ONE WHO LIGHTED US UP AND LEFT US ALONE
It’s hard to track down a source of the rumor that hinted on the TRAFFIC reunion this year – and it’s even more difficult to be saying this won’t happen. Never ever. On January 29th, the legendary band’s linchpin, drummer Jim Capaldi passed away, due to stomach cancer, aged 60.
Jim’s been kept in high esteem by everyone in rock society, and easily enrolled people of the George Harrison calibre – well, his equals – to play on his records. A little surprise, there, what with Capaldi’s ability to propel any music he was involved with, if only with his Brummie group who could zip from jazzy grooves of “Dear Mr. Fantasy” to the pastoral buzz of “Low Spark On High-Heeled Boys” in no time – yet it was Jim who was keeping that time.
He received his due, thankfully, and joined the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame last March, but he’d always been there anyway, in our minds at least. “Sometimes I feel like I’m fading away”, sang Capaldi in his signature tune, “Light Up Or Leave Me Alone”. Now he did it, and the world became a darker place.
NEURYDICE
As it was reported here before, while brother John goes all rockers, Steve Hackett comes up with a new classical album. “Metamorpheus”, a follow-up to 1997’s Steve HACKETT discography has the same format of nylon-string guitar and orchestra. This time, though, it’s not Shakespear’s fairy tale that lies in the center of the music, but more heavy theme from Greek mythology: a legend of Orpheus and Eurydice. The release date is March 28th.
| 1. The Pool Of Memory And The Pool Of Forgetfulness 2. To Earth Like Rain 3. Song To Nature 4. One Real Flower 5. The Dancing Ground 6. That Vast Life 7. Eurydice Taken 8. Charon’s Call |
9. Cerberus At Peace 10. Under The World – Orpheus Looks Back 11. The Broken Lyre 12. Severance 13. Elegy 14. Return To The Realm Of Eternal Renewal 15. Lyra |
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THY KINGDOM COMING
Some may have flaming lips, but there’s only one person with a flaming head, The God Of Hellfire – or, perhaps, simply “Fire” – Arthur Brown. One of the wittiest man in rock world has never been far away from the spotlight and been performing quite regularly, but on March 12th London’s “Astoria” will play host to Brown’s OTHERWORLD, the project that unites two famous bands of Arthur’s, CRAZY WORLD and KINGDOM COME, the former being a new group under old moniker and the latter the same legendary ensemble that lay in hibernation for almost three decades. The event is to be all the mightier wrapped in a psychedelic live show and featuring Howard Marks as an MC and Bruce Dickinson as a DJ. Who needs more reasons to get burned?
COLORS OF THE RAINBOW SO PRETTY IN THE SKY
What’s been a talk of almost three years seems to finally come to a fruition, and March 5th is pencilled to be a release date for long-overdue BLACKMORE’S NIGHTDVD. Pre-viewed on last year’s “Beyond The Sunset” collection, the DVD, titled simply “Live” vindicates the wait as now it comprises not one but two discs, the first featuring an entire show filmed during the ensemble’s 2003 tour of Germany and the second presenting special performances, videos and more. A must-have – no doubt.
Disc 1:1. Cartouche |
Disc 2:Acoustics – Burg Abendberg 2004:
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Meanwhile, erstwhile Ritchie Blackmore associate, Ronnie James Dio, is working on a new album – presumably, the next chapter of 2000’s "Magica" – but on February 22nd has a new live recording out. Or not so new, as DIO‘s double CD “Evil Or Divine” is a companion piece – call it a soundtrack if you will – to the same-titled DVD, shot on Friday, December 13th, 2002 in New York. Great performance, more mellow than 1998’s “Inferno” yet no less fiery and furious. Hopefully, interview with Ronnie will grace these pages soon.
| 1. Killing The Dragon 2. Egypt / Children Of The Sea 3. Push 4. Drum Solo 5. Stand Up And Shout 6. Rock And Roll 7. Don’t Talk To Strangers 8. Man On The Silver Mountain |
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9. Guitar Solo 10. Long Live Rock And Roll 11. Lord Of The Last Day 12. Fever Dreams 13. Holy Diver 14. Heaven And Hell 15. The Last In Line 16. Rainbow In The Dark 17. We Rock |
What’s more important to DIO fans, by the way, is the American-only release of “Stand Up & Shout”, a collection of all the band’s videos, scheduled for June, but more on this later.
