September 2002
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THE WHO |
THE BEACH BOYS |
JAN HAMMER |
CHAD & JEREMY |
YES |
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DAVID BOWIE Ziggy Stardust (EMI) Its
hard to believe it but its been 30 years since David Bowie unleashed
his 1972 masterpiece, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And
The Spiders From Mars. As great as Ziggy still
is the album was a justified reflection of all the great things early
Bowie believers already knew about him dating back to his 1969 U.K.
chart topper Space Oddity. A sci-fi flavored pop-u-mentary
of sorts, Ziggy was Bowies dream / reality of just how
he would morph into the superstar he eventually became. Its every
bit as good as earlier Bowie conquests like The Man Who Sold The
World and Hunky Dory, yet Ziggy
is often the album credited with bringing Bowies name to the
apex of the pop world. As great as Bowies songs and singing is
on Ziggy, credit for the albums perennial popularity must
also be shared with two long time Bowie cohortsthe late, great
guitarist / arranger Mick Ronson and the brilliant engineer /
producer Ken Scott. As Ziggy demonstrates, Ronsons
superb guitar work and string arranging, paired with Bowies enormous
talents and a singer-songwriter remains the stuff of legends. And who
can forget the gifted rhythm section of Trevor Bolder (bass)
and Woody Woodmansey (drums). RCA Records first released
the 11 track vinyl LP back during heady music year of 1972, while this
2002 30th anniversary 2 CD edition of Ziggy on EMI Records
pairs a newly remastered version of the original album with another
disc of rare b-sides and essential singles from the Ziggy years
all topped off by an extensive booklet brimming with liner notes and
prominent photos. Possibly the most important rock record of 1972, Ziggy
is one pop masterpiece that seems to get better with age and EMIs
new 23 track double disc 30th anniversary version is surely the best
sounding and most intriguing version of the album to date.
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THE WHO The Who Sings My Generation (MCA) For
Who fans, the holy grail has just been unveiled. The groups fabled
first album My Generation was reissued for the
first time in true stereo on August 27, 2002. Produced by legendary
60s pop producer Shel Talmy back in 1964-65, My Generation
was released by Decca Records in 65 but was never properly
mixed to stereountil now. More than 35 years after its 60s
release, Talmy finally relented and has remixed the My Generation
album from the original three track masters for the first time in
true stereo. Although the album was released on CD back in the 80s,
this newly remastered double disc version of My Generation is
clearly the one to hear and keep. Produced by Talmy and Universals
Andy McKaie, the double CD set sounds and looks incredible. Pairing
the original album with rare singles (one disc one) with an added disc
filled with bonus tracks and alternate versions (one disc two), MCAs
Deluxe Edition My Generation is complete with expanded artwork
(including the original U.S. and U.K. artwork) eye-opening photos and
detailed track data along with expansive liner notes by Shel Talmy,
who puts songwriter Pete Townshend and the Kinks Ray Davies
(two artists he produced early on) on the same pedestal as John Lennon
and Paul McCartney. With the passing of the Whos late, great bassist
John Entwistle, this expanded My Generation will open
a floodgate of memories for long time Who fans.
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THE
BEACH BOYS
While the music world eagerly awaits a new album from Beach Boys
founder Brian Wilson, several record companies are doing their
best to keep his legacy alive and well. First off, Brians original
label, Capitol Records have a new 20 track compilation CD with
all the songs chosen especially by Wilson. Remastered in HDCD, the sound
quality is quite impressive especially on classics like Heroes
And Villains and This Whole World. Wilsons selection
blends obvious choices like California Girls and Good
Vibrations with lesser known, yet equally great Beach Boys
standards like Surfs Up, Sail On Sailor
and Wonderful. The CD features cool photos and track by
track liner notes by Wilson, but the best reason to hear the CD is the
moving, set-closer California Feeling, Wilsons first
new studio song in several years. www.brianwilson.com
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JAN
HAMMER Miami Vice: The Complete Collection (One Way)
Florida-based One Way Records is
one of Americas leading reissue labels. Their most recent releaseMiami
Vice: The Complete Collectionby the multi-talented Jan Hammer
sets the record straight concerning one of the most popular TV soundtrack
albums of all time. Disc one of the 42 track double disc set features
the incredible music Hammer created and produced for the show during
1985-1988 while disc two features newly recorded and remastered MV
selections recorded in 2001. Hammers albums remain a huge influence
on so many top jazz-rock instrumentalists including guitar ace and Hammer
collaborator Jeff Beck. The double disc set features amazing sound quality,
2001 liner notes and new track by track reflections by Hammer.
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CHAD
STUART & JEREMY CLYDE Of Cabbages And Kings (Sundazed)
Upstate
New York-based Sundazed has pulled an enormous coup releasing
the first ever CD of the 1967 album by folk-rock superstar duo Chad
& Jeremy. Part of the original mid-60s British invasion,
Chad & Jeremy moved away from their mid 60s smooth pop sound
and broke new ground on their 67 Columbia Records album
Of Cabbages & Kings. Inspired by the success of Sgt. Peppers
earlier in 67, the album featured a memorable mix of light-hearted
pop psychedelia and catchy folk-rock. Produced by the late, great Gary
Usher, Of Cabbages & Kings was revered by their fans,
yet sadly remained somewhat of a cult item over the years. Sundazed
has done a brilliant job with their 2002 reissue, adding in six bonus
tracks and eye-opening liner notes by Jud Cost. Also check out
the exemplary Sundazed reissue of Chad & Jeremys 1965 album
Before And After, which adds on eleven bonus cuts.
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YES In A Word: Yes (1969-) (Rhino) The
2001 Yes CD Magnification and the Symphonic Live DVD that
followed, depicted the veteran band as a rock institution that has finally
come to terms with its own greatness. As eminent as those releases
are, Yes recently achieved another milestone with the regrouping of
the classic 1973 line-up of Steve Howe, Chris Squire,
Rick Wakeman, Alan White and Jon Anderson. If their
recent live performance at Jones Beach on Long Island on August 3, 2002
is any indication as to whats coming, Yes fans will be in for
a great future. That classic Yes group and a number of other line-ups
are revisited on the new 2002 Yes box set released by Rhino Records
/ Elektra Records entitled In A Word: Yes (1969-). Spanning the
groups 33 years of musical greatnessfrom 1969s Yes
all the way to Magnificationthe elegantly packaged
box set combines 55 newly remastered tracks on 5 CDs, including several
worthy unreleased tracks. Produced by Yes and Rhinos reissue guru
David McLeeswith additional archival research and mixing
by guitar great Steve HoweIn A Word: Yes is topped
off by Roger Dean artwork and an expansive 80 page booklet retracing
the groups fabled career as recalled by the 70s Melody Maker
raver Chris Welch and Yes expert Bill Martin. The most impressive Yes
box to date, Yes: In A Word brings together the past, present
and future times of progressive rocks most enduring musical legends.
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