AUDIO: 20 Minute Loop’s “Mercury Vapor”

It has been eight years since 20 Minute Loop came out with an album but they are returning with something new on February called Songs Praising The Mutant Race. Have a listen to the first track being released from it, it’s called “Mercury Vapor”.

SOME STUFFS: Loggins & Messina’s “Full Sail” receives a new audiophile treatment from Audio Fidelity

One of my all time favorite albums, one I’ve loved since I was introduced to it through my parents, has been remastered by Audio Fidelity. Kenny Loggins & Jim Messina released the incredible Full Sail album and it was released in proper stereo along with a quadraphonic pressing soon after. Audio Fidelity have given Full Sail the SACD treatment, meaning you’ll get to hear a new remastering via Steve Hoffman and the original quad mix will be heard on the SACD.

While the album did produce one single (“My Music”), it was not a hit but the album does feature such songs as “Lahaina”, “You Need A Man/Coming To You”, “Watching The River Run” and the Chicago stepping classic, “Pathway To Glory”. I’ve had this album on vinyl, cassette, and 8-track and the remaster Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL) is nothing short of amazing and I’m sure Hoffman has done an incredible job with it too.

It was released last week and you can order it below via Amazon.com.

AUDIO: La Sera’s “High Notes”

In the last 50 years, there have been tons of albums with a similar premise: they are Music To Be (fill in the blank) By, some cute, some humorous. La Sera decided to make it direct and to the point while being funny at the fact so many have done the same: Music For Listening to Music To. It’s the duo’s 4th album and will be released by Polyvinyl on
March 4th. It’s pretty much ready to go but they have to let things simmer for another four months. Until then, grab a spoon and try out a song from the album, it’s called “High Notes”.

SOME STUFFS: Audio Fidelity to release remasters of albums by Loggins & Messina and America

It may be close to the end of the year but the folks at Audio Fidelity are not slowing down, for they’re already getting ready to release some new remasters in the new year. Two are on the way, one of which is one of my all time favorite albums.

January 22, 2016 is when you’ll be seeing a brand new remaster of Kenny Loggins & Jim Messina’s debut album as a duo, 1971’s Sittin’ In. In truth, the album is credited as Kenny Loggins with Jim Messina, as Messina had been known as a member of the Buffalo Springfield but was also in Poco, and this was a way for him to introduce Kenny Loggins to the world. The album is beautifully produced by Messina and while it’s the musicianship, singing, and songwriting of both Loggins and Messina that was important, the drumming from Merel Bregante has to be heard to be believed, especially in tracks like “Nobody But You”, the 3-song medley that closes Side 1 and my favorite L&M song, the almighty “Vahevala”, with an incredible duo sax solo from Al Garth and Al Garth that always blows me away, very John Coltrane-esque with its Indian touches. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL) once released this album as a silver disc and sounded awesome, so I can’t weit to hear Audio Fidelity’s treatment of it.
Sittin in

By the time America released Hearts in 1975, they had four albums behind them and they were still ready to unleash some more powerful music. This effort was produced by Sir George Martin, known for his work over the years with The Beatles, and it was Martin’s second time working with the band. Hearts features a number of moving songs and features three songs released as singles, including “Sister Golden Hair”, “Woman Tonight”, and “Daisy Chain”.
Hearts

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Hearts was originally released in quadraphonic as well so the hybrid SACD will feature both the album stereo and 4.0 surround sound. Sittin’ In was only released in stereo (their Loggins & Messina, Full Sail and Native Sons albums had the quad treatment) so the SACD can be played in two different ways, for those who have SACD players.

(NOTE: Both SACD’s can be pre-ordered above via Amazon.com. They do not show the covers as of this writing but it will lead you to Amazon and show you how to order.)

AUDIO: GospelbeacH’s “Your Freedom”

Pacific Surf Line (Alive Naturalsound) is the debut album from GospelbeacH, a group that features members of more bands like Beachwood Sparks, The Chris Robinson Band, and The Tyde, but the press release says “and more”, so find out somewhere who that “and more” refers to. The album will be out a month from this day, and you can have a listen to a song from it called “Your Freedom”.

REVIEW: Jeremy Bass’ “Winter Bare”

If Winter Bare (self-release) tells the tales of a man who fares and hates the moods of what winter can provide to the mind, then Jeremy Bass knows exactly how to get those stories and tales out of his head and into musical form, as a means to turn around the occasional melancholy and see better times in the forthcoming season. By the time this album is released in April, it will have been spring for almost a month but Bass is someone who takes to his pop with elements of rock, folk, and country to turn up a style of music that is rootsy, warm, and rich with the kind of textures where you’re able to see it breathe and watch its pores expand. Part of the reason why songs such as “One More Cigarette”, “Winterlude (Banjo For Annie”) and “Lift Me Up” sound as strong and powerful as they are is because they were written during a downtime in Bass’ life, including getting divorced and selling the home they lived in. Putting those feelings in words and music can be a rough one but we’re able to here what he was going through and what he did in order to get from an end to new beginnings. It’s a bit like listening to an album by The Band you had never heard of before but recognize the cover, only to realize this album should’ve been part of your life as a kid. His next album is set to be full of bossa nova influences but for now, listen to what a cold life can feel like when the only thing you’re able to is throw in a log in the fireplace, one by one, to let you feel the madness but hope that it is all you need to get by for now.

