Welcome to our summary page of musical artists that
we profile. This is our high level snapshot. Many of the bands
mentioned on the page we have more detailed profiles, which include
topics ranging from reviews, commentary, discography, cd recommendations,
photos, and related subjects.
We're always adding new recommendations so stop
back frequently.
Elvis'
catalog has been re-issued and compiled over and over. We've
selected some of the key releases and box sets. Our local library has a
good number of the box sets that I've examined and found the
1992-1995 re-issues to be impressively documented, though, they seem
to be going out of print so you may need to pick up a second hand
copy.
A highlight of a good single
disc,
Elv1s 30 #1 Hits,
and double disc, The Essential Elvis Presley
among the many choices.
On Stage (Legacy Edition)
2 discs
2010 release
Elvis #1 Singles
2 discs
On Stage (Legacy Edition)
includes all of the material on both From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis and
On Stage along with various assorted tracks.
From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis
live from summer 1969.
On Stage, from
International Hotel in Las Vegas in early 1970.
Elvis Box sets
There is no
shortage of Elvis box set releases. We haven't seen them
all, but I tend to like the ones with personnel credits
and recording dates. The King of Rock 'n' Roll: The Complete 50's Masters
and From Nashville to Memphis: The Essential 60's Masters
fit that bill. I haven't heard or seen Walk a Mile in My Shoes: The Essential 70's Masters,
but the Amazon editorial review excerpt as to its contents:
"the package concentrates on a core of 120 songs--the A- and B-sides of every single Presley recorded in the '70s, 46 other studio tracks (including 13 previously unreleased performances), and 27 live tracks (including another 13 unreleased tracks."
The All Music Guide summation is as follows, "two discs of singles, two discs of studio highlights, then one disc that attempts to present the ultimate Elvis Presley live show by culling peaks from several gigs throughout of the decade."
The King of Rock 'n' Roll: The Complete 50's Masters
5 discs 1992 release
From Nashville to Memphis: The Essential 60's Masters 5 discs 1993 release
Walk a Mile in My Shoes: The Essential 70's Masters
5 discs 1995 release
Some of the top late 1960 and
1970 Elvis releases
The 1969 and latter releases tend to include the
TCB Band featuring James Burton.
From Elvis in Memphis
Legacy Edition
The Memphis 1969 Anthology: Suspicious Minds
Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old)
Promised Land
Some Elvis gospel selections
I Believe: The Gospel Masters Release 2009
4 discs
The Country Side of Elvis
2001 release
2 discs
Great Country Songs
Release date 1996 (2003)
1 disc
Elvis niche
releases 2006
There a lot of
gospel and country themed niche Elvis releases. In 2006
a series of niches were unleashed. Personally, the
R&B is of most interest, and the Rock edition right behind.
Lee Roy
Parnell's 2006 release Back To The Well has a pleasant
flow mixing country, rock, and blues. He even incorporates
some Allman Brothers
Band type of licks, more Dickey Betts and Warren Haynes
than Duane Allman, but much more restrained and short.
Lee
Roy Parnell - Official Site - Lots of information: news,
music, gallery...
Our favorite Gram Parsons material among all of
his bands are his two solo albums. The two albums are packaged together, either
on one disc as a two-fer or a three disc box set. They're both great. The box
has better sonics, the three tracks from Sleepless
Nights,
some delightful alternate tracks, among its benefits.
Live at Madison Square Garden New Year's Eve 1995
- 3 discs Product Description Rolling Stone magazine famously called Phish "America's Greatest Jam Band," and while Trey Anastasio, Jon Fishman, Mike Gordon, and Page McConnell called it quits as a group last year, their legend lives on. Formed at University of Vermont in 1983, Phish quickly became heirs to the jam band tradition, taking the roots of musical improvisation to a new level and beyond. Of all their now-legendary shows, their 1995 New Year's Eve concert at Madison Square Garden-a masterful blend of composition, theater and improvision-is revered as one of their finest, even by the band themselves. Marking this stellar concert's 10th anniversary, Rhino's deluxe 3-CD release presents the Phenomenal Phish at the peak of their powers. Track Listings: Punch You In the Eye, Sloth, Reba, Squirming Coil, Maze, Colonel Forbin's Ascent, Fly Famous Mockingbird, Shine, Fly Famous Mockingbird, Sparkle, Chalk Dust Torture, Audience Chess Move, Drowned, Lizards, Axilla (Part II), Runaway Jim, Strange Design, Hello My Baby, Mike's Song, Gamehendge Time Factory, Auld Lang Syne, Weekapaug Groove, Sea and Sand, You Enjoy Myself,
Sanity, Frankenstein, Johnny B. Goode.
Phish - The Clifford Ball DVD
Other Phish websites Phishnet - A
comprehensive site.
Pink
Floyd released a two disc anthology of their career
entitled Echoes. That albums spans the early Syd Barret
period through the post Waters material. If you truly want a
compilation Echoes is good. However,
Pink Floyd's material works best within the context of the
original albums, especially for their classics, Dark Side
of the Moon,
Wish You Were Here, and Animals. We've highlighted those first.
Therefore,
our strongest recommendation is to pick up the individual
albums, but Echoes is an acceptable alternative for the
casual Floyd fan.
Floyd without Waters performing Dark Side of
the Moon onPulse.
