Free Springsteen track

Thanks to Lawrence Kirsch for news that the forthcoming Springsteen album is being promoted by a new online track, and to Mike Ollier for a link:

"The Graunidad is offering a free download of a track from the new Springsteen album, for one week only;

http://music.guardian.co.uk/

The best of the Elvis 30th anniversary product

Most of the Elvis product launched to exploit the 30th anniversary left me unmoved. I admire Elvis’s best music, but much of his work – and the surrounding three ring circus – bores me silly.

A couple of products impressed:

* Elvis – The King, a chart-topping new supermarket-friendly compilation album. If I didn’t already have all the music, this 2CD 50-odd track release would have been a must-buy.

* Elvis – The Official Collector’s Edition is a beautifully conceived and well executed part work series. The bargain launch issue (99p!) was everywhere in the High St and on TV last week. You can buy the 26 issues with or without 13 optional DVDs.

As most Elvis movies are unwatchable, I’d forego the DVD option. And think carefully about effectively shelling out about £75 for an Elvis book, delivered in parts. Nice looking artefact, though.


Gerry Smith

Leonard Cohen - live: looking a bit more likely

Earlier speculation about possible Leonard Cohen London shows (see below) looks a bit more accurate with the news that Lenny is appearing in a free pre-show “conversation” with Philip Glass at The Barbican at 6pm on Sat 20 0ctober.

The show itself is a performance of Glass’s treatment of Book Of Longing, Cohen’s new volume of poetry, set for voices and instruments (but not, note, Leonard himself).

Leonard Cohen? Free? What?

Well, there’s a snag – you need a ticket for the main gig to get in to the pre-show talk. And the main gig is, er, sold out. It was already sold out in the new Barbican programme - which arrived today. I wonder where it was first advertised?

And, call me a cynic, but I can't believe that Leonard would travel all that way just to be one half of a joint free talk. Lenny in London gigs about to be announced? Here's hoping.



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Leonard Cohen set to tour?

Leonard Cohen’s portrait on the cover of new issue of The Word, following loads and loads of recent UK press, makes me think that we’re about to see Leonard touring England - after such a long break.

He can’t surely be doing the press rounds in support of the slightly expanded reissues of the first three albums, or Anjani, his companion’s, new album of Leonard material. There simply has to be a bigger picture.

I’ve never seen Lenny live, but, then, who has? He hasn’t toured – anywhere - in 14 years…

If, like many grown-ups, you’re excited by the interface where pop culture (rock) meets high culture (literature), Lenny is certainly your man.

Watch this space…



Gerry Smith

New Neil Young album - Chrome Dreams II - due in October

Neil Young’s web site has news of a new album, Chrome Dreams II, scheduled for 16 October. Seven of the ten songs are newly written; two of the tracks promise to be ambitious works, running to 18 and 13 minutes. Young is set to tour to support the release.

Chrome Dreams was the title of an album aborted in 1977, though the project supplied several Young classics, notably Like a Hurricane, Powderfinger, and Pocahontas for later album releases. A widely circulating 12-track bootleg has been a fan favourite since the early 1990s.

If Chrome Dreams II is as impressive as the bootleg, it will banish the memory of the disappointing Greendale and Living With War, and continue the strong recent run started with the must-have Live At the Fillmore East (1971>2006) and Live At Massey Hall (1971>2007) CD/DVD.

http://www.neilyoung.com


Gerry Smith

Joni Mitchell's new album - lyrics and cover art

Thanks to Steven Pearce:

“For those interested (and, surely, who wouldn't be?) here's a link to the new lyrics and cover art of Joni Mitchell's upcoming album, Shine:

http://jonimitchell.com/musician/album.cfm?id=28

“Plus, we have the knowledge there's at least one more album on the way... “

English rockers dominating the newsstands

It doesn’t happen often, but the current issue of all three London poprock monthly mags has an Anglo musician on the cover: Keith Richards on the front of MOJO, Paul Weller on UNCUT and Johnny Marr fronting the new issue of The Word.

The only other Anglo clean sweep in the last 20 months consisted of The Beatles, The Smiths and Amy Winehouse, in February this year.

