Following the success of last year’s 40th anniversary edition of the Ramones’ self-titled debut album, Rhino are treating us to a deluxe edition of the band’s follow-up Leave Home. Still revered as a classic album, Leave Home is 30 minutes of no messing punk rock and bubblegum pop. It is a mix that defined the Ramones’ sound. The album also produced some of their most famous songs, like Pinhead and California Sun.
The Ramones are often considered to be one of the first punk bands. Their musical style, stage presence and attitude influenced the likes of Malcolm McLaren, The Sex Pistols and The Clash. It was the Ramones’ insistence to have their records speeded up to match the velocity of their live shows, that helped shape the punk sound. And with their matching leather jackets and straight-fringe haircuts; the band’s cartoony nature made them one of the most recognisable bands of all time.
Fans and collectors alike will love this release. It is a real treat, as it not only includes the original album on CD, but a 40th anniversary mix on CD and vinyl. The 40th anniversary mixes have been created from the original multitrack tapes by original engineer Ed Stasium. The new mixes are designed to reflect the Ramones’ raw power and fatten the sound.
The package also includes a live recording from a gig the band played in 1977, at the famous CBGB. The venue staged the Ramones’ very first shows, and the two have become entwined in music folklore. There are also rough mixes, unreleased material and extras, including the single Sheena Is A Punk Rocker.
No follower of punk can credibly call themselves a fan of the genre if they don’t have an affection for the Ramones. And if you like the Ramones you’re going to absolutely love this 40th anniversary edition of their brilliant sophomore LP. ( Songwriter Magazine)
Comateens were formed in New York in 1978 by Ramona Jan (guitar), Nicholas Dembling (aka Nick O. Teen, Nick North, Nick West) (bass, vocals), and a drum machine. After Lyn Byrd (synthesizer, vocals), Oliver North (guitar, vocals) and Harry Viderci (drums) joined the group, they recorded their first single, The Ramona Jan-penned songs Danger Zone and Elizabeth's Lover (not released at the time) and Diana Dominicci's Cool Chick. Jan left the band in 1980 and Comateens recorded their self-titled debut LP in 1981. The album became a cult favorite among college hipsters, especially the band's remake of “The Munsters Theme". However, the Comateens actually gained a larger following in Europe, wherein the group's quirks – such as the necrophilia tale “Cool Chick" – were more easily digested. The band released two more LPs – 1983's Pictures on a String and 1984's Deal With It – and then split up in 1985. Byrd and Nicholas West (Dembling) eventually reunited in West and Byrd.
This set contains the three albums released by Comateens with bonus cd of demo's.
CD1 - Self titled debut album from 1981
CD2 - Pictures On A String from1983
CD3 - Deal With It from 1984
CD4 - Demo's
This has been in my to post folder for a very long time, time it was posted!!!
1965 - My Generation (50th Anniversary Super Deluxe)
[5CD Box Set, 2016] @320
The Who got bigger, brainier, better and generally tougher as they grew. But they were never as fiercely raw as they were on their first album, My Generation. In 36 minutes, they tore through the conventions of British rock 'n' roll until they found a place they could call their own. Five decades after its release, the album stands as one of rock music's greatest debuts.
For its 50th anniversary, My Generation has been expanded to a five-CD Super Deluxe Edition that adds new mixes, B-sides, singles, alternate takes and demos. And over the course of more than 75 tracks, the set sketches out a template the Who would build from and break down several times during their career, pulling in everything from R&B rave-ups and chiming pop to scorching rock 'n' roll and proto-punk anarchy.
While much of this material has surfaced on other collections, including previous anniversary editions of My Generation, the set attempts to wrangle most of the period's songs into one place. A few strays from earlier editions, mostly different alternate versions, are missing, but the Super Deluxe Edition is the most representative collection of a pivotal year in the life of the Who, starting with the "I Can't Explain" single from early 1965.
