You know it's going to be a good month... when it begins with new music from Bruce Springsteen! Additional vinyl releases from the Bangles, Captain Beefheart, Edgar and Johnny Winter, Wes Montgomery, and many more guarantee you'll be pumped.
Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball (Columbia)
The Boss is back with his first album in three years! And it’s a big rock record, as stylistically diverse as it is politically charged. Fans may recognize the songs “American Land,” “Wrecking Ball,” and “Land of Hope and Dreams,” which were previously released as live tracks. Re-imagined here, the latter two feature sax solos from the Boss’ longtime E Street Band sideman, the late Clarence Clemons. Guests Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine) and drummer Matt Chamberlain also make an appearance on the album. Available as a double 180-gram vinyl LP plus CD.
The Edgar Winter Group – They Only Come Out at Night (Friday Music)
This 1972 smash hit from Edgar Winter is now available for the first time on audiophile vinyl! Features 10 outstanding cuts including the classic rock staples “Free Ride” and “Frankenstein.”
Johnny Winter – Live Johnny Winter And (Friday Music)
And from Edgar’s brother Johnny: a re-mastered audiophile vinyl pressing of his enormously popular 1971 live album, taken from his performances at the Fillmore East and Pirate’s World in Florida. A blues-rock extravaganza, the album features searing renditions of “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and "Johnny B. Goode,” as well as a rock ‘n’ roll medley and some blues classics.
Captain Beefheart – Merseytrout (Ozit Records UK)
A limited edition double LP pressing of the best-selling Captain Beefheart live album, recorded at Rotters Club in Liverpool in 1980. Previously only available on CD.
The Bangles – Sweetheart of the Sun (Waterfront Records)
Vinyl pressing of the 2011 offering from the Bangles. Co-produced by Matthew Sweet, it features the Bangles’ sunny vocal harmonies and signature blend of ‘60s-inspired folk and British Invasion rock.
The Jesus & Mary Chain – Stoned & Dethroned (1972 Records)
This 1994 album from the Scottish alternative rockers is back on vinyl for the first time since its original release. Featuring guest vocalists Shane MacGowan of the Pogues (“God Help Me”) and Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star (“Sometimes Always”), it marks a drastic shift into calmer, more acoustic country/folk territory.
Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works, Volume II (1972 Records)
Another 1994 album is back on wax thanks to the good folks at 1972 Records. This time it’s from British electronic genius Richard James, who says he heard the album's compositions in lucid dreams. Triple vinyl pressing.
The Runaways – And Now… The Runaways (Cherry Red UK)
UK reissue of the final studio album by the all-girl group. Featuring Joan Jett as lead vocalist, the album includes covers of the Beatles' “Eight Days a Week” and Slade’s “Mama Weer All Crazee Now,” as well as “Black Leather,” a song originally written by ex-Sex Pistols Steve Jones and Paul Cook.
Rory Gallagher – Rory Gallagher, Deuce, Blueprint, Tattoo, Irish Tour ‘74 (Music on Vinyl Imports)
Heavyweight audiophile vinyl reissues of five early solo gems from the Irish blues-rock musician, originally released between 1971 and 1974. Includes the double live album Irish Tour ’74, which not only documents Gallagher's explosive live show but his performance through a troubled Belfast.
Wes Montgomery - Echoes of Indiana Avenue (Resonance Records)
In celebration of what would have been Wes Montgomery's 88th birthday comes this limited-edition 180-gram double LP - the first album of previously unheard music from the guitar legend in over 25 years! Contains rare studio and live performances recorded in Indianapolis between 1957 and 1958, before Montgomery's 1959 debut, that capture both Montgomery's immense talent and the Indianapolis jazz scene.
Bon Iver – “Towers” 7-inch (Jagjaguwar)
The third single from Bon Iver’s self-titled album, backed by a cover of John Prine’s “Bruised Orange (Chain of Sorrow).”
Bright Eyes – A Collection of Songs Written and Recorded 1995-1997, Oh Holy Fools: The Music of Son, Ambulance & Bright Eyes (Saddle Creek)
Die-hard Bright Eyes fans will be happy to hear that some of the band’s more obscure titles are back on 180-gram vinyl for the first time in years. A Collection of Songs... is Bright Eyes’ debut, featuring 20 songs recorded on a 4-track by Conor Oberst before his 18th birthday. Oh Holy Fools is a split EP from Bright Eyes and Son, Ambulance that was originally released in 2001.
Andrew Bird – Break It Yourself (Mom & Pop Music)
Double 180-gram vinyl LP pressing of the new release from Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist and master whistler, Andrew Bird. The magic is in the subtleties on this one and Bird’s lovely song craft is sure to delight on vinyl.
Donovan – The Hurdy Gurdy Man (Music on Vinyl Import)
Imported 180-gram vinyl reissue of Donovan’s 1968 album featuring the hit title track. Recorded shortly after A Gift from a Flower to a Garden (1967) and after returning from a 1968 visit to India where he studied under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the album is a mix of dark, droning psychedelia and pop.
Tricky – Maxinquaye (Music on Vinyl Import)
180-gram vinyl reissue of the 1995 solo debut from the British trip-hop pioneer. Features vocalists Martina Topley-Bird and Goldfrapp.
