Nirvana's 'In Utero' gets deluxe reissue treatment

With 1991's Nevermind having sold 30 million copies, Nirvana's third studio album In Utero two years later was the first effort they'd make with any expectations from the public. 

The rawness of producer Steve Albini's recording laid bare every primal nuance of the most confrontational yet vulnerable material Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl would ever record.


On Sept. 24, Universal Music Enterprises will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the unwitting swansong of the most influential artist of the 1990s with a multi-format release that spreads more than 70 remastered, remixed, rare, unreleased and live recordings over configurations ranging from a 3-CD/1-DVD Super Deluxe Edition to a standard digital/CD remaster of the original album.

Material exclusive to the various versions of the In Utero 20th Anniversary reissue will include never-before-heard demos, B-sides, compilation tracks, and live material featuring the final touring lineup of Cobain, Novoselic, Grohl, and guitarist Pat Smear…including the long-awaited release of the complete "Live and Loud" show from Seattle's Pier 48 on 
Dec. 13, 1993.

Additionally, a standalone single-disc DVD of the complete "Live And Loud" show along with several never-before-released bonus performances will also be released the same day.

For further details, go to nirvana.com, @Nirvana, facebook.com/Nirvana.

Rod Stewart news

Rarities, Rod Stewart's new two-CD, 24-track collection due Sept. 3 on Mercury/UMe, will offer a comprehensive selection of alternate versions, non-LP singles, B-sides, studio outtakes and BBC Radio One performances. 

Additionally, there are covers by The Who (“Pinball Wizard”), Bob Dylan (“Girl from the North Country”), Jimi Hendrix (“Angel”), Cole Porter (“Every Time We Say Goodbye”), Jerry Lee Lewis (“What Made Milwaukee Famous [Has Made a Loser Out of Me]”), Stealer’s Wheels (“You Put Something Better Inside of Me”).

It also spotlights alternative takes on Stewart classics “Maggie May” and Elton John/Bernie Taupin’s “Country Comfort,” recorded with the Faces, live for BBC Radio One, both of which are previously unreleased.

Among the two-disc set's other highlights are re-workings of Gasoline Alley’s “It’s All Over Now,” in its edited version released as a single, and two separate versions of Every Picture Tells a Story’s “Maggie May,” one an early rendition with completely different, unfinished lyrics, the other a September 1971 performance on BBC Radio One that is available for the first time on an official release.

Offering a peak into Stewart’s future successful series of Great American Songbooks is a cover of Cole Porter’s “Every Time We Say Goodbye,” as well as a version of Jerry Lee Lewis’ weepy, honky-tonk lament, “What Made Milwaukee Famous [Has Made a Loser Out of Me]),” originally the non-LP B-side of the single which featured Jimi Hendrix’s “Angel.”

Rarities features both sides of the 1973 single--credited to Rod Stewart and the Faces--featuring the Goffin/ King-penned Maxine Brown hit “Oh! No Not My Baby” and the Stewart/Wood/ McLagan collaboration “Jodie,” co-produced by Stewart and Wood, with Rod backed by Wood, McLagan and drummer Kenney Jones.

As Scott Schinder’s new liner notes put it, “For many serious fans, Stewart’s Mercury years represent his creative peak, and the music that he made during that period retains a special place in the hearts of his admirers.”

Stewart recently released Time, his first rock album in a dozen years, on Capitol Records. The album features 11 original tracks and marks Rod’s return to songwriting after nearly two decades. Time entered at No. 1 in the UK, setting a new British record for the longest gap between chart-topping albums by an artist -- and in the US, it marked Stewart’s highest-charting album of original material since 1979.

Most of the release was born during the period he worked on what would later become his internationally best-selling book, Rod: The Autobiography.

In related news, the singer just extended his non-consecutive run for “Rod Stewart: The Hits” at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace for two more years beginning this fall.

Nine new November concerts have been added from November 6-24.

