Monthly Archives: May 2019

I’ve always considered Bon Jovi a disease–like kuru, say, only a helluva lot scarier. To contract kuru you have to live in New Guinea and eat contaminated human brains. You can contract Bon Jovi by turning on your car radio.

That said, I never–and I know I sound just like those people on TV commercials talking about horrible contractable diseases–thought it could strike me. I was certain I possessed the necessary modicum of native intelligence and impeccable musical taste to serve as a prophylaxis against Bon Jovi. I was sure it only afflicted those who in some way “deserved it.”

Then one day I was in the car with my girl and “Wanted Dead or Alive” came on the radio. And instead of throwing my arm out of joint in a python-quick lunge to turn the dial to another station like I’ve done hundreds of times before, I sat back in my seat and started singing along instead. And just that fast I was another victim. I had Bon Jovi.

We’ll talk more about how the disease spreads in a moment, but first let’s take a look at the disease itself. Jon Bon Jovi’s a kind of hybrid animal, a mediagenic mule–part unthinking man’s Bruce Springsteen and part hair metal satyr. Problem is he’s no Springsteen and too MOR to be a glam metal god, and you would think these would make him an unlikely candidate as a contractable disease.

Like Bruce he’s a New Jersey populist, but he lacks the Boss’ smarts and grit; if Springsteen’s spiritual hometown is Asbury Park, Jon’s is the Paramus Mall. And in comparison to your average glam metal sleazeball Bon Jovi comes off as the boy next door. Unlike Tommy Lee or Nikki Sixx, he would never slip your sister a mandrax or give her a dose of the syph; he’d have her home by 11 and your mom would love him.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | On May 24, Interscope Records will release Rocketman: Music From The Motion Picture. The set sees celebrated producer and composer Giles Martin re-interpreting and re-imagining Elton John’s iconic hits, tailoring the music specifically to support the narrative of Paramount Pictures’ upcoming major motion picture, Rocketman, with a truly show stopping vocal performance from lead actor Taron Egerton.

Elton John says: “It was so important that the music I composed and recorded had to be sung by Taron. I wanted his interpretation of me, through Bernie’s lyrics and my music – not just acting. I left Taron in the hands of Giles Martin, who I trusted implicitly because he’s brilliant. I didn’t want to be in Taron’s shadows, watching over the process, I trusted them to do what they needed to do, artistically, and listening back I’ve been astonished with the results. Getting the music right was the most important thing, as the songs in the film are integral to the story.”

“The beauty of having Elton involved with the film is we’ve been able to work with him to see how far we can take these classic songs,” says Taron Egerton. “Giles Martin has impeccable taste and massive skills to bring the songs to a place where they are faithful and daring as well.”

“The great thing about Elton is that he is a true artist and he wants people to expand on his work – he wants interpretations done, it’s refreshing for him, says Giles Martin. “We had scope to play around with things and think how we address the songs. The songs are the story of the movie, the heartbeat of what happens. Once the songs start a whole world opens up. In Taron I’ve never known a singer who dedicates himself so much to the process. I don’t think anyone else could have played Elton.”

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Seventy years ago, in a nondescript basement room behind a Chinese laundry in midtown Manhattan, a group of like-minded jazz modernists formed a groundbreaking collective. Among them were jazz headliners soon-to-be: Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz, Max Roach, John Lewis, the arranger Gil Evans, and significantly, the 22-year-old trumpeter Miles Davis, who became the leader of the project. The music this historic nine-piece group created together in 1949 and 1950 — in the studio and onstage — came and went with little notice at first. Seven years later, when the music was collected on a full LP for the first time, the world came to understand its impact: a true watershed moment in postwar music, dubbed with the name that remains one of the best known in modern jazz: Birth of the Cool.

To be released June 7 by Blue Note/UMe, The Complete Birth of the Cool chronicles the brief yet monumental importance of the Miles Davis Nonet. Honoring the 70th anniversary of the initial Birth of the Cool sessions, The Complete Birth of the Cool presents together all the music created by this collective. Available now for pre-order in 2LP vinyl and digital formats, the collection includes the twelve sides they recorded in 1949/‘50, as well as the ensemble’s only extant live recordings, recorded at the Royal Roost. The new release marks the first time since 1957 that the recordings have been remastered for vinyl and the first time all the Birth of the Cool performances — studio and live – are available together on LP. The 2LP vinyl package includes a booklet filled with archival photographs and an extensive new essay by GRAMMY®-winning American music historian Ashley Kahn.

