New Releases This Week: Neil Diamond, The Bravery, Bob Seger
Written by: Matt Wardlaw
Now that we're past Thanksgiving, it's now officially time to think about Christmas shopping and the large amounts of holiday stress that come free with every order. Since it's the holidays and all, this also means that the record label folks are starting to take lots of time off, which leaves the schedule of releases a bit thin. This week does have new release fun and frolic from folks like The Bravery, R. Kelly and retrospective fun from Biz Markie and Enya, sold separately of course. Neil Diamond celebrates the 30th anniversary of The Jazz Singer, and if you like Vladimir Horowitz, this is really your week.
While the brevity of the list below might leave you sad, a glance at release dates from previous weeks might make you smile. And we're constantly finding stuff that we didn't even realize that it came out this year - like this Lloyd Cole rarities box set that we read about via our friends at Slicing Up Eyeballs!
Apparently when that one came out in March, we were too busy drinking green beer, or something. Anyway, here's this week's selection of new releases.
Dig in!
The Bravery - Stir The Blood - also available on vinyl
Neil Diamond - The Jazz Singer - 30th Anniversary Edition (DVD)
Eagles - Box Set - All of their original releases from their self-titled debut to Eagles Live, remastered. If you missed your shot at the limited edition box set of these titles a few years ago, apparently Rhino is giving you a second shot at owning the box.
Enya - The Very Best of Enya - For those days that you really need to hear "Orinoco Flow," this new collection has you covered.
Bryan Ferry - Best of Bryan Ferry
Vladimir Horowitz - The Complete Original Jacket Collection (70 CDs, lots of unreleased material) - How much do you love Dad? No really - how much? Enough to buy him a 70 CD set for his holiday gift?
R. Kelly - Untitled - These days, every time that I think of R. Kelly, I think of the hilarious Dave Chappelle skits.
Biz Markie - Diabolical! The Biz's Greatest Hits - You, you got what I neeeeeed.....
Mystery Science Theater 3000 - XVI (4 DVD boxed set)
Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter (The Criterion Collection) (Blu-ray)
Bob Seger - Early Seger Vol. 1 - 10 tracks including 5 from albums that are out of print, and 5 previously unreleased tracks. Available exclusively online via Seger's website. Seger fans in Michigan can pick up the album at Meijer grocery store locations.
Saturday Night Live - 1979-1980: The Complete Fifth Season (7 disc set) - Musical guests include Blondie, Bob Dylan, Chicago, David Bowie, Randy Newman, The B-52's, and The Grateful Dead.
Spiritualized - Ladies & Gentleman We Are Floating In Space (Super Deluxe Edition) - Newly expanded edition adds two discs of bonus tracks
Yes - Keys to Acension (DVD) - Reissue includes Philly 1979 concert, creating a unique bargain for Yes fans that combines two of their worst ever DVD releases into one exciting package!
Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs go “Under The Covers” again on July 21st
Written by: Matt Wardlaw
I nearly jumped through the computer screen this afternoon when I saw a Twitter update from PauseandPlay.Com mentioning a July release date for a new album from Matthew Sweet and Bangles member Susanna Hoffs. Sweet and Hoffs will drop Under The Covers Vol. 2 on July 21st via the fine folks at Shout! Factory.
Under the alias of "Sid & Susie," the duo delivered Under The Covers Vol. 1 (purchase) in 2006, a delightful collection that collected 14 of their mutual favorites from the 60's, and wouldn't you know it, they couldn't resist tiptoeing into the 70's just a tad for an album-closing version of "Run To Me" by the Bee Gees. Under The Covers Vol.1 was a musical education of sorts for me, putting bands like Love, Fairport Convention, and The Left Banke on my radar. It was sincerely, one of my favorite releases of 2006.
One of my favorite tracks on Under The Covers Vol. 1 was a chestnut from The Zombies, "Care of Cell #44," featuring lead vocals by Hoffs.
Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs - Care of Cell #44
From the liner notes for Under The Covers Vol. 1:
Classic mid-60's super pop Zombies! We are both huge fans of the singer Colin Blumstone (here Susie evokes Petula Clark.) And what a fantastic lyric about Susie's lover getting out of prison!
Under The Covers Vol. 2 picks up where "Run To Me" left off, and jumps headfirst into the 70's, with the added bonus of a few special guests this time around! Lindsey Buckingham, Dhani Harrison, and Steve Howe all drop in to help "Sid" & "Susie" make this volume of Under The Covers a little bit more special.
