Real Gone Goes for Marc Jonson & Cheap Trick in April!

The good folks at Real Gone Music have announced their April releases and there are a couple of real ear-grabbers on the list that will certainly be of interest to That Devil Music.com readers. The first is a long-overdue, first time release of the obscure debut album by folk-rocker Marc Jonson, the other a dive into the archive of rock ‘n’ roll legends Cheap Trick, curated by none other than the band’s beloved drummer Bun E. Carlos.

Characterized as a lost psych-folk/baroque pop masterpiece, singer/songwriter Marc Jonson was signed to the legendary Vanguard Records label when he recorded his self-produced 1972 debut album Years. Compared to such critically-acclaimed recordings as Tim Buckley’s Goodbye & Hello and Phil Ochs’ Pleasures of the Harbor, Jonson’s Years featured his stellar poetic songs and a lush psychedelic-drenched pop soundtrack.

For whatever reason, Years slipped into the dustbin of history, and hasn’t been reissued or even bootlegged on CD or LP during the ensuing years. Luckily, Marc Jonson himself didn’t suffer a similar fate – rockabilly revivalist Robert Gordon recorded three of Jonson’s songs for his 1981 RCA Records album Are You Gonna Be The One. As Jonson’s status as a songwriter grew, artists as diverse as the Roches, Dave Edmunds, Paul Butterfield, Suzanne Vega, Willie Nile, and the Smithereens, among others, would record his songs.

Real Gone’s CD April 21st, 2017 reissue of Years offers four bonus tracks, including a non-album single, “Coming To Boston,” and the original 7” single mixes of “Rainy Dues,” “Mother Jane” and “Fly” for a total of thirteen tracks altogether on the CD. Jonson's Years was produced for reissue by Pat Thomas and re-mastered from the original tapes by John Baldwin and includes rare vintage photos and an interview with Jonson by writer Steve Simels.

Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Cheap Trick should need no introduction, the band rolling off nearly two-dozen studio and live albums since its formation in 1973, including such smashes as 1978’s Cheap Trick at Budokan (peaking at #4 on the charts on its way to three million flapjacks sold), 1979’s Dream Police (#6 on the charts, Platinum™ sales), and 1988’s Lap of Luxury (#16 on the charts, Platinum™ sales). On April 28th, 2017 Real Gone will release The Epic Archives, Vol. 1 (1975-1979), an 18-track compilation of Cheap Trick rarities, demos, and unreleased live tracks chosen for the CD by original band drummer Bun E. Carlos.

The Epic Archives, Vol. 1 (1975-1979) includes three demo songs (“Come On, Come On,” “Southern Girls,” and “Taxman, Mr. Thief”) recorded by Cheap Trick in 1975 at the legendary Ardent Studios in Memphis (where Big Star made its magic) before the band had a record deal. Three studio outtakes circa 1976-77 and produced by Jack Douglas are included, as are live versions of “You’re All Talk” and “Goodnight” from 1977, a couple of instrumentals, promo-only tracks, and other goodies that should keep the true Cheap Trick fans up at night listening to the stereo.

The compilation was produced by Tim Smith and re-mastered by Vic Anesini at Battery Studios in New York and includes cool new photos as well as song-by-song comments by Carlos as transcribed for this release by noted writer Ken Sharp.

Buy the CDs from Amazon.com:
Marc Jonson's Years
Cheap Trick's The Epic Archives, Vol. 1 (1975-1979)

Webb Wilder goes “Mississippi Moderne”

On September 25th, 2015, Landslide Records will release Mississippi Moderne, the first album in almost six years from Nashville roots-rock legend Webb Wilder. Before he landed in the Music City back in the mid 1980s, Wilder hailed from Mississippi, and he was honored with induction into the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame in 2011.

Mississippi Moderne was recorded at Studio 19 in Nashville (formerly known as Scotty Moore’s Music City Recorders), and produced by Wilder, Joe McMahan, Bob Williams, and Tom Comet. The roots ‘n’ blues veteran was backed on the recording by his longtime, road-tested band the Beatnecks, consisting of bassist Comet, guitarist Bob Williams, and drummer Jimmy Lester.

