End Of The Year - Random Thoughts

The Majors:

Warner Music Group’s stock briefly dipped below $6.00 a share. Anyone else think Edgar Bronfman Jr. is completely incompetent? It must be nice to inherit billions of dollars and to be able to buy into the music business. Perhaps he would have been better at selling wine and spirits under the Seagram’s name. This is a guy that wanted the power and prestige of controlling a music empire, but had no vision or talent to do so. And his money has allowed him to attempt to do it twice!

Sony/BMG is a disaster. The once proud Columbia Records may merge with Sony/BMG label mate Epic. So much for Rick Rubin saving Columbia. The hallways are empty; there is no vibe or passion. There is no leadership. There is no longer a true A&R presence at Sony or anywhere else - artist development is gone.

The employees, the bands, and the consumers no longer believe in the major labels. I always laugh when I read that someone at a major label has been promoted to some pointless executive VP position. Do they or their label bosses really think the promotion means anything? Is it really enhancing or driving business? It is an empty maneuver within an old and outdated business model. The executives are playing an old game – just going through the motions. The new musical talent is no longer there, the record sales are gone, radio doesn’t mean shit anymore, and the money has dried up. They are living in fantasy land pretending the walls are not caving in.

The 360 degree deal? How about renaming it the “Up The Ass” deal? The labels are in dire financial straits and cannot move enough units of CDs to cover their inflated costs, which let’s face it, is largely bloated executive salaries. So, they decide to present the 360 deal to the artist which is basically an attempt to share ALL artist generated revenues i.e. touring revenues. That’s right, the labels want touring revenue. They can’t sell your record, therefore they can’t get paid, so they want a piece of your touring revenue. That is all the 360 deal is after sifting through all the wording and extensive contract language – a way for record labels to take a piece of the touring revenue. Any young artist that signs this deal is not only a complete and desperate idiot, but someone that deserves no compassion for enslaving themselves.

Anyone up for a subscription service as a way to obtain their music? The labels want this one big time because they hate the consumer owning music. They want the consumer to rent it. If the consumer owns it, they can trade it with friends, burn copies for their car, load it onto their mp3 players, load in onto their computer, etc. That is too much freedom and offers too much enjoyment. The consumer must have their listening freedom stripped away so the record label can control how the consumer listens to it. Isn’t that what Columbia’s Rick Rubin wants? For you the consumer to listen to rented music on some sort of Sony music player device for a monthly fee?

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Concert Promoters:

Who loves the price of concert tickets for major attractions? Isn’t it great shelling out hundreds of dollars for a ticket that gets you 1 – 2 hours of entertainment by a headlining act?

It has all been said before. The managers and agents overprice the talent; therefore the promoters overpay and pass it on the cost to the consumer. It is old news. That business is going to crash just like the current model in place with the major labels. Live Nation and AEG can claim revenues are up because ticket prices are up, but attendance is down and there is now a real concern that there is no next generation of $200 per ticket acts coming down the pipeline.

How about the supposed trip made by AEG’s Randy Phillips and Tim Leiweke to London to watch Led Zeppelin at the Ahmet Ertegun gig and to personally present them a touring offer? This is one of those times that you wish Peter Grant was still around so he could have thrown those two out of their own venue. They represent what is wrong with the concert experience. Going after Led Zeppelin not because they LOVE Led Zeppelin, but because they want to whore the band out on the road so they can screw the consumer with an excessively expensive concert experience. Although, you have to give Tim credit this time, at least this one seems like a sure thing compared to his $200 million dollar David Beckham experiment.

Going to a concert is way too corporate and oversized – many times even at the club level. The actual music has taken a backseat. One senses that it is only a matter of time before the promoter’s business implodes with layoffs, huge losses, finger pointing at StubHub and others, blaming labels for not developing bands, starting their own ill-fated labels, the selling off or closing of some venues, etc. But during that desperate time, there will still be meaningless executive promotions and the raising of ticket prices. And all the while, less and less consumers and fans will go to the shows.

Instead of cutting costs, ticket prices and bloated SALARIES, the individuals running these companies are too greedy to try to reinvent their business. It all comes down to money. Instead of trying to create steady revenue streams for years ahead, the executives see the end of the road and want to extract every last dollar from their bosses and the consumer, so they are flushing the business down the toilet in the name of greed.

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Led Zeppelin:

They just performed the most famous concert held in years. It doesn’t appear the band is going to tour in 2008. Maybe some isolated gigs, but not a full scale tour.

I was listening to the audio from their incredible 2003 “DVD” the other day and was completely blown away by the Earls Court material. The 1975 Earls Court shows are some of the most famous concerts the band ever performed and contained marathon sets filled with material from all eras of their illustrious career up to that point. The “DVD” only showcases 6 performances. Having heard the complete shows from underground sources, I was very familiar with the gigs. However, I rarely have time to watch music DVDs, so I decided to jam to the audio.

After hearing these 6 officially released performances in crystal clear sound with a fantastic mix by Kevin Shirley, I realized that I will have trouble listening to the underground versions from here on out. “Going To California” highlights the beautiful and majestic acoustic interplay between John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page while the band is absolutely dazzling with its highly skilled musicianship as it tears through “In My Time Of Dying” and “Trampled Underfoot.” Many fans consider the real gem of the “DVD” to be the 1970 Royal Albert Hall gig, but I have to say that I have become equally impressed with the 1975 Earls Court material.

Page needs to finally issue some sort of official Earl’s Court CD/DVD package. The professional mix and mastering of the “DVD” material brings these famous performances to life. It is a reminder of why they were such a legendary live band. They are firing on all cylinders during the Earls Court performances. As I played these tracks over and over, I started to crave a professional mix of the stunning versions of “No Quarter,” “The Song Remains The Same,” and “The Rain Song” from those gigs that remain in the vaults. Time for an official release.

One can dream, but most likely Page will ready an official DVD release of the 2007 O2 Arena gig. Even though the music world is buzzing about the O2 show, I’ll take a 1975 Earls Court package over it any day of the week.

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Oscar Peterson:

Oscar passed away this week. He was one of the greatest piano players of all time and a true Jazz legend. Any Jazz fan can list the loads of inspirational performances he accumulated throughout his illustrious career. His collaborations with other Jazz heroes such as Lester Young, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Bassie, Clark Terry, and Milt Jackson were incredible. Anyone not overly familiar with Oscar Peterson’s work should check out and spin one of his many stunning albums, “Night Train.”

The Elvis Presley Catalogue

Another year has passed with the music catalogue of one of the greatest talents and figures in contemporary music history in total and complete disarray. From the time Elvis became a major recording artist in the late-50’s, RCA flooded the market with excessive amounts of product. For a time, it made economic sense, but once the mid-60’s arrived, that old business philosophy was outdated and ultimately counterproductive on all levels.

Throughout the late-60’s and into the late-70’s up until Elvis’ death, he was contracted to release 2-3 albums of new material PER YEAR. It is clear that Elvis was badly mismanaged by Colonel Tom Parker during that era, but that sums it up if there was ever any doubt. What other mainstream superstar was contracted to release multiple albums of NEW material in one calendar year? That was an era when labels released one album at the most by many of the top performers per year and in many cases, a couple of years could pass between projects. Obviously Elvis’ studio work suffered from this unrealistic release schedule in addition to his inhibiting publishing arrangements.

Because of this insane contract he had with RCA, the market was flooded with loads of product consisting of haphazardly thrown-together studio albums of mediocre tracks, compilations, and live albums. Think about it; Elvis’ last huge hit “Burning Love” was released on an RCA budget album with reissued soundtrack material from the 60’s. That should have been the lead-off single on a rock album. A year later in 1973, Elvis hit number one on the album charts with his “Aloha From Hawaii” soundtrack album during the first quarter of the year. Instead of marketing and promoting it like other labels had done with big live albums, RCA rushed out a substandard studio album in the second quarter of the year leaving the live album that had so much sales potential to fade away with little fanfare. Talk about horrible A&R representation. Between Tom Parker and Joan Deary at RCA, Elvis’ recording career didn’t have a chance during the last decade of his life.

The madness never stopped. After Elvis’ passing (unless you believe he faked his death and is driving an 18 wheeler and living in a doublewide in Kalamazoo), RCA continued to roll out compilations and reissues endlessly. The market has been flooded with excessive product for over 30 years. There have been countless misguided reissue campaigns during the past 15 years that have been aborted and not completed.

Elvis’ catalogue is a mess. For the general consumer, it is a daunting and impossible task to find a proper starting place if they are interested in checking out Elvis’ music. What compilation should they start with? 2003’s “ELV1S 30 Number 1 Hits” was an attempt to create the one big hits album everyone had to have in their collection, and it sold nearly 10 million copies, but it was ultimately relegated behind newer compilations. BMG finally had a huge Elvis hit on their hands and they quickly moved on leaving the future sales potential behind once again.

There is a reason why The Eagles’ “Greatest Hits Vol. 1” is the biggest selling album in U.S. history (not only because the music is of high quality). There hasn’t been a flood of Eagles’ compilations issued annually for decades. One doesn’t come across Eagles titles like: “Eagles Love Songs,” “The Eagles Sing Country,” “The Eagles – An American Band,” “The Eagles Live In The 70’s,” “The Eagles – The Henley & Frey Songbook,” “The Eagles – A Taste Of America,” “The Eagles Sing All Kinds,” “The Essential Eagles,” etc. For years, the consumer had essentially two options if they wanted an Eagles compilation and ultimately “Greatest Hits Vol. 1” sold massive amounts. Clear the shelves of endless Presley compilations and focus on one or two, and the sales would be massive. It isn’t a complicated concept. “ELV1S 30 Number 1 Hits” could still be a huge selling album, but it is now just one of many choices of Elvis compilations.

