Archive Review: The Pogues’ Red Roses For Me / Rum, Sodomy & The Lash (2008)

Top o’ the morning’ to ya, matey! The Reverend K here to engage in discourse about the Pogues, as motley a crew of drunken, swaggering, fun-loving musicians as ever took up an instrument. No AOR aesthetics or middle-of-the-road mindlessness in these grooves, you betcha, ‘cause the Pogues perform a unique mix of traditional Irish and English folk melodies thrown in with their own appropriately antiquated originals. They present it with a spirit and vitality that out-rocks any half-o’-dozen heavy metal or hardcore bands you’d care to mention, and with the recent re-release of the band’s glorious first two albums, we citizens of the colonies can refamiliarize ourselves with the Pogues.

The Pogue’s Red Roses For Me

Red Roses For Me was originally released in the UK in 1984 by the legendary Stiff Records, and made it to these shores a year or so later courtesy of the long-lost Enigma imprint. One is tempted to call this a dance record, Red Roses For Me offering up a baker’s dozen of rollicking, never-miss-a-beat sea chants and stories that are guaranteed to get those lumbering toes of yours tingling and tapping in no time. The music is rich and hearty, with the basic guitar-bass-drums trio turned on its head by the Pogues, their trademark sound created with the addition of fiddles, accordion and concertinas (not to mention tin whistle).

Frontman Shane MacGowan’s vocals are rowdy and hoarse, shouted or croaked in the mix above the instrumentation and the lyrics…well, they mostly concern themselves with drinking, women, great battles at sea, more drinking and even more women. In other words, the sort of thing that all of us of Gaelic descent have hidden deep within our ancestral blood, to be brought out when the beat is right and the rhythm rocking. Among the highlights of Red Roses For Me are “The Battle of Brisbane,” “Streams of Whiskey” and the wonderful “Down In the Ground Where the Dead Men Go.” This Rhino reissue adds six good “bonus” tracks, including “Whiskey You’re the Devil” and “The Wild Rover.” A sixteen-page booklet includes a lot of pics and extensive liner notes, tho’ they fail to mention where any of the bonus tracks come from.

The Pogues’ Rum, Sodomy & The Lash

If Red Roses For Me was dismissed by many at the time of its release as a mere Celtic folk novelty, then Rum, Sodomy & The Lash – produced by Elvis Costello and released in 1985 – is a steely-edged saber, an aural cannonball waxing your cranium. Under Costello’s strong hand, the music on this sophomore effort is richer and brighter than on the band’s debut, MacGowan’s vocals cruder though more intelligible, and the lyrics wordier and more fanciful. The result of the pairing of the Pogues and Costello is a bone-rattling, senses-shaking, hell-raising record album that has easily withstood the test of time based, as it is, on timeless traditional music and raw punk attitude.

The pace varies a bit on Rum, Sodomy & The Lash, Costello mixing the faster-moving pieces in between several coarse ballads. The spirit and the verve exhibited on the Pogues’ first album can be found here in abundance, albeit tempered with a slight maturity. Tunes like “The Old Main Drag” and “Jesse James” are rowdy fun while instrumental cuts like “Wild Cats of Kilkenny” are every bit as energetic and out-of-control as the rollicking lyrical tunes. The result is an inspired, well-balanced mix of sober reflection and drunken lunacy. Of course, the finest anti-war song every written, the traditional “The Band Played Waltzing Matilda,” is provided a weary reading by MacGowan, which serves to only strengthen its powerful sorrow. The Rhino reissue includes another batch of fine liner notes, song lyrics, and six cool “bonus” tracks, including “A Pistol For Paddy Garcia” and “Body of An American.”

