The Kinks – The Journey – Part 2
The Kinks story continues in this second entry in The Journey series. As with Part 1, the music here is divided into four sections, which in the case of this vinyl edition correspond to sides 1, 2, 3 and 4. Each section has a theme and the theme of side 1 is “The World Around from the handyman begins to fall apart as his life turns upside down This section features the 1965 hit ‘Till the End of the Day’ with a ‘Swinging London’ sound, 1974’s ‘Preservation’ where the band show some love for Hendrix favorite “David Watts” and the hit “Well Respected Man.” Also notable on Side 1 is a 2020 alternate mix of 1970’s “This Time Tomorrow.” Maryann Price guest vocals on “Scrapheap City,” with the rest of the band only adding harmony vocals. The theme for Side 2 is “Craftsman Seduced by Ghosts and a Dark Angel” and opens with the smash hit “Lola.” Band members Ray and Dave Davies and Mick Avory edited the collection and also comment on each song in the liner notes, and Avory says that “Lola” is “coming back into fashion” thanks to its recent embrace by trans people. Also here are hits “Sunny Afternoon” along with many deep tracks such as “Creeping Jean” by Dave Davies. Side 3 is themed “Our craftsman is seduced by those ghosts and demons of the underworld and searches for his lost innocence,” while side 4 offers redemption, “Despair turns to exultation as the craftsman overcomes his fear, reunites with old friends”. Between them they offer ‘A Dedicated Follower of Fashion’, ’20th Century Man’ and other goodies including a mix of 2023’s ‘Where Are They Now’ and a must-see, live takes from ‘New Victoria Suite – Everybody’s a Star, The blues “New Victoria Suite – Slum Kids” and “New Victoria Suite – (A) Face in the Crowd.” The Journey – Part 2 not only is it a chance to revisit great Kinks material you might not have heard in a while, but it’s also a chance to hear the nuances and meanings of each cut in a different way. This 2 LP set is packaged in a gatefold sleeve and includes a booklet with song notes and photos.
The Allman Brothers Band – Bear’s Sonic Journals: Allman Brothers Band Fillmore East 1970
This live show opens with a recording of “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” which is one of the earliest live performances of the song. Guitarist Dickey Betts had just recently written the song, an instrumental that showcases the sweet guitar interplay between Betts and Duane Allman. The show also features a rendition of Willie Dixon’s blues classic “Hoochie Coochie Man” (with Berry Oakley on vocals), Gregg Allman-penned “Statesboro Blues” and “Whipping Post” as well as Muddy Waters’ chestnut ” Trouble No More”. And the darkest, Ray Charles-related “Outskirts of the City.” These six songs take up the entire first disc in this 2 LP set. the second disc is filled with a take on “Mountain Jam,” where the band turns Donovan’s “There is a Mountain” into an epic 31-minute slice of southern rock nirvana. The band includes founding members: Gregg and Duane Allman, Dickey Betts, Butch Trucks, Jaimoe and Berry Oakley. all gone now except Betts and Jaimoe. Full of energy and near perfect playing, this album will make a fine addition to any ABB fan’s collection. Packaged in a slip sleeve and pressed on orange vinyl.
Cranberries – To the departed faithful
This is a newly remastered version of the third album by The Cranberries. is an especially beloved memento since singer Dolores O’Riordan passed away in 2018. While the Irish band may be best known in the United States for their smash hit “Zombie,” (not on this album), they also scored a # 1 hit on the Modern Rock chart in the US with “Salvation” from this album, a horn-enhanced track suitable for fast dancing. Other standouts include the REM-evoking “Free to Decide,” the manic “I Just Shot John Lennon,” the traditional-sounding “Will You Remember?” and a great take on Lindsey Buckingham’s frantic writing on Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way.” Also included are three bonus tracks from demos recorded in Paris: “When You’re Gone”, “I Just Shot John Lennon” and “Free to Decide”. Many think To the departed faithful to be the best effort from The Cranberries. The band here was O’Riordan on vocals, guitar, keyboards and mandolin, Noel Hogan on guitars and mandolin, Mike Hogan on bass and Fergal Lawler on drums. This 2 LP set is packaged in a gatefold jacket and features newly written liner notes by Eoin Devereux on the inner sleeves.
