She is small, blonde and brisk. And there is one sentence she has often heard in the macho music biz: “You are weak, you can’t do it”. Of course, both are nonsense. As the singer of Amyl And The Sniffers,Amy Taylor has a decisive influence on the band’s sound – a wild mixture of punk, glam and 70s Aussie rock. When Amy Taylor kicks off with the energy of a big army of bouncy balls in songs like “Got You” and “Comfort To Me”, it smells of riot and ruckus – and is always crisp to the point.
Amy Taylor – vocals Declan Mehrtens – guitar Fergus Romer – bass, backing vocals Bryce Wilson – drums, backing vocals
Record Collector Presents… Siouxsie & The Banshees revisits the band’s career in detail from their formative years emerging from London’s punk scene. It charts their diverse, psychedelic and experimental evolution (album by album) that has ensured universal kudos from critics and fans. We also take a look at the post-Banshees catalogue – The Creatures and The Glove – through to Siouxsie’s solo material and various collaborations.
We speak to Steve Severin about his musical journey alongside Siouxsie, longtime guitarist Jon Klein on his expansive work with the Banshees, Mike Hedges about his exploits producing the band, and Billy Chainsaw, the editor of the band’s fan club and magazine, and their personal assistant for many years. Plus, expect all the usual collectables – from vinyl and cassettes through to rarities and memorabilia – our collector Q&As and a select UK discography.
Pink Floyd’s catalogue of live recordings underscores the idea that 1973’s “Dark Side of the Moon” and 1979’s “The Wall” are their signature releases. After all, there are multiple albums commemorating multiple tours focusing on just those two projects.
Pink Floyd Live Albums also makes the case for the often-overlooked material released before the band’s platinum-selling heyday. David Gilmour began to explore this era much more deeply once he reconnected with former Pink Floyd co-founder Richard Wright, digging back to his initial albums with the group. Original drummer Nick Mason has created his own new band to perform some of Pink Floyd’s earliest songs.
Tours also inevitably feature the latest songs from an act’s latest album, and these live recordings are no different – whether that means including material from the Gilmour-led Pink Floyd reboot or individual solo efforts from Gilmour and Roger Waters. With a backlog of earworm classics,
Ummagumma(1969)
David Gilmour had been touring with Pink Floyd for just over a year, and they still hadn’t found a musical path forward. “Ummagumma” summed up the confusion. The first disc was recorded as Pink Floyd performed sometimes desultory 1969 versions of recent songs like “Astronomy Domine” and “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun.”
Ummagumma is a strikingly ambitious double album: one disc captures Pink Floyd in concert, showcasing their early psychedelic live prowess, while the other features solo studio experiments from each member. The live recordings are often celebrated for their energy and inventiveness, capturing the band at their exploratory best. The studio disc, however, divides listeners. Some hail it as daring avant-garde exploration, pushing sonic boundaries, while others dismiss it as self-indulgent, uneven, and occasionally impenetrable, making Ummagumma one of Pink Floyd’s most polarizing works.
(The concerts also included embryonic takes on soon-to-be-released songs like “Cymbaline” and “Green is the Colour,” though they weren’t included on “Ummagumma“.) Yet it’s all still better than the second disc, which contains largely pointless solo studio compositions by each member of the group.
‘Delicate Sound of Thunder’ (1988)
Pink Floyd’s first proper live release somehow didn’t arrive until Roger Waters was long gone. Perhaps unsurprisingly, his former bandmates had trouble rising to the visceral anger of Waters’ late-period material, in particular on tracks where he used to share vocals. They tended to sound far more comfortable with the new songs.
Recorded over five nights at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, New York, in August 1988 and mixed at Abbey Road Studios in September 1988, The album includes many works from “A Momentary Lapse of Reason” as well as tracks from older Pink Floyd albums.
Still, “Delicate Sound of Thunder” offered a welcome return to the flowing group sounds that predated novelistic albums like “The Wall” and “The Final Cut“. Replacement band member Guy Pratt also had a knack for adding the kind of funk and sophistication on bass (check out “Another Brick in the Wall [Part 2]”) that Waters can’t really approximate. It opened the door to far more intriguing future collaborations.