The Reverend’s Bottom Line

Picture in your mind a weather-beaten old ship, its sun-discolored sails lowered onto its salty, wooden deck, anchored in Galway or Cork. Its pirate crew holds forth in the local tavern, guzzling rum and whiskey and, late in the drunken evening, they break into a rambling, lusty song of life on the sea, or the lassie that they left far behind. That’s the sound and spirit of these first two albums from the Pogues. The band’s immense legacy has long since been writ large in the big book of rock ‘n’ roll, and their long musical shadow has influenced everybody from Billy Bragg and Flogging Molly to the Dropkick Murphys and the Tossers. To many – this humble scribe included – the Pogues remain the Emerald Isle’s best musical import, and any that would disagree can “pogue mahone.” (Rhino Records)

Review originally published by Blurt magazine, 2008

The View On Pop Culture: John Hiatt, Pearl Jam, Elvis Costello (2003)

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Next year’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductees were recently announced, the list including the late George Harrison, Bob Seger, and Prince, among others. The foundation that nominates inductees has consistently overlooked many credible “hall of famers,” especially in the genres of punk (no Sex Pistols), heavy metal (no Black Sabbath) and R&B artists (too many to mention). Of course, not every performing musician can, or should be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but too many excellent artists/bands have been overlooked to believe that the process has any intelligence behind it at all.    

As a recording artist, John Hiatt has never achieved much more than cult status. He has never sold a lot of records; certainly not as many as other artists have recording Hiatt’s songs. Over the course of almost thirty years, however, Hiatt has forged a career of quiet excellence, creating nearly twenty consistently solid albums and writing hundreds of remarkable songs that lesser talents will be recording for decades to come. Entering his fourth decade of writing and performing, Hiatt epitomizes the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll, and if he never makes the Hall of Fame, it will be that institution’s loss.

Hiatt’s Beneath This Gruff Exterior (New West Records) is another fine effort on the part of the underrated songwriter and his top-notch band the Goners. For those unfamiliar with Hiatt’s creative “modus operandi,” he pens literate songs that are peopled with brilliant characters – losers and lovers, the lost and the redeemed. Hiatt’s rough, soulful vocals are kind of like a frayed blanket, scratchy and worn but warm and familiar. The music is a mix of roots-rock, Memphis soul, Delta blues, country and folk, which is why Hiatt’s material lends itself so well to various interpretations. Beneath This Gruff Exterior showcases both Hiatt’s songwriting skills and the road-worn chemistry of the Goners. Hiatt is not a bad guitarist, but he smartly steps aside and lets maestro Sonny Landreth fill his songs with whiplash slide work and a hint of bayou swamp-rock instrumental gumbo. The seasoned rhythm section of bassist Dave Ranson and drummer Kenneth Bevins keep an admirable beat beneath the festivities so that the magician Hiatt can weave his lyrical tales.

The radio-ready "The Nagging Dark” rolls along like the runaway hearts of the song’s characters while “Circle Back” remembers the fleeting nature of friendships and family and the passage of time. “Almost Fed Up With the Blues,” fueled by Landreth’s red-hot picking, is a brilliant anti-blues blues song, the protagonist sick and tired of being sick and tired. Hiatt’s imagery on “The Most Unoriginal Sin” is nearly the equal of vintage Dylan, Landreth’s shimmering fretwork creating an eerie atmosphere behind Hiatt’s somber vocals, the song’s star-crossed lover doomed before the first chorus strikes. Beneath This Gruff Exterior may not be the hall-of-fame caliber talent’s best album, but it doesn’t fall far from the top.

As one of the two most important rock bands to come out of the early ‘90s Seattle scene, Pearl Jam are pretty much ensured a spot in the hallowed hall. With the band’s multi-million selling 1991 debut Ten, Pearl Jam created a blueprint for much of the rest of rock ‘n’ roll to follow during the decade, spawning dozens of sound-alike bands. During the ‘90s, though, Pearl Jam deliberately turned its back on stardom, eschewing the trappings of celebrity in favor of making honest and, at times, difficult music that will take critics years to digest. With literally over a hundred live performance discs released, it’s hard to believe that Pearl Jam built its legacy on the strength of a mere seven studio albums.

Lost Dogs (Epic Records) is a two-CD collection of rare tracks, obscurities and B-sides compiled by the band. Presenting only a portion of the wealth of unreleased/barely-released material allegedly recorded by the band, Lost Dogs is nevertheless a nice bookend to Pearl Jam’s major label years. The thirty songs here include a couple of legitimate hits, including “Last Kiss;” a handful of the band’s live staples, like “Yellow Ledbetter;” and some great undiscovered songs like “Hitchhiker” and “All Night.” Hardcore fans probably have a lot of the songs here, but it’s nice to have it in one two-disc set with song-by-song liner notes by the band members. Pearl Jam’s importance and influence on rock ‘n’ roll has yet to be truly measured, and as the band begins a new era among the ranks of the indie label world, who knows what great music they’ll create in years to come?                  
   

