On November 3rd of this year, the new Van Morrison album entitled Accentuate The Positive will be released. What makes this album so interesting is the songs chosen. Amongst them are:
- "When Will I Be Loved". Written by Phil Everly, a hit for his brother Don and himself in 1960 and for Linda Ronstadt in 1975.
- "Problems". The Everly Brothers again.
- "Flip, Flop, And Fly". Big Joe Turner did a great version of this song.
- "(I Don’t Want To) Hang Up My Rock ’n’ Roll Shoes". Written by Chuck Willis, done in an excellent version by The Band on their Rock Of Ages live album.
- "The Shape I’m In". Originally by The Band on their Stage Fright album, pianist/drummer/singer Richard Manuel---a pal of Van’s---singing the song.
- "Lonesome Train". A Rockabilly song originally done by The Johnny Burnette Trio.
- "A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues". Originally recorded by Arthur Alexander, later by English singer Johnny Kidd And The Pirates, then by The Beatles in three of their four Live At The BBC appearances. Dave Edmunds recorded a great version of the song---included in his 1975 album Subtle As A Flying Mallet, as did The Flamin’ Groovies and many others.
- "Shakin’ All Over". Written by Johnny KIdd and first recorded by himself and his band The Pirates, but best known to many by it’s appearance on The Who’s Live At Leeds album. I heard The Who perform the song live in 1968, but my favorite version by far is that of The pre-Burton Cummings’ Guess Who.
- "Blueberry Hill". Well known in the Fats Domino version.
- "Lucille". The Little Richard song, of course.
- "Shake Rattle And Roll". Best known in the version by Bill Haley & The Comets, but I prefer the version by Big Joe Turner.
- "Bonaparte’s Retreat". Best known in the 1950 version by Country & Western singer Pee Wee King.
A great collection of songs, and I can’t wait to hear how Van approaches them. The original versions of the songs were performed in styles Van is not known for, and I can’t imagine how he does them.
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For the first time on LP, Wayne Hancock's A-Train Blues album (Bloodshot Records). Cut in 20 hours with producer Lloyd Maines, released on CD in 2001. Red hot Hillbilly/Rockabilly.
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On August 25th, John Fogerty's first two solo albums from the 1970's will be re-released on LP:
- His first, Entitled The Blue Ridge Rangers. John sings and plays every part, and no acknowledgement anywhere on the cover reveals the fact that he IS The Blue Ridge Rangers. It is an album of pure Country Western music, done very well.
- His 2nd, s/t album. On this album John returns to his trademark Creedence Clearwater Revival sound.
Both albums feature better-than-average recorded sound quality.
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Already in stores:
Sweet Memories: The Music Of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys, by Vince Gill & Paul Franklin. Ray is not very well known to the general public, but is a favorite singer of Willie Nelson.
Out in September::
- Nobody Owns You by Joan Osborne.
- Already mentioned above, but worth reminding: In The Throes by Buddy & Julie Miller. Julie says she had a hundred songs waiting to be recorded, from which the duo chose twelve. Recorded in Buddy’s home studio. For a look into the studio, here’s a video to watch:
https://youtu.be/9_IBN4hLSS4?t=98
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Already on the shelves is City Of Gold by Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, produced by Jerry Douglas and released by Nonesuch Records, one of the great contemporary labels. Molly's Crooked Tree album won a Grammy as Best Bluegrass Album of 2022.
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On September 1st, 7A Records releases two Dave Edmunds albums on colored vinyl LP's: Repeat When Necessary and Tracks On Wax 4. Both feature the playing of the entire Rockpile membership: Dave, Nick Lowe, Billy Bremner, and Terry Williams. The albums were originally released in the 1980's on Swan Song Records, personally signed to the label by Robert Plant.
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On August 25th Rhino Records is releasing on LP a best of collection by Gordon Lightfoot, part of their Now Playing series. Only $19.99 on the Elusive Disc website!
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On September 8th a 4-LP boxset containing Nanci Griffith's first four albums will be released by Craft Recordings.
And on October 13th Rounder Records will release a tribute album to Nanci, the artists to include Iris DeMent, Mary Gauthier, Emmylou Harris, Shaun Colvin, Steve Earle, Lyle Lovett, John Prine, Todd Snider, and Billy Strings,
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On September 22nd New West Records releases a new album by Buddy & Julie Miller entitled In The Throes. All but one song were written by Julie, the one being a collaboration between Julie, Regina McCrary, and Bob Dylan. Regina initiated the writing of the song's lyrics, then met with Bob who wrote and rewrote more lyrics. For the music Bob instructed Regina to "Give it to Buddy Miller."
