News
November 22, 2007
HUGHES GIVES THE BIRD
"Fuck off" instead of "Thank you", Glenn Hughes seems to be saying to his European fans. If his first DVD, "Soulfully Live In The City Of Angels", all the world found difficult to be watching due to the lighting and compression, there's a new line with Hughes' forthcoming "Live In Australia". As DPAS informs, not only will the European release of this title be the single disc instead of DVD and CD package as in Oz, but also won't have the extras: the footage from the July 2007 Rome concert, a "Music For The Divine" documentary and three promo videos from this, Glenn's latest album.
Getting personal, this scribe does have Hughes' acoustic programme from "The Basement", which has been in circulation among the fans for some time, but, having supported Glenn for a long time, pre-ordered the official release. Now, money's lost, and the next time the pirate P2P network will seem the best way to avoid getting ripped off by the artist and the label. Why stay faithful to the one who doesn't care?
THE DIRIGIBLE STOCK
For years, there was almost none, not counting the one opened with their DVD release, but the forthcoming LED ZEPPELIN reunion is a reason good enough to launch the band's official website at www.ledzeppelin.com. There's much explore and visually enjoy there, especially in the "Discography" section. Worth paying a visit.
FAUX-ASIA FLESH OUT
If John Wetton-less ASIA had some logic in the name, with Geoff Downes, the only original member in the line-up, ASIA featuring John Payne seems hilarious, what with the original ASIA functioning at the moment. But singing bassist Payne, drummer Jay Schellen and guitar maestro Guthrie Gowan are at it in real earnest and welcome on board a keyboard player, no other than Erik Norlander. He's a real wiz but too academic in his approach, but as his latest album, "Hommage Symphonique", shows, Erik can play in every other pianist's manner, so he'll be as fine replacement for Downes as it gets. Whether he's as great a pop composer, we'll see next year, when the band's new record, "Architect Of Time", is released.
MONKEY'S MONKS
"Abbots Langley" is a title of an album that Ollie Halsall recorded with his former PATTO colleague, John Halsey, back in 1980. To be precise, what's going to be the album now, then were sessions for a new band that never came to be. Instead, Ollie joined Kevin Ayers' band and stayed there until his untimely passing in 1992. Being rediscovered since then, Halsall's archive brings up another gem.
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1. Bum Love |
9. We Want Out |
November 15, 2007
BACK IN THE BASKET
June 29th, 1968 was the day when "Sweet Child", a double live album by the now legendary folk quintet PENTANGLE, was recorded. To mark the 40th anniversary of this significant event, the five original members - singer Jacqui McShee, bass meister Danny Thompson, drummer Terry Cox and six-string gurus Bert Jansch and John Renbourn - will get together on the London's Royal Festival Hall's stage on June 29th, 2008 for a one-off show. The CD and DVD immortalising of the historic performance seems inevitable.
IT CAME FROM PLEASURE
No matter how influential these guys have been, UFO are rarely mentioned in the same breath as other hard rock heroes, what with their progressive beginnings. Having welcomed a young German named Michael Schenker onboard the saucer in 1973, galvanised their gears and turned the English band into something special that echoes thrоugh the aural space to this day. And it was three mid-70s albums that did the trick and are to be re-issued on January 28th, remastered and with an icing of interesting bonus tracks, the most alluring on the fantastic "No Heavy Petting". They run like this...