Afro Funk – Body Music (Secret Stash)
The sole LP from the London-based West African ex-pats has been a rare commodity since it was originally released in 1975. This marks the first reissue of the deep funk/Afro-beat collectible and includes a digital download coupon.
John Mayer – Where the Light Is: Live in Los Angeles (Music on Vinyl Import)
Deluxe 180-gram 4xLP reissue of this 2008 live album from the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter. Includes three different sets – an acoustic performance, a set with the John Mayer Trio, and a set with Mayer’s full band – as well as Mayer’s acoustic cover of Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’.”
The Magnetic Fields – Love at the Bottom of the Sea (Merge)
After the “no-synth trilogy” of the 2000s, the Magnetic Fields revisit their signature ‘90s synth-driven pop sound on their new album, Love at the Bottom of the Sea, with a fresh approach – and synthesizers that didn’t exist the last time around.
////////////////////////////////////
Source: vinylrevinyl.com
Select modern and collectible vinyl records showcased and era related items reviewed and commented on. Find and meet 100's of vinyl record retailers, including those in your region, and online suppliers with related items. Read reviews on vinyl specific websites, retail shops, vinyl experts, vinyl record care and storage, and much more.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
New Vinyl Releases: MARCH 2012
Labels:
Bruce Springsteen,
Captain Beefheart,
Edgar Winter Group,
John Mayer,
Rory Gallagher,
The Bangles,
Wes Montgomery
Saturday, February 18, 2012
FEBRUARY 2012 VINYL RECORD RELEASES
A few select Vinyl Releases For FEBRUARY 2012
Between new albums from Paul McCartney and Of Montreal, this February's vinyl releases come full circle. And there are some excellent reissues and anthologies in the mix. So dig in ...
Paul McCartney – Kisses on the Bottom (Hear Music)
The new solo album from Paul McCartney is an intimate collection of American standards alongside two new McCartney originals. Produced by jazz producer Tommy LiPuma, Kisses on the Bottom features Diana Krall and her band plus guests Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder performing songs that McCartney grew up with and later drew upon in his songwriting with John Lennon. Available as a 180-gram double gatefold LP with digital download card.
The Grateful Dead – Wake of the Flood (Mobile Fidelity)
180-gram vinyl pressing of the 1973 album that ushered in a new era for the Dead: a new label, a new line-up, and a new sonic palette full of horns and violin. Part of Mobile Fidelity’s Amazing Grateful Dead reissue series (which also includes Live/Dead, Skull and Roses, and In the Dark) the album was half-speed mastered from the original tapes and will let you experience this classic like never before.
The Deftones – Saturday Night Wrist (Maverick)
The fifth album from the alt-metal band, originally released in 2006, is available once again on vinyl. In essence, Saturday Night Wrist could be considered the Deftones’ Rumours as the making of the album was wrought with turmoil, strained relationships, and drug addiction – and the result is one of the band’s most acclaimed and diverse works to date. Produced by Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Jane's Addiction) and former Far guitarist Shaun Lopez.

Rainbow – Bent out of Shape (Plastic Head Distribution)
Limited 180-gram green vinyl reissue of the British hard rock band's more commercial 1983 album featuring “Street of Dreams” and “Can’t Let You Go.” This was the last album released by Rainbow before Ritchie Blackmore and Roger Glover left to reform Deep Purple.
Foghat – Last Train Home (Ingrooves/Foghat Records)
Limited-edition reissue of the classic rock band’s 2010 homage to its blues roots. Pressed on 180-gram blue vinyl.
Gene Ammons – Blue Gene (Original Jazz Classics)
Vinyl reissue of this 1958 “blowing session” studio jam based on various blues forms. In the room are jazz tenor saxophonist Gene Ammons, trumpeter Idrees Sulieman, baritonist Pepper Adams, pianist Mal Waldron, bassist Doug Watkins, drummer Art Taylor, and percussionist Ray Barretto on congas.
Dr. Dog – Be the Void (ANTI-)
The new album from Philadelphia’s Dr. Dog is a cathartic rock and roll record that combines the stellar songcraft of the band's last two albums, Fate (2008) and Shame, Shame (2010), with its explosive live energy. Double LP is packaged with full album on CD.
Cocteau Twins – Stars and Topsoil: A Collection 1982-1990 (4AD)
Available for the first time on vinyl, Stars and Topsoil is the Scottish dream-pop band’s first best-of collection from their 4AD years. And it's exquisite.
Mark Lanegan Band – Blues Funeral (4AD)
After a series of collaborations with Isobel Campbell (Belle & Sebastian), the gravelly voiced, former-Screaming Trees singer Mark Lanegan returns with a new double LP – his first solo release since 2004's Bubblegum. Featuring guest appearances from cohorts Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Greg Dulli (Gutter Twins), and Jack Irons, the album brims with his dark, spooky blues-rock and distinctly reflects Lanegan's influences (i.e. The Gun Club's Miami, Joy Division's Closer, and Roxy Music's Country Life.)
Chuck Prophet – Temple Beautiful (Yep Roc Records)
A concept album about San Francisco? It’s about time! Named after the extinct rock club where singer-songwriter Chuck Prophet saw his first shows as a teenager, Temple Beautiful was made in San Francisco, by San Franciscans, about San Francisco. Prophet describes it as “my effort to tap into the history, the weirdness, the energy, and spontaneity that brought me here in the first place.”
