Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
This week’s new releases are a bit more interesting to me than those of last week. There are several big name artists with new records and re-packagings of older material. Christmas is coming and it’s about to get expensive for me. I’ll highlight some of what I’m excited about but I should mention a few of the major releases I’ll be skipping but that you may want to know about.
The Beatles’ ‘Red’ and ‘Blue’ 2-CD compilations available years ago are being put in print again with the remastered versions that were part of the extensive re-release campaign from last year. I’m not getting this because I bought the Complete Stereo Recordings box set but if you’re a casual Beatles fan, this is not to be missed. We’ve also got a new release from Sugarland and another Rod Stewart ‘standards’ record if either of those things float your boat.
Bob Dylan
The Witmark Demos 1962-64
The Best Of The Original Mono Recordings
Let’s start with that second entry, The Best Of The Original Mono Recordings include:
- Bob Dylan
- The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan
- The Time They Are A-Changin’
- Another Side Of Bob Dylan
- Bringing It All Back Home
- Highway 61 Revisited
- Blonde On Blonde
- John Wesley Harding
They’ve been reproduced from the first generation mono mixes. I don’t know anything about who the master engineer on the project was but I’m sure Dylan fans and audiophiles will want to hear these. I want to hear these. I’m not sure I can spring the $100 right now but this is something I’ll have an eye on for down the road.
As for The Witmark Demos, this is the ninth volume of the acclaimed songwriter’s ‘Bootleg Series’ and these songs are mostly solo acoustic performances of many of Dylan’s great early songs. Some of these songs feature Dylan on acoustic guitar and harmonica and a few have him behind the piano. 15 of these songs never made it to albums and are making their official bootleg debut on this set.
Joe Bonamassa
Joe Bonamassa Live From The Royal Albert Hall
I highlight this set for a couple reasons. Bonamassa initially released this live set on DVD and is now releasing it as a 2-CD set. Dear record companies and artists the world over: please always do this, preferably at the same time but it’s better late than never. The other reason I’m highlighting this is I’m a casual Bonamassa fan and while I’ve not seen the DVD in question I remember it getting generally favorable reviews. I’m likely to plunk down the money for the CDs and maybe the DVD as well.
Elton john & Leon Russell
The Union
I’m excited about this set not because I’m likely to get it but just because of how excited Sir Elton John is about making a record with Leon Russell. He has been a huge admirer of Russell’s work for decades and while John has maintained a largely lucrative career for forty years, Russell has been admired by many but out of the commercial limelight. With star producer T Bone Burnett at the helm, these two have written songs together and separately and are finally making music together. It’s an exciting pairing and I’m not ruling out listening to it at some point down the road.
Those are just a few of the big releases from this week What are you looking forward to? Here’s the larger list, yours if you want them:
Bolan, Marc – Twopenny Prince (2Xcd)
Burnham, Bo – Words Words Words
Abk – Medicine Bag
Allstar Weekend – Suddenly Yours
Beatles, The – Red 1962 – 1966
Beatles, The – Blue 1967 – 1970
Butler, Jonathan/Juanita Bynum – Gospel Goes Classical
Callier, Terry – Hidden Conversations
Carl Palmer – Working Live – Volume 3
Chad Smith’s Bombastic Meatbats – More Meat
Church, The – Deep In The Shallows (30Th Anniversary Singles Collection)
Church, The – Of Skins & Heart
Church, The – The Blurred Crusade
Cotton, Josie – Pussycat Babylon
Dag Nasty – Dag With Shawn
Desertshore – Drifting Your Majesty
Duarte, Chris Group – Infinity Energy
Dylan, Bob – The Witmark Demos: 1962-1964 (The Bootleg Series Vol. 9)
Dylan, Bob – The Best Of The Original Mono Recordings
Elton John/Leon Russell – The Union
Eskmo – Eskmo
Extra Lens, The – Undercard
Fops – Yeth Yeth Yeth
Gigi W Material – Mesgana Ethiopia
Glee Cast – Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show
Hill, Zach – Face Tat
Hot Toddy – Late Night Boogie
Ima Robot – Another Man’s Treasure
Jed And Lucia – Superhuman Heart
Joe Bonamassa – Joe Bonamassa Live From The Royal Albert Hall / [2 Cd] Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, The – Acme + Xtra Acme
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, The – Orange + Experimental Remixes Ep
Kenniff, Keith – The Last Survivor
Kings Of Leon – Come Around Sundown
Liz Phair – Funstyle
Lungfish – Pass And Stow
Marsalis/De Lucia/Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra – Vitoria Suite / [2 Cd/1 Dvd Combo] Martina Topley Bird – Some Place Simple
Maxwell, David & Otis Spann – Conversations In Blue
Method Of Defiance – Incunabula
Michael Schenker Group – Live In Tokyo: 30Th Anniversary Japan Tour
Mike Gordon – Moss
Mt. Desolation – Mt. Desolation
Original Songwriter Demos – Original Songwriter Demos 2
Original Songwriter Demos – Original Songwriter Demos 1
Pace, Joe – Joe Pace Presents: Praise For
Party Tyme Karaoke – Party Tyme Karaoke – Christmas Party Pack (65-Song Party Pack) / [4 Cd] Party Tyme Karaoke – Party Tyme Karaoke – Christmas Sing-Along 4 (16-Song Cd+G)
Philistines Jr., The – If A Band Plays In The Woods…?
Phish – The White Tape
Pipettes, The – Earth Vs. The Pipettes
Pop, Iggy & James Williamson – Kill City (Remastered)
Radio Citizen – Hope And Despair
Radioclit – Radioclit Presents: The Sound
Raphael – Te Llevo En El Corazon – Lo Mejor De Tango – Bolero – Ranchera
Sails, The – A Headful Of Stars
Shakira – Sale El Sol
Soars – Soars
Soft Boys, The – A Can Of Bees
Soft Boys, The – Underwater Moonlight
Sorrows – Bad Times Good Times
Soundtrack – Hannah Montana Forever
Squarepusher – Shobaleader One: D’demonstrator
Steven Page – Page One
Stewart, Rod – Fly Me To The Moon…The Great American Songbook Volume V
Sugarland – The Incredible Machine
System And Station – A Series Of Screws
Tammi Terrell – Come On And See Me: The Complete Solo Collection / [2 Cd] Teebs – Ardour
Third Day – Move
Three – Dark Days Coming
Tribbett, Tye – Fresh
Various – The Essential Christmas Collection
Various – Chasing The Day – The Music Of Will Van Dyke
Various Artists – Mr. Bongo: Latin Beats Box Set
Various Artists – Ginga: The Sound Of Brazilian Football
Various Artists – Bubbling Under Volume One
Various Artists – Happy Holiday
Various Artists – The Rounder Records Story / [4 Cd Box Set] Video Games Live – Video Games Live: Level 2
Volebeats, The – The Volebeats
Von Pea – Pea’s Gotta Have It
Weaver, Ben – Mirepoix & Smoke
Wiggles, The – Hot Potatoes! The Best Of The Wiggles
