Smashing Pumpkins reissues on the way

On Nov. 29, EMI Music in North America will reissue the Smashing Pumpkins' first two albums -- "Gish" (1991) and "Siamese Dream" (1993) in CD, deluxe 2CD/DVD, vinyl LP, and digital configurations.

Both albums, each with bonus content and special features that were curated from the band’s archives by founding member Billy Corgan, have been remastered for the first time from the original master tapes. 

 

With the full support and guidance from the band, EMI’s global catalog reissue campaign will last through 2013. It will encompass all the albums and B-sides from 1991-2000, with other release dates to be announced.

As the Smashing Pumpkins get the fully remastered treatment via these reissues, the band is excited to be moving forward by creating new music. After touring America and Europe this fall -- the trek wraps Dec. 8 in Lisbon -- they will release "Oceania," “an album within an album,” as part of their in-progress 44 song work "Teargarden by Kaleidyscope." Featuring 13 new songs, "Oceania" will be released in early 2012.

 

In the first two reissues' liner notes, Billy Corgan reflects on why these albums were hard-won triumphs for the band and discusses the origins of the songs. In 'Siamese,' he says: “We start the album out with ‘Cherub Rock’ which is basically my big F.U. to the indie world. If you read the lyrics, that was basically me railing against the hipper than thou New York indie mentality.”

 

Here are the special features about both reissues:

 

• Deluxe versions will each include a bonus disc of rare and previously unreleased audio content.
• Deluxe versions also contain a never-before-released live show from the Metro in Chicago on DVD. The 10-song live show in "Gish" is from 8/25/90; the 17-song live show in "Siamese" is from 8/14/93. Both DVDs feature introductions by Joe Shanahan, owner of the Metro in Chicago.
• The "Gish" bonus disc will include new Butch Vig mixes of the original SubPop single tracks “Tristessa” and “La Dolly Vita.”
• Vinyl has been mastered specifically for the format.
• Housed in special lift-top box packaging, the deluxe versions feature liner notes and track by track commentary from Billy Corgan, never-before-seen collages and photos, postcards and more. For additional details, go to smashingpumpkins.com

Foster the People concert review: Los Angeles

courtesy fosterthepeople.com

A version of my review originally appeared at: ocregister.com/entertainment/music.

The momentum continues to build for Foster the People. 

Each time the Los Angeles alt-dance band returns to play Southern California , the venues get progressively bigger and usually sell out. A couple months ago, it was two nights at the El Rey. Now they’ve just cleared a pair of Wiltern shows and one at the Fox Theatre in Pomona , the site of a fantastic gig on Sunday night. Next year, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the trio headline a few local amphitheatres. 

Thanks to omnipresent hit “Pumped Up Kicks” - still lodged at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 - Foster the People’s highly engaging debut album “Torches” has moved close to 350,000 copies. Nearly all its songs have been licensed for use in TV, film and videogames (something you don’t see too often).

“Kicks” also was the first tune in two years to top the alternative charts and cross over to the upper reaches of the mainstream pop tally. Singer/songwriter/keyboardist Mark Foster (pictured above, at a previous gig) handled everything on that thought-provoking earworm about teens with guns, heard in its demo form. 

Before the guys took the Fox stage, teenage female admirers could barely contain their excitement. Whenever someone from the touring crew materialized to adjust sound levels on an instrument, loud shrieking would ensue. You’d think it was a Jonas Brothers concert or something. The crowd definitely skewed young (though I did see one middle aged couple scouring regional theater and real estate listings during band changeovers and filming FTP songs on their iPad). 

With six keyboard-oriented instruments onstage, Foster the People – which also includes bassist Cubbie Fink, drummer Mark Pontius and tour members Sean Cimino and Isom Innis – created a more textured and percussive live sound. “Houdini,” one of two songs the group recently performed on “Saturday Night Live” (where Kenny G joined them), got the 55-minute set off to a vibrant start. 

The helium voiced front man has a performance style that’s fun to watch, especially when he decided to do quick slide step moves across the stage. Dark keyboard tones on “Miss You” were intense, while the stabbing, prog rock-styled synth intro to the ebullient “I Would Do Anything for You” was an intriguing addition. 

