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SEPTEMBER /
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 THE ZOMBIES |
 JETHRO TULL |
 THE FACES |
 THE JOHN ENTWISTLE BAND |
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THE ROLLING STONES Singles 1965-1967 (Abkco)
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THE KINKS The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society (Sanctuary / Castle)
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THE
ZOMBIES
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JETHRO
TULL Stormwatch (Capitol / EMI)
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THE
FACES Five Guys Walk Into A Bar... (WSM / Rhino)
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THE
JOHN ENTWISTLE BAND Live (Image Entertainment)
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When
it came to releasing monumental hit singles back in the ‘60s, few
groups, save The Beatles, could touch the Stones. Having already released
their classic ‘60s albums as hybrid Stereo / SACD releases, Abkco
have recently been busy reviving all those great Rolling Stones singles
on CD on a series of vintage style box sets complete with original 45
cover art and historic liner notes. Last year the label began the process
with Singles 1963-1965, which featured the Stones’ early
R&B and blues releases and now they get to the heart of the matter
with The Rolling Stones Singles 1965-1967. Let’s
face it—as great as the band’s early single releases are,
they really didn’t hit their stride till the 1965 release of “Satisfaction”—the
single release kicking off the 11 CD 1965-1967 set. The Stones
‘60s singles always featured an A and a B side, yet here, the three
track “Satisfaction” single incorporates both the American
and British b-sides. Restoring some of the greatest ‘60s chart
topping pop music ever caught on record, this second Stones singles
box on Abkco is supported by an extensive booklet featuring revealing
quotes from Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman, Keith Richards
and more. A stunning box set to behold, these eleven singles decked
out in their original picture sleeves is essential for any devoted ‘60s
pop fan and is a perfect set up for the third Stones singles box, entitled
Singles 1968-1971, coming soon on Abkco. 
It
was at the height of that incredibly prolific period in his songwriting
history that Ray Davies created a magnum opus of ‘60s rock
that is listed by many Kinks fans as being their best album ever. From
his introductory liner notes about the album, The Who’s Pete
Townshend is quoted as saying, “For me, Village Green Preservation
Society is Ray’s masterwork. It’s his Sgt. Pepper,
it’s what makes him the definitive pop poet laureate.”
What better way to celebrate that landmark album than with Sanctuary’s
2004 three CD box set of The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation
Society. Released during the same late Fall ‘68 period as The
Beatles (white album), Beggar’s Banquet and the second
Traffic album, VGPS may have been initially overlooked,
yet within days, word quickly spread of The Kinks’ innovative
masterpiece. From the lengthy liner notes, Ray states, “I just
wanted to be creative and say something about a part of the world that
was not so commercial.” Also from the extensive booklet, group
bassist Pete Quaife is quoted as saying “It’s the best
album we made” with group guitarist Dave Davies recalling
“it was a project that was either ahead of it’s time, or just
totally out of time!” With disc 1 featuring the complete 15 track
stereo mix (+four bonus tracks), disc 2 featuring the complete mono
mix (+five bonus tracks) and disc 3 showcasing 22 certified Kinks rarities
and vital alternate tracks, one of the greatest ‘60s albums is
fittingly showcased on the pedestal it so richly deserves. 
One
album I sometimes associate with the Zombies classic, Odessey
& Oracle is Days Of Future Past, by The Moody Blues.
Both albums spawned huge post release hit singles—“Nights
In White Satin” by The Moodies and “Time Of The Season”,
the big Zombies hit off Odessey. Hard to believe that without
the intervention of Blues Project founder Al Kooper, O&O
might not have ever been released in the U.S., although it did finally
on Columbia’s Date imprint. While The Moodies used their album
as a stepping stone to greatness, The Zombies imploded after their release,
with leader Rod Argent and his songwriting partner Chris White
splitting from singer Colin Blunstone, moving on to
form Argent in 1970. It was a shame that The Zombies split after the
Lp, as the single got so big way after the fact. Nevertheless, Odessey
& Oracle remains one of the greatest U.K. pop albums from that
magical mid-1968 heyday. Fuel 2000 revive the evergreen pop classic
on their 2004 remaster complete with nine bonus tracks, attaching the
expert reissue notes from noted author and pop culture historian Greg
Russo as well as Al Kooper’s brilliant original Lp notes. 
Jethro
Tull made such an enormous musical impact back in the ‘60s, so
much in fact that many groups throughout the continent began playing
Tull-like instrumental gothic-rock sounds around that time including
Jan Akkerman and Focus, whose sound is interestingly quite Tull inspired.
