Posts Tagged ‘Legacy Recordings’

BOB DYLAN – “1970 ” 3-CD Set, Feat George Harrison

Posted: March 3, 2021 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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A new collection, Bob Dylan—1970, the first widely available pressing of a three-disc set of long-sought-after studio recordings many of which feature George Harrison, has been released by Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings in the U.S. on February 26, 2021. (It’s U.K. release has been delayed until March 19th.) By ploughing through the roots of Bob Dylan’s storied legacy, Sony/Legacy’s official bootleg series has brought Dylan devotees the backstory of some of the most daring and dramatic episodes and interludes of the Bob’s 60-year career. While the outtakes and rarities have rarely been the equal of the official offerings, they’ve continued to provide a fascinating glimpse into the musical undertow that helped bring those milestones through to fruition. 

The latest in that series (curiously, the “Bootleg Series” handle doesn’t appear on this set) retraces much of the music covered on earlier installment of the series, Another Self Portrait, sharing early incarnations of songs.  The recordings on “Bob Dylan—1970″ were first released in a (very) limited edition as part of the Bob Dylan 50th Anniversary Collection copyright extension series (which began in 2012). That first batch sold out instantly. The 3-CD set, includes previously unreleased outtakes from the sessions that produced “Self Portrait” and “New Morning”, as well as the complete May 1st, 1970, studio recordings with his future bandmate Harrison, which capture the pair performing together on nine tracks, including Dylan originals (“One Too Many Mornings,” “Gates of Eden,” “Mama, You Been On My Mind”), covers (including the Everly Brothers’ “All I Have to Do Is Dream,” Carl Perkins’ “Matchbox,” The Beatles’ “Yesterday”) and more.

Consequently, many of the tracks included in this three CD set consist of early takes of songs that would eventually emerge on the latter (multiple run-throughs of “Went To See the Gypsy,” “Time Passes Slowly,” “Sign on the Window” and “If Not for You” dominate these discs overall) and candidates for tracks that might have made it to the latter—Buffy Saint-Marie’s “Universal Soldier,” Eric Andersen’s “Thirsty Boots” and Tom Paxton’s “I Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound,” along with any number of traditional tunes. 

Bob revisits a few of his own oldies as well—“I Don’t Believe You,” “One Too Man Mornings,” “Gates of Eden,” “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues,” “I Threw It All Away,” “Song To Woody,” and “If Not For You,” songs that span the breadth of his catalogue up until that point. Why he chose to retrace these tunes is a bit of a mystery, but one might assume they were intended as warm-up rehearsals for the players involved.

Two offerings in particular would seem of special interest, “Untitled 1970 Instrumental #1” and “Untitled 1970 Instrumental #2,” a pair of unfinished efforts that could have emerged as songs of significance had he chosen to complete them. The majority of these run-throughs come across as surprisingly complete and cohesive, with Dylan investing a full measure of sentiment and sensitivity. That’s especially evident on such songs as the aforementioned “Thirsty Boots” and “Universal Soldier.” There are off-handed moments as well, as heard  on “Little Moses,” where his back-up singers mug their way while over-exaggerating their contribution. 

Still, the biggest lure might be the inclusion of those fabled heretofore lost sessions with George Harrison which took place when Harrison came for a visit to Dylan’s Woodstock retreat. While Harrison’s presence will likely claim the lion’s share of attention, the tracks that find his participation are somewhat slight overall. His backing vocals and guitar contributions are somewhat negligible, even frivolous, as Harrison appears to defer to Dylan in each instance. (The exceptions lie in Harrison’s solo on “Mama You’ve Been On My Mind,” which is both expansive and expressive in equal measure, and Harrison’s heartfelt harmonies on “It AIn’t Me. Babe.”) Likewise, it’s somewhat strange that there’s no evidence of their collaboration on their co-credited “If Not For You.” Given the informal setting, those expecting some sort of regal revelation would best focus on the Traveling Wilburys recordings that arrived nearly two decades later. On the other hand, given the near mythical stature that these legendary Dylan-Harrison sessions have attained over the past five decades, compulsive collectors will find any inclusion welcome regardless.