Mark Foster kept talking to a minimum, except to spread the word about the Do Good Bus (www.dogoodbus.com), an organization the band has partnered with on tour. Sunday, it worked with a regional chapter of Habitat for Humanity. All the songs were presented with plenty of enthusiasm and prodigious use of a couple large drums for heavier rhythm accents. “Waste” recalled the best of the late ‘80s U.K. dance scene. The full-on groove and gleaming sound of “Call It What You Want” seemingly spiraled into the atmosphere. 

Laughing hyena samples prefaced the more rocking “Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls).” Here, Foster played electric guitar and displayed his admitted ‘90s BritPop influence – specifically Blur – with an eager delivery. “Helena Beat,” concerning fake people putting on a front, kept the energy level high.

For the encore, an extended take on “Pumped Up Kicks” briefly morphed into total electronica territory before circling back to the original arrangement. Never lagging, the whirlwind set was over in a flash. The band should really consider adding a few covers or rarities to fill out the set in the future. 

Cults, a male/female duo who met and lived in San Diego but are now based in New York City , share a record label – Columbia - with Foster the People. They also tend to wrap their candy-coated melodies with dark lyrics. 

The second of two openers in Pomona (the quirky Modest Mouse-meets-Vampire Weekend vibe of Athens , Ga. act Reptar was undermined by its singer’s annoying childlike enunciation), Cults specializes in reverb-soaked songs that often update the 1960s girl group sound. Both lead vocalist Madeline Follin and guitarist/singer Brian Oblivion (nee Ryan Mattos) use their long hair to hide on the artwork of Cults’ self-titled debut. In concert, dim lighting added a similar sense of mystique. 

Old black and white movie clips (Robert Mitchum’s “Night of the Hunter,” among them) were projected on a screen and speech samples from actual cult leaders like Jim Jones were spliced into songs. The pair were augmented by a drummer, guitarist and bassist.

From what I could determine, one was Follin’s brother Richie of OC band The Willowz. Hand claps signaled the start of Cults’ solid 35-minute set with “Abducted.” The fluffy vocals and grand keyboards of “Never Heal Myself” were artfully mussed up with a guitar maelstrom and Madeline’s defiant “F You” at the end. 

She introduced “You Know What I Mean” as a slow jam, but belted out the vocals with abandon. Many times, her words on various songs were trailed by a glockenspiel (loved that). Highlights? Oblivion joining in on the giddy duet “Bumper,” the majestic “Rave On,” with a guitar freak out section and “Go Outside” were highlights. Cults only went over moderately well with Foster the People fans who gave them polite applause; some ignored the band altogether.

 

Lindsey Buckingham tour arrives on West Coast of U.S.

Conqueroo

As I first mentioned last June, legendary singer/songwriter/guitarist  Lindsey Buckingham is on tour in support of his stark and compelling sixth solo album Seeds We Sow, which came out in September.

It is the Fleetwood Mac member's first one to be released independent of the Warner/Reprise Records group umbrella. Unlike 2008's somewhat more polished "Gift of Screws," this time, he took a true DIY approach, writing, performing (he gets minor assists here and there), producing and mixing every song.

Standouts include "Illumination," with layered voices, the bursting, Mac-esque pop-lilt to "That's the Way That Love Goes" and intricate, intertwining acoustic guitar textures on "Rock Away Blind."

Describing Seeds We Sow in an earlier press release, Buckingham said, “This might be the best work I've ever done. I think it's an excellent representation of what I do. It shows a certain maturity and musicianship and I just feel like I have a lot of tools in my musical vocabulary from which to draw that are again the product of the choices I’ve made. It’s on my own terms. This is very much from the inside out and I hope I never stop doing that.”

 

From the album’s first single “In Our Own Time,” soft melodic pop/rock tinge of “End Of Time” and rocking “One Take,” to the lush “When She Comes Down” and hushed tones of “She Smiles Sweetly,” the album showcases Buckingham’s full range of skills. 

Just as his guitar style on Seeds We Sow is more mature and refined, so too are his words. “I think the lyrics over the years have actually gotten better because they’ve gotten a little, I don’t want to say obscure, but more poetic in the way they’re created,” he says, adding, “It’s a mysterious process even to me.

