HOW DEEP IS YOUR SORROW
Contrary to what’s been said before, BEE GEES are no more. Immediately after Maurice Gibb’s death, his siblings announced they would carry on under the same moniker, but now Barry and Robin say the name won’t be used for the future projects because, as Maurice’s twin Robin has it, “the BEE GEES to us was the three brothers, and in Maurice’s name we would respect that and not be the BEE GEES anymore”.
THE MANIC MANTIS
Three years have passed since PRAYING MANTIS released the highly acclaimed "Nowhere To Hide" album, and now the veteran heavy metal band are ready to wreak another work, “The Journey Never Ends”, unto public. And that’s a special one, as featured will be two lead vocalists, Doogie White, who toured with the band before as a temporary singer, and John Sloman, whose claim to fame lay with URIAH HEEP – curiously, HEEP’s current warbler, Bernie Shaw, worked with MANTIS too. No other details on the new album are given yet.
MEET ON THE LIEGE
March 3rd will see the release of three more titles in the FAIRPORT CONVENTION re-issue programme. Each classic album comes augmented with bonus cuts, and here they are:
“Fairport Convention”:
– Suzanne (by Leonard Cohen, Ian Mathews on vocals)
– If I Had A Ribbon Bow (the band’s debut single)
– Morning Glory (by Tim Buckley, live at French TV, 1968)
– Reno, Nevada (by Richard Farina, live at French TV, 1968)
“Unhalfbricking”:
– Dear Landlord (by Bob Dylan, “Unhalfbricking” sessions out-take)
– Ballad Of Easy Rider (by Roger Mcguinn, from “Liege & Lief” sessions)
“What We Did On Our Holidays”:
– Throwaway Street Puzzle (“Meet On The Ledge” single B-side)
– You’re Gonna Need My Help (BBC session, 1969)
– Some Sweet Day (unreleased single)
BURNING AMBITIONS
For many years DEEP PURPLE‘s gig at California Jam festival remains one of the finest moments in the band’s glorious history – thanks not only to Ritchie Blackmore’s combustious act, but also for Ian Paice’s blistering drum solo, or David Coverdale’s still innocent yet powerful performance. Moments of excellence were aplenty there and then, on April 6th, 1974, though they didn’t make it as perfectly to the CD as it did to the famous video. What became available in 1996 and still is on sale is a poor and edited recording of the show, so Purple Records’ imprint Sonic Zoom gets into the breach with the release of “Live At Ontario Speedway: San Diego 1974”. The new version is taken from the audio track of the said video masters, unearthed in 2002 in pristine condition. Some balance problems that were there are restored now, and the tape has been digitally mastered. Even more, the concert is presented in its entirety this time, with “Lay Down, Stay Down” reinstated in an appropriate place, which makes the CD run at almost 79 minutes.
| 1. Burn 2. Might Just Take Your Life 3. Lay Down, Stay Down 4. Mistreated 5. Smoke On The Water 6. You Fool No One 7. Space Truckin’ |
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A SAUCERFUL OF DELIGHTS
Classic Rock Productions, the only label whose name is as descriptive as it gets, waste no time in bringing the fans something new and unique – or old but equally unique. There’s much to be salivating about – open your eyes and prick up your ears.
To begin with, the “The Masters from the Vaults” series that started with titles from ATOMIC ROOSTER, CURVED AIR and FOCUS, continues with two more classic names, one being FAMILY and the other VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR caught in their prime in the ’70s.
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1. Dim 2. Part Of The Load 3. Good News – Bad News 4. No Mule’s Fool 5. The Weaver’s Answer |
1. Theme One 2. A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers: Eyewitness Pictures Lighthouse Eyewitness S.H.M Presence Of The Night Kosmos Tours Custard’s Last Stand The Clot Thickens Lands End (Sineline) We Go Now |
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What’s so valuable about the series is that all the titles come on DVDs as well as in CD Videogram format which allows the discs be played on a normal player, but when they’re inserted into a PC there’s the same archive film to be watched.
New titles originate from the last year’s Classic Rock Festival that took place in New Jersey in October. One of the acts who played there were reformed FOCUS. Thijs van Leer retained in the band all the power, vigor and complexity that the Dutch’s best had back in the ’70s. “Live In The USA” gives a peek into the classic era with previously unreleased archive material from 1973, yet the bulk of the DVD (and CD) is the said October concert including the greatest tunes such as “Hocus Pocus”, Sylvia”, “House Of The King” and “Focus III”.