Mississippi Moderne features a mix of Wilder originals and co-writes with folks like Dan Penn, John Hadley, and Patrick Sweany, as well as covers of songs by Otis Rush, the Kinks, Charlie Rich, and Jimmy Reed. Wilder and the Beatnecks will be touring in support of the new album, and we have the first scheduled tour dates listed below. If you haven’t experienced Wilder’s unique blend of rock ‘n’ roll, blues, country, and R&B before, you owe it to yourself to check out Mississippi Moderne and then get to a show.

Buy the CD from Amazon.com: Webb Wilder's Mississippi Moderne

Webb Wilder & the Beatnecks tour dates:

8/29 @ Woodhouse Concerts, St. Louis MO
8/30 @ Lafayette's Music Room, Memphis TN
9/25 @ The Basement East, Nashville TN
9/29 @ Cypress Moon Studios, Sheffield AL
10/3 @ Public Theatre of Kentucky, Bowling Green KY
10/8 @ Thacker Mountain Radio, Oxford MS *
10/9 @ Proud Larry's, Oxford MS
10/17 @ Log House Concerts, Edwardsville IL *
10/23 @ Straight To Ale, Huntsville AL *
10/28 @ Gene's Beer Garden, Morgantown WV *
10/29 @ World Cafe Live, Philadelphia PA +
10/30 @ Ram's Head Tavern, Annapolis MD +
10/31 @ The Birchmere, Alexandria VA +
11/14 @ Exit/In, Nashville TN
11/21 @ Knuckleheads, Kansas City MO

* Solo show
+ Opens for Dave & Phil Alvin

Ian Anderson’s Homo Erraticus Special Tour Edition

Earlier this year, rock ‘n’ roll legend Ian Anderson released Homo Erraticus, the Jethro Tull frontman’s sixth studio album and most commercially successful solo work to date in the U.K. An old-school, 1970s-styled collection of hard rock, folk, and progressive rock that doesn’t stray too far from Tull’s roots, Homo Erraticus is a concept album that builds upon Anderson’s 2012 effort, Thick As A Brick 2.

The album’s story is based on Anderson’s fictional character Gerald Bostock (who should need no introduction to Tull fans), and features lyrics “written” by Bostock based on an old, unpublished manuscript that examines key events from British history and offers a number of prophecies for the future. That may sound kind of odd to 21st century rock fans who didn’t grow up during a time when conceptual prog-rock collections were the norm (Rick Wakeman, anyone?). But the music on Homo Erraticus is lush, exciting, and eminently progressive while Anderson’s signature vocals bring the words of each song alive with energy and gravitas.

On September 30th, 2014 Kscope Records will release Homo Erracticus as a two-disc CD/DVD “special tour edition” with the entire album on CD and an additional bonus DVD that includes a music video of the song “Enter the Uninvited” recorded live at the Swan Theatre in the U.K. as well as an interview with Anderson discussing the live visuals fans can expect to see when the legendary rocker launches his North American tour on September 12th. Billed as the “Best of Jethro Tull and Homo Erracticus,” Anderson and his band will perform the new album in its entirety, following with a selection of classic Jethro Tull songs; if you haven’t already picked up the CD, here’s your chance to get a bonus edition. You’ll definitely want it after seeing Anderson on tour at one of the dates listed below!

Buy the CD from Amazon.com: Ian Anderson's Homo Erraticus (regular edition)
 