West Coast tour dates:

Oct. 17 - Anaheim, CA

Oct. 18 - Turlock, CA

Oct. 19 - San Francisco, CA

Oct. 22 - Vancouver, BC, Canada

Oct. 23 - Shelton, WA

Oct. 25 - Napa, CA

For more information on the tour and album, go to lindseybuckingham.com.

Stevie Nicks concert review: Anaheim

Photo by Kelly Swift

A version of my review originally appreared at ocregister.com/entertainment/music. 

Stevie Nicks came on strong and finished like a gentle breeze.

One of her most intimate Orange County solo shows in recent memory happened Wednesday at City National Grove of Anaheim.

Over the course of a two-hour performance, the veteran Rock and Roll Hall of Famer/Fleetwood Mac member was in fine form.

Entering to Missing Persons’ “Destination Unknown” (perhaps a nod to her hard partying years), the nine-piece band tore through “Stand Back” as Nicks did some of those trademarks twirls. Then she immediately provided a disclaimer: “This is not a ‘Greatest Hits’ tour. I’m promoting a record that I believe in from the bottom of my soul. Let’s get this party started.”

Having missed Nicks with Rod Stewart at the Hollywood Bowl (which landed right in the midst of Coachella), I never thought she’d return to play such a small venue. A large portion of the packed Grove audience had probably seen her solo, with the Mac or elsewhere before, so hearing a set that was half devoted to newer material didn’t seem to be a problem. Those songs all got enthusiastic responses, especially the ones prefaced by a riveting background story.

With a solo career that just reached the 30-year mark, Nicks’ popularity has rarely waned. The most successful of all Mac musicians, each of her albums has been certified gold or platinum. The singer has a legion of unique followers – female and male – who dress like and impersonate her. Nicks even joined Maroon 5 for a version of “Landslide,” when they played the Hollywood Bowl, a testament to her influence on younger bands.

Back in May, “In Your Dreams,” Nicks’ first studio album in a decade, debuted in the top 10 and two singles eventually reached the top 30 at Adult Contemporary radio. The strong, nuanced collection found her collaborating with longtime friend and co-producer Dave Stewart (Mick Jagger, Eurythmics). In true classic rock form, eight of the 13 tracks clock in past five minutes. Former paramours Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood and Heartbreaker Mike Campbell guest on selected tracks.

“Secret Love,” penned in 1975 about a forgotten tryst, had an understated, yet seductive charm in concert. Paired with the always-by-Nicks-side backing vocals of Sharon Celani and sister-in-law Lori Nicks, it was truly sublime. The frontwoman impressively held a sustained vocal note at the end.

Elegant, slowly driving rocker “Moonlight (A Vampire’s Dream),” prompted by watching the film “New Moon” during the ‘09 Fleetwood Mac world tour, featured horse images on a projection screen. Nicks spread her chiffon layered arms out with dramatic effect and wailed.

A long buildup on “Gold Dust Woman,” heightened anticipation and facilitated the singer’s first costume change. Nicks was totally immersed in the Mac tune. Jimmy Paxson’s prominent beats and Waddy Wachtel’s swirling guitar work added to the mystique. (Most of the top-notch band has been with Nicks for decades and that familiarity with the older material was evident.)

Describing how moved she was following a 2005 trip to visit wounded service members at Walter Read National Military Medical Center in Maryland and inadvertently experiencing a Medivac arrival, Nicks said she’s “never been the same since.”

The stark song “Soldier’s Angel” came from the experience. More filled out musically live, it found Nicks singing dramatically as a picture of her with an American flag and the handwritten lyrics appeared on screen. Wachtel ably handled Buckingham’s guitar drone from “In Your Dreams.”

Among all the new songs, “Annabel Lee” came the most alive onstage. Inspired by an Edgar Allen Poe poem and penned by Nicks as a teenager, it was never demoed until the ‘90s. Orchestral keyboard swells and the breakdown section added to the pop vibe.

Opening act Michael Grimm provided acoustic guitar on the folksy “For What It’s Worth.” Then an extended regal piano solo prefaced an epic, forceful “Rhiannon,” where the initial guitar notes drove fans into a frenzy. Before “Landslide,” featuring just Nicks and Wachtel on acoustic guitar, she urged the crowd to “enjoy your parents while you still got ‘em,” and dedicated it to her late father Jess and others. The song was touching as always.