"“I’m thrilled to add another two years,” said Stewart. “The Colosseum at Caesars Palace is literally one of the best venues in the entire world; there's not a bad seat in the house and it sounds great -- I love it there.”

Tickets will go on-sale Saturday, Aug. 3 at 10:00 AM PST for the following performances:
Nov. 6, 9, 10, 13, 16, 17, 20, 23, 24

Tickets for his remaining summer 2013 performances are currently on-sale. Show dates include: Aug. 3, 4

Tickets may be purchased in person at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace Box Office, or by calling 1-888-9-AXSTIX (1-888-929-7849), or online by visiting www.thecolosseum.com or www.axs.com, keyword “Rod Stewart.”

Orders are subject to additional service charges and fees. Ticket prices are $49/ $69/ $99/ $165/ $250 (all prices include 10% Live Entertainment Tax). For groups of 10 or more, call 1-866-574-3851. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m.

“Rod Stewart: The Hits” features a set list of the iconic rock and R&B favorites that have defined Stewart’s unparalleled five-decade long career including “Maggie May,” “You Wear it Well,” “Hot Legs,” “You’re in My Heart,” “Do You Think I’m Sexy,” “Some Guys Have All the Luck,” “Young Turks” and “Forever Young.” The high-impact show is designed to give audiences that intimate, only in Las Vegas concert experience - with no fan more than 120 feet from the magnificent stage.

Alison Moyet news

photo: Tom Martin

Alison Moyet will do three rare U.S. shows in support of her latest album the minutes (Cooking Vinyl/Metropolis Records).

“Flipping flip. I'm only going to play some gigs in the USA. Huzzah! I so can't wait,” said Alison excitedly. “I've got clean pants and everthang. Come while you can. I'm not getting any younger.”

The show dates are:

November 11 -- San Francisco, CA -- The Fillmore (www.ticketmaster.com)
November 12 -- Los Angeles, CA -- Club Nokia (www.axs.com)
November 14 -- New York, NY -- Manhattan Center (www.ticketmaster.com)

Tickets go on sale 10 a.m. on Aug. 2.

Halloween album and tour from Los Straitjackets, others

On Oct. 1, Yep Roc Records will release Mondo Zombie Boogaloo, an album and tour celebrating Halloween. It is a collection of new music from The Fleshtones, Los Straitjackets, and Southern Culture On The Skids.

The set includes originals and standards from each band. To hear The Fleshtones’ version of “Ghoulman Confidential”, go here:
https://soundcloud.com/yep-roc-music-group/ghoulman-confidential-1, or via You Tube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEKwprCsYos

Mondo Zombie Boogaloo will be available on CD, digitally, and as a double LP on colored vinyl. The album’s cover features artwork by Steve Blickenstaff, known for his work on The Cramps' 1984 album Bad Music for Bad People.

Presale orders for a limited number of tour bundles including t-shirts, posters, albums, and tickets for each show will be available at www.mondozombieboogaloo.com

The Fleshtones are garage rock standard bearers, mixing fuzz guitar and Farfisa organ sounds with rockabilly, '50s and '60s R&B to create a potent retro stew the group likes to call "super rock." The band formed in 1976 in Queens, NY, and have been killing it in live performance for more than 3 decades. The Fleshtones are vocalist/keyboardist Peter Zaremba, guitarist Keith Streng, bassist Ken Fox, and drummer Bill Milhizer and aimed to return rock & roll to the simplicity and unself-consciousness of the '50s and early '60s.

The Chapel Hill, NC trio Southern Culture On The Skids have been spreading the rock and roll gospel since 1983. Rick Miller - guitar/vox, Mary Huff - bass/vox and Dave Hartman - drums, play a greasy mix of surf, rockabilly, R&B and country fried garage with a side of psych. It’s a musical gumbo Miller calls “Americana from the wrong side of the tracks”. Over 30 years the band have toured everywhere from the NC Prison System to Mt. Fuji, Japan, delivering what Rolling Stone calls “a hell raising rock and roll party”. The band's latest releases include 2010’s The Kudzu Ranch and 2011’s Zombified.

