Tuesday, August 11, 2009

If It's Tuesday, It Must Be Street Date - 08/11/09





ROBERT CRAY- THIS TIME


The Energizer Bunny of blues artists, Cray releases his 62nd (or maybe 18th) record since his 1980 debut. I know many people who love him, but as soulful as his voice may be, I just don't buy his blues. This record works on the same level as a Keb' Mo' record- easy on the ears, easier on the heart. That ain't the blues.





FABULOUS POODLES- MIRROR STARS/THINK PINK


New wave, pub-rockers see their first two LPs get reissued on one CD, thanks to the "no frills, no remastering, but damn happy to have around"label American Beat.





PHIL MANZANERA/801 REISSUES

Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera, surprised everyone in 1976 with the best of his side projects, "801 Live." Here's a bit from AMG:

801 provided Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera with one of his most intriguing side projects. Although the band only played three gigs in August and September 1976, this album captures a night when everything fell right into place musically. That should only be expected with names like Eno and Simon Phillips in the lineup.


This performance is legendary, with Eno taking over lead vocals on two blistering covers, The Kinks'"You Really Got Me" and to quote AMG one more time, "a spacy but smoldering version of "Tomorrow Never Knows"; it's definitely among the cleverest of Beatles covers.

I wore this record out the week I found it sitting in the window of Golden Disc on Bleecker Street! This new edition includes a bonus CD of a recently discovered rehearsal/soundcheck, that I wish I had more info on, but even Manzanera's own website offers little.

Also out today are three additional, Eno-less 801 titles, "Listen, Now," "Live In Manchester," and "Live In Hull," none of which come close to the brilliance and spontaneity of the first.





REIGNING SOUND- LOVE AND CURSES


Memphis garage rockers, who recently backed up legendary Shangri-La Mary Weiss on her wonderful comeback LP "Dangerous Game," which incidentally was mostly co-written with Reigning Sound leader Greg Cartwright, release their first full length in 5 years.





VARIOUS- WOODSTOCK: 40 YEARS ON, BACK TO YASGUR'S FARM


6 CDS, 77 SONGS, 38 UNRELEASED from a little festival about to turn 40. This box does include The Grateful Dead, but the rumored Melanie Safka/Keith Moon duet of "What Now My Love," is nowhere to be found. (Ok, I just started that rumor.) Take a look HERE all the goodies included in this box.




ALSO OUT THIS WEEK

THE BOTTLEROCKETS- LEAN FORWARD

TOMMY CASTRO- HARD BELIEVER


BUFFY SAINT-MARIE- RUNNING FOR THE DRUM

MINDY SMITH- STUPID LOVE


MIKE STERN- BIG NEIGHBORHOOD

4 comments:

steve simels said...

The frontman from the Fabulous Poodles was a nice guy. Met him at a party once back in the day...along with the photographer lady that did his cover, who was a major babe. Think her name was Carol Starr....

Hey, it was a long time ago...

Gene Oberto said...

Two things:

Steve, you are absolutely correct on the FabPoo guy. Very nice and sincere in his appreciation for your interest in his band.

Second. What? No jar of dried mud made from the natural rain and the enthusiastic pounding of the tilled soil of the Yasgur farm by a half million pairs of feet? Seems like that's the least they could put into an 80 buck box of music heard again and again over the last four decades.

Anonymous said...

Sal, are you excited about the new Beatles remasters?

Tom

Sal Nunziato said...

Absolutely. Must have both boxes.