As far as anniversaries go, the 50th year of AEROSMITH’s self-titled debut has long passed, yet there’s no reason to dismiss its long overdue reissue – properly fleshed out with rarities and usual paraphernalia – and it’s finally ready to be out. However, what’s to be released on March 20th – in three-CD and four-LP variants, the latter also offered in a version with a vinyl “Dream On” single – is a little bit light on that extra material.
It’s been about two years since Carmine Appice gathered a massive flock of his friends and followers for a tribute album to one of the bands the legendary drummer drove to success decades ago, and now CACTUS are ready to deliver another chapter of that project. Titled “Temple Of Blues II” and scheduled for release on April 3rd, it sees quite a few artists who graced the initial record return for another bout of classics, but there are new faces too.
It’s a complex but rewarding adventure: to be following Pat Metheny‘s path from record to record, through the platters which are bountiful. One of the guitarist’s latest releases was “Side-Eye NYC (V1.IV)” – issued in 2021 as a document of his 2019 outings – and now Pat brings the same concept to the studio. To be out on February 27th, “Side-Eye III+” – where Metheny is accompanied by keyboard player Chris Fishman and drummer Joe Dyson – features eight original compositions, including “Urban And Western” that reflects the veteran’s sense of humor.
“Weird electronic music”: that’s how Tony Banks described, in an interview which will soon be published on this site, Rupert Hine‘s score to “The Shout” – the Jerzy Skolimowski-directed 1978 film based on a short story by Robert Graves. Tony and his colleague Mike Rutherford contributed to the soundtrack too, and it was their pieces most of the listeners concentrated on, while Rupert’s sonic experimentalism remained overlooked for decades – but not anymore.
Often busy in the company of Manfred Mann but regularly finding time to play concerts of his own, Mick Rogers has never been in a hurry, however, to offer up solo material. The veteran’s individual discography numbers a mere two longplays, 2002’s “Back To Earth” and “Sharabang” from 2013 – both potent brews of Rogers’ originals laced with choice covers – so to see Mick issue a third one, molded in similar way, will be one of this year’s greatest pleasures. His new album is titled “The Guitarist” and scheduled to hit the shelves on January 30th.