Inducted into the Hall of Fame last year along with his backing band the Attractions, singer/songwriter Elvis Costello may well receive a second induction in the future as a solo artist. Rhino Records has done an excellent job reissuing Costello’s entire recorded oeuvre as low-priced, double-disc sets overflowing with bonus material and extensive liner notes by the artist. It’s been a veritable bonanza for Costello fanatics, no single album so much as the recently reissued Get Happy!! No small creative achievement when it was originally released as a 20-track vinyl album in 1980, Costello’s overlooked fourth album recasts the angry young punk as a blue-eyed soul crooner.

Get Happy!! ventures into Motown-styled pop, Stax-flavored R&B and classic Northern soul all delivered with punkish intensity by the world’s best rock band. It’s a magnificent collection, with highlights like “New Amsterdam,” “High Fidelity,” and “Riot Act” standing tall among a strong collection of songs. The “bonus disc” offers an astonishing thirty more tracks, highlighting both Costello’s prolific late ‘70s songwriting and the Attractions’ unflagging devotion to the material. No mere rehashing of unnecessary crap, the second disc provides valuable insight into Costello’s work with wonderful alternative takes, live tracks and early versions of songs that would appear on later albums. If you stopped listening to Elvis Costello with 1979’s Armed Forces, you owe it to yourself to discover Get Happy!!

Costello’s 1981 album Trust (Rhino) proved to be somewhat of a departure for the artist. The album benefited from the immense workload taken on by Costello and the Attractions during the previous four years: four full-length albums, numerous tours and over 100 recorded songs shaped the composer and his mates into tight musical machine. As such, they tackle various styles and musical experiments with confidence and gusto. The beginning, perhaps, of Costello’s turn towards more “serious,” adult-styled music, Trust holds several gems, from the raucous “From A Whisper To A Scream” to the manic pop of “White Knuckles” to the charming “Pretty Words.” The bonus disc includes 17 songs and, while none are as revelatory as the material included with Get Happy!!, there are some nice moments, such as “Black Sails In the Sunset” and “Sad About Girls.” Considered by Costello connoisseurs as the artist’s last great album with the Attractions, Trust is well worth checking out. (View From The Hill, 2003) 

The View On Pop Culture: Johnny Cash, Elvis Costello, Peter Case, Bonnaroo Music Festival (2002)

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Every year, there are lots of records that fall by the wayside, neglected by critics (or maybe just this critic), overlooked by listeners, and struggling to find a place in music history. Just because the following releases didn’t show up in this year’s Village Voice critic’s poll doesn’t mean that they don’t deserve space on your CD shelf.

When Nashville turned its back on Johnny Cash a few years ago, American Records mastermind Rick Rubin alone recognized the “Man In Black” as a true musical treasure. Pairing Cash with contemporary songs and musicians, the resulting folk/rock albums have become significant additions to Cash’s already considerable legacy. American IV: The Man Comes Around (Lost Highway/American Records) continues the streak. Backed by talents like Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench of the Heartbreakers and bluegrass legend Randy Scruggs, Cash tackles songs by Trent Reznor, Paul Simon, Martin Gore and, of course, Hank Williams as well as originals like the revelatory title cut and the classic “Tear Stained Letter.” Although Cash’s magnificent baritone has weakened somewhat through the years, when he jumps into the antique “Streets of Laredo” you can hear the hard years melt away. Cash is one of the true giants of American music and thanks to Rubin – best known as a rap and heavy metal producer – Cash’s last years in the saddle will be as important and memorable as those first songs he recorded for Sun Records fifty years ago.

Elvis Costello’s first studio album in seven years, When I Was Cruel (Island Records), received so much (well-deserved) hype that many overlooked this wonderful, second CD that was released to coincide with the artist’s 2002 US tour. A collection of rarities, alternate takes and live tracks, Cruel Smile (Island Records) is the perfect addition to any Costello fanatic’s collection. Excellent live performances of “Spooky Girlfriend,” “Almost Blue” and “15 Petals” are complimented by cool, hard-to-find Japanese single versions of “Smile” and a wicked alternate take on “When I Was Cruel.” So-called “Imposter” remixes of “Revolution Doll” and the manic “Peroxide Side” are rhythmic, dark-hued rockers, acid-drenched blends of lyrical bile and muscular instrumentation. Aimed towards the collector’s market, pop aficionados would nevertheless also enjoy Cruel Smile, the collection a fine showcase for Costello’s black humor and immense musical talents. Don’t forget to pick up your Rhino Records reissues of vintage Costello albums like Armed Forces, Spike, and Imperial Bedroom, each two-CD set loaded with outtakes and rarities and offering extensive liner notes, all at a single disc price. Elvis is king!