The three mags regularly cover home-grown talent alongside N American peers, but it’s rare for English musos to dominate the newsstands in this fashion.

The best-loved popular music of the last century was predominantly American, and US musicians have dominated rock ever since Bill Haley signaled the end of the road for the post-WW2 crooner generation. Since The Beatles, however, English musicians have punched above their weight in most world markets – if you doubt it, visit any record shop anywhere in Europe and count the Anglos.



Gerry Smith

Scorsese on his new Stones film, The Last Waltz and Dylan in No Direction Home

Thanks to Martin Cowan for the link to a revealing interview with ace director Martin Scorsese in Sunday’s Observer Music Monthly. In the course of promoting Shine A Light, his forthcoming Rolling Stones concert film, Scorsese also discusses The Last Waltz and Bob Dylan in No Direction Home:

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/omm/story/0,,2144026,00.html

The Biggest Bang – new Stones 4DVD box

It’s a well-kept secret, but The Biggest Bang, a new Stones 4DVD box set, featuring footage from the current world tour, has just been released. Best price I’ve seen is £30 at Asda, the UK Wal-Mart subsidiary. My local HMV hadn’t heard of it, and suggested In The Park as the “new Stones DVD”.

Far more tempting than Forty Flicks, the massively overpriced last Stones DVD box (£40-£50 – at that sort of price, they’d have to throw in a week at Sir Michael’s Loire Valley chateau to interest me.)

Along with the Martin Scorsese-directed Stones concert film, set for release (US) on 21 September, these are exciting times for Glimmer film collectors.


Gerry Smith

Top 50 Elvis songs

Elvis Presley recorded over 700 tracks. Writing in The Times last Friday, critic Bob Stanley ranked his top 50.

It’s an invaluable guide for anyone starting to explore Elvis’s catalogue or compiling a basic set of tunes. Here’s a taster of the listing:

1. HOUND DOG - The intro explodes into your ears, and into the public consciousness, as only A Hard Day's Night and Anarchy In The UK have since. So intense, two minutes of sustained viciousness and sheer malicious glee.
2. SUSPICIOUS MINDS
3. MYSTERY TRAIN
4. HEARTBREAK HOTEL
5. I JUST CAN'T HELP BELIEVING…

The highly recommended full article is here:

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article2186173.ece




Gerry Smith

Paul Weller for beginners

As main man in The Jam and Style Council and as a solo artist, Paul Weller has been a prolific songwriter, with over 300 songs already to his credit - and the flow shows little sign of abating.

Like many creatives, Weller’s early stuff is the most highly regarded. In a lengthy feature in the new (Sept) issue of UNCUT, the music and movies monthly, celeb muso votes for his best songs produce a top 30 which is two thirds Jam songs. And a top ten with 9 Jam songs.

The top three, fairly predictably, are:

1. Going Underground
2. Town Called Malice
3. That's Entertainment

If you need to catch up on Paul Weller (as I did), the new issue of UNCUT offers you an expert dissection of his work.

www.uncut.co.uk



Gerry Smith

Waterboys’ Fisherman’s Blues - bargain at Borders

Having damned Borders’ CD offering with faint praise on Friday - “But I don’t often buy music there – the CD/DVD stock lacks depth and is often uncompetitive on price”, it’s a slightly embarrassing pleasure to report that, less than 24 hours later, I picked up a long-sought album – The Waterboys’ Fisherman’s Blues, Collectors Edition (2CD, 2006) - at a knockdown £4.99, reduced from £15.99.

The 2CD version of Fisherman’s Blues, an album regarded by many aficionados as Mike Scott’s finest hour, brings to four albums the imaginative reissue programme. Earlier reissues of the classic Big Music trilogy – The Waterboys, Pagan Place and This Is The Sea – added a total of 25 new tracks to the catalogue. The Fisherman’s Blues adds a further 14 songs.

This peak period Waterboys material is life-enhancing music. And, at the Borders discount price, a must-buy.


Gerry Smith

Joni Mitchell signs with Starbucks for two more albums

As widely forecast, after retiring in disgust from the music biz, Joni Mitchell has, er, changed her mind. According to Variety, she's signed a two album deal with Starbucks' new label, Hear Music. The first release, on Tuesday 25 Sept (USA), is entitled Shine.