Nicks brought out her male vocal coach to take Don Henley’s part on “Leather and Lace” – a track she’d rarely done on past tours. The guy had a sweet tenor; Nicks happily danced around the stage as he did the verses admirably. Another lengthy intro on “Edge of Seventeen” resulted in Nicks switching to a white dress and the powerful song proved how Nicks’ burnished purr of a voice is still marvelous after all this time.

Grimm won the fifth season of “ America ’s Got Talent” in 2010 and it’s not hard to see why. His self-titled, Don Was-produced major label debut album came out this year on Epic Records. The singer/guitarist’s low-key, 40-minute solo acoustic set in Anaheim was received well and garnered some hoots and hollers.

Boasting an appealingly gritty voice, his soulful, bluesy style favored such covers as Terry Reid & Graham Nash’s “Without Expression,” Allman Brothers’ “Midnight Rider,” Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man” (Travis Tritt sings it with Grimm on the album) and The Faces’ “Stay With Me,” for which he was joined by the Stevie Nicks Band (Wachtel did session guitar work with Grimm).

Mac fans should note: Buckingham also happens to be performing at the Grove on Oct. 17. Tickets are $35-$55. 

Stevie Nicks, City National Grove of Anaheim , Oct. 12, 2011

Main set: Stand Back/Secret Love/Dreams/Moonlight (A Vampire’s Dream)/Gold Dust Woman/Soldier’s Angel/Annabel Lee/For What It’s Worth/Rhiannon/Landslide/Ghosts Are Gone/Leather & Lace/Edge of Seventeen

Encore: Love Is

Ozzy Book Signing in Riverside, CA

Trust Me, I'm Dr. Ozzy: Advice From Rock's Ultimate Survivor

By Ozzy Osbourne with Chris Ayres

Hardcover, 274 pgs. (U.S.), $26.99

Grand Central Publishing/Hachett Book Group

The Ozzman Cometh-To Riverside!

Release on Tuesday, this book is a very entertaining and relatively quick read. Before starting it, there are several warnings to lunkheads that the singer is not an accredited doctor. In typical Ozzy fashion, there are chapters titled Have a F***cking Egg-The Truth About Diet & Exercise, Pruning-Cleanliness is Next to Ozzyness, Family-The Other F Word, Friends & Arseh**es, Before Reading, Apply Icepack to Brain, Croaking It-Getting ready for the Great Moshpit in the Sky, etc.

Some of the topics people write in about are outrageous and go way beyond the medical realm. Osbourne handles most of the responses with his usual biting, distinctly British humor (I laughed out loud a number of times), relaying anecdotes from his life experiences. But he shows a compassionate side when discussing things like cancer as well.

The gist of them all? See your physician regularly and use some common sense when problems arise. Longtime Ozzy fans will definitely get a kick out the book, as will the not-easily-offended general public. 

Here's more from the official press release. Book signing details follow. 

 

Wondering if science could explain how he survived his 40-year avalanche of drugs and alcohol, Ozzy Osbourne became one of a handful of people in the world to have his entire DNA mapped in 2010.

It was a highly complex, $65,000 process, but the results were conclusive: Ozzy is a genetic anomaly. The "Full Ozzy Genome" contained variants that scientists had never before encountered and the findings were presented at the prestigious TEDMED Conference in San Diego and made headlines around the world.

The procedure was in part sponsored by The Sunday Times of London, which had already caused an international furor by appointing Ozzy Osbourne its star health advice columnist. The newpaper argued that Ozzy's mutliple near-death experiences, 40-year history of drug abuse, and extreme hypochondria qualified him more than any other for the job.

An overnight hit, the column was quickly picked up by Rolling Stone to give it a global audience. In TRUST ME, I'M DR. OZZY, Ozzy answers reader's questions with his outrageous wit and surprising wisdom, digging deep into his past to tell the memoir-style survival stories never published before - and offer guidance that no sane human being should follow.

Part humor, part memoir, and part bad advice, TRUST ME, I'M DR. OZZY includes some of the best material from his published columns, answers to celebrities' medical questions, charts, sidebars, and more.

