Let's continue our new feature here at SoundStageDirect (look for this every Friday), music reviews that are written by the senior contributing editor of Stereophile magazine- Michael Fremer. It has been a pleasure to speak with Michael and learn more about audio sound and equipment. In fact, his new DVD, "It's A Vinyl World, After All" has hit the shelves and is selling out very quickly. This is a must have for anybody who loves vinyl, it is a true masterpiece.
ALBUM REVIEW: The Beatles (new reissue) The Beatles Boxes: Stereo and Mono
Parlophone/Apple stereo and mono box sets
Produced by: George Martin Engineered by: Norman Smith, Geoff Emerick Mixed by: various mixers Mastered by: various mastering engineers Reissue produced by: various producers
Review by: Michael Fremer 2009-11-01
The Beatles Remasters: A Splendid Time Is Guaranteed For Most
How bad were the original Beatles CDs issued back in 1987? So bad that even the clueless conditioned to believe that CDs represented an automatic sonic step up from vinyl noticed something was terribly wrong.
Amusing to some observers was the nature of the complaints: they sound tinny, they sound flat, they sound thin and bright, they?re harsh and edgy, where?s the warmth? etc.
Why did it take The Beatles for these folks to notice how bad almost every attempt at re-mastering great analog recordings to CD sounded?
I can?t name a single CD reissue back then that sounded as good as the original LP version, never mind any that sounded better, yet the same folks who chucked their LPs and were happily munching on their crispy CDs somehow heard all of the problems with the 1987 Beatles CDs they might have heard with all of their CDs had they paid more attention.
Leave it to the mythical Beatles to pull down the CD format?s digital pants and expose its, er, shortcomings. Not surprising since the group has held a special place in the hearts, minds and souls of generations and not surprising considering how well recorded the albums were?even the ?primitive? early ones, thanks to the EMI studios, engineers Norman Smith and Geoff Emerick and of course producer George Martin.
Add low rent, almost dismissive packaging for such hallowed musical ground and the curious decision to issue the first four in mono only, when both mono and stereo versions would have fit on a single disc and you have a truly shitty reissue program, one that thumbed EMI?s corporate nose at both the surviving Beatles and especially the group?s fans.
The New Remasters
As reported elsewhere on this site and all over the media, this time EMI was determined to do a much better job and by any standard they have, both in terms of the sonics and especially the packaging.
The stereo box is deluxe in every way, with gatefolded digi-pak style jackets, original label artwork, previously unseen photos and Quick-Time mini-documentaries accompanying each disc. An additional disc holds all of the documentaries so you can watch all of them without having to go through the individual discs. In addition to the original releases, the set includes a double CD of singles and EPs not appearing on the original UK sets, which usually omitted the singles.
One curious move was the decision to use George Martin?s 1987 re-mixes of Rubber Soul and Help! instead of the original stereo mixes. These were digitized at 16 bit/44.1K resolution using what today would be considered stone aged A/D converters.
So if anyone tells you that the ?new? Rubber Soul and Help! reissues sound so much better than the 1987 issues, ask them what they weren?t smoking. Surely, mood enhanced they?d notice they were listening to the same mixes, only perhaps a bit louder and punchier due to the touch of compression applied to all of these stereo reissues.
Ironically, if you want to hear the original stereo mixes of Rubber Soul and Help! transferred without compression you?ll need to buy the mono box! Yes, the producers chose to tack the original stereo mixes onto the mono CDs of these two albums. More about that later.
The compression applied is so minor it?s not worth worrying about. Yes, these reissues do sound a bit ?punchier? and ?louder,? but overall the reissue producers have not messed around much with what was on the tapes that they transferred at 192K/24 bit resolution, with one notable exception: clearly they?ve boosted the bass on every one of these stereo masters and I don?t write that simply because I?m used to the LPs and perhaps the LPs had their bass slightly rolled off. I?ve heard the master tape of Sgt. Pepper?s Lonely Hearts Club Band and there?s more bass on these reissues than I remember hearing on that tape.
On a full range playback system, one that?s reasonably flat to 20Hz, the added bass, though tastefully done, can become oppressive after a while, but for most listeners both the added bottom and the ?pop? provided by the compression will sound like pleasing ?fresheners? instead of deal breakers. Don?t worry: these reissue do not sound like the ?modernized? abomination that was 1.
What excites most listeners about the new reissues is the return of the tactile, warm sound, or some of it at least, found on the original LPs. These CDs do sound really good, with some expression of instrumental textures, depth and inner detail resolution. For folks who grew up on the ?87 CDs and who haven?t touched base with the original vinyl (or any vinyl since 1987), these CDs are a revelation.
They are as good as one can expect from CDs but surely the process of reducing 192k/24 transfers to 44.1k/16 has taken a toll on various aspects of the sound because the original UK vinyl still beats these CDs in most ways, by a narrow margin in some and by a much wider one in others.
For instance, on the cover of Buddy Holly?s ?Words of Love,? there?s a particular ring to the high pitched electric guitar lines that one hears live and on the original LPs that just doesn?t register on the CD. The ring should jump out at you as it does live and on the LP. On the CD it remains boxed in physically and is tonally truncated. And yes, you can be an aging boomer whose hearing may not be what it once was, and yet still hear it.
The handclaps sound very good but they just don?t sound fleshy-real as they do on the LP, nor do they inhabit the separate space they do on the LP. Nor do the vocals project into 3D space. The harmonies, so easily split into separate voices on the LP fuse into one on the CD. John Lennon?s voice has a chilling quality that cuts through you on LP throughout the Beatles catalog. It?s lacking on the CD. You can feel Lennon alive on the other side of the mic on the LPs, you don?t derive the sensation on the CDs good as they are.
The CDs are genuinely pleasing to listen to physically and intellectually, the LPs sound even better and they take you for an emotional roller coaster ride the CDs just don?t. That?s not just my reaction: it?s what everyone who?s listened here heard, including people who don?t have an analog axe to grind.
On the other hand, the closer the digital comes to the analog?and these CDs come closer than most?the more the differences between the two formats assert themselves, for better or worse. Listening to these excellent sounding CDs with their jet black backdrops and ultra-cleanliness means that when you put the records on, while they do sound better, you just wish you could have the superior sound of one and the pristine perfection and black backdrops of the other! Previously, what was there on the CDs was so bad sounding, the black backdrops were hardly compensatory. BTW: Magical Mystery Tour is in real stereo like the German original.
So, will a Blu-ray set mastered at full 192K/24 bit resolution (maybe with the bass turned down a bit too?) produce near perfection and sound superior to clean original LPs? I don?t know, nor are we likely to find out as such a release has not been announced.
LPs are supposedly coming next year and since Sean Magee and Steve Rooke, two of the engineers who worked on the project also are expert lathe operators (they?ve cut for Pure Pleasure, Warner Brothers, Steve Albini and others) and since Abbey Road has a very good sounding DMM lathe and since the full resolution files are right there, why wouldn?t they use the 192K/24 bit masters to produce the LPs? As The Doors box proved, once you?re at that resolution, it?s almost analog.
In the case of The Doors, the deteriorated tapes made a one pass digital transfer a necessity. The Beatles tapes are in excellent condition and the original tapes could be used to cut from analog but at this point in time you can be the powers that be prefer consistently across format lines to religious purity, so don?t expect AAA, though we can hope, as we can hope for fold-over laminated cover art as well done as the fold-over, laminated mini-LP CD sleeves complete with facsimiles of the original inner sleeves found in the mono box.
The Mono Masters
Given a choice of one box or the other, I?d opt for the mono box. For one thing, the transfers were apparently done without compression or augmented equalization. They are what?s on the tape, though again, the 192k/24 bit masters have been squeezed through the redbook CD sausage machine. The mono packaging is more authentic as well. The Beatles for instance, features a miniature duplicate of the laminated, double gatefold ?top loader? fold-over jacket complete with black inner sleeves, individual color portraits and fold-open poster.
The ?stereo? mixes of the first two albums, with vocals on one side and instruments on the other, produced that way to allow for vocal/instrumental balance to be adjusted later, sound interesting on the stereo box, but they sound fuller and whole in mono.
A Hard Day?s Night sound better in stereo than mono in my opinion but the mono mix is fine too. I prefer Help in stereo too (the original mix found on the mono box for sure!) but not everyone agrees with that. For Sale is preferable in stereo too, but again, the mono mix offers its own pleasures.
As for Rubber Soul and Revolver the complexities of the arrangements required track bouncing. Track bouncing made a true stereo mix difficult so you a lot hard/left right stuff as on the first few albums, so overall the original mono mixes really are preferable but nostalgiacs whose genes are now encoded with the stereo mixes will probably stick with those, though the original stereo mix of Rubber Soul found on the mono box is preferable.
The mono mixes are strikingly different from the stereo ones, particularly on the later, more complex productions as anyone who has them on vinyl knows. More than just mix differences, are differing takes and parts that are highlighted in the accompanying booklet, though most of those are on the earlier albums. Some people revel in hearing and exposing these difference, like where John fluffs a lyric on one version and not the other, but that kind of thing has never excited me so you?ll have to look elsewhere for a catalogue of those.