The collection includes numerous takes of Dylan’s “If Not for You.” Several months after these sessions, Harrison recorded the song for his “All Things Must Pass” album, which was released at the end of the year. “Bob Dylan—1970″ comes housed in an eight-panel digipack featuring new cover art and liner notes by Michael Simmons. See the complete track listing and hear some other songs below the links.

Personnel: Bob Dylan – vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica George Harrison – guitar, vocals (Disc 1, Tracks 20 & 24 and Disc 2, Tracks 2-3, 6-7, 10-11, & 16) Bob Johnston – piano (Disc 1, Tracks 24-25 and Disc 2, Tracks 1-3) Charlie Daniels – bass Russ Kunkel – drums David Bromberg – guitar, dobro, mandolin Ron Cornelius – guitar Al Kooper – organ Charlie Daniels – bass, guitar Russ Kunkel – drums Buzzy Feiten – guitar

JIMI HENDRIX – ” Live In Maui “

Posted: December 3, 2020 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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The trippy story of how Jimi Hendrix ended up playing a concert in front of a few hundred spectators at a windy cow farm next to a Hawaiian volcano features a cast of characters that could come from a Thomas Pynchon novel. There’s Chuck Wein, aka The Wizard, a Leary-lite Harvard graduate who dated Edie Sedgwick and made films with Andy Warhol before dropping into the hippie world. There’s Michael Jeffery, Hendrix’s manager, a shady operator with a line in tall stories about his career in the British Army. And there’s Hendrix, who found himself committed to making a soundtrack for Wein and Jeffery’s Hawaii-set psychedelic sci-fi movie, “Rainbow Bridge”, and somehow ended up playing one of the last shows – performing with the Cox-Mitchell axis – on the tiny island of Maui.

Rainbow Bridge started as a celebration of Hawaii’s surfing subculture, but soon mutated into an experimental, unscripted Warhol-esque film inspired by hippie life, Wein’s impenetrable personal philosophy and Jack Nicholson’s stoned campfire monologue from Easy Rider. It’s the success of the latter that seemed to appeal to Jeffery, who thought a Hendrix score would turn a counterculture flick into a serious commercial offering. The promise of that soundtrack persuaded Warners to fund the film, and Hendrix was on board as he needed the money to complete Electric Lady Studio.

Hendrix made a cameo in the film as an assassin but his biggest contribution was to perform an outdoor concert that was filmed. The gig was as unconventional as the film. “It was a colour/vibratory sound experience,” says Rainbow Bridge art director Melinda Merryweather. “The electricity went off, people swear they saw a spaceship go by, somebody fell of a tower.” The audience were asked to sit in astrological order and delivered a mass Buddhist chant as Hendrix took the stage. A gale was blowing and the small audience sat on the floor as if they were at a village fête. It must have been one of the most unusual set-ups Hendrix had ever faced but he seemed to thrive in the atmosphere – Cox described it as one of the best the trio did.

The set included new songs like “Dolly Dagger”, “Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)”, “Ezy Rider” and “Freedom” alongside established classics. Seventeen minutes of scratchy footage – with drums overdubbed by Mitchell – appeared on the posthumous Rainbow Bridge film, eventually released along with a Hendrix LP of the same name that had nothing recorded in Maui. Much more restored footage features in this fun documentary, while the forthcoming “Live In Maui” triple contains all that was salvageable from the two 50-minute sets.

Directed by John McDermott, Music, Money, Madness – Jimi Hendrix Experience Live In Maui attempts to unpick this wild tale with the help of a tremendous batch of interviewees. Billy Cox and Eddie Kramer are on hand from camp Hendrix, there’s cast and crew from Rainbow Bridge, a few still bewildered Warner Bros execs plus archive interviews with Mitch Mitchell and Chuck Wein.