‘Discovery’ albums are designed as an introduction to the artist, with all booklets including full album lyrics. All 14 newly remastered Discovery studio albums are now available as a boxset collection that also includes an exclusive 60-page artwork booklet designed by Storm
Thorgerson.
Contains the following 14 remastered studio Discovery albums:
The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
A Saucerful Of Secrets
Ummagumma
Atom Heart Mother
Meddle
Obscured By Clouds
The Dark Side Of The Moon
Wish You Were Here
Animals
The Wall
The Final Cut
A Momentary Lapse Of Reason
The Division Bell
A Foot In The Door - The Best Of Pink Floyd 2011
release of remastered versions
The Discovery Studio Album Box Set
A Foot In The Door - The Best Of Pink Floyd
Wish
You Were Here starts out incredibly strong with "Shine on You Crazy Diamond parts 1-5," which has some really nice unhurried David Gilmour guitar phrases setting the stage for the album. Then when the first vocals starts, the complementary guitar riffs to the vocals are gorgeous, followed by some nice saxophone. Clearly a great way to begin the
album, which is a true classic. The album includes their hit "Wish You Were Here." This song is their best piece of music that blends acoustic guitars into a rock setting. To further enhance the song, Richard Wrights piano riffs and David Gilmour's solos are outstanding.
Wish You Were Here - Experience Version
Disc: 2
1. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (parts 1-6) live at Wembley November 1974 (2011 mix and previously unreleased)
2. Raving & Drooling live at Wembley November 1974 (2011 mix and previously unreleased)
3. You’ve Got To Be Crazy live at Wembley November 1974 (2011 mix and previously unreleased)
4. Wine Glasses from the unreleased ‘Household Objects’ project
5. Have A Cigar alternative version (previously unreleased)
6. Wish You Were Here featuring Stephane Grappelli (previously unreleased)
Animals
has a plethora of dazzling Gilmour guitar solos.
Wish
You Were Here
Animals
Pulse
is an excellent DVD. Superb sound and visuals and a very generous quantity of music. The CD includes a few
songs that are not on the DVD. I don't think that the post Waters
material is great, but it has its moments and Pulse pulls the
greatest hits from those
discs on disc one. Plus key tracks from The Wall
on disc 2.
Pulse is a Pink Floyd tour without Roger Waters.
They perform Dark Side of the Moon in it's entirety on disc 2.
The rest of the material ranges from the early days, some Wish
You Were Here, lots from The Wall, and an assortment from
latter albums.
The tracks are slightly different between the
audio and DVD.
Pulse
Audio
Pulse DVD
Pink
Floyd's early music sounds more a product of its era, where as many
of their classic albums of the 70's that followed it stand as
timeless masterpieces. Of their early albums, Meddle is their
best. It offers a variety styles as they continue to form their
identity. They incorporate acoustic guitars, and offer plenty of
slide guitar into their writing. The CD begins with five songs that
have styles ranging from the psychedelic "One of These
Days"; the organic sounding "Fearless" that offers a
nice melodic feel; to the jazz textured "San Tropez"; to
the blues based "Seamus." The latter features lead,
un-credited, dog barks. The last track is "Echoes," a long
psychedelic composition that has its high and low points; it is
primarily an instrumental song that served as a centerpiece of their
concerts in the early 1970's. It can be thought of as a blueprint to
the bands future direction.
Meddle
Live at Pompeii
Pink Floyd The
Wall
The Wall is a long standing classic, but I don't find it as essential as the trio of
classics Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and
Animals. Live versions of The Wall are available from
various tours too; Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live,
and The DVD Live in Berlin...
Roger Waters is performing The Wall on
his 2010 and 2011 tour.
My favorite songs from The Wall are performed live on the superb release
Pulse, Pink Floyd live without Roger Waters in 1994. It's available in both audio and
DVD.
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Holding the Pretenders' Pirate Radio box set in your hand, you may be tempted to ask: What took you so long? Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005, the Pretenders' impact on popular music goes without saying, and for a quarter century Chrissie Hynde has remained one of the smartest, sassiest, sexiest, and shaggiest women in rock. So this in-depth collection seems, if not overdue, at least a long time in coming.
At 81 tracks, Pirate Radio will satisfy die-hard fans with more fully remastered big hits and deep cuts than the earlier Singles and Greatest Hits compilations, as well as some previously unreleased gems--covers of "Angel of the Morning" and Warren Zevon's "Reconsider Me" are both standouts. The career-spanning live DVD is also a treat, with many performances featuring the original lineup. Add in a 60-page booklet jammed with chronological liner notes and reflections from band members, and you've got a powerful package. What's striking is how coherent this set sounds throughout all four discs, largely due to Hynde's unmistakable voice: From the punk swagger of their immortal 1979 debut to the reggae-informed sounds of 2003's Loose Screw, and after more personnel changes than Spinal Tap's percussion section, it all sounds like no one other than the Pretenders. --Ben Heege
Product Description
On "Brass in Pocket," one of the pretenders earliest singles-and their first to chart in the U.S., scoring #14 in Billboard-Chrissie Hynde sings, "I'm special, so special, I gotta have some of your attention, give it to me." Formed in London in '78 with Hynde, James Honeyman Scott, Martin Chambers, and Pete Farndon, the band received massive attention for that hit and other stellar songs from their 1980 self-titled debut album. Via impeccable musicianship and Hynde's charismatic persona-equal parts cool swagger, tough-but vulnerable lyrics and vocals, and idiosyncratic rhythm guitar-the Pretenders reinvented the concept of a woman in rock 'n' roll and became one of the most popular and distinctive acts in the world. Chrissie Hynde's singular presence has never ceased to build on their artistic legacy, chronicled now for the first time in Pirate Radio.