Although David Gilmour stated around the time of its release and on a radio interview in 1992 that the album contained no studio overdubbing whatsoever, he embellished the tracks during mixing with some extra acoustic guitar on “Comfortably Numb“, according to engineer Buford Jones. In addition, some harmonies were replaced by studio re-takes: Richard Wright re-did his vocal on “Time” and SamBrown replaced Rachel Fury‘s part in “Comfortably Numb“but the rest of the album is as performed at the shows
‘Pulse’ (1995)
Pink Floyd’s only chart-topping live album featured the return in full of Richard Wright, who’d made only occasional contributions to 1987’s “A Momentary Lapse of Reason” after being fired by Waters in “The Wall” era. This opened the band’s in-concert setlist a little wider, as they added “Astronomy Domine” a Syd Barrett song not performed since the early 1970s taken from their 1967 debut. The album was recorded during the European leg of Pink Floyd’s “Division Bell” Tour in 1994
The second-disc performance of “Dark Side of the Moon” also served to highlight Wright’s often overlooked contributions as an instrumentalist (“Us and Them”), composer (“The Great Gig in the Sky”) and vocalist (“Time”). At that point, this was the only complete reading of Pink Floyd’s signature 1973 album.
The track “Another Brick in the Wall, Part II” features small portions of the songs “Another Brick in the Wall, Part I“, “The Happiest Days of Our Lives” and “Another Brick in the Wall, Part III“. Unlike the previous live album “Delicate Sound of Thunder”, no parts of the songs were re-recorded in the studio. However, the band and Guthrie fixed songs that had bad notes (as heard on some bootlegs) by lifting solos and corrected vocal lines from other performances as the band recorded most of the European leg.
‘Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980–81’ (2000)
Waters’ solo renditions of “The Wall” typically held their own intrigues, but all were forgotten after an historic excavation by producer James Guthrie. Pink Floyd originally staged just 31 concerts in support of this sprawling project. Guthrie focused on performances from August 1980 and June 1981 in London, including Waters’ last concert appearance with Pink Floyd before 2005’s Live 8 reunion.
The shows involved the construction of a wall on stage throughout the first half of the show. Once complete, members of the band performed in small openings in, atop, in front of, or even behind the wall.
“Is There Anybody Out There?” unfolds with a new sharpness and muscular force, while expanding our understanding of the narrative: Two new songs appear, including “What Shall We Do Now?” – a last-minute cut from the original album.
The album artwork featured the life-masks of the four band members in front of a black wall; the masks were worn by the “surrogate band” during the song “In the Flesh“. “Goodbye Blue Sky” and parts of “Run Like Hell” were taken from the 17th June 1981 show, this was the very last performance by the four-man Pink Floyd until the 2005 Live 8 concert.
‘Live at Knebworth 1990’ (2021)
This headline show was part of the star-studded 1990 Silver Clef Winners performance at Knebworth House, Hertfordshire 15th November 1990 that saw Pink Floyd topping the all-star bill that included Paul McCartney, Dire Straits, Genesis, Phil Collins, Mark Knopfler, Robert Plant (with Jimmy Page), Cliff Richard, Eric Clapton and Tears For Fears. Around 120,000 music fans saw these giants of rock appear on the hallowed stage of Knebworth, all in aid of the Nordoff Robbins charity, profits from which went towards setting up the BRIT School. The concert was broadcast globally on MTV.
This stunning live concert features many of the bands best known songs including “ComfortablyNumb”, “The Great Gig In The Sky”, and “Wish You Were Here”. Alongside David Gilmour, NickMason and Richard Wright, the album also features original “The Great Gig In The Sky” vocalist Clare Torry, plus guest musicians including sax player Candy Dulfer and keyboard player and composer Michael Kamen.
Completists might be tempted by the dramatic return of vocalist Clare Torry for “The Great Gig in the Sky,” but they’ll also notice there isn’t much more to this. Originally part of The Later Years box set focusing on Pink Floyd’s post-Roger Waters era, “Live at Knebworth 1990” was subsequently issued as a painfully short, cash-grabby stand-alone product.
There are only seven total tracks, and two of them – “Comfortably Numb” and “Run Like Hell” – were on the previously released compilation Knebworth: The Album.
