Tuesday, November 16, 2010

If It's Tuesday...blah blah blah...It Must Be "THE PROMISE!"

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN- THE PROMISE: THE "DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN" STORY
(3 CD/3 DVDS)

If you don't know the story by now, I'll tell ya. But it's gonna be quick.

Legal problems, among other things, held up Bruce's follow-up to "Born To Run." So the songs piled up.  Everyone made nice, "Darkness..." came out, and this is a lot of what didn't.

Nothing on the 2 CDs worth of outtakes will make you say, "Wow! Why did he leave THAT off the record?" Not even "Because The Night" or "Fire," which are both wonderful, but are also so ingrained in our live Springsteen psyches, that they are not so much revelations, but more like "told you sos."

The rest of the 21 tracks are a blast, though admittedly, the anticipation inevitably led to a let down. Nothing here hit me the way so many of the tracks on "Tracks" hit me the first time I cracked open that set, or even such b-sides as "Pink Cadillac," "Be True," or "Held Up Without A Gun."

An early version of the Gary U.S. Bonds' hit "This Little Girl" is good, but not better. Southside Johnny's "Talk To Me" is almost identical. The alternate and inferior "Racing In The Street" is...well...what I just said.  Still, "The Promise" is a gift, and by all means, necessary if you're a Bruce Springsteen fan. This should not be considered a new Springsteen record, but more like a good deed on the part of the man himself. The fans wanted it and now we've got it.

Let's not forget the rest of the package. Included in this set, and sadly, only in this set, is the newly remastered version of the classic album, which I must say, might be worth the price of admission. There is new power in an already powerful record and the E-Street Band, especially the rhythm section, will surround you and pound you. The sound is stellar! I imagine this will eventually be available separately.

But the real meat & potatoes are the DVDs. Here's what you get:

DVD 1: The Promise: The Making of "Darkness on the Edge of Town"
 (This is what aired on HBO a few weeks ago.)


Haven't gotten to these two yet, but they sure look good.

DVD 2: Darkness on the Edge of Town (Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ, 2009)
1. Badlands
2. Adam Raised A Cain
3. Something In The Night
4. Candy's Room
5. Racing In The Street
6. The Promised Land
7. Factory
8. Streets Of Fire
9. Prove It All Night
10. Darkness On The Edge Of Town

Thrill Hill Vault (1976-1978)
1. Save My Love (Holmdel, NJ 76)
2. Candy's Boy (Holmdel, NJ 76)
3. Something In The Night (Red Bank, NJ 76)
4. Don’t Look Back (NYC 78)
5. Ain't Good Enough For You (NYC 78)
6. The Promise (NYC 78)
7. Candy's Room Demo (NYC 78)
8. Badlands (Phoenix 78)
9. The Promised Land (Phoenix 78)
10. Prove It All Night (Phoenix 78)
11. Born To Run (Phoenix 78)
12. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) (Phoenix 78)

DVD 3: Houston '78 Bootleg: House Cut
1. Badlands
2. Streets Of Fire
3. It’s Hard To Be A Saint In The City
4. Darkness On The Edge Of Town
5. Spirit In The Night
6. Independence Day
7. The Promised Land
8. Prove It All Night
9. Racing In The Street
10. Thunder Road
11. Jungleland
12. The Ties That Bind
13. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
14. The Fever
15. Fire
16. Candy's Room
17. Because The Night
18. Point Blank
19. She's The One
20. Backstreets
21. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
22. Born To Run
23. Detroit Medley
24. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
25. You Can't Sit Down
26. Quarter To Three

Don't know if it's "the greatest release ever," as one friend put it, but as boxed sets go, it's pretty damn hip.

BUY IT HERE--->http://www.amazon.com/Promise-Darkness-Edge-Town-Story/dp/B0040JHXTI/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1289871899&sr=1-1






ALSO OUT THIS WEEK




JIMI HENDRIX- WEST COAST SEATTLE BOY 4 CDS/1 DVD


West Coast Seattle Boy - The Jimi Hendrix Anthology tracks Hendrix's remarkable journey from little known R&B sideman to international stardom through an unprecedented assemblage of previously unavailable recordings.

This long-awaited career-spanning box set is not a collection of existing Jimi Hendrix albums but instead 45 unreleased Jimi Hendrix live and studio recordings including demos and alternate versions of songs from
Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold As Love, and Electric Ladyland. West Coast Seattle Boy includes Hendrix’s never before heard version of Bob Dylan’s “Tears Of Rage,” solo acoustic recordings of Electric Ladyland favorites like “Long Hot Summer Night” and “1983 (A Merman I Shall Turn To Be)”as well as never before heard live performances from Berkeley and the legendary Band Of Gypsys Fillmore East concert on New Year’s Eve 1969 combined together with such new Hendrix songs as "Hear My Freedom," "Hound Dog Blues," "Lonely Avenue" and more.