Not many Beatles fans have heard Sgt. Pepper?s Lonely Hearts Club Band or The Beatles in mono. These are the mixes upon which the band members lavished their full attention and that will be obvious when you hear them?not that there?s anything whatsoever wrong with the stereo mixes. When I compared the original stereo Parlophone LP with the new stereo CD, it wasn?t even close: the record is richer, fuller and far more tonally pleasing. Ditto the mono LP vs the new CD.
Oh, and you also get the original stereo mixes of Rubber Soul and Help! transferred from analog at 192k/24 bit, which you don?t get in the stereo box. Needless to say those two sound much better than the remixes found on the stereo box.
The Verdict
Both the packaging and sound of these two sets (the stereo albums are available separately) are digitized editions finally worthy of The Beatles. The packaging is superb, great care went into the mastering, which attempted to bump up the sound for modern ears without ruining the ride for those used to the original sound. In that the team has mostly succeeded.
The packaging of both boxes is truly deluxe and any Beatle fan, even those who own all of the original UK vinyl, will want to have these sets for the packaging enhancements alone.
Hopefully higher resolution digital and/or analog will follow. Sure, I?d prefer new vinyl cut from the analog originals and we can all lobby for it, but I doubt it will happen.
Atlanta metal monsters Mastodon have already released their crust-prog opus Crack the Skye as one badass special edition, but next month, they'll turn it into another big box. Crack the Skye's "Royal Edition" is available only from Mastodon's website, and it'll ship on December 15. And it's pretty fancy.
The Royal Edition will include both the full-length Crack the Skye album on CD and the Crack the Skye score on a second CD. You'll also get an exclusive lithograph (the first few of which will be signed by the band) and instant downloads of live versions of "Divinations" and "Colony of Birchmen". It'll all come in a gold-stamped foiled digi-book with new art from longtime Mastodon cover artist Paul Romano.
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New Interpol Album Coming Next Year
Interpol haven't released a new album since 2007's middling Our Love to Admire. Since then, the members of the band have been pretty busy with extracurricular activities: singer Paul Banks' solo project Julian Plenti, bassist Carlos D's short film, drummer Sam Fogarino's band with Swervedriver's Adam Franklin, Magnetic Morning.
Now, Fogarino tells Paste that the snappily dressed NYC brooders spent spring 2009 recording a new album, which is due for release via Capitol early next year
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Eminem Releasing Relapse The Refill Instead of Relapse 2 in December
Eminem will release Relapse: The Refill and not Relapse 2 ?on December 21st, the rapper announced on his official website yesterday. The Refill will include the entire Relapse, plus seven songs that didn?t make the album. The DJ Hero exclusive ?Taking My Ball? and the Drake/Lil Wayne/Kanye/Eminem collaboration ?Forever? will be included on Refill, Rap-Radar reports, with the other five songs being previously unreleased.
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Starr and McCartney Duet on New Ringo Album
The new Ringo Starr album is a star-studded affair, with a visit from the only surviving Beatle as well as other famous musicians.
McCartney shares the lead on the albums first single, "Walk With You," which was composed by Starr and Van Dyke Parks and plays bass on the cut "Peace Dream."
Starr told the story of the McCartney collaboration on "Walk With You" in a press release:
"Paul was doing the Grammys, so he came over to the house and was playing bass on Peace Dream. So I played him this other track and Paul said, ?Give me the headphones. Give me a pair of cans.? And he went to the mike and he just invented that part where he follows on my vocal. That was all Paul McCartney, and there could be nothing better."
Also included on the album, either performing and/or as a songwriter:
*Joe Walsh who co-wrote "Fill in the Blanks," the album's opener, and performs the song with Starr. *Joss Stone *Richard Marx *Ben Harper *Benmont Tench of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers *Dave Stewart *Glen Ballard
The album is produced by Ringo who said in his statement
"I was the least involved in the production of the Beatle records and then with my solo records, I worked with some other great producers like Richard Perry, Arif Mardin, and Don Was. So it just seemed like that's the way that it goes. Then suddenly, it's another point in your life, and you say, 'I'm going do this now.' So I'll be producing anything I make from now on."
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JORN, WINGER, DANGER DANGER Limited-Edition Picture Discs Due In January
Inner Wound Recordings has announced the first releases on the label. JORN's "Spirit Black", DANGER DANGER's "Revolve" and WINGER's "Karma" will all be made available as limited 12" picture-disc editions, strictly limited to 250 copies. A deal was inked with the Italian label Frontiers Records and the release date is set for January 21 for the three releases.
Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music and vinyl record collecting. He also serves as a contributor to SoundStageDirect, LLC at www.soundstagedirect.com. Mr. Benson also operates www.collectingvinylrecords.com, where you can download a FREE copy of his ebook entitled "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting."
Norman Greenbaum (1970 hit "Spirit in the Sky") - (1942)
Mike Vernon - leading producer of the British blues boom in the late '60s (Vernon produced discs by John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack, Duster Bennett, Savoy Brown, and Ten Years After) (1944)
Roy Stiles - Mud (1946)
George Grantham - Poco (1947)
Joe Walsh - James Gang and the Eagles (1947)
Gary Green - Gentle Giant (1950)
Robert Poss - Band of Susans (1956)
Jim Brown - UB40 (1957)
Gail Ann Dorsey - bass guitarist and vocalist. Worked with David Bowie from 1993-96, recorded and toured with Tears for Fears and has also worked with Bryan Ferry, Boy George, Gwen Stefani and Seal (1962)
Todd Nance - Widespread Panic (1962)
Mike D (real name Michael Diamond) Beastie Boy - (1965)
Sen Dog - Cypress Hill (1965)
Rapper Q- Tip (1970)
David Marchand (Davey Havok) - AFI (1975)
Jared Followill - Kings Of Leon (1986)
They Are Missed:
Born today in 1946, Duane Allman, guitar, Allman Brothers Band. Killed in a motorcycle accident on 29th October 1971.
Allan Sherman, the great comedian/songwriter whose album "My Son, the Folksinger," sold well over a million copies in the early sixties, died of respiratory ailments in 1973. He was 48.
Born on this day in 1966, Kevin Gilbert, multi instrumentalist, songwriter, Member of Giraffe, worked with Sheryl Crow, co- wrote "All I Want To Do." (died on May 17, 1996)
History:
In 1954, the bartenders' union in Hammond, IN, asked a local radio station, WJOB-AM, to stop playing the song "The Drunken Driver" by Ferlin Husky ? about a drunken driver who kills two children ? because it was hurting business. Amazing.....
The song that changed popular music history 'Rock Around The Clock' by Bill Haley & His Comets went to #1 on the UK singles chart in 1955. The song was used under the opening credits of the film Blackboard Jungle. The song entered the charts a further six times until 1974.
Also in 1955, Bo Diddley appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show television show. The show had requested that he sing his version of "Sixteen Tons," but, when he appeared on stage, he sang his own song "Bo Diddley," resulting in him being banned from further appearances on the show.
Alan Freed, refusing to say he never accepted payola, was fired from WABC television in New York in 1959.
In 1961, Billboard reported on the global Twist Craze: WOR-TV, New York, has shot a series of one and five minute "Twist Lessons" with Chubby Checker to be shown hourly every day. Checker has also been inked for a British-American film production; Joey Dee & the Starlighters, whose album, "Doin' the Twist at the Peppermint Lounge" was released this week, have signed for the Paramount film, "Hey, Let's Twist"; Dion has signed to star in Columbia's "Twist Around the Clock"; and in France there are 45 different "Twist" records on the the market. Let's all twist!
Bob Dylan began recording his self-titled debut album in 1961.
The Four Seasons' "Big Girls Don't Cry" was released on Vee Jay Records in 1962. It goes up to #1, as does their first hit, "Sherry." Both songs feature lead singer Frankie Valli's falsetto.
Simon and Garfunkel's "Sound of Silence" was released in 1965.
In 1967, the Beach Boys "Smiley Smile" album featuring the song "Vegetables," produced by Paul McCartney and the Beach Boys, was released in the UK on Capitol Records and in the US on the band's own Brothers label. Unfortunately, the album doesn't make it to the top 40 in either country and the single would not chart at all, demonstrating the Beach Boys dwindling popularity and sending leader Brian Wilson further into reclusiveness.
Also in 1967, Time Magazine, reviewing the Doors second album, "Strange Days," reported that the group's music "takes its listeners not only past such familiar landmarks of the youth odyssey as alienation and sex but, into symbolic realms of the unconscious ? eerie night worlds filled with throbbing rhythms, shivery metallic tones, unsettling images." Umm, OK, smoke some more of whatever you are smoking.....The album will soon hit #3 on the national chart.
Strawberry Alarm Clock were at #1 on the US singles chart in 1967 with "Incense And Peppermints."
The Monkees film 'Head' opened in six US cities in 1968. Reviews were harsh and the picture was a box office disaster.
For the second time in 1970, Kinks singer Ray Davies flew to London to re-record one word in a new Kinks' single. Back in June it was to change "Coca-Cola" to "Cherry Cola" in the song "Lola." This time, Ray has to change a line from "Apeman," "The air pollution is a-foggin' up" which sounds too much like "a-fuckin."
In 1971, "Inner City Blues" became the third R&B #1 single from Marvin Gaye's, "What's Goin' On" album. The others are the title track and "Mercy, Mercy Me." The LP represents the first time a major Motown artist has taken a public stand on controversial social issues.