Aside from endless compilations, there hasn’t been a focus to market and promote key albums from Elvis’ catalogue. As pointed out, there was always loads of product on the shelves, but Elvis still released some very high quality studio albums and live albums. BMG (now Sony/BMG) could have spent some time addressing this, but they never really did. In the late-90’s, some classic Presley titles were reissued with soft liner notes, remastering and bonus tracks (they weren’t really bonuses consisting of outtakes, but rather extra songs already available on many other releases) – but that reissue campaign was aborted. There is no reason why one of Elvis’ greatest studio achievements, “Elvis Is Back!,” should be out of print on the mainstream Sony/BMG catalogue. So what if it doesn’t sell huge units? There has to be a need for some sort of artistic integrity and desire to present the recording legacy of Elvis Presley in a historically accurate fashion.

Sony keeps a lot of Miles Davis’ albums in print, and more than a handful cannot be moving big units. Yes, there are plenty of Miles Davis compilations, but for consumers looking to explore his catalogue and body of work in a more extensive way once they graduate past compilations, they can locate a vast majority of his catalogue titles. In Elvis’ case, good luck finding anything.

There is an Elvis Presley collector’s label run out of Sony/BMG Denmark by longtime Elvis producer and archivist Ernst Jorgensen called Follow That Dream. A lot of Elvis’ catalogue albums are available in deluxe form from this collector’s label, but at a very high price. Why should one of music’s most influential and greatest artists have the gems from his catalogue available through fan club outlets and as Amazon imports at excessively high prices?

Now with the end of the CD era in sight and Sony/BMG facing some serious problems, it is hard to imagine the Elvis Presley catalogue will get the much needed attention it deserves. What would be the label’s incentive to try to organize Elvis’ catalogue and shape it with some artistic integrity? They have run his catalogue like used car salesmen and the result speaks for itself. Ultimately, Sony/BMG will focus on moving Elvis’ catalogue online and a lot of special performances will be ignored and forgotten while the hits will be recycled over and over with no direction or historic representation.

Anyone remotely interested in Elvis and not sure where to start, try to find any of these titles of interest before they are gone:

*Elvis At Sun
*Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley [deluxe edition] (Follow That Dream release)
Elvis
Loving You
*Elvis Is Back!
Elvis Is Back! [deluxe edition] (Follow That Dream release)
Something For Everybody
Tomorrow Is A Long Time
*Memories: The 68 Comeback Special
*Tiger Man
*From Elvis In Memphis
Suspicious Minds – The Memphis 1969 Anthology
*Elvis At The International (Follow That Dream release)
All Shook Up (Follow That Dream release)
*That’s The Way It Is [special edition]
One Night In Vegas (Follow That Dream release)
*Elvis Country
An Afternoon At The Garden
Burning Love
On Tour Rehearsals (Follow That Dream release)
Aloha From Hawaii
Raised On Rock [deluxe edition] (Follow That Dream release)
Today [deluxe edition] (Follow That Dream release)
The Jungle Room Sessions (Follow That Dream release)
Elvis At The Movies
Platinum [boxset]

*Essential Titles

A Look At The O2 Gig

I have also always been ambivalent about a possible Led Zeppelin reunion. Huge offers of 9 figure guarantees for a tour have been extended to the band for years. They have not taken the bait; which means a reunion tour would have to be more about money. A few attempts to become a working unit again have been derailed a couple of times since their break-up in 1980. One senses that Jimmy Page has wanted a full-scale reunion for years and that Jones would ultimately come aboard without much hesitation. Robert Plant has always been the odd man out. He is the guy that made it difficult for Page to release archival material for years because of his veto power in the band. Will he embrace this new found inspiration with Led Zeppelin and agree to additional shows?

Plant seems to be an artist that likes to be inspired and pushed into new areas of exploration. He ultimately embraced his past with Zeppelin and reconnected with Page in the mid-90's during the Unledded and Walking Into Clarksdale projects, but when it started to feel like the collaboration was turning into Led Zeppelin, he bailed. Can anyone familiar with the inner workings of the band and Plant as an artist confidently say that he would be content to take on a massive tour under the Led Zeppelin banner? Maybe a few isolated gigs or festivals, but a full-scale world tour? It would not end on a positive note.

The recordings are starting to circulate from the triumphant O2 gig. It is easy to understand how being in the audience would have been an amazing concert experience. LED ZEPPELIN was actually on stage playing a full ROCK set! The energy from within the arena must have been phenomenal and inspiring. That is why all the reports from those that attended are glowing. How often do real, authentic music events take place in 2007? The concert experience has been lacking substance in many cases for a long time. The anticipation of Led Zeppelin playing together built this show up to something greater than a typical rock concert.

But was it really THAT good? How many times have you been to a show and thought it was incredible? Then shortly after you were presented with a recording of the gig and realized that it sounded a LOT better when you were experiencing it live? I'm not saying the O2 gig was mediocre or even a failure, it was far from it. I can only base my opinion from audience tapes. Actually, the concert was better than I thought it would be. The set-list was very strong and some of the renditions such as “No Quarter” and Kashmir” were phenomenal. Still, a closer look at what is circulating at the moment shows a strong show, but not the earth-shattering event some are boasting of.

Plant was incredible - which isn't too much of a shock considering he has been singing extremely well during his Strange Sensation tours over the past few years. Jones being the highly gifted musician that he is was awesome as expected. Page on the other hand was forgettable. He didn't bomb, but any seasoned session guitarist could have pulled it off as well as he did. But was he really playing any better in 1977? He peaked in 1973. Jason Bonham was the sentimental and appropriate choice on drums. He held it together, but he didn't add any magic to the music either. He almost sounded tentative and pedestrian at times.

So, this show kicked ass from all accounts. But would it on a nightly basis? Just ask Clapton. He regretted playing the Madison Sqaure Garden shows with Cream after the Royal Albert Hall reunion gigs. Zeppelin should release a DVD of this concert and walk off into the sunset with their heads held up high. The only thing that has really tarnished their legacy since breaking up in 1980 is the flood of hits compilations/boxsets released during the past 17 years. Somehow, one has to assume that a mammoth tour won't add any credibility to the cause. If they go out next year, the shows will become less and less of a revelation as the tour unfolds.

Still, most fans that can get their hands on a ticket will pay the $250+ admission fee to see it without any hesitation. Personally, I would be more elated if Page issued an Earl’s Court CD/DVD combo boxset of the famous 1975 gigs.

Led Zeppelin - Live In London 12/10/07

Led Zeppelin returns for one night in London. Will more shows follow?

The concert just ended, but here is how the set-list appears to have played out:

Good Times Bad Times
Ramble On
Black Dog
In My Time Of Dying
For Your Life
Trampled Underfoot
Nobody's Fault But Mine
No Quarter
Since I've Been Loving You
Dazed And Confused
Stairway To Heaven
The Song Remains The Same
Misty Mountain Hop
Kashmir
**encore**
Whole Lotta Love
Rock And Roll

Fantastic set. Hopefully it sounds as good as it looks.

Karaoke Loser

Journey has a new lead singer. Arnel Pineda of the Philippines now gets to front the once great rock band; which is now a parody of its former self. Guitarist Neal Schon saw Pineda (who was fronting a cover band called Zoo) on YouTube belting out Journey songs. Journey is after all the world’s greatest karaoke band, so it is a perfect fit.

The Quintessential line-up of the band was Steve Perry, Neal Schon, Ross Valory, Steve Smith, and Jonathan Cain. They recorded some incredible albums, toured the world playing to record breaking audiences, and produced some of the best rock hits of their generation. And while they were all highly skilled musicians, the musical element that elevated the band to the elite heights of the rock industry – was the brilliant lead vocals of Steve Perry.

Once vocalist extraordinaire Steve Perry exited the band, all legitimacy went with him. With Perry fronting the band, Journey was an arena headlining band with credibility. Once he left, they became a joke. His replacement, Steve Augeri, was an adequate singer, but also helped the band evolve into a B-level rock band subjected to a career on the oldies/has-been touring circuit with the likes of a stripped down Styx and Reo Speedwagon.

Ultimately, the vocals were too taxing and Augeri blew out his voice. Jeff Scott Soto, a total hack, filled in for Augeri for a short period of time before the band knew it needed to find a suitable replacement. Rumors immediately surfaced that Steve Perry would return. That was of course pure fantasy, but you can bet the band tried to somehow reconcile with him because the financial rewards and the return to rock royalty status would have been huge had Perry been interested.

I started laughing out loud when I saw the news that Neal Schon discovered the newest front man of Journey on YouTube covering Journey tunes with his karaoke band. Talk about sinking to a new low. Where did Neal see the footage? In his cabin on a cruise ship scouting new singers in cocktail lounges and 3rd rate Vegas-style shows? What a joke.

Schon says Pineda doesn’t sound synthetic and doesn’t emulate anyone. He goes on to say that the band feels reborn. Journey has become a total embarrassment. The band knows they mean nothing now, but they needed a new vocalist so they could continue their endless touring. You can’t blame the guys for wanting to make a living. But when you hear an advertisement for a Journey concert, Steve Perry’s voice comes booming through the speakers and frankly, I have always felt this is false advertising because once the ticket holder shows up at the venue for the show, Steve Perry will not be on that stage.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not a huge Journey fan, but the quintessential line-up did produce some strong and memorable music during the 80’s. First and foremost, I admire Steve Perry’s vocal abilities. He was a tremendous talent. He once fronted an immensely popular mainstream band – now his former band is a karaoke machine with a revolving door of second-rate vocalists. Why pay $50+ dollars to see a Journey show? Just log onto YouTube and you may very well see the next lead singer.

Is This Necessary?

Everyone knows the major labels like to issue compilations and vault material around the holidays. The casual fan is likely to pick up a compilation of hits or holiday music and a devoted fan is likely to pick up a vault release without much reservation during the 4th quarter. Sometimes great care goes into these releases and sometimes it is obvious that a label is throwing out a title with reckless abandon.

Sony recently issued a new Stevie Ray Vaughan compilation titled “Solos, Sessions & Encores.” The title pretty much sums up the content. It is a haphazard collection of a wide range of performances ranging in sound quality and performance quality. In fact, it is the biggest disappointment out of all the posthumous SRV releases.