Wendy Rene – After Laughter Comes Tears: Complete Stax & Volt Singles + Rarities 1964-1965 (Light in the Attic)
For the first time ever the Memphis soul legend’s music is available together in one collection. This double vinyl LP features Rene's early recordings with the Drapels and well-known singles (like “After Laughter,” which Wu-Tang Clan sampled on their album 36 Chambers), as well as rarities and two unreleased tracks.
Ben Kweller – Go Fly a Kite (The Noise Company)
The fifth studio album from the pop-rock singer-songwriter marks the debut release of his Austin-based label, the Noise Company. Go Fly a Kite is being heralded as career-defining for its ability to showcase Kweller's diversity and many talents. 180-gram vinyl plus free CD.
Of Montreal – Paralytic Stalks (Polyvinyl Records)
You know you’re in for a ride with each of Kevin Barnes’ brainchilds, and his latest, Paralytic Stalks, is a dizzying avant-pop frenzy indeed - but also an intimate and rewarding one. Available on 180-gram vinyl.
////////////////////////////////////
Source: vinylrevinyl.com
Between new albums from Paul McCartney and Of Montreal, this February's vinyl releases come full circle. And there are some excellent reissues and anthologies in the mix. So dig in ...
Paul McCartney – Kisses on the Bottom (Hear Music)
The new solo album from Paul McCartney is an intimate collection of American standards alongside two new McCartney originals. Produced by jazz producer Tommy LiPuma, Kisses on the Bottom features Diana Krall and her band plus guests Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder performing songs that McCartney grew up with and later drew upon in his songwriting with John Lennon. Available as a 180-gram double gatefold LP with digital download card.
The Grateful Dead – Wake of the Flood (Mobile Fidelity)
180-gram vinyl pressing of the 1973 album that ushered in a new era for the Dead: a new label, a new line-up, and a new sonic palette full of horns and violin. Part of Mobile Fidelity’s Amazing Grateful Dead reissue series (which also includes Live/Dead, Skull and Roses, and In the Dark) the album was half-speed mastered from the original tapes and will let you experience this classic like never before.
The Deftones – Saturday Night Wrist (Maverick)
The fifth album from the alt-metal band, originally released in 2006, is available once again on vinyl. In essence, Saturday Night Wrist could be considered the Deftones’ Rumours as the making of the album was wrought with turmoil, strained relationships, and drug addiction – and the result is one of the band’s most acclaimed and diverse works to date. Produced by Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Jane's Addiction) and former Far guitarist Shaun Lopez.

Rainbow – Bent out of Shape (Plastic Head Distribution)
Limited 180-gram green vinyl reissue of the British hard rock band's more commercial 1983 album featuring “Street of Dreams” and “Can’t Let You Go.” This was the last album released by Rainbow before Ritchie Blackmore and Roger Glover left to reform Deep Purple.
Foghat – Last Train Home (Ingrooves/Foghat Records)
Limited-edition reissue of the classic rock band’s 2010 homage to its blues roots. Pressed on 180-gram blue vinyl.
Gene Ammons – Blue Gene (Original Jazz Classics)
Vinyl reissue of this 1958 “blowing session” studio jam based on various blues forms. In the room are jazz tenor saxophonist Gene Ammons, trumpeter Idrees Sulieman, baritonist Pepper Adams, pianist Mal Waldron, bassist Doug Watkins, drummer Art Taylor, and percussionist Ray Barretto on congas.
Dr. Dog – Be the Void (ANTI-)
The new album from Philadelphia’s Dr. Dog is a cathartic rock and roll record that combines the stellar songcraft of the band's last two albums, Fate (2008) and Shame, Shame (2010), with its explosive live energy. Double LP is packaged with full album on CD.
Cocteau Twins – Stars and Topsoil: A Collection 1982-1990 (4AD)
Available for the first time on vinyl, Stars and Topsoil is the Scottish dream-pop band’s first best-of collection from their 4AD years. And it's exquisite.
Mark Lanegan Band – Blues Funeral (4AD)
After a series of collaborations with Isobel Campbell (Belle & Sebastian), the gravelly voiced, former-Screaming Trees singer Mark Lanegan returns with a new double LP – his first solo release since 2004's Bubblegum. Featuring guest appearances from cohorts Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Greg Dulli (Gutter Twins), and Jack Irons, the album brims with his dark, spooky blues-rock and distinctly reflects Lanegan's influences (i.e. The Gun Club's Miami, Joy Division's Closer, and Roxy Music's Country Life.)
Chuck Prophet – Temple Beautiful (Yep Roc Records)
A concept album about San Francisco? It’s about time! Named after the extinct rock club where singer-songwriter Chuck Prophet saw his first shows as a teenager, Temple Beautiful was made in San Francisco, by San Franciscans, about San Francisco. Prophet describes it as “my effort to tap into the history, the weirdness, the energy, and spontaneity that brought me here in the first place.”
Wendy Rene – After Laughter Comes Tears: Complete Stax & Volt Singles + Rarities 1964-1965 (Light in the Attic)
For the first time ever the Memphis soul legend’s music is available together in one collection. This double vinyl LP features Rene's early recordings with the Drapels and well-known singles (like “After Laughter,” which Wu-Tang Clan sampled on their album 36 Chambers), as well as rarities and two unreleased tracks.
