New in 2018


As we enter this new year which hot releases or cool remasters / re-issues are you ready to purchase?
jafant

Showing 4 responses by maxnewid

I am really enjoying the new Wolf Alice album "Visions of a Life". Sometimes they sound like the Cranberries, sometimes they sound like the Pretenders or even My Bloody Valentine, but mostly, they are very original. Wolf Alice is a great British post punk band. Visions is stronger than their first album and I think these guys are just going to get better and better over time as long as their success doesn't go to their heads. So far, their attitude seems pretty grounded as they poke fun at the world around them.
I have also been enjoying Big Big Train's "Grimspound" which was named asThe Prog Report's best album of 2017. If you like early Genesis, Jethro Tull, Yes, and the prog genre in general you will like this. Well thought out songs and excellent musicianship. Sounds fantastic on my Maggies.
Here is an interesting one- Yes- Fly From Here- Return Trip. This album is a rerecording of the original Fly From Here released in 2004. The 2018 version features the Yes line up from 1980 including Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes. This version of Yes released the Drama album in 1982. I have been a Yes fan for a long time and have always appreciated their musicianship. Jon Anderson has the voice of an angel. I remember, when they released Drama, thinking that the band would never be the same without Anderson. I was actually pleasantly surprised that Drama was pretty good. It took the addition of 2 vocalists to replace Anderson, but the song writing was top notch and Drama became an often overlooked classic. When Fly From Here was released in 2004, I remember reading about it, but the new vocalist David Benoit didn't really hold my attention. Obviously, Steve Howe, Alan White, and Chris Squire felt the same way because in 2017 they approached Horn to redo the album with him singing the lead vocals. The result is a much tighter production along the lines of the Drama album. The only reason I write this rather long review is that this is the last recording by Chris Squire. When you listen to his bass line and supporting vocals on songs that he co-wrote with Horn and Downes, you appreciate what a fine musician and overall contributor to Yes Squire was. This is a hard disc to find, but well worth it if you are a Yes fan. Chris Squire was one of the greatest rock bass players of all time. 
8 disc REM boxset- Live at the BBC coming out in October. All unreleased live sets.