The record label put very little effort into this compilation. The concept is an interesting one – compiling a release of music focusing on some of Vaughan’s collaborations with other artists. But the release falls flat. A handful of the performances are pulled from video feeds leaving the sound quality somewhat muddy and lifeless. Others are from some well-known bootlegs (taking away any intrigue for hardcore fans) and others are from the “SRV” boxset.

The liner notes are a mess and are inaccurate. For example, the notes state that Vaughan’s collaboration with Jeff Beck on “Going Down” is a gem from the 1984 CBS Records Convention in Hawaii, but it is actually the same performance from the “SRV” package recorded during 1989 in Albuquerque. Vaughan and Beck didn’t play “Going Down” in Hawaii and Sony should know this. Later in the liner notes, it states that this track is actually from “SRV!" Who was the editor on this project? Careless effort with artwork and liner notes is inexcusable. All it does lower the credibility of the project.

“Solos, Sessions & Encores” is really a peculiar release. Most of these performances should have been part of the “SRV” boxset. It almost feels like a lost disc from that project. For the most part, Sony has done a decent job with Stevie Ray Vaughan’s archival projects. Still, there are some holes that need to be filled.

There still is not a premiere live album available. “In The Beginning” is an exciting snapshot of an early Vaughan club gig, but it is highly incomplete with a handful of fantastic tracks from that show remaining in the vaults. “Live At Carnegie Hall” is another teaser – why wasn’t this historic concert released in its entirety? This one should have been a two disc set. The “SRV” boxset has some nice live material, but it is piecemealed and the end result leaves the fan wanting complete shows. “Live At Montreux” for the most part showcases two complete gigs, but the actual concerts are not overly memorable. Sony has a lot of concert recordings in the vaults – a complete concert released during the 4th quarter sales period of this year would have served Stevie Ray Vaughan’s legacy well and filled a void at the same time. The aforementioned CBS Record Convention could have been a nice release.

This new compilation from Sony is a joke. The label rushed out “Solos, Sessions & Encores” to capitalize on some holiday sales. Some executive somewhere was probably looking at the horrible numbers on some balance sheet, panicked, and decided to tap into the SRV vault to quickly issue some product in hopes of moving a few additional 4th quarter units for the label. It is depressing that Stevie Ray Vaughan’s legacy is being subjected to this used car salesmen technique. Shame on Sony.

Mr. Fantasy At The Crossroad’s Festival

Eric Clapton’s “Crossroads Guitar Festival 2007” DVD was recently released. There are some fantastic performances on it from Robert Cray & Jimmie Vaughan, Johnny Winter, John McLaughlin, Doyle Bramhall II, Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck and Clapton’s band. But the one artist that blew me away was Steve Winwood.

Winwood’s first appearance on the DVD is a collaboration between himself and Clapton’s band on some Blind Faith numbers. When he started playing “Can’t Find My Way Home,” I stopped what I was doing and was glued to the screen. I realized I was looking at one of the most talented artists from the past 40 years. I had chills during this track. His performance of “Dear Mr. Fantasy” was also stunning.

His vocals were sensational. While most of his contemporaries have blown out their voices, he still sings like he did when he was in his early twenties. He hits every note and doesn’t have to change the pitch of the song to match his current range because he still has the same vocal range he has always had.

He is also a pretty accomplished guitarist. Anyone familiar with Winwood knows he is a highly skilled and gifted musician, but his lead guitar playing was dazzling at times during his Crossroads Festival performance.

Clapton’s Crossroads DVDs are highly entertaining musical adventures and well worth the money (they also support a great cause), but the 2007 edition is essential for the five Winwood performances alone. Steve Winwood’s appearance on this new DVD is a reminder of how the great musicians can inspire by simply playing one note. They don't need flash and a circus atmosphere on stage - because with the great ones, their music talent transcends everything.

Death Of The Labels

One of the only reasons why CDs are still a mainstream way of obtaining music is because the major labels haven’t figured out what to do next. How are they going to sell music? They hate iTunes and blame it for some of their problems, but iTunes is irrelevant. No one wants the iTunes model to take over the way they obtain music.

So Doug Morris wants to create his own version of iTunes? This dude is out to lunch. It isn’t like Universal and the other major labels are going to want to sell tracks for 99 cents. They will want to raise the price per track. There is no doubt about it. And who in their right mind is going to pay more than a buck for a song?

This is the fundamental problem with the labels. They got too greedy during the 1980’s and 1990’s when music sales were explosive and the money was rolling in. They continued to gradually raise prices of recorded music, but at the same time, they stopped developing talent. They were able to push shit on people, and it sold. They want things the way they were, but it will never be the same.

The price of recorded music has to go down. That is the bottom line. Today there are so many outlets for the consumer’s entertainment dollar. Consumers are not going to continue dropping $20 per CD. It costs less to purchase DVDs of movies or to buy books and the cost of living continues to go up in most places. People just aren’t going to spend the money they once did – especially on new releases filled with crap.

The labels were short-sighted. They were screwing the public with high pricing and for a time didn’t really have to offer any music of substance because it continued to sell. Now the whole operation is dead.

The labels have a very big decision ahead. Their next could be their last if they are not really careful. If they try to move everything online and develop an iTunes download service or create some insane subscription service, the public will not embrace it. Their revenues will plummet and that will be the end. The record companies known today may very well be extinct in less than a decade.

What will happen to those amazing catalogues of music? Some major company will own them and have less of a clue as to what to do with it than the morons in charge now. The artists will survive – in fact, they will have more power and control than they ever dreamed of. The devoted music fan will lose out. New music will be easy to obtain, but amazing catalogue music will be tougher to legally find and obtain.

I know a lot of music fans that are concerned about the future of product. It is disappearing. Things are going out of print. New archival releases are being cancelled. They know the CD is hanging on by a limb simply because the major labels don’t know what the hell to do but complain that their once lucrative business is gone. Once the majors finally decide to move their operations online and kill physical product, they are going to alienate a very important part of their audience and they will feel it where it hurts – their bank accounts.

Screw the labels. All I am concerned about is the future of obtaining product. Maybe a billionaire surrounded by some visionaries that really care about music and love music will step in. As Pete Townshend wrote in “Sound Round” from The Who’s latest album Endless Wire, “I fear the future man, as I take in the view.”

OOP

The famous three letters I hate to see when searching for music titles; OOP. Nothing sucks the life out of a potential music purchase more than seeing it is “out of print.” I run into this from time to time and it is somewhat baffling. In the year 2007, it doesn’t make sense for music to be unavailable. There are so many ways labels can make music accessible to the consumer, but they choose to stand by the old faithful CD. And by doing so, they force themselves into deleting catalogue due to poor sales.

Music can’t be all about sales. Obviously it is a key element to the financial process of the business model, but catalogue shouldn’t suffer because it doesn’t move six figures worth of units. That is what the flavor of the month artists are for – they are expected to move 7 figures worth of units and pump money into the pockets of the short-sighted executives.

I ran into my latest OOP aggravation this past weekend when I was looking at a Deep Purple title that had caught my eye in the past. I pretty much have ignored the first post-Ritchie Blackmore era from 1975. His replacement Tommy Bolin was an interesting choice to handle lead guitar duties, but Bolin’s increasing drug dependency during that era derailed any possibilities. Because of this, I have always stayed away from the material out there showcasing that line-up of Deep Purple.

However, there was a vault release issued about seven years ago titled “Days May Come and Days May Go: The 1975 California Rehearsals” that is a peak into a rehearsal session with Bolin and Deep Purple right when he joined the band. I decided this was an interesting place to start if I was ever going to explore Bolin’s tenure with Deep Purple. The problem is that this title is out of print. Used versions are going for nearly $40 and a newly sealed copy is around $140.

It drives me crazy when this sort of thing happens. Obviously Deep Purple fans were psyched when this title was issued seven years ago and most probably picked up a copy for their collection. But what about the consumer that became a fan later on? I didn’t fully get into Deep Purple until the past couple of years. By the time I got around to picking up “Days May Come and Days May Go: The 1975 California Rehearsals,” it was out of print. Is this a good business model? Screwing future generations of fans out of having access to catalogue items?

This happens constantly with multiple artists from all genres. There are still a ton of original Johnny Cash albums unavailable on CD and they certainly aren’t on iTunes. If you find yourself getting into Elvis Presley and want to purchase one of his greatest albums, “Elvis Is Back!,” good luck securing a copy. Yes, there are plenty of used copies around, but why isn’t a critically acclaimed album from one of music’s greatest artists out of print on BMG/Sony’s mainstream label? You can spend over $40 for a deluxe version on the Follow That Dream collector’s label through an Elvis fan club, but what if you just want the original album? Oh, “Elvis Is Back!” didn’t sell enough, so BMG/Sony deleted it and decided to continue issuing hits compilations instead. Who cares if “Elvis Is Back!” doesn’t sell huge quantities? Why should it? It was released in the early 60’s. But it is still an important title that should be in print for future generations of fans. The other problem here is that the labels are selective in this process. Here is an example: certainly “A Long Time Comin’” by Electric Flag doesn’t move many more copies than “Elvis Is Back!” did when it was in print, yet it is readily available. Either delete all catalogue albums that don’t move or keep them available for the music consumer.

Fine, the labels don’t see the value in keeping some slow moving catalogue items in print as CDs. How about making the material available as downloads? Do you think that is a feasible scenario in the year 2007? Never in history has there been more technology and unique ways in delivering music to the consumer. Why give them less and a higher price? It is absolutely insane.

The Joshua Tree

U2 just reissued The Joshua Tree. There are a couple of versions. The three disc package consists of the original album, a disc of B-sides and rarities, and a 3rd disc containing a DVD of a 1987 live gig from Paris. The other version of the deluxe edition consists of the first two discs of the three disc set.