Ben Kweller – Go Fly a Kite (The Noise Company)
The fifth studio album from the pop-rock singer-songwriter marks the debut release of his Austin-based label, the Noise Company. Go Fly a Kite is being heralded as career-defining for its ability to showcase Kweller's diversity and many talents. 180-gram vinyl plus free CD.
Of Montreal – Paralytic Stalks (Polyvinyl Records)
You know you’re in for a ride with each of Kevin Barnes’ brainchilds, and his latest, Paralytic Stalks, is a dizzying avant-pop frenzy indeed - but also an intimate and rewarding one. Available on 180-gram vinyl.
////////////////////////////////////
Source: vinylrevinyl.com
Labels:
Ben Kweller,
Chuck Prophet,
Cocteau Twins,
Deftones,
Dr Dog,
Foghat,
Gene Ammons,
Mark Lanegan Band,
Of Montreal,
Wendy Rene
Thursday, February 2, 2012
"LIVE DEAD" Vinyl Record Re-Issue - by GRATEFUL DEAD
.
.
.
"Ranks #244 on Rolling Stone’s List of the...
"500 GREATEST RECORDS of ALL TIME.""
"LIVE DEAD"
by GRATEFUL DEAD
Numbered Limited Edition 180g 2LP Set
Track Listing:
Side 1
1. Dark Star
Side 2
1. St. Stephen
2. The Eleven
Side 3
1. Turn On Your Love Light
Side 4
1. Death Don't Have No Mercy
2. Feedback
3. And We Bid You Goodnight
NOTATIONS:
Part of Mobile Fidelity’s Amazing Grateful Dead Reissue Series: Skull and Roses, From the Mars Hotel, Wake of the Flood, In the Dark and LIVE DEAD - All Available as 180g LP.
Half-Speed Mastered from the Original Master Tapes
LIVE DEAD Captures Best of Both Worlds: Band’s Improvisational and R&B Display
LP Ranks #244 on Rolling Stone’s List of the 500 Greatest Records of All-Time
If you want to experience why on any given night the Grateful Dead was the best live band going in 1969, you need to hear Live/Dead. If you want to understand how personal chemistry, symbiotic interplay, and otherworldly energy can lead to a near-extinct onstage combination of soulfulness, surprise, and suspense, you need to hear Live/Dead.
Ranked by Rolling Stone on the magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Records of All Time. Universally acclaimed by both Deadheads and non-devotees alike. The perfect synthesis of the legendary group’s first-era vital characteristics and cosmic faculties.
Half-speed mastered from the original master tapes with the utmost care, and part of Mobile Fidelity’s unprecedented Grateful Dead reissue series, this numbered limited edition 180g 2LP version of Live/Dead raises the iconic album’s lofty prestige even higher. Recorded at three San Francisco concerts in early 1969 with a mobile 16-track studio, the 7-song set has always possessed excellent fidelity in large part because of a mic splitter—specially created for the project—that fed both into the PA system and record inputs, allowing the engineers to capture the shows without any loss in quality.
Seldom have venue dimensions, acoustic properties, spatial characteristics, low-frequency resonances, amplifier tonalities, soundstage balances, and vocal timbres been so faithfully reproduced—or enhanced. Mobile Fidelity’s version elevates Live/Dead into the revered pantheon of the most respected reference audiophile LPs. Close your eyes and you’re dead center, ten rows back in two of the Bay Area’s most beloved halls: Fillmore West and Avalon Ballroom. The degrees of realism are utterly staggering; no, you don’t need any, ahem, chemical assistance to facilitate the transcendent experience.
Renowned for contagious communication between its members, the Dead operates on a interstellar plane throughout Live/Dead. Witnessing the ebb-and-flow manners in which guitarist Jerry Garcia, bassist Phil Lesh, and drummer Billy Kreutzmann respond to one another’s passages and blur the lines between jazz, psychedelia, and rock disciplines. Meandering jamming this is not. Solos burn, rhythms thunder, bass lines roll, melodies twist. “Dark Star” remains the touchstone for what’s possible in epic frameworks, with notes climbing, darting, and skittering amidst a dark canvas seared with mystic vibes and punctuated with blossoming instrumentals. Along with the inseparable pairing of “St. Stephen” and “The Eleven—a sequence that highlights the raw gospel beauty of Garcia, Lesh, and Bob Weir’s harmonies as well as breathtaking tightrope segues—the explorative excursion epitomizes the Dead’s progressive inclination, cohesion, and ability.
Live/Dead isn’t all about the art of the improvisation. R&B-driven electric blues comes courtesy of organist/vocalist Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, still in excellent health, and pianist Tom Constanten, who departed the band shortly after these shows occurred. The latter’s counterpoint playing and spiritual accents shadow the shivering ballad “Death Don’t Have No Mercy” and underscore a rousing, percussive-laden marathon take of “Turn on Your Love Light.” Call-and-response segments, spontaneous exchanges, and joyous merry-making doesn’t come any better. Live/Dead is a landmark in every sense; it remains the first 16-track album released. Its impact is still felt today.
From the illustrative cover art (hint: the word “Dead” subtly spells out “Acid” on the back cover) to the gatefold graphics and the extraordinary sonics, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 2LP edition ranks among the label’s best releases.
By:
FIND VINYL RECORDS
.
.
"Ranks #244 on Rolling Stone’s List of the...
"500 GREATEST RECORDS of ALL TIME.""