DVD Includes Never-Before-Released Performances From 1979 to 1995
Includes a Specially Commissioned Poster
by S. Clay Wilson!
Disc 1
1. Precious (Regent Park Demo)*
2. Stop Your Sobbing
3. The Wait (Single Version)
4. Kid
5. Tattooed Love Boys
6. Mystery Achievement
7. Brass In Pocket
8. Porcelain
9. Talk Of The Town
10. Message Of Love
11. Cuban Slide
12. What You Gonna Do About It
13. The Adultress
14. Bad Boys Get Spanked
15. I Go To Sleep
16. Day After Day
17. Birds Of Paradise
18. The English Roses
19. Time The Avenger
20. Watching The Clothes (Denmark Street Demo)*
21. Show Me
Disc 2
1. Back On The Chain Gang
2. Thumbelina
3. Thin Line Between Love And Hate
4. My City Was Gone
5. Middle Of The Road
6. Tequila*
7. 2000 Miles
8. When I Change My Life (Alternate Version)*
9. My Baby
10. Worlds Within Worlds*
11. Don't Get Me Wrong
12. Hymn To Her
13. Tradition Of Love
14. Room Full Of Mirrors
15. Reconsider Me*
16. Hold A Candle To This (Alternate Version)*
17. Windows Of The World
18. Never Do That
19. No Guarantee
20. Not A Second Time
Disc 3
1. Sense Of Purpose
2. Downtown (Akron)
3. How Do I Miss You
4. Bold As Love
5. When Will I See You
6. Hollywood Perfume
7. Night In My Veins
8. 977
9. All My Dreams
10. Angel Of The Morning (Original Version)*
11. Money Talk
12. Rebel Rock Me
13. I'll Stand By You
14. Every Mothers' Son (Demo)*
15. Love Colours
16. Private Life (Live)
17. Lovers Of Today (Live)
18. Creep (Live)
19. Criminal (Live)
20. Revolution (Live)
Disc 4
1. Everyday Is Like Sunday
2. Human (Class Mix)
3. Popstar
4. Back Down*
5. California*
6. The Needle And The Damage Done
7. From The Heart Down (Alternate Version)*
8. Who's Who
9. Biker
10. Nails In The Road
11. Legalize Me
12. The Homecoming (Live)*
13. Up The Neck (Live)*
14. Fools Must Die (Live)*
15. Nothing Breaks Like A Heart
16. Lie To Me
17. Complex Person
18. You Know Who Your Friends Are
19. I Should Of
20. The Losing
*Previously Unissued
DVD
Talk Of The Town (TOTP [they show the video]) - 1980
The Adultress (Fridays) - 1981
The Wait (All Right Now) - 1980
Hollywood Perfume (Later with Jools Holland) - 1994
Brass In Pocket (TOTP) - 1979
977 (Later with Jools Holland) - 1994
Never Do That (Terry Wogan Show) - 1990
Thumbelina (The New Show) - 1984
2000 Miles (Pebble Mill) - - 1995
Night In My Veins (TOTP) - 1994
My City Was Gone (Phoenix, AZ, 1994)
Tattooed Love Boys (All Right Now) - 1980
Middle Of The Road (MTV) - 1984
Don't Get Me Wrong (TOTP) - 1986
Criminal (Pebble Mill) - 1995
Room Full Of Mirrors (video) - 2003
Louie Louie (Fridays) - 1981
Stop Your Sobbing (TOTP) - 1979
Tattooed Love Boys/Up The Neck (OGWT) - 1980
Editorial note:
The DVD has some cool moments. It's the only footage of the original
band I've seen, around 8 songs, and the version of
"Thumbellina" with Robbie McIntosh is hot, if you like a
rockabilly tone and feel. Some of the quality is fair. I would have
preferred to have a chronological sequence.
The Pretenders
studio albums - We've highlighted the first three
releases that are all classics. Starting in
2006 The Pretenders issues their box set Pirate Radio
and remastered albums ensued. The self-titled debut and Pretenders
II both include a second disc. The live material on Pretenders
II is very rewarding.
Between the bands debut and Pretenders
II release they issued a five song debut. "Message Of Love,"
"Talk of The Town," "Porcelain,"
"Cuban Slide," and a live version of "Precious."
The first two songs would appear on Pretenders II and
the expanded version of the debut has the last three
songs. I'm not sure if the version of
"Precious" is the same.
Pretenders
Pretenders II
Learning to Crawl
The
Pretenders compilations
We've also spotlighted Return Of The Grievous Angel: A Tribute To Gram Parsons
that opens with a superb version of Parsons'
classic "She" that features Chrissie Hynde and
Emmylou Harris on vocals.