"Theme from Shaft" by Isaac Hayes became his only U.S. chart-topping single in 1971
Also in 1971: Led Zeppelin played the first of two "Electric Magic" shows at London's Wembley Empire Pool. The shows incorporated trapeze artists, performing pigs, and vaudeville performers with Bronco, Stone the Crows, and the headliners. Tickets for the shows sold out in four minutes. Why not? It's a circus!
In 1975, drummer Keith Moon collapsed twice during the first date of the Who's US tour, in San Francisco. First, he falls over his set during "Won't Get Fooled Again." Then after being tended to backstage, Moon plays for another ten minutes before he's carried off again, allegedly due to 'jet lag.' So, Pete Townsend asks for a volunteer from the crowd to replace him. The volunteer is Scot Halpin, then 19, who takes a shot of brandy and sits down at his idol Moon's drum kit. Halpin lasts for 3 songs, "Smokestack Lightning," "Naked Eye" and the anthem "My Generation."
George Harrison performed on Saturday Night Live (hosted by Paul Simon) in 1976. During the show, producer Lorne Michaels makes an appeal for the Beatles to re-form, saying he will pay them the union minimum to play on his show. Paul McCartney is currently staying with John Lennon at the Dakota and both see Michaels' plea, but they don't take him up on the jesting offer.
Manfred Mann's Earth Band's "Blinded by the Light" was released in 1976.
Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer were at #1 on the US singles chart in 1979 with "No More Tears, Enough Is Enough."
Prince's third movie, "Sign 'O' The Times" opened in 1987.
The Rolling Stones signed a $45 million deal with Virgin Records in 1991, making them rock's highest paid group thus far.
A new Beatles recording, "Free As a Bird," began airing on radio stations in 1995. The song had debuted on ABC-TV the night before.
In 1998 - Alanis Morissette did an in store performance for the opening of a Tower records store in Buenos Aires. The proceeds from the sale of her album for the day were donated to a local children's hospital.
The Kiss Deluxe Edition 5 disc box set was released in 2001. The set included 92 tracks.
Madonna's childhood home in Oakland County Michigan, sold at an auction in 2001, in just 12 minutes. The house, along with a few items of Rock memorabilia was purchased for $331,000.
In 2005, Robbie Williams smashed a Guinness World Record by selling more than 1.6 million tickets for his 2006 World Tour in one day.
U2 were profiled on CBS' 60 Minutes in 2005.
Also in 2005, the Foo Fighters released a six-track EP that's only available at Best Buy retailers. There's a live rendition of "Best of You," a demo version of "D.O.A." and a cover of Cream's "I Feel Free."
In 2007, Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke admitted he was among the thousands of people who paid nothing to download the band's latest album In Rainbows. Speaking to BBC 6 Music's Steve Lamacq, Yorke said: "There wasn't any point. I just move some money from one pocket to the other." According to one survey, three in five people paid nothing at all for it. Yorke added that no one was allowed to have copies of the master recording in case it was leaked beforehand.
Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music and vinyl record collecting. He also serves as a contributor to SoundStageDirect, LLC at www.soundstagedirect.com. Mr. Benson also operates www.collectingvinylrecords.com, where you can download a FREE copy of his ebook entitled "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting."
British blues legend John Mayall is familiar - or certainly should be - to anyone who has listened to blues music. Mayall's 50+ year career has resulted in nearly 60 albums (which does not include numerous compilations and collections) and a constantly rotating group that has been a who's who of blues and rock practitioners. Artists who have moved through the Bluesbreakers and later Mayall bands include Eric Clapton, Clapton's fellow Cream compatriot Jack Bruce, former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor, Fleetwood Mac founders Mick Fleetwood, John McVie and Peter Green, Free's Andy Fraser and guitarists Coco Montoya and Walter Trout.
Mayall is now in his mid-70s but on listening to his latest sojourn, Tough, its evident that a few things have stayed consistent throughout Mayall's multi-decade musical journey. One: Mayall believes the blues is a vital form of expression and a living experience. Two: Mayall continues his long history of working with and/or developing notable blues musicians. Three: his brand of blues, while not progressive, does give the people what they want.
On this 11-track outing, Mayall has formed a sharp-edged quintet. Texas guitar icon Rocky Athas has been a big draw on the blues circuit since the '70s and worked alongside Queen's Brian May, Stevie Ray Vaughan and has been a member of southern boogie aces Black Oak Arkansas. Chicago-based bassist Greg Rzab has previously played with Mayall, has backed Buddy Guy and appeared with or recorded with The Black Crowes and others. Rzab, in turn, recommended fellow Windy City drummer Jay Davenport, who has gigged with various northern blues colleagues. Keyboardist Tom Canning is a long-time Bluesbreakers alum and has done sessions with too many artists to list here. Together, this is one convincing blues-rock assemblage.
Mayall and his newest gathering galvanize through songs that look at fate, regret, the struggle of life and love, and finally redemption. Thematically its typical blues fare, from pain to hope, and Mayall manages to bring out the best on what could have been a set of cliched blues tropes.
While Mayall only wrote 3 compositions, they are top notch pieces. His autobiographical "Slow Train to Nowhere" is a heartfelt examination of the futility of hard partying and drinking at every bar in town, highlighted by Athas' piercing guitar lines and a keyboard duet between Mayall and Canning. The out-and-out rocker "That Good Old Rockin' Blues" unapologetically praises upbeat electric blues and old-fashioned rock and roll as it discards rap, modern rock and other contemporary genres, with strong contributions coming from Mayall's Southside Chicago-styled harmonica, Athas' riffing six-string and a bouncing groove provided by Davenport and Rzab. Mayall's most effective conception, though, is the album's lengthiest cut, the low-down slow blues stimulator "Tough Times Ahead," a commentary on the debilitated economy, and the loss of jobs and homes, but which is nevertheless cloaked with an underlying optimism. Athas again supplies unadorned but potent guitar solos.
Mayall gets funky on "Just What You're Looking For," a Peter Harper mediation on how drugs, money and other temptations can lead toward self-deception and misguided dependence. While the others keep a loose groove, Canning and Mayall wield dueling Hammond B-3 organs. Another winner is Curtis Salgado's closer, "The Sum of Something," an easy-loping, 12-bar shuffle that has a life-affirming naturalness brought alive via Athas' guitar, rollicking drums, jazzy organ and a trace of juke joint piano.
The weakest portion of Mayall's releases is his voice, which often cannot carry the emotive weight of the lyrics and rarely match his and other players' instrumental prowess. Mayall sings satisfactorily throughout Tough, but his vocals lack a prominent bite or a passionate pulse. As others have noted, Mayall is no Robert Johnson or Otis Rush. On Tough, Mayall does not re-invent the music that has influenced him, but ultimately this approximately hour-long effort showcases an excellent band that furnishes just the sort of accustomed electric blues-rock that fans can enjoy.
TrackList:
1. Nothing to Do with Love 2. Just What You're Looking For 3. Playing with a Losing Hand 4. An Eye for an Eye 5. How Far Down 6. Train to my Heart 7. Slow Train to Nowhere 8. Numbers Down 9. That Good Old Rockin' Blues 10. Tough Times Ahead 11. The Sum of Something
The Bouncing Souls Release Fourth and Final 20 Year Anniversary 7-Inch
2009 has been an important and busy year for New Jersey natives, THE BOUNCING SOULS. They've celebrated 20 years of vibrant, heartfelt punk rock, with plenty of special treats for fans old and new.
It was almost 16 years ago that THE BOUNCING SOULS put out their first album on their very own Chunksaah Records, and in a true return to the DIY spirit in which they began, THE BOUNCING SOULS have self-released a new 7? every third month of 2009 on Chunksaah, now handing us their fourth and final of the year.
The Bouncing Souls' latest 7-inch release was produced by Ted Hutt (Gaslight Anthem, Flogging Molly, Street Dogs) with cover artwork collaboration between Bouncing Souls bassist, Bryan Kienlen, and Arturo Vega, artistic director for The Ramones. Pressing Info: Mailorder: 800 pcs - black and white vinyl / Tour: 1000 pcs - black and red splatter / Retail: 1000 pcs - white vinyl
TRACK LISTING: 1. Like the Sun 2. Big Eyes 3. When You're Young / Never Say Die 4. Ghosts On The Boardwalk (acoustic)
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AEROSMITH Bandmates Fear STEVEN TYLER Is 'Struggling Very Badly'
The Pulse of Radio reports: The AEROSMITH drama continues as the rest of the band considers potentially moving forward without frontman Steven Tyler, amid rumors that the singer has gone back to the bad habits that nearly derailed him and the band in their early days. AEROSMITH guitarist Brad Whitford doesn't count out the possibility that Tyler has lapsed back into using drugs, as he told The Pulse of Radio. "This guy has a tremendous history of drug abuse, and you have to be suspicious that this is something that is probably going on with him," he said. "I think that that's got to be a part of this irrational behavior, you know. You're supposed to ? people in recovery and stuff, if you're really doing it, it takes a lot of work. Historically or statistically, the majority of people in that situation don't make it. I have a feeling we might be looking at, you know, someone who's just really struggling very badly with this."
Tyler has been estranged from the band since August, when he fell from a stage in South Dakota and forced the group to cancel the rest of its summer tour.
The other members have revealed that Tyler has his own management, and that none of them have had any contact with him in months.