The center of it all is the My Generation LP, included here in a newly remastered mono mix and a stereo mix of the album from 2014 that was previously available only on iTunes. Both versions heighten the guitars and pulsing rhythm section that drive songs like "The Kids Are Alright," "A Legal Matter" and the classic title tune. The bonus tracks here -- shuffled between mono and stereo mixes, and including some of the singles and B-sides released before and after the album came out -- serve as jagged bookends to the LP's dozen tracks.
It's a vivid portrait of the Who's first several months as professional recording artists. All these years later, the explosive clash of garage-rock R&B and serrated pop from this period that later helped form their identity sounds like a launching point of things to come -- from Roger Daltrey's throaty vocals to Pete Townshend's whipping guitar attacks to that thing Keith Moon did on the drums where he was never quite on the beat but powered the rhythm all the same.
The weakest disc here, the one dedicated to almost a dozen Townshend demos from the era, provide the sketches (and, in one case, just a fragment) for the full-band takes. They're interesting as starting points, but they don't approach the force of the released versions. (Three of the songs are brand new to Who fans; Townshend discovered the stashed-away demo tapes in 2015.)
And that's why My Generation matters the most. As the band grew and got more popular, Townshend took control as its chief songwriter and architect. This Super Deluxe Edition of the Who's debut is all about the band -- before the rock operas, fringe jackets and trashed hotels -- in all of its raging glory. (Ultimate Classic Rock)
2000 - Takashi Hirayasu & Bob Brozman - Jin-Firefly @320
Recorded on the Okinawan island of Taketomi, Jin Jin/Firefly documents a rare encounter between Okinawan singer/sanshin player Takashi Hirayasu and acoustic guitarist Bob Brozman. Forming a duo, the two prove to be highly compatible -- and when you think about it, they're a logical combination. Hirayasu's foundation is Okinawan music, which contains both Japanese and Polynesian elements; Brozman, meanwhile, is considered a master of the Hawaiian guitar and is no stranger to the sounds of the Pacific Islands. So it isn't hard for them to find common ground on "Akata Sun Dunchi," "Chinnuku Jushi," and other traditional Okinawan children's songs that Hirayasu selected. What the duo does with the songs isn't entirely traditional, however. Brozman brings plenty of blues, rock, and Hawaiian influence to the session, and that works for Hirayasu because the Okinawa native is hip to blues and rock himself. Hirayasu and Brozman both have a lot of charisma, and that proves to be mutually beneficial on this excellent CD.(AllMusic)
2022 - Travelin' Band Creedence Clearwater Revival At The Royal Albert Hall 1970 @320
The debut release of the long-awaited recording of CCR at London's Royal Albert Hall. More than 50 years after the legendary 1970 show, the original multitrack tapes have been meticulously restored and mixed by GRAMMY-winning producer Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell, and half-speed mastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios from high-resolution files sourced from the analog multi-track tapes.
Small Faces - 2014 - Here Come The Nice (4CD) @320
The legendary British mod rock band Small Faces’ recording career was split into two distinctive periods. From 1965 until 1967 the band, managed by Don Arden and signed to Decca Records, spent the majority of time performing live and recording sessions were sporadic and time in the studio was limited. However, from 1967 until disbanding in 1969 the group was signed to Andrew Loog Oldham’s Immediate Records label and studio time was virtually unlimited. Guitarist/vocalist Steve Marriott, bassist/vocalist Ronnie Lane, keyboardist Ian McLagan and drummer Kenney Jones took full advantage of the extended studio time, evidenced by all the unreleased material included in this marvelous box set.
“Here Come The Nice” marks the second 4 CD box set dedicated to Small Faces’ Immediate recordings, the first, also on the Charly label, being 1995s “The Immediate Years” compiled by Phil Cohen and containing every track the band released on the label in Germany, the US and the UK, 86 tracks in all. The box sets compliment each other incredibly well as the new release concentrates mainly on previously unreleased material, all 34 tracks on discs two and three making their debut here, a huge addition to the Small Faces catalog indeed.