Rory Gallagher – All Around Man: Live in London
Here’s a real treasure trove for fans of the late Irish blues rock singer and guitarist Rory Gallagher, as all 23 live tracks here are previously unreleased. Many, if not most, of the tracks here will be familiar to Gallagher fans, however, as they include some of his best-loved tracks, starting with the John Lee Hooker-esque autographed “Continental Op” featuring slide guitar and continuing early in the show with originals like the remixed “Heaven’s Gate” and the Chuck Berry-esque “Kid Gloves.” And while Rory shines in the stuff he’s written, he also pays homage to many of the blues masters here with cuts like Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Don’t Start Me Talkin'” where band member Mark Feltham tears it up on harmonica , Leadbelly’s “Out on the Western Plains,” where he does some amazing acoustic guitar picking (and some tricky vocal work), and other classics by Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Bo Carter, and the legendary Robert Johnson. Other originals performed include “Moonchild,” “Mean Disposition,” “The Loop,” “Tattoo’d Lady” and the Louisiana detour that is “King of Zydeco,” where frontman Geraint Watkins adds accordion. The show finishes hot with a take on Little Richard’s “Keep a Knockin'” followed by a truly rocking version of the traditional “Bullfrog Blues” and Carter’s steamy boogie “All Around Man.” Gallagher already has legions of fans, but that fan base could expand greatly if, say, Joe Bonamassa fans jump on board. they will be very happy if they do. Presented on 3-LP pressed on 180 gram vinyl and packaged in a slipcase with included liner notes.
Gram Parsons and the Fallen Angels – The Last Roundup: Live from the Bijou Cafe in Philadelphia, 3/16/73.
For fans of the much loved Gram Parsons it is almost unbelievable to believe that he left us 50 years ago. Once a member of the Byrds and co-founder of the Flying Burrito Brothers, Parsons called his take on country rock/Americana “Cosmic American Music,” and that’s a good descriptor for his music and many artists today. that followed. There’s an interesting story to how this release came about and why it took so long. Fallen Angels pedal steel player Neil Flanz got a copy of the performance from the soundboard recording and kept it for 40 years. A deal was then made with Amoeba Records to release the show, but the label lost the tape when it moved locations and was not found for a decade. All this and the fact that Emmylou Harris appeared on the show, then “undiscovered”, makes this music particularly dear. The show opens with a bluegrass instrumental, the Earl Scruggs chestnut “Flint Hill Special” before moving into the country classic “We’ll Sweep Out the Ashes,” a cover of his own. GP album and a take on his co-writing with Chris Hillman from the Flying Burrito Brothers’ first album The gilded palace of sin, “My uncle.” Parsons introduces the Byrds’ weeper “Drug Store Truck Drivin’ Man” with the joke, “That song actually made some money.” Other favorites included include “Streets of Baltimore,” “Love Hurts,” “Sin City,” “Jambalaya,” “Six Days on the Road,” “The New Soft Shoe,” and a medley closing with “Hang on Sloopy ,” ” Baby What You Want Me to Do, “Boney Moronie,” “Forty Days,” and “Almost Grown.” A nice souvenir for Parsons fans, this live recording also features Firefall’s Jock Bartley on lead guitar. This 2-LP set is packaged in a slipcase and includes a very nice insert, a small poster with a close-up Gram plate.
John Lee Hooker – …and seven nights
The blues fans on your holiday gift list will absolutely love this release from respected guitarist and singer John Lee Hooker, who wrote all 11 songs on the album. This material was recorded in 1964 in London with a band called the Groundhogs backing him. While Hooker is known for blues and boogie, this set is mostly much more laid back, keeping Hooker’s aura in a slower way as John Lee croons the blues on the self-explanatory “Bad Luck and Trouble” and similarly sad “Waterfront” where it depicts a man searching for his wife. A happier mood inhabits the upbeat “No One Pleases Me But You,” where searing guitar riffs accentuate the good time. The album’s Side One concludes with “It’s Raining Here,” which has a happy walking beat, the laid-back observation that is “It’s a Crazy Mixed Up World,” and another “my baby’s gone” song, the self-titled “Seven Days and Seven Nights”. Side Two opens with “Mai Lee”, a track that many will hear a little Chuck Berry in, followed by “I’m Losin’ You” which again goes without saying, “you’re so good but you’re also young’ sentiment of ‘Little Girl Go Back to School’, the slow and simmering ‘Little Dreamer’ and the final track ‘Don’t Be Messin’ With My Bread’ where Hooker admonishes a free-spending girlfriend. With the great vocals and guitar work you’d expect, this title is being reissued on 180 gram vinyl for the first time.
Three o’clock – Sixteen Defias
Prince was a fan of this Los Angeles quartet who were one of the leading lights in what was then known as the Paisley Underground scene. Lead singer Michael Quercio sang in a voice that could easily be mistaken for a woman’s and this is one of the reasons the band’s music could be mistaken for the Bangles, and the fact that they had a real knack for sweet pop , shown here with pieces like the gem “Jet Fighter.” Bands like REM can also be referenced on tracks like “And So We Run,” while the psychedelic leanings of “A Day in Erotica,” a track worthy of the Nuggets, shows exactly why Quercio coined the moniker Paisley Underground to describe the band’s music. . Other standout tracks include a psych-rock version of the Bee Gees track ‘In My Own Time’, the funk pop of ‘When Lightning Strikes’ and the great album ending ‘Seeing is Believing’. Total fun throughout, this album is pressed on crisp green vinyl and includes a lyric insert.