The singer told Classic Rock magazine several weeks ago that he wants to take two years off to work on "Brand Tyler."
Drummer Joey Kramer admits that the rest of the band aren't sure how to proceed, but says they all want to keep playing together: "You know, getting someone else is one of the questions. We all know that there's really no way to replace Steven, but we want to continue touring together. We even have a 40-year anniversary coming up and it's a milestone. We want to be able to celebrate it together and there's millions of fans out there that are dedicated to us."
Tyler joined guitarist Joe Perry onstage in New York last week while the latter was touring with his JOE PERRY PROJECT solo band, telling the crowd that he wasn't quitting AEROSMITH. Perry, however, said after the show that the band's problems were far from over.
Both Perry and Kramer specifically declined to discuss the rumors about Tyler's drug use, although Kramer told The Pulse of Radio he hopes his bandmate "gets some help."
For Aerosmith's sake, I hope he does too.
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Bon Jovi Claims Second Consecutive Number One Album
Bon Jovi has jumped to the top of the Billboard album charts with their new album, The Circle. The followup to 2007's Lost Highway is the second consecutive album for the group that has debuted at the top. Overall, the group has had four number one albums with their other two coming from the 80's (Slippery When Wet (1986) and New Jersey (1988)).
The Circle sold 163,000 copies in its first week of release, quite a bit lower than the 292,000 Lost Highway moved upon its debut.
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Stone Temple Pilots Postpone Tour Dates to Finish New Album
Stone Temple Pilots will spend the rest of 2009 in the studio. Scott Weiland and Co. have postponed the remaining U.S. dates on their tour to get to work on ?their highly anticipated record, which will be coming out in the early spring of next year,? the reunited band announced on their official Website.
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Ringo's new CD Y Not available on January 12
The new Ringo Starr album/CD will be entitled "Y Not". It will be released on Jan 12, 2010 on Hip-O/Universal Records.
This will be Ringo's 7th release for the Universal label. His first release was Scouse The Mouse Soundtrack (Polydor/Universal), followed by Vertical Man (Mercury/Universal), VH1 Storytellers (Mercury/Universal) and I Wanna be Santa Claus (Mercury/Universal). Rotogravure and Ringo The 4th were released on Polydor/Universal in the UK.
Reportedly, Gary Wright has commented that Paul McCartney plays bass on at least one track, and the album features some members of the last All-Starr Band, including Gary, Colin Hay and maybe Billy Squier.
Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music and vinyl record collecting. He also serves as a contributor to SoundStageDirect, LLC at www.soundstagedirect.com. Mr. Benson also operates www.collectingvinylrecords.com, where you can download a FREE copy of his ebook entitled "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting."
Let's continue our new feature here at SoundStageDirect: Ask "Mr. Music." Now in its 23rd year of syndication (1986-2009), Jerry Osborne's weekly Q&A feature will be a regular post every Wednesday from now on. Be sure to stop by Jerry's site (www.jerryosborne.com) for more Mr. Music archives, record price guides, anything Elvis, buy & sell collectibles, record appraisals and much more. I thank Jerry for allowing the reprints.
FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 16, 2009
DEAR JERRY:I bought ?Come Softly to Me,? by the Fleetwoods, the first time I heard it, and it was on the Dolphin label.
The next time I visited the record store, they had the same Fleetwoods record, but on a label that looked almost identical to my Dolphin copy; however, the name was changed to Dolton.
What is the story behind this sudden change? As a result, is one version more valuable than the other? ?Barry Duchan, Chapel Hill, N.C.
DEAR BARRY: Besides being the Fleetwoods founder, and co-writer of ?Come Softly to Me,? gracious Gretchen Christopher is also a long-time friend who is always willing to discuss the Fleetwoods.
As to the origin of Dolphin, Gretchen explains:
?When Bob Reisdorff, the Seattle-based record promoter first heard my home recording of ?Come Softly,? he said it would sell a million copies. I didn't know if he was joking or not, but it eventually did just that.?
But first they needed a record label, so Bob came up with Dolphin. He based his choice on nothing other than a love for dolphins. There was no lengthy thought or deliberation involved.
Not wanting even a hint of double entendre in the title, they expanded ?Come Softly? to ?Come Softly to Me.?
Continues Gretchen: ?In February 1959 ?Come Softly to Me,? the first release on the new label, became Dolphin No. 1. Ultimately, it would also be the last Dolphin record.
?Reisdorff began by having just a few hundred records made, some of which went to dee jays in western Washington, especially Bob's friends in the Seattle area.
?A wise move, since ?Come Softly to Me? quickly soared in the Seattle-Tacoma market. In just a few weeks, it held the No. 1 spot locally.
?With the increased demand for the single came the necessity for national distribution, so Bob arranged for that with Liberty Records in L.A.
?Second Dolphin pressings of ?Come Softly to Me? reflect this arrangement by stating ?Distributed by Liberty Record Sales Corp? on the labels.
?Our sudden success resulted in a great deal of mail from fans, along with one unanticipated letter from Doubleday book publishers in New York. Turns out they, since 1955, owned a record company named Dolphin, which we didn't know about at the time. Doubleday asked Reisdorff to change the name of his label.?
If that weren't motivation enough, there were rumblings that Dolphin's record store in Los Angeles may try to stop the Fleetwoods' use of the name.
Rather than devote time, energy and finances to this mess, Bob kept the D-O-L and the N, added a TO, and their new name became Dolton ? a unique word with no meaning or significance whatsoever.
Other than the name change, nothing else about the printed label changed. Even the three-fish Dolphin logo remained unchanged.
Meanwhile, Liberty responded to the brouhaha by issuing ?Come Softly to Me? on the parent label (Liberty 55188).
Beginning with the group's second record, ?Graduation's Here? (Dolton 3), their next 20 singles (Nos. 3 through 315) came out on Dolton. All but five made the national charts between 1959 and '65.
?Come Softly to Me,? issued on Dolphin and Liberty, does not exist on Dolton. It remains the only record ever released on Reisdorff's Dolphin label.
I can't think of another nationwide No. 1 hit on a label that made only that one record.
Copies of the first Dolphin pressing, with no mention of distribution by Liberty, are in the $30 to $50 range. They are mostly found in Washington.
Since a million or more sold with ?Distributed by Liberty Record Sales Corp.,? they can easily be had for around $10.
The Liberty single comes in both mono ($15 to $25), and a rare stereo single ($50 to $75).
Rarest of the bunch is the first Canadian pressing (London 17056) on 78 rpm, which came out with the original title ?Come Softly? ($150 to $250) ? a variation not found on any U.S. issues.
IZ ZAT SO? While speaking with Gretchen, I asked about the different addresses shown at the bottom of the Dolphin and Dolton labels. Here's what we now know:
Dolphin No. 1, and Dolton 2 through 13, show the address as ?708-6th Ave. No., Seattle 9, Washington.?
Since Dolton did not yet have an office, they used the location of Northwest Record Distributors. This gave customers a source where orders could be placed.
On Dolton 14 through 30, the address changes to ?422 Union St., Seattle 1, Washington U.S.A.?
Dolton finally got their own office, conveniently in the same building as Northwest Recording Studio, where the Dolton artists recorded.
Jerry Osborne answers as many questions as possible through this column. Write Jerry at Box 255, Port Townsend, WA 98368, e-mail: jpo@olympus.net, or visit his Web site: www.jerryosborne.com. All values quoted in this column are for near-mint condition.
Copyright 2009 Osbourne Enterprises- Reprinted By Permission
John Parr - (1985 #1 single "St Elmo's Fire") (1954)
Charles Williams - KC and the Sunshine Band (1954)
Kim Wilde (1960)
Kirk Hammett - Metallica (1962)
Tim DeLaughter - Tripping Daisy (1965)
Duncan Sheik (1969)
Rapper Fabolous (1977)
They Are Missed:
Memphis blues singer and musician Herman 'Junior' Parker died in 1971 (age 39) during surgery for a brain tumor. Parker was discovered in 1952 by Ike Turner, who signed him to Modern Records. Parker then signed to Sun Records in 1953.
Danny Whitten died of a drug overdose in 1972 (age 29). Member of Neil Young's Crazy Horse and writer of "I Don't Wanna Talk About It," covered by Rod Stewart, Rita Coolidge and Everything But The Girl. Whitten was later memorialized in Neil Young's anti-drug album, Tonight's the Night, released in 1975.
Songwriter Johnny Mercer, whose more than 1,500 songs included such classics as "One for My Baby" and "Blues in the Night," was born in Savannah, Georgia in 1909 (died June 25, 1976)
Hi-de-hi-de-hi-de-hi bandleader Cab Calloway died in 1994. The "Minnie the Moocher" singer was 86. (born December 25, 1907)
Born today in 1936, Don Cherry, jazz musician, stepdaughter & father of Neneh and Eagle Eye Cherry (died October 19, 1995).
Texas music legend Doug Sahm was discovered dead in a hotel room in Taos, N.M. in 1999. His biggest hit was "She's About a Mover" with the Sir Douglas Quintet (born November 6, 1941).
Born on this day in 1936, Hank Ballard, singer/songwriter, wrote 1960 #1 hit for Chubby Checker "The Twist" (died March 2, 2003)
Composer and orchestral arranger Michael Kamen died of a heart attack in London in 2003 (age 55). Worked with Pink Floyd, Queen, Eric Clapton, Roger Daltrey, Aerosmith, Tom Petty, David Bowie, Rush, Metallica and many others. Kamen also co-wrote Bryan Adams' ballad "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You."