The same festival saw URIAH HEEP play two magnigficient sets, acoustic and electric, and “Live In The USA” DVD and CD are stunning documents of those evenings. Here are some of the highlights:
| Why Did You Go? Rain That’s The Way That It Is Rainbow Demon Lady In Black Blind Eye Circus The Easy Road |
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The next artefacts from the label feature shows from the pair of bands that made their names in the ’70s too. BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST‘s “25th Anniversary Concert” sees John Lees, Les Holroyd, Mel Pritchard, Kevin McAlea and Colin Browne perform their hits:
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1. Mockingbird 2. Medicine Man 3. Play To The World 4. Life Is For Living 5. Poor Man’s Moody Blues 6. Stand Up 7. Hymn |
The same goes for MAGNUM, whose “A Winter’s Tale” was recorded in December 1992 in Birmingham. Pomposity deserves to be seen, not only heard, you know?
| 1. All England’s Eyes 2. Vigilante 3. Remember 4. Morts Dansant 5. You’re The One 6. On A Story Teller’s Night 7. Tall Ships 8. How Far Jerusalem |
9. Only In America 10. Days Of No Trust 11. Kingdom Of Madness 12. Midnight 13. On Christmas Day 14. The Last Dance 15. One Sacred Hour 16. When The World Comes Down 17. We Wish You A Merry Christmas |
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NEKTAR‘s “Remember The Future” was the album that brought the band as high in the charts as to the number 5 position in 1973. And here’s a film featuring the original line-up and the legendary liquid light show producer Mick Brockett and including a complete performance of their masterpiece, just recently restored on the CD.
2002’s Canterbury Fayre festival saw inimitable Jack Bruce and his stars-ridden band CUICOLAND EXPRESS perform a selection of the best pieces from Jack’s 40-years long career, including those originally recorded within a certain trio. “Live At Canterbury” DVD and CD are set to bring such a heavy guest in every house which has “White Room” or ready to be filled with “Sunshine Of Your Love”.
Finally, there’s a “Progressive Rock Anthology” DVD compilation that gathers together best cuts from the Classic Rock Productions catalogue and includes, as a bonus feature, performances from MOSTLY AUTUMN and KARNATAKA, the nowadays’ prog protagonists.
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VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR – Theme One CARAVAN – For Richard CURVED AIR – Vivaldi FAMILY – The Weaver’s Answer FOCUS – Hocus Pocus medley NEKTAR – Desolation Valley Rick Wakeman – Journey To The Centre Of The Earth BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST – Mockingbird |
EMPIRES GET BURNED
MAGNUM back on the road with a new album, "Breath Of Life" the band’s lead singer, Bob Catley returns to solo path. But, unlike 1999’s "Legends" and 2001’s "Middle Earth", his new outing, “When Empires Burn”, to be released soon, is a collaboration not with TEN’s mastermind Gary Hughes but with the group’s new keyboardist Paul Hodson, who the vocalist worked before with in HARD RAIN. The album features also ex-HARD RAIN and now MAGNUM bassist Al Barrow. Recorded are the following songs, still to be sorted out for inclusion into the album: “My America”, “This Is The Day”, “Heaven Can Wait”, “When Empires Burn”, “I’ll Be Your Fool”, “Children Of The Circle”, “Gonna Live Forever”, “Meaning Of Love”, “Prophecy”, “Every Beat Of My Heart” and “Someday Utopia. The cuts that will be left off will appear on a single preceding the “When Empires Burn” release.
ARTHUR IS THE KING OF ALL THIS LAND
Meanwhile, TEN’s leader Gary Hughes, is busy putting the finishing touches on the rock opera “Once And Future King” based on the myths and legends of King Arthur. The cast of characters include, among others still to be revealed, HAREM SCAREM’s Harry Hess, Lana Lane, Sean Harris of DIAMOND HEAD, Doogie White, now with Malmsteen, MAGNUM’s Bob Catley and special guest Arjen “Ayreon” Lucassen on keyboards embellishing the music cloth woven by TEN’s musicians. The opera will be released as two separate CDs with a few months gap between them.
FAMILY BUSINESS
February 7th will mark two years since FOGHAT motor Dave Peverett’s passing. All this time the band’s future has been in limbo – until now: new album, “Family Joules”, the group’s first since 1995, is out on March, 1st.
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1. Mumbo Jumbo 2. Hero To Zero 3. Thames Delta Blues 4. Flat Busted (And Out Of Gas) 5. I Feel Fine 6. I’m A Rock ‘n’ Roller 7. Hit The Ground Running 8. Looking For You 9. Long Time Coming 10. Sex With The Ex 11. Self-Medicated 12. Mean Voodoo Woman 13. Voodoo Woman Blues. |
