Thursday , March 28 2024
In which our hero has an expensive week buying all the titles on his shopping list...

New Music Tuesday: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Todd Sharpville, Cee Lo Green & More

I feel like a broken record but each week we get closer to Christmas brings more toys that must be under my Christmas tree this year.  So important are these releases that I won’t wait until Christmas.  I will instead spend the money I’d use on gifts for other people to make sure these titles are tucked neatly on my CD tower well in advance of the blessed day.

Among the titles this week that I’m skipping but you should know about are new hits collections from Bon Jovi and Blake Shelton as well as a record from Cee Lo Green called The Lady Killer.  There’s also a new live album from Dave Matthews Band.  I bought the first three or four dozen of those but have finally broken myself of the DMB habit.  I like much of his early material but the later stuff has been much more hit-and-miss with me.  There’s also new music from Susan Boyle, if that’s your thing.  Now, on to my Christmas shoplifting list (I kid, I kid):

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Damn The Torpedoes
(Deluxe Edition)

My copy of this bad boy is on a UPS truck headed for my house as we speak.  I’ve looked forward to it since its announcement and wasted no time pre-ordering it from Amazon.  If you draw an imaginary line through the 30-plus years of The Heartbreakers, Damn The Torpedoes is the pinnacle of the first half with Wildflowers being the pinnacle of the second.  The album has been remastered and a second disc of B-sides, previously unreleased studio cuts, and live cuts has been added.

Todd Sharpville
Porchlight

I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Sharpville at the Blues Music Awards in Memphis in May.  He participated in Nick Moss’ 2nd Annual All-Star Jam the night before and then, the next night, was onstage performing songs with Joe Louis Walker hours before Walker would walk away with a BMA for Album Of The Year.  Walker guests on this record and it is produced by the man who has produced Walker’s fine recent records, the great Duke Robillard.  This is heavyweight stuff and I’m very excited about hearing what Todd & Co. have been up to.

Joanne Shaw Taylor
Diamonds In The Dirt

I almost met Ms. Taylor at the Blues Music Awards.  She was being politely deluged by other blues fans – and from a distance seemed gracious and accommodating to those wanting pictures with her, etc — throughout the evening and I opted to nod in her direction and not pester her.  As the awards began, I realized she was sitting at the table right behind Bonnie Raitt’s table, which was right next to mine.  I didn’t interrupt Ms. Raitt, either, although the thought crossed my mind.  So what I’m trying to say is I almost met them both but chickened out/thought better of it.

I do know a little something about Taylor’s music though.  I love her debut White Sugar and have been eager to hear the follow up since its announcement.  She’s got a wonderful voice and showed some real vocal chops.  She can also really play.  It was pretty easy to hear her influences in her guitar work on White Sugar but I’m hoping a year of hard touring and further development will bring a little more of her own sound to her lead work.  The ability is there.  She’s young and already good.  The sky is the limit.

Albert King & Stevie Ray Vaughan
In Session
(CD/DVD Combo)

This has been on CD for awhile and the rights to it have jumped labels a couple times so this isn’t really anything new except that it is.  The audio has been available for some time but we now have video to go with it for the first time.  Two great talents, both sorely missed, spent an evening making music together and now we can enjoy it visually and sonically as mentor or student sit side-by-side.

