MATT'S MUSIC REPORT - SUMMER 2013

Recent Releases of Note

• Tony Banks - The Wicked Lady (soundtrack; first time on CD)
• Beatles - Help! (1st release on Blu-ray)
• Beck - Defriended (single)
• Beck - I Won't Be Long (single)
• Bloody Beetroots - Out of Sight (single featuring Paul McCartney)
• ELO - Electric Light Orchestra Live (2001 concert)
• ELO - Zoom (reissue of 2001 album with bonus tracks)
• Fleetwood Mac - Extended Play (iTunes only EP)
• Tom Jones - Spirit in the Room (first U.S. release of '12 studio album)
• The Lonely Island - The Wack Album
• Jeff Lynne - Armchair Theatre (reissue of 1990 album with bonus tracks)
• Julian Lennon - Someday (iTunes only single w/ Steven Tyler)
• Steve Martin & Edie Brickell - Love Has Come for You
• Paul McCartney - Wings Over America (reissue of 1976 concert tour album, either as 2 CDs or a 3 CD/1 DVD deluxe box set)
• Paul McCartney - Rockshow (1980 released concert film of 1976 tour, first time on DVD
• Monkees - The Monkees Present [3 CD reissue with 60 unreleased songs, available only from Monkees.com]
• Moody Blues - Timeless Flight (career retrospective available as a 4-disc or massive 17-disc box set)
• Willie Nelson and Family - Let's Face the Music and Dance
• Harry Nilsson - The RCA Albums Collection (17 CD box, contains the 14 albums he recorded for RCA)
• Harry Nilsson - Flash Harry (reissue and first US release of Nilsson's final album, from 1980, which was recorded for Mercury)
• She & Him - Volume 3
• Ringo Starr - Photograph (collection of personal photographs, released as an e-book; limited edition hardcover to come in December)
• KT Tunstall - Invisible Empire/Crescent Moon
• various [including Elvis Costello & T-Bone Burnett] - Ghost Brothers of Darkland County
• various - Let Us In Americana: the Music of Paul McCartney

Upcoming Releases

• Beach Boys - Made in California [6 CD career box set w/ 60 unreleased tracks][8/27]
• Beatles - All These Years: Tune In [volume 1 of the biography series by Mark Lewisohn][1200 page US version due 10/10][2000 page "author's cut" UK version due 11/13]
• Beatles - The BBC Archives: 1962-1970 [book of transcripts of BBC appearances][11/5]
• Elvis Costello & the Roots - Wake Up Ghost [9/17]
• Bob Dylan - The Bootleg Series, vol. 10 - Another Self Portrait (1969-1971) [2 CD or 4 CD sets][8/27]
• Elton John - The Diving Board [9/24]
• Laurence Juber - Guitar with Wings [autobiography by Wings lead guitarist from 1979-81][Oct]
• Nick Lowe - Quality Street [10/29]
• Katy Perry - Prism [10/22]

On Tour in the Tri-State

• America - Belterra [11/16]
• Beach Boys [Mike & Bruce] - Hoosier Park [8/31]
• Chicago - Cincinnati [8/23]; Indianapolis [9/15]; Richmond, KY [9/18]
• Mickey Dolenz - Owensboro [10/25]
• Doobie Brothers - Cincinnati [8/31]
• Eagles - Indianapolis [10/18]
• Fastball - Indianapolis [9/11]; Louisville [9/12]; Dayton [9/13]
• Fresh Beat Band - Columbus [1/14]; Louisville [1/15]; Cincinnati [1/22]
• Jim Gaffigan - Oxford [10/5]
• Happy Together Tour [Turtles/Gary Lewis/Gary Puckett & more] -  Louisville [8/22]
• Colin Hay - Indianapolis [9/8]
• Herman's Hermits - Owensboro [10/25]
• KC & the Sunshine Band - Dayton [8/30]
• Gordon Lightfoot - Terre Haute [10/28]
• Aimee Mann - Louisville [10/6]; Bloomington [10/15]
• Moody Blues - Louisville [9/26]; Cincinnati [9/27]; Cleveland [9/29]; Wabash [10/1]; Elkhart [10/2]; Hammond [10/5]
• Maura O'Connell - Lexington [10/3]
• Pink - Indianapolis [11/21]; Cleveland [11/23]
• Wiggles - Indianapolis [9/20]
• "Weird Al" Yankovic - Cleveland [8/31]; Richmond, KY [10/10]

Reviews

  Let Us In Americana: The Music of Paul McCartney - various artists [Reviver Music]  As a big solo McCartney fan, this album to benefit the Women and Cancer Fund is something of a disappointment.  Of the 16 tracks, half are Beatle tunes.  Nothing against the Beatles (my favorite band, after all) but the Beatles have been covered ad nauseam and it's rare now to find a good one.  Even with the solo Paul, their aren't any covers to songs written after 1976.  It was the perfect opportunity to be adventuresome, and they blew it.  Instead we get the 700th cover version of "Yesterday."  Nothing against the performers.  The musicianship is solid, but nothing beyond a pleasant, if sleepy, parade of steel guitar and mandolin ensues.  Only Lee Ann Womack infuses "Let 'Em In" with sufficient bounce and twang to make it her own.  At least it was cheap ($8 on Amazon).

 Let's Face the Music and Dance - Willie Nelson and Family [Sony Legacy]  First the good: Unlike his last album, "Heroes" and despite the 'Family' moniker, son Lukas Nelson does not appear on this record.  This 'Willie on helium' offspring made a mockery of a could-be classic, so I did diligent research before purchase to make sure my ears would not be assaulted again.  The bad: this album is low-key to the point of tepid, running through a well-worn songbook, most of it travelled by Willie himself on previous records.  While there is a warmth to it that makes for a charming evening on the front porch, I can't recommend hanging out in that rocking chair for repeated listens.