Where were you on Thanksgiving Day, 1976. I was at a Thanksgiving table watching an NFL game. But if I could travel back in time, I would go to San Francisco’s Winterland Theatre to experience The Band’s last concert, which became the legendary concert film, The Last Waltz. To commemorate its 40th anniversary, Rhino will be reissuing the Last Waltz in four new additions: a 2-CD set featuring the original soundtrack with newly remastered audio from the original master tapes on two CDs; a 4-CD edition that has the complete audio from the concert, including rehearsals and outtakes, plus The Last Waltz film on Blu-Ray; a 6-LP vinyl version (that includes the rehearsals and outtakes) and a limited edition 4-CD collector’s edition (boasting a second Blu-Ray and a 300-page book). Rarities highlights include rehearsals of “Caravan” with Van Morrison, “Such A Night” with Dr. John, and “King Harvest (Has Surely Come)” a song that was not performed in concert, plus other non-film performances like “Furry Sings The Blues” with Joni Mitchell and “All Our Past Times” with Eric Clapton. I’m guessing this is make many of music fan’s gift list.
Tim Buckley is known mostly now as Jeff Buckley’s dad; however, the elder Buckley had his own intriguing career in the mid-60’s through mid-70s. His eclecticism might have been too much to achieve big mainstream success, but he was seemed to be up something interesting. On Nov. 18, Omnivore is releasing the 21-track compilation Wings: The Complete Singles 1966–1974.
Hear Buckley performing “Dolphins,” which is on the new collection, on the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1974. He died of a heroin overdose the following year
The T.A.M.I Show is another historic rock concert film. The 1964 filmed concert had an all-star lineup that included Rolling Stones, James Brown, the Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, the Supremes and Chuck Berry. The Shout! Factory has put together a great Blu-ray pairing the T.A.M.I. Show with its The Big T.N.T. Show. T.N.T, a 1965 filmed concert with performances from the Byrds, Bo Diddley, Ray Charles, the Lovin’ Spoonful, Ike & Tina Turner and more, is something a companion piece to the T.A.M.I. Show; however, it isn’t as well-known because it has been out of circulation more. This Dec. 2 release should rectify that. Shout! Factory also will release a Big T.N.T. Show DVD on that day too.
Check out this old trailer for the film:
I will admit that one of my favorite albums (although I had it on 8-track) in 1972 was Bette Midler’s debut The Divine Miss M. On Oct. 21, Rhino will be putting out a deluxe 2-CD version with bonus material like the previously unreleased demos “Saturday Night” and “Mr. Freedom And I.”
Country Rewind Records has assembled a CD of previously unreleased material from the late, great Waylon Jennings. The Lost Nashville Sessions (due in mid-October) features tracks that Jennings recorded in Scotty Moore’s Music City Recorders in July 1970 for a U.S. military recruitment radio program. These shows done as “promotional-use only” records and only not getting a commercial release.
Continuing on the “lost” theme. Terry Dolan is not a name you probably know unless you were in the Bay Area in the ‘70s and ‘80s (okay, maybe the ‘90s too) as the leader of Terry and the Pirates during those years. Dolan was a talented musician whose solo debut album was mysteriously cancelled by Warner Bros just before its 1973 release. The album, which features Neal Schon, Nicky Hopkins, Pete Sears and Prairie Prince, has a funky, folksy rock vibe that is both of its time and outside of it. You can finally hear it as the album will be released High Moon Records on November 25th.
Listen to its best-known track “Inlaws and Outlaws” here: http://bit.ly/2cqCGqg
Paradise of Bachelors continues its Terry Allen reissue campaign on Oct. 14 when it puts out Allen’s breakout album Lubbock (on everything). This version apparently correctly the tape speed inconsistencies found on the earlier versions of this 1979 album.
Dualtone celebrates its 15th anniversary will a cool compilation. Due out Oct. 7, In Case You Missed It, holds some rare and unreleased tracks. The 19-song set showcases Dualtone’s diverse roster with tracks by the Lumineers, Guy Clark, Shovels & Rope, Delta Spirit, Noah Gundersen, Langhorne Slim, June Carter Cash, Bobby Bare, Shakey Graves, Brett Dennen, Rosco Gordon and Chris Knight.
On Nov. 11, Umphrey’s McGee has been releasing Zonkey, a unique set contains 12 eccentric mash-ups numbers. For instance, “National Loser Anthem” includes Radiohead’s “National Anthem,” Beck’s “Loser” and Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight” while “Life During Exodus” combines the Talking Heads’ “Life During Wartime” with Bob Marley’s “Exodus” – you get the picture, right?
Van der Graaf Generator was one of the ‘70s rock groups that I always thought had a great name and cool album covers, although I never heard much of their music. The avant rock group, led by Peter Hammill, will release their 13th album (and third since regrouping a decade ago). Do Not Disturb, due Oct. 21, undoubtedly will find them exploring some out-there musical territory.