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Ian Anderson Tour Dates

09/12/14 @ McCaw Hall, Seattle WA    
09/13/14 @ Maryhill Winery Amphitheater, Goldendale WA    
09/15/14 @ Cascade Theater, Redding CA    
09/17/14 @ Fox Theater, Oakland CA        
09/18/14 @ Segerstrom Hall, Costa Mesa CA    
09/19/14 @ Pearl Concert Theater, Las Vegas NV    
09/20/14 @ Mesa Arts Center, Mesa AZ    
09/21/14 @ Kiva Auditorium, Albuquerque NM   
09/23/14 @ Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, Dallas TX    
09/24/14 @ Wagner Noel PAC, Midland TX    
09/26/14 @ Austin City Limits, Austin TX        
09/27/14 @ Tobin PAC, San Antonio TX    
09/28/14 @ Stafford PAC, Stafford TX    
09/30/14 @ Symphony Hall, Atlanta GA    
10/01/14 @ Ryman Auditorium, Nashville TN    
10/03/14 @ Blumenthal PAC, Charlotte NC    
10/04/14 @ Durham PAC, Durham NC    
10/05/14 @ The National Theater, Richmond VA    
10/16/14 @ Pfeiffer Hall, Naperville IL    
10/17/14 @ Sangamon Auditorium, Springfield IL    
10/18/14 @ Pabst Theater, Milwaukee WI    
10/19/14 @ Gallagher Bluedorn PAC, Cedar Falls IA    
10/21/14 @ State Theater, Minneapolis MN        
10/23/14 @ Horshoe Casino, Elizabeth IN    
10/24/14 @ Clay Center, Charleston WV    
10/25/14 @ The Palace Theatre, Greensburg PA        
10/26/14 @ Sands Bethlehem Event Center, Bethlehem PA    
10/28/14 @ Flynn Center, Burlington VT     
10/29/14 @ Providence PAC, Providence RI    
10/30/14 @ The Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield CT    
11/01/14 @ Lynn Auditorium, Lynn MA     
11/02/14 @ Palace Theatre, Albany NY    
11/04/14 @ Center For the Arts, Buffalo NY    
11/06/14 @ Lincoln Theater, Washington DC    
11/07/14 @ Caesars' Circus Maximus, Atlantic City NJ    
11/08/14 @ The Paramount, Huntington NY        
11/09/14 @ Count Basie Theater, Red Bank NJ    
11/10/14 @ Wellmont Theatre, Montclair NJ

Todd Rundgren & Utopia Live at the Electric Ballroom

New music from Todd Rundgren and Utopia is always welcome ‘round these parts, so the announcement by Esoteric Recordings that they’ve released Live at the Electric Ballroom is cause for celebration. Already available from fine vendors like Amazon.com, the album captures Rundgren and Utopia performing at the Electric Ballroom in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for an October 23, 1978 FM radio broadcast.

The concert has been stored away in the vaults until now, and the previously-unreleased two-disc set features the entire concert, mastered from the original tapes. Among the 17 tracks on Live at the Electric Ballroom are such Rundgren fan faves as “Can We Still Be Friends,” “Real Man,” and “Hello, It’s Me,” of course, as well as lesser-known gems like “Black Maria” and “The Death of Rock and Roll.” The set also includes an illustrated booklet with new essay notes. We have the tracklist for Live at the Electric Ballroom below. Enjoy!   

Disc One
1. Real Man
2. It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference
3. Love of the Common Man
4. Trapped
5. Abandon City
6. The Verb ‘To Love’
7. The Seven Rays
8. Can We Still Be Friends
9. The Death of Rock and Roll

Disc Two
1. You Cried Wolf
2. Gangrene
3. A Dream Goes On Forever
4. Black Maria
5. Eastern Intrigue/Initiation
6. Couldn’t I Just Tell You
7. Hello, It’s Me
8. Just One Victory

Buy the CD from Amazon.com: Todd Rundgren & Utopia's Live at the Electric Ballroom

Jethro Tull’s A Passion Play Gets Deluxe Reissue

By 1973, prog-rock legends Jethro Tull were in the middle of an unprecedented commercial run that began with their sophomore album, 1969’s Stand Up, and culminated with the audacious, chart-topping 1972 concept album Thick As A Brick. Tull frontman Ian Anderson and his band of merry pranksters were out-selling and chart-hopping such contemporaries as Yes and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, so when they released their second consecutive full-length concept album, A Passion Play, it shot straight to the top of the charts.

Still, despite its chart success, A Passion Play remains the dark horse of the Tull catalog, an album often overshadowed by its louder and more “in your face” predecessors like Thick As A Brick and Aqualung. A brilliant hybrid of progressive rock, classical music, and British folk, A Passion Play was written and recorded in a mere nine days between tours after a disastrous experience recording at Château d'Hérouville caused the band to flee France.

