Miles '54: The Prestige Recordings Box Set was released in December 2024 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of these recordings on the Prestige label, which capture Miles Davis in a transitional year of his career. Remastered from the original recordings the sound is crisp and lively as Davis and a rotating cast of players still sound fresh all these years later.
Standard disclaimer: When reviewing any Grateful Dead release at this point, it needs to be noted that a lot of the truly great shows from the band have already been professionally released. (If you are new to the band, check out RtBE's Beginners Guide to The Grateful Dead Part's one and two.) With their vast back catalog on archive.org and all of their previous releases, the band's selections are running thin when it comes to must own, professionally released shows.
That said, the band still release shows because rabid fans (RtBE included) will listen to everything they put out. So let's dive in...
Each year the music industry dips into the past to deliver box sets, live albums, re-masters and outtake collections to sell to the music loving masses (present company included). This look back will round up some of RtBE's favorite archival releases from the past year.
Usually these releases can fall into the money grab category, not really adding much outside of revenue for the label and (hopefully) the artist. Every now and then though some spectacular collections are unearthed and are worth any price.
RtBE includes live albums in this category, since they were recorded in the recent or distant past and thus fall into archival release status.
With the increase in vinyl, and enhanced Record Store Days to help smaller sellers, there are more and more archival releases each year. RtBE are sure to miss a lot of them, but the quality and abundance is exciting. Post your favorites, or any we may have missed, in the comments.
These were our favorite archival releases of 2024, click the link in the title for full reviews.
Standard disclaimer: When reviewing any Grateful Dead release at this point, it needs to be noted that a lot of the truly great shows from the band have already been professionally released. (If you are new to the band, check out RtBE's Beginners Guide to The Grateful Dead Part's one and two.) With their vast back catalog on archive.org and all of their previous releases, the band's selections are running thin when it comes to must own, professionally released shows.
That said, the band still release shows because rabid fans (RtBE included) will listen to everything they put out. So click that "Read More" button and dive in...
This deluxe two album box set from Craft Recordings contains remastered versions of Ornette Coleman's first two albums as a band leader. Something Else!!!! and Tomorrow is the Question! Complete with exclamation marks, the albums are back in full sonic glory as the label presents the original versions recorded by Ray DuNann and newly mastered by Bernie Grundman. The sound and extensive new liner notes by Grammy Award-winning music historian Ashley Kahnmake make this release a stunner but of course it is the playing of Coleman and his band that is the real highlight.
Starting with Something Else!!!! (which was met with mixed reviews upon it's original release) Coleman's alto sax leads the charge along with Don Cherry – cornet Walter Norris – piano Don Payne – double bass Billy Higgins – drums. The nine Coleman original tracks are dense and moving and signified a breaking of norms at the time, opening up a more freewheeling jazz style. The hard bop tempo of opener "Invisible" pushes forward on bass, pianos and drums but Coleman's alto busts out of melody to zoom all over.
The blues basics with the unique Coleman runs are the backbone of Something Else!!! "The Blessing" is a slower tempo shuffle but swings with ease while Cherry's cornet work is a highlight. The zenith of the whole album is the stretched out "Jayne" which shows where the soon to be famous saxophonist was heading with free jazz blows careening out of his saxophone over organic beats.
"Chippie" uses the hard bop formula with Coleman and Cherry squealing speedily throughout while the brief spurting "The Disguise" keeps things energetic before "Angel Voice" blissfully shines with charismatic brass runs in blues fashion. The frantic lines Coleman delivers on "Alpha" certainly puts him in charge while "When Will The Blues Leave" lightly bounces along, allowing Coleman go anywhere before Cherry's cornet pops. Closer "The Sphinx" is an exhilarating rollercoaster ride of sound that wraps up the album.
Tomorrow is the Question! has one important lineup subtraction as there is no piano on the record, freeing both Coleman and Cherry up to weave their horns melodically even more. The new quartet is manned by Percy Heath/Red Mitchell individually contributing bass on certain tracks and Shelley Manne on skins.
The production and overall tone may be a bit softer, but the intricate horn lines get more angular as the opening title track attests. Coleman and partner in crime Cherry are lighting quick zigzagging around their instruments as they cook into "Tears Inside" which mixes swing and the blues around Heath's strong bass lines.
