If you're looking for ideas on how to spend a Christmas gift card or just taking advantage of year-end sales, here are some noteworthy music titles that came out in 2018...
REISSUES:
REISSUES:
The Cars
Shake it Up; Heartbeat City
(Rhino/Elektra)
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last spring, The Cars marked the occasion with expanded, remastered editions for platinum-selling Eighties releases Shake It Up and Heartbeat City. Each title includes rare and unreleased bonus tracks, illustrated booklets and liner notes by David Fricke, who conducted new interviews with surviving band members Ric Ocasek for Heartbeat City and David Robinson for Shake It Up. The former, produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange, contains five top 40 hits, notably the Top 10 singles "Drive" and "You Might Think." Unreleased versions of "Why Can't I Have You" and "I Refuse," and the demo for "Drive" are among the seven bonus tracks. Shake It Up, producer Roy Thomas Baker, is notable for the big hit title track, "Since You're Gone" and "Think It Over." Unreleased tracks here are an early version of "Since You're Gone," the demo for "Shake It Up" and "Midnight Dancer."
(Rhino/Elektra)
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last spring, The Cars marked the occasion with expanded, remastered editions for platinum-selling Eighties releases Shake It Up and Heartbeat City. Each title includes rare and unreleased bonus tracks, illustrated booklets and liner notes by David Fricke, who conducted new interviews with surviving band members Ric Ocasek for Heartbeat City and David Robinson for Shake It Up. The former, produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange, contains five top 40 hits, notably the Top 10 singles "Drive" and "You Might Think." Unreleased versions of "Why Can't I Have You" and "I Refuse," and the demo for "Drive" are among the seven bonus tracks. Shake It Up, producer Roy Thomas Baker, is notable for the big hit title track, "Since You're Gone" and "Think It Over." Unreleased tracks here are an early version of "Since You're Gone," the demo for "Shake It Up" and "Midnight Dancer."
Semisonic
Feeling Strangely Fine
(UMe)
Long before Dan Wilson was a Grammy-winning, in-demand songwriter for the likes of Adele, Dixie Chicks, Taylor Swift, Halsey, Keith Urban and others, he led this Minneapolis alt-pop trio, whose sophomore album was its most successful. This 20th Anniversary deluxe edition of Feeling Strangely Fine features "Closing Time," which topped the modern rock radio chart in '98, two other minor hits ("Singing in My Sleep," "Secret Smile") and four B-sides off international CD singles that are equally solid ("Long Way from Home," "I’m a Liar," "Beautiful Regret," "Making a Plan"). Feeling Strangely Fine was among my top 10 best albums that year and still stands up today, due to Wilson's passionate songcraft and the gently rocking arrangements.
(UMe)
Long before Dan Wilson was a Grammy-winning, in-demand songwriter for the likes of Adele, Dixie Chicks, Taylor Swift, Halsey, Keith Urban and others, he led this Minneapolis alt-pop trio, whose sophomore album was its most successful. This 20th Anniversary deluxe edition of Feeling Strangely Fine features "Closing Time," which topped the modern rock radio chart in '98, two other minor hits ("Singing in My Sleep," "Secret Smile") and four B-sides off international CD singles that are equally solid ("Long Way from Home," "I’m a Liar," "Beautiful Regret," "Making a Plan"). Feeling Strangely Fine was among my top 10 best albums that year and still stands up today, due to Wilson's passionate songcraft and the gently rocking arrangements.
COMPILATIONS:
Lindsey Buckingham
The Best of - Solo Anthology
(Rhino)
The former producer/guitarist/vocalist/songwriter for Fleetwood Mac reminds everyone that he crafted plenty of memorable material outside that classic rock group after going solo for good after 1987's Tango in the Night. The three-CD version of this compilation has studio, live and alternate versions of tracks from his six solo efforts and excellent 2017 duo album with The Mac's Christine McVie. His film work is represented by "Holiday Road" and "Dancin' Across The USA" (from 1983's National Lampoon's Vacation) and "Time Bomb Town" (1985's Back to the Future). There are live solo versions of Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk" and "Go Your Own Way," plus two solid new unreleased tracks ("Hunger," "Ride This Road").
Andy Gibb
The Very Best Of
(UMe/Capitol)
If English pop singer Andy Gibb hadn't passed away in 1988, he would've been 60 years old this year. The collection’s 15 tracks include chart toppers, “I Just Want To Be Your Everything,” “Shadow Dancing” and “(Love Is) Thicker Than Water,” top 10 hits “An Everlasting Love,” “(Our Love) Don’t Throw It All Away,” “I Can’t Help It” (featuring Olivia Newton-John) and “Desire,” Gibb’s collaboration with his brothers Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees. All the songs are culled from 1977’s platinum-certified Flowing Rivers, 1978’s platinum-certified Shadow Dancing, and 1980’s gold-certified After Dark.
