May 13, 2004

TIME WAS… AND TIME WILL BE AGAIN

Over the years, 1972’s “Argus” has gained the status of the best WISHBONE ASH record: that was a perfect blend of the band’s blues, hard rock and folk stylistic strains, and in this age of experimenting, the monumental album is to be lent another lease of life. On August 29th, “Argus” will be played live in its entirety – with orchestra. The place for such an event couldn’t be more apppropriate than the one chosen, an Elizabethan country estate just outside Stratford-Upon-Avon, the very Bard place. The grand idea and a grand peformance, which will be preserved for the posterity on CD and DVD by Classic Rock Productions.

BEEN HAPPY LATELY

As reported before, May 17th is the release date for the Cat Stevens magnificent “Majikat”. The day approaches, and the tracklisting’s been released to the press, so all the extras aside, the core content will be as follows:

1. The Doves
(Majikat Tour Theme)
2. The Wind
3. Moonshadow
4. Where Do The Children Play
5. Another Saturday Night
6. Hard Headed Women
7. Miles From Nowhere
8. King of Trees
9. Sun / C79
10. Lady D’Arbanville
11. Banapple Gas
12. Majik Of Majiks
13. Tuesday’s Dead
14. Oh Very Young
15. The Hurt
16. Sad Lisa
17. Two Fine People
18. Fill My Eyes
19. Father & Son
20. Ruins
21. Peace Train

KNOW RETURN

2004 marks the KANSAS 30th anniversary, and the remastered and expanded editions of the band’s back catalogue entries begin to emerge starting with two first albums, “Kansas” and“Song For America”, to be out on June 15th. The former is augmented witn a previously unreleased epic-length live version of “Bringing It Back”, while the latter has the single edit of the title track and an unissued concert take on “Down The Road”, which means that, despite rare photos, essays and a special dedication included in the packaging, the word “expanded” is too strong for what’s to come. Yet there’ll be more: the summer will see the release of a career-spanning box set comprised of two CDs and a DVD. That’s what’s strong!

RIDING COLOSSAL

COLOSSEUM are still a bastion of British jazz and blues, and they’re still strong – read the interviews with Dick Heckstall-Smith and Clem Clempson – so the great band’s re-issue programme has been long overdue, and after the recent “Introduction To…” compilation it’s been launched with the first two albums, both expanded and filled to the brims with live takes and other rarities. For those who decided to do so, we salute you! So here’s an extra material of the first one:

“For Those Who Are About To Die We Salute You” (1969)
– I Can’t Live Without You (out-take)
– A Whiter Spade Than Mayall (BBC session)
– Walking In The Park (BBC session)
– Beware The Ides Of March (BBC session)
– Plenty Hard Luck (BBC session)
– Beware The Ides Of March (BBC session)
– Walking In The Park (BBC session)
– Plenty Hard Luck (BBC session)

And that’s what the second one looks like:

“Valentyne Suite” (1969)

CD 1:

1. The Kettle
2. Elegy
3. Butty’s Blues
4. The Machine Demands A Sacrifice
5. The Valentyne Suite:
– Theme 1 – January’s Search
– Theme 2 – February’s Valentyne
– Theme 3 – The Grass Is Always Greener
bonus tracks – BBC sessions:
6. Arthur’s Moustache
7. Lost Angeles

CD 2 – US album
“The Grass Is Always Greener”:

1. Jumping Off The Sun
2. Lost Angeles
3. Elegy
4. Butty’s Blues
5. Rope Ladder To The Moon
6. Bolero
7. The Machine Demands A Sacrifice
8. The Grass Is Greener

GOD SAVE THE VILLAGE GREEN

Some years ago, THE KINKS remastered series brought forth an edition of their 1968’s masterpiece, “The Village Green Preservation Society”, embellished with rare gems and alternative version of the album. Yet such is its appeal, that on June 28th there will be a deluxe expanded – or super-expanded? – edition comprrised of three disks, the first with the 15-track stereo version of the album, plus alternate stereo mixes, the second with the 15-track mono mix of the album and plus bonus tracks, and the third filled with all kinds of rarities. Recommended not only to completists, but to everybody interested in what’s on par with “Sgt. Pepper” and “Beggars’ Banquet”.