30 Seconds To Mars  – This Is War (Deluxe)
3d – Fast Lane
Aborym – Psychogrotesque
Albert King/Stevie Ray Vaughan – In Session / [Cd/Dvd Combo] [Deluxe Edition]
Allison, Mose – The Collection
Alpha Blondy – Apartheid Is Nazism
Alpha Blondy – Cocody Rock
Alpha Blondy – Jerusalem
Alter Bridge – Ab Iii
Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe – An Evening Of Yes Music Plus
Andrea Bocelli – My Christmas / [Cd/Dvd Combo] [Deluxe Edition]
Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà – Noel
Animal Prufrock – Congratulations; Thank You + I’m Sorry
Atheist – Jupiter
Bad Books – Bad Books
Barnes, Dave – Very Merry Christmas
Barrett, Syd – Introduction To Syd Barrett,An
Bassey, Shirley – I Capricorn/And I Love You So
Blake Shelton – Loaded: The Best Of Blake Shelton
Boddy, Ian – Pearl
Bon Jovi – Bon Jovi Greatest Hits / [The Ultimate Collection][2 Cd Deluxe Edition]
Bon Jovi Tribute – Acoustic Tribute To Bon Jovi’s Greatest Hits
Boorer, Boz – Miss Pearl C/W My Wild Life
Bowfire – Live In Concert
Boyle, Susan – The Gift
Brokencyde – Will Never Die
Bronco – Country Home/Ace Of Sunlight
Bronze Nazareth – School For The Blindman
Budden, Joe – Mood Muzik 4
Canadian Brass David Braid – Spirit Dance
Cardiff Festival Choir, Owain Arwel Hughes – Christmas Carols Of Vaughan Williams
Cee Lo Green – Lady Killer, The
Chambers, Byron Mr. Talkbox”” – My Time
Charles/Grydeland/Wallumrod/Zac – Dans Les Arbres
Chesney, Kenny Tribute – Piano Tribute To Kenny Chesney
Cloverseeds – The Opening
Conjure One – Exilarch
Corn Farmer Shamus – Truth Against The World
Cornelius, Patrick – Fierce
Corsten, Ferry – Once Upon A Night 2
Courtney Williams – Reflections Of A Perfect Gentleman
Cradle Of Filth – Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa
Creation’s End – A New Beginning
Darkthrone – Panzerfaust ( 2 Cd Edition )
Dave Matthews Band – Live In New York City
Defrancesco, Joey, Vito Rezza, – One Take Volume Four
Dimmu Borgir – Stormblast
Dj Felli Fel – Thump Ridaz Mix
Domino, Fats – Million Sellers Vols. 1 And 2
Erk Tha Jerk – Nerds Eye View
Family Fodder – Classical Music
Ford, Lita – Stiletto
Francis, John – The Better Angels
Gibson, Luke – Another Perfect Day
Gold, Murray – Doctor Who Series 4 – The Specials
Good Ones, The – Kigali Y? Izahabu
Gregory And The Hawk – Leche
Grown Ups – More Songs
Gwar – Bloody Pit Of Horror
H$E – Hustlaz Stackin’ Endz
Hardin, Tim – Tim Hardin 1 / Tim Hardin 2 (2-For-1)
Harm – The Nine
Harmonicana – Mississippi Saxophone
Haslam, Annie – Woman Transcending
Hawthorne Heights – Midwesteners (Greatest Hits)
Hellogoodbye – Would It Kill You?
Hipower Collectables – Mr. Capone-E’s Gang Stories
Isengard – Hostmorke
Johnson, Brian And Jenn – We Believe
Johnson, Marcus – Flo Chill Vol. 2
Kid Cudi – Man On The Moon Ii: The Legend Of Mr. Rager / [Cd/Dvd Combo] [Deluxe Edition]
Kings Of Leon Tribute – Piano Tribute To Kings Of Leon
Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
Lake Street Dive – Lake Street Dive
Lazarus, Damian – Fabric 54: Damian Lazarus
Lil Boosie, Webbie, Lil Trill & Trill Fam – Trill Fam: All Or Nothing
Lil C – H-Town Chronic 4.5
Lil Keke – 713 The Album
Lopez, Lance – Salvation From Sundown
Louvin, Charlie – The Battles Rage On
Lynn, Loretta And Friends – Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Tribute To Loretta Lynn
Maita, Luisa – Maita Remixed
Maserati – Pyramid Of The Sun
Matt Haimovitz, With John Mclaughlin, Matt Wilson, Jan Jarczyk, & Uccello – Meeting Of The Spirits
