FAREWELL, THE SUN LIGHTER
Legendary producer Sam Phillips died on July 30th, aged 80. It’s difficult to say what rock ‘n’ roll would have looked like now, if not for Sam, for it was him, the founder of Memphis’ Sun Records, who saw the burning talent in a truck driver called Elvis Presley and signed him to launch a stellar career. But that was not the only time that Phillips’ flair for magic proved the man great – a bit later he pushed on country performer Carl Perkins to give it a go with a new trend, and this new trend brought forth a slew of classics including “Blue Suede Shoes”. Then, when Elvis moved to the pastures more financially ripe, in came the piano-bashing Jerry Lee Lewis, after him Roy Orbison and many more of those who helped shaped rock, all nurtured by the bear-like Sam. A place in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame is just a minimal admission of Phillips’ merit. His was a glorious life, not vain. Rest in peace, the Sun lighter.
ALL THE WAY TO DUDES
They were a strange bunch of lads, yet somehow MOTT THE HOOPLE found their way to fame and still have enough fans eating out of the singer Ian Hunter’s hand. Those’ll be happy, then, to get a hold of the band’s Island albums that are to be re-issued now through Angel Air. Each record is sprinkled with a couple of bonus cuts, and there’s a compilation “Two Miles From Heaven” ready to make it to a CD for the first time, also augmented. The additional tracks are:
“Mott The Hoople”
– Ohio
– Find Your Way (backtrack demo)
“Mad Shadows”
– It Would Be A Pleasure
– How Long (Death May Be Your Santa Claus)
“Wildlife”
– It’ll Be Me
– Long Red
“Brain Capers”
– Midnight Lady
– The Journey
“Two Miles From Heaven”
– The Debt
– Downtown
RHAPSODY IN PURPLE
All the band’s recent activity didn’t give DEEP PURPLE DVDs more fans’ attention than two old videos that are about to enter the digital era.
The first, to be out in late 2003, is “Live In Denmark 1972” also knows as “Machine Head Live”, a monochrome recording from Copenhagen previously available in either black-and-white or purple-and-white. It’s been restored to get rid of occasional sound on vision problems and framed for a full widescreen image. The second one has a legendary status due to Ritchie Blackmore’s pyrotechnic antics – “Live At The California Jam” from Ontario Motor Speedway underwent a major enhancement, with eight reels of alternate camera angles incorporated into the DVD, with cut-out “Lay Down Stay Down” reinstated where it should have been, with new interviews with band members and road crew, and additional footage. This will be issued as a special edition with a poster and reproduction ticket in early 2004. Get ready to shell out the dough, then.
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Live In Denmark1. Highway Star |
California Jam1. Burn |
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MOORE, NO LESS
Some things are being done fast even now: only a couple of months after this year festival, Gary Moore has the concert document, “Live At The Monsters Of Rock”, out on September 1st. The reason for such velocity might well be the bootleg of the show which has been in circulation since the guitarist pleased his fans with incendiary versions of the songs he’d not being playing for a long while, like “Wishing Well” by FREE, THE YARDBIRDS’ classic “Shapes Of Things” or his own contribution to the THIN LIZZY canon, “Don’t Believe A Word”. Appetite’s whetted.
| 1. Shapes Of Things 2. Wishing Well 3. Rectify 4. Guitar Intro (End Of The World) 5. Stand Up 6. Just Can’t Let You Go 7. Walking By Myself 8. Don’t Believe A Word 9. Out In The Fields 10. Parisienne Walkways |
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RIDING THE DARK HORSE
Long overdue news come from the family of much-missed George Harrison.
In her web posting, Olivia, the musician’s widow, wrote this November will see the release of the double-DVD set “The Concert For George”, on which preserved is the show that took place on November 29th, 2002 at the Royal Albert Hall. The release is to be preceded by a worldwide limited theatrical release of the film. This version, with interviews and additional mini-features of the rehearsals etcetera, makes the second disc, while the first contains the concert recording in its entirety.
What’s, perhaps, more important for the Quiet One aficionados, is the fact that the re-mastering of Harrison’s Dark Horse catalogue – George started the work before he died – is almost finished, and all the albums, with a smattering of bonus material, will be out in early 2004, available both individually and in a special box set.
Dark Horse Records and Apple Corps. have more projects on the go – if only George was there to keep an eye on the process…
IS HE REAL?
Nobody knows what the David Bowie world is like, except for the chameleon man himself. Is he really revealing it all on his forthcoming album, “Reality”? Listen will show – maybe. The artwork doesn’t say much. What does, is David’s intentions to reprise the classic “Pin-Ups” cover, which apparently weren’t fulfilled. Yet there’s a link to that old LP that consists of covers: “Reality” has George Harrison’s “Try Some, Buy Some” on it, while Bowie’s own “Pablo Picasso” makes a nice addition to his early gem, “Andy Warhol”.
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1. New Killer Star 2. Pablo Picasso 3. Never Get Old 4. The Loneliest Guy 5. Looking For Water 6. She’ll Drive The Big Car 7. Days 8. Fall Dog Bombs The Moon 9. Try Some, Buy Some 10. Reality 11. Bring Me The Disco King |
IT’S AN OLD DAY NOW
With all their archival bonanza that keeps fans breathing heavily, JETHRO TULL weren’t so much spot-on with DVD. Last year’s “Living With The Past” comprised of the last tour’s gigs was about all the band could offer. Thankfully, a 1994’s video dedicated to the TULL’s 25th anniversary is finally released in digital form. Interviews apart, there’s a lot of magnificent performances on “A New Day Yesterday” which makes it a must.
| 1. Introduction/Living In The Past (live, 1993) 2. Nothing Is Easy (live, Isle Of Wight, 1970) 3. 25th Anniversary Reunion 4. Teacher (live, TV, 1970) 5. Witch’s Promise (Top Of The Pops, 1970) 6. Story Of The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles 7. Minstrel In The Gallery (live, 1975) 8. Aqualung (BBC Sight & Sound, 1977) 9. Thick As A Brick (live, 1978) 10. Songs From The Wood (live, 1980) 11. Too Old To Rock’n’Roll (promo, 1980) 12. Kissing Willie (promo, 1989) 13. 25th Anniversary Tour Rehearsals/My God) 14. Rocks On The Road (promo video, 1991) 15. A New Day Yesterday (live, promo, 1993) 16. Teacher (live, TV, 1970) 17. Witch’s Promise (Top Of Pops, 1970) 18. Story Of The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles (live, 1973) 19. Aqualung (BBC Sight & Sound, 1970) 20. Kissing Willie (promo, 1989) 21. Rocks On The Road (promo, 1991) 22. Living In The Past (live, 1993) 23. Witch’s Promise (live, 1970) (bonus) |
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