Experience Hendrix and Legacy Recordings have a brand-new collection that celebrates The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s near-mythic performances on Maui, Hawaii in 1970. “Live In Maui” brings together audio and video with a new feature-length documentary called Music, Money, Madness: Jimi Hendrix In Maui. The collection will be available in 2-CD/Blu-ray and 3-LP/Blu-ray configurations, all due on November 20th.   Director John McDermott’s new documentary film chronicles the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s visit to Maui and the story of the Rainbow Bridge film by incorporating period footage with new interviews with Chuck Wein, Billy Cox, Eddie Kramer, and others key figures.  It’s presented in both editions of Experience Hendrix/Legacy’s release on Blu-ray, and the discs will also feature all of the existing 16mm colour footage from the two afternoon sets captured on July 30th, 1970 mixed in stereo and 5.1 surround.  The accompanying 2-CD set features Hendrix, Billy Cox, and Mitch Mitchell’s restored Maui sets, newly mixed by Eddie Kramer and mastered by Bernie Grundman.

JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE – ” Live In Maui “

Posted: September 10, 2020 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Experience Hendrix and Legacy Recordings have announced a brand-new collection that celebrates The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s near-mythic performances on Maui, Hawaii in 1970. Live In Maui brings together audio and video with a new feature-length documentary called Music, Money, Madness: Jimi Hendrix In Maui. The collection will be available in 2-CD/Blu-ray and 3-LP/Blu-ray configurations, all due on November 20th.

Hendrix’s performances on Maui in 1970 caught him at another pivotal point in his too-short career. Following the success of Electric Ladyland, he alternated between playing arenas and festivals with his revamped Experience alongside bandmates Billy Cox (bass) and Mitch Mitchell (drums), and overseeing the creation of his state-of-the-art Greenwich Village studio, Electric Lady Studios. In need of additional financing to complete building the studio, manager Michael Jeffery convinced Warner Bros. to advance Hendrix $500,000.00. The studio would also finance a film to be shot in Maui: Rainbow Bridge. Warner would then receive the soundtrack rights to the exclusive Hendrix music in the movie.

The impressionistic film, directed by Chuck Wein, would explore themes of enlightenment, with the titular rainbow bridge connecting the enlightened and unenlightened worlds. It wasn’t much of a concert movie, though, as only 17 minutes of footage were included from the free show Hendrix held on a Maui cattle ranch on July 30th, 1970 (one day before a Honolulu arena performance). Even those weren’t “pure” as Mitch Mitchell had to re-record his parts at the recently-opened Electric Lady to make the footage useable. Sadly, Jimi Hendrix was gone before the film was ever completed. He died in London on September 18th, 1970. Upon the film’s release in 1971, fans were confused by it as well as the meticulously overdubbed soundtrack album which premiered Hendrix studio material but didn’t actually include any music from the film or the two Maui sets.

Director John McDermott’s new documentary film chronicles the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s visit to Maui and the story of the film by incorporating period footage with new interviews with Chuck Wein, Billy Cox, Eddie Kramer, and others key figures. It’s presented in both editions of Experience Hendrix/Legacy’s release on Blu-ray, and the discs will also feature all of the existing 16mm colour footage from the two afternoon sets captured on July 30th, 1970 mixed in stereo and 5.1 surround.

The accompanying 2-CD set features Hendrix, Billy Cox, and Mitch Mitchell’s restored Maui sets, newly mixed by Eddie Kramer and mastered by Bernie Grundman. “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” has been released as a preview single for the box. “Jimi loved adventure and there was certainly no shortage of it during his time in Hawaii, a place he also loved,” comments Janie Hendrix in the press release. “The back story of Rainbow Bridge and these recordings paint a picture of Jimi’s uncanny ability to turn the bizarre into something amazing! We’re excited about this release because it gives the world a closer look at Jimi’s genius.”

“Live in Maui” due on November 20th.

