An underestimated colossus of British rock, Bobby Tench has passed away at the age of 79. He was a unique artist: a lead singer who could effortlessly blend into the background and become a simple guitarist – if the word “simple” is a fitting one for a performer of such grand stature, yet it speaks volumes of Tench always being aware of his place in the entire sonic picture. And the list of records with Bobby on speaks volumes of his immense influence on the worldwide scale.
When it comes to THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT no-one knows which of their classic albums is going to be up next for an anniversary reissue, but there’s a strong suspicion that a platter’s being readied for deluxe treatment is “Pyramid” whose original arrival in 1978 makes it a belated candidate. However, the calendar is not the only indicator: much better significance has the record’s rough cut which will appear on the shelves on Record Store Day.
It’s one of the most deplorable fads, artists recording their classic albums anew to possibly find fresh facets to familiar fodder, unless the latter-day document has on-stage origins. And that’s exactly how “Fu##in’ Up” by Neil Young and CRAZY HORSE appeared to be, when the veterans secretly performed 1990’s “Ragged Glory” almost entirely in November 2023, docking only the platter’s final track. The 36th best grunge album of all time as announced by “Rolling Stone” in 2019 is to come alive on various formats April 26th (and only on vinyl a week earlier, for Record Store Day).
When Ian Hunter signed to Sun Records and delivered a platter titled "Defiance Part 1" in 2023, it seemed like former MOTT THE HOOPLE frontman’s most ambitious project, what with the presence of Ringo Starr among his stellar guests. Yet with the news of the imminent arrival of “Defiance Part 2: Fiction” on April 17th and it turning out to be second part of a trilogy, rather than a closing chapter of a dilogy, the scope of the veteran’s latter-day objective looks even more impressive.
The most influential female instrumentalist in the world of jazz, Alice Coltrane originated so many strands of the genre that trying to grasp even the tiniest part of her work is akin to a trip in a few different dimensions. Apart from the American genius’ prodigious solo oeuvre, there are platters she recorded with husband John, Roland Kirk, McCoy Tyner, Charlie Haden and, of course, Carlos Santana, yet the lady wasn’t served well with live albums, her “Carnegie Hall ’71” – issued posthumously in 2018 – being Alice’s greatest concert document. Until now – or, rather, March 22nd.