The Complete Birth of the Cool stands as an important reminder of the enduring stature of trumpeter Miles Davis, whose career famously shifted from one phase to the next, serving a Pied Piper role each time his intrepid musical spirit brought on a change. In 1949, Davis was a determined 22-year-old — Birth of the Cool saw him helm a creative project for the first time, his name in the titular spot, assuming bandleader duties: calling rehearsals, booking gigs. In one sense, the music turned him away from the small-band, unfettered energy of bebop — the style founded by Charlie “Bird” Parker and Dizzy Gillespie which first drew him to New York City. In another, Birth of the Cool was Davis’ (and the group’s) determined attempt to mutate the language of bebop, mixing with a wider palette of sounds and sophistication.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | 1969 marked a year that was full of both trepidation and excitement for Stax Records. Just one year before, the Memphis soul outlet ended its relationship with musical giant Atlantic Records, effectively leaving the label as an independent entity, without a music catalog (which had previously included a formidable collection of hits by Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, and Sam & Dave, among others).

Under the guidance of co-owner Al Bell, the label proceeded to rebuild and release an impressive collection of 27 albums and 30 singles in just a handful of months—a period known as “Soul Explosion.” The gamble paid off, and at the 1969 Stax sales summit—themed “Getting It All Together”—the label reaffirmed its place as a soul powerhouse. Craft Recordings celebrates the 50th anniversary of this prolific, make-or-break moment for Stax—and its enduring legacy—with a wide selection of physical and digital reissues. Additionally, Craft will pay tribute to the label throughout the year with a series of playlists, original content, contests and more.

The rebuilding of the Stax catalog was an immense undertaking—deemed impossible by many peers in the music industry. Ms. Deanie Parker, who was head of Stax’s publicity at the time, recalls that “Day and night, we planned marketing and sales efforts, and produced powerhouse songs. For weeks we worked 24/7—molding and refining both raw and veteran artists’ recording material. . . . We worked our way to the top of our game with the Soul Explosion created at Stax Records.”

Al Bell remembers how the summit was ahead of its time: “We were multimedia before multimedia was even a thing! During that one weekend in Memphis, we had large projections on the walls the size of movie theater screens and we had video interspersed with live performances by all of our top acts: Carla Thomas, Booker T. & the MGs, William Bell, Albert King, the Bar-Kays, Isaac Hayes solo and Isaac Hayes and David Porter doing Sam & Dave songs. And the energy during that weekend was like nothing the music industry had seen before.”

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NYC-based jazz lark Noelle Tannen is back with another soulful gem to follow up last year’s lauded single, “Proof.”

It’s clear that Tannen is keen to imbue her work with socially pressing issues such as gender equality and political transparency, exploring what it means to exist as a female in the modern world. “Ride U Slo” is a bit more ambiguous in nature, less of a statement and more of a perfect example of her theatrical synthesis of genres, bouncing from low slung neo soul to retro horn-laden funk.

Tannen delicately harps on the benefits of taking a blooming romance one step at a time but never seems to lose the lusty emotional thread which keeps things hot and engaging. The sweaty, tongue in cheek video, directed and edited by Mary Glen Fredrick, depicts a hilariously defective group workout routine and is a perfect accompaniment to the zesty single.

Founded by the late Florian Fricke in 1969, Popol Vuh became one of the more enduringly interesting acts associated with the whole Krautrock shebang, especially after they began an extended collaboration with their countryman director Werner Herzog. BMG has recently reissued five of their ’70s LPs as expanded CD digipacks, but vinyl aficionados need not fret, as those titles have gotten the 180gm treatment and are packaged together as The Essential Album Collection Vol. 1. The set includes 1970 debut Affenstunde, ’72’s Hosianna Mantra, ’74’s Einsjager & Siebenjager, ’75’s Aguirre, and ’78’s Nosferatu. It’s not all of the worthwhile stuff, but it is a substantive hunk of expansive, spiritual glide.

By the late ’80s, I’m sure a fair portion of young and curious US listeners received their initial taste of Popol Vuh not on vinyl or even CD, but cassette; the VHS kind, courtesy of the films by that stalwart auteur of the New German Cinema Werner Herzog. My introduction came through 1982’s Fitzcarraldo; I was suitably impressed with that movie and its score so that it was only a matter of days before I borrowed a copy of Aguirre, the Wrath of God from an old hippie pal who ran a local used bookstore.