The Best of the Pretenders 2009 + Break Up the Concrete
The Pretenders - Greatest Hits 2000
The Singles 1987
Disc: 1 1. Talk Of The Town
2. Kid
3. Back On The Chain Gang
4. Brass In Pocket
5. Message Of Love
6. Night In My Veins
7. Don't Get Me Wrong
8. Middle Of The Road
9. I'll Stand By You
10. Stop Your Sobbing
11. Hymn to Her
12. Precious
13. Thumbelina
14. Cuban Slide
15. My City Was Gone
16. Day After Day
17. I Go To Sleep
18. Thin Line Between Love And Hate
19. Fools Must Die
20. Up The Neck
21. 2000 Miles
22. Tattooed Love Boys
Disc: 2
1. Boots Of Chinese Plastic
2. The Nothing Maker
3. Don't Lose Faith In Me
4. Don't Cut Your Hair
5. Love's A Mystery
6. The Last Ride
7. Almost Perfect
8. You Didn't Have To
9. Rosalee
10. Break Up The Concrete
11. One Thing Never Changed (Bonus Track)
1. Brass In Pocket
2. Message Of Love
3. Don't Get Me Wrong
4. Kid
5. Human (Tin Tin Out Remix)
6. I Go To Sleep
7. Forever Young
8. I Got You Babe
9. Night In My Veins
10. Spiritual High (State Of Independence)
11. Talk Of The Town
12. Stop Your Sobbing
13. Hymn To Her
14. 2000 Miles
15. Breakfast In Bed
16. Popstar
17. Middle Of The Road
18. Thin Line Between Love And Hate
19. Back On The Chain Gang
20. I'll Stand By You
1. Stop Your Sobbing
2. Kid
3. Brass in Pocket
4. Talk of the Town
5. I Go to Sleep
6. Day After Day
7. Message of Love
8. Back on the Chain Gang
9. Middle of the Road
10. 2000 Miles
11. Show Me
12. Thin Line Between Love and Hate
13. Don't Get Me Wrong
14. Hymn to Her
15. My Baby
16. I Got You Babe
Pretenders: Live In London
Deluxe two disc (CD/DVD) edition includes bonus DVD. With millions of albums sold and their place in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame solidified, The Pretenders are a special band with a special place in history.
Pretenders-Live in London captures one of their many electrifying performances from their 2009 world tour. The CD captures 20 of The Pretenders biggest hits, including 'Kid', 'Back On The Chain Gang', 'Middle Of The Road', 'Brass In Pocket'
and many more. The DVD features 24 tracks.
Loose in L.A.
Lie to me -- Time -- Message of love -- My baby -- Talk of the town -- You know who your friends are -- Time the avenger -- The homecoming -- Up the neck -- Fools must die -- My city was gone -- The losing -- Biker -- Complex person -- Nothing breaks like a heart -- Back on the chain gang -- Don't get me wrong -- Kid -- Rebel rock me -- Night in my veins -- Tattooed love boys -- Precious -- I'll stand by you -- Middle of the road -- Mystery achievement -- Brass in pocket.
Credits Producer, Chuck Haifley ; director, Brian Lockwood.
Performer Pretenders : Chrissie Hynde, vocals and guitar ; Adam Seymour: lead guitar and vocals ; Andy Hobson, bass guitar and vocals ; Martin Chambers, drums and vocals ; Zeben Jameson, keyboards, percussion and vocals.
Note Recorded live at the Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles.
We've highlighted
a few of Tom Principato's solo releases that we recommend. Tom comes from the Washington D.C. area and is an outstanding Telecaster Master.
Raising the Roof has some great sounds to it. The first song is a good R&B number that
rocks; good rhythm guitar, better lead guitar, and superb horn complements. In a retro rock way I hear a little James Gang "Funk 49" in "Too Damn Funky," though it was actually inspired by the New Orleans band The Meters, which was led by Art Neville. On "In the Middle of the Night" the second vocals of Tommy Lepson add a nice
dimension to the Reggae flavored, wah-wah laced track.
"Bo Bo's Groove" is a nice instrumental cut, with a Latin feel with a lot of funk, the guitar and organ both offer impressive,
musical statements, percussion too. Undeniably impressive, "Counts For Rita" is
Roy Buchanan meets Jeff
Beck. Then laying down the blues theme with the "Stormy
Monday" theme set to new words as a parody; "They Called For "Stormy Monday" (But "Mustang Sally" Is Just As Bad)."
That's only around half of the story. Raising
the Roof has very good song writing, a first class backing band,
and blistering guitar.
by Barry Small
Product
Description
Powerhouse Records announces a March 3, 2008, release date for
Raising the Roof, the new album from guitarist extraordinaire Tom
Principato and his band.
Long-acknowledged as one of the premier guitarists in the world, Tom
Principato s latest CD builds on the universal acclaim for his 2005
release, Guitar Gumbo, which won awards from the Washington Area
Music Association (WAMA) for Best Blues Recording and Best Blues
Vocalist. With these new honors, Tom has now won a total of 22
Wammies. In addition, a song from that album, If Love Is Blind,
written by Dave Kitchen, was named Song of the Year.
In addition to Principato on guitar and vocals, the band features
John Perry on bass and backup vocals, Joe Wells on drums and Josh
Howell on congas and percussion.
On Raising the Roof, the Tom Principato Band is joined by long-time
DC-area favorite Tommy Lepson, who contributes his soulful Hammond
B3 organ playing and vocals, as well as several other special
guests. The new album showcases nine songs (including 6 originals)
that demonstrate the breadth of Tom s musical influences ranging
from blues, jazz and rock, to funk, reggae and New Orleans sounds.