Celebrity publicist Paul Wasserman died in 2007 of respiratory failure (age 73). His clients included the Rolling Stones, The Who, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Paul Simon, Tom Petty and James Taylor. His career ended in 2000, when he was jailed for six months for swindling some of his friends by falsely claiming to be selling shares in investment schemes that he said were backed by stars like U2.
History:
Fats Domino appeared on the Ed Sullivan show in 1956 singing his hit "Blueberry Hill."
In 1963, the Beatles received silver LP discs for "Please Please Me" and "With the Beatles" at a ceremony held at EMI House in London. They also received a silver EP for "Twist and Shout" and a silver single for "She Loves You." The band then attend a cocktail party and a formal lunch in the EMI boardroom with company executives and invited guests.
Also in 1963, according to today's English newspapers, a priest requested the Beatles record a Christmas song. Manager Brian Epstein also issued a press release requesting fans not throw anything at the stage during the Beatles' concerts.
Pink Floyd released their third single, "Apples and Oranges," in 1967.
In 1968, Glen Campbell, a former session musician for Frank Sinatra, Nat "King" Cole and the Beach Boys, received two gold records - one for "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" and one for "Gentle On My Mind."
Jerry Lee Lewis and wife Myra Brown were divorced in Memphis in 1970. Brown claims her marriage "has turned into a nightmare." The marriage started with controversy: she is his cousin and was just fourteen when they married.
Cat Stevens started a three-week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1972 with the LP "Catch Bull At Four."
Bruce Springsteen made his live debut in the UK at London's Hammersmith Odeon in 1975.
Seminal punk rockers Richard Hell and the Voidoids made their debut at CBGB's New York in 1976.
Billy Joel?s ?52nd Street,? containing ?My Life? and ?Big Shot,? began an eight week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1978.
The B-52's self-titled debut went gold in 1980. The group was indirectly responsible for John Lennon's return to music later in the year: when Lennon heard the B-52's, he realized the time was right to get back into music.
In 1983, R.E.M. made their first appearance outside the US when they appeared on Channel 4 UK TV show "The Tube." The following night they made their live UK debut when the played at Dingwalls, London.
U2 opened for itself in 1987? pretending to be a country-rock group called the Dalton Brothers ? during a concert in Los Angeles.
Songwriter Diane Warren had the #1 and #2 singles on the US chart in 1989 with "When I See You Smile" by Bad English followed by "Blame It On the Rain," by Milli Vanilli.
Paul McCartney's birth certificate sold for $18,000 at an auction in 1990.
Nirvana recorded their MTV unplugged special at Sony Studios, New York in 1993.
The first live rock concert was streamed on the Internet in 1995 (twenty minutes of the Rolling Stones from Dallas, Texas).
John Denver's last recording, "The Unplugged Collection," was released in the US in 1997.
The AC/DC five-CD boxed set, "Bonfire" was released in the US in 1997.
Britney Spears scored her second #1 album in 2001 with "Britney."
"Let It Be ... Naked," a version of the Beatles final album with Phil Spector's overdubs removed and an altered track-listing lands in stores in 2003.
John Lennon's handwritten lyrics to the Beatles' "Nowhere Man" sold for over $300,000 at a New York auction in 2003.
Blink 182?s self-titled album "Feeling This" was released in 2003.
Following allegations of sexual abuse of a 12-year old boy, police raided Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch in 2003. Jackson denied the allegations, the search came on the day that his latest greatest hits album, 'Number Ones' was released in the US.
The Johnny Cash biographical movie "Walk The Line" opened in 2005.
In 2005, AC/DC's Angus Young topped Maxium Magazine's list of the "25 greatest short dudes of all time." The 5-foot, 2-inch guitarist beat out the two inch taller Napoleon Bonaparte and former NBA guard Spud Webb, who is a majestic 5-foot, 7-inches.
Nickelback?s sixth studio effort, "Dark Horse" was released in 2008.
Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music and vinyl record collecting. He also serves as a contributor to SoundStageDirect, LLC at www.soundstagedirect.com. Mr. Benson also operates www.collectingvinylrecords.com, where you can download a FREE copy of his ebook entitled "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting."
Vinyl records have long been considered a dinosaur in the modern music world, an ancient relic of our parents and grandparents? memories. In this day and age where even CDs are slowly being phased out and forgotten, it would seem there would be little hope for vinyl in a culture that values portability and ease when it comes to technology.
But the world of vinyl is undergoing a revival that is saving the format from total extinction. Nielsen Soundscan data shows that vinyl record sales topped two million units last week alone, a roughly 37 percent improvement from 2008 sales. Sales are on target to reach their highest mark since 1991, with genres like alternative and classic rock selling the most. The medium has gained some considerable momentum from the mid-to-late 90s when it was a format mostly utilized by underground musicians and DJs. Now many popular mainstream artists release their music on vinyl that comes with digital downloads of the tracks, giving fans a bigger bang for their buck.
Vinyl records and record players are no longer a thing of the past, and they have grown increasingly popular amongst the college crowd and those with a real passion for hearing music in its truest analog form. Retro-chic hipsters are flocking to independent record stores like Amoeba Records or Rasputin Music to browse the aisles overflowing with records from every genre and artist imaginable.
But it?s not clear if this vinyl comeback is being caused by those who see records as simply something kitschy and nostalgic much like Polaroid cameras, another technological treasure revived by the hipster set. Just go down to your local Urban Outfitters and you can see classic portable record players on sale, along with records by artists like MGMT, Sonic Youth and Fleet Foxes.
Undoubtedly, a large part of the appeal of vinyl records is their nostalgic value; it?s hard to put on a record and not instantly feel transported to a time of Mods, hippies and disco dancers. The vinyl revival is a way for Generation Y-ers to reconnect with the glamorous decades of the 50s, 60s and 70s, years that we try to relive through our fashion sense and music taste.
I was initially ambivalent about this trend when I first noticed it gaining popularity. I had not yet been ?converted? to the way of the record player, and was quick to dismiss it as a fad that was being propagated by those trendy hipsters who embrace all things vintage. As I did some research online, I felt myself being drawn in. Images of sitting on my bed on a rainy day, reading a good book while listening to an old Bob Dylan record dreamily played out in my head.
Deciding to try it out for myself, I acquired a Crosley portable record player. Reminiscent of old leather suitcases from the 1950s, it truly had a vintage feel to it that was irresistible. I couldn?t wait to pop in a record and hear for myself what all the fuss was about. A classic album like ?Sgt. Pepper?s Lonely Hearts Club Band? seemed like the most logical place for a vinyl newbie for me to start.
Once the needle dropped on the thick black plastic, the faint baselines and drum-beats emerged. From that first rocking guitar riff of ?Sgt. Pepper?s Lonely Hearts Club Band? to the sultry, sitar-drenched ?Within You, Without You?, and to the cacophonous orchestral explosion ending of ?A Day in the Life,? I was completely absorbed in the music. There was something hypnotic about watching the record spin, as the grooves in the plastic slowly blur and fade. The subtle scratches, static and crackling sounds only added to the listening experience.
This is where vinyl truly trumps digital music. The rich and nuanced sound quality of analog recording is something that can?t be replicated by CD recording or MP3s. Vinyl records have grooves carved into them that mirror the original sound?s waveform, which means that no information from the original sound is lost. The science behind it gets even more technical but it basically proves that analog, vinyl recordings are the truest way of listening to music.
The most glaring disadvantage of vinyl record players, and one of the main reasons for their downfall, is their size and inconvenience. You can?t exactly take your turntable with you when you walk to class or go to the gym, and you can?t purchase individual songs with records, or listen to as wide a variety of songs as easily as you can with MP3 players. These obvious factors have kept people away from vinyl for so long. For people our age who have been exposed to the ease of iPods since our early teens, it?s hard to imagine any other way of listening to music.
But nothing tops vinyl when it comes to quality. It?s not just the sound quality either. Listening to vinyl is an experience that enraptures all your senses; running your fingers along the delicate grooves of the plastic, studying the album artwork and watching the record endlessly spin are all parts of the experience that make vinyl records so fun.
It only took one album for me to see the light and realize that the newfound attention that vinyl is receiving is well-deserved and not merely a fad. I suggest that if you really love your music, treat yourself to the joy of vinyl and let yourself get lost in the music.
A special thank you to the author, Natasha Aftandilians for allowing me to reprint her wonderful article!
Some amazing music this week including the Paul McCartney, Good Evening New York City (2-CDs & DVD)release, Fall Out Boy?s Believers Never Die, Greatest Hits (CD & DVD), Morrissey , with Swords (2-CD deluxe edition) Rod Stewart ?s Storyteller (4-CD box set), Rush, Working Men, the band?s first "best-of" live performance compilation, the Doors - Live in New York (6-CD box set), and Sheryl Crow?s Tuesday Night Music Club (remastered 2-CD & DVD edition). Also look for new albums by Norah Jones (The Fall), John Mayer (Battle Studies), American Idol?s Kris Allen debut, new music from Leona Lewis (ECHO), Vic Chesnutt (Skitter on Take Off), Alexandre Desplat - The Twilight Saga New Moon - The Score and the debut self-titled album by Them Crooked Vultures.