When it comes to delivering high-energy rock and roll instrumental music, no one equals the finesse, power and perseverance of Grammy-nominated group Los Straitjackets. Eighteen years ago the instrumental surf rock group first dressed in their signature attire of Lucha Libre masks and haven't taken them off since. The legendary surf rockers released their 12th studio album, Jet Set (Yep Roc Records) this past August.

Tour Dates:

10.17* - Fitzgerald's - Berwyn IL
10.18* - Beachland Ballroom - Cleveland, OH
10.19* - Southgate House - Newport, KY
10.20* - Woodlands Tavern - Columbus, OH
10.22 - Altar - Pittsburgh, PA
10.23 - Traff Music Hall - Buffalo, NY
10.24 - The Haunt - Ithaca, NY
10.25 - The Sinclair - Cambridge, MA
10.26 - Brooklyn Bowl - Brooklyn, NY
10.27 - World Cafe Live - Philadelphia, PA
10.29 - U Street Music Hall - Washington, DC
10.30 - Jefferson Theater - Charlottesville, VA
10.31 - Cat’s Cradle - Carrboro, NC
11.01 - Grey Eagle - Asheville, NC
11.02 - Hell @ Masquerade - Atlanta, GA

*These first four shows feature Los Straitjackets and The Fleshtones. Southern Culture On The Skids will join the tour beginning 10/22 for the remaining dates.

Album track listing:

1. It’s Monster Surfing Time – Los Straitjackets
2. Ghoulman Confidential – The Fleshtones
3. Goo Goo Muck – Southern Culture on the Skids
4. Que Monstruos Son – Los Straitjakets featuring The Fleshtones & Southern Culture on the Skids
5. Haunted Hipster – The FLeshtones
6. The Loneliest Ghost In Town – Southern Culture on the Skids
7. Theme From Young Frankenstein – Los Straitjackets
8. (Sock It To Me Baby) In The House Of Shock – The Fleshtones
9. Theme From Halloween – Los Straitjackets
10. Tingler Blues – Southern Culture on the Skids
11. Ghoul On A Hill – Los Straitjackets
12. La Marcha De Los Cabarones – Southern Culture on the Skids
13. Ghostbusters – Los Straitjackets
14. Dracula A GoGo – The Fleshtones
15. Demon Death – Southern Culture on the Skids

Sinead O’Connor tour news

photo by Barry McCall

I caught Sinead on tour in 2012 (see review elsewhere on this blog) and she was still in fine form...

After sold-out performances at New York City’s Lincoln Center Festival on July 26-27 in what she called “The Gospel Sessions,” Sinead O’Connor will return to North American stages in November and December.  

"I'm beside myself with excitement about returning to the States as it's always so much fun to tour there, and in my experience American people are extremely kind as a national trait and that's why I’ve called the tour ‘American Kindness,’" she said.

O’Connor released ninth album, How About I Be Me (And You Be You)?, via One Little Indian Records last year.

North American tour dates

November 4, 2013 CHICAGO, IL @ CITY WINERY
November 5, 2013 CHICAGO, IL @ CITY WINERY
November 6, 2013 CHICAGO, IL @ CITY WINERY
November, 8 2013 NEW YORK, NY @ CITY WINERY
November, 9 2013 NEW YORK, NY @ CITY WINERY
November, 10 2013 NEW YORK, NY @ CITY WINERY
November, 12 2013 BUFFALO, NY @ RIVIERA THEATER
November, 13 2013 TARRYTOWN, NY @ TARRYTOWN MUSIC HALL
November, 24 2013 LOS ANGLELES, CA @ LUCKMAN FINE ARTS COMPLEX
November, 26 2013 SOLANA BEACH, CA @ BELLY UP
November, 27 2013 SANTA BARBARA, CA @ GRANADA THEATER
November, 29 2013 CARMEL, CA @ SUNSET CENTER
November, 30 2013 SAN FRANCISCO, CA @ NOB HILL MASONIC
December, 2 2013 OAKVILLE, Ontario Canada @ OAKVILLE CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
December, 3 2013 OAKVILLE, Ontario Canada @ OAKVILLE CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

sineadoconnor.com

Initial round of tour dates for Lady Antebellum

Lady Antebellum has announced the first leg of their upcoming headlining tour. Kip Moore and Kacey Musgraves will open the arena tour, kicking off in November.

