HE WALKED THE LINE
We knew he’s been living on borrowed time – and he knew his time ain’t long, too. Now the sands of time have run out for the great Johnny Cash, and quite a harsh time it was lately. Once the artist gracefully accepted the fact of his imminent demise, his wife crossed the Styx first, living Johnny with nothing to live for. And on September 12th Cash followed his lady, aged 71.
June Carter Cash was a direct link between the country music progenitors, THE CARTER FAMILY, and Johnny, the man who took their legacy into the very heart of popular culture. He turned the mountain music and music of the hills into a pure rock rebellion and became dear even to those who snubbed at country. When Elvis was coming back to start rolling down, Cash was rocking jailhouses to never go away.
“I Walk The Line”, “Folsom Prison Blues”, “Ring Of Fire” – there’ll be no more renditions as intense as were Johnny’s. Now we’re robbed of him who was robed in black to reflect the morose state of the world and, unfortunately, not to see it changed for better. Rest in peace, singing cowboy.
THE LAST RITES
December of 2002 took the life of a true hero, the one who had always been as down-to-earth as any of his fans. At that time fans were waiting for the new Joe Strummer and THE MESCALEROS album, and who could say “Streetcore” would be the artist’s last record ever? The band finished it without their leader, and the collection comprised of eight new pieces and two covers will see the light of day on October 20th. Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” may have signalled Strummer’s return to reggae, the love of his life, yet it sounds like a testament now…
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1. Coma Girl 2. Get Down Moses 3. Long Shadow 4. Arms Aloft 5. Ramshackle Day Parade 6. Redemption Song 7. All In A Day 8. Burnin’ Streets 9. Midnight Jam 10. Silver And Gold |
VIVA, BARBUDOS!
Perhaps, it’s all because of beards – the beards of Billy Gibbons’ and Dusty Hill’s and Frank Beard – but something strange was happening with ZZ TOP‘s release schedule. Their new studio album, “Mescalero”, saw delay after delay, and hit the shelves just recently. For that reason, shifted back was also the band’s career-spanning 4CD-box set “Chrome, Smoke & BBQ”, which finally has an issue date set: October 14th.
The set embraces the Texan trio’s 80 tracks, including some from the artists’ pre-ZZ band THE MOVING SIDEWALKS and a smattering of rarities, plus an 80-page book giving the first-hand account on ensemble’s story and the songs. A limited edition of 15,000 copies will be out in BBQ shack-inspired box with card-stock cut-outs representing the barbecue scene, and flip-book animation of the barbudos’ stage moves.
Disc 1:1. You Make Me Shake |
Disc 2:1. Precious And Grace |
Disc 3:1. I Wanna Drive You Home |
Disc 41. Concrete And Steel |
THEY’RE JUST THE BAND
1975 was not the best year for the heavy funk bakers TRAPEZE: the British band’s recording contract fizzling out and no hope of their original singing bassist Glenn Hughes‘ return, the group still soldiered on for more dates, with the guitarist Mel Galley handling the vocals. One of those shows, recorded in Nottingham, is out now on“Live At The Boat Club”. What a solid set that was, boasting protracted workouts of TRAPEZE’s famous tunes! A worthy addition to any collection.
| 1. Back Street Love 2. You Are The Music 3. Jury 4. Star Breaker 5. Way Back To The Bone 6. Medusa 7. Black Cloud 8. Sunny Side Of The Street 9. The Raid |
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WHIPPIN’ FROM THE PAST
Previously, if you wanted to savour the Southern rock at its most fryin’ and cookin’, you couldn’t go no further than THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND‘s benchmark “Live At Fillmore East”, but in October you’ll be able to do this – with an amazing concert document recorded almost one year earlier: “Live At The Atlanta International Pop Festival” see Duane, Gregg and their partners in crime ravin’ and ragin’ on July 3rd and 5th, 1970 through their first two albums’ highlights. Each night given a CD, “Mountain Jam” on the second disc features another blues great, Johnny Winter, which raises the value of the set even higher.
Disc One:1. Introduction |
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Disc Two:1. Introduction |
| All tracks previously unreleased except those noted (*). | ||
IT CAME FROM PASSION
Some bands have just been made for the stage: whatever brilliant they might be in the studio, it’s before the vast crowd that they reign giving it their full. One of such bands undoubtedly is UFO, and four CDs which make up the “Live On Earth” box set – said to be endorsed by Phil Mogg and Michael Schenker – caught them in the act on three nights, of which the most interesting is that of 1977, as it quite differs from “Lights Out” recorded the very same year. Sound quality may vary, but not the band’s abandon.