Alejandro Escovedo checks in with a double LP reissue of A Man Under The Influence, 70?s rockers Yes reissues their LP Relayer on vinyl, Janet Jackson releases Number Ones (Greatest Hits), look for David Bowie?s Space Oddity on vinyl (remastered with bonus CD), four reissues by the Blood Brothers, Sun Ra - New Steps (remastered), some early Spandau Ballet - Heart Like A Sky/Through The Barricades as well as Atlantic Records-The Time Capsule (11-disc box set), Charisma Records Anthology 1969-1978 (3-CDs) and Score 20 Years of Merge Records - The Remixes. Look for lots of Christmas music next week and the weeks to come!
Buy All Your Music Here At SoundStageDirect!
13th Chime - The Lost Album A Fine Frenzy - Oh Blue Christmas A Grave With No Name - Mountain Debris Alejandro Escovedo - A Man Under The Influence- Deluxe Bourbonitis Edition (2-LP vinyl reissue with bonus tracks) Alexandre Desplat - The Twilight Saga New Moon - The Score Anberlin - Anberlin - The Anthology Annie - Don?t Stop Anthony Narvaez - Light Show & Audio Bad Lieutenant - Never Cry Another Tear (vinyl) Baroness - Blue Record (vinyl) Beak> - Beak> Bell Orchestre - As Seen Through Windows (vinyl) Bellflur - Last Quarter Of The 20th Century Blues Blood Brothers - Burn, Piano Island, Burn (reissue with bonus CD) Blood Brothers - Crimes (reissue with bonus CD) Blood Brothers - March on Electric Children (reissue) Blood Brothers - Young Machetes (reissue with bonus CD) Boyz II Men - Love Casting Crowns - Until the Whole World Hears Chairs - Nine Ways Chief - Mighty Proud Corey Smith - Keeping Up With The Jones Dan Zanes - 76 Trombones Dave Rawlings Machine - A Friend of a Friend David Bowie - Space Oddity (remastered with bonus CD) (vinyl) Devin Townsend - Addicted Doors - Live in New York (6-CD box set) Fall Out Boy - Believers Never Die - Greatest Hits (CD & DVD) Felt - Felt 3 A Tribute to Rosie Perez Forever the Sickest Kids - The Weekend Friday Hawksley Workman - For Him And The Girl Horrors - Whole New Way (vinyl) Janet Jackson - Number Ones (Greatest Hits) John Entwistle - Rigor Mortis Sets In (reissue with bonus tracks) John Mayer - Battle Studies Justin Bieber - My World Keane - Hopes and Fears (with bonus CD) Kid Harpoon - Once Kid Sister - Ultraviolet Kris Allen - Kris Allen Leona Lewis - ECHO Les Claypool Frog Brigade - Purple Onion (vinyl reissue) Lissie - Why You Runnin' EP (vinyl) Lovely Feathers - Fantasy Of The Lot (vinyl) Lovvers - Think EP Matt and Kim - Matt and Kim (vinyl reissue) Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - Summer of Fear (vinyl) Miles Davis - Live In Vienna 1973 Morrissey - Swords (2-CD deluxe edition) Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More Norah Jones - The Fall Nurse With Wound - Space Music (vinyl) OneRepublic - Waking Up Patrick Watson - Just Another Ordinary Day (reissue) Paul McCartney - Good Evening New York City (2-CDs & DVD) Rakim - The Seventh Seal Real Estate - Real Estate Robin Guthrie - Songs to Help My Children Sleep EP Rod Stewart - Storyteller (4-CD box set) Rush - Working Men (first "best-of" live performance compilation) Ryan Trevor - Introducing Ryan Trevor (vinyl) Sheryl Crow - Tuesday Night Music Club (remastered 2-CD & DVD edition) Spandau Ballet - Heart Like A Sky/Through The Barricades Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space (reissue) Steve Martin - The Crow New Songs for the Five-String Banjo (vinyl) Sun Ra - New Steps (remastered) Tape Deck Mountain - Ghost The Company Band - The Company Band The Fall - Hex Enduction Hour (remastered with bonus CD) Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures tUnE-yArDs - BiRd-BrAiNs Various Artists - Atlantic Records-The Time Capsule (11-disc box set) Various Artists - Forge Your Own Chains, Vol. 1 Psychedelic Ballads And Dirges 1968-1974 Various Artists - Hoodwinked Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Various Artists - Psychedelic States - Mississippi In The 60's Various Artists - Refugees Charisma Records Anthology 1969-1978 (3-CDs) Various Artists - Score 20 Years of Merge Records - The Remixes Various Artists - Trapped in a Scene UK Hardcore 1985-89 Vermillion Sands - Miss My Gun EP Vic Chesnutt - Skitter on Take Off (vinyl) We Shot the Moon - A Silver Lining Wingdale Community Singers - Spirit Duplicator Yello - Touch Yello Yes - Relayer (vinyl reissue)
Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music and vinyl record collecting. He also serves as a contributor to SoundStageDirect, LLC at www.soundstagedirect.com. Mr. Benson also operates www.collectingvinylrecords.com, where you can download a FREE copy of his ebook entitled "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting."
PAUL STANLEY Talks About KISS 'Guitar Hero' Track Pack
Legendary KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley discusses the band's "Guitar Hero" three-song track pack, the "Alive 35" tour and more in a podcast interview with MajorNelson.com, the official blog of Microsoft's Xbox Live. Larry Hryb, director of programming for Microsoft Xbox Live, conducted the interview. Check it out below.
Additionally, look for KISS to headline the "Guitar Hero" stage on November 19 with a three-song track pack that's sure to appease the KISS fan in everyone. The track pack will feature "Modern Day Delilah," the first single off the band's new album, "Sonic Boom," "Lick It Up," the title track from the group's 1983 album; and "I Was Made for Loving You," which was KISS's second gold single.
ALICE IN CHAINS On 'Later ... With Jools Holland'; More Performance Footage Available
ALICE IN CHAINS performed the songs "Lesson Learned" and "Black Gives Way to Blue" on this past Friday night's (November 13) edition of the iconic BBC2 television show "Later ... With Jools Holland." Watch the performances below.
"Later ... With Jools Holland" is a contemporary British music television show hosted by the energetic Jools Holland. A spin-off of "The Late Show", it's been running since 1992 and is a part of BBC2's late-night lineup. It features a mixture of both established and new musical artists, from solo performers to bands and larger ensembles.
"Black Gives Way To Blue":
"Lesson Learned":
Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music and vinyl record collecting. He also serves as a contributor to SoundStageDirect, LLC at www.soundstagedirect.com. Mr. Benson also operates www.collectingvinylrecords.com, where you can download a FREE copy of his ebook entitled "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting."
As always, a special thank you to Norm at http://ccdiscoveries.blogspot.com for this great data. Stop in and listen to their unique radio show Accidental Nostalgia with Norm & Jane On Radio Dentata - 60 minutes of rare records and nugatory narration. Every Tuesday 4PM PT/7PM ET, Sunday 9AM PT/12PM ET & Monday 12AM PT/3AM ET
Paul McCartney's historic three-night musical christening of New York's Citi Field, witnessed by 120,000-plus attendees and universally hailed as a concert experience for the ages, will be immortalized November 17 when Hear Music/Concord Music Group releases "Good Evening New York City". This momentous musical experience will be available in two formats: a 3-disc (2 CD + 1 DVD) standard edition and a 4-disc (2 CD + 2 DVD) deluxe version featuring expanded packaging and a bonus DVD including McCartney's traffic stopping, headline-making July 15 performance on the Ed Sullivan Theater marquee (including bonus numbers not aired on "The Late Show with David Letterman" broadcast).
The set will also be made available in high quality vinyl. Paul McCartney's July 17-21 Citi Field stand has already been unanimously hailed by critics and audiences alike as the concert experience of a lifetime. In any configuration, the 30+ songs and nearly 3 hours of music comprising Good Evening New York City are a must-have for attendees wishing to relive the July 17, 18 & 21 shows, those who couldn't get tickets and/or anyone interested in an audiovisual document of a living legend. Good Evening New York City marks McCartney's 2nd release for Hear Music. The first was 2007's highly acclaimed Memory Almost Full. The standard version of Good Evening New York City will be available at participating Starbucks company-operated locations in the U.S. and Canada and wherever music is sold.
As the inaugural musical event at Citi Field, the site of the former Shea Stadium, the July 2009 shows held special significance not only for McCartney but for generations of his fans. The shows were performed on the same hallowed ground that The Beatles, in 1965, played the 34-minute show that would set the precedent for the modern day stadium rock show--and where in 2008 McCartney joined Billy Joel for the final rock show before the original stadium's demolition. As documented on Good Evening New York City, "I'm Down" from the 1965 set list was revived for the Citi Field shows, albeit this time played through a PA that was not overpowered by screaming fans (though there were still several thousand who tried). Other highlights of Good Evening New York City include faithful takes on Beatles classics "Drive My Car," "Got To Get You Into My Life," "The Long And Winding Road," "Blackbird," "Eleanor Rigby," "Back In The USSR," "Paperback Writer," "Let It Be," "Hey Jude," "Helter Skelter" and more, plus "Something" rendered on ukulele gifted to Paul by George Harrison, and a tribute to John Lennon in the form of a medley of "A Day In The Life" and "Give Peace A Chance." Wings era chestnuts include "Band On The Run," "My Love," "Let Me Roll It" and the pyrotechnic tour de force of "Live And Let Die," while timeless McCartney solo material ranges from "Here Today" to the upbeat "Flaming Pie" and "Dance Tonight" to a pair of numbers from Electric Arguments, the 2008 album released under the alias of The Fireman.