The crown jewel of Legacy Recordings' monumental Jimi Hendrix catalog project,
West Coast Seattle Boy - The Jimi Hendrix Anthology is the first Hendrix collection to bring fans access to a comprehensive treasure trove of previously unreleased recordings -- including demos, alternate takes, live concert jewels and more -- from all phases of the artist's recording career (1964 -1970).
West Coast Seattle Boy - The Jimi Hendrix Anthology offers the most complete collection of Jimi's pre-Experience R&B performances (including his singles with the Isley Brothers, Little Richard, Don Covay, King Curtis and more) to ever be officially anthologized while bringing together the most comprehensive and revelatory set of unreleased, fully realized songs, never before heard live performances, alternate studio takes, acoustic and electric demos and other rarities drawn from every chapter of Jimi Hendrix remarkable life and career.
West Coast Seattle Boy - The Jimi Hendrix Anthology includes the 90 minute DVD Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child, a new documentary directed by the Grammy award winning Bob Smeaton (Beatles Anthology, Festival Express, Beatles: The Studio Recordings). The acclaimed documentary tells Jimi's incredible story in his own words. The documentary features some of Jimi's greatest performances as well as rare and never before seen footage and photos. Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child also includes--for the first time ever—examples from the Hendrix family archive of the late guitarist’s personal drawings, postcards home to his father, song drafts, sketches, and lyrics. Jimi's interviews and private writings shed new insights within the extraordinary life and career of the greatest guitarist of all time.



I know, sounds good!  I am always skeptical though, when it comes to a "new" Hendrix release. Guy recorded 3 1/2 albums while he was alive and has released 82 since he's been dead. Still,  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a more than a tad excited about listening to this.

BUY IT HERE--->http://www.amazon.com/West-Coast-Seattle-Boy-Collectors/dp/B003YDZV90/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1289871937&sr=1-1









THE BEE GEES- MYTHOLOGY (4 CDS)

New box with each of the 4 discs spotlighting a G.B. (You know...Gibb brother.)

I love this band. Not just the hip and cool early stuff, but the middle-period crap, the killer pre-disco stuff like "Main Course" and "Children Of The World," the legendary "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack, and well...not so much after that.  But up to that, I LOVE THIS BAND.


TRACK LIST

  • Disc One 
  • (Barry)
  • Spirits (Having Flown)
  • You Win Again
  • Jive Talkin'
  • To Love Somebody
  • Tragedy
  • Too Much Heaven
  • First Of May
  • More Than A Woman
  • Love So Right
  • Night Fever
  • Words
  • Don't Forget To Remember
  • If I Can't Have You
  • Alone
  • Heartbreaker
  • How Deep Is Your Love
  • Love You Inside And Out
  • Stayin' Alive
  • Barker Of The UFO
  • Swan Song
  • Spicks And Specks
  •  
  •  
  • Disc Two
  • (Robin)
  • I Am The World
  • New York Mining Disaster
  • I Can't See Nobody
  • Holiday
  • Massachusetts
  • Sir Geoffrey Saved The World
  • And The Sun Will Shine
  • The Singer Sang His Song
  • I've Gotta Get A Message To You
  • I Started A Joke
  • Odessa
  • Saved By The Bell
  • My World
  • Run To Me
  • Love Me
  • Juliet
  • The Longest Night
  • Fallen Angel
  • Rings Around The Moon
  • Embrace
  • Islands In The Stream
  •  
  •  
  • Disc Three 
  • (Maurice)
  • Man In The Middle
  • Closer Than Close
  • Dimensions
  • House Of Shame
  • Suddenly
  • Railroad
  • Overnight
  • It's Just The Way
  • Lay It On Me
  • Trafalgar
  • Omega Man
  • Walking On Air
  • Country Woman
  • Angel Of Mercy
  • Above And Beyond
  • Hold Her In Your Hand
  • You Know It's For You
  • Wildflower
  • On Time
  • The Bridge
  •  
  •  
  • Disc Four 
  • (Andy)
  • Shadow Dancing
  • I Just Want To Be Your Everything
  • (Love Is) Thicker Than Water
  • An Everlasting Love
  • Desire
  • (Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away
  • Flowing Rivers
  • Words And Music
  • I Can't Help It (With Olivia Newton-John)
  • Time Is Time
  • Me (Without You)
  • After Dark
  • Warm Ride
  • Too Many Looks In Your Eyes
  • Man On Fire
  • Arrow Through The Heart
  • Starlight
  • Dance To The Light Of The Morning
  • In The End
BUY IT HERE--->http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002HFP0R4/ref=s9_simh_gw_p15_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0DC8P67AKRJ0YBCZQ1VT&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846




