News
January 11, 2005
PARROT'S PARADISE
Never to receive the laurels they deserve, BUDGIE, nevertheless, still have a steady following, so a slew of the British band's classic albums' reissues is more than welcome. To make these all the more valuable, there's not only new remastering from the original master tapes has been applied but also a clever packaging policy - with 12-page booklets featuring quotes from recent interviews with the musicians' and, what's more important, bonus tracks. Which are:
"Budgie" (1971)
- Crash Course In Brain Surgery (1971's out-take)
- Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman (single edit)
- Guts (2003 rehearsal)
- Nude Disintgrating Parachutist Woman(2003 rehearsal)
"Squawk" (1972)
- Whiskey River (single edit)
- Stranded (alt. mix)
- Whiskey River (2003 rehearsal)
- Rolling Home Again (2004 version)
"Never Turn Your Back On A Friend" (1973)
- Breadfan (2003 rehearsal)
- Parents (2004 acoustic version)
- Breadfan (1973 video)
"In For The Kill" (1974)
- Zoom Club (single edit)
- In For The Kill (2003 rehearsal)
- Crash Course In Brain Surgery (2003 rehearsal)
- Zoom Club (2003 rehearsal)
"Bandolier" (1975)
- Honey (B-side)
- Breaking All The House Rules (live, 1980)
- Napoleon Bona Parts 1 & 2 (live, 1980)
- Who Do You Want For Your Love (1975 video)
A THORN IN ROCK
CACTUS came to be by unlucky chance when VANILLA FUDGE's Carmine Appice and Tim Bogert's plans to team up with Jeff Beck got undermined by the guitarist's motorcycle accident and delayed for a couple of years. Never the ones to be stopped in their tracks the drummer and bassist enrolled former AMBOY DUKES' singer Rusty Day and axeman Jim McCarty and kicked the world mightily. Especially, on-stage. Still, their concert recordings are rare - and "Fully Unleashed: The Live Gigs" will improve the situation just a little bit. The individually numbered 2 CD set is to be released in a run limited to only 5,000 copies.
That's quite a quantity to get a hold of a piece, and quite a quality to the material, too. Featured are cuts from the Isle Of Wight Festival, 1970, from 1971's Buffalo and Memphis gigs and from the Mar-Y-Sol Pop Festival that took place in Puerto Rico in 1972. Only a third of the tracks have been issued before, and line-ups vary, yet the Tennessee's performance, the original quartet's final, is here in all its glorious entirety.
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1. Intro / Long Tall Sally |
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10. Medley: Heeby Jeebies / Money / Hound Dog / What'd I Say |
EARTH'S CRY, HEAVEN'S TRY
Two simultaneous projects are afoot on both sides of the Atlantic to produce a charity single to benefit the Tsunami victims.
The British record, "Grief Never Grows Old", written by radio personality Mike Read, will be released under the One World Project moniker, featuring among others Cliff Richard, Steve Winwood, Gary Moore, Bill Wyman, Kenny Jones and Boy George, as well as members of THE BEACH BOYS, BEE GEES, CHICAGO, AMERICA and YES. Rick Wakeman of the latter has already recorded his parts.
The American one, coordinated by Sharon Osbourne, is a cover of Eric Clapton's "Tears In Heaven". The song might be too personal, having been written after the guitarist's little son's tragic death, and too plaintive for such a treatment, but it'll accomplish its mission - no doubt, - as the performers include Ozzy Osbourne, Elton John, Rod Stewart and Steven Tyler.
Buy both singles - for yourself, for your friends. For those who really needs your money.
CALIFORNIA GLEAMING
For such a tremendous festival as was April 1974's event known as California Jam, there's too little recorded material on the surface, with nothing from BLACK SABBATH or THE EAGLES, but a famous - even scandalous! - video and, later, live album from DEEP PURPLE. This year will finally see that musical combustion out on a DVD, and ELP are to go at it, too. The trio have now secured the rights to the footage to release it soon as part of a larger DVD collection, which will reportedly include the Isle of Wright 1970's concert and some home movies.
OUT OF THE CITY
The rock album that John Hackett talked about, called "Checking Out Of London" is up for orders now. The great, if underrated, flautist has come up with a beautiful dozen of pieces of work and, having supplied vocals, guitars, bass and keyboards himself, roped in for recording the rest of the parts his older brother, Steve, Steve's former foil, keyboard player Nick Magnus, and RE-GENESIS vocalist Tony Patterson.
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1. Late Trains |
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Meanwhile, Steve Hackett is ready to follow 1997's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" with a new classical album for guitar and orchestra. The release is scheduled for the spring.
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