"LIVE DEAD"
by GRATEFUL DEAD
Numbered Limited Edition 180g 2LP Set
Track Listing:
Side 1
1. Dark Star
Side 2
1. St. Stephen
2. The Eleven
Side 3
1. Turn On Your Love Light
Side 4
1. Death Don't Have No Mercy
2. Feedback
3. And We Bid You Goodnight
NOTATIONS:
Part of Mobile Fidelity’s Amazing Grateful Dead Reissue Series: Skull and Roses, From the Mars Hotel, Wake of the Flood, In the Dark and LIVE DEAD - All Available as 180g LP.
Half-Speed Mastered from the Original Master Tapes
LIVE DEAD Captures Best of Both Worlds: Band’s Improvisational and R&B Display
LP Ranks #244 on Rolling Stone’s List of the 500 Greatest Records of All-Time
If you want to experience why on any given night the Grateful Dead was the best live band going in 1969, you need to hear Live/Dead. If you want to understand how personal chemistry, symbiotic interplay, and otherworldly energy can lead to a near-extinct onstage combination of soulfulness, surprise, and suspense, you need to hear Live/Dead.
Ranked by Rolling Stone on the magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Records of All Time. Universally acclaimed by both Deadheads and non-devotees alike. The perfect synthesis of the legendary group’s first-era vital characteristics and cosmic faculties.
Half-speed mastered from the original master tapes with the utmost care, and part of Mobile Fidelity’s unprecedented Grateful Dead reissue series, this numbered limited edition 180g 2LP version of Live/Dead raises the iconic album’s lofty prestige even higher. Recorded at three San Francisco concerts in early 1969 with a mobile 16-track studio, the 7-song set has always possessed excellent fidelity in large part because of a mic splitter—specially created for the project—that fed both into the PA system and record inputs, allowing the engineers to capture the shows without any loss in quality.
Seldom have venue dimensions, acoustic properties, spatial characteristics, low-frequency resonances, amplifier tonalities, soundstage balances, and vocal timbres been so faithfully reproduced—or enhanced. Mobile Fidelity’s version elevates Live/Dead into the revered pantheon of the most respected reference audiophile LPs. Close your eyes and you’re dead center, ten rows back in two of the Bay Area’s most beloved halls: Fillmore West and Avalon Ballroom. The degrees of realism are utterly staggering; no, you don’t need any, ahem, chemical assistance to facilitate the transcendent experience.
Renowned for contagious communication between its members, the Dead operates on a interstellar plane throughout Live/Dead. Witnessing the ebb-and-flow manners in which guitarist Jerry Garcia, bassist Phil Lesh, and drummer Billy Kreutzmann respond to one another’s passages and blur the lines between jazz, psychedelia, and rock disciplines. Meandering jamming this is not. Solos burn, rhythms thunder, bass lines roll, melodies twist. “Dark Star” remains the touchstone for what’s possible in epic frameworks, with notes climbing, darting, and skittering amidst a dark canvas seared with mystic vibes and punctuated with blossoming instrumentals. Along with the inseparable pairing of “St. Stephen” and “The Eleven—a sequence that highlights the raw gospel beauty of Garcia, Lesh, and Bob Weir’s harmonies as well as breathtaking tightrope segues—the explorative excursion epitomizes the Dead’s progressive inclination, cohesion, and ability.
Live/Dead isn’t all about the art of the improvisation. R&B-driven electric blues comes courtesy of organist/vocalist Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, still in excellent health, and pianist Tom Constanten, who departed the band shortly after these shows occurred. The latter’s counterpoint playing and spiritual accents shadow the shivering ballad “Death Don’t Have No Mercy” and underscore a rousing, percussive-laden marathon take of “Turn on Your Love Light.” Call-and-response segments, spontaneous exchanges, and joyous merry-making doesn’t come any better. Live/Dead is a landmark in every sense; it remains the first 16-track album released. Its impact is still felt today.
From the illustrative cover art (hint: the word “Dead” subtly spells out “Acid” on the back cover) to the gatefold graphics and the extraordinary sonics, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 2LP edition ranks among the label’s best releases.
By:
FIND VINYL RECORDS
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
LP -- Barrence Whitfield & THE SAVAGES

Savage Kings
LP Shake 1265
Shake It Records,
Cincinnati, OH
////////////////////////////////////////////////
Barrence Whitfield &
THE SAVAGES
The core Savages lineup of Whitfield/Greenberg/Lenker have reunited for a full-bore rhythm & blues fueled, rock n' roll stomp. Savage Kings returns to the Savages' heyday of their debut & Dig Yourself sound of an all-nite party blowout that you will pay severly for the next morning.... and isn't that the way it should be??? Rave-up covers mixed with originals combine to serve up the return of the classic lineup that may very well out deliver the goods than those initial LPs... which says alot
The Shake It Records Label was started by Jess Hirbe & Doc Kalmus in 1978 as a way to issue records from local no-goods - mainly The Customs. It sat dormant for most of the 1980's until it was revived to issue The Mortals "The One" 7' in 1993. Since then, the label's present owners have released (or will soon release) albums, CD's & 7"s from The Ass Ponys, Nomads, Hogscraper, Hasil Adkins, The Cowslingers, Tigerlilies, Long Gones, Thee Shams, Pearlene, Man or Astroman? Dalhart Imperials, Eric Kinsey & His Tip-Top Daddies, Crimson Sweet, Wussy, Dan Melchior, John Doe (1200 Hobos), Viva La Foxx, The Not, Glue, Customs, Mr. Dibbs, Greenhornes & more.
