IF YOU WANT TO SING OUT
Many remember how Yusuf Islam was denied entry to the U.S. on his way to Nashville to record some songs with a prospect to re-launch his pop career. Now, there’s a new record on the way, and the 2004 story has been turned into a song, “Boots & Sand”. It’s going to be a huge hit – if not for the tune then for the singers’ cast including, among the man who used to be known as Cat Stevens, Paul McCartney, Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss and Terry Sylvester, the latter Liverpudlian of THE SWINGING BLUE JEANS and THE HOLLIES fame.
“EDGAR” BROUGHT ON
Roger Dean is one of two most recognisable records sleeve designers (the other being Storm Thorgerson) whose works for the likes of YES, URIAH HEEP and ASIA are great pieces of art. Lesser known his stage designs for, again, YES, company logo making or furniture and eco-house projects. Still, all of these belong to pop domain, but now the artist has come up with the stage set for the Puccini Opera Festival in Italy as well as costumes for Giacomo Puccini’s “Edgar”. Dean’s “Yes” was quick, and he even asked his daughter Freyja to help up with the clothes part of this.
But what the veteran’s fans are much more concerned with is, where the hell is his books’ re-issues promised a couple of years ago?
SO MANY YEARS TILL THIS FIRST MATINEE
Strange it is, but – bootlegs aside – Joe Lynn Turner has never released a live solo album under his own name, while his concert recordings with RAINBOW and Yngwie Malmsteen are readily available. To rectify this, on October 10th out is going to be “Live In Germany” recorded on September 2007. Quite an odd set it is, with some of Joe’s solo cuts added to mostly RAINBOW classics and none of Malmsteen’s, while there’s DEEP PURPLE’s “Burn” which Turner, even though he was a singer with this band, didn’t originally record. Anyway, good stuff.
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1. Death Alley Driver 2. I Surrender 3. Power 4. Street Of Dreams 5. Power Of Love 6. Can’t Let You Go 7. Jealous Lover 8. Your Love Is Life 9. Blood Red Sky 10. Stone Cold 11. Can’t Happen Here 12. Spotlight Kid 13. Burn |
Meanwhile, Turner keeps being involved with SUNSTORM, a recording project based on the refreshed songs from his unreleased second solo album. Now Joe’s unearthed the following tracks:
– Standing In The Fire
– Forever Now
– Save A Place In Your Heart
– I Found Love
– Walk On
Joe’s old friend, Jim Peterik of SURVIVOR fame – yes, the “Eye Of The Tiger” singer and co-writer – added some of his creations:
– Say You Will
– Tears On The Pages
– Gutters Of Gold
And here’s some completely new compositions written by Tom and James Martin, the KHYMERA and HOUSE OF LORDS rulers:
– The Spirit Inside
– Don’t Give Up
– House Of Dreams
– Divided
So AOR fans have all the reasons to be glad – in 2009.
August 7, 2008
ONCE REMOVED
Now, that the 2008 tour is over, Robin Trower wanted to give his fans another concert DVD, from March 29th show in Detroit’s “Royal Oak”. Unfortunately, the guitarist’s followers will have to do with 2006’s “Living Out Of Time”, visuals-wise, as the picture quality appeared to be too poor for Trower’s high standards. Still, the audio aspect of the performance is excellent and, once mixed, the album which bears the working title is “RT @ RO 08”, will hit the shelves.
EXPLODE INTO SPACE
It’s becoming a little less nebulous with the forthcoming QUEEN + Paul Rodgers first studio album. After the successful world trek, the giants set to work on completely new songs, the first of which, “C-lebrity” was revealed live on All Murray’s “Happy Hour” show a few months ago. More a continuation of THE FIRM’s “Radioactive” and BAD COMPANY’s “Joe Fabulous” than any QUEEN tracks, though built on Roger Taylor’s idea, this will be the first single, out on September 8th in several formats:
CD
1. C-lebrity
2. C-lebrity (All Murray’s Happy Hour video)
3. C-lebrity (Now Play It tutorial)
7″
1. C-lebrity
2. Fire & Water (live in Japan)
Digital Bundle
1. C-lebrity
2. Fire & Water (live in Japan)
iTunes Exclusive Bundle
1. C-lebrity
2. Fire & Water (live in Japan)
3. The Show Must Go On (live in Japan)
As for the album, it’s called “The Cosmos Rocks” and is out in Europe and Asia a week after the single, on September 15th 2008, and in North America in a month, on October 14th. Also in all formats – tour edition (available via Queen Online only, CD, special edition CD and DVD, gatefold vinyl and iTunes exclusive – the record will feature “C-lebrity” as well as “Say It’s Not True” that the band made available as a free download and a charity single, and QUEEN’s first studio cover cut, Del Shannon’s “Runaway”. Of course, the band played many an old rock ‘n’ roll and John Lennon’s “Imagine” live but that was rather camp while this time Paul Rodgers has surely nailed it to the point.
Exclusive information as well as downloads and rehearsal and live footage and much more attractive things can be obtained at the Album Club, and it’s worth spending a couple of pounds.
NOTHING SEEMS TO SATISFY
A rumor is circulating that BLACK SABBATH’s “Paranoid”, will be re-issued on September 29 as a 3CD box set and a double-vinyl. What’s there to occupy so much space? A new remaster of the original record, a 1974 quadraphonic mix and early instrumental versions of six songs plus two with different sets of lyrics. One of these is, of course, “War Pigs” which Ozzy Osbourne didn’t care to learn and had to improvise for some years – but who needs the backing tracks?
