BRAVE NEW TONY
Tony Franklin is an unstoppable player, so don’t miss another chance to hear his work on the upcoming THE CAGE album from Dario Mollo and Tony Martin before getting more. That’s what the fretless bass maestro sent in:
“Things are going well. I just returned from doing some recording on David Coverdale‘s new album. I’m also deeply involved in the completion of my next new album, which I’m really excited about. It’s a lot heavier this time and I’m working with a vocalist called Scott Kail, who is an incredible talent. We have a great chemistry”.
An interesting point, as all the vocal duties for his solo debut, "Brave New Tomorrow"Tony handled himself.
BUG THE KINK
After some 20-year hiatus in solo activity, the youngest of THE KINKS siblings, Dave Davies is releasing a new album proper, “Bug”. Quite a strange title Davies explained thus:
“The basic idea behind “Bug” is that of an alien implant, of people leading seemingly ordinary lives while walking around with implants that could be triggered any moment by outside forces… Extra Terrestrials, covert government manipulation – mind controlling devices affecting behavior. The idea of “Bug” is to exorcise these implants, if you like, through the power of music… I think it’s a fun concept!”
With the album hitting the shelves on May 7th, Dave kicks off a short US tour beginning April 23rd in New York.
| 1. Who’s Foolin’ Who 2. It Ain’t Over, ‘Till It’s Done 3. The Lie 4. Let Me Be 5. Displaced Person 6. Rock You, Rock Me 7. Flowers In The Rain 8. Fortis Green 9. Why? 10. True Phenomenon 11. BUG 12. De-Bug 13. Life After Life (Transformation) |
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OF ROYAL KIND
PENDRAGON are completing two new products to be out later this month. The first is an unplugged live album recorded last November in Poland, a possibility of which was mentioned previously, while the second is a DVD entitled “Live At Last” that documents 1996’s Masquerade Tour and boasts extra footage as well.
Meanwhile, all the band’s members have some other work to do.
Nick Barrett started writing new songs yet there still no firm plans of recording an album.
Clive Nolan, who has released recently his second work with Oliver Wakeman, “The Hound Of The Baskervilles”, put the finishing touches to Michelle Young’s album“Marked For Madness”, where he played keyboards and produced, and is currently writing material for the next ARENA offering with a tentative title “Contagion”.
Fudge Smith had provided his sticks for the new band HENRY FOOL’s debut and got into writing too, which may result in the drummer’s first solo album ever.
Peter Gee is continuing creating his long-overdue solo stuff: there’s a gospel album, with a working title “Your Love”, on the way, and the bass man’s third solo album, still untitled.
MEDIEVAL DISCOVERIES
GRYPHON, greatest prog-folk purveyors, who in the ’70s had several arresting albums using many an authentic ancient instrument, release on Hux Records an archive album of the recordings made for BBC. There’s a fitting title, “About As Curious As It Can Be”, and tracks run like this:
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1. Renaissance Dance Medley 2. Midnight Mushrumps 3. Ethelion 4. Wallbanger 5. The Last Flash Of Gaberdine Tailor 6. Le Cambrioleur Est Dans Le Mouchoir 7. Ein Klein Heldenleben 8. Jigs |
TEARS FOR THE STICKSMAN
Randy Castillo, a drumming legend and a true mainstay of melodic playing, passed away on March 26, aged 51, having lost his battle with cancer. Castillo’s most famous work was with Ozzy Osbourne, for whom he served for 10 years before sitting in at MOTLEY CRUE stool. A great loss for the music. Ozzy poured out his feelings of the drummer in this eulogy: “I am heartbroken about the passing of one of my dearest friends. I will see you on the other side Randy. I love you.”
ALL THAT GLITTERS
In an era when the ’70s glam and glitter rock seems to be back, the protagonists of the genre don’t sleep as well.
MOTT THE HOOPLE‘s Ian Hunter and Mick Ralphs are to perform together for the first time in almost 30 years. Ralphs, invited by Hunter to join the singer’s tour, will play his solo material as well before firing off the classics.