Mitchell has already curated two albums for the label - Mitchell Artist's Choice, a compilation of songs by artists who had influenced her; and Joni Mitchell: Selected Songs, her recordings chosen by other musicians. If you've ever seen either of them, you're very lucky - I ain't.

Variety also reveals that Travelogue, Mitchell's sublime 2CD set, reinterpreting the cream of her immense catalogue with orchestral/jazz backings, sold a mere 72,000 copies. Criminal neglect by the millions of Baby Boomers, I'd say. I wonder what wall-to-wall crap they bought instead?

The Doors – the celebration continues

After the superlative 2007 best-of product aimed at Doors beginners, the surviving members of the band have turned their attention to hardcore fans, with the release of another high quality set, Live in Boston, April 10, 1970:

“Featuring more than three hours of music and mayhem, LIVE IN BOSTON finds keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger at the peak of their powers as Jim Morrison leads them on a booze-fueled romp through "Roadhouse Blues" and "Light My Fire", plus mind-bending journeys for "When The Music's Over" and Elvis Presley's "Mystery Train". Morrison scatters spoken word gems throughout both performances, including a short riff on Adolf Hitler where he professes: "Adolf Hitler is still alive? I slept with her last night."

LIVE IN BOSTON is mixed and mastered by engineer Bruce Botnick, who recorded several shows from The Doors' 1970 tour on multi-track tape for the Absolutely Live album. The superior quality of the original tape reflects Botnick and his team's attention to sonic detail. All but two tracks on this collection are previously unreleased. "These concerts are really interesting and very enjoyable," Botnick writes in the liner notes. "The opening scream going into "Roadhouse Blues" from the first show is stunning and worth the price of admission."



Tracklisting:
Disc 1 - First Show
[Total Time 77:59]

1. Start [1:44]
2. All Right, All Right, All Right [0:13]
3. Howling & Moaning [0:40]
4. Roadhouse Moan [0:34]
5. Roadhouse Blues [4:48]
6. Ship Of Fools [6:34]
7. Alabama Song (Whisky Bar) [2:02]
8. Back Door Man [2:17]
9. Five To One [10:26]
10. When The Music's Over [15:00]
11. Rock Me [7:03]
12. Mystery Train [7:15]
13. Away In India [1:54]
14. Crossroads [5:14]
15. Prelude to Wake Up! [0:48]
16. Wake Up! [1:33]
17. Light My Fire [12:07]

Disc 2 - Second Show
[Total Time 70:22]

1. Start [1:22]
2. Break On Through [8:12]
3. I Believe In Democracy [0:33]
4. When The Music's Over [14:19]
5. Roadhouse Blues [5:53]
6. The Spy [5:43]
7. Alabama Song (Whisky Bar) [1:40]
8. Back Door Man [2:27]
9. Five to One [7:05]
10. Astrology Rap [0:38]
11. Build Me A Woman [4:18]
12. You Make Me Real [2:58]
13. Wait A Minute! [0:52]
14. Mystery Train [8:26]
15. Away In India [2:27]
16. Crossroads [3:21]

Disc 3 - Second Show Continued
[Total Time 36:17]

1. Band Intros [0:35]
2. Adolf Hitler [0:23]
3. Light My Fire [5:47]
4. Fever [0:23]
5. Summertime [7:26]
6. St. James Infirmary Blues [0:49]
7. Graveyard Poem [1:13]
8. Light My Fire [1:45]
9. More, More, More! [0:19]
10. Ladies & Gentlemen [0:13]
11. We Can't Instigate [0:13]
12. They Want More [1:16]
13. Been Down So Long [6:46]
14. Power Turned Off [9:08]

More on the new Bruce Springsteen album

Thanks again to Lawrence Kirsch:

“There's a local (Canadian) arts magazine that I read today, which had an in-depth interview with Brendan Obrien. According to Obrien, the new record will be released as "Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band." No mention as to a specific title for the album.