‘The Dark Side of the Moon Live at Wembley 1974’ (2023)
This has an origin story not dissimilar to “Live at Knebworth 1990″, having been released as a stand-alone LP after originally appearing on two earlier box set reissues. But that’s where the similarities end. “The Dark Side of the Moon Live at Wembley 1974″ finds Pink Floyd at the peak of their powers and performing their best-known album in its entirety. The material was originally recorded in November 1974 by BBC Radio 1 at what’s now Wembley Stadium. The shows are notable for showcasing an early version of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” as well as very early versions of “Sheep” and “Dogs” under different titles – “Raving and Drooling” and “You’ve Got to Be Crazy”, respectively.
The first three tracks were released as part of the “Wish You Were Here” Immersion box set in November 2011. The whole performance of “Dark Side of the Moon” was released two months earlier, in September 2011 as part of the “Dark Side…” Immersion box set. The encore, “Echoes”, was not released until November 2016 when it was included in “The Early Years 1965–1972” box set as part of Volume 7: 1967–1972 Continu/ation.
The tour also featured the whole of “The Dark Side of the Moon” album played as well as one of the final performances of “Echoes” before being resurrected briefly in 1987; this performance of “Echoes” is notable for featuring saxophone performed by Dick Parry.
Here’s how great those shows were: They also provided material for 2011’s “Wish You Were Here” Immersion box (including an early version of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”) and 2016’s The Early Years (one of the final classic-era renditions of “Echoes”).
Bruce Springsteen and the E.Street Band performed several rarities during his three-hour headlining set at the Sea.Hear.Now Festival in Asbury Park, New Jersey on Sunday, September 15th 2024.
The concert was a homecoming for the Boss, who was born in Long Branch, approximately 6 miles from the Sea.Hear.Now Festival site. The seaside town is where a pre-fame Springsteen famously cut his teeth, performing in clubs throughout the ‘70s. Backed by the E Street Band, Springsteen began his festival set with a rendition of “Lonesome Day,” the opening track from his 2002 album “The Rising”. The rock legend then launched into “Blinded by the Light,” the beloved lead single from his 1973 debut album “Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.” Despite the song’s popularity, Springsteen hadn’t performed it in concert since 2017. Likewise, the next song, “Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?”, was originally released on the Boss’ debut album. It also hadn’t been performed in seven years.
Further rarities throughout the night included “Thundercrack,” “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)” and “Meeting Across the River,” all of which Springsteen hadn’t played live since 2016. In total, the Boss delivered eight songs which hadn’t previously appeared in a set list during his current tour.
Interestingly, Springsteen opted to end the night not with one of his own songs, but with a tune written by another famous rocker: Tom Waits. The Boss closed with “Jersey Girl,” which he memorably started covering in 1984, releasing his version as a b-side to the single “Cover Me.” Springsteen’s “Jersey Girl” has long been a fan favourite, especially when he returns to play in his home state.
Springsteen’s headlining set capped off a busy weekend for the rock legend. On Saturday night (Sept. 14th), the Boss made a surprise appearance at the Stony Pony, the local club that helped launch his career.
Alongside the Tangiers Blues Band, Danny Clinch, Robert Randolph and Jake Clemons, Springsteen performed a handful of R&B rock classics, including “Lucille,” “Down the Road Apiece” and “Boom Boom.”
On Sunday night, the 74-year-old singer made two other surprise appearances, taking the stage with Trey Anastasio and the Gaslight Anthem, two acts scheduled earlier on the Sea.Hear.Now. line up. Anastasio, best known as the co-founder of Phish night, was performing with his solo band when Springsteen joined for a rendition of “Kitty’s Back.” Later, the Boss took the stage with New Jersey punk rockers the Gaslight Anthem to perform a pair of tunes: “American Slang” and “History Books.”
George Harrison’s gold-selling album “Living in the Material World” will be expanded with a suite of expanded 50th-Anniversary reissue packages.
The limited-edition super deluxe edition spans 2CDs, 2LPs and a Blu-ray with a new Dolby Atmos mix. Included are 12 previously unreleased recordings, a 60-page booklet and artwork from the Harrison archive. An included seven-inch single also features a previously unheard recording of “Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymund)” with Ringo Starr and members of the Band,Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, and Garth Hudson.