THE SWEET get further, releasing a new album, “Sweetlife”, on April 29th. The samples can be heard at www.sweet-life.co.uk.
And then, SLADE – not that they have Noddy Holder or Jimmy Lea back into the fold, but with original members Dave Hill and Don Powell onboard the band are already in the recording process for the album to be out on Virgin Records later in the year.
WATERS’ FLICKERING FLAME
“Flickering Flame” is a title of a new composition from Roger Waters and it made the title of the artiste’s post-PINK FLOYD material, “Flickering Flame: The Solo Years Volume 1”, that is scheduled for release in the spring. There will be some rarities as well, with Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” among them.
MIGRATOR TO THE STARS
April 22nd is the release date for Arjen Anthony Lucassen’s new project STAR ONE first album, “Space Metal”. It’s not a saga in the vein of AYREON but still a concept work with songs based on space movies that left a print on Arjen’s mind. The autor commented on the concept, “It’s really hard to write a song based on a film and then not use names or make the references to the original too clear. I really wanted to write about my impressions of the films and not just tell the same story over again. I wonder how many people are going to recognize the films on which I based the songs!”.
For all the fans there will be a special 2CD limited edition:
| 1. Lift-Off 2. Set Your Controls 3. High Moon 4. Songs Of The Ocean 5. Master Of Darkness 6. The Eye Of Ra 7. Sandrider 8. Perfect Survivor 9. Intergalactic Space Crusaders 10. Starchild |
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1. Hawkwind Medley 2. Spaced Out 3. Inseparable Enemies 4. Space Oddity 5. Starchild (Dolby Pro-Logic) 6. Spaced Out (alternative version) |
As for musicians, Arjen is accompanied by Ed Warby on drums and additional instrumental work come from Jens Johansson, Erik Norlander and Gary Wehrkamp, while the singers are Damian Wilson, Sir Russell Allen, Dan Swano and Floor Jansen with Robert Soeterboek on backing vocals and the special guest Dave Brock performing on the HAWKWIND medley.
COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
LED ZEPPELIN were always a privileged artists on the Atlantic Records roster. The more piquant is the fact of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and the heirs of late John Bonham suing the label for copyright infringement. Musicians state that Atlantic has refused to pay them increased royalty fees that today are almost four times the amount specified at the contract signing. In question are forty-two songs from the ZEPPELIN’s first five albums.
SPIRIT RUNNING FREE
Ken Hensley‘s management announce that the former HEEP man’s new band, FREE SPIRIT, are set to start recording their first album in May for a release later in 2002. Expected is some special guest. Meanwhile, after a Scandinavian tour the band plan to play Russia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, Holland, Belgium and UK. Hensley is full of enthusiasm and is said to be having a great material on his hands to be committed to tape with a help from David Kilminster.
WHICH WAY THE WIND BLOWS
Eddie Hardin is known for his craft of turning children’s books into musicals. He was involved with Roger Glover’s “The Butterfly Ball”, then Hardin came up with three parts of the “Wizard’s Convention” project, but less famous is his “Wind In The Willows”. The work, recorded in 1985 with a help from Zak Starkey, Ringo’s son, on drums, have all but disappeared despite the presence of many a great performers. There were Steve Hackett, Tony Ashton and Annie Haslam duetting with no other than Donovan.
Not wanting to abandon the project, in 1991 Eddie organised a one-off live performance of “Wind In The Willows” in Germany, yet it’s now that the original studio album makes it to CD for the first time, expanded with bonus tracks. Among them are rare demos and alternate versions, plus a couple of live tracks. Featured on tnose are Ian Paice, Maggie Bell, Denny Laine, Graham Bonnet and Don Airey and Jon Lord, current and former DEEP PURPLE organists, playing together.
| 1. Birds In My Garden 2. Wind In The Willows 3. Good Morning To You 4. I’d Forgotten How To Smile 5. The Wild Wood 6. The Badger 7. I’m Looking Forward To Tomorrow 8. Mr. Toad / Piper At The Gates Of Dawn 9. Wayfarers All |
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Out-takes and demos:
1. I’m Looking Forward To Tomorrow |