(Winter Bare will be released on April 14th.)

SOME STUFFS: America, Earth Wind & Fire to get the audiophile treatment from Audio Fidelity

If you enjoy your audiophile CD’s as I do, you are going to like the next two releases Audio Fidelity will be releasing on March 31st.

The first one is America’s second album released in 1972, Homecoming. This is the one that features the big hit “Venture Highway”, but also featured “Don’t Cross The River” and “Only In Your Heart” which were released as single, although FM radio did give other songs a shot. Some fans will also know this album for Hal Blaine playing drums on it. The album went as high as #9 on Billboard, went gold and was certified platinum after 1976.

After a few jazzy adventures with their first two albums, Earth Wind & Fire moved from Warner Bros. Records to Columbia and started changing their momentum with the addition of vocalist Philip Bailey. 1973’s Head To The Sky was the first hint of what was to come but it was 1974’s Open Our Eyes which showed how determined the band were to create hit songs and albums. The band were involved with two albums to be released in 1974, with Open Our Eyes getting a release in February of that year. It’s the album that offered songs like “Devotion”, “Kalimba Song”, “Fair But So Uncool” and the funky “Mighty Mighty”. While the group would share a bit of their jazzy roots, there was a worldly influence too. The other album that band were involved with that year was Ramsey Lewis’ Sun Goddess, released in the fall and that would help take Lewis to the high end of the charts. These two albums would help lead EW&F to higher realms with the release of their follow up, That’s The Way Of The World but Open Our Eyes remains my favorite EW&F album and one of my favorite records of all time.

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Outside of the new remastered versions, the hybrid SACD’s come with surround sound mixes, with America’s Homecoming getting the 5.1 treatment while EW&F’s Open Our Eyes is pulling out the original 4-channel quadraphonic mix, the first time this has ever been released digitally.

RECORD CRACK: T. Rex reissues on the way

Most of the world may only know T. Rex for one man: Marc Bolan, but Tyrannosaurus Rex were originally a duo with Bolan and musical partner Steve Peregrin Took. Together, they created some of the most powerful, moving, and psychedelic rock’n’roll of the late 60’s which moved many to form their own bands so if you’ve never heard the early and primal Tyrannosaurus Rex, you’ll be able to get a chance as their three albums are being reissued.

Bolan and Took released three albums as Tyrannosaurus Rex: My People Were Fair And Had Sky In Their Hair… But Now They’re Content To Wear Stars On Their Brows, Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels Of The Ages, and Unicorn, with the first two released in 1968. Unicorn became the group’s debut in the United States when it was released on Blue Thumb Records. Each album will now be released as 2-record sets, with bonus tracks filling up the second record. All of the bonus tracks for each album will also be found on each respective CD versions. Mark Paytress does liner notes for each deluxe edition that will be packaged in a booklet.

Each album will also have three 7″ limited edition singles, one for each album which are exclusive to the UK. They will consist of:
A: Strange Orchestras – John Peel’s Top Gear 1968 (1:40) / B: Chateau In Virginia Waters – Joe Boyd Session (2:45)
A: Consuela – Take 3 (2:27) /B: Wind Quartets – John Peel’s Top Gear 1968 (2:50)
A: Nijinsky Hind – John Peel’s Top Gear 1968 (2:17) / B: Blessed Wild Apple Girl – Take 2 (2:43)

All of them will be released by Polydor/Universal Music on January 26th. Since these albums have a faithful audience in the UK and Europe, they are only being released in the UK, which means if Americans want to have the vinyl pressings, you’ll have to pay import prices. You may pre-order them below via Amazon.

VINYL:
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COMPACT DISC:
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VIDEO: Devin Sinha’s “Lone Elm Road”

Devin Sinha has a new album out called The Seventh Season, which shows his love of mixing up folk with pop and rock elements. From it is the song “Lone Elm Road”, and the video is making its world premiere right now here on ThisIsBooksMusic.com. Enjoy.

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REVIEW: Charlie Belle “Get To Know”

Pop music with a warm jingle-jangle spirit may not be as plentiful these days, at least not in the mainstream, but that means you’ll have to seek and discover what you’re looking for. If that style of pop and rock is what you desire, may I introduce you to a trio from Austin, Texas named Charlie Belle. The group play music that could easily become this generation’s version of The Sundays, Belly, Syd The Kid, or Madison McFerrin. That’s partly due to the strong vocals of guitarist Jendayi Bonds, along with the fantastic bass work of Zoe Czarnecki and the powerful drumming of Gyasi Bonds and you may find it hard that this music was created with only three people. These songs either have the potential to become very popular or be used in numerous television shows or films, and those who choose to work with them will be rewarded.

(Get To Know will be released on January 13, 2015.)