A Passion Play was subsequently recorded by a band line-up that included frontman, flautist, and saxophonist Ian Anderson, guitarist Martin Barre, bassist Jeffery Hammond-Hammond, drummer Barriemore Barlow, and keyboardist John Evans. On July 1st, 2014 the album will receive a deluxe reissue as part of an enormous 2 CD/2DVD set from Rhino Records. The set will be packaged in a case-bound book which includes the original A Passion Play album on the first CD and the earlier, unreleased Château d'Hérouville sessions on CD two, both afforded a spiffy new stereo mix by Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson, the go-to guys with the ears that discriminating prog-rockers call on these days for their studio work.

The first DVD of the deluxe A Passion Play set features audio and video, including Wilson’s 5.1 DTS and AC3 Dolby Digital surround sound mix made from a flat transfer from the original master at PCM 96/24 stereo. It also includes video clip of “The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles.” The second DVD is audio-only and includes the Château d'Hérouville sessions mixed to 5.1 DTS and AC3 Dolby Digital surround sound and PCM 96/24 stereo.

The book included with the set includes an extensive article by Martin Webb on the making of the album and the Château d'Hérouville sessions, Steven Wilson’s thoughts on mixing the recordings, and much more. For vinyl fans, a heavyweight 180-gram vinyl album featuring the new stereo mix of A Passion Play will also be available. We have the tracklist of the two CDs in the set below.

Disc One: A Passion Play
1. Lifebeats/Prelude
2. The Silver Cord
3. Re-Assuring Tune  
4. Memory Bank
5. Best Friends                 
6. Critique Oblique           
7. Forest Dance #1
8. The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles
9. Forest Dance #2
10. The Foot of Our Stairs *      
11. Overseer Overture
12. Flight From Lucifer     
13. 10.08 To Paddington     
14. Magus Perde
15. Epilogue

* Two extra verses found on the end of the multi-track reel have been added back in    

Disc Two: The Château d'Hérouville Sessions
1. The Big Top
2. Scenario
3. Audition
4. Skating Away
5. Sailor
6. No Rehearsal
7. Left Right
8. Solitaire
9. Critique Oblique (Part I)
10. Critique Oblique (Part II)
11. Animelee (1st Dance) [instrumental]
12. Animelee (2nd Dance) [instrumental]
13. Law of the Bungle (Part I)
14. Tiger
15. Law of the Bungle (Part II)

Buy the album from Amazon.com: Jethro Tull's A Passion Play (deluxe)

Midnight Rider – A Tribute To The Allman Brothers Band

The Allman Brothers are one of those true American music treasures, and there have been numerous tribute albums released through the years in their honor, including 2002’s A Jam Band Tribute To The Allman Brothers and even…ahem…2009’s Chartbuster Karaoke. Clear some space on your CD shelve, ABB fiends, ‘cause here comes one more tribute disc!

On May 27th, 2014 Cleopatra Records will release Midnight Rider – A Tribute To The Allman Brothers Band, a twelve-song collection that features new performances of some of the band’s most classic tunes, including “Midnight Rider,” “Statesboro Blues,” “Ramblin’ Man,” and “Whippin’ Post,” among others. Cleopatra has lined up some fine talent, as well, ranging from blues guitarists like Ronnie Earl, Debbie Davies, Eli Cook, and Eric Gales to classic rockers like Pat Travers and Leon Russell, old friends of the band like Jimmy Hall (Wet Willie), Molly Hatchet, and the Artimus Pyle Band to talented fretburners like Sonny Landreth and Robben Ford. You’ll find the complete list of artists involved and the songs they cover below. The timing is opportune, as All My Friends, a recently-released Gregg Allman tribute album, is selling like flapjacks and has topped the blues chart for a couple of weeks as of this writing.  

“The Allman Brothers were a central part of my roots,” states guitarist Steve Morse, in a press release for the album. “Living in Georgia much of my life, they were the local legends that everybody loved. They had the swing, the inventive double guitar parts, the ability to jam just long enough to keep the audience, and that golden voice of Greg’s! When my instrumental rock band, the Dixie Dregs, played, we often played ‘Jessica,’ which automatically makes any audience start moving and smiling. I’ve been lucky enough to sit in with many of the members at various times, and we have shared a lot of common ground. I’m still a fan!”