Fans can purchase tickets and special VIP experiences beginning Sept. 13. 

“We spent almost every day last year backstage writing for our album Golden, so we were really focused on writing songs that would connect with the fans in these arenas. We definitely learned a lot about ourselves as live performers and the type of catalog we wanted to have so that we could go out and try to give the fans the best show they've ever experienced," explains Lady A's Charles Kelley. "All of that was the jumping off point for this tour, and now it's time to take it to the next level."

Last year, Lady A hosted over one million fans across the globe in 11 countries on their first headlining world tour, which earned them Billboard Touring’s “Breakthrough Award,” CMA’s “International Artists Achievement Award” and will accept the “Jim Reeves International Award” at this fall’s ACM Honors.
 
TAKE ME DOWNTOWN TOUR 2013 Dates:

11/8 Southaven, MS
Landers Center

11/9 St. Louis, MO
Chaifetz Arena

11/10
Evansville, IN
Ford Center

11/12
Grand Rapids, MI 

Van Andel Arena

11/15
Chicago, IL
Allstate Arena

11/16
Toledo, OH
Huntington Center

11/17
Cleveland, OH
Quicken Loans Arena

11/19
Fargo, ND Fargodome

11/21
Rapid City, SD Rusmore Plaza Civic Center

11/22
Denver, CO
Pepsi Center

11/23
Salt Lake City, UT
EnergySolutions Arena

12/3
Springfield, MO
JQH Arena

12/5
Minneapolis, MN
Target Center

12/6
Kansas City, MO
Sprint Center

12/7
Omaha, NE
CenturyLink Center

12/12
Cincinnati, OH
U.S. Bank Arena

12/14
Peoria, IL
Peoria Civic Center

For an updates on tour dates and ticket info, visit www.ladyantebellum.com.

Kenny Chesney, Eric Church concert review: Anaheim, Calif.

photo courtesy: BNA/Columbia Records Nashville

My review originally appeared at ocregister.com 

Eric Church was deep into a rip-roaring performance at Angel Stadium Saturday evening when he asked the audience if they felt like getting crazy.

There was never any doubt – especially during a country show where alcohol figured so prominently. The 5½-hour event, headlined by Kenny Chesney, saw several varieties represented in song (tequila, whiskey, beer), guzzled by performers (Church) and consumed in far too massive quantities by concertgoers. 

Chesney’s latest chart-topping album, the spring release Life on a Rock, is another breezy collection of tunes, albeit written by the artist across the past six years. Yet two singles from that were the only new selections represented live in Anaheim. 

The superstar was back on the baseball field after an appearance here last July with Tim McGraw, and though his nearly two-hour, 23-song set featured a different running order and minor tweaks, it was otherwise unchanged. Still, the gregarious Tennessee singer put on an energetic show packed with hits. No wonder he consistently places among America’s leading concert draws. 

Following the usual taped greetings from fans and famous friends on beaches, as well as a long collage of photos and video stills, his tight seven-piece band launched into “Feel Like a Rock Star.” Chesney spent a lot of time on a stage extension that divided the floor section, acknowledged handmade signs and easily switched from electric to acoustic guitar. 

An exuberant “Summertime” was a timely anthem. During the feisty, mandolin-infused “Pirate Flag,” many people waved skull-and-crossbones banners, just like ones adorning the stage. 

“This is the most authentic California song I’ve ever done,” Chesney remarked about the tender ballad “You and Tequila,” whose studio version features Grace Potter and lyrics referencing Mulholland Drive. “I first heard the (songwriters’) demo while driving up PCH.” 