I always have to commend a band and a label for putting some time and creativity into celebrating a great album. The packaging is beautiful with some nice liner notes and photos. For the hardcore fan, a glimpse of the band from ‘87 in concert is a nice gem. The bonus audio content is somewhat of a disappointment. Most of the songs have been previously available, so it isn’t like the consumer is getting exposure to a large amount of unreleased tracks. Some demos or alternate mixes would have been a true bonus.

The thing that I like about the two different packages is that one doesn’t have to be out $60 because of the DVD. The consumer has the option of going all the way or simply settling for a more affordable option that allows access solely to the audio. Either way, any fan of U2 should support this new release.

The band’s management has stated that other reissues from their catalogue are in the pipeline. Here’s hoping for a reissue of “The Unforgettable Fire” and “Under A Blood Red Sky.” A deluxe edition of “Rattle And Hum” could also be a winner….

The Song Has Come Alive

A reissue of Led Zeppelin’s “The Song Remains The Same” was released this week on CD and DVD. This project has always been somewhat of a point of contention among Zeppelin fans.

The 3 concerts filmed for the movie were done at the end of the band’s 1973 North American tour at Madison Square Garden. Most fans will admit that while there were some magical and inspired performances recorded, the film and recordings show a band slightly fried.

From early-1969 through mid-1973, Led Zeppelin practically lived on the road. Yes, there were breaks and obviously the band took time out to record their phenomenal studio albums, but they toured non-stop. They were a well-oiled machine. For a period of time, they were considered the best live band in the world. However, during those 3 legendary shows at the Garden in '73, it was apparent that those shows were not the finest of the era.

The movie is over-the-top in a lot of ways. It is a product of its time. The band had a much bigger vision for the finished project. They knew the shows at the Garden did not represent their best. They intended to film more shows during 1975. Ultimately, due to a multitude of issues, the film was wrapped up with some controversial reenactment sequences filmed at Shepperton Studios along with some fantasy sequences and was released in 1976.

It was no secret that Led Zeppelin was considered one of the greatest live bands in the world by 1976. However, no official live album had ever been released until “The Song Remains The Same” soundtrack was issued. Up until that time, amazing bootlegs such as “Live On Blueberry Hill,” “Burn Like A Candle” and “Bonzo’s Birthday Party” were the only live documents fans had – and they were fantastic. When “The Song Remains The Same” was finally issued, it was met with mixed reception that has lasted 30 years. It isn’t that the performances are bad; it is just that fans knew it could have been so much better.

“The Song Remains The Same” was one of my first Led Zeppelin albums. I actually purchased the vinyl in a used shop. It really was a fascinating album in terms of the artwork. The black cover with an animated picture of an old defunct theatre centered on the front along with the famous Swan Song insignia located on the bottom really was intriguing. It just seemed so mysterious and full of promise.

This was before the internet. Finding out information about an album was much harder; especially an album that had already been out over 12 years. I remember playing the album on my record player and being spellbound. I had no need for a 12 minute “Moby Dick,” but hearing the opening chords of “No Quarter” was captivating. The title track was blistering with its dazzling guitar work. “Whole Lotta Love” was a wild musical excursion (although it failed in comparison to previous workouts of the song from previous tours, but I didn’t know it at the time). The album definitely made an impression on me.

By the time it was released on CD, the ambience from the vinyl was missing. The performances were flat. It also was apparent that there was some heavy editing done to the songs. By then I was able to compare the material with some of the great bootleg performances mentioned above and it was clear that the 1973 Madison Square Garden shows as a whole left something to be desired. Still, the band nailed certain songs such as “No Quarter” and “Since I’ve Been Loving You." It was clear that a proper CD release was needed to give “The Song Remains The Same” some credibility.

This new version of the soundtrack is different from the old one in a handful of ways. Engineer Kevin Shirley did a fantastic job mixing the music like he did on 2003’s “How The West Was Won” and the skilled Bob Ludwig did a fine job with the mastering. This album has finally come to life.

In addition to the glowing sound, additional songs have been added to the track listing to replicate more of the standard set list from that tour. The song versions also are different than what was originally on the soundtrack album as they are now intended to match the versions found in the movie. What, there were different versions of songs used on the soundtrack and movie? That is another very complex issue that can only be explained by Eddie Edwards – if you are a Led Zeppelin fan and want an entertaining read, check out Eddie’s site dedicated to this project (as well as other official live Zeppelin releases): www.thegardentapes.co.uk

This is definitely one of the best vault reissues of the year. Led Zeppelin was one of Rock’s greatest live bands. And while the July 1973 concerts at Madison Square Garden do not represent the finest Led Zeppelin had to offer, the band definitely was still playing at a very high level. While I wait for a vault release of the band’s 1972 Japan gigs or the 1975 Earls Court gigs (one can dream), this new release of “The Song Remains The Same” along with “How The West Was Won” will be just fine for hours of enjoyment and inspiration.

Unsung Hero

Ten Years After was one of the finest Blues/Rock bands to come out of the UK during the 60’s. The defining element that separated them from a lot of their peers was virtuoso guitarist Alvin Lee.

Alvin Lee is still widely respected today as one of the greatest electric guitarists of his generation by hardcore music fans, but most people have barely heard of Ten Years After, let alone Alvin Lee. They had a top-40 hit single with “I’d Love To Change The World,” but they never really broke into the mainstream.

Alvin Lee played with reckless abandon when he would solo. Bursts of notes would just explode from his guitar. This was during a prolific era dominated by geniuses such as Hendrix, Beck, Clapton, Page, Green, Bloomfield, Allman – and Lee was every bit as impressive and brilliant.

Ten Years After definitely had some great studio albums such as “Ssssh” and “Cricklewood Green,” but where one can really hear the magic of Alvin Lee’s playing is in the band’s live work. Their second album from 1968, “Undead,” was a live recording and really showcased the talents of the band. “I May Be Wrong, But I Won’t Be Wrong Always” and “I’m Going Home” are two fine examples of not only Lee’s brilliance, but the talents of the whole band. Lee didn’t just astonish with his speed and flash, but he also played with a lot of feeling and with a nice knowledge of the Blues as evidenced on “Spoonful” and “Summertime.”

2001 saw the vault release of “Live At The Fillmore East.” This archival gem is a powerful testament to the prowess and dazzling nature of guitarist Alvin Lee. Lee starts off the festivities driving through “Love Like A Man” and absolutely shreds his way all over “50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain.” A must have for any Rock fan and particularly any fan of the pioneers of electric guitar.

Anyone not familiar with Ten Years After and Alvin Lee should definitely explore this band. There are no surprises with the material. It sounds like the era it came from. It is Blues based Rock with an emphasis on strong musicianship. But Alvin Lee is an unsung hero from an innovative era of Rock N’ Roll that deserves more exposure. His influence and inspiration is evident from the first few notes.

Recommended titles:
Undead
Live At The Fillmore East
The Anthology (1967-1971)

Getting Shafted At The Box Office

Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood are the latest batch of legacy artists gouging the public with insane ticket prices. Don’t get me wrong, I am thrilled the two of them have reconnected on a musical level and are working together, but $250+ for tickets at Madison Square Garden? I could see them charging that kind of money if they were playing somewhere a little more intimate like the Beacon or Carnegie Hall, and it would still be a shaft to the consumer, but the Garden? And this isn’t a case of two arena headliners going out. Yes, Clapton can still play the Garden on his own, but Winwood is now a theatre artist.

Their agenda clearly is not to spread the music. It is not to create a buzz about what should be the most important element of their collaboration – the music. This just makes it look like an attempt to cash out. They are jumping on board the greed train. The concert business at its finest.

The funny thing is that their work together only somewhat appeals to a niche audience. They can pull this off in NYC, but this show can’t fill arenas nationwide. This isn’t the magnitude of a Led Zeppelin reunion show in terms of mass appeal. These are two brilliantly talented guys that played briefly together in the late 60’s and while their work together made a significant mark popularity-wise in the 60’s, it hasn’t had a lasting effect in those terms 30+ years later.

If I lived in NYC, I would really want to see this show. But $250+ is just too much. And I know a lot of people that feel the same way. This would be just another show I would have been priced out of. I would rather blow $250 on 15-20 CD titles that I can spin endlessly for years and download a recording of the Clapton/Winwood show off the internet to get a sense of what transpired. It just isn’t worth it to spend that kind of money on concert tickets.

The real music fans, the ones that can really appreciate a show of that magnitude are left out in the cold. Seriously, who are Clapton and Winwood really trying to appeal to?

Reissues

So the word is The Eagles are going to reissue their catalogue in December. They remastered and reissued their catalogue back in 1999 and overall, the results were favorable. Is this really necessary to do again 8 years later? The remasters sound great. There is no artistic reason for this. This is simply a way for the band to cash in on the success of “Long Road Out Of Eden.”

Who is this aimed at? The hardcore fan base. The Eagles want their hardcore fans to shell out hundreds of dollars to repurchase their catalogue because it supposedly will sound better (and who knows, maybe there will be some nice artwork in digipaks with liner notes). The only way there will be real value here is if there are bonus tracks consisting of alternate takes and outtakes – and this will not be the case.

C’mon guys, your fans don’t need or want another batch of remasters. The devoted fan-base wants something archival. Back around 2000, when the band was planning on launching its own label, one of the reasons was to start issuing archival releases, particularly live shows that were in the vaults. Of course, shortly thereafter, Don Felder was fired under strange circumstances and ultimately he sued Henley and Frey with the legal battle lasting for almost 7 years. Now that the legal matter has been settled, the door has been opened for the archival projects to surface again. There are some fantastic vintage concerts in The Eagles’ vaults – that is what the fans want.

EMI is doing the same thing with John Lennon’s catalogue next month as well. Hello? Haven’t they been reissuing the Lennon catalogue over the past several years? Unless they are planning on erasing the Yoko revisionist mixes (stay away from Yoko’s version of “Walls And Bridges”), then this is another example of a label attempting to screw the fan. Instead of issuing Lennon’s solo work again, why not focus on finishing remastering The Beatles’ catalogue which is in desperate need of attention?