The album apparently takes a cue from Jackson Browne's Running On Empty. The songs were recorded mostly in one take with Bruce AND the band.

“Forget all the talk of the different members only coming in to do their specific parts. Also, they recorded material for it everywhere- Obrien specifically mentions Bruce recording with Clarence and Steve backstage during the Devils tour. Apparently they recorded a lot of material at Bruce's house with Landau overseeing the sessions.

“Musically, Obrien compared it to Blonde on Blonde. Three song titles were given when Obrien described some of the songs as resembling the Stones' Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street material, as well as resembling some early Faces records. The titles he named were "The Blind Spot," "Taxi Cab Alley," and "One Dead Ringer."

“Nothing else was mentioned in regards to the new album. Obrien did talk about Bruce some more and their working relationship.


#2
“A post on RMAS and GL yesterday included a copied post from someone who claims to work for Sony and was told that the new album's working title is "Dead Ringers," and that another song on the album is called "Sabres, Steel, and Spades." Take with a grain of salt.

“However, it was pointed out to me yesterday that Bruce registered five songs with the Library of Congress Copyright office on June 15, 2006, none of which I was familiar with:

Where you goin'?
Faithless.
All God's children.
God sent you.
Goin' to California.

“Usually, Bruce doesn't register a song unless: he has performed the song live; he's giving it to another artist (see I'll Be There For You Always); or he's about to release it. In addition to these five, the other exceptions are Blindspot, Between Heaven and Earth, and Father's Day (copywritten in spring 1995 at the same time as Missing).”

New Bruce Springsteen album and world tour

Thanks to Lawrence Kirsch:

“A little Bruce news... I'm afraid I do not know the source of this info, but I believe it is quite accurate:

“About as certain as we can get at this point: The new album has been recorded with members of the ESB already having contributed. “Additional tracks are being recorded with and without the ESB. As can best be described at this point is the album is a cross between TOL and The Rising with some "rock" songs and a number of songs pared down. Having trouble describing the sound, but a lot of production is being used with the versions already recorded. Different versions of each song are being recorded (with and without members of the ESB) and the final versions of about half the album have not been settled on. It was agreed to go ahead with announcing a new recording since it is fully anticipated the final recording phases will go very
quickly. The good news is a flurry of recording will be ongoing over the next few weeks with August to be the month of final production, etc. Although a given, the album will have a least 10 songs with a goal of about 13 being projected.

“What is interesting is the most definitive and positive news relates to the tour, which will be the last for the entire ESB. Rehearsals for the tour are once again scheduled for AP around Labor Day. Look for the tour to kick off on or about 10/02/2007 in New York with a quick swing around the country until the end of November. All of the major cities, to include LA, DC, Philly, Boston, Chicago, etc. will be covered. The month of December will include a quick tour of Europe, about 10 shows or so. January and part of February look to be time off with a full world tour to begin in full effect during the Spring of 2008 (Feb/March) with outdoor arena shows scheduled for the summer of 2008. The U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia, will all be on the schedule. Bottom line is that we are now entering the final stages in preparation for the final ESB world tour. Stay tuned.”


(If the owner of this copy contacts info@musicforgrownups.co.uk with a request to add a credit, or delete, we’ll be happy to comply. Gerry Smith, Editor.)

At The Movies – an intriguing celebration of the art of Van Morrison

At The Movies, the 2007 Van Morrison compilation released before the even more recent Best Of Vol 3, is a wonderful anthology.

It reveals Morrison as a sometime great songwriter. Just listen carefully to the lyrics of Someone Like You, Real Real Gone, Moondance and Have I Told You Lately That I Love You – pop for grown-ups doesn’t get any better than this.

The vocals – particularly the towering performances on Caravan and Comfortably Numb –remind you that Van The Man has the finest singing voice in rock. And if you haven’t heard Morrison for a while, you might well be surprised at the sheer musicality of his catalogue.

At The Movies is an intriguing release, though. Why are there so many live tracks? Presumably so that Morrison receives royalties that would otherwise go to Warner Brothers if their album tracks had been used.

Why was Brown-Eyed Girl re-recorded? Presumably to divert royalties to Morrison and away from Bang, Morrison’s hated first label as a solo artist.