The three covers include a jazzy workout of Jimmy Smith s 8 Counts
for Rita, a cooking take on J.J. Cale s Lies, and a new version of
Louis Jordan s Fish Fry that brings on the funk and Jamaican flavors
to this R&B classic, a long-time staple of the band s live
shows.
Tom Principato /
Danny Gatton Blazing Telecasters
CD - Recorded live at Adam's Rib in Washington, D.C. in
1984
Blazing Telecasters DVD Product description
This DVD was recorded for Maryland Public Television in 1984, featuring Tom and Danny trading licks on four original tunes and two jazz standards. It was taped in a studio setting with no audience. Also featured are John Previti (bass), Mike Sucher (keyboards), and Tony Martucci (drums). This is not the same performance or track listing as the Blazing Telecasters CD.
A Night at the Opera is one of the top
hard rock classic album of all time. The music is balanced between
rocking pieces and some softer tracks. The material is very
album oriented rock in that the songs flow from track to track
such as “Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon“ that perfectly ties
together the songs before and after it.
Musically Queen use lots of background
vocals with great success to complement Mercury’s lead
vocals, both simply, and in more complex ways such as in
“The Prophets Song,” and of course, “Bohemian
Rhapsody.”
Brian May has some tasty electric guitar
leads such as perfectly phrased solos on “Death on Two
Legs” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.” He also plays some softer
acoustic material such as “ ‘39” among other places.
A Night at the Opera is a sensational
album.
A Night at the Opera (30th Anniversary Coll. Ed) [CD/DVD Combo]
Product Description:
A landmark release, this special edition features both the new CD and DVD formats of the album completely restored from original analogue tapes and digitally re-mastered by Bob Ludwig, in both stereo and 5.1 surround sound. As well as the original 1975 videos for 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and 'You're My Best Friend', the DVD also contains brand new video footage for the other 10 tracks, along with archive audio commentary from all four members of Queen, including the late Freddie Mercury.
As Queen guitarist Brian May explains in the new liner notes: "Months of craftsmanship by true perfectionists have gone into wringing every ounce out of the original master recordings and into this hitherto unequalled 'high definition' domain. Never has the recording been so carefully balanced, so carefully cleansed of clicks and pops from so many sources, some of which were even present on the original mix master tapes. In the stereo sound on this DVD, every nuance of the analogue character of these human-made mixes is more faithfully reproduced here than ever before. In addition, for the surround track, a whole set of 5.1 mixes has been created from microscopically accurate digital sound files, mirroring the original multitrack tapes. For the first time this includes a new surround mix of the final track 'God Save the Queen', and some improvements to the surround mixes previously issued to a small audience on the DTS DVD-Audio release."
May continues: "This DVD also features for the first time visuals for every track on the album some, like the original 'Bohemian Rhapsody' video, carefully digitally restored and re-graded, and some, like the stunning new video for 'Good Company', created especially for this release. There are also some special commentaries, ancient and modern, from all four Queen members on facets of the tracks, and... yes, this is quite simply the best 'Night At The Opera' ever produced. I doubt if it can ever be bettered!"
Queen: The Making of A Night at the Opera
Sheer Heart Attack
Classic Albums - Queen: The Making of A
Night at the Opera
If ever there was an album worthy of
inclusion in Eagle Vision’s Classic Albums series it is
Queen’s breakout release A Night At The Opera. Released in
1975, this was not only the band’s first platinum album, but
also the one that catapulted them into the spotlight as one of
the biggest rock acts in the world.
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:
• BRAND NEW INTERVIEWS with guitarist Brian May and drummer
Roger Taylor.
• COMMENTARY by original producer Roy Thomas Baker.
• ARCHIVAL PERFORMANCE and INTERVIEW FOOTAGE with late lead
singer Freddie Mercury.
• INTERVIEWS and GUEST COMMENTARY by guitarists Joe Perry (Aerosmith),
Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme), Ian Hunter (Mott The Hoople) and
many more.
• NEW ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCES of ’39 and Love Of My Life by
Brian May.
• DRUM and ACOUSTIC DEMONSTRATIONS of I ’m In Love With My
Car from Roger Taylor.
• ANALYSIS OF THE RECORDING PROCESS of all 12 tracks on the
album.
Featuring excerpts from: Death on Two Legs
(Dedicated to...) • Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon • I'm In
Love With My Car • You're My Best Friend • '39 • Sweet
Lady • Seaside Rendezvous • The Prophet's Song • Love Of
My Life • Good Company • Bohemian Rhapsody • God Save
The Queen
Queen 40 Limited Edition Collector's Box Set [Amazon.com Exclusive]
Product Description
Exclusive to Amazon Customers: Queen's first five studio albums remastered in deluxe reissue editions with rare bonus material all in one collectible box with a 24 panel Poster for the ultimate Queen fan.
Albums included in the box: Queen
Queen II
Sheer Heart Attack
A Night At the Opera
A Day At the Races
Queen's 40th anniversary is now upon us, and the band plans to pull out all the stops to celebrate this historic occasion. This yearlong event will be marked by a series of releases, re-releases, special limited-edition items and events around the world. As the centerpiece in the 40th anniversary celebration, Queen's studio catalog is being reissued in a series of deluxe editions. Every note is being tweaked, every piece of artwork is being cleaned, freshened up and resourced, wherever necessary, with the legendary Bob Ludwig doing the remastering, working from the original source material.