Not as consistent as the more traditionally based Something Else!!!, Tomorrow is the Question! feels more transitional with a few misses (the brief "Mind in Time") and a few extraordinary hits (such as the hip as all hell "Giggin'"). "Rejoicing" is a classic as Coleman goes on an otherworldly flight of fancy as he riffs up and down scales with glee and no restraint. Closer "Endless" is also a stunning display of Coleman's strengths and playing without a net as he and the quartet bang around with frivolity and musical joy.
These albums were the start of Coleman's movement to 'Free Jazz'. While his next few releases (everything from the classics The Shape of Jazz to Come through the amazing Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation and beyond) Coleman would turn the jazz world on it's ear with controversial and better albums then the ones showcased in this box set.
However, these albums from the Contemporary label are a vital piece of Colemans blossoming into one of the all-time legends of music; this loving collection does the origins of his career justice.
The summer is here and while Corona Virus has wrecked havoc on live tunes in 2020, the ultimate summer time band the Grateful Dead released (in fall 2019) a huge box set commemorating their jaunts to the 80,0000 seat Giants Stadium in the swamps of New Jersey and we can use the lock down to revisit the behemoth.
These years in Dead history history (somewhat surprisingly) found the Grateful Dead at their popular peak and while long time fans will love/bemoan any era, the band was generally in fine form during these years. Playing these massive outdoor shows spitting distance from the countries largest city guaranteed huge crowds, and if you were one of the thousands who caught these shows this is a fantastic memento...if not, you can skip this bloated release from the band.
It is not that these are bad shows, or poorly played, but there is very little that is must hear over the 15 CD's. Unlike say the recent June '76 box set which illuminated an era and proved wondrous, these concerts have been available to fans in high quality versions for years. If you are new to the band, start elsewhere, this is too big of an investment. The best option may be to just skim the cream of the crop as the best show from this box set has been released on its own and find a good copy of 7/10/89 to round it out.
Below are highlights and comments on each of the shows, it should be noted the quality of the music is fantastic with crystal clear production and restoration of these tye-dyed nights:
On the recordings 50th anniversary the Zappa Trust is releasing Mothers 70 to highlight one of Frank Zappa's strongest, but short lived, lineups which was responsible for recording the landmark studio effort Chunga's Revengeand worked on 200 Motels a Zappa film.
Mothers 70 was not only recorded in 1970 but contains 70 songs, a collection of outtakes, live tunes and more. Full info can be found here, but some highlights are below:
Overseen by the Zappa Trust and produced by Ahmet Zappa and Zappa Vaultmeister, Joe Travers, The Mothers 1970 collects together more than four hours of previously unreleased performances by the heralded lineup which lasted roughly seven months: Aynsley Dunbar (drums), George Duke (piano/keys/trombone), Ian Underwood (organ/keys/guitar), Jeff Simmons (bass/vocals) and Flo & Eddie aka Howard Kaylan (vocals) and Mark Volman (vocals/percussion) of The Turtles who performed under the aliases to skirt contractual limitations of performing under their own names. This iteration of The Mothers, which likely began rehearsals fifty years ago this month, came to an end in January of 1971 when Simmons quit the band during the making of the “200 Motels” movie.
The Zappa Trust released "Portuguese Fenders" as a first taste of the box set which you can check out yourself:
For Tom Petty, an artist who is fairly well defined by his Greatest Hits, the release of the sprawling box set collection An American Treasure, is a bit puzzling and unnecessary. The artist himself already released one back in 1995 titled Playback which managed to capture outtakes and alternate versions from his early years. He also combed through his complete touring history, releasing an excellent five disk deluxeLive Anthology in 2009.
Obviously box sets are for diehards and completist's, so his fans will eat this up, but do his late career outtakes and live offerings warrant this large of a collection? The answer is no and for those who are looking to get into the artist there are much easier ways to do so.
That all said the music collected here is up to Petty's high standards. Alternate versions of a few of his best known tracks, live offerings and early Mudcrutch all show the professionalism of the band, and Petty as a consistent songwriter, but few truly elevate the artists career or for the alternate versions, replace the official releases. The tracks were selected by Petty's daughter Adria, wife Dana and long time Heartbreakers Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench so the collections heart is in the right place.