But, I’m getting ahead of myself. Disc One contains the mono single mixes of all ten singles released on the Immediate imprint, beginning with this set’s title track from 1967 and ending with the 1969 tour de force, “Afterglow Of Your Love”, released posthumously, Steve Marriott having left the band to form Humble Pie with ex-Herd guitarist/vocalist Peter Frampton. Of the ten singles, six made the UK top 40, with three making the top ten: “Itchycoo Park” (#3, and at #16 the only Small Faces single to chart in the US), “Tin Soldier” (#9) and “Lazy Sunday” (#2). Small Faces’ Immediate singles were consistently strong and unlike their Decca counterparts were all band originals, written by the team of guitarist/vocalist Steve Marriott and bassist/vocalist Ronnie Lane. Particularly memorable to American listeners is the trippy, phased “Itchycoo Park” a real psychedelic gem. “Here Come The Nice” follows the drug theme, written about the group’s amphetamine connection. Marriott’s guitar work is consistent throughout, but particularly interesting on tunes such as the classic “Tin Soldier” and my personal favorite the amazing “Afterglow Of Your Love”. With twenty tracks and a run time nearing an hour, disc one is an incredible introduction of things to come.
Discs Two and Three contain nothing but previously unreleased material, 34 tracks total, an honest to goodness treasure trove for collectors and fans alike. Ranging from first takes of later finished tunes like “Green Circles” and “Wide Eyed Girl On The Wall” to alternate mixes of “I Can’t Make It”, “Wham Bam Thank You Man”, “Penny Rides A Penny A Glass” and “Red Balloon”. There are alternate takes on tracks like “Collibosher” “Wide Eyed Girl” and “Call It Something Nice”. Tracking sessions for never issued songs are included giving the listener a hint of what could have been on tunes such as “Anything”, “Wit Art Yer” and “Doolally”. Backing tracks like “All Our Yesterdays”, “Fred” and “Jack” while not finished products prove quite interesting even in instrumental format. An early mix of “Lazy Sunday Afternoon” offers a look inside the band’s songwriting technique. While the run times on these two discs may be relatively short, the presence of previously released songs such as “Fred”, “Mind The Doors Please” and “Jack” make this set absolutely essential for fans of Small Faces, mod rock and psychedelic rock.
Disc Four collects alternate and out-takes along with the five live tracks posthumously released on “Autumn Stone” in the UK and “In Memoriam” in Germany. Stereo mixes of single tracks “Itchycoo Park”, “Here Come The Nice” and “I’m Only Dreaming” released originally on “There Are But Four Small Faces” get things going. The band’s song building is displayed on take 2, alternate mixes of “Eddie’s Dreaming” and “(Tell Me) Have You Ever Seen Me”. Of particular interest is an alternative mono single version of “Afterglow Of Your Love” presented at the original LP speed, the original single having been deliberately speeded up. Mono versions of “Me You And Us Too”, “Don’t Burst My Bubble” and (If You Think You’re) Groovy” credited to The Lot-P.P. Arnold & The Small Faces sound ready made for AM radio. Alternate mixes of “Piccanniny”, “Up The Wooden Hills To Bedfordshire” and “Get Yourself Together” vary sufficiently from the released versions to prove quite interesting. The disc closes with the five live tracks, recorded at Newcastle City Hall in late November, 1968 and released on “Autumn Stone” and “In Memoriam”. They have been corrected for speed and have had some of the audience screaming, added in 1969 at Pye Studios, removed. High energy stuff and a perfect way to end the set! (PsychadelicBabyMag)
Praxis was the name of an experimental rock project, led by prolific producer/bassist Bill Laswell and featuring guitarist Buckethead and drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia in nearly every incarnation of the band.
The group worked with many other artists such as Serj Tankian from System of a Down, Iggy Pop, DXT and DJ Disk.
