SMOKE IT UP!
Perhaps. the most ubiquitous and world-wide famous riff, now “Smoke On The Water” is welcoming talents to show off. Promoting his 40-years-in-the-business newly-fashioned retrospective, “Gillan’s Inn”, Ian Gillan offers downloadable versions of the immortal DEEP PURPLE tune – mp3 of it, without lead vocals or lead guitar – for the contestants to add their own voice or axe to it, or even upload their completely own take. The jury will be the Gillan visitors but in the end it’s Big Ian who’ll pick the best in each category. The prizes are good: singer and guitarist will have a chance to go to Vegas and play there with Gillan at the “House Of Blues”, while the band who submits their great version will grab some nice gear. Go firing in the sky, then.
A FLOWER OF ANY OTHER NAME
“The orchid is famous as a cultivated flower, but when grown in the wild the perfume seems stronger and sweeter…” That’s how Steve Hackett describes the theme of his forthcoming album, “Wild Orchids”, out on September 11th. Still, the compositions titles suggest there’s something darker lurks between the notes that the guitarist has shaped with the help of his regular band, his brother John and the UNDERWORLD ORCHESTRA that featured prominently on the previous studio work, 2005’s“Metamorpheus”. As usual, the hard-boiled fans will have the chance to get hold of the special edition of the CD which, except for enhanced packaging, has four additional pieces, marked (*) in the track listing:
| 1. Transylvanian Express (*) 2. Waters Of The Wild 3. Set Your Compass 4. Down Street 5. A Girl Called Linda 6. Blue Child (*) 7. To A Close 8. Ego & Id 9. Man In The Long Black Coat 10. Cedars Of Lebanon (*) 11. Wolfwork 12. Why 13. She Moves In Memories 14. The Fundamentals Of Brainwashing 15. Howl 16. A Dark Night In Toytown 17. Until The Last Butterfly (*) |
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THAT’S MATERIAL
As promised, the George Harrison re-issue progamme continues and goes back to the pre-Dark Horse days. September 26th will see the release of “Living In The Material World”, the follow-up to the massive "All Things Must Pass" that the Quiet One had remastered shortly before his death in 2001. A new version of “The Material World”, also remastered at Abbey Road from the original tapes, has a couple of bonus tracks, “Deep Blue” and “Miss O’Dell”, both previously out as the B-sides to the album’s singles.
But that’s not all there will be. There will be two formats of the release: a single-disc package with a regular 12-page booklet with lyrics and photographs, and a special limited edition with a 40-page booklet and a DVD featuring previously un-issued versions of “Miss O’Dell” and “Sue Me, Sue You Blues” set to archive visuals, a live performance of “Give Me Love” from 1991’s Japanese tour with Eric Clapton, and a mini-feature edited from film that Harrison commissioned in 1973 to promote the LP. More to come!
NIGHT SENSES
Sam Moore‘s name might not ring a bell when it comes to defining who deserves to be called a soul legend, but that’s because everybody know his first name and not the second. Sam Moore, together with Dave Prater, formed a hugely influential duo, SAM AND DAVE. Solo, though, the two didn’t succeed as much, and Moore’s “Plenty Good Lovin'” album, released in 2002, was recorded in 1970 and had been shelved for a long time. But finally Sam found the strength to come with something new, and“Overnight Sensational” that will see the light of day on August 29th has a long line of stars willing to help their idol’s voice shine. After Solomon Burke and Al Green’s comebacks, this can be another triumph.
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1. I Can’t Stand The Rain – with Wynonna, Bekka Bramlett, Billy Preston and Bebe Winans 2. Better To Have And Not Need – with Bruce Springsteen 3. Blame It On The Rain” – with Fantasia 4. Lookin’ For A Love – with Jon Bon Jovi 5. Ain’t No Love – with Steve Winwood 6. None Of Us Are Free – with Sting and Sheila E. 7. It’s Only Make Believe – with Mariah Carey and Vince Gill 8. Don’t Play That Song (You Lied) – with Bekka Bramlett 9. If I Had No Loot – with Van Hunt, Nikka Costa and Billy F. Gibbons 10. We Shall Be Free – with Paul Rodgers 11. You Are So Beautiful – with Billy Preston, Zucchero, Eric Clapton and Robert Randolph |
THE MEMPHIS BLUES AGAIN?
Last Bob Dylan albums were highly praised – deservedly. His Bobness doesn’t produce new classics these days but, unlike many others, doesn’t rest on the laurels of the past. His new album, scheduled for release on August 28th, puts it forward in its very title, “Modern Times”. Still… One look at the songs titles reveals Big D. went way back to the very beginning this time, to the love of his life, the blues. You can’t get in the genius’ mind yet, to embrace his move more fully, it will make sense to opt for limited edition CD plus DVD format rather than regular CD or vinyl.
| 1. Thunder On The Mountain 2. Spirit On The Water 3. Rollin’ And Tumblin’ 4. When The Deal Goes Down 5. Someday Baby 6. Workingman’s Blues 7. Beyond The Horizon 8. Nettie Moore 9. The Levee’s Gonna Break 10. Ain’t Talkin’ |
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OFF THE HANDLE
Modern sound systems allow watching DVDs as well as listening to CDs, but good folks at Eagle Records seem to care enough of those who prefer the formats separately – to get the aural kicks in the car, for example – and go both ways for some of their releases. Now, following Rory Gallagher‘s “Live At Montreux” double DVD (details here, a CD version of the compilation comes out on July 25th. There’s no full performance from any year that the great late Irishman graced the lake Geneva’s stage, just a selection which spans ten years and shows how much missed Rory is.
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1975: 1. Laundromat 2. Tore Down 1977: 3. I Take What I Want 4. Bought And Sold 5. Do You Read Me? 1979: 6. The Last Of The Independents 7. Off The Handle 8. Mississippi Sheiks 1977: 9. Out On The Western Plain 1979: 10. Too Much Alcohol 1985: 11. Shin Kicker 12. Philby |
