Records, CDs and Music:

Okay, today I’m sharing a part of my life that’s been quite unexpected but also equally quite fulfilling.

For the past twenty years or so I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing and writing about some of my favorite rock/pop musicians!!!

I was hired to work at a local newspaper (the News-Sentinel) in 1998 and happened to stumble into writing entertainment articles for that same newspaper. I wasn’t hired as a journalist but over the years as the staff of journalists shrank due to layoffs I had the opportunity to write articles for the entertainment section which turned out to be quite a fun job.

I had written a lot of fiction before I came to the newspaper, I write children and YA books and articles as well, so writing is second nature to me and talking about music is like breathing so it was really a terrific fit and a great opportunity to be able to write about and interview famous musicians – and a bit surreal as well.

Here are some of my favorite articles that I’ve written and published for The News-Sentinel newspaper. Articles include interviews as well as the occasional concert or album review (click links below):

Beatlemania_ 50 years since The Beatles landed in the United States – News-Sentinel

‘Hey hey, it’s the Monkees’ – Entertainment – News-Sentinel

James McCartney seemed to be off at Brass Rail – Entertainment – News-Sentinel

James McCartney, son of the music legend, to perform in Fort Wayne – Arts & Music – News-Sentinel

Jazz great Diana Krall mixes many music styles – News-Sentinel

Kevin Costner’s film fame the big draw for his concert here Sunday – News-Sentinel

Legendary rock group Styx shares its large library of hits this Saturday at Foellinger Outdoor Theatre – News-Sentinel

Legends Crosby, Stills & Nash bring harmony to excited Embassy Theatre audience – News-Sentinel

Mannheim Steamroller founder feels personal link to band he created – News-Sentinel

Matchbox Twenty hitting new heights with latest album – News-Sentinel

Mellencamp’s come far since the ’80s – News-Sentinel

Mood relaxed as Diana Krall plays Fort Wayne’s Embassy Theatre – News-Sentinel

Music legend Bob Dylan plays Friday at Parkview Field – News-Sentinel

Music review: New John Lennon vinyl box set brings back his music in all its glory – News-Sentinel

Noone, Hermits to play at Honeywell Center – News-Sentinel

Oak Ridge Boys bring Christmas show to Embassy Theatre – News-Sentinel

Peter Frampton comes full circle – Entertainment – News-Sentinel

Poco takes stage in Van Wert – News-Sentinel

Preview of new deluxe CD set ‘George Harrison — The Apple Years 1968-1975,’ being released Tuesday – News-Sentinel

Re-mixed Beatles Hollywood Bowl’ CD worth the wait – Entertainment – News-Sentinel

Review_ The Beatles are coming to CD — again – News-Sentinel

Rick Springfield, who plays Sunday night at Foellinger Theatre, loves his fans – News-Sentinel

Ringo in Starr-studded performance at Foellinger Outdoor Theatre – Arts & Music – News-Sentinel

Ringo Starr blends solo, Beatles hits into wonderful show – Entertainment – News-Sentinel

The Monkees reunite_ Band plays favorities and rarities on 45th-anniversary tour, including three shows in Indiana – News-Sentinel

The Moody Blues play on – News-Sentinel

Tommy James and the Shondells to rock Foellinger Theatre – News-Sentinel

Tork, Dolenz still monkeying around – Entertainment – News-Sentinel

50 years in, Gordon Lightfoot still loves performing – News-Sentinel

America brings hits to outdoor concert – News-Sentinel

Ballads with a new flair: Lettermen promise more than typical ‘oldies’ show – News-Sentinel

Blues great Buddy Guy humbled by music success, his amazing journey  – News-Sentinel

Celebrating 40 years of KISS – Entertainment – News-Sentinel

Clay Aiken sings with classic style – News-Sentinel

Even without the Eagles, Joe Walsh soars in Foellinger concert – Entertainment – News-Sentinel

Folk music legend John McCutcheon loves performing live – News-Sentinel

From ‘American Idol’ win to megahit ‘Home, Phillip Phillips going with the flow – News-Sentinel

Goo Goo Dolls’ CD ‘defines who we are’ – News-Sentinel

Hoosier rocker back to basics – News-Sentinel

Ian Anderson to perform solo work and Jethro Tull classics at Embassy – Entertainment – News-Sentinel

Jim Brickman brings Christmas concert to the Embassy – News-Sentinel

School’s back in with Alice Cooper at the Embassy Theatre – News-Sentinel

‘70s hitmaker Three Dog Night will be in town for a sold-out concert – News-Sentinel

I’ll be sharing more of my journalistic work soon in another blog post. Until then, be well and enjoy this hot August day!!!