Like the first volume, I'm impressed with the diversity in the track listing. I can't wait to read the stories behind each song on this new album, and I'll be interested to hear who takes the lead vocal on some of these tracks. Already, I can picture that "Second Hand News" is going to be great!
Here are the full details via the press release!
P.S. - I'm hoping for a Sid & Susie tour date in Cleveland this time around!
MATTHEW SWEET AND SUSANNA HOFFS
COZY UP TO THEIR FAVORITE SONGS OF THE 70’S WITH UNDER THE COVERS VOL. 2
Featuring Special Guests Lindsey Buckingham,
Dhani Harrison and Steve Howe
In Stores July 21
Los Angeles, CA – Power-pop sensation Matthew Sweet and Bangles vocalist Susanna Hoffs, otherwise known as “Sid & Susie,” will unveil their newest project July 21 on Shout! Factory, titled Under The Covers Vol. 2. This delightful collection features 16 of the duo’s favorite tunes from the 1970’s, and is the much anticipated follow up to the highly-praised 60’s compilation Under The Covers Vol. 1, released in 2006.
Produced and recorded by Sweet and Hoffs in Sweet’s Lolina Green Studios in Los Angeles, Sweet and Hoffs treat the songs with reverence, showing their appreciation for this captivating decade of music. Under The Covers Vol. 2 features the pair’s perfectly harmonized voices on favorites from the genres of power-pop, glam, classic rock and even prog-rock. The pair get a little help from Lindsey Buckingham on their cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Second Hand News,” Dhani Harrison played on George Harrison’s “Beware of Darkness,” and Steve Howe guests on their version of the Yes song “I’ve Seen All Good People: Your Move/All Good People.”
The tracks on Under The Covers Vol. 2 cover a diverse range of music, including huge hits such as Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain,” Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May,” and Mott The Hoople’s “All The Young Dudes,” as well as lesser known cult favorites, including Big Star’s “Back Of A Car” and Todd Rundgren’s “Couldn’t I Just Tell You” (one of two Todd Rundgren songs included on the disc). Other treasured songs given the Sid & Susie treatment include John Lennon’s “Gimme Some Truth,” Derek & The Dominoes’ “Bell Bottom Blues,” The Grateful Dead’s “Sugar Magnolia,” The Raspberries “Go All The Way,” Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers’ “Here Comes My Girl,” Little Feat’s “Willin’,” Todd Rundgren’s “Hello It’s Me,” and Bread’s “Everything I Own.”
Matthew and Susanna have long performed at each other’s shows, and collaborated with comedian Mike Myers as members of Austin Powers’ on-screen band Ming Tea in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and Austin Powers in Goldmember before collaborating on Under The Covers Vol. 1. Matthew and Susanna will have a number of tour dates to support the release in addition to separate shows by both Matthew Sweet and the Bangles.
Track Listing:
1. Sugar Magnolia (The Grateful Dead)
2. Go All The Way (The Raspberries)
3. Second Hand News (Fleetwood Mac)
4. Bell Bottom Blues (Derek & The Dominoes)
5. All The Young Dudes (Mott The Hoople)
6. You’re So Vain (Carly Simon)
7. Here Comes My Girl (Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers)
8. I’ve Seen All Good People: Your Move/All Good People (Yes)
9. Hello It’s Me (Todd Rundgren)
10. Willin’ (Little Feat)
11. Back Of A Car (Big Star)
12. Couldn’t I Just Tell You (Todd Rundgren)
13. Gimme Some Truth (John Lennon)
14. Everything I Own (Bread)
15. Maggie May (Rod Stewart)
16. Beware Of Darkness (George Harrison)
Yes-men Howe, Squire, and White officially launch “In The Present” tour
Written by: Matt Wardlaw
Steve Howe, Chris Squire, and Alan White officially launched their 2008 "In The Present" tour this past week with vocalist Benoit David filling in for Yes vocalist Jon Anderson, and keyboard player Oliver Wakeman filling the slot previously occupied by his dad, some guy you probably know named Rick Wakeman.
What is Steve Howe looking at?
The "In The Present" tour certainly gave Yes fans plenty to debate and discuss before the shows even began - the decision to call the band "Yes," for example.
There were plenty of questions, and wondering about what songs might/might not be in the setlist. Would the band play Drama material?
The setlist spoilers are below, so if you're looking to maintain the mystery, now would be the appropriate time to navigate your browser to a different part of the Addicted to Vinyl website!
First, here's some additional stuff that you might enjoy:
An interview with Roger Dean including sketches for the In The Present tour stage designs.
A fresh interview with Chris Squire posted @ chrissquire.net.
A press review of the opening night in Hamilton, Ontario that was posted on YesWorld.com.
