GONNA BE FAB
It makes no sense waiting for the “Let It Be” DVD to be out in 2010 as all the Fabs’ slots seem to have been taken by now. While many of us are still reeling from having to shell out for THE BEATLES’ remasters box last year and getting to get in the gear for the Paul McCartney reissue programme which starts in August with the expanded “Band On The Run”, some new products will have many hooked on, too.
As 2010 marks John Lennon‘s 70th anniversary, the bulk of the late Beatle solo catalogue is to be out – also remastered – on his birthday as part of the Yoko Ono-supervised “Gimme Some Truth” campaign. October 9 will see the re-release of:
• Plastic Ono Band (1970)
• Imagine (1971)
• Some Time In New York City (1972)
• Mind Games (1973)
• Walls And Bridges (1974)
• Rock ‘n’ Roll (1975)
• Double Fantasy Stripped Down (2010) / Double Fantasy (1980)
• Milk And Honey (1984)
No both volumes of “Unfinished Music and “Wedding Album”, then, but the remix of “Double Fantasy” emerges on the second CD of the original version reissue.“…Naked”, Ono states, is focused on Lennon’s vocals with some of the instrumentation stripped down. As for the rest of the albums, they’re to be housed in digisleeves with the original art and booklets with photos and liner notes by Paul Du Noyer, yet the hardcore fans will, of course, want to go for the more expensive option: the deluxe 11-disc “John Lennon Signature Box”, the additional two CDs of which collect non-album singles and rarities, including unreleased material; plus, there will be a limited edition art print and a hardbound book with rare photos, artwork, poems and liner notes by Anthony DeCurtis. And that’s not the only box in the programme!
The other on consists of four themed discs and is titled “Gimme Some Truth”. It’s comprised of 72 tracks spread over CDs called: • Roots – Lennon’s rock ‘n’ roll roots and influences;
• Working Class Hero – socio-political songs;
• Woman – love songs;
• Borrowed Time – songs about life.
Who’s going to buy it remains unclear because the fans already have it all – or will have, in remastered form – and for the regular listener four discs collection is at least two CDs too much. Most people are to choose one of two versions of John Lennon’s compilation “Power To The People” with 15 of his hits on one and some additional material on the other, so called Experience Edition.
All of these will be made available on physical media as well as in download form.
But both McCartney and Lennon are beaten to it, with regard to release schedule, by Ringo Starr who, on July 27th, a couple of weeks after his 70th birthday and at the start of his new tour, puts out “Live At The Greek Theater” CD and DVD documenting his ALL-STARR BAND gig in LA back in 2008. There, alongside Ringo’s solo stuff and BEATLES classics are guest spots from the drummer star compadres such as Edgar Winter and Gary Wright whose latest album features the adorable Richard Starkey. Looks cool, especially the DVD.
CD:1. Introduction / |
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DVD:
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THE DEVIL’S DOZEN AND THE SIX STRINGS
SANTANA never shied away from doing other people’s songs, what with monumental rendition of “Black Magic Woman”, but there’s never been an entire covers album. On September 20th this will be rectified, though, and the aforementioned FLEETWOOD MAC track wouldn’t be out of place on “Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics Of All Time” alongside its 13 cuts. Carlos’ choices in raiding the catalogues are rather obvious but it’s his interpretations of those that’s the thing – “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” has already drawn praises from George Harrison’s widow, Olivia – and the singers including members of LINKIN PARK, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, PAPA ROACH. Of special note is the appearance of Ray Manzarek on SANTANA’s take on the organist’s former band’s “Riders On The Storm”. Quite a heavy, if curious, set.
| 1. Whole Lotta Love – feat. Chris Cornell (LED ZEPPELIN) 2. Sunshine Of Your Love – feat. Rob Thomas (CREAM) 3. Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’ – feat. Scott Weiland (THE ROLLING STONES) 4. Dance The Night Away – feat. Pat Monahan (VAN HALEN) 5. While My Guitar Gently Weeps – feat. india.arie and Yo-Yo Ma (THE BEATLES) 6. Get It On (Bang A Gong) – feat. Gavin Rossdale (T. REX) 7. Smoke On the Water – feat. Jacoby Shaddix (DEEP PURPLE) 8. Photograph – feat. Chris Daughtry (DEF LEPPARD) 9. Back In Black – feat. Nas (AC/DC) 10. Little Wing – feat. Joe Cocker (Jimi Hendrix) 11. Riders On The Storm – feat. Chester Bennington and Ray Manzarek (THE DOORS) 12. I Ain’t Superstitious – feat. Jonny Lang (Howlin’ Wolf, JEFF BECK GROUP) 13. Fortunate Son – feat. Scott Stapp (CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL) |
NEVER TOUCHING THE GROUND
It’s long about time for BAD COMPANY, who are back on trek in the USA now, with almost classic line-up of Paul Rodgers, Simon Kirke and Mick Ralphs, plus additional musicians, to come up with a documentary. And that’s exactly what the veterans plan on doing. Called “Movin’ On 2010”, it’ll be feature the footage recorded during this tour on-stage and off-stage, with chunks of it making a special blog to be available soon at the band’s site and the official iPhone and Android applications.
COUNTRY FARE
They call themselves a band, and they did play together on-stage, but the full-blown tour seems unlikely for Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa, Derek Sherinian and Jason Bonham collectively known as BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, the “communion” part flowing in from Hughes’ “Love Communion” as the original BC moniker could incur legal complications. Anyway, their album that almost didn’t make it out of the studio is ready now for the September 20th release. Save for “Medusa” which Hughes delivered aeons ago with TRAPEZE, it’s all fresh material, with Glenn on lead vocals for the most part who shares the mic with Joe on the last two tracks and steps back for Bonamassa’s voice to shine on “Song Of Yesterday” and “The Revolution In Me”. An interesting listen yet the supergroup will hardly last long.
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1. Black Country 2. One Last Soul 3. The Great Divide 4. Down Again 5. Beggarman 6. Song Of Yesterday 7. No Time 8. Medusa 9. The Revolution In Me 10. Stand (At The Burning Tree) 12. Sista Jane 14. Too Late For The Sun |
BOY’S IN THE ATTIC
With all the accolades heaped on him, Richard Thompson is still the undersung hero of folk rock who, since the FAIRPORT CONVENTION days, has been ploughing his own unique furrow but somehow underservedly remains under most people’s radar. The guitarist’s new album, “Dream Attic”, out on August 30th, will hardly change the status quo, yet for the fans delight is guaranteed, even more so with the special edition, the second CD of which holds the acoustic demos of all the album’s tracks.
| 1. The Money Shuffle 2. Among The Gorse, Among The Grey 3. Haul Me Up 4. Burning Man 5. Here Comes Geordie 6. Demons In Her Dancing Shoes 7. Crimescene 8. Big Sun Falling In The River 9. Stumble On 10. Sidney Wells 11. A Brother Slips Away 12. Bad Again 13. If Love Whispers Your Name |
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NOT FORGOTTEN
It’s been doing the rounds as an HD-rip bootleg for a week now, so the Voiceprint hustlers have made a wide decision to make Rick Wakeman last year’s performance at the Estival Jazz Lugano available on DVD in September. The orchestral show is great, but “Classical Wakeman Volume One – Live in Lugano” raises only one question: what’ll be in the second voulme?
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1. The King Arthur Suite 2. Gone But Not Forgotten 3. Catherine Howard 2009 4. Help / Eleanor Rigby 5. After The Ball 6. Merlin The Magician 7. Journey To The Centre of The Earth 8. The Jig |