Before that, Ronnie’s latest successor in RAINBOW, Doogie White ‘s WHITE NOISE project brings forth a DVD, “In The Hall of the Mountain King” recorded on November 6th, 2004 in London, when the band – White-fronted half of MOSTLY AUTUMN – were opening for URIAH HEEP. Having attended the show, DME has to admit it was energetic, if not very impressive performance, consisting mostly of cuts from RAINBOW’s “Stranger In Us All”. No CORNERSHOP’s pieces – as Doogie said to DME afterwards, he’s not allowed to sing them on his own – but very ironically sounding “Never The Rainbow” plucked off the AUTUMN repertoire. Not essential, and it looks as there’s no future for WHITE NOISE, what with White plunging into writing for the next CORNERSHOP’s album.
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1. Tarot Woman 2. Wolf To The Moon 3. Too Late For Tears 4. Black Masquerade 5. Ariel 6. Hall Of The Mountain King 7. Never The Rainbow 8. Question 9. The God 10. One Way To Heaven bonus feature – MOSTLY AUTUMN: – Distant Train – Aswer the Question – Caught In A Fold – Never The Rainbow |
Another Blackmore-related artist, Glenn Hughes, who’s just put out the studio album, “Soul Mover”, starts a European tour this month, and the ones going to see The Funkmeister on-stage, are in for a treat. On sale at the concert venues – initially – will be a live CD from the “Love And Homecoming” UK tour of 2003, called “Freak Flag Flyin'”. Something to look forward to.
MARCHIN’ OUT
One of the greatest power trios that time turned a blind eye on were BAKER-GURVITZ ARMY, basically a hybrid of GUN and CREAM with the former’s Adrian and Paul Gurvitz and the latter’s Ginger Baker. The band released three fine albums in 1974-1976, having grown along the way into a quintet when THE SHARKS’ singer Snips and SEVENTH WAVE keyboard player Peter Lemer joined the fold, but there was never a live recording from this line-up; well, not that there are many from the original three-piece who can be heard all guns blazing on the “Greatest Hits – Live” only. So “Live In Derby ’75” is a very welcome release which will see the light of day on March 21st, embellished with a 12-page booklet. Recorded for radio broadcast while the group were promoting their second LP, “Elysian Encounter”, it’s not the same material that’s on the “Live Concert 1975” hard-to-find video.
| 1. The Hustler 2. Space Machine 3. Remember 4. White Room 5. Neon Lights 6. Inside Of Me 7. Memory Lane 8. Sunshine Of Your Love 9. The Artist 10. Freedom 11. Time 12. Going To Heaven |
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TRIBAL DANCING
It’s all hazy – as it’s always been in LED ZEPPELIN domains. Until last week, everybody was sure Robert Plant‘s new album would be called “Another Tribe”. Seems, it’s not the case, as far as the official announcement goes. The title is very different: “Mighty Rearranger”. No, that’s not another covers project – 2002’s "Dreamland"allowed Percy to show the class in this area – yet something completely new, described by Plant as “‘Physical Graffiti goes to Cairo…”. No more details at the moment, bar the title of the first single, “Shine It All Around”, which is out on April 18th, when Robert will be on the road already.
Percy’s partner in crime, Jimmy Page, isn’t fiddling his thumbs either these days. Alongside Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Buddy Guy, Bruce Springsteen and Willie Nelson, Jim took part in the recording of “Pilgrim”, a new album by The Killer, Jerry Lee Lewis. Among the tracks is a version of ZEP’s “Rock And Roll”. Will it better“The London Sessions”? That’s not hard…
ANOTHER CELESTIAL GLIMPSE
Before shooting high with YES and spreading his wizard cape over the world, Rick Wakeman was in Dave Cousin‘s STRAWBS and recorded two albums with them. The two never lost touch: Dave played on Rick’s “Six Wives Of Henry VIII”, Rick’s featured on Dave’s “Two Weeks Last Summer”, and then the friends had“Hummingbird” out in 2002. Still, there was more to their collaboration, and now a live CD is released, “Wakeman & Cousins – Live 1988”, featuring acoustic performances. A blissful stuff.