Although Tull mania sort of ended with the onset of their watermark
double disc, Living In The Past or more likely with the ‘73
release of Passion Play, the band continued making new fans and
delighting original Tull buffs by actually recording some depth-defying
sounds till the demise of the ‘70s. The final Tull studio album
of the ‘70s, 1979’s Stormwatch really captured the
last gasp of the quintessential ‘70s Tull sound. Interestingly,
in his liner notes for this 2004 EMI remaster of Stormwatch, Ian
Anderson dedicates the reissue to drummer Barrie Barlow,
who left the fold following Stormwatch after so many ground-breaking
Tull albums. The album’s pensive, apprehensive outlook was further
exacerbated by the untimely illness and ultimate passing of bassist
John Glascock, who left the sessions after three tracks. Four
bonus tracks include a mythical Tull instrumental entitled “King
Henry’s Madrigal”, of course featuring the great Martin
Barre on guitar. Top remastered sound and those fine bonus tracks
further decorate this underrated Tull classic. On another note, Capitol
/ Chrysalis have also reissued upgraded CDs of A,
the CD repackaged with a live in concert DVD showcasing the A lineup
of Anderson, Barre, bassist Dave Pegg, keyboardist Eddie Jobson
and drummer Mark Craney featuring a variety of live and concept
video footage. Anderson laments in the notes about the demise of the
classic Tull lineup with Barlow, Evan and David Palmer and the A
CD and DVD clearly reflect a change of direction into the realm
of techno-druid music, the first of more to come. Finally, Capitol /
Chrysalis have reissued the original Tull Bursting Out album
in 2004 as a double CD set. Recorded on the 1978 Tull European tour,
the set features the classic late ‘70s Tull line-up performing
a veritable smorgasbord of long standing Tull favorites from 1969’s
Stand Up to Heavy Horses in 1978, topped off with twelve
pages of photos and priceless notes from Ian Anderson. 
After
their band folded, Rod Stewart and Ron Wood went on to
even greater successes, though not alot is said these days about their
extensive Warner Bros. Records repertoire with The Faces. The early
‘70s rock legends—honored in 2004 with the release of a four
CD box set entitles Five Guys Walk Into A Bar—actually evolved
out of the ‘60s mod pop group The Small Faces, an innovative
U.K. band that counted gifted bassist /songwriter Ronnie Lane,
Kenney Jones (drums) and Ian McLagen (keys) among it’s
ranks. From the liner notes Wood adds, “When Rod and I were in
Beck’s group, our favorite band was The Small Faces. They were
so fantastic, with so much energy...” Key to the Small Faces mod-pop
sound was the late great Steve Marriott, who left to form Humble Pie
and nearly 30 years later the tale of both The Faces and Humble Pie
is legendary. Featuring songwriting contributions from all and Stewart’s
patented vocals going full tilt, The Faces gave the Stones a run for
their money till they split in ‘75. WSM/Rhino have done
a fabulous job on their four CD box set decking it with innovative packaging
design, numerous essays and the offbeat post-production work by Mr.
McLagen. 
In
his eulogy for founding Who bassist John Entwistle drummer Steve
Luongo wrote, “He did for the bass what Jimi Hendrix did for
the guitar and there isn’t a bassist alive today that hasn’t
felt the everlasting effect of John Entwistle.” Unexpectedly dropping
dead in Las Vegas at the onset of the Who’s North American tour
in June of 2002, John Entwistle left behind a repertoire of music ripe
for rediscovery by future generations of pop fans. His bass work and
songs on his solo albums and classic Who albums such as Who Are You
and Who By Numbers is legendary and the master of the musical
macabre leaves his signature with the posthumous release of The John
Entwistle Band: Live. A 2004 DVD release on Image Entertainment,
Live features a rockin’ live performance from Entwistle
& company in a magical evening outdoor concert setting in 1999.
Entwistle and band—Steve Luongo on drums, guitar ace Godfrey
Townsend and Gordon Cotten on keyboards—are in stellar
form here, serving up choice covers of Entwistle classics like “Horror
Rock”, “Had Enough” and “Trick Of The Light”
along with fresh covers of Who classics like “The Real Me”
and “Shakin’ All Over”. Rounding it out, the expertly
filmed DVD blends in a touching eulogy—complete with rare video
footage of the bass great at home and in the studio—as well as
a concert-only option and multiple audio options. John Entwistle chose
his musical company wisely over the years and Luongo, Townsend and Cotten
champion his legacy on this DVD concert classic. 