 

 

 

 

In this day and age of the special edition vinyl/CD sets – including deluxe sets, super deluxe sets and expensive reissues of all kinds – some box sets stand head and shoulders above all the others.

Today I’m going to take a look at what I consider to be the super daddy deluxe set of all the box sets I own – the super deluxe limited metal box issue of The Fireman (aka Paul McCartney and Youth) “Electric Arguments”.

“Electric Arguments” came out in 2008 and was the third album that McCartney released under the Fireman banner.

(Note: The Fireman was Paul McCartney’s collaboration with the musician Youth)

The first two Fireman albums – “Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest” from 1993 and “Rushes” from 1998 – were full-on experimental works containing ambient music with little or no vocals mixed with techo and a bit of rock that let McCartney, along with musician Youth (Martin Glover), create sound pictures that were much more esoteric then McCartney’s more mainstream pop/rock music.

In 2008, “Electric Arguments” came along and while it contained the same experimental vibe of its two predecessors, it was much more akin to McCartney’s  “normal” studio work featuring more structured songs and McCartney’s vocal work – think Paul and Linda McCartney’s album “Ram” meets Brian Eno and Beck.

While the first two Fireman albums sort of came and went under the radar, “Electric Arguments”  garnered some of the best reviews of McCartney’s solo career and though not a huge seller is now considered one of the best solo works McCartney has produced outside of The Beatles revered catalog.

Now, believe it or not, I was actually a bit lukewarm to “Electric Arguments” the first time I heard it. It took a few listens to really hit me but now it’s one of my favorite Paul McCartney albums.

In fact “Two Magpies”, “Sing the Changes” and “Dance ‘Til Were High” are three of my favorite McCartney songs and the album as a whole is really one of McCartney’s best.

I can’t remember exactly when the deluxe metal box set came out – must have been released a few months after the regular CD. I remember it was only available through McCartney’s Website and was very limited.

I do however distinctly remember that it took FOREVER from the time I ordered the box to the time I actually received it as it was delayed time and again for unknown production reasons.

I remember when it did finally arrive that it weighed a ton and looked positively amazing when I first took it out of the sack it was mailed in (still have the mailing sack lol, see above).

The deluxe metal box set contains 2 CDs, the main album and a CD of bonus tracks, as well as a DVD with a Hi-Res version of the album along with videos and a second DVD that contains multi-track audio allowing one to “mix” five songs from the album.

There is also a 2 Lp vinyl pressing in the box along with a large photo booklet, two lithographs and a nice red cloth bound booklet which houses the 4 discs mentioned.

Looking at the photos above, this is surely one of the best deluxe sets McCartney has ever released and the first deluxe sets of many; several beautiful deluxe sets of McCartney’s solo albums have been released as a part of his Archive Collection.

“Electric Arguments” was originally released on the One Little Indian record label from the UK and has also been reissued recently again on vinyl in a limited, numbered pressing featuring the CD as well which I also happen to own (see photos above).

Take a look at the photos of this truly magnificent set and if you’ve never heard of this album definitely give it a spin. You’ll be surprised at how much fun it is to listen to and how much more there is to McCartney’s music than just silly love songs (which I also happen to really love as well!).

Until next time, be well and enjoy what’s left of the rapidly fading summer!

 

 

 

Some years ago, say about 35 or so, I was given a beautiful box set of eight vinyl albums.

Of course, these weren’t just any eight albums, these were Beatles albums (I know, shocker right?!!).

This truly lovely Japanese box set is called “The Beatles Box: From Liverpool” and features selections from throughout the group’s entire career (barring of course “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love” from the mid ’90s) and also includes a lot of rare mixes as well.

Now, for one, I’m ALL ABOUT box sets. I love them. Whether they’re vinyl, CD what have you, I just love them.

And this set, in typical Japanese style, is well made with thin but nicely made unique covers for each disc plus a groovy booklet and sturdy box complete with red OBI slip on the outside (the Japanese love these paper OBI strips).

This particular box set sounds great too with super quiet vinyl with mostly stereo mixes with a few rare mixes thrown in as well; makes my heart pitter-patter just thinking about it.

Originally released in the UK in 1980 by World Records, a mail order division of The Beatles record label EMI, this set is a great way of getting a fair amount of The Beatles entire recorded output in one spot in outstanding quality – all in its analog glory.

Now, how my mother ended up buying me this Japanese version of the set as a gift I don’t quite remember. It might have been sitting at our local Musicland store at the mall or maybe she saw it in one of my mail order catalogs but nonetheless I was thrilled to get it and still cherish it to this day.

Some of my favorite oddball mixes included in this set are: “All My Loving” (with “hi-hat” intro), “I’m Only Sleeping” (stereo with a different guitar solo from the U.S. eight-track of Yesterday and Today), “I Feel Fine” (true stereo version that begins with whispering and coughing) and “I Am The Walrus” (composite version from the U.S. Rarities Lp).

I’m in the process of making a CD set of vinyl drops (CDRs) from this box set as I really enjoy hearing this collection and want to keep it in digital form. It just shines when you play it back through a nice CD player and truly sounds better than most of the officially released Beatles CDs.

Because the set contains so much music it’s a bit lower in volume at times but sounds great and blossoms when you play it a bid louder than normal.

Check out some photos above of this groovy Japanese version of one of the best Beatles collections ever released on vinyl. Too bad it never made it to the CD age but then again if it did then Apple (The Beatles company) probably would have substituted the rare mixes defeating the fun factor of this set.

It’s well worth trying to track down this collection all you Beatles vinyl lovers out there though the original UK set may be a bit cheaper to find these days than the Japanese import set. Luckily the contents are the same whether you find the UK or Japanese version.

Until next time, be well and Beatle on!!!

 

 

 

 

Well, it’s been a bit of a break from Blogland lately for me but tonight I’m back and in the mood for some John Lennon music.

This fall, most likely on Oct. 9th or thereabouts which is John Lennon’s birthday, a new CD or box set as well as DVDs, a book and who know’s what else will celebrate one of Lennon’s best and best-selling solo albums – “Imagine” from 1971.

The “Imagine” album has always been in my Top 3 solo Lennon albums (along with “Walls and Bridges” and “Double Fantasy”) so today I thought I’d take a look at the various pressings I own of this classic album on compact disc.

Yes, I know the compact disc is getting shafted in all corners lately – not a sought after collectible, not trendy, not cool, etc. – but it’s still my preferred way of listening to music and since this blog is about physical media – feast your eyes!

The first pressing I ever bought of “Imagine” was the first US CD release from around 1988 I believe. I remember reading that the first UK copy was kind of hissy and sounded only okay so I waited to buy the US version which came out a few months after the first UK CD release in 1987.

Well, the first US CD had been treated with the then in vogue “no-noise” process which used computer software to remove hiss which also unfortunately removed some of the sound quality as well.

The worst uses of the “no-noise” process resulted in music sounding like there was a blanket over the speakers and the highs being squashed but really the first US “Imagine” CD is actually pretty decent sounding though certainly not the best version out there.

I still own that first “Imagine” CD (of course, plus I still have the longbox for it too!) and it’s really not a bad sounding disc as the “no-noise” treatment I feel wasn’t used too heavily on it.

A few years later I stumbled upon a first issue Japanese CD (see above) of “Imagine” also issued in 1987 which didn’t have the “no-noise” treatment like the first UK CD and I do like it a bit better than the US CD – more hiss but a bit more life as well though not drastically better mind you but it is an improvement.

In 2000, Yoko Ono, John Lennon’s widow, released a remixed version of the “Imagine” album which I own on a gold CD from the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab label.

Though mastered a bit to loud for my tastes, the remixed version of this album is nice to have as it gives the album a less dense sound than Lennon’s original mix (Lennon’s original mixes for his solo work all tended to sound dense with little stereo separation) and is fun to hear.

I think had they gone easier on the compression this CD remix would be terrific but as it is it’s an interesting side listen but I have to listen to it at low volumes as it’s a bit aggressive – but interesting nonetheless.

I still prefer Lennon’s original mix when I listen to the album but I do like to pull the remix CD out every now and again just to get a different listening experience.

I think that the remix is becoming a rarity as Yoko Ono went back to Lennon’s original mix for the last reissue of the “Imagine” album which came out in 2010.

I own the 2010 mastering as part of the “Signature Box” which contains all of Lennon’s studio solo work as well as a groovy 2014 SACD Japanese release that also uses the 2010 mastering which is my preferred CD release of this album as it just sounds superb!

The US 2010 version of “Imagine” sounds great as well and all of Lennon’s albums as reissued in 2010 on CD are the way to go for me personally as I want to hear the original mixes and these CDs sound the best – better than any previous CD versions of his work for sure.

I also own a nifty mini-CD version of “Imagine” that came out in 2007 which also  features the remix of the album but comes in a wonderful replica package that features a mini poster, postcard and inner sleeve just like the original  vinyl release.

The 2014 Japanese SACD I mentioned previously also features the same mini-Lp treatment but uses Lennon’s original mix.

Rumor has it that the new “Imagine” release is coming this fall which will contain outtakes and alternate versions of songs from the “Imagine” sessions so I can’t wait to see a press release detailing the goodies fans have in store from this new and hopefully ultimate “Imagine” package.

Until then, take a gander at some of the older CD issues I own (above) and until next time …  peace and be well!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Well, well, another anniversary.

Yes, I know, there’s always another anniversary brewing but I think this one is pretty fun.

Fifty-four years ago today The Beatles’ first film entitled “A Hard Day’s Night” had it’s  premiere in theaters at the London Pavilion in front of thousands of screaming fans outside and none other then members of the royal family attending inside.

To say this film was influential is an understatement. Not only is it the best film made by
The Beatles, it’s also one of the best films made about music PERIOD!

Naysayers at the time were won over by the cheeky, down to earth and lovable “mop-tops” as The Beatles became known and to this day this film is still critically revered and a joy to watch.

And seeing as how this blog is about the joys of physical media, I thought it might be fun to take a look at three ancient (at least it seems that way now) ways of watching “A Hard Day’s Night” from the not so distant past – the first VHS Tape home video issue plus two CD-ROM’s (one Macintosh and one Windows).

The first time I was able to get a really good look at  “A Hard Day’s Night” was its original VHS Tape issue from 1984.

I remember ordering it from one of the local video rental stores and as I vividly recall it sure wasn’t cheap! It was somewhere around $80 or more and remarkably enough I  managed to scrap up enough to buy it and anxiously awaited its release.

Talking the tape out now to take photos I forgot that it was even labeled as first issue right on the silver label of the tape. It was also copied onto Maxell brand tape and looks very well made, much better than other tapes at time as I recall.

Of course the picture isn’t up to the latest issue on DVD or Blu-Ray but this release looks pretty good and sounds great still. It was a revelation to finally be able to pop this film in anytime I wanted to and see it uncut in all it’s glory!

(Note: In those days “A Hard Day’s Night” was rarely shown on television or cable so being able to own it was one of the only ways of getting to see it.)

Of course I have always loved the film but I had originally seen The Beatles second film “Help!” first and it took me a while to really fall head over heels for “A Hard Day’s Night” as “Help!” seemed much more akin to The Monkees TV show of which I was and am a big fan.

Nowadays I’d say I’m much more a fan of “A Hard Day’s Night”  because it really does capture The Beatles and Beatlemania so perfectly and it stands out as the best film work The Beatles ever did.

Cut to 1993 and the Voyager company’s CD-ROM issues of “A Hard Day’s Night” in both Macintosh and Windows format.

It’s been ages since I’ve popped these babies into a computer but as I remember you could watch the entire film as well as view the entire shooting script among other goodies.

Of course you had to have decent memory on your computer as I recall the film getting hung up quite often as I didn’t have a state of the art computer at the time but nevertheless I remember enjoying these CD-ROMs but they were no match for seeing the film as it exists today on Blu-Ray.

I just thought it might be fun to take a gander at photos of these artifacts from the past (above) and take a moment to celebrate one of my all-time favorite films (and groups!) and take a quick journey backward.

Makes me want to take out my “A Hard Day’s Night” Blu-Ray and give it a spin.

Until next time, enjoy the summer sun and be well!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends, or at least never wants to end.

What better way is there to celebrate a warm summer day, two days after the 4th of July (a big celebration here in America of course) then to wake up to a new Beatles release!

And not just any release but a vinyl 45; a picture disc 45 no less!

Today a special limited edition picture disc 45 is being released of The Beatles classic 1966 single “Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby” from their superb album“Revolver”.

This groovy 45 is being put out to promote the 50th Anniversary release of The Beatles film “Yellow Submarine” which is due to hit theaters in a few days for limited screenings with a buffed up 4K scanned picture with a nice 5.1 surround mix for the soundtrack as well.

I hesitated about buying this release as while it is a nifty looking piece is it really necessary? Of course the collector in me won out – shocker I know – so I thought I’d share some photos of the picture disc (above).

This disc looks very nice and believe it or not (yes, I actually played it!) sounds really nice as well. It features the 2015 stereo remixes of both songs by Giles Martin and was surprisingly quiet and nicely pressed.

I was expecting the disc to sound less impressive then it does but if you decide to take this disc for a spin you won’t be disappointed in the sound as it sounds great and I really enjoy the 2015 remixes here as they aren’t as loud as the remixes Martin did for the 50th Sgt. Pepper release from last year.

There are also two really great import magazines from the UK (the Brits have MUCH better music magazines then we do Stateside!) which both feature The Beatles that have just hit this side of the world.

The first one is a recent issue of Record Collector Magazine (one of my all-time favorite publications) that has a really nice feature on The Beatles “White” album which is due to celebrate its 50th anniversary later this year with a deluxe box set much like last years Sgt. Pepper box set.

The other magazine is a special issue of Mojo Magazine called the Red Issue 1962-1966 which features some terrific articles about the group  in that time frame along with some really terrific photos and artwork.

There is to be a Blue Issue 1967-1970 coming out soon and that issue will fit nicely in the folder that comes with the Red Issue (see above).

Both of these magazines came out last month or so in Britain but are just in stores around the States this past couple of weeks – at least near where I live anyway.

(Note: All three items above can be found at Barnes & Noble stores nationwide while the “Yellow Submarine” picture disc can also be found at record stores worldwide.)

So sit back and take a trip to Pepperland for a few minutes. Though in all honesty it feels bit like we live in Pepperland full time in the States at the moment- Blue Meanies EVERYWHERE!

And be on the lookout for theaters near you that may be showing “Yellow Submarine” beginning on July 8th!

Until next time be well and play some music!!!

 

 

 

 

 

You say it’s your birthday indeed!

Today Paul McCartney turns 76 years old (unbelievable!) and with the imminent news/release of McCartney’s latest album hopefully dropping this week I thought it might be fun to look back at one of my all-time favorite solo McCartney albums “Wings Greatest”.

Even though “Wings Greatest” is a compilation album I think it contains some of McCartney’s most choice solo recordings and is one of the first McCartney solo albums I owned.

I had dabbled in a few of McCartney’s solo singles – “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey”, “My Love” and “Listen to What the Man Said” – but up until 1978 when “Wings Greatest” was released the only other McCartney solo albums I owned were “Ram” and “London Town”.

I was strictly hits oriented at the tender age of 12 and I remember receiving the “Wings Greatest” album for Christmas that year and playing it to death. I must have played that vinyl copy a dozen times in the first week I owned it!

So, above are photos of four different CD pressings of the album from my collection – the first Japanese CD issue, the first UK CD issue, the McCartney Collection issue also from the UK and the latest (and greatest I might add) CD issue, the SHM-CD Mini-Lp Japanese issue which just came out last month.

All four of them sound different as they all have different masterings.

The first Japanese CD issue of the album which was released at the end of the 1980s sounds pretty good but has a noticeable treble boost and is a bit hissy sounding. Not great but not bad either. Some of the songs sound superb while others are hit or miss.

While a bit hard to find these days at one time this Japanese issue was my preferred version of this album and was for awhile the coveted issue on compact disc.

The first UK issue of “Wings Greatest” also from the late 1980s actually sounds really nice and is one of the best sounding versions of this album on CD. I’d give the nod to the latest SHM-CD as it has a bit more fluid low end but this CD is no slouch in the sound department.

The McCartney Collection issue from the 1990s is okay but suffers from noise reduction which was prevalent at the time and while it’s not horrible sounding it’s a bit dead or flat sounding compared to the two best CD versions.

The creme of the crop version of “Wings Greatest” on compact disc by far is the superb SHM-CD which just came out this year.

Not only does it sound great – it’s part of the McCartney Archive Collection releases – but the packaging is terrific as well with the lovely reproduced mini-lp sleeve, poster and inner sleeve that mimic the original Japanese vinyl.

So sit back today and if you own a copy of “Wings Greatest” throw it on in celebration of its creator on his 76th birthday.

Happy Birthday Paul and I look forward to your latest album soon!!!

Cheers until next time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes life surprises you in unexpected ways.

Last night I saw “The Monkees Present The Mike (Nesmith) and Micky (Dolenz) Show” in Huber Heights, OH at the Rose Music Center and I’ll be damned if it wasn’t one of the best shows I’ve seen in ages.

Now I must confess I’m a huge Monkees fan (no surprise to readers of this blog!). I’ve seen various lineups of the group over the years stretching from 1986 to 2016 and this show my friends sits comfortably not only in my top three Monkees shows but in my top three live shows ever.

When it was announced earlier in the year that Mike and Micky would be doing a joint tour together I was excited. When they said they were going to perform some never played live Monkees deep cuts I was overjoyed.

I was expecting a good show but was surprised at how awesome the backing band was, one of the best I’ve ever heard at a Monkees show, and how well the music flowed and sounded.

You see this is the fourth time I’ve seen Mike Nesmith perform in a Monkees show and what I really enjoy about his participation is that he seems to steer The Monkees train (as Dolenz often describes the Monkees phenomena) toward more of a celebration of the musical side of The Monkees.

That may seem like a weird statement but when Davy Jones was at the helm (and don’t get me wrong, I loved his shows as well) there was more of an emphasis on the madcap TV Monkees with the music along for the ride.

Nesmith’s presence seems to tame the antics and bring more focus toward The Monkees catalog of great songs and last night’s show was just that; it was all about the music – no videos, no shtick and frankly very little talking or story telling at all from either Dolenz or Nesmith.

For the past ten years or so Monkees live performances have featured large video screens with ample clips from their TV show as well as their movie “HEAD” along with a heavy nod to the TV personas they created all those years ago.

Don’t get me wrong, there was a looseness and humor to the show last night  – Nesmith was his usual dry-humored self – but it was very subtle. The humor sprung from Dolenz’ and Nesmith’s own personas not that of the Micky or Mike characters from The Monkees TV show.

Nesmith in particular riffed humorously in various ways about the heat (it was pretty muggy last night) most notably joking several times that it was nice to be back in Australia.

At one point Nesmith also took out a pair of sunglasses (see above) and proceeded to wear them for a few songs because of the strong sunlight that was hitting the stage which quickly brought to mind the the lyric “sound of the sunset” from “Auntie’s Municipal Court.”

Dolenz, in great voice as usual, was surprisingly quiet with very little to say other than to sing his guts out, which he did admirably.

I must say both Dolenz and Nesmith sounded great but you could certainly see that Nesmith was a bit rusty at times (he sang the lyrics as he read them from his Ipad) and wasn’t the well-oiled stage performer that Dolenz has become over the years.

Nevertheless Nesmith sang more passionately then I’ve ever heard him in the four shows I’ve seen him perform and was dead on for the majority his vocal work throughout the show.

It was nice to see his son Christian, who plays guitar in the band, help his dad adjust his Ipad when it got stuck during one point in the performance and watch him just generally support his father throughout the night by giving cues to the band for the elder Nesmith or smile as his he nailed a particularly good vocal.

It was also fun to see Mike Nesmith make fun of himself and just be so loose and relaxed and come across as genuinely happy to be there and touched by the love and affection from the audience which nearly filled the place which was great to see as well.

The standout performances for me last night included “Good Clean Fun” (a track from the “Present” album from 1969), “Me and Magdalena” (a superb performance!) and “Birth of An Accidental Hipster” both from The Monkees 2016 album “Good Times”, “The Door into Summer”, “St. Matthew” (an obscure but lovely choice), “Take a Giant Step” (in the original 45 arrangement) and “I’ll Spend My Life with You” (from my favorite Monkees album “Headquarters”).

But the true highlight of last night, and frankly of all The Monkees shows I’ve ever seen, was the stellar performance of “Auntie’s Municipal Court”, a psychedelic deep cut from The Monkees fifth album “The  Birds, The Bees & The Monkees” that I’ve longed to hear in concert for over thirty years and finally got to hear and boy did it not disappoint!

So there you have it, a great show, a great venue (there was a free barbecue included in the ticket price which was a nice and tasty touch) and great weather despite the sometimes muggy heat.

Above I’ve posted a few photos from last night’s show as well as a groovy signed vinyl copy of Mike Nesmith’s album “Infinite Tuesday: Autobiographical Riffs The Music” and a button set both from the merchandise table.

I couldn’t resist the signed album as I’d actually use it vs my normal shirt or clothing purchase which would probably just sit in a drawer. I would have bought a program but they had sold out by the time I made my way through the long line for merchandise!

All in all, a great night of music and if this is the last time I see a Monkees performance (hopefully not but you never know) it was truly a spectacular way to celebrate their legacy and end on a major high note.

Anyway, enjoy the photos and until next time be well and hey, hey … it’s summer!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Friday!!! Who doesn’t love Friday? Best day of the week. Major TGIF and since the weather’s great even more so!

In honor of the end of another long work week I thought it might be fun to take a journey overseas, to a more tropical climate. Not to troll a beach or gaze at the surroundings mind you, in this corner of the Web we’re looking at records. (Shocker I know).

Today I’m going to feature three of my favorite foreign Beatles pressings – a mono copy of “Revolver” and stereo copies of “A Collection of Beatles Oldies” and “Let it Be” – all from Uruguay which are fairly obscure at least in the United States.

I acquired these three beauties somewhere in the late 1970s at of all places my local shopping mall!

There was a store there which is now long gone and of course I forget the name but they used to stock quite a few import Beatles lps – UK, Japanese and these three pressings (see above) from Uruguay.

While these Uruguay Beatle records come with flimsy covers consisting of thin paper stock covered in plastic and look cheaply made they sound surprisingly good!

They seem to have been made from UK pressing plates as they have the same matrix numbers as UK pressings and fairly early numbers as well – see below:

“Revolver” – XEX 605-2 and XEX 606-2

“A Collection of Beatles Oldies” – YEX 619 and YEX 620

“Let it Be” – YEX 773-3U and YEX 774-3U

 

Because of using the British parts these really sounded much better than I remember as I hadn’t touched them in over 20 years.

I just played through all three pressings this week and while I would say the vinyl quality is a tad below a standard UK pressing (the Uruguay pressings have an occasional pop and crackle) they really do sound wonderful and are almost as good sounding as first pressing UK copies.

This mono copy of “Revolver” was the first mono copy I had ever heard and as soon as the cowbell popped up loud and clear in “Taxman” as it does in the mono mix I knew this pressing was something different and exciting.

“Got to Get You into My Life” is another song from the mono “Revolver” that really stood out as Paul’s vamping near the fade is just great, one of the reasons I prefer the mono version of this (and truthfully most) Beatles albums as the mix seems to just pop with an energy and vitality that’s missing from some of the stereo mixes.

I don’t have many other Uruguay pressings to compare (I do own an album by the group America but haven’t played it) but if all pressings from Uruguay sound this good it might be worth tracking some down if you can find them.

I would imagine these were’t pressed in great numbers but who knows, they did find their way to a Midwest shopping which seems amazing to me.