Lovingly overseen by Dhani and Olivia Harrison, “Living in the Material World” has now been completely remixed by triple grammy award winner Paul Hicks from the original tapes for a stunning suite of 50th Anniversary releases. Dhani writing “Finally, we are overjoyed to present to you the 50th anniversary package of George Harrison’s “Living in the Material World”. For those of you who are just discovering this album; This record was released in service and with deep love for all our Brothers and Sisters around the world who populate this dualistic system we live in called Earth. Peace be upon all sentient beings.”
As a preview of the super deluxe edition, they’ve shared a previously unreleased rendition of Harrison’s “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth).” It’s assumedly the 18th take Harrison recorded, as the new track is delineated with a “Take 18” parenthetical. With his signature yearning, raspy vocals and a sole acoustic backing the Beatle, the song is a poignant and authentic reminder of Harrison’s early ’70s majesty.
“I hope you revisit “Living in the Material World” or discover it for the first time, and as you listen, share George’s wish for himself and mankind: ‘Give me Love, give me peace on Earth,'” Harrison’s widow Olivia said in an official statement. She co-produced the reissue project with their son Dhani.
The set will be available as a Super Deluxe Edition including 2LPs, 2CDs, Blu-ray, 7” vinyl, 60-page book with exclusive images, & 12-page recording booklet all housed in a rigid slipcase, as well as 2LP & 2CD Deluxe Editions,
“LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD” 50TH ANNIVERSARY will be released on November 15th.
Talking Heads have announced a Super Deluxe Edition of their debut album, “Talking Heads: 77”. On November 8th, a Super Deluxe Edition of Talking Heads’ landmark debut, featuring a number of rarities and previously unreleased tracks – including a live set captured at CBGB, New York, on October 10th, 1977.
The three-CD/Blu-ray and four-LP vinyl sets will be available and include’s a remastered version of the original album, a disc of rarities and a disc of live tracks, all previously unreleased.
an acoustic version of “Psycho Killer” featuring Arthur Russell, from the upcoming set, A 4xLP + 4×7” boxset of Talking Heads: 77 which includes the remastered original album, one LP of rare and previously unreleased demos and outtakes, and a double LP of “Live At CBGB, New York, NY, Oct. 10, 1977“. An 80-page hardcover book features never-before-seen photos, fliers, artwork, and liner notes personally penned by each member of the band – Tina Weymouth, David Byrne, Chris Frantz and Jerry Harrison – plus recording engineer Ed Stasium.
The Blu-ray in the CD version features new Atmos Mix, 5.1 Mix DTS-HD MA and 5.1 Mix LPCM overseen by Harrison and a 2024 Stereo Remaster.
The rarities include B-sides and outtakes from the era, including “Sugar on My Tongue” and “(Love Goes to) Building on Fire.” It also features acoustic versions of songs, as well as previously unreleased versions of “Pulled Up” and “Psycho Killer.”
The live set taken from an October 1977 appearance at CBGB around the time of the album’s release includes 13 songs, most taken from “Talking Heads: 77”, which was released less than a month before the show. Among the songs played is a cover of Al Green’s “Take Me to the River,” which would be recorded for their second album, 1978’s “More Songs About Buildings and Food“, and became their first Top 40 single.
The deluxe set features many outtakes/rarities and live tracks with the blu-ray featuring a Dolby Atmos Mix, along with 5.1 and hi-res stereo mixes.
“Talking Heads: 77” (Super Deluxe Edition) released 8th November
“People are saying it’s the first new Lone Justice record in 40 years, and I’m like… is it?” says Maria McKee, the band’s vocalist. The answer is both yes and no. While the group hasn’t released a proper full-length since 1986’s “Shelter“, the upcoming album “Viva Lone Justice” isn’t technically new. McKee recorded the bulk of the material with ex-bandmates Marvin Etzioni and Don Heffington as demos for her 1992 solo effort “You Gotta Sin To Get Saved“.
Dusting off those tapes in the wake of Heffington’s passing in 2021, Etzioni encouraged McKee to turn the sessions into a new solo album. Instead, she suggested they reach out to another former bandmate, guitarist Ryan Hedgecock, to add overdubs and release it under the Lone Justice name.