From there, a double shot of the rollicking “Living in Fast Forward” (during which an impromptu line dance took shape on the floor) and a wistful, John Mellencamp-esque “Young” (with childhood Chesney shots on the screens) was potent. Reggae-fied tune “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven” was a nice change of pace. 

Guitarists Clayton Mitchell and Kenny Greenberg proved their mettle during an ebullient “Big Star” and a contemplative “When I See This Bar,” the latter also containing the guys’ best vocal harmonies. But toward the end a string of slower songs seemed to prompt an early exodus by parts of the crowd. 

Before the romantic “Anything But Mine,” the singer admitted to spending a day off in Laguna Beach, then got perturbed after a male fan ambled onstage. The whimsical “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy” was the traditional concert closer. 

Right before Chesney took the stage, a woman was overheard saying, “Eric Church should’ve headlined the show.” The North Carolina native, a recent CMA winner for album of the year winner for his platinum-selling effort Chief, easily could have done so. 

Church’s 75-minute set was electrifying. It began on a high note with the swampy Cajun vibe of “Creepin’,” highlighted by a wicked descending melody line partially inspired by David Bowie’s “Fame.” 

Quick banjo-picking and Church’s defiant attitude amid “How ’Bout You” was also memorable. The metallic crunch of “I’m Gettin’ Stoned” found the outlaw country singer flipping the bird and pouring the first bottle of booze down his throat. More would flow during a fun “Jack Daniels,” which segued into the 2006 song “Livin’ Part of Life.” 

His solo acoustic segment spotlighted a more contemplative side, but for the feisty rocker “Drink in My Hand,” Church grabbed some beers from the audience and could barely contain his laughter – or resist another alcoholic self-drenching. 

More hard-rock thrust was heard in “Lotta Boot Left to Fill,” about country music poseurs (kudos to former Black Crowes guitarist Jeff Cease and fellow axman Driver Williams). Elsewhere, “Homeboy” was eerie and riveting, and fans removed their footwear in salute during “These Boots.” 

Then Church played piano, concluding with a transcendent, genuinely moving version of his No. 1 single “Springsteen.” It segued into one of the Boss’ signature songs, “Born to Run,” and Church offered some background info. Overall, he provided a fine “soundtrack to a July Saturday night,” attitude aplenty and a performance that alone was well worth the ticket price. 

Eli Young Band’s solid 50-minute set was somewhat obscured by a thick sound mix. The quartet persevered, though, thanks to singer Mike Eli’s earnest delivery and inspiring anecdotes. Big radio hits “Crazy Girl” and “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” got rousing responses, with fans singing along, as did the new single “Drunk Last Night.” A pair of sturdy covers, Tom Petty’s “Learning to Fly” and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Gimme Three Steps,” fit them well. 

The music of acclaimed young Texan Kacey Musgraves was a pleasant accompaniment to the sunny late afternoon as people stumbled their way into seats. Songs from her excellent old-school album Same Trailer Different Park all fared well but lost some nuance in the cavernous stadium. 

A cover of Weezer’s “Island in the Sun” was just average, but standouts included the Sheryl Crow-styled “Blowin’ Smoke,” the aching vocals of “Back on the Map,” “Follow Your Arrow” (with a nod to open-minded Californians) and the astute lyricism of “Merry Go Round.”
 
Set lists: Kenny Chesney and Eric Church at Angel Stadium of Anaheim, 
July 27, 2013
Chesney: Feel Like a Rock Star / Reality / Beer in Mexico / Pirate Flag / Summertime / No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems / Somewhere with You / I Go Back / You and Tequila / Living in Fast Forward / Young / How Forever Feels / Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven / Big Star / Come Over / Don’t Happen Twice / Never Wanted Nothing More / Anything But Mine / When I See This Bar / When the Sun Goes Down / Out Last Night / The Boys of Fall // Encore: She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy
 
Church: Creepin’ / How ‘Bout You / Over When It’s Over / I’m Gettin’ Stoned / Keep On / Jack Daniels > Livin’ Part of Life / Like Jesus Does / Love Your Love the Most / Drink in My Hand / Guys Like Me / Lotta Boot Left to Fill / A Country Boy Can Survive / Homeboy / Smoke a Little Smoke / These Boots / Springsteen > Born to Run (Bruce Springsteen cover)

The Selecter add more U.S. shows

The band was one of my highlights of the second week of Coachella '13 (see my review elsewhere on this blog). Now a few areas in the rest of the country gets to experience them again...