A "fan" review of the same show.
Some more info related to merch, etc.
And how about some video?
And You And I
Onward
Here is the setlist with running times from Friday night's show in Hampton, New Hampshire:
~~ DISC 1 ~~ (52:11)
Firebird Suite (2:52)
Siberian Khatru (10:00)
Your Move / All Good People (7:29)
Heart Of The Sunrise (12:34)
Tempus Fugit (6:15)
Onward (5:29)
Astral Traveler (7:32)
~~ DISC 2 ~~ (52:45)
Close To The Edge (20:45)
(intermission)
Parallels (6:47)
And You And I (12:10)
Mood For A Day (aborted) / Clap (5:38)
Long Distance Runaround/The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus) (7:25)
~~ DISC 3 ~~ (53:42)
Aliens (Are Only Us From The Future) (6:02) (new song sung by Chris Squire)
Machine Messiah (10:55)
Soon (7:25)
Starship Trooper (13:40)
Owner Of A Lonely Heart (6:12)
Roundabout (9:28)
You can download this show on Dimeadozen (free registration required.)
YES, there is music from the Drama album....and "Onward" from Tormato.....and ALL of "Close To The Edge!"
Some nice setlist surprises, and with three hours of Yes music, it looks like you're certainly getting your money's worth as a Yes fan, as long as you can deal with the absence of Jon Anderson.
I'll judge that for myself in a few weeks, when I see the band here at House of Blues in Cleveland.
Until then, I'll enjoy watching the tour discussion amongst Yes fans - never a dull moment!!
Relevant Links:
YesWorld.com
Random thoughts on Bruce, The Rock Hall, Yes, and a buncha other stuff
Written by: Matt Wardlaw
Hey kids, Happy Tuesday to ya. We're almost at hump day - Burgo is actually already there, and he tells me that it is great.
Let's talk about sex...
I realized courtesy of a comment from Allison and Twitter updates that the regular female readership of this blog is taking a big hit today, because the entire female pop is either watching the newly released Sex and the City DVD, or trying to make up their mind whether or not they should spring for the special Best Buy exclusive "steel book" edition of the DVD.
And here I was thinking that the "steel case" BB exclusive for Live Free or Die Hard was special. Apparently in a Best Buy marketing meeting somewhere, someone said "remember that steel case edition we did for Die Hard? That would be PERFECT for Sex and the City!"
On the singles charts:
Mel clued me in that this week is apparently National Singles Week, brought to you by the fine folks at Unmarried America (I swear, you can't make this stuff up.)
Mel shared the following link:
Being single has its ups and downs, but today, in the spirit of kicking off our coverage of National Singles Week, I thought it would fun to embrace our single-hood! Sometimes you don't miss something until it's gone so make sure you don't forget these five great things about being single.
The 5 great things about being single linked above are mostly girl-oriented, so here's a brief thought from one guy's perspective: After being in a longterm relationship for a long time, the single life isn't so bad, although it's very possible that your mom might keep you on constant suicide watch, because there's apparently no way that you can possibly be single and be happy!! 
Sure, that happy lovey-dovey relationship can be tons of fun, but if you're lacking that right now, enjoy all the good that IS around you. Anything else that is going to come along, will come along in good time.
Extra bonus - in the single life, the movie choice is always yours on movie night when you're home. No competition, and Molly Ringwald film festivals can be spontaneously scheduled for any weekend (the same goes for Andie Macdowell fest, Meg Ryan fest, etc.)
The Boss celebrates a b-day:
Happy birthday to my number one musical love, Bruce Springsteen. Hopefully while blowing out the candles today, he was wishing for a show at Yankee Stadium, because I've been wishing on that one for a while now! Grab some live Bruce tunage right here.
Rock Hall Induction Nominees for 2009:
Metallica are among the nominees, and it looks like their huge comeback year will probably culminate with a Rock Hall induction nod in 2009.
Are you looking for Rush or Yes on that list? Keep looking...
Thanks to Jeremy for the above image!
My buddy Brian @ Broken Headphones has the full list of inductees for anyone that might not have seen it yet.
The Lost Turntable is one of many sites with a rundown of several of the many groups that have been passed over repeatedly in the induction process.
On a positive note, the induction ceremonies are here in Cleveland in 2009. 'bout time!
Yes, they're calling it Yes:
So much for thinking that maybe, MAYBE, they wouldn't call the band Yes. I got the press release last night for the Cleveland date that has just been announced for Yes at the House of Blues.