Recorded at Knitting Factory, NYC Friday, June 30, 2000
2004 - Faces - Five Guys Walk Into A Bar (4CDs) @320
There has never been a better box set than the Faces' Five Guys Walk into a Bar.... There has never been a box that captures an artist so perfectly, nor has a box set taken greater advantage of unreleased and rare material, to the point where it seems as essential and vital as the released recordings. Simply put, there's never been a box set as necessary as this, since it tells the band's entire tale and explains exactly what the fuss is all about. Unfortunately, some explanations are in order, since the Faces never made it big, resigned to cult status in America and Britain alike. Nevertheless, if you love rock & roll with an all-consuming passion, you may consider the Faces the greatest rock & roll band ever. And you'd be right. Other bands were certainly bigger and plenty wielded a stronger influence, but the Faces were something unique, an endearingly ragged quintet that played raw, big-hearted rock & roll as hard as the Rolling Stones, but with a warm, friendly vibe that would have sounded utterly foreign coming from the Stones. At the turn of the '60s, that warmth was unusual in rock & roll, since most of the big bands were larger than life; even the Kinks, the quaintest and quietest of the titans of the late '60s, had a theatrical bent that lent them a mystique.
In contrast, the Faces were utterly without mystique. They were unpretentious to a fault, coming across like the lovable lads from the neighborhood who were always out for a good time, whether it was before, during, or after a gig. They were unassuming and mischievous, with their raggedness camouflaging a sweetness that flowed throughout their music; they were charming rogues, so endearing that even the infamously cranky, trendsetting British DJ John Peel had a soft spot a mile wide for them. That raggedness resulted in exhilarating music, but also made the Faces inconsistent on-stage and in the studio. At their peak, nobody could touch them, but even their greatest albums were sloppy, never maintaining their momentum. They would also throw away great songs on non-LP singles, and their live performances -- including BBC sessions for Peel -- often had a raucous energy not quite captured on their albums. All of these elements taken as a whole add up to a great band, but no single album, not even the first-rate 1999 compilation Good Boys When They're Asleep, captured each of these elements.
Five Guys Walk into a Bar... does. Produced and sequenced by their keyboardist, Ian McLagan, the set throws all conventional rules of box sets out the window. It's not assembled in a chronological order. A grand 43 of its 67 tracks are non-LP cuts and rarities, including a whopping 31 previously unreleased tracks. It has all the B-sides never released on CD. Several songs are repeated in alternate live or studio versions. Such a preponderance of rarities would usually mean that a box set is only for the devoted, but that's not the case here -- these rarities are the very reason why Five Guys Walk into a Bar... succeeds in a way none of their original albums do, since they fill in the gaps left behind on their four studio albums. This does mean that it features several Rod Stewart solo cuts that worked their way into the Faces' repertoire (partially because the band backed him on his solo albums, too), but that was an important part of their history (plus, the BBC version of "You're My Girl [I Don't Want to Discuss It]" is blistering hot), and while this showcases Stewart at his best -- he never was better than he was in the early '70s, whether it was fronting the Faces or on his solo records -- he never overshadows his mates on this box.
The focus is on the band as a whole, which means that the spotlight is shone on the late, perpetually underappreciated Ronnie Lane numerous times on each of the four discs, and that Ronnie Wood has his turn at the microphone on a wonderful live "Take a Look at the Guy." McLagan's song sequencing may appear to have no logic behind it, since it doesn't group recordings together by either era or scarcity, yet his seemingly haphazard approach makes musical and emotional sense, flowing like a set list yet remarkably maintaining momentum through its four lengthy discs. While it may sound like hyperbole, there's never a dull moment here, not a bad track among these 67 songs -- it's consistent in a way the Faces never were when they were together. It's a joyous, addictive listen, too. It sounds like a party, one where everybody's invited and where the music doesn't stop playing until the break of dawn. That makes a perfect tribute for a band that never got the respect they were due, and never made the great album they should have made. With Five Guys Walk into a Bar..., the Faces finally have that great album and not just that, they have a box set that's as infectious and satisfying as any classic rock & roll album and a box set that's quite possibly the greatest box set ever made. Plus, it's just one hell of a good time. (AllMusic)