Phenomenon (1974)
- Sixteen (demo produced by Dave Edmund)
- Oh My (demo produced by Dave Edmunds)
- Give Her The Gun (German single A-side)
- Sweet Little Thing (German single B-side)
- Sixteen (unreleased studio track)
- Doctor Doctor (live, 6.6.1974)
Force It (1975)
- A Million Miles (unreleased studio track, 1973)
- Mother Mary (live, 11.12.1975)
- Out In The Streets (live, 11.12.1975)
- Shoot Shoot (live, 11.12.1975)
- Let It Roll (live, 25.4.1976)
- This Kid's (live, 25.4.1976)
No Heavy Petting (1976)
- All Or Nothing (unreleased studio track)
- French Kisses (unreleased studio track)
- Have You Seen Me Lately Joan (unreleased studio track)
- Property (unreleased studio track)
- Sunset Lights (unreleased studio track)
SPINNING TILL THEY HIT THЕ GROUND
It's been 30 years since THIN LIZZY, promoting their "Bad Reputation" album, recorded one of the best concert albums ever, "Live And Dangerous", no matter what the unfaithful say about the studio fiddling with that. Whilst a part of the celebration includes recent DVD re-issue of the album's visual companion piece, the LIZZY of today, led by the latter-day guitarist John Sykes and his counterpart Scott Gorham from the classic line-up, are set to reproduce the record live in its entirety during the November and December UK tour. Whether it makes sense doing anything after the THIN LIZZY name after the band's heart and soul, Phil Lynott's death, is open for discussion, but if the fans attend the shows, why not?
HEADING HOMEWARD
Seems it became a tradition for two surviving Beatles to jump on their former band wagon. These days, around the time of the "Help!" movie DVD release, Paul McCartney has put forward an enhanced edition of his latest album, "Memory Almost Full" (who cares to buy the first pressing now if in half a year there's something augmented up for grabs?), and his 3DVD not-so-complete-as-it-seems visual anthology, "The McCartney Years". Following suit, is Ringo Starr.
Out now is Starr's "Live At Soundstage" album committed to tape back in 2005 with the most unremarkable ALL-STARR BAND the drummer's ever had, and on January 14th, out on CD and digitally will be Ringo's new studio record, strangely entitled "Liverpool 8". That's his first on EMI since 1974 and his first collaboration with EURHYTHMICS' Dave Stewart. The title cut will be available for download on December 4th. To mark the occasion, ex-Beatle is going to play in his native city on January 12th, which will be the beginning of Liverpool's 2008 Capital of Culture celebrations.
And here's the run-down of the album:
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1. Liverpool 8 |
HARDIN'S HARD DECISION
With THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP having seemingly stopped in their tracks, and Miller Anderson joining Maggie Bell in THE BRITISH BLUES QUINTET, Eddie Hardin isn't to revive HARDIN-YORK - but another "Wizards Convention" isn't out of question, as he's made a following decision posted on his site:
"I'm going to now semi-retire and just concentrate on studio work from home. For once I feel positive and hopeful for my remaining years and don't want to spend them in a bus travelling all over Europe, though in a way I will miss it. Of course I'll do the odd thing here and there but for me it's back to studio life and a happy family home which I started to take for granted".
He's off to a new start, it seems.
GUITAR-KHAN BOWS OUT
Hot on the tracks of the "Germany 1977" there's another DVD from Steve Hillage. "Live In England 1979" is a very special document in a rather scarce visual archive of the great guitarist, as it comes from THE STEVE HILLAGE BAND last ever tour: later on, Steve concentrated on work with rather un-rock SYSTEM SEVEN project, which he's still with now. Yet on February 28th, 1979, in Kent University he's a graduate of, Hillage was flying much higher. Here's the proof. The bonus tracks come from the aforementioned 1977 concert. A preview is available on the special website.
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1. Salmon Song |
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FANTOM FIGURES FREE - FOREVER?
HEAVEN AND HELL, or Dio-era BLACK SABBATH, will most certainly have a studio album out next year, as the success of the quartet's world tour and live CD/DVD, ""Live From Radio City Music Hall", has proved there's a storming wish from the fans out there for something new other than just three tracks the band came up with for their compilation.