And why was the cinema on the cover artwork given the exceedingly unlikely name of “CALVIN”? Presumably it’s a joke by a very witty Belfast Calvinist. It certainly made this fellow Calvinist laugh out loud!

Super album: a must-listen for grown-up fans of mature popular music.



Gerry Smith

Elvis Presley’s great 1956 recordings

Elvis Presley’s massive catalogue might be the least consistent of any major musician, but the early material – the Sun sessions and the early recordings for RCA – are beyond reproach.

Elvis and Elvis Presley, the first two RCA LPs, are widely available on CD, with added tracks. Borders is currently offering a 2CD, 35 track package at a mere £6.99. Elvis 1956, the beautifully designed repackaged compilation which has all 22 non-film recordings from an epochal year in popular music, is also being discounted by Borders at £7.99. One or the other is a must-have in any grown-up collection.

But the best value package of The King from 1956 has to be the new Elvis Presley: Original Recordings, in the Icons series released by budget label Green Umbrella. Its two CDs pull together 47 tracks, including the first two LPs – all the post-Sun early Elvis you’re ever likely to need. I bought mine from supermarket chain Morrison’s for the princely sum of £3.39: any cheaper and they’d be paying customers to cart the stuff away.

www.guentertainment.co.uk

(nb: the enterprise is so new, the site isn’t fully operational; linked here because it looks worth watching…)



Gerry Smith

How to enrich Bryan Ferry’s Dylanesque with bonus tracks

On release in the UK several months ago, Dylanesque, Bryan Ferry’s covers CD, got great press – positive reviews and a very high profile in the English media.

Some reviews of the new American release are less positive. Probably because, while Ferry is respected (even revered) in his homeland the US has never been so receptive.

Thanks to Martin Cowan for this link: “Amusingly scathing review of the latest Ferry CD from Pitchfork here”:

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/43837-dylanesque

Pity. Ferry’s the real deal – a grade one popular musician. Dylan is the preferred singer of Dylan songs, but Ferry’s one of only two singers I’d have entrusted with a covers album. Van Morrison’s the other contender, as most who’ve seen him perform outstanding versions of Just Like A Woman and It’s All over Now, Baby Blue in concert will testify.

If you buy Dylanesque, you can enrich its 11 songs by burning a new CDR to include as bonus tracks Ferry’s earlier Dylan covers:

* A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall (These Foolish Things, 1973)

* It Ain’t Me Babe (Another Time Another Place, 1974)

* It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (Frantic, 2002)

* Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right (Frantic, 2002)

They make a strong album even stronger.




Gerry Smith

UNCUT – Dadrock and films mag – celebrates its tenth birthday

UNCUT, the Dadrock and films monthly, is celebrating its tenth birthday with a special issue which has just hit the news-stands.

The mag’s coverage is mostly outside the scope of Rock for Grown-Ups, but it occasionally crosses over with a judicious cover feature: I’ve enjoyed the 9 (of 123) issues I’ve bought over the years.

Here’s the ranked list of musicians who’ve stared out from the news-stands on the front cover of a decade’s worth of UNCUTs:

1. Beatles - 11 covers
2. Dylan – 7 covers
3. Stones – 6
4. Pink Floyd – 5
5= Smiths/Mozz; Who; Led Zep; Clash; Bruce; Bowie; REM – 4 covers

Two thirds of the 123 covers feature 1960s/1970s rockers.



Gerry Smith

Morrison’s slash CD prices

Morrison’s, the UK “value” supermarket chain, has launched an aggressive discounting campaign, pricing its chart albums (eg the White Stripes’ Icky Thump and the new Clash compilation) at a challenging £7.

The prices are only available in-store – Morrison’s doesn’t sell CDs online.

Best value has to be new The Traveling Wilburys Collection, at £10. At that price, even those who bought the originals on release might now add the reissue to their collection; at £10, the extras – four bonus tracks, DVD, booklet and packaging – are probably worth having. For the fan, there’s a price point below which every Dylan product, bar none, is worth having. Wilburys at £10 is such a point.

Yet one more reason to shop at Morrison’s… .


Gerry Smith