Each studio album will be released in a new two-CD edition, the first containing the updated, remastered original LP, the second disc packed with rarities--and we don't use the term lightly. Some of these gems have never before seen the light of day, even in crappy bootleg form. To cite a particularly fascinating example, five first-album demos recorded at London's De Lane Lea Studios in December 1971 were pulled from the only existing copy on the planet--an acetate from May's personal archives. Not even his bandmates had a copy. And now they can be yours in this fan centric box set only available at Amazon.
2011 Queen reissues we highlighted our
favorites.
Night at the Opera
Deluxe two CD edition including a bonus CD that contains six additional tracks. Digitally remastered edition of the British Pomp Rock band's 1975 album. A Night At The Opera, named after the Marx Bros film, is widely acclaimed as one of the greatest albums of all time. Exceptional on every level, musically, lyrically and artistically, Queen took the strongest elements of their previous two albums to make the ultimate winning combination. The most expensive album ever recorded at that time, it delivered Rock, Opera, Heavy Metal, romance, ballads, Pop, sci-fi Folk, music hall, Trad Jazz and even the National Anthem. The album contains perhaps the most famous Rock song of all time, 'Bohemian Rhapsody', which went on to spend 14 weeks at #1. Queen also recorded the first official Pop promo for 'Bohemian Rhapsody' as they were on tour and could not appear on Top of The Pops and this video paved the way for MTV and VH1.
Sheer Heart Attack
Bonus
Disc: 2
1. Now I'm Here (Live at Hammersmith Odeon)
2. Flick of the Wrist (BBC Session, 1974)
3. Tenement Funster (BBC Session 1974)
4. Bring Back That Leroy Brown (2011 A Capella Mix)
5. In The Lap Of The Gods (Live at Wembley Stadium, 1986)
A Night at the Opera
Sheer Heart Attack
Queen II
Queen greatest
hits compilations are numerous. We've listed some of the
below to consolidate some of the choices. Among the
mess, there seems to be lacking a nice two disc
chronological release. I haven't sampled them all to be
able to contrast the sonics, but the newer ones probably
will serve you better; Absolute Greatest (2009)
and Greatest Hits: We Will Rock You Edition (2004).
Absolute Greatest (2 CD Slipcase Version) (2009
Re-masters)
The first disc features 2009 re-masters of their top 20 tracks of all time while the second disc features Brian May and Roger Taylor's track by track commentary. EMI. 2009.
Absolute Greatest
Greatest Hits: We Will Rock You Edition
Classic Queen
Absolute Greatest CD/DVD
Greatest Hits: We Will Rock You Edition MP3
Stone Cold Classics
Other Queen
compilations...
Queen - Greatest Hits
Queen - Greatest Hits V.2
Queen: Greatest Hits III
Queen - Greatest Hits, Vols. 1 &2
Greatest Hits I, II & III - The Platinum Collection (3CD)
Rainbow
is the band that Ritchie Blackmore formed after Deep Purple. I
bought their first four albums, including the live one, when
then came out in the 1970's. Not caring much for the fourth I
didn't follow them much thereafter. Recently I picked up the
two disc anthology, Catch The Rainbow: The Anthology.
It is a solid overview of their material. Disc one includes
vocalist Ronnie James Dio, and disc two is post Dio. A brief
bio, discography, photos, and album credits are included with
the liner notes.
Disc: 1 Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow
1. Man On The Silver Mountain
2. Sixteenth Century Greensleeves
3. Catch The Rainbow
Rising
4. Tarot Woman
5. Starstruck
6. Stargazer
7. Light In The Black
Rainbow Live
8. Mistreated
Long Live Rock 'n' Roll
9. Long Live Rock 'N' Roll
10. Gates Of Babylon
11. Kill The King
12. Rainbow Eyes
Disc: 2 Down to Earth
1. Eyes Of The World
2. Since You Been Gone
3. All Night Long
4. Weiss Heim
Difficult to Cure
5. I Surrender
6. Spotlight Kid
7. Can't Happen Here
8. Jealous Lover
Straight Between the Eyes
9. Death Alley Driver
10. Stone Cold
11. Tearin' Out My Heart
12. Power
Bent Out of Shape
13. Can't Let You Go
14. Desperate Heart
15. Street Of Dreams
Final Vinyl
16. Difficult To Cure (Live)
Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow
Rainbow Rising
Rainbow Live
On Stage
Rainbow: Live in Munich 1977 DVD
Rainbow: Live in Munich 1977
DVD
Product Description
Rainbow was formed by Ritchie Blackmore in 1975 after he left Deep Purple at the height of their fame. They were instantly successful and released a string of hit albums, with an ever-changing line up, between 1975 and 1983 when Blackmore broke up the group to join the reformed Deep Purple. This concert from their European tour in 1977 features the line up responsible for the "Long Live Rock ’n’ Roll" album released later that year, including vocalist Ronnie James Dio and drummer Cozy Powell. Blackmore had to be smuggled out of Austria after trouble with the police at a gig two nights earlier, and was very late arriving in Munich, all of which seemed to inspire both the band and the audience to create a truly remarkable gig.
Tracklisting: 1. Kill The King 2. Mistreated 3. Sixteenth Century Greensleeves 4. Catch The Rainbow 5. Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll 6. Man On The Silver Mountain 7. Still I’m Sad 8. Do You Close Your Eyes
Bonus Features • Original promo videos for: 1) Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll 2) Gates Of Babylon 3) L.A. Connection • Interviews • Photo Gallery • Audio Commentary
Django
Reinhardt guitar playing is among one of our favorites, here's
why.