Now there are some catalogues that do need upgrades. Bruce Springsteen, are you listening? Springsteen has one of the most important catalogues in Rock history and right now the vast majority of it is available on badly mastered CDs with very generic and bland packaging. Black Sabbath’s U.S. catalogue on Warner Brothers is a disgrace unless you want to shell out $120+ for a remastered box set of all the Ozzy-era albums (Sabbath’s catalogue is beautifully done by Sanctuary in the UK). The Faces’ catalogue is also desperately in need of an upgrade and fortunately the word is that the remasters are coming in 2008 with bonus material. And of course there are others.

The main thing with catalogues that have been issued multiple times is that it only serves to take advantage of a devoted fan base, a fan base that has been supportive for an extended period of time and that has spend a lot of money on product. The fan base should be treated with some respect and consideration. What do they really want after years of supporting a band or an artist? More remasters? No, they want unreleased performances. Sure, one can obtain this stuff from the underground markets, but usually the sound quality leaves something to be desired. Led Zeppelin fans love the “Burn Like A Candle” bootleg, but there is something nice about being able to crank performances that are fantastically mixed and mastered from the officially released “How The West Was Won.”

Record labels have a lot of music at their disposal that they can release. They have vaults full of it and a lot of fans would be surprised how much cool stuff is unreleased. Some artists have more archival material than others, but these kinds of performances are plentiful in the record company vaults. You want to generate substantial sales? Give hardcore fan bases what they want. Neil Young released a 1971 Massey Hall performance early this year and it moved hundreds of thousands of units – his new Chrome Dreams II studio release has moved around 75,000. Vault releases are in demand.

Fans want music from the vaults, not a consistent flow of rehashed remasters. There are definitely catalogues of legacy artists and bands that need attention, but once a catalogue is reissued and the devoted fan base has purchased the new versions, they shouldn’t be targeted by greedy, ruthless label executives trying to find a way to squeeze another buck out of a consumer that has already paid. Vault releases could be a nice way for labels to generate much needed income in the frightening landscape they are facing. Too bad they don’t see it that way.

Clapton And Winwood In NYC

A couple of days ago Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood announced that they will be playing 3 concerts together at Madison Square Garden in February 2008. This is a pretty intriguing collaboration. Obviously their impromptu reunion at Clapton’s 2007 Crossroads Festival inspired the desire to continue working together to some degree.

Everyone familiar with their previous work together in Blind Faith knows the band imploded before it ever had a chance to reach its full potential. Blind Faith initially began as a vehicle for Clapton and Winwood to channel their creative energy into something different, something organic. It had nothing to do with ambitions of fame and money. Both were looking for a new creative outlet after having recently split with their respective former bands, Cream and Traffic.

A period of inspired jamming and writing sessions was followed by a visit from Clapton's former Cream band mate, Ginger Baker. Winwood was fascinated with the idea of working with the highly respected Baker – Clapton however was very ambivalent about the prospect. However, his desire to continue working with Winwood was enough to allow Baker to join their musical experiment.

Once word hit the street that these three star Rock musicians were forming a band, the concept of the “supergroup” was born. Suddenly, this innocent musical venture between Clapton and Winwood with no agendas turned into burgeoning money-making machine for record labels, promoters and managers. The band suddenly was booked to play a massive festival gig at Hyde Park for 100,000 people with a major U.S. tour lined up to support their self-titled debut album, “Blind Faith.”

Clapton has never made any secret that his heart was no longer in Blind Faith once the initial premise of the group was lost due to the over-exposure and excess of the commercial sell-out mentality that was quickly established by the music industry executives. Blind Faith simply got too big, too fast. They never had a chance to naturally evolve, experiment and explore all the music possibilities in front of them. The band barely lasted 6 months.

Still, their debut album is a classic. It was assembled somewhat quickly in the sense that it was premature. The band was still developing and creating, but the pressure to deliver an album became a business priority and they ultimately pulled together what they could from their jam sessions. From the guitar layered wizardry brilliance of “Had To Cry Today” to the soaring “Presence Of The Lord” to the beautiful acoustic melodic “Can’t Find My Way Home,” there was a lot of depth on the album. One can hear the potential the band had. Universal’s deluxe edition of “Blind Faith” gives an even greater insight into the band’s creative process and musical virtuosity.

Fans that are able to go to the Clapton/Winwood shows at Madison Square Garden are probably in for a magical concert experience. Winwood has returned to his musical roots during the past 5 years and has gone through a creative rebirth so-to-speak. Clapton is playing as well as he has ever played. There is no doubt that playing with a musician of the caliber of Steve Winwood will bring out the best in Clapton. Just look at the initial Cream reunion shows from the Royal Albert Hall stand in 2005 – Clapton was pushed by Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker and played with a fire and intensity not always there. Having a chance to hear these two seasoned musicians revisit not only the Blind Faith catalogue, but possibly elements of Traffic, Cream and other areas from their expansive musical careers is a special opportunity that does not come along too often.

Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood were shortchanged the first time around. In fact, one could argue that the music fan was also shortchanged. These are two incredibly gifted musicians that highly respect each other. They created something natural and real nearly 40 years ago, but it was derailed by outside influences. Maybe this time around it will last a little longer. Granted they are only booked for 3 gigs, but who knows, maybe it will be such a fulfilling ride that they extend their collaboration. If you are in NYC in February - do what you can to see one of these shows.

The Long Boring Road

There has been a lot of talk about The Eagles’ new album “Long Road Out Of Eden.” The reviews by the press have been pretty much favorable in a predictable way. But the way one really gets a true feel for the value of the album is by hearing what other fans have to say.

I have gathered that the overall feeling about “Long Road” is mixed. Some fans are very enthusiastic about having new product and are embracing it. Others are a little skeptical about what they are hearing. I fall into that second category.

Going into it, I wasn’t expecting to be blown away by the album. I knew that there couldn’t possibly be two full discs worth of quality material. Still, I was looking forward to exploring the results of The Eagles’ first album of new studio material in nearly 28 years.

“Long Road” starts off with promise. The first track, “No More Walks In The Wood,” is predominately made up of beautiful harmonies reminiscent of “Seven Bridges Road” from the “Eagles Live” lp. It is followed by the single “How Long.” “How Long” is a nice rocker that exemplifies a feeling of the vintage Eagles sound. After this initial burst of potential, the album loses some steam.

From this point on, the album has varied results. “Busy Being Fabulous” is a solid Don Henley/Glenn Frey collaboration as is Henley and Steuart Smith’s “Waiting In The Weeds.” But then the listener has to sit through painful puff ballads like “What Do I Do With My Heart” and “No More Cloudy Days.” “Fast Company” is a total embarrassment and makes “Disco Strangler” from “The Long Run” look like a masterpiece. The title track of the album is musically intriguing although usually I am not one for political themed songs. The Frey-penned instrumental “I Dreamed There Was No War” is stunning and may be the strongest track on the album.

One of the biggest disappointments is the fact that the album lacks the true touch of Joe Walsh from a songwriting standpoint. In a pre-release interview in Billboard some time ago, Walsh insinuated that “Long Road” would have a couple Walsh-influenced rockers to add some balance to the album and disrupt the heavy flow of ballads. Well, I’m not sure what happened to the standard Joe Walsh up-tempo track, but “Last Good Time In Town” doesn’t quite reach the mark.

It isn’t necessarily wise to compare the current work of a band with past glories. That usually is a mistake simply because it should be expected that artists will continue to evolve over time - the level of creativity changes and the direction of their writing changes. At the same time though, bands do have a signature sound to some degree. “Long Road” has some elements reminiscent of The Eagles’ former work, but for the most part, no one should expect to hear many similarities from albums like “On The Border,” “One Of These Nights” or “Hotel California.” Those albums were essentially created by a different band.

The musical contributions of Randy Meisner, Bernie Leadon and particularly Don Felder cannot be ignored. A lot of that special guitar sound found on Eagles’ recordings from the 70’s have Leadon and Felder’s signature licks all over it. Joe Walsh, sideman Steuart Smith and to a lesser degree Glenn Frey, cannot entirely replicate that sound (although they come close on the single “How Long”).

I saw a review from a journalist that said this new album makes it feel like it is 1976 again. Another cliché review from a music journalist who has no clue about the subject matter. Talk about misleading the consumer. The “Hotel California” album was release in 76, and “Long Road” has little-to-nothing in common with that album other than Henley, Frey and Walsh being contributing musicians. Not to go too far off course here, but will a music journalist ever write anything honest about a new recording by a legacy artist? Are they too scared Irving Azoff will call their editor?

“Long Road Out Of Eden” is as good as it probably could have been. I had some hope that Henley and Frey would write one or two gems that could stand alongside with some of their classics. So far, I don’t hear it. The other issue is that there is too much filler. This could have been a much stronger release had it been pared down to one CD. I almost feel like this is a deluxe edition with the album and all the outtakes that should have stayed in the vault. I do enjoy a few of the tracks, but most of it is forgettable. “Long Road Out Of Eden” is an album for the devoted Eagles fan, but I would not recommend it to the curious casual consumer.

Flight Of Zeppelin?

There was an interesting interview with Robert Plant, Alison Krauss and T-Bone Burnett in the Telegraph, a London newspaper.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/10/25/bmplant125.xml

A lot of the content is in reference to the exciting collaboration between Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, "Raising Sand," that Burnett produced. However, Plant does make a statement about the upcoming Led Zeppelin reunion show in November in which his initial stance that the upcoming gig will be a one-off affair now seems open for interpretation.

"It's really about going into the place in your soul at the time you get the calling. Everything and anything can be possible, it just depends. At rehearsals, it sounds magnificent. It's very exciting. I was 19 when I joined the New Yardbirds, which became Led Zep, and I'm not 19 now and neither is anybody else, but 39 years later it's got a maturity and a beauty and it's got lust and it's got power. That's what it is. It's a different 'baby, baby'."