JIMI HENDRIX – ” Songs For Groovy Children ” The Fillmore East Concerts

Posted: October 4, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Experience Hendrix L.L.C. and Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, are proud to release Songs For Groovy Children: The Fillmore East Concerts by Jimi Hendrix, on CD and digital November 22nd, with a vinyl release to follow on December 13th. This collection assembles all four historic debut concerts by the legendary guitarist in their original performance sequence. The 5 CD or 8 vinyl set boasts over two dozen tracks that have either never before been released commercially or have been newly pressed and newly remixed. Those who pre-order the digital version will instantly receive the previously unreleased track “Message To Love,” from the second New Year’s Eve performance on the collection.

Over the course of four extraordinary years, Jimi Hendrix placed his indelible stamp upon popular music with breathtaking velocity.  Measured alongside his triumphs at Monterey Pop and Woodstock, Hendrix’s legendary Fillmore East concerts illustrated a critical turning point in a radiant career filled with indefinite possibilities.

The revolutionary impact Jimi Hendrix, Billy Cox and Buddy Miles had upon the boundaries and definitions of rock, R&B, and funk can be traced to four concerts over the course of two captivating evenings.  These performances were first celebrated by Band of Gypsys, which featured six songs from the two January 1st, 1970 concerts, including “Machine Gun,” the album’s dramatic centerpiece. Issued in April 1970, Band of Gypsys challenged and surprised the wide following of Jimi Hendrix  with its extended arrangements and vibrant mix of rock and soul. 

In June of 1969, at the height of their fame, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, closed a musical chapter.  Before the shockwaves could settle, Hendrix assembled a new, expanded ensemble to perform at Woodstock in August. A new chapter was opened as Hendrix introduced Gypsy Sun and Rainbows.  The large ensemble included Jimi’s longtime friend Billy Cox, on bass, whom he had befriended when both were serving with the 101st Airborne Division in Ft. Campbell, Kentucky in 1962.  This Woodstock lineup was short-lived; from its ashes a new trio emerged in October that Hendrix dubbed Band of Gypsys, consisting of Hendrix, Cox and Electric Flag drummer Buddy Miles, who would also contribute occasional lead vocals. Hendrix was inspired by his collaboration with Cox and Miles and this creative renewal drove the development of promising new material such as “Power Of Soul,” “Burning Desire” and the extraordinary “Machine Gun.”  

Their debut live performances were a series of four concerts at the Fillmore East in Manhattan – two on New Year’s Eve 1969 and two on New Year’s Day 1970, each of which were professionally recorded. Hendrix had sold out Madison Square Garden just nine months prior, but the Fillmore East was chosen as the setting for a live recording.  Long before his fame, Hendrix had signed what he thought was a release for appearing as a studio musician in October 1965.  Unfortunately, the one page artist agreement drafted by PPX Industries bound his services for a period of three years.  Unwilling to live hands tied, Hendrix agreed to a 1968 legal settlement whereby Capitol Records would be granted the distribution rights for his next album.  By the autumn of 1969, Capitol and PPX were pushing hard for the album delivery and Hendrix decided to give them a live album.

However stressful this legal obligation had been for the guitarist, the end result proved to be an artistic triumph. True to his unpredictability, Hendrix opened his four-show stint with a masterful, eleven song set that did not feature a single song he had commercially released.  Exciting new songs such as “Izabella,” “Ezy Ryder” and “Burning Desire” thrilled the sold-out house.  Hendrix would pepper the remaining three shows with supercharged reworkings of favorites such as “Stone Free,” “Purple Haze,” and “Fire” but these were presented alongside such devastating, newly developed fare as “Machine Gun.”  In his review of the second New Year’s Eve concert, Down Beat critic Chris Albertson wrote, “That ability of his to utilize fully the technical possibilities of his instrument, combined with his fertile musical imagination, makes him an outstanding performer.”

By the end of January 1970, the band was history, but the blend of funk, rock and soul pioneered by the trio became history, making a profound impact on popular music in its wake. Notable devotees include funk pioneers Parliament–Funkadelic, Curtis Mayfield, the Isley Brothers (with whom Hendrix himself had at one time played) and Bootsy Collins, extending all the way forward to hip-hop.  Countless artists cite the record as a cornerstone in their appreciation of Jimi Hendrix ’s remarkable abilities.  