Django's music spanned across different
facets of jazz through his many years of recording, and we
recommend exploring beyond his Hot Club material. We have a list of all his
sessions and a summarization of his CD's
to help sort through the numerous releases.
Djangology
Django Reinhardt's material has been reissued in numerous manners. In 2005 a ten disc collection that covers most of his material from 1937 through 1943 is the best value by far. Within this period, it covers most of the sessions, and is chronologically sequenced. When songs were performed twice they only include one of the performances.
Nuages 1953 - Django's last two sessions, extraordinary.
Our favorite electric Django session, 3/10/53.
The
Classic Early Recordings in Chronological Order Vol. 1 5 discs
Paris
and London: 1937-1948, Vol. 2 4 discs
His work with violinist Stephane Grappelli
with the Quintet of the Hot Club of France
is truly incredible. There is a box set that is broken down
into two pieces that offers exceptional value and does not
overlap material. Yes songs are repeated, but they are
different versions.
The
Classic Early Recordings in Chronological Order Vol. 1 is
a five-disc package that covers 1934 - 1939 with a
heavy emphasis on
Paris
and London: 1937-1948, Vol. 2 is a four- disc
package. This edition has plenty of material with
Grappelli, but also offers other back-up line-ups, most
notably with Hubert Rostaing on clarinet.
The two recommendations to the right are
very reasonably priced and offer the best value in acquiring a
Django collection.
Django in Rome
Django in Rome 1949-1950 4 discs
Intégrale Django Reinhardt, Vol. 17: "La Mer" 1949 2 discs
Django in Rome 1949-1950
Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli's reunion in 1949 is excellent. There are a few ways to get the material. The four disc box set Django In Rome 1949 - 50 is the best value. There are also some compilations and the comprehensive series Fremeaux and Associates Series.
Rather than using a rhythm section of bass and two acoustic guitars, Django and Stephane are backed by drums, bass, and piano.
January-February 1949 RAI Studios, Rome
Django Reinhardt (g); Stéphane Grappelli (v); Gianni Safred (p); Marco Pecori (b); Aurelio de Carolis (dm)
April-May 1950 ~ RAI Studios, Rome
Django Reinhardt and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France
André Ekyan (as, cl); Ralph Schécroun (p); Django Reinhardt (g solo); Alf. Masselier (b); Roger Paraboschi (dm)
We've
highlighted some classic Rolling Stones CD's, Exile On Main Street,
,Sticky Fingers, and Let It Bleed. It is hard to narrow
the list to fit on a highlight page. The sound of Keith Richards
Telecaster is one of the trademarks to the sound, those fine
crunchy riffs. I love the piano fills too.
The studio releases are well known that we point
out. The live release, Live Licks, from The Rolling Stones 40th Anniversary tour of 2002-03
is a great listen so we've decided to select a less obvious
recommendation. Plus we wanted to include a recommendation with the
guitar duo of Ron Wood / Keith Richards. Sheryl Crow is a guest on "Honky Tonky Women."
1. Rocks Off
2. Rip This Joint
3. Shake Your Hips
4. Casino Boogie
5. Tumbling Dice
6. Sweet Virginia
7. Torn and Frayed
8. Sweet Black Angel
9. Loving Cup
10. Happy
11. Turd on the Run
12. Ventilator Blues
13. I Just Want to See His Face
14. Let It Loose
15. All Down the Line
16. Stop Breaking Down
17. Shine a Light
18. Soul Survivor
1. Brown Sugar
2. Sway
3. Wild Horses
4. Can't You Hear Me Knocking
5. You Gotta Move
7. I Got the Blues
8. Sister Morphine
9. Dead Flowers
10. Moonlight Mile
1. Gimme Shelter
2. Love In Vain
3. Country Honk
4. Live With Me
5. Let It Bleed
6. Midnight Rambler
7. You Got The Silver
8. Monkey Man
9. You Can't Always Get What You Want
Nov. 2012 Some
Girls has been re-issued with a second disc of
additional unreleased material. I heard a promo of
"No Spare Parts" and
it's a cool song that has a Country mood to it. There is
also a DVD from the tour.
Track Listings
Disc: 1
1. Miss You
2. When The Whip Comes Down
3. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)
4. Some Girls
5. Lies
6. Far Away Eyes
7. Respectable
8. Before They Make Me Run
9. Beast of Burden
10. Shattered
Disc: 2
1. Claudine
2. So Young
3. Do You Think I Really Care
4. When You're Gone
5. No Spare Parts
6. Don't Be A Stranger
7. We Had It All
8. Tallahassee Lassie
9. I Love You Too Much
10. Keep Up Blues
11. You Win Again
12. Petrol Blues
Some Girls: Deluxe Edition
Original Virgin Label
Some Girls [Box set]
Rolling Stones: Some Girls Live In Texas '78
Blu-Ray
DVD
Press
Release:
Release Date Nov. 2011
Rolling Stones fans will be able to watch a previously unseen Rolling Stones concert movie,
The Rolling Stones: Some Girls, Live in Texas '78, in digital cinemas worldwide. Originally shot on 16mm film at Fort
Worth, Texas in 1978, the footage has been restored in high definition, with the sound remixed and remastered by
Bob Clearmountain from the original multi-track tapes. The result is an explosive visual reminder of why The
Rolling Stones are the best live band on the planet.