Yes
featuring Steve Howe, Chris Squire and Alan White, plus introducing Oliver Wakeman and Benoit David
Tuesday, November 25 * doors 7:30 PM
Tickets: $49.50 in advance
Ages: All
On sale Friday, September 26 @ 10 AM
Albums like Fragile, Close to the Edge Tales from Topographic Oceans and 90125 and singles such as “Roundabout,” “Owner of a Lonely Heart” and “I’ve Seen All Good People” are just some of the enduring classics that have made YES one of the most influential and groundbreaking groups in rock & roll. Now, the classic YES line-up of guitarist Steve Howe, bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White will launch the "In The Present" tour starting November 4th in Hamilton, Ontario, marking yet another chapter in the art-rockers’ amazing, 40-year career of legendary live performances. The three will be joined by keyboardist Oliver Wakeman, the son of YES’ Rick Wakeman, and vocalist Benoit David, a Montreal, Quebec, native and vocalist in several YES tribute groups, who was discovered by the band on the Internet, to perform the group’s classic repertoire in live spectacular.
I have no doubt that this will be a good show, I just wish they weren't using the Yes name. Although I understand the reasoning - if they don't call this project Yes, attendance will be dismal, just look at the failure and subsequent cancellation of the More Drama tour several years back.
Jon Anderson issued the following statement via his official website:
"Not Yes"
September 18, 2008
Disappointed, and very Disrespected
Disappointed that, with the exception of one phone call from Alan, none of the guys have been in touch since my illness, just to find out how I am doing, and how we will foresee the future for YES. And disappointed that they were not willing to wait till 2009 when I’m fully recovered.
And I feel very disrespected, having spent most of this year creating songs and constant ideas for the band, spending time with Roger Dean creating a stage design, also working with VH1 and Sirius and XM Radio to help promote the welfare of YES.
Getting sick was not "on my radar”, and I thank my own angel Janeee and my family for helping me through this difficult time, and the many well wishers, friends and fans alike, for understanding that ''things happen''.
Of course I wish the guys all the best in their 'solo' work, but I just wish this could have been done in a more gentlemanly fashion. After all YES is a precious musical band.
This is not YES on tour...
I send best wishes to one and all,
Jon Anderson
September 2008
Could fans get the best of both worlds? Discussion on The Velvet Rope says it's very possible:
one comment:
Never underestimate just how pissed the "Little Napoleon" (Jon) may be, as their are enough YES alumni about to reform as did "Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe" in the 80's. Chris Squire owns the YES name and trademark, so any version of Yes without Chris, cannot be called YES.
I would be much more interested to see these versions of YES, or some permutation thereof.
Jon Anderson- original vocalist
Bill Bruford- original drummer
Tony Kaye- original keyboardist
Peter Banks- original guitarist
Trevor Rabin- guitar/vocals
Rick Wakeman- keyboards
Patrick Moraz- keyboards
Geoff Downes- keyboards/vocals
not to mention YES sidemen-
Billy Sherwood- bass, guitars, vocals
Igor Korshev- keyboards
Tom Brislin- keyboards
Jimmy Haun- guitars
Tony Levin- bass (ABWH)
Jeff Berlin- (ABWH)
I'll go see the Anderson-less Yes in the more intimate surroundings of House of Blues here in Cleveland, and I would DEFINITELY go see Anderson and any group of players that he might assemble, ESPECIALLY if Trevor Rabin was in the mix!
Pollstar has the following dates listed for Yes
Be good, ya'll!
View CommentsGood Listening: Yes – Richfield Coliseum – 9/19/78 – 30 Years Ago Today
Written by: Matt Wardlaw
In 1997, I learned officially exactly what it was that people loved about "classic Yes." After growing up as a fan of 90125-era Yes, I had free tickets to see "classic Yes" at Music Hall.
It was a show that despite my relative unfamiliarity with their 70s back catalog, I couldn't pass up.
Post-show, Yes had made me a believer. I finally got it, and realized what I had been missing all of those years, thanks to a little song called "Heart of the Sunrise." For a bunch of geezers playing classic rock, they sure could play.
A short time later, the radio station switchboard patched an important call through to me from a gentleman here in Cleveland named Bill M. (Bill of course has a last name, but I won't share that here in this particular story.) Bill was a Yes fan, looking for a copy of a Yes concert that the radio station had broadcast live from Richfield Coliseum in 1978. I had a good grip on what was in the archives at that point, and knew we didn't have it. Beyond that, I wasn't even aware of the broadcast's existence.
I officially had a new quest, and something new to find.
