If It's Tuesday, It Must Be Street Date: 11/10/09

AC/DC- BACKTRACKS

2 CD and 1 DVD boxed set from the Aussie bad boys that pulls together oddities, rarities, and soundtrackities. The DVD features rare videos and live tracks bringing the previously released "Family Jewels" DVD up to date.








BAD LIEUTENANT- NEVER CRY ANOTHER TEAR

New side project from New Order's Bernard Sumner sounds a bit more guitar heavy than New Order, less melodic than Blur, and not as interesting as Echo & The Bunnymen.







BON JOVI- CIRCLE

I like this band. I didn't always. But for every big and stupid rock anthem that sucks, there is a big and stupid rock anthem that doesn't. Untangle your shorts, turn off your Stan Brakhage film, and enjoy half of this record.








THE CRIBS- IGNORE THE IGNORANT

Brit rockers or punks or mods or poseurs? You decide. The Cribs have put out some fine music. New band member Johnny Marr adds some maturity. (Whatever that means)






RAY DAVIES- THE KINKS CHORAL COLLECTION

Already released in the UK, and inexplicably being re-released in England on 12/8 to feature a newly recorded duet with Chrissie Hynde, this wonderful album gets an annoying Hynde-less stateside release this week. (That's annoying.) Aside from that bit of a screw-up, this newly recorded collection of Kinks faves with the Crouch End Choir works!! The classics, even rockers such as "You Really Got Me," adapt nicely to the new orchestrations and big vocal additions. Big time recommendation from me. Up to you to decide which version to pay for.








LUTHER DICKINSON & THE SONS OF MUDBOY- ONWARD & UPWARD

"Just three days after the death of his father, Memphis (and Muscle Shoals and Miami) music legend Jim Dickinson, Luther Dickinson opened the doors to the family's Zebra Ranch studio in Independence, Mississippi and recorded Onward and Upward, an album of gospel songs and hymns over the course of a few hours. Luther, one third of the North Mississippi All-Stars and now a member of The Black Crowes, was joined by an ad hoc group dubbed The Sons of Mudboy (an homage to his late father's influential rock band Mudboy and the Neutrons) who were all close to Dickinson the elder and wished to address his loss in a musical way. The Sons of Mudboy include two veterans of the original Mudboy: Sid Selvidge (guitar, vocals) and Jimmy Crosthwait (washboard, vocals). Also on the session were Jimbo Mathus (guitar, mandolin, banjo, vocals) formerly of the Squirrel Nut Zippers and of the South Memphis String Band, Steve Selvidge (guitar, dobro, vocals) and Paul Taylor (washtub bass) as well as vocalist Shannon McNally."









ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN- THE FOUNTAIN

New record from original Bunnymen Ian McCulloch & Will Sergeant is a semi-bland affair that at best, sounds too much like a collection of U2 outtakes and at its worst, like a montage scene from a John Hughes movie. A shame really, since their 2005 release, "Siberia," was quite good.









KING CRIMSON- IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING BOXED SET

"Digitally remastered and expanded six disc (five CDs + NTSC/Region 0 DVD) edition of the legendary Prog Rock band's 1969 debut album, released to coincide with the 40th Anniversary of the original release. The classic album has been mixed for 5.1 Surround Sound from the original studio masters by Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), with Crimson founder Robert Fripp acting as executive producer. Disc One features five additional tracks drawn from the original recording sessions. Disc Two features the 2004 remaster of the original album plus bonus tracks. Disc Three features a complete album's worth of unreleased/alternate takes and instrumental mixes by Steven Wilson plus a de-clicked transfer of the original pink label Island pressing of the album. Disc Four features audio restored bootlegs of the band's legendary performances at Hyde Park, London in July 1969 and Fillmore East in November 1969. Disc Five is a bonus disc featuring a vinyl transfer of the ultra rare, U.S. radio promo only, mono album plus the equally rare US radio promo only single edit of 'Court of the Crimson King'. The DVD-A features a 5.1 DTS Mix and High Resolution Stereo mixes."




Or, you can just not buy it.




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GRANT LEE PHILLIPS- LITTLE MOON

Haven't heard it yet, so read this:

"With golden voice and silver-dipped pen Grant-Lee Phillips presents another milestone in a career brimming with the like. Little Moon is track after track of well-anchored classic American music - Rock and Folk swirl under clouds of cinematic strings for a primer on the art of the timeless tune. His legendary well of melody is in full display on Little Moon, with even the most lilting piano ballad standing comfortably on a thick, powerful trunk ('Older Now'). Long one of Los Angeles' most sought after songwriters, Grant-Lee meets Little Moon with positive inspirations including the birth of his daughter Violet ('Violet') and a creative calm that saw the songs well up organically from earlier live collaborations with drummer Jay Bellerose, producer bassist Paul Bryan and keyboardist Jamie Edwards. Captured live in the studio with limited overdubs, the album keenly chronicles the sunny day feel of the songs and that ever-elusive in the moment groove of a finely-tuned band working out equally finely-crafted material."









ROLLING STONES REISSUES

The last batch of the recent set of Stones' reissues covers the live records--"Love You Live" & "Stripped" (both damn good!) and "Still Life," "Live Licks" and "Flashpoint" (all really horrible)