As frontman of early ‘80s new wave popsters the Plimsouls, Peter Case created one perfect, shining musical moment in the song “A Million Miles Away,” no mean feat for any artist. The Plimsouls faded into rock ‘n’ roll history, but Case is still here, flying solo, pigeonholed as a folkie and relegated to the fringes of alt-culture. ‘Tis unfair and incorrect, as even a casual listen to Beeline (Vanguard Records) proves Case to be an artist of some depth and musical integrity. A kaleidoscope of styles with punchy performances, Beeline is a solid and entertaining collection of songs. Sure, there’s a lot of folk influence here – witness the tender “I Hear Your Voice” or “Gone,” a delightful road song. But Case also exhibits impressive fluency in the language of the blues on “Evening Raga,” hits a funky groove on “Something’s Coming” and rocks with the rootsy “First Light.” Case delivers his material with a welcome lack of pretension and no small amount of intelligence. While my critical colleagues were championing Beck’s latest effort as a brilliant exercise in the folk/rock genre, this humble scribe was listening to the real deal, Peter Case’s Beeline.

It took ‘em a couple of years to get the recipe just right (anybody remember the Itchycoo fiasco?), but the promoters of last June’s Bonnaroo Music Festival hit a bull’s eye with an inspired line-up that ranged from jam bands and blues-rockers to bluegrass pickers and gospel artists. Held in the rural farming community of Manchester, Tennessee about an hour south of Nashville, Bonnaroo attracted about 70,000 rockers for three days of mighty fine music. Live From Bonnaroo Music Festival 2002 (Sanctuary Records) captures some of the highlights of the event on a highly recommended two-CD set. Much like the festival itself, this set presents a widely diverse collection of artists, and there are plenty of hot tracks to satisfy the desire of any music lover.

Widespread Panic are joined by gospel great Dottie Peoples on the band’s “Tallboy” while North Mississippi All-Stars axeman Luther Dickinson joins Robert Randolph and the Family Band on their “Peekaboo.” North Mississippi’s favorite sons deliver their own scorching “Sugartown” while bluegrass legends the Del McCoury Band knock out a red-hot performance of “Rain & Snow.” Former Primus frontman Les Claypool with his Frog Brigade band render a solid reading of Jethro Tull’s “Locomotive Breath” and the Blind Boys Of Alabama close out the album with the amazing “Amazing Grace.” From chart-toppers like Norah Jones and Jack Johnson and jam bands like moe, Gov’t Mule and Phish’s Trey Anastasio, Live From Bonnaroo Music Festival 2002 does a great job in documenting the spectrum of styles offered to fans out in the Tennessee countryside. (View From The Hill, November 2022)

The View On Pop Culture: The Waterboys, Scott Miller & the Commonwealth, Elvis Costello, Rock 'N' Roll High School DVD (2001)

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Not many recording artists can lay claim to creating a legitimate classic album, but Mike Scott and the Waterboys have done it twice. Fisherman’s Blues (1988) and This Is the Sea (1985) melded Celtic folk with British rock to create an entirely new sound that many since have tried to imitate, but nobody has equaled. The first proper Waterboys album since 1990, A Rock In the Weary Land (Razor & Tie) reunites creative frontman Mike Scott with original band members Anthony Thistlethwaite and Kevin Wilkinson for a marvelous collection of songs.

Although there is nothing here to match the band’s classic 1980s output, A Rock In The Weary Land is an invigorating and complex album nonetheless. Infusing their unique sound with traditional instrumentation and elements of blues and folk, the songs here are propelled by Scott’s wonderfully expressive and unforgettable voice. A finely crafted tapestry of spiritual and introspective imagery and skilled instrumentation, A Rock In the Weary Land is an impressive return to form for Mike Scott and the Waterboys.

