FEELIN’ “ALL RIGHT”?
Paul Rodgers has just been of Broadcast Music, Inc’s “Million Air” award for the four million performances of FREE’s evergreen “All Right Now” that’s been on the playlists world over for four decades now. Still, with all the kudos to Rodgers who this scribe is a huge fan of, it’s amazing how BMI failed to notice there were two writers’ credits to the song, the second being FREE bassist Andy Fraser who came up with the tremendous riff that Paul pulled his Otis Redding-inspired vocal lines onto. Quite a shameful situation.
CAN’T SAY NO
Next year will see a new album from YES, their first in 10 years, yet the contract the proggers signed recently with Frontiers Records doesn’t include the original warbler,Jon Anderson. Having fell ill, Jon was excluded from the quintet’s touring plans and replaced with a tribute band singer Benoit David – and now he won’t be on the record, too. But while there’s no doubt Oliver Wakeman‘s a perfect one to take his father’s place in the ranks, what will come of having Anderson, one of YES’ principal composers, out is one big question. 1980’s “Drama”, the ensemble’s only record without him, wasn’t too successful; it was interesting, though, thanks to the joining of THE BUGGLES’ Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes. Still, eventually it led to the group’s undoing, with Jon’s return giving YES a new lease of life. Now, the experimental edge might be blunt what with David sounding like his predecessor.
That means much more exciting is to listen to “The Living Tree, the first album by the ANDERSON / WAKEMAN project that’s been four years in the works and now is out with the duo on tour to promote it. That’s what on the CD:
| 1. Living Tree (Part 1) 2. Anyway And Always 3. 23/24/1 4. Morning Star 5. House Of Freedom 6. Living Tree (Part 2) 7. Forever 8. Garden 9. Just One Man |
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More so, Rick and Jon decided to recording six of their shows to release a double CD next spring and to capture the stage visuals with a DVD prospect. Who needs YES, then?
FILL A STOCKING, HELP THE KIDS
“The Christmas Gift” is a title of an usual rock compilation featuring a couple of well-know names, a quality music and a lot of good intentions, for the CD is to help raise money for the homeless and displaced families via Habitat For Humanity and Music for Relief. It can be downloaded here. But there’s what’s on there:
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1. Laurie Larson – All Year Long 2. Tony Lowe – When Love Returns 3. Steven Jackson – Up Above My Head 4. PROTOTYP Adrian Iowa & Friends – Children Of The Streets 5. Kelly Keeling – Morning Song 6. ARVE – Ocean Of Flowers 7. Lisa LaRue – Hurtful Words 8. John Keller – Take My Silence 9. Alan Morphew – Soudtrack Of Our Lives 10. Terri G – Under The Christmas Tree 11. Chuck Eaton – Take This Christmas 12. WINTRYFROST – Save These Words 13. Madi Simmons – Love Never Changes 14. The RoboDrum – Southern Christmas 15. Jim Crean – Past Tense |
NO SMOKE WITHOUT WATER
It’s not that often a CD single is released with a DVD attached to it. But then, it’s not that often such a history is attached to a single as is the case with the action called Rock Aid Armenia and a new version of an erstwhile DEEP PURPLE anthem. Out this week, “Smoke On The Water: The Metropolis Sessions” documents those 1990’s get-together, where the cream of British rockers united to cut a song to lead the album to benefit the then-Soviet republic ruined by a terrible earthquake. Strangely, though, the CD single’s cover features David Gilmour and Brian May – are they more commercially attractive? – rather than Ritchie Blackmore, who kicked off his legendary riff, and Ian Gillan, who delivered the opening verse to be followed by Bruce Dickinson and Paul Rodgers. Anyway, everybody’s there, on the audio and video disks.
CD:1. Smoke On The Water (2010 Wermut & Dee Remix) DVD:1. The Making Of Smoke On The Water – documentary (42 min.) |
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