Midnight Rider tracklist:
1. Pat Travers – “Midnight Rider”
2. Oak Ridge Boys, Tinsley Ellis & Kevin McKendree – “Ramblin’ Man”
3. Molly Hatchet – “Melissa”
4. Artimus Pyle Band – “Blue Sky”
5. Jimmy Hall & Steve Morse – “Whipping Post”
6. Roy Rogers, John Wesley & Jim Eshelman – “Jessica”
7. Robben Ford & Martin Gerschwitz – “One Way Out”
8. Debbie Davies & Melvin Seals – “Soulshine”
9. Eli Cook – “Statesboro Blues”
10. Eric Gales – “In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed”
11. Commander Cody & Sonny Landreth – “Southbound”
12. Leon Russell, Reese Wynans & Ronnie Earl – “I’m No Angel” (Greg Allman solo track)

Buy the album from Amazon.com: Midnight Rider - Tribute To The Allman Brothers Band

Audio Fidelity’s Legends – The Ultimate Rock Collection

Audio Fidelity has earned a reputation for the company’s carefully-crafted 24k gold compact discs, which precisely and perfectly capture the original sound of the music. Yeah, they cost twice that of a normal CD, but what you’re getting is a defect-free 24 karat gold-plated disc mastered from the original analog master tapes and pressed from a laser-etched glass master. It’s a high-tech process, Bunkie, and an Audio Fidelity 24k disc offers up the music the way that it was supposed to be heard.

On June 3rd, 2014 Audio Fidelity will make the move into compilation albums with the release of two Legends volumes as hybrid SACDs. The Legends series is based on the old Time Life album series, but fancied up as only Audio Fidelity can do. The first two titles – Crank It Up! and Get It On! – are both seventeen-song collections of some of the best classic rock tunes, re-mastered for the first time for these special hybrid SACD releases. While most compilation albums of this sort are put together using the highly-compressed radio edits of songs, Audio Fidelity took the time to dig up the best available individual master recordings of each song for the Legends series.

Although the hardcore collector most likely has their favorite among the songs on these two Legends albums, for the casual fan or young fanatic looking to get some classic rock into their life, this is the way to hear these tracks. The two volumes include classic tunes from the Grateful Dead, the Rascals, Little Feat, Buffalo Springfield, Deep Purple, The Doors, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and many others. Full track listing for each album below.

Crank It Up! Tracklist:
1. Chicago – “Does Anybody Really Know”
2. The Doobie Brothers – “Listen To the Music”
3. The Rascals – “Good Lovin'”
4. Rod Stewart – “Tonight's the Night”
5. Jackson Browne – “Running On Empty”
6. Phil Collins – “In the Air Tonight”
7. The Zombies – “Time of the Season”
8. Ace – “How Long”
9. Little Feat – “Dixie Chicken”
10. Grateful Dead – “Truckin'”
11. Stephen Stills – “Love the One You're With”
12. Buffalo Springfield – “For What It's Worth”
13. America – “Sister Golden Hair”
14. The Pretenders – “Back On the Chain Gang”
15. Foreigner – “Feels Like the First Time”
16. Elton John – “Daniel”
17. The Moody Blues – “Nights In White Satin”

Get It On! Tracklist:
1. The Troggs – “Wild Thing”
2. Deep Purple – “Smoke On the Water”
3. Norman Greenboum – “Spirit In the Sky”
4. T. Rex – “Bang A Gong (Get It On)”
5. Fleetwood Mac – “Go Your Own Way”
6. Manfred Mann's Earth Band – “Blinded By the Light”
7. Eric Burdon and War – “Spill the Wine”
8. The Kinks – “Lola” (live)
9. The Doors – “Light My Fire”
10. Foghat – “Slow Ride”
11. Alice Cooper – “School's Out”
12. Brownsville Station – “Smokin' In the Boy's Room”
13. The Doobie Brothers – “China Grove”
14. Foreigner – “Hot Blooded”
15. Bad Company – “Can't Get Enough”
16. Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Free Bird”
17. Greatful Dead – “Casey Jones”

The company offers its 24k CDs, hybrid SACDs, and 180 gram virgin vinyl reissues through the Audio Fidelity website and also offers subscriptions so that members can buy at a discount.