By: Shake It Records


Shake iT RECORDS
Labels:
cibcinnati,
Hasil Adkins,
Hogscraper,
illinois vinyl records,
Long Gones,
Nomads,
shake it records,
The Ass Ponys,
The Cowslingers,
Tigerlilies
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Erykah Badu - Vinyl Release circa-21st Century - New Amerykah, Pt. 2: Return Of The Ankh
Title: New Amerykah,
Pt. 2: Return Of The Ankh [Vinyl Version]
Artist: Erykah Badu
Return of the Ankh was supposed to be issued earlier than March 2010. It's just as well: 2008's stupefying 4th World War provided such a dense concentration of charged lyrics over ceaselessly vein-melting production work that Erykah Badu could have been forgiven for letting five years pass prior to unveiling something else to soak up.
Return of the Ankh is a relief in that Badu does not attempt to trump herself with a set that is even more intense and powerful than its predecessor. Thematically, it's aligned with 4th World War's relatively lighter songs, "Me" and "Honey," more personal than planetary, less challenging sonically and lyrically. Most of it was actually recorded at the same time as 4th World War.
The list of collaborators, featuring Georgia Anne Muldrow, Madlib, Shafiq Husayn, Dilla, James Poyser, Ahmir Thompson, and Karriem Riggins, is similar, yet the makeup is drastically different, designed for instant kicked-back enjoyment. A pause, deep breath, and a "Here we go" is not required prior to putting it on.
Instead, we get Badu playing around, in the best possible way, with sample-rooted songs like "Turn Me Away (Get Munny)" (a twist on Sylvia Striplin's "You Can't Turn Me Away" and the 1995 hip-hop anthem that sampled it, Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s "Get Money"), "Gone Baby, Don't Be Long" (a slightly silly new-love song that reworks Paul McCartney's "Arrow Through Me"), and "Umm Hmm" (its optimism reflected in that of its backbone, Ndugu & the Chocolate Jam Company's Earth, Wind & Fire-like "Take Some Time").
Though the album is so rich with sample-reliant songs that it sometimes resembles a glorified mixtape, a couple standouts were made from scratch. "Window Seat" should appeal to those who have wanted Badu to revisit that lissome sound of Baduizm songs like "On & On" and "Otherside of the Game," and it packs stunning stomp-and-clap breakdowns that sync up with Badu's most halting lines: "I need you to want me/I need you to miss me/I need your attention/I need you next to me."
"Out My Mind, Just in Time" is a ten-minute finale that traces a trajectory of heartache across three movements, beginning innocently enough with a devotional (if pained and humorous) piano ballad that shifts into Muldrow's psychedelic, slow-motion soul-jazz as Badu gets increasingly fragmentary and tripped-out. By the end, she is renewed: "Finally I got a leading role/Introducing Super Dope/Starring in her episode/Hello new world/Out my mind."
Actual next level, as always. [The album was also released on vinyl in 2010.]
~ Andy Kellman, Rovi
Pt. 2: Return Of The Ankh [Vinyl Version]
Artist: Erykah Badu Return of the Ankh was supposed to be issued earlier than March 2010. It's just as well: 2008's stupefying 4th World War provided such a dense concentration of charged lyrics over ceaselessly vein-melting production work that Erykah Badu could have been forgiven for letting five years pass prior to unveiling something else to soak up.
Return of the Ankh is a relief in that Badu does not attempt to trump herself with a set that is even more intense and powerful than its predecessor. Thematically, it's aligned with 4th World War's relatively lighter songs, "Me" and "Honey," more personal than planetary, less challenging sonically and lyrically. Most of it was actually recorded at the same time as 4th World War.
The list of collaborators, featuring Georgia Anne Muldrow, Madlib, Shafiq Husayn, Dilla, James Poyser, Ahmir Thompson, and Karriem Riggins, is similar, yet the makeup is drastically different, designed for instant kicked-back enjoyment. A pause, deep breath, and a "Here we go" is not required prior to putting it on.
Instead, we get Badu playing around, in the best possible way, with sample-rooted songs like "Turn Me Away (Get Munny)" (a twist on Sylvia Striplin's "You Can't Turn Me Away" and the 1995 hip-hop anthem that sampled it, Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s "Get Money"), "Gone Baby, Don't Be Long" (a slightly silly new-love song that reworks Paul McCartney's "Arrow Through Me"), and "Umm Hmm" (its optimism reflected in that of its backbone, Ndugu & the Chocolate Jam Company's Earth, Wind & Fire-like "Take Some Time").
Though the album is so rich with sample-reliant songs that it sometimes resembles a glorified mixtape, a couple standouts were made from scratch. "Window Seat" should appeal to those who have wanted Badu to revisit that lissome sound of Baduizm songs like "On & On" and "Otherside of the Game," and it packs stunning stomp-and-clap breakdowns that sync up with Badu's most halting lines: "I need you to want me/I need you to miss me/I need your attention/I need you next to me."
"Out My Mind, Just in Time" is a ten-minute finale that traces a trajectory of heartache across three movements, beginning innocently enough with a devotional (if pained and humorous) piano ballad that shifts into Muldrow's psychedelic, slow-motion soul-jazz as Badu gets increasingly fragmentary and tripped-out. By the end, she is renewed: "Finally I got a leading role/Introducing Super Dope/Starring in her episode/Hello new world/Out my mind."