CD 1:

1. Village Green Preservation Society
2. Do You Remember Walter
3. Picture Book
4. Johnny Thunder
5. Last Of The Steam-Powered Trains
6. Big Sky
7. Sitting By The Riverside
8. Animal Farm
9. Village Green
10. Starstruck
11. Phenomenal Cat
12. All Of My Friends Were There
13. Wicked Annabella
14. Monica
15. People Take Pictures Of Each Other
16. bonus tracks:
17. Mr. Songbird (12-track edition)
18. Days (12-track edition)
19. Do You Remember Walter
(stereo mix from 12-track edition)
20. Wicked Annabella
(stereo mix from 12-track edition)
21. Starstruck
(stereo mix from 12-track edition)
22. People Take Pictures Of Each Other
(stereo mix from 12-track edition)

CD 2:

1. The Village Green Preservation Society
2. Do You Remember Walter
3. Picture Book
4. Johnny Thunder
5. Last Of The Steam-Powered Trains
6. Big Sky
7. Sitting By The Riverside
8. Animal Farm
9. Village Green
10. Starstruck
11. Phenomenal Cat
12. All Of My Friends Were There
13. Wicked Annabella
14. Monica
15. People Take Pictures Of Each Other
16. bonus tracks:
17. The Village Green Preservation Society
(no strings version)
18. She’s Got Everything
19. Mr. Songbird
20. Polly
21. Berkley Mews
22. Did You See His Name

CD 3:

1. Days Village Green (demo)
2. Village Green
(original version with double tracked vocals)
3. Village Green (orchestral overdub)
4. Mr. Songbird (stereo European edition)
5. Days (stereo European edition)
6. Misty Water
(stereo mix from “Four More Respected Gentlemen”)
7. Pictures In The Sand (mono demo)
8. Do You Remember Walter
(alternate stereo mix from European edition)
9. Berkeley Mews
(stereo mix from “Four More Respected Gentlemen”)
10. Easy Come, There You Went
(instrumental)
11. Polly
(stereo mix from “Four More Respected Gentlemen”)

12. She’s Got Everthing
(stereo mix from “Four More Respected Gentlemen”)
13. Phenomenal Cat (instrumental)
14. There Is No Life Without Love
(stereo mix from “Four More Respected Gentlemen”)
15. Johnny Thunder (stereo remix)
16. Mick Avory’s Underpants (instrumental)
17. Lavender Hill (demo)
18. Rosemary’s Rose (demo)
19. Spotty Grotty Anna (instrumental)
20. Til Death Us Do Part (from Pye EP)
21. Where Did My Spring Go (demo)
22. People Take Pictures Of Each Other
(stereo European edition)
23. Ray Davies Interview (BBC session)
24. The Village Green Preservation Society
(BBC session)
25. Do You Rember Walter (BBC session)
26. Animale Farm (BBC session)
27. Monica (BBC session)
28. Days (BBC session)

THERE’S A NEED TO UNWIND

Meanwhile, the second go at re-issuing URIAH HEEP classics reached the point of last albums with David Byron at the mike, and out are the two CDs closing the first chapter of the quintet’s history, both expanded with something for completists, the bonus tracks being:

“Return To Fantasy” (1975)
– Shout It Out (B-side)
– Time Will Come (B-side)
– Prima Donna (demo)
– Beautiful Dream (demo)
– The Time Will Come (demo)
– Why Did You Go (demo)
– Showdown (demo)
– Zorro (demo)

“High And Mighty” (1976)
– Name Of The Game
– Sundown
– Woman Of The World (out-take)
– Footprints In The Snow
– Midnight (“Out Of Darkness” mix)
– Name Of The Game (demo)

 

May 13, 2004

Category(s): News

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *