Records, CDs and Music:

It’s almost Christmas. In two days in fact.

If you’re like me and you’ve been listening to Christmas music since early November then it should come as no surprise that we’ve almost reached that most magical of days. But before we gather around the Christmas tree and open presents, let’s reflect back on this one heck of a momentous year.

The year 2020 began with a whirlwind of political madness (at least in the U.S.) and quickly devolved into one of the worst health crises of the past 100 years, the Covid-19 pandemic, that struck every corner of the globe.

With the past eleven months of nothing but extreme weirdness, I for one am glad just to spend a few precious hours listening to some Christmas music, mainly old and old-fashioned Christmas music, to help heal my soul and ease the tension of this very dramatic year.

I have grown to really love Christmas music especially old Christmas music as it really takes me out of today and back into the magical feeling of being young and more hopeful.

I was just thinking this past October how nice it would be to have a new Christmas album by one of my favorite artists come out as sort of a musical band-aid to help heal this broken year. It was not a couple of weeks later that I heard that a new Christmas album (sort of) by none other than the late Davy Jones of The Monkees was being released in November.

Entitled appropriately enough “It’s Christmas Time Once More” this groovy new collection features Jones singing thirteen festive selections, most of which came out originally in cassette from in 1991, as well as two bonus tracks.

Produced by famed Monkees producer Chip Douglas, “It’s Christmas Time Once More” originally included eleven songs:  “Winter Wonderland”, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, “Silver Bells”, “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” , “White Christmas”, “Mele Kalikimaka”, “This Day in Bethlehem”, “Silent Night”, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and “When I Look Back on Christmas”.

This new 2020 edition adds two lovely demos from the 1960’s (two versions of “White Christmas”) plus some newly added vocals by none other than fellow Monkee Micky Dolenz along with his sister Coco plus Jone’s youngest daughter Annabel who duets with her father on another version of “White Christmas” and sings background vocals on three other tracks.

For those Monkee fanatics out there, Dolenz and his sister Coco are featured on background on “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “This Day in Bethlehem”, two of the highlights from this new disc. Monkee fans may also recognize “Silver Bells” and “Mele Kalikimaka” as Jones’ vocals from these were used on The Monkees 2018 release “Christmas  Party”.

What can I say, this newly tweaked version of “It’s Christmas Time Once More” is truly a gift. Nearly nine years after Jones’ death in February 2012, it’s so nice to be able to hear his familiar voice wafting out of stereo speakers and so nice that the Davy Jones estate is keeping his memory alive with superb releases like this one.

Davy Jones voice is so suited for Christmas music so if you’ve never heard him sing some of these evergreen classics it might be worth tracking this new album down and giving it a listen in the next couple of days.

“It’s Christmas Time Once More” came out in November on most digital platforms but I was also able to get a hold of a CD copy just this past week. It seems that Davy Jones estate has made limited copies of the CD version available this year and I believe there might be a vinyl version in the future as well.

I have to say that the wonderful cover photo by esteemed rock photographer Henry Diltz (who also sings background on some of these selections) is by far one of the best Christmas album covers I have ever seen – it’s just terrific.

As I said this year has been so dreadfully bleak that to end it with this lovely new/old collection of Christmas standards sung by Davy Jones is the perfect way to cap of 2020 with a little hope and merriment. If you’re a fan of CDs this album is out there though it may be hard to track down as I think it may have sold out but I’m sure it will be available next year as well.

As usual I thought I would share some photos (above) of the new CD and if you can’t find it at least stream or download the album as it’s widely available in digital form. If you liked The Monkees “Christmas  Party” from 2018 I’m sure you’d love to hear this new collection and what better time than two days before Christmas.

Well that’s it for now. I hope all of you out there are staying safe this Christmas and are able to have a few moments of calm and peace as we roll out of 2020 into a hopefully much better and brighter and healthier 2021.

Until next time be well and MERRY CHRISTMAS one and all!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

What would make the approaching winter of 2020 seem a little less dark and scary? A vaccine isn’t a bad place to start but since most of us won’t see that until next year what else would make the end of this crummy year more tolerable?

Food? Relaxation? A warm bath? Music? Did I hear someone out there say music?

Ahh, music, right you are. But my dear friends not just any music will do. Personally it would take something like a brand new Paul McCartney album to appear out of nowhere to help part some of the dark and ominous clouds that seem to keep rolling through this dreaded year of 2020.

Well as luck would have it today of all days Paul freakin’ McCartney has indeed released a completely new collection of freshly recorded music!

Paul McCartney’s new album entitled “McCartney III” was released today and I have to tell you it’s been the highlight of a very long and frustrating year which in fact seems to be growing ever more winding with each passing week.

The “McCartney III” album is the third album McCartney has released since he left The Beatles in which he wrote, performed and produced everything on the album by himself.

The first two in this trilogy, “McCartney” from 1970 and “McCartney II” from 1980, were both released in times of challenge and transition for McCartney so how appropriate is it that he would create a third homespun album in one of the most challenging years, so far, of the 21st Century.

The album contains ten songs which find McCartney in a playful mood just making music for music’s sake. There are no guest stars, no hot new producers, no agenda other than McCartney following his muse to see where it goes.

With Britain in lockdown, or Rockdown as McCartney calls it, it was the perfect time to let the mad scientist 
McCartney work in his music lab unfiltered and unfettered making what can honestly be called pure McCartney music.

At 78 McCartney has lost none of his touch for writing catchy tunes and creating a world of sound textures that stick in your brain without any effort.

I did hear a preview of some of the songs on this album that were leaked on the Internet in the last few weeks but after hearing the entire album in great sound quality I can honestly say that I’m very pleased with what I hear on this album.

While I’ve only heard the album a few times, already I can say that there’s only a couple of songs I feel a bit meh about while the rest I find really good to excellent.

Highlights of the disc so far for me are the lovely opening acoustic track “Long Tailed Winter Bird” (a song very much in the “McCartney” album mode), “Find My Way” (a song I call The Beatle tune, very poppy), the  White Album sounding “Lavatory Lil” (a nice rocking tune with some biting lyrics), the “RAM” like “Deep Deep Feeling” which is more groove and sound texture than lyrics and the exquisite folk ballad “Winter Bird/When Winter Comes” which is actually a leftover track from the “Flaming Pie” era that is so deceptively simple yet endearing and catchy.

Really the only songs on the album that I haven’t really warmed up to yet are “Deep Down” and “Pretty Boys” both of which are decent enough songs but may need some time to really sink in. They seem like b-side material at best but a lot of time McCartney songs like this grow on me so who knows what further listening may bring with these songs.

I don’t hear anything I really dislike on this album and quite frankly I love it when McCartney lets himself be free in the studio without trying to be anything but himself. It sounds more organic and earthy to me and while I wouldn’t say that on first blush this is one of his best albums it’s certainly a very good album that may grow in stature with repeated exposure like many of my favorite McCartney albums.

I’ve read quite a bit of comments online about the sound of McCartney’s aging voice but honestly I think he sounds better on this album than on 2018’s “Egypt Station” (which I love by the way). Yes his voice at 78 is nowhere near what it was say in 1980 at the time of “McCartney II” but on this new album McCartney seems to really fit his voice well to the material.

I think the rest from touring this year has helped his voice sound less ragged and I find that he sounds perfectly fine on this album. If you are waiting for his 1970 “Maybe I’m Amazed” voice to pop out you’ll sadly be disappointed but I find he maneuvers his voice well to the songs he’s writing now and I think he sounds better in this rawer state then the excessive voice processing used on “Egypt Station”.

“McCartney III” seems to find the right blend between McCartney’s pop and experimental sides which makes this new album sort of the child of “McCartney” and “McCartney II” as it really comes off as a blend of those two approaches which is my book is a very good thing.

What a gift to still be hearing new and interesting music from Paul McCartney in 2020. I’ll take new McCartney music any day but at this moment in time it’s quite a special treat and I’ll be revisiting this album quite a lot in the next few weeks as it’s the perfect escape from the weariness of politics and Covid that has made this year such a weary and depressing experience.

You can catch this new album either online or in a variety of interesting CDs and different colored vinyl pressings so if you’re in need of hearing a master pop craftsman doing what he does best (entertain) then look no further than checking out “McCartney III”.

I for one am going to give this album a few more spins and let it try and wash off some of the grim of 2020.

As usual you can check out photos of the regular CD edition above. More to follow as I have some vinyl and a special SHM-CD version with four bonus tracks on the way so look out for them on future blog posts.

Until next time be well and stay safe!

 

Fifty years ago this past November, George Harrison released his first solo 45 in the United States entitled “My Sweet Lord” b/w “Isn’t It a Pity”.

Fifty years on that may not seem like such a big deal but when this record came out in 1970 The Beatles, likely the biggest band of all-time, had just broken up and fans around the world were anxious to hear any kind of new music from the group members.

This debut single actually wasn’t even George Harrison’s first excursion into making music away from the safety net of The Beatles.

Harrison had dipped his toes into the solo music pool so to speak a couple of years earlier in 1968 with the release of his album called “Wonderwall Music” which was the soundtrack to the film “Wonderwall”.

The “Wonderwall Music” album featured mainly instrumental music that had a more limited audience than the music that was featured on the 45 of “My Sweet Lord” which had much more mainstream appeal and was a fitting choice for his solo 45 debut as it hit the No. 1 spot in many countries around the world.

Both songs on Harrison’s first solo 45 were featured on his monumental triple Lp set entitled “All Things Must Pass” which was also released at the end of 1970 to critical acclaim and huge sales worldwide.

To this day the “All Things Must Pass”  album is seen has Harrison’s peak both as a writer and performer with an abundance of beautiful songs that Harrison had been stockpiling as he had become too prolific for his allotment of two or three songs per Beatles album.

So in celebration of the fifty years since the release of “My Sweet Lord” and the “All Things Must Pass” album Harrison’s estate decided to reissue the “My Sweet Lord” 45 in a replica of the first pressing from the country of Angola as a part of the November 2020 Record Store Day crop of new releases.

This new reissue of  “My Sweet Lord” is pressed on very thick vinyl (as is the norm nowadays) and to add a little more attraction to collectors it’s not only a numbered edition but comes on lovely clear vinyl instead of the normal black.

Interesting choice too in recreating the Angola 45 of “My Sweet Lord” as it had a Parlophone black label and not the then current Apple label that The Beatles and solo Beatles were using plus it has an interesting picture sleeve with is a bit different to the ones that came out in the US or the UK.

When I first heard of this reissue of “My Sweet Lord” I wondered if it would contain remixed versions of both songs as it had been rumored for some time that the “All Things Must Pass” album may be reissued in remixed form for it’s 50th birthday.

Well the good news is that indeed the “All Things Must Pass” album is getting a brand spanking new remix which looks like it will be coming out sometime in 2021 but the bad news is that this new reissue of the “My Sweet Lord” 45 contains the original mixes of both songs.

Not that that’s a bad thing mind you. Having played this new 45 I must say that both songs sound really, really nice and in fact stack up very well sound wise to the better vinyl pressings of the “All Things Must Pass” album that have come out in recent years.

The vinyl is super quiet and both songs sound very analogue to me. I’m not sure if these are digital files pressed onto vinyl but if they are they’ve done a superb job as both songs sound great.

I’m sure that only diehard Beatles freaks like me are the target audience for this type of release but as far as quality goes this 45 is really well done and a nice piece to add to your collection of you’re a Beatles or Harrison fan.

This new reissue is limited to 7500 copies pressed and seems to be going online for a lot more than its original $21 asking price.

If you’re a fan I’m sure you’ll enjoy owning this single if you can find it for a decent price if not then I say it’s probably good to pass as the new  “All Things Must Pass” reissue on the horizon will be a much more satisfying purchase and I’m sure it may be a bit pricey itself when it does materialize.

As usual you can take a gander at this new 45 above.

Until next time be safe and well and enjoy the holiday season!

 

It’s no understatement to say it’s been quite a year for unreleased Elton John music! With the recent release of the fantastic eight CD box set “Jewel Box”, featuring sixty unreleased tracks from John’s overflowing archives, Elton fans were able to gorge themselves at Thanksgiving with some fun new/old music as well as turkey.

BUT the “Jewel Box” set isn’t the only new/old music Elton John has bestowed on fans. Another superb though rather limited and low-key release came out around the same time – a ten-inch 45 pairing a truly sublime unreleased jazz take of “Come Down in Time” from the “Tumbleweed Connection” album backed with a rather Rolling Stones sounding demo of “Ballad of a Well-Known Gun” from the same album.

Both of these gems were presumably found during the vault trawl that resulted in the “Jewel Box” set. Why on Earth these quite lovely versions didn’t make it to the box set is a total shame. I’ve always loved the song “Come Down in Time” especially and listening to this jazz version is a total and welcome surprise.

I love the loose jazzy take and the extended jam at the end is a real treat to listen to and I’ve been playing it over and over since I received the 45 a couple of weeks ago.

While not nearly as gentle as the finished take that made the “Tumbleweed Connection” album, this jazz version has quite a lot going for it. The song has a much different feel without the orchestration on the released take but it’s just as intriguing to listen to in this much longer jazz version.

Had this jazz version been more polished it would have been just as effective as the released version which is one of my favorite songs in John’s recorded canon.  I also love hearing the studio chatter at the beginning and near the extended jam which really gives you a feel for being at the sessions for “Tumbleweed Connection” .

The new 45’s flip side, the DJM (Dick James Music) demo of “Ballad of a Well-Known Gun”, sounds like it was recorded at a Rolling Stones session and while not as funky as the released take has a charm that I may actually prefer to the well-known “Gun” (sorry, I just couldn’t resist!). I love a lot of Elton John’s demos and this demo is no exception.

Now I have to say that while I absolutely LOVE this new 10-inch 45 with it’s lovely “Tumbleweed Connection” style cover I must say that the price ($21.98) is a bit steep for just two songs but as luck would have it I got it for just over $5 from a sale at udiscovermusic.com so I’m a happy camper.

For those of you who don’t buy physical media “Come Down in Time (Jazz Version)” is available to listen to online but I believe “Ballad of a Well-Known Gun” is exclusive to this new disc. It may be the same version of the “Ballad of a Well-Known Gun” demo that was included on a deluxe 2 CD set of “Tumbleweed Connection” from a few years ago (I haven’t compared them) but if it is it’s a new mastering anyway.

If you still love vinyl as I do this new 45 is really something special and may be worth hunting down. Both songs are great and the cardboard cover that recreated the “Tumbleweed Connection” artwork is just perfect.

If you can find this 45 for a decent price I say go for it! If you’re an Elton fan you’ll love it. Even at the full price a true Elton fan would be happy to add this to their collection as this is has super versions of two great songs.

As usual you can look at photos of this groovy new 45 above.

That’s all for now so until next time be safe and well!

 

Could it possibly be forty years since John Lennon walked this earth for the last time? Lennon was just forty years old in 1980 and indeed on December 8, 1980 Lennon was brutally shot down and killed in front of his Dakota apartment building in New York City.

I was a freshman in high school that far away Fall of 1980 and I still remember the cold sting of hearing Lennon had died and the sound of the songs from his and Yoko Ono’s recently released new album “Double Fantasy” filling the airways non-stop in the weeks after his death.

Oddly enough I had gone to bed early on the evening of December 8th and didn’t hear Lennon had died until the next day. The report of Lennon’s death the evening of December 8th broke during a football game of all things and I guess sportscaster Howard Cosell was the first to report that Lennon had been shot.

In those days there wasn’t the 24-hour news cycle like you have now with constant minute to minute reports of all the gruesome details of a major story like Lennon’s death. We didn’t have cable TV then so I was spared having to relive the shooting every five minutes and was blissfully able slept through the night unaware of the shooting.

I remember on the morning of the 9th my mother showing me the cover of my local newspaper with the glaring headline that Lennon had been shot and killed the night before. I just sat at the kitchen table for a few minutes in stunned silence.

I had only purchased the “Double Fantasy” album a few weeks prior, the week it came out, but I was already familiar with all the songs on the record including Yoko’s which truth be told I kind of liked. I had a love/hate relationship with Yoko’s music but I especially enjoyed the song “Kiss Kiss Kiss” which I found kind of hypnotic.

I remember so clearly my anticipation for this new John Lennon album was sky high as Lennon seemed like a mythical figure to me as he hadn’t had new music out for years and I was so excited to hear what he would come up with on his new album. Would it sound like The Beatles? Would I like it?

(Note: This album was the first Lennon solo album I remember looking forward to buying as I hadn’t purchased any of his solo work before 1975 when he was actively releasing new music.)

I actually scanned the airways for days to hear the first single from the album “(Just Like) Starting Over” which I finally heard late one night shortly before it’s release date while laying in my parents bed listening to their old 1960’s clock radio. I remember thinking the song was fun but kind of retro sounding. Of course I grew to love the song but it wasn’t what I was expecting.

I had really only become a big Beatles fan about six years earlier in 1974 when I discovered the then recently released “The Beatles 1962-1966 (The Red Album)” album as well as 1964’s “The Beatles’s Second Album”. By 1980 I had become such a rabid fan that I already owned most of The Beatles catalog of albums as well as a good portion of their solo work.

In fact on my 13th birthday the year before in 1979 I had received lovely sealed Apple first pressings of John  Lennon’s “Mind Games”, “Walls and Bridges” as well as his 1975 oldies album “Rock ‘n’ Roll”.  I loved all three but  I had a special affinity for the “Walls and Bridges” album which remains my favorite Lennon solo album to this day.

I remember pulling that copy of “Walls and Bridges” out the week Lennon died and playing it over and over. Some of the songs on the album seemed so otherworldly like “#9 Dream” which to me seemed like a long lost Beatles song and the lilting “Bless You”. Plus I loved the grit of “Steel and Glass” as well as the haunting “Scared”.

Really there isn’t a song I don’t like on the album but obviously all of the songs on that album though took on new meaning after Lennon’s death.

On those grey December days of 1980 I recall fondly looking over the fold out cover and booklet for the “Walls and Bridges” album and thinking how strange that I had come to his solo work only a couple of years before his death. I don’t know why but I’ve always found that “Walls and Bridges” enchants me more than any other solo Lennon album.

Of course I have always loved the bit hit from the album “Whatever Gets You Through the Night”, as I remember hearing it quite frequently on the radio in 1974, but there’s just something about Lennon’s work on this album that feels to me as  if it was the last time Lennon’s music felt to me like the Lennon of 1967.

I can’t quite put my finger on it but there’s just something a bit more Beatlely to the production as well as the sound of Lennon’s voice on this album that just reminds me of  the “Magical Mystery Tour” album which I had discovered around the same time so maybe that’s why this album is so linked to The Beatles for me.

Both the “Walls and Bridges” and “Double Fantasy” albums hold such bittersweet memories for me. It took years for me to hear these records without that sinking feeling in my stomach which as time has gone on has drifted to an just an occasional sadness sometimes when I remember the Fall of 1980.

In remembrance of Lennon’s incredible body of work I thought I would post a few photos of some of the “Walls and Bridges” CDs I’ve acquired over the years.

Above you can see an original US CD pressing, the 2005 reissue with some tracks remixed and bonus tracks plus my favorite CD release of the album the 2014 SHM-CD from Japan which features Lennon’s original mix in great sound quality.

The original US CD release doesn’t get much love from fans as it has been treated to the no-noise process which tends to deaden the sound a bit. Truth be told I don’t think it’s a horrible listen but the more recent SHM-CD has much better and fuller sound and stays quite true to the sound of the original vinyl and it also includes a groovy mini replica of the original fold-out cover and booklet so it wins all the way around in my book.

I do enjoy the 2005 issue as well as it represents the music in a clearer sound than Lennon’s original mix but it tends to be a bit on the loud side compared to the other two CDs but is a nice change every so often and well worth seeking out to add to your collection if you want to hear this record a bit less murky than the original 1974 mix.

As of tomorrow it will be forty years but instead of sadness I think I’ll just pull out some of my favorite John Lennon music most especially the “Walls and Bridges” album and maybe “Double Fantasy” as well if I can escape the sadness associated with it.

Until next time enjoy the photos above and below, be safe and well and if you’ve never listened to Lennon’s solo work then I can’t think of a better time to start exploring his great catalog of music.

Well, it certainly has been an interesting few weeks since I’ve last posted here.  The pandemic has reared its ugly head again, unfortunately, but fear not there has been a bit of musical light in the darkness so to speak to keep ones spirits up.

With the news of a brand new studio album by Paul McCartney entitled “McCartney III” due in December and upcoming box set reissues of Lennon’s classic “John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band” album as well as George Harrison’s epic solo masterpiece “All Things Must Pass” on the horizon there is at least something to look forward to in the midst of all this uncertainty.

There have also been a few newer and exciting music releases that have snuck out recently which I have decided to share on this blog. In fact just a few days a go I received a package in the mail that I thought I would be perfect to share here with you all.

Direct from paulmccartney.com came a lovely picture disc reissue of McCartney’s charming children’s song “We All Stand Together” from 1984 which was featured in an award-winning short cartoon film McCartney made called “Rupert and the Frog Song”.

The short but enchanting “Rupert and the Frog Song” was originally going to be part of a complete animated feature film but for unknown reasons McCartney only produced this lovely small film which made its debut as a trailer for his full-length movie “Give My Regards to Broad Street” in which he starred which likewise made its debut in 1984.

Ahhhh 1984. It was a strange year for so many reasons.

For Paul McCartney the critical drubbing of his self-written “Give My Regards to Broad Street” film sent his career into a tailspin that didn’t really recover until near the end of the decade with the release of his “Flowers in the Dirt” album and its accompanying tour.

For me I had graduated from high school in the spring of 1984 and I too felt a bit adrift as I tried to decide where my life was going. I took a few classes from a local trade school that Fall not really knowing where my future was headed.

I remember finally seeing “Give My Regards to Broad Street” in a near empty movie theater a few weeks after it was released and completely falling in love with the “Rupert and the Frog Song” short and absolutely loving “We All Stand Together”.

“We All Stand Together”, which was produced by famed Beatles producer George Martin, was the perfect antidote to my Fall of uncertainty.

While the song wasn’t even released in the U.S. at the time I remember locating an import copy on 45 as well as a groovy little picture disc and playing it to death on those last cold and wet winter evenings of November and December of 1984.

McCartney decided to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Rupert the Bear cartoon character – which has been a staple of British life all these many years while remaining relatively unknown in the States – by reissuing the 1984 picture disc of “We All Stand Together” .

I’m so glad he did as my original copy, see above, which came in a plastic PVC type cover has badly yellowed due to chemicals from the plastic cover seeping into the vinyl disc and discoloring it.

The new reissue is quite lovely and practically a spot-on copy of the original from 1984 but this time comes in a terrific cardboard cover and sleeve and also contains a small poster with images from the photo session for the original 45 sleeve and picture disc.

To top it off both “We All Stand Together” and it’s b-side “We All Stand Together (Humming Version)” have been lovingly remastered and sound great despite being pressed on a picture disc.

(Note: Picture discs tend to sound lousy as they usually add a lot of noise while playing but this disc sounded lovely without a hint of added hum or hiss.)

To me this song has become a part of the holiday season and I am so glad to have a reissue of the picture disc as to me “We All Stand Together” is the perfect way to close out the horrid year of 2020 and the song’s sentiment certainly stands as a great theme for this year of challenge, uncertainty and heartache.

As usual you can take a gander above at some photos of the new disc release as well as my much yellowed original 1984 picture disc minus the PVC type sleeve which fell apart a few years ago.

Well that’s all for now.

There are more new releases to come including a report on the fantastic new “Jewel Box” eight CD set by Elton John which I am currently wading through at the moment.

Until next time be well and safe and I hope the holiday season treats you well wherever you are!

 

 

 

 

 

This past Friday, October 9th, John Lennon would have turned eighty years old. Let that sink in a minute.  For anyone of a certain age that is really a remarkable statement.

How on earth have forty years passed since Lennon was brutally shot and killed outside his home in New York City?  It’s hard to comprehend but that’s the cold hard truth.

In celebration of what would have been John Lennon’s 80th birthday a new collection of Lennon’s work was also released this past Friday entitled “John Lennon/Gimme Some Truth – The Ultimate Remixes”. 

As usual these days there are several ways of buying this new collection:

• A single CD version containing 19 tracks and a 20 page booklet
• A 2 CD set with 36 songs in a slipcase with a 20 page booklet as well as a double-sided fold out poster
• A deluxe edition containing 2 CDs and 36 songs as well as a bonus blu-ray disc featuring hi-res stereo 96/24 PCM versions of the same 36 songs as well as new 5.1 surround mixes and Dolby Atmos plus a lovely 124 page hardback book and 2 postcards, a bumper sticker and a double-sided fold out poster
• A 2 Lp set containing 19 songs, an 8 page booklet as well as the bumper sticker and double-sided fold out poster
• A 4 Lp set containing 36 songs in a lift-off lid box with an 8 page booklet, 2 post cards, bumper sticker and a double-sided fold out poster

Got all that? Whew!

All of the above sets are touted as containing the ultimate remixes of most of Lennon’s solo hits as well as a smattering of deep album cuts from the various albums he recorded and released after leaving The Beatles.

I have to admit from the start that I am pretty much hit or miss with the idea of remixes.

Sometimes I enjoy these new remixes, as in the case of many of the recent Beatles albums that have been re-released and remixed, but many times I’m less than thrilled with the results of trying to modernize older recordings.

Lennon’s youngest son Sean is listed as the producer and creative director on this new set and I’ve read that his aim was to make Lennon’s music appeal to a new generation of streaming listeners by remixing all these songs from scratch with an emphasis on bringing John Lennon’s vocals to the fore.

Sean Lennon said he was afraid that younger audiences were not as familiar with his dad’s solo work and he wanted to make his father’s music sound like other more modern music, i.e. louder, they would hear on the various steaming platforms. 

First off I have no problem with Sean Lennon wanting his father’s solo career to be remembered. If it takes these remix projects to keep John Lennon’s work from fading into oblivion then great, I’m all for it.

But as a long-time fan of Lennon’s solo career, and one who listens to music the old-fashioned way on a two speaker stereo system, making these older recordings more appealing to younger listeners tends to dampen some of the magic these songs had in their original form.

So after getting this set on Friday and spending the weekend with it did Sean really make the remixes of the songs in this new collection the ultimate remixes?

Well, not really but that’s not to say this set isn’t enjoyable.

When I finally sat down and scanned through the first disc in this set at the normal settings on my receiver the thing that jumped out most to me was the bass. There is a lot of bass on these new remixes. I mean A LOT.

By the fifth song I was already getting fatigued.

There were some good things going on with these new remixes especially with the nice stereo separation and Lennon’s vocals which were now indeed more up front but the overpowering bass tended to make everything sound muddy and cramped which was a disappointment.

I stopped listening after the five songs from disc one on Friday night and then picked up listening again on Saturday. I was afraid I should have left well enough alone and skipped this set as my first impression was depressing.

For my second listening attempt I set the bass way down on my receiver and turned the overall volume a bit lower and voila much, much better. This time I could focus on the new remixes without being overwhelmed by the bass.

I have to say that for the most part after making these small adjustments I enjoyed this set. Not every new remix on this set works but there were a few that I truly did enjoy.

I have to say that of these new remixes “Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)”, “Isolation”, “Angela”, “Come Together (Live)”, “I Know (I Know)”, “Bless You”, “Steel and Glass” all stood out to me the most as being really enjoyable and fresh sounding.

“Angela” for one is a song I rarely paid attention to on the “Some Time in New York City” album but this new remix really makes this song stand out to me in way it never did before. It’s much better than I remember it being.

I’d also say that the “Imagine” and “Double Fantasy” Lp material also sounded really nice as well though as for being the ultimate remixes I’d say that would be stretching it. Different yes, interesting yes, but ultimate – no.

There are several instances throughout the set where John Lennon’s vocals were really different from the original mixes – single-tracked vs. double-tracked, less echo, etc. Sometimes these changes were really nice and other times they seemed to change the song too much for my tastes.

I think that some of the songs, “Mind Games” especially, tend to sound like rough mixes with Lennon’s voice overemphasized which push the music to the background too much making the song sound disjointed to me.

I’d say the first disc tended to be more hit and miss for me though that’s not to say I hated it by any means – it’s just different. The second disc was much more pleasing for me and one that I’d probably play a bit more often than the first disc.

The blu-ray disc actually was a bit more of pleasure to listen to as I played it through my television system which has much smaller speakers and not as much bass ability.

This actually tamed the music a bit and made the mixes sound a bit fresher and less jarring. I’m guessing listening online through streaming improves these mixes as well as I think that’s what this project was aimed at versus any sort of audiophile experience. So be it. 

Overall this set was enjoyable but if I had to pick I’d still reach for the original mixes if I was to really get into a Lennon mood.

I will say what really pushed this set up in my opinion is the terrific hardback book.

This book details each song in the set in Lennon’s own words and makes a really nice read with or without the 2 CDs. There’s also some really nice home photos I’ve never seen which makes this book a really nice way to celebrate Lennon’s life and 80th birthday.

To sum it up I’d give the deluxe set a solid B+ and would recommend it to any true Lennon fan. As to whether you need it or not I’d have to say no. Is it enjoyable, sure. The remixes are fun but I would definitely say not necessary by any means.

Whether or not the vinyl versions sound any better than the CD set I don’t know but I think this new deluxe version is enough for me. Famous last words probably but for now I’ll just stick to this set.

I’m guessing there will be another new John Lennon set on the horizon as the book lists a new deluxe set coming for Lennon’s most critically acclaimed album “John Lennon/Plastic One Band”. 

That’s certainly something to look forward to and hopefully it will be released in the near future.

As usual I have posted several photos of this set above and below.

Until next time take care and be well and see you soon!

Has it really been fifty years? Yikes these anniversaries are rapidly making me feel old.

As any fan of Paul McCartney’s solo career can tell you in April of 1970 McCartney did indeed release his first full-fledged solo album, aptly called what else “McCartney”. 

Not only did the “McCartney” album herald a new era of music for Paul McCartney it also generated a fare bit of controversy as press copies of the album included an interview in which McCartney stated that The Beatles had broken up and had no intention of ever recording together again.

Of course that little tidbit of information caused a major stir in the press leading to on the one hand great publicity for the “McCartney” album but on the other a massive amount of animosity toward McCartney as it seemed to portray him as the cause of The Beatles’ break-up.

As a result, at the time of the “McCartney” album’s release, critics took their venom out on McCartney’s more or less homemade and low-key solo debut despite the universally acclaimed track  “Maybe I’m Amazed”.

Coming so soon after the superbly crafted “Abbey Road”, The Beatles’ last recorded album together, I’m sure the almost folky and relaxed “McCartney” album must have seemed like a major left turn.

All these years later though this first Paul McCartney solo album simply reeks of charm and melody and of course pure McCartney pop music especially the exquisite “Every Night”, “Junk” and the previously mentioned stone cold classic “Maybe I’m Amazed”.

In celebration of this lovely and warm album this past week a new pressing of the “McCartney” album was released exclusively to independent record stores around the world as part of the second Record Store Day drop of exclusive releases.

Limited to 7,000 copies, this new version of “McCartney” is said to be cut at half-speed from the original master tapes at Abbey Road Studios in November of 2019.

Since I can’t resist anything McCartney, I acquired a copy of this nifty new pressing and decided to stack it up against an early British copy of the album that has a -2U on side one and a -3U on side two.

So how does this new pressing stack up against the lovely sounding early UK version? Pretty well actually. Very well if I do say so myself.

The first thing that this new pressing has going for it is that it’s dead quiet. My early UK pressing has some pops and clicks throughout which makes it a less engaging listen.

What I did notice about the new pressing is that on certain songs like “Every Night” and “Maybe I’m Amazed” there was an almost holographic feel to the sound; much smoother and fuller bass as well as nice full and clean vocals.

Don’t get me wrong the early UK pressing has nice bass too but this new pressing seemed to have a bit more detail and smoothness especially on the tracks McCartney did in EMI Studios as opposed to the other songs he recorded strictly at home.

I’d say the original UK pressing has more of a raw feel to the whole album and this new pressing kind of smooths out the rawness and makes the album seem a little more polished.

It’s not like a night and day thing but I was impressed at how lovely this new pressing sounds and while not every track seemed better there were quite a few that did sound very nice and on the whole this new pressing is well worth tracking down if you’re a fan of this album or Paul McCartney in general.

I also own the colored vinyl pressing of this album that was released a couple of years ago which sounds very much like this new pressing. I would actually give the nod to this new pressing as it sounds a bit more detailed.

Really playing this new pressing side by side against the early UK pressing I’d be surprised if anyone would be disappointed  as it stacks up very well and in some ways betters the UK pressing.

Well, that’s all for now. As usual above and below you’ll find photos of both pressings  I’ve talked about in this post.

Until next time be safe and well and Happy 50th “McCartney”!

Welcome back! As we creep back into that wonderful Fall time of year my mind, as per usual, is turning toward listening to some old vinyl. 

Not just any old vinyl mind you, lately I’ve been taking a look at all the original UK Beatles vinyl I own and making needledrops (vinyl transfers to digital) of all the first pressing mono and stereo copies that reside in my collection.

Today I wanted to feature two of my absolute favorite pressings – two of the best mono albums in the entire Beatles catalog (in my humble opinion): “Revolver” and “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”.

As fate would have it I acquired both of these lovely pressings in 1999. Back then I was just getting into Ebay and at that time one could find really good deals on Beatle vinyl especially if you looked for playable copies that weren’t in Near Mint condition.

Nowadays original Beatles UK pressings will set you back quite a bit but then you could find them much cheaper and usually in decent shape without spending a fortune.

Funny enough I remember that I won both of these albums together in one auction from someone who lived in Atlanta, Georgia. Why do I remember that you say? Well I remember thinking how funny it was to find two first pressing Beatles UK monos in Atlanta of all places. I don’t know why but that struck me as odd.

Anyway, I could tell from the photos in the auction that both were well  loved and played but the description said they both sounded great so after not many other bids I won the pair for $30 including shipping which I thought was fair.

When I got them in the mail I was very pleased as the covers were really in decent shape and though I could tell the vinyl was well-played both albums looked pretty good.

Now at the time of this auction I don’t remember if I knew that there was a rare first pressing of the “Revolver” album that was only pressed for one day which contained an alternate mix (Mono Mix 11) of “Tomorrow Never Knows”. 

As the story goes The Beatles producer George Martin called the pressing plant on the first day of the pressing of the album and requested that this version of the mono record be stopped so the mix could be switched with a more preferred version of the mono mix of  “Tomorrow Never Knows”.

Most likely John Lennon asked Martin to switch the mix at the last minute and though most other artists would not have the ability to do such a late minute change thus was the power and clout of The Beatles that EMI allowed the substitution.

Even though EMI granted the change they insisted that the copies they already pressed would go out for sale and not destroyed thus this lovely collectible was born.

(Note: I don’t think I learned about that rare pressing until several years later reading one of Bruce Spizer’s terrific Beatles books on the UK Beatle albums called “Beatles for Sale on Parlophone Records”).

As luck would have it the pressing of “Revolver” from that Ebay purchase was indeed the rare version of the album that contains the alternate mix of “Tomorrow Never Knows”. 

I just remember thinking at the time how great both albums sounded though I was a little frustrated there’s was a slight skip on one track on side one of “Revolver”. I remember not contacting the seller because I thought it was a good price and that “Pepper” played nearly perfect so what the heck why not keep them.

It’s a good thing I did as years later when I realized that my copy of “Revolver” had the matrix number XEX 606-1 that it was indeed the rare album with the alternate mix.

(Note 2: I’ve just recently read that even though this rare mix version was only pressed for one day EMI who released the album was capable of pressing up to 120,000 copies of an album in a day so accounting for the smaller stereo pressings there may actually be upwards of 80,000 or more copies of this mono pressing floating around the UK somewhere.)

As for the mono mix 11 of “Tomorrow Never Knows” it’s actually not drastically different to the familiar mono mix but it does have differences in John Lennon’s vocals and the volume of the tape loops that run throughout the song. 

The telltale sign that’s it is the rare mix is that it fades out much longer than the normal mono mix and features more of the tack piano in the fade than the regular mix.

It wasn’t until I read about the rare mix and discovered I owned it on my pressing. I’m guessing I just thought it was the difference between mono and stereo and didn’t really pay much attention to this mix.

It wasn’t until I bought another UK mono pressing of  “Revolver” that contained the regular mono mix of “Tomorrow Never Knows” that I could clearly tell the difference and now I really love listening to this alternate mix.

I’m so glad side two of my copy of “Revolver” with the rare mix plays perfectly and sounds great. I actually dubbed side one from my other UK mono copy of “Revolver” (both of these copies have XEX 605-2 on side one) so that I have a pristine digital audio representation of the first UK mono pressing of this album.

As I said the mono pressing of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” plays fantastic with very little noise and though it looks like it was well loved sounds like a fairly unplayed copy. 

By the way the matrixes on my copy of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” are side one XEX 637-1 and side two XEX 638-1 for those who want to know.

Well there you have it. As usual you can see photos of these two beauties above and below. “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” is missing its original red inner sleeve but is otherwise complete.

That’s all for now so until next time be well and safe and play some music!

Who would have believed that’s it’s been nearly fifty years since the television show The Partridge Family made it’s network premiere!

On September 25, 1970 that famous multicolored egg cracked open and unleashed one of pop cultures most beloved music and television acts that still has millions of fans around the world.

Speaking only for me I have no idea what I was doing on that particular Friday night of September 25th 1970 (I was only four years old) but I do have a vivid memory of having the single “I Think I Love You“, in its picture sleeve no less, bought for me.

As memory serves I was shopping in an L.S. Ayers store with my mother and one of my older brothers probably around October when my brother asked my mom if he could have the single.  Well my mother knew that even at that age I was a music nut so she bought me a copy as well.

(Note: I still have that single to this day but the 45 and the picture sleeve look like they’ve survived a tornado and I wouldn’t dare to try and play the single as it has been worn to bits)

The other fleeting memory I have from the early 1970’s and The Partridge Family is around 1971 when I attended nursery school I insisted that they take a children’s record off the record player (probably some song like “Old MacDonald”) and play my copy of “The Partridge Family Album” which I had duly brought with me.

I know I know I was a weird child but it worked and I also remember one of the younger teachers smiling and waving her head to the music as my Partridge album played.

I also remember having the picture of The Partridge Family that came inside the first album (the same photo that’s on the “I Think I Love You” picture sleeve) tacked onto a bulletin board for years as a child.

Needless to say that The Partridge Family and I go way back so in honor of that it might be fun to share something that would be the perfect way to celebrate this 50th anniversary – a 4 CD Partridge Family box set!

Now before anyone thinks that a CD set is coming out I have to say there are no plans that I know of for any such box set. And I seriously doubt in today’s streaming culture anything like it ever will BUT I did manage to get an unofficial set a few years ago that fits the bill nicely.

A couple of years ago a friend of mine found a four CD set called “The Partridge Family Anthology” online somewhere and since it looks real they bought it for me as a gift.

As you can see from the photos above and below this set looks completely genuine and I can see how someone not familiar with the group could be fooled into thinking it was an official product.

I was flabbergasted when I first saw the CDs as every little detail looks nice – the Arista logo, the artwork inside and out, the Made in West Germany text on the rear of the CDs (a nod to CD collector’s obsession with early CDs made in West Germany) and best of all the track selection.

You see each volume of this CD set corresponds with a season of The Partridge Family TV show and features all the songs from that particular season – containing both released and unreleased songs!

While it’s obvious the unreleased songs came from a dub from the DVDs of the show I must say this set sounds pretty darn good and as several of these lost tracks that were broadcast on the show but never released on vinyl have a slim chance of ever being released officially I’ll take what I can get.

It’s a pity too as a real 4 CD set mastered from the genuine master tapes and including alternate mixes from the TV show would be a Partridge Family fans dreams come true.

But to quote the late David Cassidy himself “Dreams are nuthin’ more than wishes” as clearly Arista Records/Sony have no interest in releasing such a thing. Its a shame as the the few songs that didn’t make it onto vinyl but were broadcast on the TV show are quite good and worthy of release.

Well anyway, here’s my 50th anniversary salute to The Partridge Family! A bit early and a bit fantasy but every bit heartfelt and happy. Yes I said happy as in “Come on, get happy”!

Take a gander at the photos of this unofficial set and if you were around when the series premiered reply to this blog and share your remembrances.

As for me I shall take one of thee CDs out and give it a spin.

Until next time be well and safe and remember … “Come on now and meet everybody …”