Doing some quick research on the internet, I was excited to discover that there was a bootleg of the show, called Madrigal Mystery Tour. I was disappointed when I got it, to find that the sound was average, as one would expect for a show recording from the time period. The source recording was obviously several generations removed from the original recording of the broadcast. But the show was amazing, and it had an epic version of "Heart of the Sunrise." I got in touch with Bill, we had lunch, and I gave him a copy of the bootleg - he was thrilled, and my quest went on.
After putting the word out to tapers that I was looking for someone that might have taped the show, I got several replies, all of which ended up being copies of the same bootleg that I already had. As the years passed, I would occasionally come across a copy of the show that had promise, but ultimately wound up at the same dead end, same bootleg.
Until last year when a recording surfaced online that had a description that sounded so good, that it HAD to be good. When I heard the opening moments, I had at last received a copy of a show in the quality that I had wanted to hear for so long.
From the show notes that accompanied the posting:
Yes Live In Cleveland Ohio. Live At The Richfield Coliseum. Also Known As The Slab. September 19th. 1978.Tuesday @ 8:00 P.M.
Live From WMMS from Cleveland Ohio. Home Of The Buzzard, The Browns, The Burning River. What Can I Say About My Home Town?
Cleveland, City Of Lights, City Of Magic, Burn On Big River, Burn On! Thanks to Sartre, Newman And The Universe.
Recorded thru a Kenwood model Eleven III. receiver onto an Akai GX-630D reel to reel using Scotch 207-7R-1800 tape,A 3M company using low noise bias setting.
This recording has not seen the light of day for 28 years, 7 months and 21 days.
The above tape sounds just as good as the many reel-to-reel masters I've heard from other groups/shows in the same time period. Like some of the REALLY special legendary Cleveland concert broadcasts over the years, this is a broadcast that really puts you in the seats of the Coliseum on that September night in 1978.
Some people have a ticket stub to remember a classic show, and then there are others that stayed home from the show to capture something even better than good stories and the ticket stubs attached to them.
This one comes from one of those nights, courtesy of a Yes fan and his tape recorder that was paying special attention to that night's broadcast.
Here it is, 30 years later for your enjoyment...
P.S. - Bill and I fell out of touch in recent years, and it is my hope that one of these days, I'll be able to track him down to catch up on life, and share this long awaited discovery with him. So if you're reading this, drop me a line!
Yes
Richfield Coliseum
Richfield, OH
9/19/78
broadcast on WMMS
Download FLAC files of this show @ Dimeadozen
or MP3 files below (free membership required at Dimeadozen.)
Disc One:
complete zipped download
Close Encounters/Siberian Khatru
Heart Of The Sunrise
Future Times-Rejoice
Circus of Heaven
Time and a Medley
Don't Kill The Whale
Madrigal/The Clap
Disc Two:
Starship Trooper
On The Silent Wings Of Freedom
The Six Wives Of Henry The 8th.
Awaken
I've Seen All Good People
Roundabout
Steve Howe, guitars
Alan White, drums
Rick Wakeman, keyboards
Chris Squire, basses
Jon Anderson, vocals, harp, other noises
Thanks to eggplant2 for the incredible source!
View CommentsSarah McLachlan, Broken Headphones, and some other stuff
Written by: Matt Wardlaw
I've been grooving to "U Want Me 2," one of two new tracks on Closer: The Best of Sarah McLachlan (pre-order regular or deluxe edition,) McLachlan's first greatest hits collection, set for release on October 7th.
It's been a long time since McLachlan's last proper studio album Afterglow in 2003, and long enough that hearing "U Want Me 2" was an instant reminder on why I was first smitten with McLachlan's music when I heard the Solace album in 1992.
McLachlan revealed this week that both of the new tracks on Closer, deal with the breakup of her 11 year marriage to her husband and drummer Ashwin Sood.
What a bummer - They were one of the last couples that I would expect to call it quits.
New drummer for Sarah's band? Could be Matt Chamberlain (Pearl Jam, Edie Brickell, Tori Amos,) who plays on the two new tracks.
I'm hoping to catch Sarah live promoting the hits collection - I haven't seen her since the Surfacing tour in the late 90s at Music Hall - it's been awhile!
Broken Headphones? Hand me those pliers....
I'd like to introduce you to a new member of the Addicted to Vinyl rock and roll blog alliance - Broken Headphones.
Site description sez that Broken Headphones is:
A blogging website dedicated to music, entertainment, personal experiences, and anything else I stumble upon during my crazy life.
