Tuesday , March 19 2024
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

New Album Releases Aug. 11 2009: Jimi Hendrix, George Strait, Cobra Starship, Jessie James, and More Woodstock

And so it begins. We have what I believe is the first Christmas album on a New Album Release column since I started doing this earlier this summer. Your winner for the unofficial first Christmas album of 2009: Rodney Carrington. On that yuletide note, we have unofficial confirmation that Bob Dylan is releasing a Christmas record later this fall. Many sources have reported it but we have, as yet, no confirmation from Dylan or his label. Yet. Dylan Does Christmas. We'll keep you posted. With that, let's look at the albums coming out this week.

 

Jimi Hendrix
Live 1968 Paris/Ottawa

It's not really a fair fight, but the sheer tonnage of what has been released in Hendrix's name compared to what the legendary guitarist released during his lifetime is staggering. Equally staggering is the quality of so much of what has been unearthed and the fact so much of what Hendrix did 40 years ago stands up today. What was groundbreaking then becomes pedestrian and then even ancient. Much of the Hendrix catalog still sounds fresh, daring, and exciting. I've collected quite a bit of the posthumous music and even though I feel like I'm feeding the greed of those cashing in on his name, I rather imagine I'll check this one out for myself.

Jessie James
Jessie James

I would have known nothing about this record other than it was coming out were it not for the interview our own Clayton Perry did with Jessie. I'm expecting this album will make noise on the Billboard charts and that we'll be talking about it on an upcoming iTunes Chart Watch.

George Strait
Twang

My wife is an avid reader of Dean Koontz. I've never seen a writer more prolific in my life. I tease my wife that Koontz keeps a team of monkeys churning out the pages at warp speed. I marvel at his pace. She loves (most of) the books. It's nice to be a fan of someone who keeps the work coming. I wish a few of my favorites would take a seminar from the guy!

George Strait seems to have been with us forever and not only will he live eternally, he's going to keep recording. I'm reasonably opposed to country music so I offer no conclusions as to whether or not it's a good thing he keeps going, but I think we're getting close to triple-digit album releases for Mr. Strait.

Here are this week's new album releases:

Cobra Starship
Hot Mess

Jessie James
Jessie James

The Rumble Strips
Welcome to the Walk Alone

Mindy Smith
Stupid Love

George Strait
Twang

Various Artists
Woodstock: 40 Years On: Back to Yasgur's Farm [Box Set]

After Midnight Project
Let's Build Something to Break

Gato Barbieri
Tropico

The Bottle Rockets
Lean Forward

Box Elders
Alice & Friends

Randy Brown
Welcome to My Room/Midnight Desire

Dave Brubeck & Paul Desmond
1975: The Duets

Rodney Carrington
Make It Christmas

Cavo
Bright Nights Dark Days

Dead Swans
Sleep Walkers

Destroy All Monsters
74-76

Devil's Anvil
Hard Rock from the Middle East [Bonus Track]

The Dry Spells
Too Soon for Flowers

Fanny
Rock & Roll Survivors

Sue Foley
Queen Bee: The Antones Collection

Robben Ford
Soul on Ten

Marcia Griffiths
Play Me Sweet and Nice

The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Live 1968 Paris/Ottawa [CD]

The Herbaliser Band
Session 2

Stephen Hough
My Favorite Things

The Housemartins
London 0 Hull 4 [Deluxe Edition]

Tom Jones
The Body and Soul of Tom Jones/Tom Jones Sings She's a Lady

Tom Jones
Close Up/Tom

Tom Jones
Somethin' 'Bout You Baby I Like/Memories Don't Leave Like People Do

Dave Liebman & the Manhattan School of Music Jazz Orchestra
Sketches of Spain Live

Liverpool Scene
Amazing Adventures Of…

John Martyn
Solid Air [Deluxe Edition] [Bonus Tracks]

Imelda May
Love Tattoo

Malcolm Middleton
Waxing Gibbous

Mojo's
Everything's Alright: The Complete Recordings

Nash Ensemble
Tavener: Canciones Españolas; Requiem for Father Malachy

Willie Nelson
Lost Highway

New Christs
Gloria

Nisennenmondai
Destination Tokyo

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Gershwin: An American in Paris; Rhapsody in Blue; Ravel: Bólero; Pavane pour une infante défunte; Debussy: Prélude à

Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg
Together

Original Soundtrack
Bandslam [Original Soundtrack]

The Proclaimers
Notes & Rhymes

The Reigning Sound
Love and Curses

Sailor
Third Step/Checkpoint

Buffy Sainte-Marie
Running for the Drum

Anna Ternheim
Leaving On a Mayday [Verve Bonus Track]

Hank Thompson
The Quintessential Hank Thompson 1948-1979

Merle Travis
Merle Travis Guitar/Walkin the Strings… Plus

Jim Turner
Jelly Roll Blues: A Tribute to Jelly Roll Morton

Various Artists
Koyaanisqatsi [Original Motion Picture Score]

Grover Washington, Jr.
Reed Seed [2009]

Patrick Wolf
The Bachelor

Zap Pow
Revolution [Bonus Tracks]

About Josh Hathaway

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