER SPOTS OF LEPPARD
The covers' album has been on DEF LEPPARD minds for some years now, but the summer will finally see the result of that glam reverie. Yes, glam - that's the point of the still untitled record which will have the following rare gems on it:
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1. The Rocker (THIN LIZZY) |
March 11, 2004
RISING FROM THE ASH
They seem to be growing bigger and bigger - like some 35 years ago. Last year WISHBONE ASH set their fans drooling with the "Almighty Blues", and now it's time to be salivating once again. By the end of the spring there will be another DVD release: "Phoenix Rising" will include some classic tracks which for contractual reasons didn't make it onto "Almighty Blues", but what makes it much more worthwhile is a smattering of previously unreleased footage from the '70s when the band were flying high. A must for the twin-guitars freaks.
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"Mean Fiddler", 2003: |
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Meanwhile, the WISHBONE ASH guitarist Ben Granfelt put out his own anthology, "The Past Experience 1994-2004".
SEEDS OF MEMORY
There's no need for Terry Reid's story to be told again: a great singer whose voice might challenge Steve Marriott's had many misfortunes - and declining an offer to join Jimmy Page band which became LED ZEPPELIN is just one of those. But that was after Terry worked for Micky Most and released two brilliantly eclectic albums, "Bang, Bang, It's Terry Reid" and "Terry Reid". Some years ago they've been re-issued by Repertoire Records, yet now come out in one package, a double CD "Super Lungs: The Complete Studio Recordings 1966-69", embellished with a dozen bonus tracks including some recorded just recently, in 2003.
Previously unreleased cuts marked (*).
CD 1:
1. It's Gonna Be Morning * |
CD 2:
1. Superlungs My Supergirl |
There's a recording of Reid's set at the legendary Isle of Wight festival is out soon - check back for the information.
March 4, 2004
ROCKING ARTIST
Even now, in computer era, albums cover art is unparalleled when it comes to Storm Thorgerson and Roger Dean. One of the greatest designers of all time, Roger cares about the PC freaks, still, and has come up with an array of amazing high-quality desktop images rendered from his most famous works. They're split in two series of ten,available in a variety of screen sizes (1024x768, 1600x1200, 1680x1050 and 1920x1200) and cost only $16.95.
Series 1 consists of: Arches Mist, Arches Morning, Dragon's Garden, Drama, Green Towers, Relayer, Sea Of Light, Tales From Topographic Oceans, Tsunami and YesSongs Pathways.
Series 2 contains: Asia Aria Bridges, Asia Dragon, Badger, Blue Dessert, Centre Of The Earth, Floating Jungle, Nightwing, Red Earth, Remedy and Shadowland.
Much more exciting is the news of Dean's breathtaking books "Views", first published in 1975, and its successor "Magnetic Storm" being reissued this autumn in their original 12" x 12" format which allows to enjoy the art in original LP size, and there will be a wholly new book out together with them, called "Dragons Garden", featuring previously unpublished paintings and drawings. There should be 1,000 signed limited edition boxed sets of all three titles with a signed 32-page book of black and white prints, some handmade.
Great deal, sure. So be sure to be at www.rogerdean.com.
A HONK FOR PLONK
An impish look in his eyes, a soft go at bass guitar that brought him the nickname Plonk, Ronnie Lane was the rock community darling. His friends tried hard to support him, and 1985's ARMS concert became a major even, but in 1997 Multiple Sclerosis took its toll - and for almost seven years Ronnie's been jamming in heaven with his fellow Majic Mijit Steve Marriott. Yet, good boy, is he remembered and loved still! On April 8th, there'll be the Ronnie Lane Memorial at London's Royal Albert Hall, a charity event to help Lane's family in the UK who recently lost their home in a fire.
A list of guests is still growing, but among those confirmed are: Ronnie's own band SLIM CHANCE, Pete Townshend who recorded an album with Lane, Plonk's SMALL FACES and THE FACES colleagues, Ian McLagan Kenney Jones and Ronnie Wood, fellow Immediate artists Chris Farlowe and PP Arnold, later-day Mods Paul Weller and OCEAN COLOUR SCENE and punks heroes Glen Matlock and Mick Jones. Not a show to miss.
CLIMB UP TO VOODOO
Taking several projects in his stride, Dario Mollo took time after the second THE CAGE album to record a follow-up to 2000's "Voodoo Hill". Called "Wild Seed Of Mother Earth", the second VOODOO HILL entry features not only the same guitarist - Dario himself - but the same singer, a golden-voiced Glenn Hughes, with Fulvio Gaslini on bass, Dario Patti on keyboards and Roberto Gualdi on drums. The songs of these concept cycle are:
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1. Make Believe |
PIRANHA TALISMAN?
Supergroups thrive these days - or it seems so, because intents are ripe yet harvesting may come hard. Another formidable gathering bears no name as of now, but the line-up looks interesting: Former TALISMAN and Malmsteen singer Jeff Scott Solo united forces with ex-Santana and JOURNEY guitar-slinger Neal Schon who roped in his heavy friends Marco Mendoza on bass and Deen Castronovo on drums. The work is on, so take your breath - like does Soto, who's getting ready to rip the joint at the Queen Fan Club Convention once again.
NOT FIRTH OF FIFTH BUT BANKS OF "SEVEN"
GENESIS' keyboard player Tony Banks has a classical album in his system for a long while but other commitments prevented him from going orchestral. With the band in limbo for several years, though, he had enought time to fulfil his dream which resulted in "Seven: A Suite for Orchestra", recorded with the London Philharmonic. Five pieces on the album were written specifically for the project. Fans should investigate before investing...
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1. Spring Tide |
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