The Selecter has announced more dates on the U.S. “Non-Stop Pressure Tour.” The two-week trek will bring the legendary ska band to the East Coast and Midwest for the first time in nearly a decade and follows several summer festivals, a performance at this year’s Coachella and a handful of West Coast dates with Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry.

Formed in the late 70s in Coventry, The Selecter was one of the early acts to sign to 2 Tone Records, home to Madness, The Beat and The Specials. They became an integral part of the emerging ska scene, setting themselves apart from the pack by being one of the only female fronted ska bands.

Led by the fashionable and talented Pauline Black, The Selecter released a number of seminal singles on the label including “On My Radio,” “Three Minute Hero,” and “Missing Words.” A couple of these songs made it on their 1980 debut LP, Too Much Pressure, which charted in the Top 5 in the UK. The following year they released their much anticipated follow-up album Celebrate the Bullet – an album that No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani placed in her Top Five Albums of all time in a 2011 Elle UK interview.

This comes as no surprise, considering Stefani has been a fan since ska made its way over to the US in the mid-80s. Noting Pauline and The Selecter as a big influence on her career, in 1997 Stefani invited a reunited The Selecter out on their Tragic Kingdom tour. This was the last time The Selecter toured the US outside of some select dates in 2003.

On Halloween in 2010, Pauline Black and Arthur “Gaps” Hendrickson celebrated the 30th anniversary of Too Much Pressure with The Selecter performing the album live at the Sinners Day Festival in Hasselt, Belgium. This event kicked off the current revitalized incarnation of the legendary band who has continued to write and release new music including 2011’s Made In Britain.

That same year Pauline Black released her powerful and critically acclaimed memoir Black By Design, in which she explored her racial identity, ska, and a search for her biological parents. The book became a #1 Best Seller in the Guardian Bookshop and was highlighted in NPR’s Weekend Edition. The Independent reviewed the book, calling it “…More than a musical memoir-vivid, intelligent, compelling”.

Now it’s 2013 and The Selecter is back with another new studio album – String Theory – currently available in the UK only. The album got the band out on the road again ultimately leading to their first US tour dates in a decade with the “Non-Stop Pressure Tour.”

The Selecter "Non-Stop Pressure Tour" 

September, 2013
13 - Cedar Cultural Center Minneapolis, MN
14 - Riot Fest Chicago, IL
15 - Magic Bag Detroit, MI
17 - Lee’s Palace Toronto, ON
18 - Starlight Room Waterloo, ON
19 - Trocadero Philadelphia, PA
20 - Gramercy Theatre New York, NY
21 - Paradise Rock Club Boston, MA
22 - State Theatre Washington, DC

theselecter.net/
facebook.com/TheSelecter

Steve Miller Band tribute album

Due in stores next Tuesday on Purple Pyramid Records, Fly Like An Eagle - An All-Star Tribute To Steve Miller Band features performances by past or present members of Yes, Asia, XTC, Dream Theater, Survivor, The Tubes, Curved Air, Deep Purple, Gong and the Billy Idol band. It also includes one of the final recordings by Genesis guitarist Peter Banks.

Producer Billy Sherwood of Yes explains, “Steve Miller has written so many great songs, working on this record gave me a chance to look deeper into the inner workings of the material and explore it all with so many amazing guest artists. It was an honor producing and playing on this project. I think the fans of the music will appreciate the contributions of all the artists involved.”