Frank Sinatra
Baby Blue Eyes...May the First Voice You Hear Be Mine
(UMe/Capitol)
(UMe/Capitol)
Curated by daughter Tina Sinatra, the 20-song compilation was specifically geared toward children (not to mention their parents), as affirmed by titles like "Yes Sir, That’s My Baby,"
"It’s A Wonderful World," "Pocketful Of Miracles," "Jeepers Creepers," "How Cute Can You Be?," "A Baby Just Like You," "Hush-A-Bye-Island," "Cradle Song (Brahms Lullaby)" and more.
"It’s A Wonderful World," "Pocketful Of Miracles," "Jeepers Creepers," "How Cute Can You Be?," "A Baby Just Like You," "Hush-A-Bye-Island," "Cradle Song (Brahms Lullaby)" and more.
Soft Cell
Keychains and Snowstorms - The Singles
(UMC/Mercury)
Keychains and Snowstorms is compiled from a 10-disc box set of the same name that prefaced the UK synth-pop duo's one-time-only reunion performance last September at London’s O2 Arena. This collection has all the best known UK hits from the '80s, including "What," "Bedsitter," "Torch," "Say Hello Wave Goodbye,” and the international chart topper "Tainted Love." Marc Almond and Dave Ball also recovened in the studio for the first time since 2002 to record two ace new tracks - "Northern Lights" and "Guilty ('Cos I Say You Are)."
SOUNDTRACK:
Bohemian Rhapsody
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
(Hollywood)
(Hollywood)
Queen fans who own the band's catalog will still want to pick up the hit soundtrack to the wildly successful film biopic since it boasts several rarities, namely the first album appearance of audio tracks from the band's legendary July 1985 performance at Live Aid. Other key selling points: the unreleased “Fat Bottomed Girls” live from Paris 1979; “Now I'm Here,” recorded on Christmas Eve 1975 at London's Hammersmith Odeon; the Freddie Mercury/Brian May duet “Love of My Life” from Rock in Rio '85 (previously only available on video). “We Will Rock You” is a hybrid studio and live version created for the film. “Don't Stop Me Now” features May's newly recorded guitar parts. “Doing All Right” was originally recorded by Smile, the pre-Queen band that featured May, drummer Roger Taylor and vocalist Tim Staffell. To recreate the original Smile version, Staffell reunited with his old bandmates at Abbey Road Studios to re-record it for soundtrack. All three sing lead vocals and took place almost 50 years after the original recording. For casual fans and newcomers, there are also more hits heard in the film.
LIVE:
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Live from the Ryman
(Thirty Tigers)
Primarily recorded during the group’s six sold out nights at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium in 2017, the live album features live versions of songs from their last three critically acclaimed, award-winning studio albums. Standouts include impassioned renditions of "If We Were Vampires," "Flying Over Water," "The Life You Chose" and the rocking "Super 8."
(Thirty Tigers)
Primarily recorded during the group’s six sold out nights at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium in 2017, the live album features live versions of songs from their last three critically acclaimed, award-winning studio albums. Standouts include impassioned renditions of "If We Were Vampires," "Flying Over Water," "The Life You Chose" and the rocking "Super 8."
Frank Sinatra
Standing Room Only
(UMe)
(UMe)
The consummate entertainer is showcased during various eras of his performing career amid the 3CD set Standing Room Only, which was the recent subject of a PBS-TV pledge drive special. The three complete concerts include: January 28, 1966 - the second show with Count Basie at The Sands in Las Vegas (previously unreleased on CD); October 7, 1974 at Philadelphia’s Spectrum Arena (previously unreleased); October 24, 1987 at the Dallas Reunion Arena (previously unreleased in its entirety). The audio was newly remixed and the deluxe package includes a 30-page booklet with liner notes, rare and never-before-published photos.
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| photo: Henry Diltz |
Neil Young
Roxy - Tonight's the Night Live; Songs for Judy
(Reprise; Shakey Pictures)
(Reprise; Shakey Pictures)
Young enthusiasts were treated to two fine concert recording from the vaults this year. First came Roxy - Tonight's the Night Live, recorded at the famed West Hollywood venue (which Young inaugurated) in September 1973. It features the first public performance of many songs that would later comprise the Tonight’s The Night album nearly two years later. The backing band was Ben Keith, Billy Talbot, Ralph Molina and Nils Lofgren - known as the Santa Monica Flyers. Then there's Songs for Judy, an equally fascinating snapshot in time of live acoustic performances culled from various cities on Young's November 1976 solo tour. "No One Seems To Know" makes its album debut here. He also does mesmerizing stripped down takes on 1960s numbers like Buffalo Springfield's "Mr. Soul," "Here We Are In The Years" and "The Losing End."
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