ROCK ISLAND LINE
The rumors of ALCATRAZZ getting back prove true. Graham Bonnet has confirmed he teamed up with guitarist Howie Simon, bassist Tim Luce and drummer Glenn Sobel for an “Alcatrazz featuring Graham Bonnet” project that he insists isn’t his old band’s reunion. Who cares about reunions, though, when ALCATRAZZ was the ex-MARBLES and RAINBOW singer mindchild? Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were no more than his sidekicks… Anyway, good news. More so, having toured together during the last couple of years, Bonnet and his RAINBOW colleague Don Airey, now in DEEP PURPLE, are to meet in the studio: Don’s working on another solo record and invited his old friend to lay down some great vocals.
KICK THE BLUES
J.J. Cale could have remained a cult hero for ever if not for Eric Clapton who made hits out of couple of his songs: “After Midnight” and “Cocaine”. The two have never really worked together, though, no matter how Slowhand admired the equally not-hurrying master. They haven’t – until August, 2005. “The Road To Escondido” is a title of the album, due out on November 7th, which marks the first real collaborations of the blues veterans who both contributed their songs to it and called for some great friends to help out. Among them are Pino Palladino on bass, Taj Mahal on harmonica, Derek Trucks and Albert Lee on guitars and the great late Billy Preston on keyboards.
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1. Danger 2. Heads In Georgia 3. Missing Person 4. When This War Is Over 5. Sporting Life Blues 6. Dead End Road 7. It’s Easy 8. Hard To Thrill 9. Anyway The Wind Blows 10. Three Little Girls 11. Don’t Cry Sister 12. Last Will And Testament 13. Who Am I Telling You 14. Ride The River |
RED ON THE TRACKS
Ken Hensley is finishing another album, called epically “Blood On The Highway”. There’d be nothing special about the fact if not for another fact: the record sees Hensley re-unite with his old URIAH HEEP buddy who he had a short-lasting band with, John Lawton who lent his amazing voice to one of the tracks.
TALL COOL ONE… TWO… NINE!
Unfair that can be but, 25 years after stepping out on a solo road, Robert Plant still lives in the shadow of the band he once was a part of. Percy seemed to have never tried to break out of this situation, though his fans cheered every attempt of anthologizing his work. Not that there were too many. There was one: “Sixty Six To Timbuktu”, a solo retrospective which took in both album and rare pre- and post-LED ZEPPELIN cuts. Now, though, there’s a grand release is in the pipeline. “Nine Lives”, out on October 2nd, is a box set consisting of all eight records Plant issued under his own name, plus the EP credited to HONEYDRIPPERS, a pseudo-band that included, alongside Robert such luminaries as Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Each CD comes augmented with bonus tracks – some concert recordings, some studio cuts, some unreleased but most previously released as B-sides. Also in the box is a DVD with a documentary and most of Plant’s promo videos. And that’s what most of the fans don’t have and now have a chance to have:
Pictures At Eleven (1982)
– Far Post
– Like I’ve Never Been Gone (live)
Principle Of Moments (1983)
– In The Mood (live)
– Thru’ With The Two Step (live)
– Lively Up Yourself (live)
– Turnaround
Honeydrippers Volume One (1984)
– Rockin’ At Midnight (live)
Shaken ‘N’ Stirred (1985)
– Little By Little remixed long version)
Now And Zen (1988)
– Billy’s Revenge (live)
– Ship Of Fools (live)
– Tall Cool One (live)
Manic Nirvana (1990)
– Oompah (Watery Bint)
– One Love
– Don’t Look Back
Fate Of Nations (1993)
– Great Spirit (acoustic)
– Rollercoaster (demo)
– 8.05
– Dark Moon (acoustic)
Dreamland (2002)
– Dirt In A Hole
– Last Time I Saw Her (remix)
Mighty Rearranger (2005)
– Red White And Blue
– All The Money In The World
– Shine It All Around Girls (remix)
– Tin Pan Valley (Girls remix)
– Enchanter Unkle (reconstruction)
DVD:
1. Nine Lives – documentary
2. Burning Down One Side
3. Big Log
4. In The Mood
5. Rockin’ At Midnight
6. Sea Of Love
7. Little By Little
8. Pink And Black
9. Heaven Knows
10. Tall Cool One
11. Ship Of Fools
12. Hurting Kind (I’ve Got My Eyes On You)
Yet that’s not all. Robert Plant has always been underserved in the video department: none of his tours was documented visually, and even his Montreux concert shown on TV isn’t officially released yet. On October 23rd, though, Percy’s first DVD will see the light of day. Titled simply “Robert Plant And THE STRANGE SENSATION”, the show was recorded at the Soundstage Studios in Chicago on September 16th, 2005. It’s not that long but features a nice selection of songs from the ZEP catalogue and Plant’s latest album, “Mighty Rearranger”:
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1. No Quarter 2. Shine It All Around 3. Black Dog 4. Freedom Fries 5. Four Sticks 6. Tin Pan Valley 7. Gallows Pole 8. The Enchanter 9. Whole Lotta Love bonus tracks: 10. Hey Joe 11. Girl from The North Country |