Broken Headphones is the new blog from my buddy Brian. Ya'll will know Brian as the pilot of the vehicle that delivered me safely to and from Virgin Mobile Festival for the past two years. Let's go a bit further back to where it started: In 2006, I was planning a move to the east side, and also had a desire to revisit my old days of record store employment by working at a record store one day a week on the weekend. My comrade Chris told me about this guy that was managing a record store on the east side, who was a big fan of our radio show.
Enter Brian.
My record store flashback lasted approximately four months before ownership fired the entire store on the day after Christmas (Merry Christmas!,) but it was long enough for me to realize that Brian was a cool dude that shared my belief that Ben Folds, The Ramones, and Social Distortion (among other things) were an essential part of living.
That Christmas, he also gave me a bitchin' piece of Iron Maiden wall art. Who knew that you could buy Iron Maiden wall art at Bed, Bath, and Beyond? I'm totally serious here.
Shortly after I started this Addicted to Vinyl thang in February, I started telling Brian during our regular rock and roll phone conversations that he needed to transition from blogging for others, to having his own blog like mine. And now, here we are looking at Broken Headphones.
Check it out, add it to your RSS Reader, harass him with comments. You know what to do!
Experience Hendrix
I've been meaning to blog about this for a while now - Experience Hendrix is the all-star tribute to Jimi Hendrix (duh!) that has been touring the wrong side of the United States for the past few years featuring a wide variety of all-star musicians playing Hendrix classics and celebrating Jimi's legacy. A DVD was released earlier this year, and a new set of tour dates have been rolled out for this fall.
My roadtripometer says that Detroit looks likely as a destination for me to catch the show, since *ahem* there is no Cleveland show.
So who's on stage for the 2008 run? Check this out:
Featured artists who will be performing music written by and associated with Jimi Hendrix include blues giant Buddy Guy, contemporary guitar greats Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Eric Johnson, Cesar Rojas and David Hidalgo of Los Lobos as well as Aerosmith’s Brad Whitford.
Hubert Sumlin, the Mississippi-born guitarist who worked with both Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters as well as the Memphis-based Eric Gales, Mato Nanji of Native American roots band Indigenous are also part of the tour as is Chris Layton, the legendary Double Trouble drummer who rose to fame backing Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Most remarkably, Mitch Mitchell (drums) and Billy Cox (bass), the same Jimi Hendrix Experience rhythm section that played behind Hendrix at such landmark rock festivals as Woodstock and the Isle of Wight will return again to celebrate the guitarist’s enduring legacy.
The participation of Eric Gales, who rose to prominence with Eric Gales Band in the early 90s, is what got my attention initially when they put the original Experience Hendrix tour together. It's been 15 years since I saw Gales as a teenager at The Draft House (later, The Odeon) supporting the second Eric Gales Band album Picture of a Thousand Faces.
I'm definitely looking forward to seeing Eric Gales, but that's not even the best part: The lineup card for Experience Hendrix 2008 reads like a who's who of my personal favorites...Eric Johnson, Kenny Wayne Shepherd...Brad frikkin Whitford from Aerosmith?
Sign me up.
More Yes.
Interesting, so here is the official press release on the Yes tour. But are they going to bill this as a Yes tour, or as Howe/Squire/White?
STEVE HOWE, CHRIS SQUIRE AND ALAN WHITE OF GROUNDBREAKING ROCK GROUP YES UNITE FOR “IN THE PRESENT” U.S. TOUR
Members will be joined by Oliver Wakeman on keyboards and vocalist Benoit David to perform the group’s classic repertoire in live spectacular
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 11, 2008—Albums like Fragile, Close to the Edge Tales from Topographic Oceans and 90125 and singles such as “Roundabout,” “Owner of a Lonely Heart” and “I’ve Seen All Good People” are just some of the enduring classics that have made YES one of the most influential and groundbreaking groups in rock & roll. Now, the classic YES line-up of guitarist Steve Howe, bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White will launch the "In The Present" tour starting November 4th in Hamilton, Ontario, marking yet another chapter in the art-rockers’ amazing, 40-year career of legendary live performances. The three will be joined by keyboardist Oliver Wakeman, the son of YES’ Rick Wakeman, and vocalist Benoit David, a Montreal, Quebec, native and vocalist in several YES tribute groups, who was discovered by the band on the Internet.
With a remarkable 40-year career that has time and again redefined the boundaries of rock, YES was formed in 1968 by Chris Squire and Jon Anderson, who shared a mutual interest in vocal harmonies and classical music. With drummer Bill Bruford, guitarist Peter Banks and keyboardist Tony Kaye, they became YES, earning a residency at the famed London venue The Marquee Club, where they played with the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd, releasing their self-titled debut album in July 1969.