ONE MORE TOAST TO GREET THE MORN
An outstanding event is scheduled to take place on November 25th, in London's Marquee Club: a DVD screening of rare PROCOL HARUM footage, live and unseen for 40 years. The videos were aired on TV and then had gone to the archives for good. Some are circulating among the collectors and can be found on YouTube, but now there's a chance they will be released in the near pristine quality. They are:
A Whiter Shade of Pale - French TV debut, 1967, feat. Ray Royer and Bobby Harrison
Good Captain Clack - French TV, June 1967
Mabel - French TV, June 1967, promotional master film, July 1967
She Wandered Through The Garden Fence - French TV, summer 1967
Homburg - a trailer from London Line color film, October 1967
Kaleidoscope - French TV's Live at the MIDEM Festival, February 1968
Repent Walpurgis - French TV's Live at the MIDEM Festival, February 1968
In the Wee Small Hours of Sixpence - Beat Workshop, Hamburg, Xmas 1971, feat. Dave Ball
Still There'll Be More - Beat Workshop, Hamburg, Xmas 1971, feat. Dave Ball
Simple Sister - Beat Workshop, Hamburg, Xmas 1971, feat. Dave Ball
Pandora's Box - lost Chrysalis color promo, Ramport Studios, 1975
PROCOL at 40 - trailer
Gary Brooker is rumored to be in attendance but what's for sure is that the evening's live entertainment will be provided by former HARUM guitarist's band - DAVE BALL's BALLBREAKERS.
BEAUTY OF THE MAGIC VIOLIN
Many have waited for this moment for a long long time. Eddie Jobson, an amazing talent most famous for his violin and keyboard work in U.K. alongside John Wetton, as well as in ROXY MUSIC and JETHRO TULL, has finally gathered a new band. Called UKZ, the group include also former KING CRIMSON-ite Trey Gunn on bass, Alex Machacek on guitar, singer Aaron Lippert and Marco Minnemann on drums. All from different countries, the quintet members are working together by way of computer, exchanging music and video files electronically to create the self-titled debut album which will see the light of day in February. Before that, on January 25th, in Los Angeles, the "One City World Tour" concert will present the combo to the eager world.
GETTIN' STRAPPED
"STRAPPS did OK but DEEP PURPLE didn't seem quite right", says Mick Underwood in the forthcoming interview with DME. Old cohort of both Ritchie Blackmore and Ian Gillan, the drummer had had his fill of experimenting when, in 1979, Underwood joined GILLAN. Before that, there were QUATERMASS with John Gustafson, PEACE with Paul Rodgers, and STRAPPS that Mick led by himself. And it's their concert recording, "Live At The Rainbow 1977", that is out on Angel Air in the early 2008. A great rarity - eagerly awaited, as they were the heavy funky band who never got the recognition they deserved.
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1. The Pain Of Love |
BACK IN THE GAME
1978 was a transitional time for Ian Gillan who'd just roped in John McCoy with a sight to turn jazz-tinged IAN GILLAN BAND into something tighter and harder in order to please his old fans longing for the DEEP PURPLE time. Cue GILLAN, with the IGB keyboard master Colin Towns staying with the singer, old McCoy's friend Steve Byrd on guitar and drummer Pete Barnacle. Two latter were to be replaced soon by, respectively, Bernie Torme and Mick Underwood, and it was with them that the band went on to record their tremendous "Mr Universe". But before that, with some of the songs already out on the so called "Japanese Album", the previous line-up tested their strength on The Marquee club legendary stage. And it's from these December 1978 dates, one graced by Ritchie Blackmore's visit for a little jam and a proposition to join RAINBOW, that this new CD comes from. Angel Air unearthed the first live tapes of this short period of GILLAN, and puts them out in February 2008 as "Live At The Marquee 1978". A great historic moment to grab and cherish.
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1. Secret Of The Dance |
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HOME TO ROOST
Late '70s weren't the best times for Vincent Crane battling his demons who were temporarily gone by the end of the decade when, in 1979, the organist teamed with the singing guitar prodigy, John Du Cann once again, and the two, with drummer Paul Hammond in tow, resurrected ATOMIC ROOSTER. They recorded the "Atomic Rooster" for EMI, just to switch almost immediately to Polydor. Three 45s were out... with no album to follow. Not that there wasn't one, there was! Nine month in the making, what now is called "Homework" and is ready for February release on Angel Air, was sentenced to the shelf life. Fortunately, Du Cann got a hold of the masters, and now post mortem ROOSTER catalogue will be decorated with a real gem.
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1. The Dukes Theme |
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13. The Band Played On |
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