It begins by going back to the beginning of course as the early outtake "Surrender" kicks off and screams southern Bruce Springsteen with it's shine and power. Some lesser loved tracks from his first album get a remastered treatment as "Rockin' Around (With You) and "The Wild One, Forever" ring loud and free while a live version of "Anything That's Rock and Roll" from Hollywood in 1977 pinpoints the era.
Petty's career was a bit blurry at times and selections like "Deliver Me", "Damage You Done", "The Best of Everything" are all fine/middle-of-the-road for the catchy songwriter while "Walkin' From The Fire", "Don't Treat Me Like A Stranger", "Gainseville" and "You Can Still Change Your Mind" are all dull and probably didn't need to be showcased at all.
Along those lines, for a crack whip live band the stagnate "A Woman In Love (It's Not Me)" doesn't do the touring players justice but on the flip side a live version of "Kings Road" from Hard Promises is a blistering rocker that crackles with energy. The more delicate "Alright for Now" and the outtake "Keep a Little Soul" both dynamically showcase the softer side of Petty while "The Apartment Song" demo with backing vocals from Stevie Nix is the best uncovered gem in the box.
The collection is a chance to examine some of Petty's later day releases and unfortunately The Last DJ songs do not get better as "Have Love Will Travel" and especially "Money Becomes King" still feel out of touch from the rocker who made a career out of radio hits. Hypnotic Eye, Echo and Mojo tracks all show the professionalism still but again don't cause reevaluation of the just OK original releases. Petty's best album in the 2000's, Highway Companion only gets two tracks here, the highlight of the original record, "Down South" and a live version of "Saving Grace".
In Steve Hyden's piece on the box set he mentions that we view artists output differently after their death, evaluating their releases with yearning ears because we know their won't be much more new coming from them. Spot on, he also nailed our feelings of Petty exactly in his book Twilight Of The Gods: A Journey To The End of Classic Rockwhen he states:
"Tom Petty could always be counted on to be just good enough Tom did not have to prove it all night. He was fine knocking off at around 11 PM.”
An American Treasure convinces Hyden to reconsider that stance, even going so far as to say that the massive release is a good place for newbies. I feel that Petty's surprising passing is still raw in Hyden's ears and he is being too kind and I feel he got it completely correct in his book. Petty's American Treasure is not on par with other career spanning outtake and b-side collections from major artists like Tom WaitsOrphans or Dylan's amazing Bootleg Series, and is superfluous.
There is a reason Petty's Greatest Hits is his best selling album by far, this is definitely not the case with most "classic" artists. His hits were dynamite, most albums were let downs and you really didn't need to dig too deep to get the best out of him and The Heartbreakers. Greatest Hits, Wild Flowers, The Traveling Wilburys and The Live Anthology would pretty much cover everything you really need from this no doubt American treasure.
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Support the artist, buy the album and peep some video below:
Thanks to our uncles over @glidemag we found out that Pink Floyd are re-releasing The Division Bell. Question is, who cares?
We have been thinking a lot about the record industry over the last few years and this is clearly a money grab of the highest order. Who, outside of diehard fans, thought the Division Bell was a remotely good album? People are disappointed and rightfully so. We are not massive Floyd fans, but we do like some of their stuff, notably Wish You Were Here and The Dark Side Of The Moon. Even back in '94 this smelled like a bloated lazy half assed effort...to re-release it just seems empty and hopeless.
During a time when the industry has no idea what to do, this seems safe. Take a classic rock name, add some tracks, snazzy packaging and presto, fans who are "craving real rock" will buy it...and I am sure there will be some revisionists who claim it is great, a forgotten gem. It's not.
Those people should get online and check out different bands, prog-rock is alive and well and all you need is to click here and find an array of groups playing it on bandcamp. You can save a bunch of money, support new fresh acts and let the industry know recycling crap is for fertilizer not record players. Below are two streaming prog album we found on Bandcamp, it took us all of 2 seconds. They are a Polish group, Iceberg Soul who are also affiliated with Jar of Hope, Apple Peel in this genre.
Check out new acts, don't reward lazy millionaires.
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