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CD 1:1. Natural Thing CD 2:10. Love To Love |
CD 3:1. Lights Out CD 4:1. Natural Thing |
SANTA LUKATHER
That’s good, a tradition of making Xmas albums being introduced to rock. Recent years saw such records from the likes of Annie Haslam and Glenn Hughes, and Steve Lukather is joining their ranks with an album called “SantaMental”. Recorded for the last year’s release, it was shifted for this Christmas, but that doesn’t matter when here’s a timeless thing. What makes “SantaMental” all the more timeless is an array of guest musicians including fellow axemen Eddie Van Halen, Slash and Steve Vai as well as legendary soul crooner Sammy Davis Jr. who adds his voice to, you name it, “Jingle Bells”. The disc’s out in October – oh deer!
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1. Joy To The World 2. Greensleeves 3. Jingle Bells 4. Carol Of The Bells 5. Broken Heart For Christmas 6. Angels We Have Heard On High 7. Winter Wonderland 8. Look Out For Angels 9. Silent Night 10. Goodbye 11. The Christmas Song |
THE VELVET TRINITY
VELVET UNDERGROUND were dissolving slowly, letting go their leading lights one by one. Yet on January 29th, 1972 Lou Reed, John Cale and Nico were back together, for one night only – at Paris’ Bataclan club – performing pieces both from the band that spawned the three and solo. The unique recording is out now, entittled“Bataclan ’72”. A must for the fans, while others may slowly peel at the more familiar places.
| 1. Waiting For The Man (Reed) 2. Berlin (Reed) 3. Black Angels Death Song (Reed) 4. Wild Child (Reed) 5. Heroin (Reed) 6. Ghost Story (Cale) 7. The Biggest, Loudest, Hairiest Group Of All (Cale) 8. Empty Bottles (Cale) 9. Femme Fatale (Nico) 10. Abscheid (No One Is There) (Nico) 11. Frozen Warnings (Nico) 12. Janitor Of Lunacy (Nico) 13. I’ll Be Your Mirror (Nico) bonus tracks: Rehearsals 14. Pale Blue Eyes 15. Candy Says |
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CURIOSIER AND CURIOSIER
Tony Franklin‘s debut album "Brave New Tomorrow" “> proved a success but the classy bassist’s fans were rather surprised to trace no hard rock vestige on the record. Now Tony has made up for that, having released – as far, only in Japan – the follow-up, “Wonderland”, which features not only Franklin’s BLUE MURDER colleague Carmine Appice and Gregg Bissonette who share the drum stool, but also mighty David Coverdale, whom Tony was helping out with a solo album before the singer resurrected WHITESNAKE. That’s for only track though, as the main vocal duties are taken by the bassist himself and one Scott Kail.
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1. Higher 2. Playng My Song 3. Today 4. Get It Together 5. Sunshine Lady 6. Marakesh Express 7. Surrender 8. On My Way 9. Time’s A Healer 10. Watching The Story 11. Never Be The Same |
JUMPING OUT OF SHADOWS
He’s not the same but still mesmerising, and Peter Green‘s magnific blues presence is all over his SPLINTER GROUP‘s first ever DVD, “In Concert”. Recorded at Basingstoke during their “The Cold 100” tour, it features amazing acoustic set alongside standard – well, if this word applies to Greeny – electric one. Not Boston Tea Party, sure, yet you can’t get better than this now.
Acoustic set:1. Hitch Hiking Woman Electric Set:1. I Believe My Time Ain’t Long |
3. Little Red Rooster 4. Ain’t Nothing Gonna Change It 5. Shadow On My Door 6. Must Be A Fool 7. The Stumble 8. Cool Down 9. Man Of The World 10. Dangerous Man 11. Need Your Love So Bad 12. Real World 13. The Green Manalishi 14. Black Magic Woman 15. Look On Yonder Wall |
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OVER CUCKOO’S NEST
There’s nothing to be sure of when it comes to the invincible Robert Wyatt, except quality of music and flight of imagination. All of this characterize his new outing,“Cuckooland”, to be released on September 29th. PINK FLOYD, THE JAM and ROXY MUSIC fans should also stand in line to hear their heroes contribution to the SOFT MACHINE driver’s brew.
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1. Just A Bit 2. Old Europe 3. Tom Hay’s Fox 4. Forest (feat. David Gilmour & Brian Eno) 5. Beware 6. Cuckoo Madame 7. Raining In My Heart 8. Lullaby For Hamza |
9. Trickle Down (feat. Phil Manzanera) 10. Insensatez 11. Mister E 12. Lullaloop (feat. Paul Weller) 13. Life Is Sheep 14. Foreign Accents 15. Brian The Fox 16. La Ahada Yalam |