Mc Yogi – Elephant Powered Remixes And O
Miek E. Clark – Murder Mix Volume 2
Mtukudzi, Oliver – Greatest Hits: The Tuku Years
Nagore Sessions – Nagore Sessions
Neville, Aaron – I Know I’ve Been Changed
Nitzer Ebb – Industrial Complex
Now 36 – Now 36
Now 90’s – Now 90’s
Oceano – Contagion
Osborne, Bobby & The Rocky Top X-Press – Memories (Celebrating Bobby’s 60th Anniversary As A Professional Entertainer)
Ounaskari/Mikkonen – Kuara
Phelps, Kelly Joe And West, Corinne – Magnetic Skyline
Pimp C – The Naked Soul Of Sweet Jones Swisha House Mix / [Screwed & Chopped]
Poison – Nothing But A Good Time Box
Powell, Bud – Tempus Fugue-It
Powerworld – Human Parasite
Presley, Elvis – Viva Elvis
Pretty Things – Rockin The Garage
Quartetto Gelato – The Magic Of Christmas
Queensryche – Empire – 20th Anniv. Edition
Quincy Jones – Q: Soul Bossa Nostra
R.E.O. Speedwagon – This Time We Mean It/R.E.O.
Reach Around Rodeo Clowns, The – Dark Days, Dark Nights
Reba Mcentire – All The Women I Am
Reinhardt, Django – Musette To Maestro 1928-1937
Renaissance – Live In Chicago
Rhapsody – Tales From The Emerald Sword Saga (The Best Of Rhapsody)
Richman, Jonathan – O Moon, Queen Of Night On Eart
Rogers, Roy – The King Of Cowboys
Romano, Mario Quartet – Valentina
Roscoe Mitchell & Note Factory – Far Side
Ross The Boss – Hailstorm
Sargeist – Let The Devil In
Seim/Utnem – Purcor
Sharpville, Todd – Porchlight
Smoke Dza – George Kush (Deluxe Edition)
Soft Circle – Shore Obsessed
Sons Of The Pioneers – Cigareet
Soundtrack/Movie – I Am
Speace, Amy – Into The New (Ep)
Sproule, Devon – Live In London
Stan Sly: Quazedelic – Anutha World
Stephan Micus – Bold As Light
Stomu Yamashta’s Go With Steve Winwood & Friends – The Complete Go Sessions (Double Cd)
Tallest Man On Earth, The – Sometimes The Blues Is Just A
Tangerine Dream – The Epsilon Journey – Live In Eindhoven, Netherlands 2008
Taylor, Joanne Shaw- Diamonds In The Dirt
Tenebrae In Perpetuum / Krohm – Split
The Floacist – Floetic Soul
The Greenhornes – 4 Stars
The Happy Boys – Dance Party 2011
The String Cheese Incident – Rhythm Of The Road: Volume One, Incident In Atlanta -11.17.00
Thomas, Lillo – Come And Get It
Thrall – Away From The Haunts Of Men
Thunderball – 12 Mile High
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Damn The Torpedoes / [2 Cd Deluxe Edition]
Twista – Perfect Storm, The
Ultra – Ultra 2011
Underoath – O (Disambiguation)
Uniques, The – Absolutley Rocksteady
Van Der Graaf Generator – Live At The Paradiso April 2007
Various – 100 Greatest American Tv Themes
Various – 100 Greatest Musicals
Various – Christmas In The Park
Various – Holy Hip Hop Volume 9
Various – Mission Worship:Your Love
Various – Texas Guitar Summit
Various Artists – 21 Swing Band All Time Greats
Various Artists – Chart-Toppers Of The 40s
Various Artists – Groove Merchant Turns 20 – 14
Various Artists – The Complete Christmas Celebration / [7 Cd Box Set]
Various Artists – Tradi-Mods Vs Rockers
Various Artists – Tribute To Os Mutantes – El Ju
Virgin Steele – The Black Light Bacchanalia
Virgin Steele – The Black Light Bacchanalia (Ltd. Ed. Digipak)
War, Gary – Police Water
White, Josh – Achor
Wild Orchid Children – The Wild Orchid Children Are A
Wilson, Cassandra – Silver Pony
Winter, Johnny – The Progressive Blues Experiment / Johnny Winter (2-For-1)
Wise-Magraw – How The Light Gets In
Wyatt/Atzmon/Stephen – For The Ghosts Within

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