Over the course of six years and three critically acclaimed and sadly ignored albums, Scott Miller led his band the V-Roys through their paces with energy and intelligence. When that band broke up, Miller took a little time to gather his thoughts and write some new songs. The result of this period of introspection is Thus Always To Tyrants (Sugar Hill Records), the first release by Scott Miller & the Commonwealth. Showcasing a whip-smart songwriting style that has aged gracefully, Thus Always To Tyrants throws together traditional Appalachian-inspired country and folk with 1960s-tinged pop and roots rock in the style of the V-Roys. Miller’s literary lyrics range from the Civil War tale “Highland Country Boy” to the gospel-tinged “Is There Room On the Cross For Me.” As shown by songs like “Across the Line” or “I Made A Mess of This Town,” a magnificent artistic tension is created between the conflict of a rural southern upbringing and the lure of the big city. With love and betrayal, hard times and harder promises around every corner, Thus Always To Tyrants is a fully realized artistic statement and a welcome musical reappearance of the talented Scott Miller.     

When Elvis Costello’s My Aim Was True album was released in 1977, the rock world generally didn’t know what to make of the angry young man behind the Buddy Holly glasses and pop sensibilities. Almost twenty-five years later, the disc is considered by most to be a true work of art, a blending of two decades of pop and rock history forged with punk attitude. The recent reissue of My Aim Is True (Rhino Records) places the album in perspective, the two-CD set pairing the sonically-remastered original album with a bonus disc of outtakes and demos for the price of a single CD. My Aim Is True is filled with street-tough rock ‘n’ roll tunes like “Less Than Zero,” “Miracle Man” and “Waiting For the End of the World” as well as the classic ballad “Alison.” Blistering in its passion and intensity, My Aim Is True sounds as powerful today as it did during the summer of ’77. The bonus disc includes material that originally appeared on the out-of-print Rykodisc reissue, including outtakes of “Radio Sweetheart” and “Stranger In The House” along with four previously unreleased songs.

My Aim Is True also includes a twenty-eight page CD booklet with rare photos, song lyrics and commentary from the artist. Rhino has also revisited Spike (1987), which features several songwriting collaborations with Paul McCartney, including the hit “Veronica,” and All This Useless Beauty (1996), a collection of Costello songs originally recorded by other artists. The next batch of Costello albums to be reissued includes This Year’s Model, Blood & Chocolate , and Brutal Youth, part of an eighteen title series featuring bonus tracks and ultra-cool CD booklets.

From Elvis Presley’s Jailhouse Rock to Prince’s Purple Rain to the recent Rock Star, there have been a lot of movies made with a rock ‘n’ roll theme. None can hold a candle, however, to the one and only Rock ‘N’ Roll High School (New Concorde), the trash-rock classic recently released on DVD. The movie stars the Ramones, the greatest punk rockers to ever learn three chords, in a tale of youth gone wild. It’s up to Ramones fan Riff Randle (teen queen P.J. Soles) to free the students of Vince Lombardi High School from the anti-rock tyranny imposed by evil principal Miss Togar (former Warhol ingenue Mary Waronov).

The result is hilarious, with plenty of sight gags, high school hijinx and a soundtrack that includes Alice Cooper, Chuck Barry, Brownsville Station and, of course, the Ramones. Produced by Roger Corman (who else?) and directed by Allan Arkush, Rock ‘N’ Roll High School is the best movie ever made about rock music. The new DVD release includes an interview with B-movie legend Corman, commentary by Arkush and audio outtakes from the Ramones concert at The Roxy in LA where the concert footage was filmed. (View From The Hill, September 2001)

New Music Monthly: October 2020 releases

October is here and the labels will be emptying their vaults and clearing their slates to get Q4 releases off the books with an eye towards January and maybe, just maybe a more sympathetic commercial environment. Considering that artists are unable to tour much, if at all, in support of new records, it's no surprise that the record labels are hedging their bets, releasing a lot of goodies from the archives, and hoping for the best in terms of sales. 

There's a lot of very cool archival material that will resurface in October, including albums by Memphis rocker Van Duren, rarities from NRBQ, and big box sets from folks like Bob Mould (24-CDs), Bobby Bare (8-CDs), Tom Petty (4-CDs), and Thin Lizzy (6-CDs, but no more info is available right now, so it's your guess is as good as mine if it will actually be released this month). But it's not all just vault-diving, there's also new tunes from folks like Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Chris Smither, Joey Molland of Badfinger, and Dream Theatre guitar whiz John Petrucci, among others. 