Actual next level, as always. [The album was also released on vinyl in 2010.]
~ Andy Kellman, Rovi
SECRET CITIES - Vinyl Record Release - Title: STRANGE HEARTS
Title: Strange Hearts
Vinyl Record Release
Artist: Secret Cities
Strange Hearts
On its second album (at least under the Secret Cities name), the North Dakota trio works a bit more in the vein with which it first came to greater attention -- intentionally lo-fi/murky sonics crossed with a sprightly late-'60s Beach Boys jones as refracted through winsome indie sensibilities and sonics of the 21st century. A mouthful, perhaps, but it's the best way to describe Strange Hearts, an intentional collage of all sorts of things into the group's own particular shape.
On that front they're one of many bands in recent years who work in generally similar veins -- call it the impact of everything from the legacy of Elephant 6 to the continuing decenteredness of the music industry in general -- but there are plenty of enjoyable songs throughout, even if, as heard straight through, it's a bit repetitive in the end.
But said songs, like "The Park," beginning with quiet vocals and piano before the full arrangement kicks in, and "Brief Encounter," with its stately spaghetti Western horns and flourishes dissolving into a loop of mechanistic rumbles, show that there's a spirit at work amid all the general feeling of collage and homage.
If Strange Hearts isn't per se a major work, it has more going for it than most dull rock-by-numbers out there, a self-contained sonic world.
~ Ned Raggett, Rovi
Vinyl Record Release
Artist: Secret Cities

Strange Hearts
On its second album (at least under the Secret Cities name), the North Dakota trio works a bit more in the vein with which it first came to greater attention -- intentionally lo-fi/murky sonics crossed with a sprightly late-'60s Beach Boys jones as refracted through winsome indie sensibilities and sonics of the 21st century. A mouthful, perhaps, but it's the best way to describe Strange Hearts, an intentional collage of all sorts of things into the group's own particular shape.
On that front they're one of many bands in recent years who work in generally similar veins -- call it the impact of everything from the legacy of Elephant 6 to the continuing decenteredness of the music industry in general -- but there are plenty of enjoyable songs throughout, even if, as heard straight through, it's a bit repetitive in the end.
But said songs, like "The Park," beginning with quiet vocals and piano before the full arrangement kicks in, and "Brief Encounter," with its stately spaghetti Western horns and flourishes dissolving into a loop of mechanistic rumbles, show that there's a spirit at work amid all the general feeling of collage and homage.
If Strange Hearts isn't per se a major work, it has more going for it than most dull rock-by-numbers out there, a self-contained sonic world.
~ Ned Raggett, Rovi
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Pharaoh - POWER METAL - Be Gone [Vinyl/Bonus Single]
Title: Be Gone [Vinyl/Bonus Single]
Artist: Pharaoh
The power metal revival movement has been a predominantly European phenomenon; in the 1990s and 2000s, countless power metal bands were formed in Sweden, Germany, Norway, and other European countries. But predominantly European doesn't mean exclusively European, and one of the American power metal revival bands that emerged in the late '90s (although their first album didn't come out until 2003) was Pharaoh. Be Gone, which is Pharaoh's third album, won't be accused of being groundbreaking; this is a 2008 release that, stylistically, could have been recorded in 1982 or 1983.
Melodic but hard-driving tracks such as "Buried at Sea," "Dark New Life," "Rats and Rope," and "Cover Your Eyes and Pray" get their inspiration from old-school headbangers who emerged in the 1970s and 1980s, and lead singer Tim Aymar favors a gruff vocal style that owes a lot to Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson. Maiden, in fact, is the most prominent power metal influence on Be Gone, although Judas Priest and Ronnie James Dio are obvious influences as well.
This 47-minute import CD is defiantly oblivious to post-'80s developments in metal, and there is nothing wrong with that. There is a place for retro artists as long as they are good at what they do -- and while Be Gone isn't remarkable, it is decent and well executed. There is never any doubt that guitarist Matt Johnsen, bassist Chris Kerns, and drummer Chris Black can play their instruments well -- they aren't lacking in the chops department -- and Be Gone is a likable, if derivative, reminder of the fact that headbangers don't have to be from Europe to contribute to the power metal revival movement.
Performers: Chris Black - Drums; Chris Kerns - Bass; Matt Johnsen - Guitar; Tim Aymar - Vocals
[This vinyl edition included a bonus single.]
BY ~ Alex Henderson, Rovi
Artist: Pharaoh
The power metal revival movement has been a predominantly European phenomenon; in the 1990s and 2000s, countless power metal bands were formed in Sweden, Germany, Norway, and other European countries. But predominantly European doesn't mean exclusively European, and one of the American power metal revival bands that emerged in the late '90s (although their first album didn't come out until 2003) was Pharaoh. Be Gone, which is Pharaoh's third album, won't be accused of being groundbreaking; this is a 2008 release that, stylistically, could have been recorded in 1982 or 1983.
Melodic but hard-driving tracks such as "Buried at Sea," "Dark New Life," "Rats and Rope," and "Cover Your Eyes and Pray" get their inspiration from old-school headbangers who emerged in the 1970s and 1980s, and lead singer Tim Aymar favors a gruff vocal style that owes a lot to Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson. Maiden, in fact, is the most prominent power metal influence on Be Gone, although Judas Priest and Ronnie James Dio are obvious influences as well.