The movie features many Stones classics including Honky Tonk Woman, Tumbling Dice, Brown Sugar, Jumpin’ Jack
Flash, Miss You and Beast of Burden, plus an interview with Sir Mick Jagger shot in August 2011 where he
introduces the concert and offers an insight into its significance in the band’s history.
Mick Jagger says: “Fort Worth was an amazing night in a blistering hot July. Watching it now, the band were
really intense and focused, but we were also having a blast with the fans who were really getting into the show
and the new tracks from “Some Girls”. I think our fans will love the chance to see this concert movie for the
first time on the big screen.”
The Rolling Stones 1978 tour of the USA in support of that year’s “Some Girls” album is considered by fans to be
one of their very best. The tour followed immediately on the release of the album and by the time the band
arrived in Texas in mid-July it had hit the No.1 spot on the US charts. The tour took a “back to basics”
approach, with the band and their music very much at the forefront, and little or no elaborate staging.
Rush's fourth live album, Different
Stages is an excellent overview of the bands career and offers
exceptional value.
Different Stages is
basically three discs that sell like a two-disc package, the third
is a bonus. The first two-disc's are mostly from their 1997 Test
For Echo tour with the exception of three tracks from 1994's
Counterparts
tour.
The bonus disc is a separate
item inserted into the digipak and it is awesome. The material is from
2/20/78, from the A
Farewell To Kings tour. Killer! It is missing three songs
from that show; "Lakeside Park," "Closer To The
Heart," and "2112." Though, two are included on the
featured show.
Rush released an EP in June of
2004
called Feedback that is a collection of cover versions of songs
that influenced them.
Working Men is a greatest
hits collection of live songs.
Other Rush web-sites 2112.net
- An excellent site with tour tracks, lyrics, and much more.
I watched most of
the DVD Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage on cable. It has some great live footage clips and the interviews are really good.
An excellent biography.
Rush - Beyond the Lighted Stage
Blu-ray
Product Description
Rush is one of rock's most influential bands. Ranked third in consecutive gold or platinum albums after The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, the band enjoys a devoted following by legions around the world and is revered by generations of musicians. Yet, their incredible success story has, up to this point, remained largely untold. Now comes the new documentary
Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage, the first comprehensive exploration of the extraordinary power trio. Featuring never-before-seen archival footage and interviews with notables such as Jack Black, Billy Corgan, Trent Reznor, Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Kirk Hammett (Metallica) and Gene Simmons, this film explores the forty-year career and phenomenon behind what could be the world's biggest cult band. This 2-disc DVD in deluxe packaging features over 3 hours of video, including a 1.5 hour bonus disc of never-before-seen live performances, special features, and deleted scenes from the film. A 12 page color booklet of rare and unreleased photos is also included.
DVD/Blu-Ray Bonus Features: 1. Being Bullied and The Search for The First Gig; 2. Reflections on the album Hemispheres; 3. Presto and Roll The Bones Rap; 4. The RUSH Fashion; 5. Hobbies on the Road; 6. RUSH
Trekkies; 7. Pre Gig Warm-Up; 8. "Best I Can" - (never-before-seen footage w/ original drummer, John Rutsey from 1974); 9. "Working Man" - (never-before-seen footage w/ original drummer, John Rutsey from 1974); 10. "La Villa
Strangiato" - Live at Pinkpop Festival in Holland from 1979 (first time this epic song was captured on video); 11. "Between The Sun and Moon" - Hartford, CT (from the band's first show back after hiatus in 2002); 12. Dinner with RUSH at a Hunting Lodge; 13. "Far Cry" live - from the 'Snakes & Arrows' DVD; 14.
"Entre Nous" live - from the 'Snakes & Arrows' DVD; 15. "Bravado" - rare live version -- previously only available on the 'R30'
Blu-ray version; 16. "YYZ" - rare live version -- previously only available on the 'R30'
Blu-ray version
Rush have a number
of compilations. I tend to prefer chronological
sequences, which most of these are not. For my
favorite Rush I prefer hearing the albums, but I do have some of the
compilations and made a playlist of the songs from the
albums I don't have.
Retrospective I
Retrospective 2 (1981-1987)
Retrospective 3 (1989-2008)
Retrospective I MP3
Retrospective 2 (1981-1987) MP3
Retrospective 3 (1989-2008) MP3
Rush's first
three albums, getting better with each release.
Rush
Fly By Night
Caress of Steel
This sequential trio of Rush's
fourth through six studio albums are
my three favorites. First, 2112 has my favorite
full album side song they've recorded. Whereas, the second part
of the release is hit or
miss. My favorite Rush album is A Farewell to Kings,
from tracks start to finish and the music has a great
flow. The follow-up, Hemispheres, is a stunning
succession. The sequence of "The Trees" and
"La Villa Strangiato" is my favorite part of
the album. In my home town, the Farewell to Hemispheres
change saw the band move intimate theaters to arenas.
Rush's fourth live album, Different
Stages is a good summation of these three releases, plus
more.
2112
A Farewell to Kings
Hemispheres
The seventh and
eight Rush studio releases
Rush-2112 +
Moving Pictures Classic Album Special Edition (DVD/BluRay/2CD)
- This Deluxe Edition features the Blu-ray of 2112 & Moving
Pictures Classic Albums, along with the audio CD of both
of the albums.