Release dates are probably gonna change and nobody tells me when they do. If you’re interesting in buying an album, just hit the ‘Buy!’ link to get it from Amazon.com...it’s just that damn easy! Your purchase puts valuable ‘store credit’ in the Reverend’s pocket that he’ll use to buy more music to write about in a never-ending loop of rock ‘n’ roll ecstasy! If you're boycotting Amazon and don't have an indie record store close by, may we suggest shopping with our friends at Grimey's Music in Nashville? They have a great selection of vinyl available by mail order, offer quick service, and if you don't see what you want on their website, check out their Discogs shop!

OCTOBER 2
45 Grace - Sleep In Safety [vinyl reissue]   BUY!
Coven - Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls [vinyl reissue]   BUY!
Death Valley Girls - Under the Spell of Joy   BUY!
Bob Mould - Distortion 1989-2019 [24-CD set!]   BUY!
New Order - Power, Corruption & Lies: Definitive Edition BUY!
NRBQ - In • Frequencies BUY!
Robert Plant - Digging Deep: Subterranea [2-CD set]   BUY!
Chris Smither - More From the Levee   BUY!
Corey Taylor - CMFT   BUY!
Roger Waters - Us + Them   BUY!
Frank Zappa - Halloween 81 [6-CD box set]   BUY!

OCTOBER 9
Buffalo Tom - Birdbrain [vinyl reissue]   BUY!
Dire Straits - The Studio Albums 1978-1991 [6-CD set]   BUY!
The Doors - Morrison Hotel: Deluxe Edition   BUY!
The Replacements - Please To Meet Me: Deluxe Edition [3-CD box set]   BUY!
Thin Lizzy - Rock Legends [6-CD box set]

OCTOBER 16
Allman Brothers Band - The Final Note   BUY!
Joey Molland (Badfinger) - Be True To Yourself   BUY!
Kevin Morby - Sundowner   BUY!
Tom Petty - Wildflowers & All the Rest [Deluxe vinyl & CD reissue]   BUY!

OCTOBER 23
Bobby Bare - Bobby Bare Sings Shel Silverstein Plus [8-CD box set]   BUY!
Shemekia Copeland - Uncivil War   BUY!
John Frusciante - Maya   BUY!
Greg Lake - The Anthology: A Musical Journey   BUY!
Little Richard - Lifetime Friend   BUY!
Little Richard - The Second Coming   BUY!
The Mountain Goats - Getting Into Knives   BUY!
Pearl Jam - MTV Unplugged   BUY!
Bruce Springsteen - Letter To You   BUY!
Jim White - Misfit's Jubilee   BUY!

OCTOBER 30
Black Stone Cherry - The Human Condition   BUY!
Elvis Costello - Hey Clockface   BUY!
Grateful Dead - American Beauty [3-CD Deluxe 50th anniversary]    BUY!
Joni Mitchell - Joni Mitchell Archives - Volume 1: The Early Years (1963-1967)   BUY!
Mr. Bungle - The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo   BUY!
John Petrucci - Terminal Velocity   BUY!
Van Duren - Are You Serious? [CD & vinyl reissue]  BUY!
Van Duren - Idiot Optimism [CD & vinyl reissue]   BUY!
Jimmie Vaughan - The Pleasure's All Mine: The Complete Blues, Ballads & Favorites Collection   BUY!

Album of the Month: Tom Petty's Wildflowers finally receives a deluxe reissue that restores the album to the two-disc set that the rock legend originally envisioned. The four-CD or seven-LP set features 54 tracks, 8 unreleased songs, and 24 unreleased alternate versions. In addition to the 15 track original album (remastered), the deluxe edition contains the album All The Rest (10 songs from the original Wildflowers sessions), a full CD of 15 solo demos recorded by Petty at his home studio, and a disc of 14 live versions of Wildflowers songs recorded from 1995 – 2017.