Buy the CDs from Amazon.com:

Legends: Crank It Up

Legends: Get It on

Mick Farren's Final Album Released!

Sadly, British music journalist and infamous rocker Mick Farren passed away last July, collapsing on stage while performing with a new line-up of his legendary 1960s-era band the Deviants. An influential rock critic from an era where writing about music actually swayed opinions, Farren's work for noted U.K. weekly New Music Express and for the International Times earned him a reputation as an insightful critic and writer. It was Farren's tenure with the Deviants that cemented his rock 'n' roll legacy, however, the notorious cult band releasing three influential and ground-breaking albums between 1967 and 1969.

Before his death, Farren had all but finished his final album, working with Deviants bandmate Andy Colquhoun on The Woman In The Black Vinyl Dress, released by Gonzo Multimedia in the U.K. “The initial vocal tracks were laid down by Mick in February 2012 at Brighton Electric," says Colquhoun in a press release for the new album. "Jaki Miles-Windmill added backing vocals, and some percussion at this session. I took the vocal tracks to my studio, Cybermusik, and overdubbed guitars, bass, drums, keyboards and more backing vocals, and also put the poetry in a song structure.” Colquhoun put the album together over a six month period, mixing the album in August 2012. The Woman In The Black Vinyl Dress was released on October 28th, 2013.

Farren's legacy extends far beyond music. A prolific writer, he had penned nearly two-dozen books during his lifetime, including  several novels, books of poetry, a couple of autobiographical books, and four well-received books on Elvis Presley. For five years, from 2003 to 2008, Farren was a columnist for CityBeat in Los Angeles. From the 1970 release of Mona – The Carnivorous Circus, his solo debut, Farren has never strayed far from music. Through the years, he would record a number of albums, including the acclaimed Vampires Stole My Lunch Money, which included Chrissie Hynde (later of the Pretenders) as well as a handful of albums with a reunited line-up of the Deviants.

During his storied career, Farren also collaborated with artists as diverse as Wilko Johnson of Dr. Feelgood, Wayne Kramer (ex-MC5), Lemmy of Motorhead, and Hawkwind, among many others. His final collaboration with Colquhoun on The Woman In The Black Vinyl Dress represents the last entry in his artistic canon and a fitting swansong to an influential and free-thinking rock 'n' roll legend.

Get the album direct from Gonzo Multimedia...

Related content: British Rocker/Writer Mick Farren, R.I.P.

Blodwyn Pig Anthology CD Available

A lot of folks thought that original Jethro Tull guitarist Mick Abrahams was a bit daft when he left that band after its 1968 debut album This Was to form a new band. Dissatisfied by the musical direction that Tull was veering towards, Abrahams joined up with multi-instrumentalist Jack Lancaster (sax, flute, violin), bassist Andy Pyle, and drummer Ron Berg (later replaced by former Tull bandmate Clive Bunker) to form the British blues-rock outfit Blodwyn Pig.

The band's lifespan was short indeed, comprised of a pair of original albums over two years, two tours of the U.S., and several festival appearances opening for artists like the Who, Procol Harum, Miles Davis, Pink Floyd and others. The band's critically-acclaimed 1969 album Ahead Rings Out was a forward-thinking mix of blues and rock with jazz-fusion undertones while the following year's Getting To This adhered to a similar musical blueprint.

Blodwyn Pig went through several fits and starts throughout the 1970s before breaking up, with Abrahams putting together an all new band for 1993's Lies album. The band has recorded sporadically ever since, sometimes under the guise of Abrahams' solo albums, to the point that it's hard to tell the difference between Blodwyn Pig and Mick Abrahams these days. The band may have become a mere footnote in rock 'n' roll history, a proverbial cult band of interest only to blues-rock fanatics and Anglophiles if not for the Internet, where obscurity often finds the respect it originally deserved.