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Dave Cousins, 1988: 1. Grace Darling 2. Part Of The Union Wakeman & Cousins, 1988: 3. A Glimpse Of Heaven 4. Song Of A Sad Little Girl 5. The Hangman And The Papist 6. Witchwood 7. The Shepherd’s Song 8. Ways And Means Wakeman & Cousins, 1988: 9. Martin Luther King’s Dream |
ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
Usually, reunions are the money-centered affairs, yet NEW POLICE doesn’t fit this category – just because there’s no Gordon Somner, alias Sting, on board with Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland whose mindchild the project is. Anyway, THE OUTFIELD’s singing bassist Tony Lewis sounds very similar to the original POLICE member, so there’s a little doubt that old hits will make it to the live performances. More interesting, though, could be new recodings of which there’s no talk as of yet. Let’s wait and see.
HIT HEAVY
Bob Kulick never stops with the tribute albums, but now he shaped it differently. “Michael Schenker and Heavy Hitters” has another axis – not theme, but player, as it features Herr Schenker on each of the classic tracks cut by the stellar line-ups. Surely, there’s a UFO song – to let Michael outshine his original part, but the record will also include such notable pieces as “Hair Of The Dog” that Paul DiAnno sang previously on a NAZARETH tribute and sings here, and MOUNTAIN’s “Blood Of The Sun” with Leslie West on the ball again.
| 1. All Shook Up (Elvis Presley) Joe Lynn Turner, Jeff Pilson, Aynsley Dunbar () 2. Doctor Doctor (UFO) Jeff Scott Soto, Marco Mendoza, Brett Chassen 3. Hair Of The Dog (NAZARETH) Paul DiAnno, Phil Soussan, Vinny Appice 4. War Pigs (BLACK SABBATH) Tim Owens, Mike Inez, Aynsley Dunbar 5. Money (PINK FLOYD) Tommy Shaw, Edgar Winter, Tony Levin, Mike Baird 6. Blood Of The Sun (MOUNTAIN) Leslie West, Rudy Sarzo, Simon Wright 7. Politician (CREAM) Jeff Pilson, Brett Chassen 8. I Don’t Live Today (Jimi Hendrix) Sebastian Bach, Eric Singer, Tony Franklin 9. Out In The Fields (Gary Moore) Gary Barden, Chuck Wright, Brett Chassen 10. I’m Not Talking (THE YARDBIRDS) Mark Slaughter, Jeff Pilson, Aynsley Dunbar |
One more tribute to the classic era comes from DEF LEPPARD. The tracklisting that was published last spring proved to be a fake, but now there’s an official news item. No title for the album, no release date, no running order – just a list of the songs from the ’70s that the band recorded and intend to release. Come salivating!!
10538 Overture (ELO)
21st Century Boy (T.REX)
Don’t Believe A Word (THIN LIZZy)
Drive-In Saturday (David Bowie)
Hanging On The Telephone (BLONDIE)
Hellraiser (SWEET)
He’s Gonna Step On You Again (John Kongos)
No Matter What (BADFINGER)
Little Bit Of Love (FREE)
Rock On (David Essex)
Stay With Me (FACES)
Street Life (ROXY MUSIC)
The Golden Age Of Rock & Roll (MOTT THE HOOPLE)
Waterloo Sunset (THE KINKS)
American Girl (Tom Petty & THE HEARTBRAKERS)
Heartbeat (Jobriath)
How Does It Feel (SLADE)
Kick Out The Jams (MC5)
Roxanne (THE POLICE)
So Dear Friends (QUEEN)
When I’m Dead And Gone (MCGUINNESS FLINT)
Winter Song (LINDISFARNE)