Julie is a unique writer and singer, her songs having been recorded by the likes of Levon Helm, Solomon Burke, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Lee Ann Womack, Wynonna Judd, and Dianna Krall. Buddy has been voted Instrumentalist Of The Year multiple times by The Americana Music Association. He does a lot of producing, and plays guitar and sings harmony in Emmylou's road band, which he leads.
Guest artists on the album include Emmylou, Larry Campbell, Teresa Williams, and Gurf Morlix. This will most likely end up being my choice of Album Of The Year. Available in both black and colored vinyl (the latter signed by Buddy and Julie) and CD.
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Me too @jafant, and of The Flamin' Groovies!
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Coming soon to a record store near you: Here Are The Sonics !!! (exclamation points not of my doing) on Big Beat Records, the debut album from this greatest of all 1960’s Garage Bands. I have an original on Etiquette Records (plus the 1998 reissue on Norton Records. Mastered by Bob Irwin of Sundazed Records fame, liner notes by Miriam Linna, The Cramps original drummer and in the 1970’s The Flamin’ Groovies Fan Club president), but if you don’t you need this record! The recording sounds like sh*t, but it’s great sh*t. ;-)
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On June 30th the Kentucky Colonels’ album 1966 will be released on LP and CD. The Colonels’ members included Clarence White, better known a member of the 3rd incarnation of The Byrds.
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Out tomorrow (Friday, May 19th): Thomas Lauderdale Meets The Pilgrims.
Lauderdale is the leader of Pink Martini, and collaborating with him on this album are the Surf band Satan’s Pilgrims. Both are Portland, Oregon residents. I just heard about the album yesterday, when Lauderdale was interviewed on Portland’s Classical music station. The DJ played a coupla cuts, which were fantastic!
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@fsonicsmith1: Yep Rock is one of my favorite labels. In addition to those you mentioned, also on the label are The Minus 5 (they opened for NRBQ when I saw them awhile back. Steve Berlin of Los Lobos joined both bands on stage), Kim Richie, Los Straitjackets (their bassist and I have known each other since 1962, and have played together in a coupla bands), Sloan, The Rubinoos, Tift Merritt, and of course Nick Lowe. Quite a roster!
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On July 14th Yep Rock Records is releasing an expanded version of Marshall Crenshaw's 1983 sophomore album, on a single CD and double LP, the latter in a color exclusive at Barnes & Noble.
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Shadow Kingdom by Bob Dylan on June 2nd. 21st Century live recordings of songs from his catalog, available on a single CD and double LP.
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I neglected to mention:
Robbie is currently on the road, so if you like the album help him make a living (he won’t make any dough off the album) by buying a ticket to see & hear him live (I’m sure he can’t afford to take his studio band on the road---they're expensive players, and worth every penny, so he’ll most likely be solo). Tickets are dirt cheap, only 22 bucks for the show at Polaris Hall in Portland Oregon. See ya there!
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Oh, and on May 19th there’s a new album coming out from Marty Stuart And His Fabulous Superlatives, entitled Altitudes. LP, CD, MP3, streaming.
For those who don’t have an original LP (or the reissue from Sundazed done in the 1980’s), and haven’t wanted to pay $42 for the current reissue by Speakers Corner, on April 21st Albert King’s fantastic album Born Under A Bad Sign will be out on LP from Craft Recordings at $29.95 retail. Albert is backed by the fantastic Booker T & The MG’s, as well as The Memphis Horns. If you Stevie Ray Vaughan fans want to learn upon what Stevie based his style, you GOTTA hear this LP!
And as a reminder, Robbie Fulks new album Bluegrass Vacation will be available on the 7th of this month. all formats. Providing Robbie musical accompaniment is the incredible lineup of Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Tim O'Brien, Ronnie McCoury, Alison Brown, John Cowan, and Sierra Hull. Wow!
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Stumble Into Grace by Emmylou Harris, her 2003 album on LP (Nonesuch Records) for the first time. Available on May 12th.
Her one-time bandleader Rodney Crowell's new album entitled The Chicago Sessions (a collaboration with Wilco's Jeff Tweedy) will be released on both CD and LP a week earlier by New West Records.
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New 2023 reissues from Vinyl Me Please:
- Busy Bee Cafe by Marty Stuart. His 1982 Sugar Hill Records debut.
- Stand By Your Man by Tammy Wynette. Her 1969 album on Epic Records, containing the hit song of the same title. Michael Ludwig (45 RPM Audiophile on YouTube), though not a fan of Country music, gave this album a rave review, in terms of sound quality. Poor Michael, his taste runs to Krautrock. ;-) .