This 47-minute import CD is defiantly oblivious to post-'80s developments in metal, and there is nothing wrong with that. There is a place for retro artists as long as they are good at what they do -- and while Be Gone isn't remarkable, it is decent and well executed. There is never any doubt that guitarist Matt Johnsen, bassist Chris Kerns, and drummer Chris Black can play their instruments well -- they aren't lacking in the chops department -- and Be Gone is a likable, if derivative, reminder of the fact that headbangers don't have to be from Europe to contribute to the power metal revival movement.
Performers: Chris Black - Drums; Chris Kerns - Bass; Matt Johnsen - Guitar; Tim Aymar - Vocals
[This vinyl edition included a bonus single.]
BY ~ Alex Henderson, Rovi
Labels:
Be Gone,
Pharaoh,
POWER METAL,
Vinyl Single
LADY GAGA- The Fame Monster [Picture Vinyl]
Title: The Fame Monster [Picture Vinyl]
Artist: Lady Gaga
Initially planned solely as a standard double-disc reissue in the wake of the blockbuster success of The Fame, Lady Gaga decided to release the new material as a separate EP called The Fame Monster in addition to the standard two-CD set, where it's tacked onto a now standardized version of her debut. It's a nice move for fans, plus it helps emphasize the new material, which does act as a bridge from the debut to a forthcoming full-length.
Everything on The Fame Monster bears a galvanized Eurotrash finish, as evident on the heavy steel synths of “Bad Romance” and the updated ABBA revision “Alejandro” as it is on the rock & roll ballad “Speechless” -- its big guitars lifted from Noel Gallagher -- and the wonderful, perverse march “Teeth.”
Even the stuttering splices on “Telephone,” a duet with BeyoncĂ©, leans to the other side of the Atlantic, which just emphasizes the otherness that's become Gaga's calling card.
And even as she's becoming omnipresent, with her songs mingling with those who co-opt her on the radio, she is still slightly skewed, willing to go so far over the top that she goes beyond camp, yet still channeling it through songs that are written, not just hooks. The Fame Monster builds upon those strengths exhibited on The Fame, offering a credible expansion of the debut and suggesting she's not just a fleeting pop phenomenon.
BY~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
Artist: Lady Gaga
Initially planned solely as a standard double-disc reissue in the wake of the blockbuster success of The Fame, Lady Gaga decided to release the new material as a separate EP called The Fame Monster in addition to the standard two-CD set, where it's tacked onto a now standardized version of her debut. It's a nice move for fans, plus it helps emphasize the new material, which does act as a bridge from the debut to a forthcoming full-length.
Everything on The Fame Monster bears a galvanized Eurotrash finish, as evident on the heavy steel synths of “Bad Romance” and the updated ABBA revision “Alejandro” as it is on the rock & roll ballad “Speechless” -- its big guitars lifted from Noel Gallagher -- and the wonderful, perverse march “Teeth.”
Even the stuttering splices on “Telephone,” a duet with BeyoncĂ©, leans to the other side of the Atlantic, which just emphasizes the otherness that's become Gaga's calling card.
And even as she's becoming omnipresent, with her songs mingling with those who co-opt her on the radio, she is still slightly skewed, willing to go so far over the top that she goes beyond camp, yet still channeling it through songs that are written, not just hooks. The Fame Monster builds upon those strengths exhibited on The Fame, offering a credible expansion of the debut and suggesting she's not just a fleeting pop phenomenon.
BY~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
Labels:
LADY GAGA,
Picture Vinyl,
The Fame Monster
NEW - Illinois Vinyl Record Retailer Entries - For SPRING 2012 EDITION
New Additions To "VINYL RECORD BUYERS GUIDE"
ILLINOIS
Revolution Records56 N Central Park Plaza, Jacksonville IL
Record Room641 W Golf Road, Des Plaines IL
Angelsing Records818 S Seminary Avenue, Park Ridge IL
Fabsound Records LLC2113 W Walton Street, Chicago IL
Record Swap114 E University Avenue, Champaign IL
Record Emporium3057 N Rockwell Street, Chicago IL
Thisit Records Inc10133 S Halsted Street, Chicago IL
Mac's Records5425 W Madison Street, Chicago IL
Permanent Records LLC1914 W Chicago Avenue, Chicago IL
Joyce Records Inc1717 Tonne Road, Elk Grove Village IL
606 Records Inc1065 Aster Lane, West Chicago IL
ILLINOIS
Revolution Records56 N Central Park Plaza, Jacksonville IL
Record Room641 W Golf Road, Des Plaines IL
Angelsing Records818 S Seminary Avenue, Park Ridge IL
Fabsound Records LLC2113 W Walton Street, Chicago IL
Record Swap114 E University Avenue, Champaign IL
Record Emporium3057 N Rockwell Street, Chicago IL
Thisit Records Inc10133 S Halsted Street, Chicago IL
Mac's Records5425 W Madison Street, Chicago IL
Permanent Records LLC1914 W Chicago Avenue, Chicago IL
Joyce Records Inc1717 Tonne Road, Elk Grove Village IL
606 Records Inc1065 Aster Lane, West Chicago IL
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