Track listing:

Take The Money And Run
Jet Airliner
Living In The USA
Abracadabra
Swingtown
Winter Time
The Joker
Jungle Love
Space Cowboy
Rock'n Me
Fly Like An Eagle

New archival live release from The Band

During the final week of 1971, The Band played four concerts at New York City’s Academy Of Music, with new horn arrangements by Allen Toussaint and a surprise guest appearance by Bob Dylan for a New Year’s Eve encore.

Select highlights from the concerts were compiled for The Band’s classic 1972 double LP, Rock Of Ages, which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200. For the first time, all four of the concerts’ multi-track recordings have been revisited for Live At The Academy Of Music 1971, a new 4CD+DVD collection to be released Sept. 17 by Capitol/UMe.

The expansive new collection features new stereo and 5.1 Surround mixes, including 19 previously unreleased performances and newly discovered footage of two songs filmed by Howard Alk and Murray Lerner. Live At The Academy Of Music 1971 takes a deep dive into The Band’s historic shows for a definitive document of the pioneering group’s stage prowess at the apex of their career. On the same date, the collection’s first two discs will also be released as a 2CD set.

 

Live At The Academy Of Music 1971 is presented in a deluxe, 48-page hardbound book with previously unseen photos, a reproduction of Rolling Stone’s original Rock Of Ages review by magazine co-founder Ralph J. Gleason, an essay by The Band’s Robbie Robertson, and appreciations of The Band and the set’s recordings by Mumford & Sons and Jim James of My Morning Jacket.

The collection’s first two discs feature performances of every song played over the course of the four concerts, and the New Year’s Eve soundboard mix on discs 3 and 4 puts the listener in the room for that entire legendary night: Uncut, unedited, taken straight from the master recordings and presented in full for the first time. The set’s DVD presents the tracks from discs 1 and 2 in 5.1 Surround, plus Alk and Lerner’s filmed performances of “King Harvest (Has Surely Come)” and “The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show.” 

 

Live At The Academy Of Music 1971 is produced by Robbie Robertson, with co-producers Michael Murphy and Matt D’Amico.  The stereo mixes for the first two discs and the DVD’s 5.1 Surround mix were done by Bob Clearmountain, with the stereo mixes for discs 3 and 4 helmed by Sebastian Robertson and Jon Castelli, assisted by Ryan Nasci. The collection was mastered by Patricia Sullivan at Bernie Grundman Mastering.  The concerts were originally recorded by Phil Ramone with Mark Harman.

 

By the late 1960s, The Band had become one of the most popular and influential rock groups in the world. Robertson, reflecting on the time and the decision to record the Academy Of Music concerts, recalls, “We were in a huddle of playing music, enjoying what we were doing, and I had a feeling, ‘We should capture this.’  To end 1971 with these shows felt, for all of us, like the right thing to do.  This is a fulfillment of that extraordinary musical experience that I feel great about sharing.”

 

Of the set’s complete New Year’s Eve recording, Robertson says, “This is like being there.  It was the final night; there was a thrill in the air.  We were excited about New Year’s Eve, and then Dylan joined us for the encore.  When he came out, we thought we could wing it, and wing it we did.  We thought, ‘We’re not gonna fall off this wire.’ That whole night had a bit of magic to it.”

 

Sadly, three members of The Band, Richard Manuel, Rick Danko and Levon Helm, have passed away, but The Band’s legacy lives on.

 

The Band:  Live At The Academy Of Music 1971

* indicates previously unissued performance

Disc 1 [CD]

1. The W.S.  Walcott Medicine Show                                          Friday, December 31

2. The Shape I’m In                                                                    Friday, December 31

3. Caledonia Mission                                                                 Thursday, December 30

4. Don’t Do It                                                                            Wednesday, December 29

5. Stage Fright                                                                          Friday, December 31

6. I Shall Be Released                                                                Thursday, December 30

7. Up On Cripple Creek                                                              Thursday, December 30

8. This Wheel’s On Fire                                                              Wednesday, December 29

9. Strawberry Wine *                                                                  Tuesday, December 28

10. King Harvest (Has Surely Come)                                           Friday, December 31

11. Time To Kill                                                                         Tuesday, December 28

12. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down                                  Wednesday, December 29