The lacquers for both LP’s cut from analogue tapes by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound.
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Already in the racks is a new album (on LP and CD) from The Long Ryders, produced by Ed Stasium.(The Ramones, Marshall Crenshaw, The Smithereens). The Ryders are now down to a trio, bassist Tom Stevens having died back in 2021. At the time of their debut album in the mid-80's, drummer Greg Sowders was married to Lucinda Williams. I believe he was husband number 1. ;-)
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@jafani: If you don't already have it, the 1971 s/t Crazy Horse album (Reprise RS 6438) is fantastic! Danny Whitten was still alive and in the band, as was pianist Jack Nitzsche. Nils Lofgren plays guitar and sings lead on one song, and Ry Cooder plays slide guitar on three songs.
The album was issued in an expanded 2-CD package in 2005 (coupled with their second album Loose), entitled Scratchy: The Complete Reprise Recordings (Reprise/Rhino Handmade RHM2 7884).
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@jafant: A new one from Marty Stuart & his band! I hadn't heard.
By the way, Neil's 1977 band The Ducks included Bob Mosley of Moby Grape on bass, and drummer Johnny Craviotto, who later started making drums that are now considered the best in the world. Sadly Johnny passed away in 2016, at the age of 69. A heart attack.
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On April 7th Compass Records is releasing Bluegrass Holiday by Ronnie Fulks. Musical accompaniment provided by a who's who of Bluegrass superstars.
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Rodney Crowell: The Chicago Sessions, due out on May 5th on New West Records, both LP and CD. For this album Rodney collaborated with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, both in writing and singing. Recorded in Wilco’s Chicago loft.
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Announced in the promotional email I received from Music Direct last night:
An Ultradisc One-Step release of Paul Simon’s fantastic second album, There Goes Rhymin’ Simon (of all his albums, the only two I like are this and his first). The album features musical accompaniment by the superb Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section: Roger Hawkins on drums (you drummers: try and play along with "KodaChrome". Good luck! ;-), David Hood on bass, Jimmy Johnson on electric guitar, and Barry Beckett on piano. My God what a band!
As with all Ultradisc releases, it is comprised of two 45 RPM discs and retails for a penny under $125 (but shipping is free ;-). I don’t care for that, and am perfectly content with my great sounding Columbia Records original (the album was engineered by Phil Ramone and Jerry Masters) and the 1998 reissue done by Steve Hoffman for DCC, employing VAC vacumn tube electronics in his mastering.
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Not literally new, but available again after being out of print for quite a while:
Ry Cooder's 1970 Warner Brothers Records debut album, reissued in 2021 by the great Speakers Corner Records (a German audiophile company), back in stock. Pure analogue from the original master tape to the cutter head. A single 180g 33-1/3 RPM disc, pressed at Pallas, one of the three best plants in the world.
Produced by Van Dyke Parks and Lenny Waronker, musical accompaniment provided by Van Dyke, Richie Hayward (Little Feat), Johnny Barbata (The Turtles, Jefferson Starship. A fantastic drummer!), Roy Estrada (The Mothers), Milt Holland (well known Jazz and L.A. studio musician), and Chris Ethridge (The Flying Burrito Brothers).
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On March 24th, Light In The Attic will release the reissue of the legendary (and hard to find) album In My Own Time by Karen Dalton. I didn't hear about or see it back in 1971, and have been waiting a long time to finally do so. Read all about her and it in the pre-order release listing on Amazon.
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Robbie Fulks: Bluegrass Vacation, on LP and CD. Guests include Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Tim O’Brien, Alison Browne, Ronnie McCoury, and John Cowan. Wow!
Robbie’s upcoming tour includes a show at The Polaris Hall In Portland (Oregon) on April 29th (tickets are only $22! A benefit of liking cult-audience music is very low ticket prices, as well as shows in small venues. The last large-venue show I attended was The Stones at The Staples Center in L.A., and I vowed to never attend one again.) . If you attend, come on up to me (I’ll be the oldish longhair. But I ain’t no hippie ;-) and say "Hey". I’ll let ya buy me a drink---Johnny Walker Black, please ;-) .
Los Lobos are in town on March 22nd at Revolution Hall, tickets $45. One of the very best bands in the world! That's where I saw The Jerry Douglas Band on their last tour. Virtuoso musicians, but not enough singing for me. And the music was in the Bluegrass/Jazz fusion genre, not a favorite of mine.
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Lyle Lovett's Joshua Judges Ruth on LP, street date tomorrow (February 10th).
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At long last, a new album from Iris DeMent, due out in February.
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