The concert footage featured on Good Evening New York City standard edition features concert footage directed by Paul Becher, who has overseen live visuals for McCartney for some 200 performances and counting. The 33-song 2 hour 40 minute performances were shot in High Definition using 15 cameras and digital footage incorporated from 75 Flipcams handed out to fans over the course of the three night stand. The audio mix, in both stereo and 5.1, was handled by longtime McCartney engineer Paul Hicks, whose credits include the recent Beatles remasters, The Beatles Anthology, Let It Be... Naked and two Grammy awards for his mixing work on the Beatles' Love album.
The deluxe edition bonus DVD will feature footage of McCartney's July 15 performance on the outdoor marquee of the Ed Sullivan Theater, previously available only as a webcast on the Late Show with David Letterman website. The marquee set, which marked McCartney's return to the site of The Beatles U.S. television debut, generated front page headlines and literally stopped traffic as word of mouth generated a crowd that packed Broadway from Columbus Circle to Times Square.
Paul McCartney's July 17-21 Citi Field stand has already been unanimously hailed by critics and audiences alike as the concert experience of a lifetimeOn November 17, "Good Evening New York City" will document it for the ages.
Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music and vinyl record collecting. He also serves as a contributor to SoundStageDirect, LLC at www.soundstagedirect.com. Mr. Benson also operates www.collectingvinylrecords.com, where you can download a FREE copy of his ebook entitled "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting."
Pattie Santos - It's a Beautiful Day ("White Bird")(1949)
Gary 'Mani' Mounfield - Stone Roses (1962)
Diana Krall - Canadian singer, songwriter. Has become one of the best selling jazz artists of all-time. (1964)
David Kushner - Velvet Revolver (1965)
Bryan Abrams - Color Me Bad (1969)
They Are Missed:
Memphis soul singer O.V. Wright ("Ace of Spades") died in 1980 (age 41) after a long battle with drugs.
Dino Valente, who founded Quicksilver Messenger Service died in 1994.
Born today in 1916, Herb Abramson, producer, songwriter and co-founder of Atlantic records (died on November 9, 1999).
Grady Owen, guitarist with Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps died in 1999.
English pianist and composer Russ Conway died in 2000. Scored the 1959 UK #1 instrumentals "Side Saddle" and "Roulette," plus 17 other UK Top 40 hits.
In 2000, American rapper Joseph Calleja died of chronic intestinal disorder. Calleja had celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that can cause stunted growth, as a result, he reached a maximum height of 3 feet, 9 inches (114 centimeters) by adulthood. He was a member of Kid Rock's band.
German guitarist, violinist and composer Michale Karoli with German art-rock group Can died of cancer in 2001 (age 53).
History:
Elvis Presley's film debut, "Love Me Tender," opened in New York in 1956. Despite critical reaction, it takes in nearly $4 million in just two months.
In 1962, the Beatles recorded their second appearance on Radio Luxembourg, for the program 'The Friday Spectacular.' The Beatles were interviewed and they played in front of a live audience. Both sides of their latest single, "Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You" were performed.
Nino Tempo and April Stevens went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1963 with "Deep Purple."
The Animals recorded "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" in 1964.
In 1968, Led Zeppelin played their first ever show in the north of England when they appeared at Manchester College of Science & Technology.
B.J. Thomas' "Hooked On A Feeling" was released in 1968.
1968, the Jimi Hendrix Experience went to #1 on the US album chart in 1968 with 'Electric Ladyland.' The double album included "Crosstown Traffic," "Voodoo Chile" and "All Along the Watchtower" and featured guest appearances by Dave Mason, Steve Winwood and Al Kooper.
Led Zeppelin's debut, actually released in early 1969, finally went gold in 1971. By this time, the group is getting ready for their fourth album, 'Led Zeppelin IV.'
In 1973, David Bowie starred in his first TV special, "1980 Floor Show," broadcast here on NBC'S "Midnight Special." The special had been taped a month earlier at London's Marquee Club, a favorite of Bowie's who used to play there with his first band. It was one of the few clubs that would book him because they were considered "a very freaky band."
John Lennon was at #1 in the US singles chart in 1974 with "Whatever Gets You Through The Night" (his first solo #1 hit). Elton John played on the session and made a deal with Lennon that if the song reached #1, Lennon would have to appear on stage live with Elton. Lennon kept his side of the deal and appeared live with Elton. They played three songs together: "I Saw Her Standing There," "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" and "Whatever Gets You Through the Night." Backstage after the concert, Lennon got back with Yoko Ono after a temporary split.
In 1977, the Canadian trio Rush received three gold records for '2112,' 'All the World's a Stage' and 'A Farewell to Kings.' The group, which started out as a Led Zeppelin-inspired power trio, opted for a more experimental progressive direction on those LPs and found itself a sizable audience.
Queen played at Madison Square Garden in New York in 1978 with several semi-nude women bicycling on stage for their hit "Fat Bottomed Girls." Slow news day......
The Bee Gees, Peter Frampton and Billy Preston make their acting debuts as the 'acting' debuts as the movie version of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" opened in 1978.
The album ?Abracadabra,? with the catchy (obnoxious) title track, went platinum in 1982. Though it?s a huge seller, mercifully, it?s not the Steve Miller Band?s biggest album ? ?Fly Like An Eagle? still holds that honor.
Starship started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1985 with "We Built This City."
In 1987, former Clash drummer Topper Headon was jailed for 15 months at Maidstone Crown Court, England for supplying heroin to a man who later died.
In 1988, Stan Love, former Beach Boys manager and brother of lead singer Mike Love, was sentenced to 5 years probation for embezzling more than $300,000 from the group.
The Beatles' 'Anthology Volume 3' went to #1 on the American albums chart in 1996. The Beatles become the first act to have three #1 albums in a 12-month period.
Mase was at #1 on the US album charts in 1997 with 'Harlem World,' the rappers first #1 album.
In 2002, Texan multi-billionaire David Bonderman hired The Rolling Stones to play at his 60th birthday party held at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. The bands fee was $7.3 million.
Toby Keith was at #1 on the album chart in 2003 with 'Shock'n Y'all.'
In 2003, Kid Rock is named the Best Pop/Rock Male Artist at the American Music Awards. Linkin Park gets Best Alternative Performer.
In 2005, Kenny Chesney beat out 50 Cent to the #1 album spot, as the country star's 'The Road and the Radio' outsells the 'Get Rich or Die Tryin' soundtrack.
In 2006, Queen?s ?Greatest Hits? album was declared the Best Selling UK album of all time by The Official UK Charts Company. The chart which was made up of sales figures from the last fifty years showed their Greatest Hits compilation had sold 5,407,587 copies. The Beatles occupied second place with ?Sgt Pepper?s Lonely Heart?s Club Band.?
Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music and vinyl record collecting. He also serves as a contributor to SoundStageDirect, LLC at www.soundstagedirect.com. Mr. Benson also operates www.collectingvinylrecords.com, where you can download a FREE copy of his ebook entitled "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting."
DARKTHRONE's 'A Blaze In The Northern Sky' Vinyl Reissue Due In December
Peaceville Records will issue DARKTHRONE's "A Blaze In The Northern Sky" album on 180g heavyweight vinyl with gatefold sleeve in December.
"A Blaze In The Northern Sky", DARKTHRONE's second album, was originally issued in 1992 and was without question the blueprint release for the black metal scene.
An album that defined the now ubiquitous phrase "true norwegian black metal," it was hailed on release as an album of true scene shifting greatness.
The album saw a whole new blacker-than-black DARKTHRONE, new names, new sound and highly visual black and white artwork. Fenriz claimed, "This is the new DARKTHRONE, the old DARKTHRONE is dead".
So great was the hunger and need for DARKTHRONE that it meant absolutely nothing to critics and fans alike that the band hardly ventured out to play live. On the contrary, this only added to the mystique of the band, and saw them, in the eyes of the fans as very much "keeping it real."
This vinyl edition of the album is limited to 1,000 numbered copies and is issued on 180g heavyweight vinyl in a gatefold sleeve which features new liner notes written by Nocturno Culto especially for this release.
The album will ship on December 7.
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THEM CROOKED VULTURES' 'New Fang' Premiers On 'Rock Band' In Time For Debut Album
Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that THEM CROOKED VULTURES are premiering on Rock Band beginning next week with "New Fang", the single from the band's self-titled debut album. The song will be added to the Rock Band Music Store and LEGO Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and Wii.
"THEM CROOKED VULTURES are keenly aware of the different ways in which modern music fans digest new music and are therefore especially happy to be able to offer the first single from their self-titled debut up as a downloadable Rock Band game track on the same day the album goes on sale," stated THEM CROOKED VULTURES.
The debut self-titled album from THEM CROOKED VULTURES, comprised of Dave Grohl, Joshua Homme and John Paul Jones, will be released November 17 in the United States, the same day and date that "New Fang" will be available for Rock Band download on the Xbox 360. The band released the single as a free download for fans November 3 and has been streaming their full album on their web site, www.themcrookedvultures.com, since November 9. The band is touring the United States in November, and their December tour of the United Kingdom sold out in just 12 minutes.