The last couple of years have seen a steady flow of Abrahams and Blodwyn Pig archival releases, everything from studio outtakes to live shows, often of dubious provenance. With the recent release of Pigthology – a collection of rare unreleased tracks produced by Abrahams and Lancaster – fans finally have a band-curated archival album, made available by the good folks at Gonzo Multimedia.

Pigthology features twelve tracks, including rare studio versions of such longtime fan favorites as "Dear Jill," "See My Way," and "Drive Me." Pigthology also includes tracks from the band's 1970 appearance on John Peel's BBC show ("Baby Girl," "Same Old Story") and live performances from the Marquee Club in Soho in 1969 ("The Change Song") and the Luton Town Hall in 1973 ("Cosmogrification"), among other tracks. Click on the CD cover to buy Pigthology from Amazon.com. 

Lords of the New Church Revisited by Real Gone Music

When they formed in 1981, Lords of the New Church was a sort of intercontinental punk "supergroup." Comprised of singer Stiv Bators (Dead Boys), guitarist Brian James (The Damned), bassist Dave Tregunna (Sham 69), and drummer Nick Turner (The Barracudas), the band transcended its punk/hardcore roots to deliver a sound that mixed punk's energy with garage and hard rock, their songs replete with melody and sing-along choruses that separated them from much of what was going on in either the U.S. or the U.K. at the time. The Lords' live performances were the stuff of legend, Stiv picking up the torch from punk godfather Iggy and nearly killing himself on stage every night, while James' underrated fretwork soared above the yeoman work of a solid rhythm section.

The Lords released three albums proper during their roughly eight years in the trenches circa 1981-1988, not counting multiple "hits" collections and live discs sporting bootleg quality sound and dodgy provenance. These three albums – the self-titled 1982 debut, 1983's Is Nothing Sacred? and 1984's The Method to Our Madness – are essential 1980s-era rock 'n' roll listening, influential and entertaining and, sadly, out of print for years. Thanks to Real Gone Music, all three albums will be reissued on September 30th, 2013 with spiffed-up sound and new liner notes from Scott Schinder. Sadly, none of the reissues include bonus tracks, and you're going to have to find a copy of the Killer Lords CD to hear the band's incredibly ramshackle cover of Madonna's "Like A Virgin."

The three releases are part of RealGone's September schedule, which also includes albums from Billy Preston and more live music from the Grateful Dead.

Lords of the New Church - "Russian Roulette"

 

Lords of the New Church - "Little Boys Play With Dolls"

 

Claudia Lennear Gets Real Gone

Her sultry, often electrifying background vocals can be heard on a veritable "who's who" of 1970s rock music, Claudia Lennear's mere charismatic presence often adding a spark to recording sessions gone flat. An original member of Leon Russell's Shelter People ensemble, Lennear toured with Joe Cocker's infamous Mad Dogs & Englishmen troupe, sang at George Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh, and appeared on records by artists as diverse as Al Kooper, blues guitarist Freddie King, Traffic's Dave Mason, blues legend Taj Mahal, Don Nix, Ry Cooder, and many others.

As a solo artist, however, Lennear released only a single critically-acclaimed album, 1973's Phew! On September 3 rd, 2013 Real Gone Records will reissue Phew! for the first time on CD, with the non-album B-side "Two Trains" included as a bonus track. A long-lost relic of the classic rock '70s, Lennear recorded with some of the best for Phew! Side one has the singer backed by guitarist Ry Cooder and Memphis music legend Jim Dickinson and members of his Dixie Flyers band. Side two features songs written and arranged by New Orleans music giant Allen Toussaint and a backing band that included drummer Jim Keltner and keyboardist Spooner Oldham.

Aside from the aforementioned musicians, there is some serious talent showcased on Lennear's Phew! Among those lending their skills to these recording sessions are guitarists Charlie Grimes (who played with John Lee Hooker and Stephen Stills' Manassas) and Marlin Greene, bassist Chuck Rainey (a jazz and R&B veteran who played with King Curtis and Herbie Mann, among many others), and saxophonist Harold Battiste, Jr.

Altogether, the singer had a strong backing crew for her solo shot and, sadly, after Phew! was buried among a slew of other rock 'n' roll albums in the fertile year that was 1973, Linnear gave up show biz to become a teacher. Thanks to the good folks at Real Gone, we get to hear Linnear's soaring, soulful voice one more time.