Guitarist Steve Howe, who went on to play in the popular prog-rock groups Asia and GTR and continues releasing acclaimed solo albums and touring, brought an experimental cutting edge to YES for their 1970’s The Yes Album, their first number one album in the UK. Drummer Alan White, who had been hand-picked to play on John Lennon’s Imagine and George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass, came aboard in 1972. YES then went on to conquer America and played at some of the largest paid attendance concerts of all time including JFK Stadium in Philadelphia in 1976 to a crowd of over 130,000 people.
YES postponed plans for a 40th anniversary Close to the Edge and Back tour in June, when vocalist Jon Anderson suffered a severe asthma attack and was diagnosed with acute respiratory failure. Commented Squire: "This isn't an attempt to replace Jon Anderson, because as we all know, that would be impossible. With Benoit, we are bringing in a talented singer so that we can go out and honor the music of YES for the fans who have waited for the past four years to see us perform."
A dominant force in rock music for more than four decades, YES has created some of rock’s most enduring and compelling hits, selling more than 30 million albums worldwide. The group has defined music history with their dynamic instrumental contrasts and abstract lyrics. Their symphonic use of sound and innovative musical styles continues to make them the most successful progressive rock band in history and their amazing career continues to defy many of their rock counterparts.
Visit YesWorld
That's what I've got for now, kids.
Thanks for reading!
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View CommentsCloser to the edge everyday, or so it seems….
Written by: Matt Wardlaw
I'm going to cover a few things in this post, so strap yourself in. You might call this an extended version of "Quick Hits" that might be called "Not So Quick Hits."
Anyway,
So check this out - right after I blogged about the Yes Talk album popping up on my Ipod, I find news that Yes is planning a fall tour WITHOUT Jon Anderson.
Anderson's alleged replacement - a relative unknown from a Canadian Yes tribute band.
Lots of dirt and speculation can be found here.
I was initially aghast when I read this, and extremely disappointed. I read a comment on Yesfans.com that basically said that without Anderson or Trevor Rabin behind the mic, he (the fan) wouldn't be supporting this version of Yes.
I definitely felt the same way until I saw the video below of Benoit David, the proposed replacement singer, singing with Close To The Edge. At the very least, those who attend these Yes shows if they happen, will see a good show - he's got the pipes. I hadn't thought of Rabin, but certainly if Anderson isn't available, I would support and prefer a Rabin version of Yes.
The closest thing to official word from the Yes camp so far, is this message posted at Yesfans.com five days ago by Yes bass player Chris Squire:
We've just returned to the States after an extended stay in the UK where I've been working on various projects, one of them being a collaboration with Steve Hackett, who some of you will remember was the original Genesis guitar player.
In the near future, I look forward to everyone knowing Yes' upcoming plans.
Watch this space!
All the best to everyone.
Love,
Chris
Squire and his wife Scotty wrote previously about Close To The Edge in a Myspace posting in May:
We are completely impressed by this great Canadian Yes tribute band called "Close to the Edge." What amazing musicians.
Chris was watching and saying, "Wow, the bass player (Richard) is even doing my moves."
I think it's ridiculous to think about seeing Yes without Jon Anderson. Yes, I know that it's been done before with Drama-era Yes.
Chris Akin asks me how this is different from Journey or any other band touring with a replacement singer?
I'm not sure, but this one hits me the wrong way, for some reason.
9/11/08 UPDATE - added Rolling Stone and Pollstar links:
Here are new stories with confirmation and quotes from Yes member Chris Squire: Rolling Stone, and Pollstar.
Speaking of Yes
You'll recall that I love a good segue, and especially one that is unexpected. About two weeks ago, I was listening to my Ipod on shuffle, and the 90125 track "Hearts" by Yes was on while I was doing some work at the office. Time passed, and I realized that "Hearts" had shifted seamlessly into "Hide and Seek" by Howard Jones, which I realized as Jones' vocals began.
Brilliant!
I backed it up, and I had to hear it again. And then, I had to share it with you guys here. Check it out - it is especially cool if you love both tracks like I do.
Yes - Hearts / Howard Jones - Hide and Seek
About that Ipod
Today was obviously announcement time for Steve Jobs, who unveiled the latest round of new releases and upgrades from Apple. Among the announcements - Things have been patched up with NBC, which means that the network's television programs will once again be available on Itunes. Various changes for the entire line of Ipods including a new 120 GB Ipod which will be priced the same as the 80 GB Ipod, both priced at $249, while the 160 GB Ipod has been discontinued. The newly available Itunes 8 includes a feature called Genius which sounds pretty cool - in a Pandora-like twist, it recommends stuff that you might like based on the artist/album currently being played. Genius also lets you know songs that you are missing from a particular artist.
