On a roll in recent years, Ringo Starr seems set on carrying on issuing extended play records as opposed to full-length offerings – although he promised to present a country platter in a not so-far-away future – and released no less than four such EPs since 2019’s “What’s My Name” album, "Rewind Forward" appearing as late as October 2023. And there’s another one in the pipeline, titled “Crooked Boy” and scheduled to see the light of day on May 31st.
Next year will mark four decades since the untimely passing of David Byron who shot to fame fronting URIAH HEEP – the ensemble he created with Mick Box – yet, possessed by inner demons, was fired to never find new fortunes. The only longplay from the singer’s next endeavor, ROUGH DIAMOND, where he performed alongside Clem Clempson and Willie Bath, flopped, and it wasn’t until 1980, after he had met guitarist Robin George that David embarked on a fresh collective enterprise, simply called THE BYRON BAND, and delivered a platter titled "On The Rocks", featuring such luminaries as Mel Collins, Bob Jackson, Roger Flavelle and John Shearer, which saw quite a few reissues. Still, the one coming on June 28th should become its ultimate re-release.
When Carmine Appice calls, one doesn’t keep him hanging on, one says yes: that much had been known way before the legendary drummer’s “Guitar Zeus” albums gathered the best players in the land – his reputation from the prog-prototyping start of VANILLA FUDGE to disco-driving period of “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” co-penned with Rod Stewart and beyond the stint with Ozzy Osbourne is rock solid. Still, of all the projects the veteran used to be part of CACTUS must be the least celebrated, despite this band’s strong string of records in two life spans, one running from 1969 to 1972 and the other from 2006 until now. And while there was never a shortage of fresh material, as 2021’s "Tightrope" suggested rather convincingly, its follow-up passed the ensemble’s classic pieces to quite a few stellar guests.
Some musicians get mellow with age – but not Zal Cleminson, the clownesque star of THE SENSATIONAL ALEX HARVEY BAND and NAZARETH who retained his sharp edge and penchant for sonic experiments and, until rather recently, led /SIN”DOGS/ – leaving the group to fend for "Renascence" without him – but engaged in a fresh enterprise a few years ago, first in the company of FAHRAN’s Matt Black and lately another Glaswegian, Billy McGonagle. Called ORPHANS OF THE ASH, the duo that peddle dirty heaviness have delivered their debut album “Ellipsis” a couple of months ago and now finally added physical releases to what was previously only available as download and stream.
Some people erroneously think that LITTLE FEAT ceased to create after Lowell George had passed away, but while it was him who wrote perennial favorites like, to name but two, “Teenage Nervous Breakdown” and “Easy To Slip” – which would be covered by such different and situated across the ocean from the source artists as NAZARETH and Sandy Denny – his ensemble returned to life in 1987 and regularly released studio albums until 2012’s “Rooster Rag” seemed to become their last. Still, the veterans didn’t stop, and they’re finally ready to unveil its follow-up – but there’s more to the band’s legacy.