The original 1970 Band of Gypsys album was edited and sequenced from songs performed during the two Fillmore sets on January 1st, 1970.   Subsequent collections mined more material from each of the performances with significant chunks of these phenomenal recordings from those nights sitting unreleased for almost half a century. Newly mixed and restored in sequence without edits, fans can finally hear Hendrix, Cox and Miles blast through their genre-defying sets that included freshly written songs like “Earth Blues” and “Stepping Stone,” as well as Experience favorites inclusive of “Foxey Lady,” “Voodoo Child (Slight Return),” “Wild Thing,” “Hey Joe” and “Purple Haze.” Additionally, exciting new versions of Howard Tate’s “Stop,” “Steal Away,” by Jimmy Hughes and a searing “Bleeding Heart” by Elmore James highlighted the command that the trio had over blues & R&B music.

The lavish package is filled with unseen photos from talent such as Fillmore East house photographer Amalie Rothschild, Jan Blom (whose iconic, color saturated images provided the original artwork for 1970’s Band of Gypsys) as well as Marshall Amplifier representative Marc Franklin, who had full access to the group in their dressing room backstage.  The booklet features remembrances from bassist Billy Cox and liner notes by author/journalist/filmmaker Nelson George.  Songs For Groovy Children was produced by Janie Hendrix, Eddie Kramer and John McDermott – the trio that has overseen every project for Experience Hendrix since 1995. The box set was mastered by Grammy-winning engineer Bernie Grundman.

Kicking off today at the Paramount Theatre in Jimi’s hometown of Seattle, WA is the fall leg of the Experience Hendrix Tour, the acclaimed multi-artist celebration of Jimi Hendrix’s musical genius. The trek winds its way down the west coast into Oregon, California, Nevada, and then heading eastward into Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas, culminating in San Antonio Oct. 22.  Participants include blues legend Buddy Guy, best-selling instrumental rock guitarist Joe Satriani,Taj Mahal, Dweezil Zappa, Jonny Lang, Eric Johnson and Billy Cox. His has, arguably, the longest lasting musical relationship with Jimi Hendrix, spanning their time in the U.S. Army, performance in Nashville-based soul combos and with Band of Gypsys, and continuing with the Tribute Concert Tours in honor of the legacy of Jimi Hendrix to the present day.

BOB DYLAN – ” Rolling Thunder Revue Box Set “

Posted: April 30, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Sony’s Legacy Recordings will issue a massive 14CD box set edition of Bob Dylan‘s 1975 ‘Rolling Thunder Revue’ tour next month

A new boxset chronicling Bob Dylan’s famous Rolling Thunder Revue will be released as a companion piece to Martin Scorsese’s upcoming documentary about the 1975 tour, Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese. The boxset will be released June 7th, while the film hits Netflix and select theaters June 12th.

Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings will comprise 14 CDs and 148 tracks, capturing five full Dylan sets from the tour that were professionally recorded. It will also include recently discovered tapes from Dylan’s tour rehearsals, which took place at S.I.R. studios in New York. An exact track list has yet to be announced.

Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue tour took place between 1975 and 1976 and found the musician playing theater shows with little advanced notice. The tour famously featured Joan Baez, Roger McGuinn and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, while one-off special guests included Ringo Starr, Patti Smith and Joni Mitchell.

The Rolling Thunder Revue box set has reportedly been in the works for several years (a selection of songs from the tour were featured on 2002’s The Bootleg Series Vol. 5). In 2017, a source close to Dylan’s camp said “It’s a great period and there’s so much music that was so well-recorded. I think that’ll be a great companion piece to the film. We have incredible, incredible stuff.”