Check out the complete rundown from Engadget here.
I'm interested to hear TDavid's opinion on this, and I'm sure that he'll share it soon via his website.
Here's my rant:
What's up with discontinuing the 160 GB Ipod? Cool move pricing both the 80 GB and 120 GB at the same price, but what about those of us that have comfortably packed the 80 GB, and can easily (and legally) fill the 160 GB with our music collection?
It took me a year of ripping the occasional CD from my collection, plus the ongoing addition of newly purchased music, to reach the point of filling my 80 GB Ipod. I haven't been able to budget the 160 GB Ipod yet, but it is a planned upgrade. 120 GB feels like I'm going only halfway up the staircase, knowing that there is a larger model out there.
Also, I was very stoked by Genius, so I upgraded to Itunes 8 immediately.
Here's my issue: I don't keep my Itunes library on my computer - once I transfer it to my Ipod, I delete it. I have a backup of my library on an external hard drive. Why is it that the really cool features like Genius and CoverFlow, don't work with the music that is on your Ipod? As someone that loves discovering new music, I would be all about Genius, but since I don't have my music in my Itunes library, I can't use it.
Liz Phair
I love Liz Phair. Live performance isn't one of her strong points, and while I've found plenty of soundboard Liz Phair stuff, I haven't come across any that were good, performance-wise. Gregor @ captains dead shares a boot of one of her recent performances of Exile in Guyville.
Attached to that post is a great pic of Liz, and also the following video from Idolator which I found very humorous. Phair fans, watch this now if you haven't seen it.
I'm still on board with Liz at a point when many others have gotten off the bus. I dig Somebody's Miracle and the self-titled album, and I dream that someday, I might hear the entire recorded sessions of the material that Michael Penn was producing, part of which wound up on Liz Phair. The stuff that Penn produced on that album was SO good in my opinion. Of course, as a Penn diehard, I could be biased.
I love the Somebody's Miracle Itunes bonus track "Can't Get Out Of What I'm In To," and looking at the description on Itunes, I now see that it dates back to her "earliest demo days," which makes a lot of sense - it's one of the best tracks Phair has recorded in years...so much better than a "bonus track."
Michael Penn, Counting Crows, etc.
Speaking of Penn, I can't believe I haven't posted this here, but apparently I haven't. I've been enjoying the Lullabyes blog recently, which appears to be a Texas-based music fan with good recording access. He records some pretty choice acts directly from the soundboard, and has posted quite a few cool live recordings for download. His most recent post, is a sampling of several Counting Crows live tracks from the band's performance this past weekend in Dallas.
Counting Crows fans will also dig his posting of the 2003 Shim-Sham performance - if you aren't familiar with Shim-Sham, go here to read up, and download.
Some of the other cool things at Lullabyes are a brief in-store set from Sara Bareilles, Phantom Planet, and my main man Michael Penn.
Like me, you'll spend hours listening to all of the cool stuff at Lullabyes, so check, check it out!
That's all for now. Read, listen, dig, and let me know what you're thinking about this stuff!
View CommentsOn the Ipod – Yes – State of Play
Written by: Matt Wardlaw
Sweet!
Any fans of the Yes album Talk here?
A reunion of 90125-era Yes, how could you not like it?
Lots of people didn't!
Yes - State of Play
View CommentsYes 40th anniversary tour canceled due to Anderson’s illness
Written by: Matt Wardlaw
Well dang - I was looking forward to a road trip to Michigan to catch the return of Yes after their recent "hiatus" from touring. It looks like that trip is going to have to wait, due to six months of doctor-ordered rest for lead singer Jon Anderson. Get well soon!
The classic rock band Yes has canceled its 40th anniversary tour following frontman Jon Anderson's severe asthma attack last month.
The 63-year-old singer, who's since been diagnosed with acute respiratory failure, was ordered by doctors last weekend to rest for at least six months "or suffer further health complications," it was announced Wednesday in a statement released by representatives for the band and Live Nation, which was presenting the tour.
Yes - Close to the Edge (live in 1977)
View CommentsYES! My personal heroes of peace and love confirm they are working on new material!
Written by: Matt Wardlaw
Yes - Hold On (live on the Union tour in 1991)
I can already hear the debate beginning among Yes fans, but me, I am STOKED to read the following story at Billboard.com!
Additionally, I am happy once again to hear Jon Anderson hint at possible collaboration with former Yes man Trevor Rabin.
I'm hoping to head to Michigan to catch the band this summer on their 40th anniversary tour.
View Comments