Looks like Plant now isn't so quick to dismiss the possibility of additional Led Zeppelin performances. If Plant and Co. decide to cash in on some tour offers, get ready to pay $250+ for a ticket at your local stadium. Rock on....

Hourglass

I am not a big Depeche Mode fan. I certainly respect the band and the songwriting talents of Martin Gore. Dave Gahan is one of the best front men in music. Their music is highly influential. While I am not much of an admirer of Depeche Mode, my wife is. Because of this, I have seen the band in concert multiple times and I am very familiar with all of their albums and solo projects.

Last week, Dave Gahan’s second solo album, “Hourglass,” was released. I was somewhat curious as to how it would sound, but I also wasn’t expecting any surprises. Gahan’s first solo project, 2003’s “Paper Monsters,” was a mild success and really an extension of the Depeche Mode sound. So it is no surprise that Gahan’s latest effort again is a journey down familiar territory.

Being the good husband that I am, I picked up a copy of “Hourglass” for my wife the day of release. She was pretty excited about checking it out. At some point in the afternoon she called me from the car to tell me how horrible it was. For a devoted fan of Depeche Mode to be turned off so quickly by a new solo project by one of the prominent band members is a troubling sign. She asked me to give it a spin to see what I thought.

Initially I wasn’t as negatively impacted by the disc as she was. There were no surprises. The vocals were strong and backed by a heavy electronic landscape of sounds. Then the third track hit. I am not sure if I have heard a worse song in the past few years than “Deeper And Deeper.” It is just brutal. The music is this heavy pounding mush of sonic crap. As the disc plays on, a few tracks go down a similar path.

I just wonder why Gahan doesn’t use his solo projects as an opportunity to musically branch out to unfamiliar territory. I know enough to know Gahan has diverse musical interests and definitely is a fan of Rock N Roll. This is one highly gifted vocalist and it would be fascinating to hear him record an album of Rock songs with a 3 piece Rock band without such a heavy electronic production.

Is “Hourglass” really a creative outlet for Dave Gahan? No one should expect to be blown away by a Dave Gahan solo project that attempts to mirror a Depeche Mode release. Gahan is not going to lyrically compose anything equivalent to Martin Gore’s gems. The end result of this new solo release by Dave Gahan is a boring and forgettable failed attempt to parody Depeche Mode glories.

Singles?

Mick Jaggar was interviewed on NPR the other day. He mentioned something to the effect that when The Rolling Stones first broke into the mainstream back in the early 1960’s that singles were the predominant trend in the music industry. Then bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd were pioneers in the evolution of the album. He believes that it has come full circle because singles, particularly because of downloads; will now become the focus once again and the album will no longer have the same significance.

This is true to a certain degree. But it doesn’t work the way it once did. Back in the early 1960’s, the artist's record label battled to get singles played on the radio and then battled for the single to gain traction with heavy rotation. This then lead to increased sales and popularity opening the door for television appearances and the opportunity to take the music on the road.

In 2007, radio doesn’t mean s**t. Who is listening? Consumers have so many outlets to find and listen to their music. The old game doesn’t reach the audience it once did and the old game isn’t influential like it once was. Back in the 60’s, if you totally were into a single, you went out and bought it – and that was it, there was nothing else, maybe an accompanying album would follow, and you would spin the same track over and over on the record player. Now, you can play fair and download it for $.99, or steal it, or have a friend copy it for you. You can find live versions on the internet, complete concerts from the artist, etc. The single is just one piece of the pie and if you get sick of it, you simply delete it from your hard drive – music does not hold the same value it once did.

So, if Mick’s view is spot-on, then it really is a sign that the apocalypse is coming. Labels cannot survive in a “singles” business and artists can’t either (unless they have a huge following for their live work).

The real reason some believe that it may become some sort of singles business again is simply because a lot of music sucks. The album no longer has the credibility it once did. For over two decades the quality has become worse with every passing year. The labels slowly jacked up the price of the album and the content became weaker and less interesting as time passed. Suddenly, consumers are faced with albums with maybe one endearing single (two if they are lucky) and twelve filler throw-away tracks for up to $18.

Certainly there are still talented artists and good bands out there. But if they haven’t been commercial enough, if they haven’t been willing to play the game, they have been passed over in favor of fluff that now has the major labels in a sling. The album is dead because the labels helped kill it by being short-sighted and by not developing artists.

For example, if The Who had signed a record deal in the 2007 landscape, they probably would have been dropped after “A Quick One” and definitely after “Sell Out.” The world may never have had a chance to hear the legendary “Tommy” album and two years later the sensational “Who’s Next” album. Granted, the band was feeling pressure from their label back in 1968 to deliver something big, and fortunately for them “Tommy” was a hit, but they were given time to develop and reach their potential.

I dig a good single. I have a great 80’s playlist on one of my iPods with some fantastic singles by bands that never produced much more than one quality track. As good as some of those songs may be, they simply cannot compete with a full-length quality album. I love Hendrix’s “All Along The Watchtower,” but I prefer to listen to the entire “Electric Ladyland” album.

If an artist cannot create more than one great song, so be it. I’ll enjoy the one track. But if artists are turned away from producing more extensive bodies of work because the focus turns to issuing singles on a whim, then everyone will lose - especially the creative process. Creating a great album is something artists should strive for. As it currently stands, a lot of the mainstream artists are simply trying to fill a CD with 12 songs and hoping one takes off.

But Albums don’t sell anymore. Or at least they don’t sell at the levels music executives think they should. Yeah, Kanye West and 50 Cent moved some big units a few weeks back, but there has been a continuing sharp decline in album sales for the past few years. Springsteen was #1 again this week and he sold less than 100,000 copies. That is a horrible sales figure in the current music climate. It is the fourth quarter of the year, the biggest sales season, and the #1 album has sold less 100,000 for the week. But, you don’t kill the concept of the album simply because it isn’t selling like it once did.

Some will argue that in a country of nearly 300 Million people with all the marketing and promotional outlets artists have today at their disposal, that it is alarmingly bad that albums can’t sell. They blame CDs, the over-pricing of CDs, peer to peer trading, downloads, etc. Perhaps the music executives and labels do not see things clearly because their views are warped from past glories. Is it reasonable to think that a big title should move 10 Million units? Should albums like “Born In The USA,” “Brothers In Arms” and “Supernatural” be the norm in terms of sales? Should this happen every sales quarter? For a long time, this was the trend (and radio played a big role in it). A big name album would sell insane amounts. Suddenly this scenario is gone, a thing of the past. Yeah, some albums have a big week or two, but then the sales sharply drop off. Maybe this is how it is going to be from here on out (with a few exceptions). Maybe it isn’t about how to get it back to how it once was; maybe it is time to realize the current landscape is not the same and that there is no going back.

Music consumers do not believe in all of this hoopla like they once did. There are so many outlets for one’s entertainment dollar. Maybe consumers only want to pay $.99 for a few tracks; maybe they’ve embraced this concept. You can’t get them back. You can’t convince the general consumer to consistently drop $18 - $20 on new CDs for casual listening. Before iTunes, albums sold a lot more because the consumer usually had to buy an entire CD just for a single they liked on the radio – talk about getting screwed. The hardcore music fanatics like me will drop money on music because we are addicted, but a lot of people aren’t. The labels, executives and even the artists have gotten used to expectations that are now unreasonable. Maybe the financial expectations by all parties involved needs to be readjusted. There is still money to be made, but possibly not as much. That is a hard concept to swallow for many, but it may be a reality.

In the current climate of the business, if an album doesn’t sell over a million copies, it is a failure. How can this be? Well, like I said before, unrealistic expectations have clouded the judgment of a lot of music executives. Those involved need to get creative; figure out a way to get consumers excited about music and inspire them to purchase it. The album shouldn’t die simply because most do not move over 1 million copies anymore. The sales potential for albums is just currently lower in this era. The fact that there are very few traditional record stores in existence doesn't help matters either.

It wasn’t always about greed and moving millions and millions of units. Yes, sales have always been important, but the art form of music once was the real driving force. Just look at the classic Blue Note Jazz catalogue – the music was the main thing. The label wanted profits (who doesn’t?), but the music came first. It cannot be that way right now with the way things currently stand because the major labels have shareholders to answer to – they can’t let a band like The Who develop over the course of 4 albums before delivering the goods. The majors are too corporate. Their greed and short-sighted business model is coming to a screeching halt.

The album will never die. A true artist strives to create a great album. They believe in the power of the album. So, Mick Jaggar may see singles leading the way in the future, but that will only appeal to the casual music consumer and the casual artist. The real talented artists will look back at all the great records like “Sgt. Peppers” and “Pet Sounds” and aspire to achieve that same creative process and outcome. As a musician, what can be better than making that kind of bold statement?

The Fillmore

The Fillmore East and Fillmore West were once arguably two of the most important concert venues in America. Both venues opened in the late 1960’s and were operated by legendary promoter Bill Graham. They quickly became the premier venues of choice by both artists and patrons in San Francisco and New York City respectively.

Bill Graham made the Fillmore experience special for everyone. Artists, some established and some on the verge of breaking, had a place to play in front of an audience that took music seriously. Everyone played there: The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Santana, The Grateful Dead, The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Led Zeppelin, Moby Grape, The Byrds, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, The Jeff Beck Group, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Ten Years After, Cream, Pink Floyd, The Allman Brothers Band, Humble Pie, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac, Miles Davis – to name a few. Some of Rock’s greatest live albums were recorded there such as The Allman Brothers Band’s “At Fillmore East” and Jimi Hendrix’s “Band Of Gypsys.” If an unknown band was being heckled by the audience prior to the headlining act, Graham wasn’t afraid to tell the audience members to be respectful (in a much more candid way of course).