New Music Monthly: October 2018 Releases

We're nearing the finish line for 2018, kiddies, and October promises another slobber-knocker slate of new releases that promise to tax your bankroll and please your soul. You got your new music from folks like Will Hoge, Graham Parker, Doyle Bramhall II, High On Fire, Elvis Costello, John Hiatt, Tom Morello, Ace Frehley, and many others as well as archive releases from Lindsey Buckingham, Permanent Green Light, Mott the Hoople, and R.E.M. among others. So, like I said, lots of tunes to spend your hard-earned coin on.

If we wrote about it here on the site, there will be a link to it in the album title; if you want an album, hit the 'Buy!' link to get it from Amazon.com...it's just that damn easy! Your purchase puts money in the Reverend's pocket that he'll use to buy more music to write about in a never-ending loop of rock 'n' roll ecstasy!   

OCTOBER 5
Anthrax - State of Euphoria [deluxe 30th anniversary reissue]   BUY!
David Bowie - Live In New York 1987   BUY!
Doyle Bramhall II - Shades   BUY!
Lindsey Buckingham - Solo Anthology: The Best of Lindsey Buckingham   BUY!
Coheed & Cambria - The Unheavenly Creatures   BUY!
Hugh Cornwell - Monster   BUY!
Echo & the Bunnymen - The Stars, The Oceans & The Moon   BUY!
Electric Six - Bride of the Dead   BUY!
Kristin Hersh - Possible Dust Clouds   BUY!
High On Fire - Electric Messiah   BUY!
Will Hoge - My American Dream   BUY!
John Lennon - Imagine [deluxe box set]   BUY!
Cat Power - Wanderer   BUY!
Sari Schorr - Never Say Never   BUY!
Unicorn -  Laughing Up Your Sleeve   BUY!

OCTOBER 12
Martin Barre - Roads Less Traveled   BUY!
Lindsay Beaver - Tough As Love   BUY!
The Bottle Rockets - Bit Logic   BUY!
Elvis Costello  & the Imposters - Look Now   BUY!
John Hiatt - The Eclipse Sessions   BUY!
Peter Holsapple & Alex Chilton - The Death of Rock...   BUY!
Calvin Johnson - A Wonderful Beast   BUY!
Dave Keller - Every Soul's A Star   BUY!
Paul Kelly - Nature   BUY!
Tom Morello - The Atlas Underground   BUY!
Nazareth - Tattooed On My Brain   BUY!
Graham Parker - Cloud Symbols   BUY!
Permanent Green Light (Michael Querico) - Hallucinations   BUY!
Primal Scream - Give Out But Don't Give Up: The Original Memphis Sessions   BUY!

OCTOBER 19
Terry Callier - The New Folk Sound of Terry Callier [vinyl reissue]   BUY!
Sandy Carroll - Blues & Angels   BUY!
Neneh Cherry - Broken Politics   BUY!
Disturbed - Evolution   BUY!
Ace Frehley - Spaceman   BUY!
Marty Friedman - One Bad M.F. Live!!   BUY!
Handsome Jack - Everything's Gonna Be Alright   BUY!
Los Straitjackers - Complete Christmas Songbook   BUY!
Will Oldham - Songs of Love and Horror   BUY!
Yoko Ono - Warzone   BUY!
R.E.M. - R.E.M. At the BBC [box set]   BUY!
Soulfly - Ritual   BUY!
Various Artists - Stax '68: A Memphis Story   BUY!

OCTOBER 26
The Action - The New Action! [vinyl]   BUY!
Eric Bibb - Global Griot
Fifth Angel - The Third Secret   BUY!
Mott the Hoople - Mental Train: The Island Years 1969-1971 [box set]   BUY!
NRBQ - All Hopped Up   BUY!
Ty Segall - Fudge Sandwich   BUY!
Joe Louis Walker, Bruce Katz & Giles Robson - Journeys to the Heart of the Blues   BUY!

Album of the Month: Mott the Hoople's Mental Train is a six-disc box set that collects includes remastered and expanded versions of all four of the band's original Island Records label releases; an entire disc of unheard and unreleased material; and a full disc of live and BBC performances. Each of the original albums - Mott the Hoople, Mad Shadows, Wildlife, and Brain Capers - has been expanded by 8 or 9 tracks, adding single versions, demos, alternate takes, and much more. A fifth CD, The Ballads of Mott the Hoople, is subtitled "Unheard and Unreleased Music from the Island Archive." That's a lot of great music for the Hoople fan!