STILL THERE IS MORE


BRYAN ADAMS- BARE BONES
Stripped down vers....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..THUD! Oh sorry.

http://www.amazon.com/Bare-Bones-Bryan-Adams/dp/B0045LSIRM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1289871977&sr=1-2

NORAH JONES- ...FEATURING
18 track compilation of Miss Jones as special guest. Hosts include Willie Nelson, Charlie Hunter, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Ray Charles, Outkast, Foo Fighters and more.


http://www.amazon.com/Featuring-Norah-Jones/dp/B003YWUTJI/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1289872048&sr=1-1


KID ROCK- BORN FREE
"It’s his State of the Union address, a deeply personal statement that looks at racism in America, empathizes with soldiers in Iraq (Rock visited the troops last Christmas) and also lays bare his tormented relationship with Pam Anderson."

RAWK!!
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Free-Kid-Rock/dp/B003ZHQVJO/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1289872171&sr=1-1


PINK- GREATEST HITS...SO FAR
Okay, easy now with the "so far."

http://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Hits-So-Far-Deluxe-DVD/dp/B0045DO8NI/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1289872305&sr=1-1

RIHANNA- LOUD
http://www.amazon.com/Loud-Deluxe-Rihanna/dp/B00428ZRFY/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1289872331&sr=1-1

SUPERTRAMP- BREAKFAST IN AMERICA (2 CD DELUXE EDITION)
Newly remastered and now including a second disc of live tracks recorded in 1979.


http://www.amazon.com/Breakfast-America-Supertramp/dp/B00408MS5S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289872354&sr=1-1





6 comments:

big bad wolf said...

sal, i heard bruce on sirius/xm last night. he said talk to me is the exact same track as southside's, just with his vocal, not southside's. bruce said steve was looking for things to finish up the southside album and bruce had the talk to me tmusic track. steve took it, johnny sang over it, steve added horns and on the record it went.

it is not meant to put tracks down to say that what it proved to me is that bruce is a terrific editor and album-maker. there are some great things on tracks, but even they wouldn't have worked on the albums they didn't make it on.

i'm excited to hear the remixed darkness and thrilled to get a 78 concert. sometimes it seems my whole life's been a backward look at the 78 shows i saw.

Sal Nunziato said...

"there are some great things on tracks, but even they wouldn't have worked on the albums they didn't make it on."

Big Bad...I wasn't necessarily saying "Be True" would have worked on "The River" as opposed to something else. I don't buy into that anymore that I care about the Director's Cut of a film over an original theatrical release. I just meant, the first time I heard "Be True" I flipped. Same with "Pink Cadillac." Or even the stuff found on the Beatles' Anthologies. I've yet to find "that song" on "The Promise," but I've only gone in three times.

Eric said...

kid rock is under-appreciated by the rock cognoscenti.....

cognoscenti---yeah, i wrote it......Detroit kicks out its rockers....and rock and roll jesus, the song(the album is half filler) ROCKS....there i said it, i like robert richie

jeff kisseloff said...

yup, precisely what I thought after hearing the unreleased bruce material: the guy either is or had/has a great editor. I love the songs, but maybe with the exception of the promise, he put out the best album he could out of the tracks he had.

but why wouldn't they put out just a remastered CD? who made that decision? does bruce really need that much more money?

Anonymous said...

Sal,
I still can listen to Be True and get almost the same feeling I got when I first heard it. A story I heard was that right before recording it Bruce had made a comment to Max about his timing being a little off. Max said he was near tears and then they went in to cut Be True and Max said he put everything he had into it . Sure sounds that way to me . And what? Nothing about theAmerican Breed Box Set?
Mike

mpjedi2 said...

Mine hasn't arrived yet..."Out for delivery."

That said, I have to be honest, the two disks of outtakes are the last thing I'm excited about with this set. I loved watching "Wings For Wheels" so much in the BTR box, and I don't have cable, so the Doc is the first thing that's being played tonight.

I'm with you on "Tracks," Sal...it's not an album, it's not a concise statement, and there is filler, but, man, it was immediate proof of how cutthroat Bruce could be with tracks. There are real gems on there, and I'm more than happy he took the time to release that set. "The Promise," too, of course, even if they only amount to a glimpse of the thought process that builds each album.

Off topic, but it is a "new" release today....

Who's really excited about The Beatles on iTunes? I mean, if you're a fan, you should already have the MP3s ripped from your disks, right? I can't imagine anyone's been sitting around thinking...Ohhh, if only iTunes had "Twist and Shout!" I can't think of another way to get it...

And I'm certainly not re-buying the catalog digitally just to get a 15 minute movie...