Austin’s long-running country-punk outfit the Hickoids have a covers EP due on Oct. 21 that marks the final recordings of their late guitarist Davy Jones (yes, another rock ‘n’ roll Davy Jones). The 6-song set features tunes by such Texas acts as Roky Erickson (“I Have Always Been Here Before”), Terry Allen (“I Just Left Myself Today”), Willie Nelson (“Night Life”), the Dicks (“Dead In A Motel Room”) and Doug Sahm (“At The Crossroads”).
The Mavericks have a new live CD, entitled All Night Live Volume 1, that will be available on Oct. 14 on the band’s own Mono Mundo Recordings label. It features performances from the band’s 2015 Mono Mundo tour and focuses on tunes from their recent In Time and Mono albums. Country superstar George Strait has teamed up with Walmart for a new collection Strait Out of the Box: Part 2 (due Nov. 18), a three-disc, 56-track collection that olds 36 hit singles, 18 key album cuts and two brand new tunes.
Founding Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington has recorded an album with his wife, and former Rossington/Collins Band vocalist, Dale Krantz-Rossington. The Take It On Faith is a bluesy outing featuring contributions from Billy Gibbons, Delbert McClinton, Gary Nicholson and Bekka Bramlett. Another standout Southern Rock guitarist, Marc Ford of Black Crowes fame, has fashioned a terrific gritty rootsy rock album The Vulture. Worth noting is that the bassist in his band, the Neptune Blues Club, is Johnny Bazz from the Blasters.
Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders are releasing their first album since 2008. Alone, which was produced with Dan Auerbach (yes, an Akron connection!), has an Oct. 21 due date and the band will be supporting it with a tour opening for Stevie Nicks. 10/21 also is the day for the new CD from Leonard Cohen, You Want It Darker (Sony). It is album #14 from the fabled singer/songwriter, who turned 82 in September. My Morning Jacket’s Jim James not only has produced the new Jonny Fritz CD, but he has done his second solo album too; Eternally Even comes out on ATO/Capitol Records on Nov. 4.
On Nov. 11, Throwing Muses’ Kristin Hersh will put out Wyatt at the Coyote Palace, the third CD/Book combo that she has done in recent years. She played all of the instruments on the disc, which drew inspiration from her son Wyatt. There’s also a really wonderfully “graphic novel” biography on Robert Johnson entitled Love In Vain that Faber & Faber is releasing in the US on Nov. 29.
Two folk legends Jim Kweskin and Geoff Muldaur are out on tour in support of their just released collaboration Penny’s Farm. Harvey Mandel is another name you will recognize if you have albums from the ‘60s and ‘70s (or just a music geek). He was part of the Chicago blues/rock scene, was a member of Canned Heat and played with the Rolling Stones (Ronnie Wood beat him out to replace Mick Taylor). He has a new album, Snake Pit (his first widely distributed effort in a couple decades) that features him playing (basically for the first time) with musicians who have been performing with Ryley Walker. Tompkins Square will put it out on Nov. 18.
Speaking of the Stones, they will be releasing release a live album and concert film of the performance in Cuba earlier this year Entitled Havana Moon, it will be available on a variety of formats Nov. 11. Nov. 11 also is the date for the mega-massive new Bob Dylan archival release, a 36-CD collection of all of his 1966 live recordings. Just think, if you took just one track from each disc, you would still have a 36-song compilation.
Social Distortion has compiled its first ever vinyl box set. Due Oct. 28 on Concord Bicycle, the 4-LP The Independent Years: 1983 – 2004, contains the Orange Country roots/punk band albums Mommy’s Little Monster, Prison Bound, Sex, Love and Rock ‘n’ Roll and their “early years” compilation Mainliner (Wreckage From the Past).
Here’s a live acoustic version of their hit “Reach for the Sky”
On Nov. 11 Columbia/Legacy offers up a 2CD/2LP live document from Mike Watt‘s famous 1995 tour. Ring Spiel Tour ’95 captures the San Pedro icon out supporting his solo debut ball-hog or tugboat?, performing at Chicago’s The Metro club where he was aided by pals like Eddie Vedder, Dave Gohl and Pat Smear. The set includes renditions of Daniel Johnston’s “Walking The Cow,” Rank and File’s “Big Train,” Blue Oyster Cult’s “The Red and The Black” and Madonna’s “Secret Garden” – yes, it was that type of show.
Frenchkiss Records has done deluxe editions of the Hold Steady’s first two albums, Almost Killed Me and Separation Sunday, that they will unveil on vinyl and CD Nov. 11. Almost Killed Me boasts five bonus tracks, including the band’s first 7” single “Milkcrate Mosh,” while Separation Sunday has six extra tracks, including previously unreleased songs “212-Margarita” and “The Most Important Thing.”
Merge has a couple of interesting upcoming reissue projects in December. They have packaged The Magnetic Fields’ first two albums, The Wayward Bus (1991) and Distant Plastic Trees (1992), together as a double LP (their vinyl debut). The Clean’s 2001 album Getaway will be put out as a double LP and double CD. The second CD (which will be available with the LP version) contains the New Zealand band’s hard-to-find, tour-only releases Syd’s Pink Wiring System and Slush Fund.
Musical Shapes 