And for a good while hence, Popol Vuh sorta remained on my radar as the Krautrock soundtrack unit not named Tangerine Dream, basically because in my neck of the woods their early stuff was essentially scarce. If I recall correctly, the easiest record to special order around that point was ’87’s Cobra Verde, another soundtrack to another Herzog film. In the early ’90s, during the inaugural boom of affordable VHS, Nosferatu was released alongside Fitzcarraldo (by I believe, the Anchor Bay imprint). I picked up both.

The ’90s were nearly over before I heard Affenstunde, Popol Vuh’s first album from 1970, and similar to the early work of Tangerine Dream, it was a markedly different affair than I expected, foremost due to the presence of a 4-module Moog Series III synthesizer. With the release of the group’s third record, Fricke would abandon electronic music for acoustic instruments (eventually either selling or giving his Moog, accounts vary, to Klaus Schulze), but Affenstunde is a wholeheartedly electro affair, much closer to space music than the outward-bound tranquility of Popol Vuh’s later material.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Hank Williams began 1949 with his career at a crossroads. Although he was headlining the Louisiana Hayride radio show and achieved a few hits, big-time success had eluded him and questions remained on whether he had what it took to be a star. By the year’s end, however, Williams held a handful of Top Five hits, had a spectacular Grand Ole Opry debut, and staked his claim as a singular musical talent. Key to his rapid rise to success in 1949 was his popular, although short-lived, radio program, The Health & Happiness Show.

On June 14, 2019, BMG will release The Complete Health & Happiness Shows for the first time on vinyl. The 49-track, three-LP set or two-CD contains the eight Health & Happiness episodes in their entirety. Included are performances of his breakout 1949 hits “Lovesick Blues,” “Wedding Blues,” “Mind Your Own Business,” and “You’re Gonna Change (Or I’m Gonna Leave),” along with such other iconic Williams tunes as “I Saw the Light,” “I’m a Long Gone Daddy,” and “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.” (The last song actually came out after the program was recorded in the fall of 1949 but before the show was broadcast in the spring of 1950.)

The set was produced by Cheryl Pawelski, Colin Escott and Michael Graves have produced, written notes and mastered the new set respectively, alongside the rest of the team that was responsible for the Best Historical Album for 2014, The Garden Spot Programs, 1950.

In addition to the amazing performances, this archival collection contains the earliest recorded evidence of the Nashville-era incarnation of Williams’ backing band, the Drifting Cowboys. Sessions for the Health & Happiness Show were done at Nashville’s WSM studios on two successive Sundays in October 1949. They were recorded directly to acetate, which were then duplicated onto 16-inch vinyl discs for distribution to radio stations. For The Complete Health & Happiness Shows, this material has been freshly transferred, restored and mastered from these original 16″ transcription discs.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Real Gone Music continues its journey through the Grateful Dead’s Road Trips series with one of the most coveted entries in the series.

Originally released in 2010 exclusively to the Dead’s online audience as a 40th anniversary celebration of the album Workingman’s Dead, this Road Trip does indeed feature seven of the eight songs from that album (only “High Time” is missing), but it’s no mere tribute collection. In fact, it provides the perfect companion to the widely-hailed Dick’s Picks Vol. 8 Harpur College show from 13 days prior, offering the same wonderful blend of acoustic and electric performances (in arguably better fidelity), in this case taken from the early and late shows at the Fillmore East.

What’s more, there are a bunch of fairly-to-extremely rare songs to be had here, as “The Ballad of Casey Jones,” “Long Black Limousine,” “She’s Mine,” and “A Voice from On High” (with John “Marmaduke” Dawson and David Nelson from the New Riders) all made their debut on an official Grateful Dead release, along with other acoustic nuggets like “Ain’t It Crazy (The Rub),” “Silver Threads and Golden Needles,” and “Cold Jordan.”

Which is not to give short shrift to the electric material, which boasts a 20-minute “Dark Star” and a 24-minute “That’s It for the Other One” among its many (extremely) high points. Original copies of Road Trips Vol. 3 No. 3 go for a king’s ransom… this marks its first release ever to regular music retail, with the original 16-page full-color booklet featuring Blair Jackson’s notes intact.