13. Across The Great Divide                                                      Thursday, December 30

 

Disc 2 [CD]

1. Life Is A Carnival                                                                   Thursday, December 30

2. Get Up Jake                                                                          Thursday, December 30

3. Rag Mama Rag                                                                     Friday, December 31

4. Unfaithful Servant                                                                  Friday, December 31

5. The Weight                                                                            Thursday, December 30

6. Rockin’ Chair                                                                         Wednesday, December 29

7. Smoke Signal                                                                        Tuesday, December 28

8. The Rumor                                                                            Thursday, December 30

9. The Genetic Method                                                               Friday, December 31

10. Chest Fever                                                                         Tuesday, December 28

11. (I Don’t Want To) Hang Up My Rock And Roll Shoes             Wednesday, December 29

12. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever                                          Wednesday, December 29

13. Down In The Flood (The Band with Bob Dylan)                      Friday, December 31

14. When I Paint My Masterpiece (The Band with Bob Dylan)       Friday, December 31

15. Don’t Ya Tell Henry (The Band with Bob Dylan)                      Friday, December 31

16. Like A Rolling Stone (The Band with Bob Dylan)                    Friday, December 31

 

Disc 3 [CD] - New Year’s Eve At The Academy Of Music 1971 (The Soundboard Mix)

1. Up On Cripple Creek *

2. The Shape I’m In 

3. The Rumor *

4. Time To Kill *

5. Rockin’ Chair *

6. This Wheel’s On Fire *

7. Get Up Jake *

8. Smoke Signal *

9. I Shall Be Released *

10. The Weight *

11. Stage Fright

 

Disc 4 [CD] - New Year’s Eve At The Academy Of Music 1971 (The Soundboard Mix)

1. Life Is A Carnival *

2. King Harvest (Has Surely Come)

3. Caledonia Mission *

4. The W.S.  Walcott Medicine Show

5. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down *

6. Across The Great Divide *

7. Unfaithful Servant

8. Don’t Do It *

9. The Genetic Method

10. Chest Fever * 

11. Rag Mama Rag

12. (I Don’t Want To) Hang Up My Rock And Roll Shoes *

13. Down In The Flood (with Bob Dylan)

14. When I Paint My Masterpiece (with Bob Dylan)

15. Don’t Ya Tell Henry (with Bob Dylan)

16. Like A Rolling Stone (with Bob Dylan)

 

Disc 5 [DVD] – Live At The Academy Of Music 1971 in 5.1 Surround Sound

1. The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show

2. The Shape I’m In

3. Caledonia Mission

4. Don’t Do It

5. Stage Fright

6. I Shall Be Released

7. Up On Cripple Creek

8. The Wheel’s On Fire

9. Strawberry Wine *

10. King Harvest (Has Surely Come)

11. Time To Kill

12. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

13. Across The Great Divide

14. Life Is A Carnival

15. Get Up Jake

16. Rag Mama Rag

17. Unfaithful Servant

18. The Weight

19. Rockin’ Chair

20. Smoke Signal

21. The Rumor

22. The Genetic Method

23. Chest Fever 

24. (I Don’t Want To) Hang Up My Rock And Roll Shoes

25. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever

Archival Film Clips – December 30, 1971

1. King Harvest (Has Surely Come) *

2. The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show *

 

Rick Danko: bass, violin, vocals

Levon Helm: drums, mandolin, vocals

Garth Hudson: organ, accordion, saxophones

Richard Manuel: piano, keyboards, drums, vocals

Robbie Robertson: guitar, vocals

 

Featuring:

Snooky Young: trumpet, flugelhorn

Howard Johnson: baritone sax, tuba, euphonium

Joe Farrell: tenor sax, soprano sax, english horn

Earl McIntyer: trombone

J.D. Parron: alto sax, e flat clarinet

 

Horns arranged by Allen Toussaint