Alex Chilton Live Album Coming October 8th

Alex Chilton fans – they are legion and are growing – have a lot to be happy about these days. For one thing, there's Nothing Can Hurt Me, the recent documentary covering Chilton's long-suffering cult band Big Star and the Memphis rock scene of the '70s. The critically-acclaimed film is accompanied by a briskly-selling soundtrack album that is earning Chilton, Chris Bell, Andy Hummel, and Jody Stephens new fans among a generation of hipsters too young to have enjoyed either Big Star's brief day in the sun or Chilton's often maddening solo career during the late 1970s and throughout the '80s.

On October 8th, 2013 Bar None Records will release Electricity by Candlelight, a previously unreleased live performance by Chilton that was fortunately caught on tape. The back story goes like this: Chilton and crew were performing at the Knitting Factory in New York City on February 13th, 1997 when the lights went out. Undeterred, Chilton borrowed an acoustic guitar from somebody and, accompanied by his drummer Richard Dworkin on half the songs, launched into an inspired solo set that was spontaneous, intimate, involved the audience, and featured songs not often performed by the singer/songwriter. 

Because of the nature of the performance, Electricity by Candlelight offers up rare performances of songs Chilton seldom played before or after this single show, including some country tunes, a little Beach Boys, and some original material that seldom saw the light of day. A talented and often underrated musician, Chilton sadly passed away in 2010. His immense legacy lives on however, whether through his 1960s-era chart success with the Box Tops (Chilton sang the classic "The Letter" when he was just 16 years old), his cult status as Big Star frontman, or his eclectic solo career, all of which would influence bands like R.E.M. and the Replacements during the 1980s and '90s, an influence that reaches to today and a wealth of like-minded, pop-oriented rockers that can be glad that Chilton was there to blaze the trail.

 

Swimming Pool Q's Retrospective Coming!

The Swimming Pool Q's – part of the first generation of Atlanta, Georgia area new wave rockers – has never really received their due. Formed in 1978, the Q's were part of a thriving Atlanta/Athens scene that included the Brains, Pylon, the B-52's, and R.E.M. Like many a band in the area, the Q's released their first album, 1981's The Deep End, on Danny Beard's DB Records label, that disc and their strong live performance chops earning the band a major label deal with A&M Records.

On June 25th, Cipher Bureau (in cooperation with Bar-None Records) will release The A&M Years, a two-disc Swimming Pool Q's retrospective that includes both of the band's A&M albums, 1984's self-titled LP and 1986's Blue Tomorrow, in their entirety. A special expanded four-disc version includes an additional CD titled "Pow Wow Hour," a 17-song disc of rarities, and "Auto Zoom," a DVD with live clips, promotional videos, vintage TV appearances, and band interviews. Both albums featured the core Q's line-up of singer Anne Richmond Boston, singer and guitarist Jeff Calder, and guitarist Bob Elsey.

"Visionary pop eccentrics from Atlanta," noted Melody Maker at the time of these albums' release. "Some of the most compelling rock sounds in all of America...lofty architectural style distinguished by the elegant and muscular guitar duets between Jeff Calder and Bob Elsey and [Anne] Boston's rhapsodic alto phrasings," said the Village Voice. Rolling Stone's Kurt Loder wrote, "overlaid with Calder's unusually literate songwriting sensibility, this musical mélange is one of the freshest sounds coming out of the South."

Although the band's two major label albums received numerous critical accolades, they didn't sell enough copies to keep A&M happy and the Q's found themselves back in indieland with DB releasing their 1987 EP The Firing Squad For God, the band performing without Boston. A 1989 album for Capitol Records, World War Two Point Five followed, but by 1992 the band was tired of the rigors of the road and went on hiatus, though Calder and Elsey have gotten together several times since, releasing The Royal Academy of Reality album on Bar-None Records in 2003.

One of the truly underrated outfits of the crazy new wave '80s, the Swimming Pool Q's were one of the more artistically ambitious and entertaining bands in the South at the time and well worth another listen with the luxury of time working in their favor.