TO THE CARPETS OF THE SUN
Not so many bands use service of a real poet, not just a lyricist, who doesn’t play with them. There were / are KING CRIMSON and PROCOL HARUM, but Pete Sinfield and
Keith Reid were essentially a part of these ensembles line-ups. Not so with Betty Thatcher-Newsinger who wrote the words to the best RENAISSANCE and Annie Haslam songs including such classics as “Mother Russia”, “Ocean Gypsy” and “Still Life”. Lately, the resurrected group’s new tunes didn’t require Betty’s talent but her spirit always was there, on stage, while she fought against cancer to lose the battle on August 15th. She, that elusive figure, will be sorely missed.
ONLY CAME HERE TO PLAY ROCK ‘N’ ROLL
Difficult it may be to anthologize a band who started playing four decades ago, never stopped doing what they like and do best and still delivering with much impact after all these years, but NAZARETH really deserved such treatment as numerous compilations just fail to embrace the scope of this group who, even though they’ve always been filed after “hard rock” category, haven’t clung to any particular style bar their own patented skronk which hangs on Dan McCafferty‘s inimitable vocals and Pete Agnew‘s heavy swing. These two veterans are in the ranks from the day one up to day and show no sign of losing it to their younger partners in melodious crime, as suggested by the quartet’s 2011’s album “Big Dogz”. And it’s here that “NazBox” stops. Out on September 19th, the 4CD package crowns the Salvo reissue programme that took the band’s discography up to this last record. The box picks the best cuts from every album adding single cuts and BBC live tapes to the canon and comprises a good smattering of previously unreleased tracks. A collector’s dream.
Disc 1:1. Dear John |
Disc 2:1. May The Sunshine (single mix / remix) |
Disc 3:1. Turn On Your Receiver (Bob Harris jingle) |
Disc 4:1. Telegram (live at the BBC)
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ON THE ANGELS’ WINGS
This September, Angel Air proudly present a couple brand new albums from two veteran artists that many fans have been waiting for – if only for the reasom they didn’t release anything fresh for a long time.
The first collection, “Ten Commitments”, comes from Steve Ellis who has another band, THE BIG CITY ALLSTARS, to continue what he’s been doing with LOVE AFFAIR, ELLIS and WIDOWMAKER. More so, one of the cuts here, “Healing Touch”, is written by the same team who penned his biggest hit “Everlasting Love”. The CD has a video track on it as well, a promo of “Please Please Me”. Might be a BEATLES’ song but then maybe not.
| 1. Don’t Let Me Be The Only One 2. Healing Touch 3. Hit The Spot 4. Never Say Never 5. On The Way Home 6. Perfect Sunday 7. Please Please Me 8. Thank You Baby For Loving Me 9. War Train 10. We Got It |
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The next in line is “Fiddlersophical”, the first MEDICINE HEAD album in 35 years, the previous new one, “Two Man Band” being out in 1976. Now, John Fiddler composed an impressive line of songs and recorded it with a small company including an old sidekick, guitarist Laurence Archer who many know for his work with Phil Lynott’s GRAND SLAM.
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1. Free 2. Cadillacs And Diamonds 3. The Haunting 4. Narcisister 5. Who’s Having Fun? 6. Halfway 7. I’ll Turn You On 8. Sing With Me 9. The Bermuda Triangle (Of My Love) 10. First I Lost My Mind 11. Angels And Misfits |