The 14-disc set will include five complete Dylan performances professionally recorded during the 1975 tour, along with previously unheard rehearsal audio. The collection will arrive on June 7th. The comprehensive 14CD box set includes all five of Dylan’s full sets from that tour that were professionally recorded. The collection also delivers recently unearthed rehearsals at New York’s S.I.R. studios and the Seacrest Motel in Falmouth, MA plus a bonus disc showcasing one-of-a-kind performances from the tour.

Dylan’s 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue tour has long been the stuff of legend. The trek saw the rock icon hit the road with many of his closest friends — including Roger McGuinn, Joan Baez, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Bob Neuwirth and Allen Ginsberg. Other top musicians, such as Joni Mitchell and Ringo Starr, also took part in some of the shows. The performances earned Dylan some of the best live reviews of his career.

The box features 148 tracks in all, with more than 100 of those never previously released. This box comes with a 52-page booklet featuring rare and never-before-seen Rolling Thunder Revue photos and an essay by novelist/musician Wesley Stace.

Bob Dylan fans have been eagerly awaiting news regarding the Martin Scorsese-helmed documentary about the singer’s 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue tour ever since it was announced in January.

Scorsese’s documentary about the tour was also long-rumored before Netflix confirmed its arrival in January. The film is expected to feature a rare on-camera interview with Dylan, as well as other performers from the tour. The majority of the interviews were reportedly conducted by Dylan’s longtime manager, Jeff Rosen, who also did the interviews for Scorsese’s 2005 Dylan film, No Direction Home.

The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings 14CD box set

BOB DYLAN – ” Blood On The Tracks ” Original New York Test Pressing Record Store Day 2019

Posted: April 13, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Months before Bob Dylan released “Blood On The Tracks” in early 1975, a small number of test pressings were circulated, consisting entirely of material from sessions at A&R Recording Studios in New York City. (Dylan re-recorded five of these tracks in Minneapolis for inclusion on the final album.) Those original records were soon bootlegged, and the alternate history of one of Dylan’s most acclaimed works was born.

This LP is an exact duplicate of the test pressing, containing unique mixes from the New York session available for the first time. Original New York Test Pressing • Months before Bob Dylan released Blood On The Tracks in early 1975, a small number of test pressings were circulated, consisting entirely of material from sessions at A&R Recording Studios in New York City. (Dylan re-recorded five of these tracks in Minneapolis for inclusion on the final album.) Those original records were soon bootlegged, and the alternate history of one of Dylan’s most acclaimed works was born. This LP is an exact duplicate of the test pressing, containing unique mixes from the New York session, available commercially for the first time

Side One:  1. Tangled Up In Blue 2. Simple Twist of Fate 3. You’re a Big Girl Now 4. Idiot Wind 5. You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go Side Two:  1. Meet Me In The Morning 2. Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts 3. If You See Her, Say Hello 4. Shelter from the Storm 5. Buckets of Rain

JANIS JOPLIN – ” Live At Woodstock ” Sunday August 17th 1969 Record Store Day 2019

Posted: March 10, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Already a tremendous star, 1969 was a year of change for Janis Joplin. Her legendary performance at Woodstock Festival came just weeks before the release of her first solo album, “I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama!” Both that record and this live set, which is available on vinyl for the first time, pointed to the new, exciting direction her music would take and helped define an incredible moment in music history.

To celebrate 50 years since the Woodstock Festival , Legacy Recordings will release Janis Joplin’s full set from the iconic festival on vinyl for the first time.  Joplin had already had significant success by the time she performed there.  Her first albums had established her as one of the best in the psych-rock scene.  By 1969, she was changing directions with her first-ever solo effort, I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama! which would arrive a few weeks after her performance.