Maybe Bill Graham receives too much credit for the experience; maybe it also had something to do with the fact it was in an era of music that was full of inspiration and creative development. The music wasn’t so corporate. It was fresh and exciting. It wasn’t all about the money yet (it soon would be). Of course artists, agents, managers and promoters wanted to make money, but the music took the high road. It was all about creating and performing. The audience didn’t need 50 back-up dancers on the stage with a lip-synching superstar surrounded by explosions and laser lighting; the audience expected to be entertained by musicians and artists who could really play and that could touch their hearts and souls with something special. The Fillmore venues certainly enabled this to happen.

The Fillmore East closed its doors in the summer of 1971, the Fillmore West followed years later. In the late 1980’s, Bill Graham reopened the Fillmore West (it would close due to earthquake damage, but the doors opened again in 1994).

Fast forward to 2007. Bill Graham Presents is owned by Live Nation. The Fillmore name is owned by Live Nation. Live Nation decides to dust off the Fillmore name by renaming venues in select cities. Now there are Fillmores in Detroit (formerly the State Theatre), Philadelphia, New York (formerly the Irving Plaza), Miami Beach (formerly the Jackie Gleason Theatre), and of course San Francisco and Denver. Surely more will follow.

The name means nothing in 2007. Does Live Nation think by adding venues under the Fillmore banner that somehow they are adding some sort of value to the concert experience? The original Fillmore East and Fillmore West were historic and special. They were part of an era long gone. Is it really special to see a show at one of the new Fillmore theatres? No one cares. These new theatres and the business in place at these theatres is the same no matter what you call them. The experience, music and business is not what it was between 1968-1971 – renaming a venue will not change this fact. You wonder what Bill Graham would think and more importantly, you wonder if Bill Graham would have sold his business to SFX in the 90’s when a lot of other major concert promoters sold out.

This also shows a lack of vision and creativity on Live Nation’s part. You are not going to save the concert business by renaming a venue after a legendary concert hall. If you want the experience to mean what it meant at the original Fillmore venues, then reinvent the experience. Make it special like it once was. It can start at the theatre level. Lower ticket prices, create exciting line-ups, print up show bills, etc. Hey, but Live Nation is giving out apples in the lobby like Graham did in the 60’s! How pathetic.

All Things Must Pass

George Harrison's masterpiece, "All Things Must Pass," is an album of compelling songs with beautiful melodies and lush, majestic arrangements. Of all the solo albums released by the alums of The Beatles, “All Things Must Pass” is arguably the most impressive.

Harrison’s material usually was not in the forefront of The Beatles’ studio work. On many of the band’s albums, priority was given to Lennon and McCartney compositions with a token Harrison penned tune or two added to the final outcome. George was obviously a skilled and talented songwriter and it is easy to understand his growing frustration within the confines of the band. Upon the disbanding of The Beatles, George quickly set out to release an album of material he had been accumulating during the final days of his stint with his legendary band.

There are few throwaway tracks, if any, which is impressive considering the length of the album (originally a 3 LP release in 1970). This is an example of when an artist has a fruitful period of brilliant writing; when the ideas, words and melodies just effortlessly flow from within. The album had some hits like “My Sweet Lord” and “What Is Life” as well as essential tracks like “Beware Of The Darkness,” “Isn’t It A Pity,” “Wah Wah,” “Awaiting On You All,” and the title track “All Things Must Pass.” The album opener “I’d Have You Any Time” is a gorgeous song, co-written by Harrison and Bob Dylan, with an affectionate melody and some inspired, delicate slide guitar playing. And some of the less-heralded songs such as “Apple Scruffs” and “Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)” turn out to be true gems.

What I consider to be a real highlight is the final sequence on the album known as “original jam.” This portion of the album is basically a jam session with George Harrison and members of Eric Clapton’s Derek And The Dominos line-up (sans Duane Allman). While some music journalists dismiss this portion of the album as being unnecessary, I personally find it completely fascinating. George hadn’t had a chance to let loose like this in years. George was known as a gifted guitarist, and on “All Things Must Pass,” particularly during the “original jam” portion of the album, his talent is showcased properly for the first time on record.

“All Things Must Pass” is one of Rock’s greatest albums. One does not need to be a fan of The Beatles to find the appeal. It is a pretty extensive piece of music to explore, but ultimately it is a very fulfilling ride.

Wolfgang's Vault

Wolfgang's Vault is a pretty cool website (www.wolfgangsvault.com). For those unaware, Wolfgang's Vault consists of the famous Bill Graham archives. Years ago, his vault full of archival material from all of his years of involvement with concerts and events was sold. The current owner of Graham's archives has created a pretty cool little business.

Old handbills, posters, vintage tickets, clothing, photos and even recordings from the various events Graham was involved with are part of Wolfgang's Vault. Fans and collectors can purchase replica pieces to vintage authentic collectables. The most interesting aspect of the vault is the concert recordings and footage.

Bill Graham was known to have recorded and filmed many of the shows performed at his venues. A lot of the audio is from soundboards and a lot of the film consists of black and white footage with one camera angle. Still, the historical value of some of this material is incredible.

And of course, a lot of these recordings and films are the subject of multiple lawsuits from artists, record labels and artists' estates. These matters can be quite complicated covering a multitude of issues such as distribution rights, ownership rights, etc.

In the meantime, a lot of recorded material can be heard for free on the Wolfgang Vault website and some of it can be purchased in the form of mp3 downloads. The potential is there for fans to have access to some amazing material. Classic shows ranging from a 1977 Pink Floyd show to a 1978 Bruce Springsteen Winterland gig can be heard streaming on the website; while concerts from Lou Reed, Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Iggy Pop, Humble Pie, Jeff Beck, Santana, etc. can be purchased for download at a maximum price of $9.98.

There are legal hurdles to overcome, but this is a neat concept. Music lovers have a place they can go to listen to music with an option of purchasing rare archival material at a reasonable price in addition to having access to all sorts of unique and exciting memorabilia. Wolfgang's Vault isn't a perfect enterprise, but it certainly beats a lot of the alternatives.

Misc

The Eagles are playing a one-off private concert in London with tickets starting at £1000. Apparently the concert is not open to the general public. It is an invite-only event for music industry executives.

Can you imagine spending that kind of dough on a concert ticket? Unless Elvis comes back from the dead to play a gig at The Roxy in L.A., I won't even begin to consider spending big money on a show. No concert is worth £1000. Are they raising money for a political campaign? Are they financing their settlement with Don Felder? Maybe they want to see what it feels like to be Barbra Streisand?

The only funny thing about it is that one article called this the seminal line-up of the band. Are you kidding me? It is down to four "real" members. Granted they can still play, but don't tell me this current line-up is better than when Don Felder was playing dueling leads with Joe Walsh or when Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner where involved with the band. PR work at its finest.

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The Radiohead saga continues with “In Rainbows.” While the band prepares to release this project to the masses on CD via a major record label, the latest development is that they are going to add bonus tracks to the CD version.

So, the hardcore devoted fan that downloaded the new album last week; is now going to have to repurchase it on CD for the exclusive bonus tracks. Now, some consumers probably took advantage of the “pay what you want” download, but some probably contributed at least $5 - $10 to the cause. Does the fan that purchased the $80 deluxe version get the bonus tracks? Will the band allow fans to download the bonus tracks that already paid for the download of the actual album?

There is nothing more annoying than an artist and/or record label reissuing a fairly new album shortly after the initial release date with “bonus” material. I love bonus tracks as much as the next guy. But, I like it when they are added to an album at least ten years after the initial release date. Adding bonus material so soon is nothing more than the artist screwing the fan.

“In Rainbows” has become one big cluster-f**k. Two weeks ago, Radiohead looked like visionaries, now they look like jackasses. This is the last time I plan on commenting on it because musically speaking, I have no interest in the album. A once compelling story is turning into a joke. Time to move on.

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Looking for a good book to read? Check out Eric Clapton’s new autobiography. It is a fantastic book that flows very smoothly. Clapton has an incredible story and he doesn’t shy away from any topic. The fact that he is open about the good and the bad lends credibility to his story. It is an intriguing look inside one of music’s greatest talents.

Madonna

Live Nation is in the process of locking in a long term exclusive deal with Madonna that would have her severing ties with Warner Music Group. The deal would encompass not only touring, but recorded music and merchandising as well. Some say the total package could be worth anywhere between $120 - $180 Million.

Madonna is one of the last arena acts that can sell tickets at obnoxiously high prices and fill arenas. Some of Live Nation’s motivation had to be CEO Michael Rapino wanting to make Madonna’s services off limits to rival AEG. With fewer acts of this caliber available to gross absurd amounts of money in the concert business, look for this to possibly be a business trend in the future.

Does anyone think Madonna is going to sell huge amounts of albums anymore? Certainly her “hits” collections will move a lot of units indefinitely, but WMG gets to keep cashing in on that material. The potential of Madonna producing a hit record isn’t high, especially if she keeps making calculated dance music.

This is all about securing the long-term services of a major concert attraction. It will also be somewhat of a test business model by an entertainment company like Live Nation trying to branch out into other areas to see if they can innovate something lucrative for both themselves and the established artist.

Madonna’s live show still grosses huge dollars, so Live Nation will make back its money and then some. Madonna obviously wins here too. And what does this say to the traditional major labels? A big star chooses to align themselves and their future music making enterprises with a non-major record label. Certainly Live Nation made a better deal with Madonna than AEG did with David Beckham (have you ever seen $200 Million tossed away more quickly?).

The promoters are going to keep throwing insane amounts of money at stars that are at the end of their artistic run, but that have a few more lucrative tours in them. For Madonna to command that kind of deal from Live Nation, the consumer ultimately takes the hit because you can bet that ticket prices for a Madonna show will remain extremely high. This is about greed, not creativity. In the end, it is still all about overpaying for talent, overcharging the consumer and milking this cash cow for every last drop.