“Viva Lone Justice” is a rollicking, eclectic ride that puts hillbilly country stomp alongside shimmery folk, barrelhouse blues and a faithfully ripping cover of The Undertones’ “Teenage Kicks”, recorded in honour of Feargal Sharkey who scored his only No 1 single in 1985 with the McKee-composed “A Good Heart”.
“I didn’t do anything,” McKee says of the finished album. “Marvin called me one day and said, ‘It’s done.’ I was completely blown away. It really has this wild energy. This is like fire.”
“This is the closest thing to what our original vision was for a Lone Justice record,” adds Hedgecock. “When we were playing at [famed Hollywood country venue] the Palomino, we’d go from a George Jones song into a Jimi Hendrix song. Nothing else that’s ever been out there has been reflective of the band.”
When Hedgecock and McKee started Lone Justice in 1982, both were becoming soured on the punk and rockabilly scenes in their native LA, finding fresh inspiration in the recordings of George Jones and Rose Maddox. “We just went further back,” says McKee. “There was no way to be subversive any more because punk was everywhere. So going back to the roots of everything was our way of being rebels.”
With McKee’s powerful voice and their rowdy live shows, Lone Justice’s star rose quickly. Before they knew it, the group was being praised by Dolly Parton and finding themselves in the studio with Bob Dylan to record his song, “Go ‘Way Little Boy”. The session was memorably contentious. “I was a brat and he was a brat,” remembers McKee. “I was fearless, and he loved me for it. I was one of the only people he liked because I hated him. He was so sick of everybody kissing his ass. He kept sending me out to sing the song over and over and over again. He was like, ‘You’re doing it all wrong.’ So finally I just did a Bob Dylan impression. When I did, he gave me this wink and said, ‘I knew you had it in you.’”
Neither of Lone Justice’s two albums were wildly successful and the band soon fell apart. That’s not to say they have been completely overlooked. The past few years have seen the release of various archival recordings
Zakk Sabbath, the Black Sabbath cover band featuring guitarist/vocalist Zakk Wylde ( Ozzy Osbourne), bassist Blasko (Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Zombie) and drummer Joey Castillo (Danzig, Queens Of The Stone Age)
“Greatest Riffs” features selected songs from the ZAKK SABBATH albums “Vertigo” (2020) and “Doomed Forever Forever Doomed” (2024). Originally, the tribute band elected to release these albums in physical formats only to hearken back to the originals. Yet their fans kept asking for an official digital release, so at long last the band has agreed to publish a hand-picked collection assembled in homage to one of Black Sabbaths most ubiquitous releases, “We Sold Our Soul for Rock ‘n Roll”, the ultimate greatest hits album!.
Van Halen’s third straight No. 1 album with singer Sammy Hagar, and the bands ninth LP overall, gets a two-CD remaster with a disc of rarities and live tracks. The previously unreleased show recordings, from Dallas in 1991, the year of the album’s release, are also included in a Blu-ray along with video clips for the singles “Poundcake,” “Right Now” and two others. Instrumental versions and single mixes round out the expanded set.
In the summer of 1991, Van Halen’s “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge” debuted at #1 on release. This summer, you can hear it better than ever! The Triple-Platinum album is getting remastered and reissued.
The Expanded Edition includes previously unreleased alternate versions of “Right Now” and “The Dream Is Over.” The main attraction, however, has to be the previously unreleased concert footage from VanHalen’s December 4th, 1991, performance in Dallas. Captured during the “For Unlawful Carnal KnowledgeTour,” this electrifying show is a powerful example of Van Halen’s unparalleled stage presence.
The show’s setlist mixes new songs “Judgement Day” and “Poundcake” with songs from “5150” and “OU812““(“Best Of Both Worlds” and “Finish What Ya Started”). The band also played “Panama,” a hit from its time with singer David Lee Roth, plus two of Hagar’s hits, “I Can’t Drive 55” and “There’s Only One Way To Rock.”
In addition, the BLU-RAY includes the official music videos for “Poundcake,” “Runaround,” “Right Now,” and “Top Of The World.” Finally, the remastered album is included in the set as a double LP, featuring an etching of the Van Halen logo on the fourth side.
Includes an exclusive BOOKLET loaded with never-before-seen band photos, rare memorabilia, and ephemera. It’s truly incredible and well done. 32-pages, measuring 12″ x 12″.