THEM CROOKED VULTURES' "New Fang" will be available November 17 for the Xbox 360, November 24 for the Wii and December 3 for the PlayStation 3 in both the Rock Band Music Store and LEGO Rock Band Music Store.
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GWAR: Deluxe Edition Of 'America Must Be Destroyed' Crammed With DVD
"America Must Be Destroyed", GWAR's 1992 opus, can now be purchased in a special edition digipak that's also crammed with a DVD that includes the seminal GWAR films "Tour De Scum" and "Phallus In Wonderland". Never before have they all been available in one package for you to get your clammy human hands on!
The "America Must Be Destroyed" special edition is available everywhere now while GWAR continues to pummel audiences across North America on their headlining tour!
"Let Us Slay", the new video from GWAR, was shot in Richmond, Virginia by director David Brodsky (SUICIDE SILENCE, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WHITECHAPEL) and his MyGoodEye crew.
GWAR's new album, "Lust In Space", sold around 5,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 96 on The Billboard 200 chart.
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Asian Man details upcoming Matt Skiba solo record
Asian Man Records has announced more details on the upcoming solo album from Alkaline Trio guitarist/vocalist Matt Skiba. The album will be called Demos and is slated for a February 16, 2010 release. The label is promising to post new songs once the record is mastered and also remarked:
"The new Matt Skiba album "Demos" is getting mastered this week. 15 brand new songs. All songs were recorded over the past 10 months by Mr. Skiba in various avenues. Whether in his bedroom or while traveling, Matt recorded these songs originally as demos, but the songs are perfect as is. We couldn't ask for more. Anybody who loves the Alkaline Trio without the glossed over production will be incredibly happy with this final product. We plan on releasing various colors of vinyl and will be taking pre-orders sometime in DECEMBER"
Skiba last released a split CD with Kevin Seconds in 2002. Meanwhile, his Trio bandmate Dan Andriano has been playing solo shows under the name The Emergency Room, and Alkaline Trio are slated to self-release their next full-length sometime in the future.
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Missing Person's Singer Chargeed With Animal Cruelty
Dale Bozzio, lead singer for Missing Persons, has surrendered in Ossipee, New Hampshire to serve time on animal cruelty charges.
Last year, authorities found Bozzio's home filled with cats, both living and dead, while she was on tour. She was given the cruelty charges and sentenced to repay a $2,700 vet bill, spend 90 days in jail and serve 250 hours of community service.
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U2 Fined For Loud Shows
U2 were a little too loud, even for Dublin. MCD, the promoters for the group's July concerts, were fined $53,000 by the city for twelve breeches of the city's noise ordinance over their three nights of performing. These were the same shows that created such a controversy with neighbors of the stadium over the late-night building and tearing down of the U2 set.
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New Ringo LP?
The New York Examiner reported exclusively today that Ringo Starr will have a new album in January titled Y Not. The album is showing up on Amazon.com with a January 12 release but that is not official according to Ringo's press office.
Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music and vinyl record collecting. He also serves as a contributor to SoundStageDirect, LLC at www.soundstagedirect.com. Mr. Benson also operates www.collectingvinylrecords.com, where you can download a FREE copy of his ebook entitled "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting."
Accordionist Buckwheat Zydeco (real name Stanley Dural) (1947)
James Young - Styx (1949)
Barry Brandt - Angel (1951)
Steven Bishop (1951)
Frankie Banali - Quiet Riot (1953)
Alec John Such - Bon Jovi (1956)
Nic Dalton - Lemonheads (1964)
Joe Simmons, a.k.a "Run" of Run-D.M.C. (1964)
Stuart Stapels - Tindersticks (1965)
Jeannette Jurado - Expose (1965)
Brian Yale - Matchbox 20 (1968)
Brendan Benson - Raconteurs (1970)
Douglas Payne - Travis (1972)
Travis Barker - Blink 182 (1975)
They Are Missed:
A member of John Mellencamp's band, keyboardist John Cascella, was found dead in his car in Indiana in 1992. Authorities suspected that Cascella had a heart attack while driving.
Born today in 1936, Freddie Garrity, vocals, Freddie & The Dreamers, (1965 #1 single "I'm Telling You Now"). Died on May 19, 2006.
Born on this day in 1938, Cornell Gunter, The Coasters, (1958 #1 single "Yakety Yak") Gunter was murdered on 26th February 1990.
History:
Leonard Bernstein made his debut with the New York Philhamonic in 1943 when he filled in for the ailing Bruno Walter prior to a nationally broadcast concert. Bernstein was 25 years old and was an assistant conductor at the time.
A re-issue of Bill Haley & the Comets' "Rock Around the Clock" debuts, again, on the U.K charts in 1955. It's only the second of the song's five chart appearances. Others follow in 1956, 1968 and 1974.
Jerry Lee Lewis cuts his first tracks, including his debut single "Crazy Arms," for Sun Records in Memphis in 1956. It was credited to Jerry Lee Lewis and His Pumping Piano.
In 1960, Billboard reports Elvis Presley's "It's Now or Never" becomes the fastest selling single in U.K. history. It sold 780,000 copies in the first week of release.
Ray Charles went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1960 with "Georgia On My Mind." His cover of this Hoagy Carmichael's 1930 standard, became the first of three #1 hits for the singer.
The Elvis Presley film "Blue Hawaii" premiered in 1961.
The Beatles played the final show of a 14 night run at the Star-Club, Hamburg, West Germany in 1962
The Supremes' "Come See about Me" entered the Hot 100 in 1964, where it will remain for 14 weeks, eventually becoming their third release in a row to reach #1.
The single "Daydream Believer" by the Monkeys, went gold in 1967.
In 1969, "Sugar Sugar" by The Archies was at #1 on the UK singles chart. The single became the longest running one hit wonder in the UK with eight week's at the top of the charts. It was the first #1 performed by cartoon characters. Ummm, they didn't really sing, it was the voice of Ron Dante and others. The single was also very big in the US, going to #1 for four weeks that same year. The song was written by the song writing team of Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich (who also provided back up vocals). By the way, the cartoon characters names were Archie, Betty, Veronica, Reggie and the infamous Jughead.
Santana's "Black Magic Woman" was released in 1970.
'Gaucho,' Steely Dan's seventh album ? and last new music that will usher from them for 20 years ? was released in 1980. It yields a Top Ten single, "Hey Nineteen."
In 1987, Sonny & Cher appeared on Late Night with David Letterman and were prodded by Letterman into singing "I Got You Babe" on his show.
The soundtrack from the film 'Dirty Dancing' went to #1 on the US album chart in 1987.
In 1990, record producer Frank Farin fired Milli Vanilli singers Rob Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan because they were insisting on singing on their new album. Yeh, that'll work.....
Also in 1990, the Who's Pete Townshend confessed his bisexuality to Newsweek. Says Pete, "I know how it feels to be a woman because I am a woman. And I won't be classified as just a man." Ewwwwwww....
Over 1,000 New Kids On The Block 'fans' were given medical treatment after a minor riot during a concert in Berlin, Germany in 1991.
Michael Jackson's controversial 11-minute "Black or White" video debuts on television in 1991. It is a teaser for 'Dangerous,' his third #1 album in a row and the source of seven more hit singles.
R. Kelly released his self-titled second album in 1995, featuring the singles "Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)" and "You Remind Me of Something." It topped the Billboard 200.
Marilyn Manson's released "Holy Wood (In The Shadow Of The Valley Of Death)" in 2000. The cover of the album was banned by several retail chains due to the cover art. The banning chains released an alternate cover. The cover depicts Manson on a crucifix.
Two high-profile hip-hop releases went head-to-head in 2003 as Jay-Z's valedictory "The Black Album" and 50 Cent's G-Unit debut "Beg for Mercy" land in stores simultaneously.
In 2004, the Rolling Stones were refused permission to pursue a claim against their former record company Decca for unpaid royalties through the courts. A High Court judge in London said the dispute would go to arbitration and not be decided in court. The dispute was over their "Forty Licks" compilation CD, which was released in 2002 and was the first collection to span their entire career.
A four-disc Sublime box set titled ?Everything Under the Sun? was released in 2006. The career-spanning collection features music videos, live performances, a band interview, unreleased demos, live rarities, studio outtakes and remixes (including a mid-'90s mix by Snoop Dogg). The package comes 10 years after the death of Sublime frontman Brad Nowell from a drug overdose.
The Beatles have the most discs on a Top 100 list of all-time greatest albums that was chosen by Time magazine staff in 2006. Hip bunch, they are. The five Beatles albums are "Rubber Soul," "Revolver," "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," "The White Album" and "Abbey Road." Bob Dylan's three albums are "Highway 61 Revisited," "Blonde On Blonde" and "Time Out of Mind." The Rolling Stones, David Bowie and U2 manage to place two albums each on the list.
Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music and vinyl record collecting. He also serves as a contributor to SoundStageDirect, LLC at www.soundstagedirect.com. Mr. Benson also operates www.collectingvinylrecords.com, where you can download a FREE copy of his ebook entitled "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting."
ALBUM REVIEW: 
ALBUM REVIEW: 