Together, the album and the Woodstock set saw Joplin performing in full gear, but shifting toward soul and blues music, rather than the psychedelic fare that had brought her stardom.  Tracks like “Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)” and her cover of The Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody” are soul-stirrers on the studio album, and at Woodstock, she imbued them with even more passion and intensity.  Already a tremendous star, 1969 was a year of change for Janis Joplin. Her legendary performance at Woodstock came just weeks before the release of her first solo album, I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama! Both that record and this live set, available on vinyl for the first time on Record Store Day 2019, pointed to the new, exciting direction her music would take and helped define an incredible moment in music history.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN and the E.STREET BAND – ” The Live Series: Songs of the Road “

Posted: January 28, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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In the last few months, Legacy Recordings has launched an extensive digital campaign with the aim of releasing Bruce Springsteen to the streaming age.  This last May saw the digital debut of 17 rare singles and EPs, as well as the new compilation, Spare Parts, which collected highlights from those releases.  Now, Legacy has teamed up with Nugs.net on a new compilation, The Live Series:  Songs of the Road that celebrates The Boss’s incendiary concert performances and his music’s association with the open road.

As the name suggests, The Live Series: Songs of the Road is a themed compilation featuring songs related to roads, cars, and travel.  The 15 live performances are culled from Nugs.net’s ongoing Live Archive series, which brings full concerts from Springsteen’s live vaults to digital download and CD.  While these tracks have been available for download on Bruce’s website, The Live Series:  Songs of the Road brings this material to mainstream digital download and streaming services for the first time.

With blazing versions of “Thunder Road” and “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” and the hard-to-find “Action in the Streets” from his transitional 1977 upstate New York shows, a swinging 2006 take on “Open All Night” with the rootsy Seeger Sessions Band, the acoustic “Used Cars” from an intimate acoustic show from 1996, plus the arena rock god prowess of “Born To Run” from 1984 and the more recent impassioned performances of “Out in the Street” and “The E Street Shuffle,” this collection brings together all the different sides of Bruce’s live work, past and present.

You can find the new Bruce Springsteen collection, The Live Series:  Songs of the Road on streaming platforms now.  Check it out on Spotify

Bruce Springsteen,The Live Series:  Songs of the Road(Columbia/Legacy, 2018)

JEFF BECK – ” Truth ” Released 50 Years Ago August 1968

Posted: August 27, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Truth is the debut album by Jeff Beck, released in 1968 released on Columbia Records and in the United States on Epic Records. It introduced the talents of his backing band the Jeff Beck Group, who were specifically Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood, to a larger audience.

After leaving the Yardbirds in late 1966, Jeff Beck had released three commercial singles, two in 1967 featuring Beck on lead vocals, and one without vocals in 1968. All had been hits on the British singles chart, and all were characterized by songs aimed at the pop chart on the A-side at the request of producer Mickie Most. Harder rock and blues-based numbers were featured on the B-sides, and for music on the album, Beck opted to pursue the latter course.

Recording sessions for the album took place over four days, 14th–15th May and 25th–26th May 1968. Nine eclectic tracks were taken from these sessions, including covers of “Ol’ Man River” by Jerome Kern, the Tudor period melody “Greensleeves”, and Bonnie Dobson’s “Morning Dew”, which had been a 1966 hit single for Tim Rose. Beck acknowledged two giants of Chicago blues in songs by Willie Dixon – Muddy Waters’ “You Shook Me” and Howlin’ Wolf’s “I Ain’t Superstitious”.

The album started with a song from Beck’s old band: “Shapes of Things”. Three originals were credited to “Jeffrey Rod”, a pseudonym for Beck and Stewart, all reworkings of previous blues songs: “Let Me Love You” the song of the same title by Buddy Guy; “Rock My Plimsoul” from “Rock Me Baby” by B.B. King; and “Blues Deluxe” similar to another song by B.B. King, “Gambler’s Blues”.”Plimsoul” had already been recorded for the B-side to the 1967 single “Tallyman”, and the tenth track, an instrumental featuring Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Keith Moon, and future Beck group pianist Nicky Hopkins, “Beck’s Bolero”, had been edited and remixed for stereo from the earlier B-side to “Hi Ho Silver Lining”. Due to contractual conflicts, Moon had been credited on the original album as “You Know Who”. This album was Rod Stewart’s first-ever album-length lead vocal showcase as an artist, and is regarded, along with ‘Beck-Ola’ as a musical touchstone for hard rockers in the years that followed.