Best "Live" Vault Releases For 2007

I have always been a fan of live albums. The improvisational element and energy of live recordings make them an intriguing listen. There is nothing better than hearing the true skills of musicians being put to the test on stage without the aide of the studio. Granted, loads of live albums over the years have been filled with edits and overdubs, but with the new era of vault releases (sometimes being exclusive to collector’s labels) the music fan for the most part is given a chance to hear undoctored and organic recordings.

Here is what I consider to be the best “live” archival releases of the year so far:

Deep Purple – Live In London 1974
This is a fantastic MK3 line-up gig from Deep Purple. Prior to 1974, there had been a handful of configurations of the band with the most influential and popular period arguably being the MK2 line-up from 1970 – 1973. However, in 1973, vocalist Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover left the band and were replaced by David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes. Due to this change, the musical direction of the band shifted to more of a bluesy, heavy oriented sound. Coverdale certainly was a skilled vocalist and handled the bulk of the vocals quite nicely.

The BBC recorded Deep Purple at The Gaumont State Kilburn Cinema on May 22, 1974. The show has been issued in the past in truncated forms, but was finally issued in all of its glory in 2007. The sound quality is fantastic, especially compared to some of the other vault releases of live material issued by Deep Purple during the past decade. Ritchie Blackmore is absolutely amazing during this show. His solo on “You Fool No One” is worth the price of admission alone.

Within a year, Blackmore would defect from the band he helped elevate to superstar status to embark on a new journey with Rainbow. But, his work with Deep Purple set the bar for many Hard Rock guitar players. Did anyone play a Strat better in 1974? While the MK2 line-up of Deep Purple is certainly worth the hype that it gets, Blackmore’s work on stage in 1974 with the band is as inspiring as it ever was.

“Live In London 1974” is a welcomed release for Deep Purple fans and for Ritchie Blackmore enthusiasts. If you are looking for a taste of Deep Purple’s live work, this is a nice starting point. If you are an established fan, this is a must-have.

*Available at most internet retailers.


The Doors – Live In Boston 1970
In 1969 and 1970, producer Paul Rothchild recorded a series of concerts by The Doors to create the band’s first official live album. Initially, two concerts and a rehearsal from The Aquarius Theatre in Hollywood were recorded in 1969 for the project, but after reviewing the tapes, Rothchild felt there wasn’t enough usable material from the Aquarius run and decided the band should record some additional shows. In the spring of 1970, concerts in Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York and Boston were recorded for the prospective live album. Ultimately, the live album was completed using material spanning all of the concerts recorded and titled “Absolutely Live.”

In 2000, former Doors manager and long-time fan Danny Sugarman created a collector’s label called Bright Midnight. Some of the initial promotional statements by Sugarman which highlighted some of the material planned for release referenced a couple of the “Absolutely Live” shows in particular, and the two 1970 “drunken over-the-top” Boston gigs were among them.

After the Detroit 1970 show and Aquarius material was issued by Bright Midnight in 2001-2002, there were rumblings of financial issues with the label as well as an ongoing battle with cancer by Sugarman. With Bright Midnight being in a holding pattern, some fans wondered if the legendary Boston shows would ever officially see the light of day.

In 2006, Bright Midnight got back on its feet with the release of the 1970 Philadelphia concert. Finally in 2007, the complete Boston gigs were issued. The Boston shows have always been a curiosity for many because Jim Morrison was completely trashed during the concerts. It wasn’t uncommon for Morrison to be under the influence on stage, but in Boston, he was loaded. Nevertheless, “Live In Boston 1970” is arguably the best official live Doors release issued so far by Bright Midnight.

Yes, Morrison is intoxicated and definitely loses focus off and on throughout the proceedings, but it isn’t as bad as one would expect. In fact, there is a strange sort of charm to the whole thing. The rest of the band is on fire. They make some mistakes and ocassionally lose their timing, but the energy from Manzarek, Densmore and Krieger is tremendous. Robby Krieger in particular is tearing it up that night. His tone and execution in Boston is as good as it gets.

Don't expect flawless singing and flawless playing if you pick this title up, but the fantastic energy and intensity of that night makes for one remarkable release. If you want a standard and safe Doors gig, check out “Live In Philadelphia.” If you want to hear an invigorating show, “Live In Boston 1970” is the one.

*Easy to find, available at most internet retailers and at traditional music retail stores.


Allman Brothers Band – Boston Common 1971
This is a nice surprise. The Allman Brothers Band started issuing live material from their archives in 2002 with the release of “American University 12/13/70.” When the Allman Brothers announced that they would be opening the vaults for archival releases, they made it clear that they wanted Duane Allman’s work with the band to initially take priority. After the American University gig was issued, the following year another concert from the Duane Allman era was released. The third and fourth releases, however, were post-Duane Allman performances. So, it seemed as though that was it for Duane and the original line-up of The Allman Brothers Band.

Then, the 2007 release was announced, “Boston Common 1971.” Another show featuring slide guitar virtuoso Duane Allman was being showcased. There can never be enough live material with Duane Allman in the marketplace. Duane was one of the most inspirational Blues/Rock guitarists to ever play. One can get chills listening to his slide work. Also, the brilliant interplay between Duane Allman and Dickey Betts is one of the greatest collaborations in music. There was a magic about the instinctual communication between those two guitar masters on stage that was reminiscent of the musical interplay between Coltrane and Miles Davis or Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie.

The set-list is pretty typical from the era. There are not any surprises except for the sound quality. How did a show with such fantastic sound quality stay in the vaults for 35+ years? Anyone wanting a taste of the genius of Duane Allman does not need to look any further and any fan of The Allman Brothers Band should not be without this live show. Hopefully additional performances from the original line-up of The Allman Brothers Band will continue to be issued, but for now, this is another welcomed release that will get unlimited spins.

*Exclusive item found at hittinthenote.com


Elvis Presley – Viva Las Vegas (bonus disc)
Elvis' live gigs from Las Vegas in 1969 are among the finest in Rock N' Roll history. Bass player Jerry Scheff called it "Punk Rock Lounge Music." That is a pretty accurate description. Elvis' energy, passion and incredible vocals created a dynamic show. He also had one extraordinary band.

Prior to 1969, Elvis had spent a vast majority of the decade in Hollywood making B-level movies (which generated millions) and for the most part after 1962, recording D-level soundtrack recordings. There was an occasional non-soundtrack recording session that yielded something special (including the stunning Grammy award winning "How Great Thou Art" Gospel album). Other than two benefit concerts in 1961, Elvis' touring days had ended in the late 1950's.

Then in 1968, Elvis was back as a legitimate artistic force due to his legendary 68 Comeback Special on NBC. A few months later in early 1969, he recorded some of the finest studio recordings of his career in Memphis at Chip Moman's American Studios. The ground work was now laid for a return to the concert stage.

Elvis' manager, the notorious Colonel Tom Parker, booked a month of shows at Las Vegas' newest casino, The International (later to become the Las Vegas Hilton). Elvis was supposed to open the showroom, but Parker wanted it broken in prior to Elvis taking the stage, so Barbra Streisand did a run of shows to "work out the bugs" prior to Elvis' triumphant return.

A couple weeks into the engagement, RCA recorded 14 of the shows for a proposed live album which ultimately became "In Person at The International Hotel." Portions from only a few shows were used to construct the live album. Other than a handful of tracks from the 1969 Vegas run being added to a posthumous box set in the early 1980’s and one in the early 1990’s, the bulk of these stunning performances gathered dust in the vaults for 30+ years.

Finally in 2001, the first complete show from Elvis’ fantastic stint at The International Hotel was issued on BMG’s “Live In Las Vegas” box set (unfortunately in a terrible mix) with two more complete shows being issued on the BMG Elvis collector’s label, Follow That Dream (the finest collector’s label in existence by a mile), shortly thereafter.

BMG issued a compilation of some quality live Elvis performances from Las Vegas between the years of 1969 – 1972 in the late summer of 2007 titled “Viva Las Vegas.” Most fans could have cared less as these particular performances had been issued countless times on multiple compilations. However, BMG added a second bonus disc as a Wal-Mart exclusive that housed another complete show from 1969. One can never have too many concerts from Elvis’ unbelievable run of shows in Las Vegas from 1969.

Up until recently, live Elvis Presley archival material issued by BMG has had very questionable and controversial mixing associated with it. Most of it was done by Dennis Ferrante. He absolutely destroyed the 8/24/69 midnight show released on the “Live In Las Vegas” box set by mixing out the prominent keyboard track from the mix while increasing the volume levels of James Burton’s guitar. Later on the Follow That Dream collector’s label, he made up for it with solid mixes of Elvis’ 8/23/69 midnight performance found on “Elvis At The International” and Elvis’ 8/26/69 midnight performance found on “All Shook Up.”

The Wal-Mart exclusive bonus disc from “Viva Las Vegas” was fortunately mixed by the skilled Ray Bardani. However, the fantastic disc is not without some controversy. A lot of fans who have compared it to underground recordings of the 8/21/69 dinner and midnight performances believe this current release is a spliced composite of both shows. Producer Ernst Jorgensen has been quiet on all fronts, so nothing has been confirmed. Either way, this may be the best sounding live Elvis recording on the market. Personally, I am partial to the show found on the “All Shook Up” release as being the best live 1969 Elvis show available. But, if you are mildly interested in Elvis and want to hear why his reputation as a live performer is legendary, next time you are at Wal-Mart (how pathetic is it that one can only buy something of this magnitude at Wal-Mart?), pick this gem up for a taste of “Punk Rock Lounge Music.”

*Unfortunately, this one is a Wal-Mart exclusive. Either suck it up and go to a location or do it the simple way and order on-line.


Other fantastic archival "live" releases issued in 2007 so far:
Pearl Jam - Live At The Gorge 05/06
Muddy Waters/Johnny Winter/James Cotton - Breakin' It Up, Breakin' It Down
Aretha Franklin - Oh Me Oh My: Aretha Live In Philly, 1972
The Grateful Dead - Live At The Cow Palace: New Years Eve 1976

Can't wait for:
Jimi Hendrix - Live At Monterey (reissue)