Anyway, feast your eyes on these unique pressings and until we meet again on the World Wide Web enjoy the sunshine – if you have it!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, since I’m still in a Monkees mood I thought I’d once again take a trip back in time and take a look at some Monkees music on compact disc.

Rhino Records/Warner Brothers, who currently own The Monkees back catalog, have done a magnificent job of not only reissuing all of The Monkees albums on vinyl as well as CD but expanding them to include practically every aural morsel of music that resides in the Rhino vaults.

Nowadays fans are used to deluxe CD box sets featuring outtakes, rare mixes, TV mixes as well as nice booklets stuffed with great information/details about Monkees recording sessions (courtesy of Monkees historian Andrew Sandoval) so these older CDs may seem quaint by comparison.

BUT there was a time in the early 1990s right before The Monkees catalog was purchased by Rhino Records in 1994 when it was hit or miss if the entire Monkees catalog would even come out on CD let alone have all these terrific sets with bonus material.

You see, several of The Monkees master tapes have been MIA for decades and even to this day some of the mono and stereo master tapes for certain albums have yet to surface.

That was even more so the case in the late 1980s and early 90s when a large majority of Monkees masters where unable to be located for CD reissues.

This led Arista Records, then owners of The Monkees catalog, to end up releasing several Monkees albums featuring remixes of certain tracks mixed with the then currently available Monkees masters.

(Note: Luckily several of the Monkees multi-tracks (which are used to mix down to a stereo or mono master) survive thus enabling several songs to be remixed)

The first five Monkees albums plus their seventh were in fact released by Arista in Japan (only the first four were issued in the U.S. by Arista) and are a real treat for Monkees fans as the remixes are really fun to hear and have subtle but interesting differences from the original mixes.

Plus the Japanese Arista CDs feature artwork that in several cases is drastically different to their U.S. counterparts which also makes them quite desirable to collectors.

I was fortunate at the time these came out to be able to acquire them through mail order and to this day I love to listen to the mix variations available on these CDs.

The first two Monkees albums “The Monkees” and “More of the Monkees” as well as their fourth album “Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd.” feature a mixture of mono, stereo and remixed tracks while their third album “Headquarters” was remixed entirely from scratch with all songs getting a new sonic makeover.

The fifth Monkees album “The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees” and the seventh  “Instant Replay” didn’t feature any remixes on the Arista CDs that I remember but were the first time these albums were released in their entirety on compact disc.

These last two CDs sound very similar to the Rhino CDs that were released later but I have an affinity for these as they have such groovy cover artwork and they were the first CD versions I owned of these albums.

There was also a really nice 3 CD set released on Arista Japan called “By Request” that features a really nice overview of The Monkees career up to the early 1990s and includes several of the remixed tracks from the other Arista CDs.

I also happened to acquire a nifty Japanese Arista CD of “Then and Now – The Best of the Monkees” that features only the tracks that were released on the original vinyl album not the 25 tracks that were later released on the U.S. CD version of this album.

As for the remixes on these CDs, I think they’re all well worth checking out if you’re a Monkees fan.

Some of my favorites include the longer mix of “This Just Doesn’t Seem to Be My Day”, the different sounding mix of “Mary, Mary” which features Micky’s growled vocal more clearly, the lovely mix of “She Hangs Out” which features the horns with a nice sustain that lasts longer than any other version of this song and the entire CD of “Headquarters” which is really nice to hear as the whole album has a slightly different feel in the remixed version.

The first four Monkees Arista CDs are probably much cheaper to find if you track down the U.S. versions but they’re missing the really nifty Japanese artwork.

In fact the rear of the “More of the Monkees” CD matches the Japanese Arista vinyl pressing of that album which I got in the late 1970s so that’s a real treat for me.

So as usual, take a gander above at the CDs mentioned in this post. They’re fun to see of you’ve never had a chance to see them in person.

(Okay, okay I have a lot of Japanese CDs but if they didn’t make them so enticing I wouldn’t lol!)

Until next time, be well and only eight days until my Monkees show!!!

(Ps. I will post a review here with photos a day or two after the show next week so stay tuned)

Bye bye bye bye … (“Star Collector” anyone?)