Truth is regarded as a seminal work of heavy metal because of its use of blues toward a hard rock approach.

On 10th October 2006, Legacy Recordings remastered and reissued the album for compact disc with eight bonus tracks. Included were two earlier takes of “You Shook Me” and “Blues Deluxe”, the latter without the overdubbed applause, and the six tracks making up the three singles by Beck. The B-side to the 1968 single “Love Is Blue”, “I’ve Been Drinking”, was another “Jeffrey Rod” special, this time reconfiguring the Johnny Mercer song “Drinking Again”

  • Jeff Beck – electric guitars, acoustic guitar on “Greensleeves”; pedal steel guitar on “Shapes of Things”; bass guitar on “Ol’ Man River”; lead vocals on “Tallyman” and “Hi Ho Silver Lining”,backing vocals on “Let Me Love You”
  • Rod Stewart – lead vocals,
  • Ronnie Wood – bass guitar
  • Micky Waller – drums
  • John Paul Jones – bass guitar on “Hi Ho Silver Lining” and “Beck’s Bolero”; Hammond organ on “Ol’ Man River” and “You Shook Me”; arrangements on “Hi Ho Silver Lining”
  • Nicky Hopkins – piano on “Morning Dew”, “You Shook Me”, “Beck’s Bolero” and “Blues Deluxe”

The JAYHAWKS – ” Backwards Women “

Posted: June 27, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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On July 13th, Legacy Recordings, will release Back Roads and Abandoned Motels, the new record from The Jayhawks. This is their 10th studio album from the group, and it focuses on songs that bandleader Gary Louris previously wrote with other artists (along with two new Louris compositions). Recorded in two soulful sessions in 2017, Back Roads and Abandoned Motels finds the current incarnation of The Jayhawks–Louris (vocals, acoustic and electric guitars), Marc Perlman (bass), Tim O’Reagan (vocals, drums, percussion), Karen Grotberg (vocals, piano, keyboards), John Jackson (mandolin, violin, acoustic guitar)–expanding the group’s repertoire with 11 new performances of Gary’s songs.  Karen and Tim each sing lead on two songs on the album. Tim performs “Gonna Be a Darkness” and “Long Time Ago” while Karen takes lead vocals (for the first time on a Jayhawks album) on the opener, “Come Cryin’ to Me featuring a soulful horn section.

For more than three decades, The Jayhawks’ deeply melodic, harmony-rich blend of rock, folk and country have earned them consistent praise from fans and critics alike. Back Roads and Abandoned Motels expands the group’s repertoire with brand-new recordings of songs that frontman Gary Louris has co-written with other acts.

The tracks include “Come Cryin’ to Me” (originally released on Natalie Maines’ Mother); “Everybody Knows” and “Bitter End” (released on Dixie Chicks’ Taking The Long Way); “Gonna Be a Darkness” (recorded with Jakob Dylan for True Blood: Music From The HBO Original Series – Volume 3); “Need You Tonight” (originally released on Scott Thomas’ Matson Tweed); “El Dorado” (originally released on Carrie Rodriguez’ She Ain’t Me); “Bird Never Flies” (originally released on Ari Hest’s The Break-In); and “Long Time Ago” (written with Emerson Hart of Tonic).

Have a listen to latest track “Backwards Women,” which was written with The Wild Feathers but never released on one of that group’s albums. Louris says, “I love the swagger to this song. I met The Wild Feathers out in LA and we banged out two songs in an afternoon, one of which was American which ended up on their eponymous debut of 2013. I always loved the other song Backwards Women which ended up on our new record. The verses are a sort of Faces/Stones 70’s thing and it is fun as hell to sing. I hope the boys like it.”

The Band

  • Gary Louris – vocals, guitar
  • Marc Perlman – bass
  • Tim O’Reagan – vocals, drums
  • Karen Grotberg – vocals, keys
  • John Jackson – mandolin, violin, guitar
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