Osbourne will sign this book only at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14, Barnes & Noble, 3490 Tyler St. at the Galleria, Riverside. You need a wristband to get into the event. Those will be distributed starting at 9:00 a.m. for the signing event that evening.

Keith Urban concert review: Los Angeles

Photo by Kelly Swift

A version of my review originally appeared at ocregister.com/entertainment/music.

Having followed and enjoyed the meteoric rise of Keith Urban’s career throughout the past decade, I’ve watched him perform on countless television awards programs, talk shows and concert specials. But I’d never actually experienced the country music superstar live – until now.

 

What a revelation.

 

Saturday night, his long-awaited tour in support of 2010’s “Get Closer” finally arrived in Los Angeles and took that title to heart. At various points in a thoroughly exciting, nearly 2½ hour show complete with surprise special guests, the New Zealand-born, Australia-raised singer/guitarist constantly made fan connections.

 

Several Get Closer songs revolve around the courage to love in a relationship and family, no doubt inspired by Urban’s wife Nicole Kidman and their two infant daughters (the actress didn’t attend the L.A. gig, but his parents flew in from Australia).

 

Heavily involved in tour production details, Urban has admitted feeling disconnected at the start of this extensive North American jaunt, which began in June and winds down soon. Focus wasn’t a problem at a packed Staples Center though. The tight four-piece band fired on all cylinders (keyboard and organ sounds were mired in a plodding, bass-heavy mix that oddly didn’t hamper opener Jake Owens). 

 

Urban’s brand of country leans heavily into pop/rock territory, but just about every tune that he played had some sonic element true to Nashville , whether it was an electric mandolin, banjo or pedal steel. Entering to the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life,” Urban started the gig with a highly energetic “Put You in a Song,” the first of five "Closer" tracks. Female enthusiasts screamed like banshees when his image was projected on a huge single circular screen in the back right side of the stage. 

 

After the dreamy ballad “Raining on Sunday,” Urban took an extended break to acknowledge and read all the signs fans held aloft, invited three gals onstage for polite kisses (one blurted out “my husband over there says it’s ok”) and shined a portable spotlight on the upper seating section a la Bono.

 

Sparkling lights and a mirror ball transformed the arena into a makeshift evening sky as the band performed the rousing “Long Hot Summer,” written with frequent collaborator Richard Marx. Urban’s impassioned delivery on the ballad “Stupid Boy” was touching and his fast-fingered guitar fretwork was a wonder to behold – and would cotinue to be time and time again. 

 

The acoustic-based, romantic Rodney Crowell number “Making Memories of Us” began with a verse of Paul McCartney & Wings’ “Silly Love Songs” and fans swayed along, enraptured.

Suddenly, Urban left the stage and appeared in the center of the floor section on a small round stage. The solo three song mini-seated set was highlighted by a bluesy “Jeans On” and the passionate-yet-defiant “You’ll Think of Me,” sung while swiveling around so everyone could see. Next to me, a gaggle of hysterical women returned to their seats over being in such close proximity to the hunky singer. 

 

Feisty and dynamic country rocker “You Gonna Fly” led into a snatch of Little Big Town’s “Boondocks.” Unusually, Urban sang along to that band’s actual music video. He described the rendezvous lyrics for luxurious “Georgia Woods” and capped it off with another searing guitar solo. The measured, languid groove of “’Til Summer Comes Around” recalled one of Urban’s heroes – former Dire Straits axe man Mark Knopfler. 

 

Onetime Creedence Clearwater Revival leader John Fogerty turned up for a spirited, unrehearsed “Proud Mary.” Both vocalists traded lines and Urban looked like he was having a blast.

 

The infectious, dance-friendly “Sweet Thing” found Urban singing from both sides of the stage and playing guitar on his knees. Before “Kiss a Girl,” Urban invited three fans up to take turns at singing the song’s chorus. Earlier, Corona del Mar resident Joshua had attracted attention by holding a small stuffed horse aloft. Now he got to strut his humorous stuff in front of thousands and eventually got to sing it with the band (the guy must be a karaoke master). 

 

Playing a stunning, silver stained glass-finished guitar on “Somebody Like You,” Urban ripped off some chunky rock riffs that verged on Metallica for a few minutes. The musicians pogoed in unison and pulled out all the stops. “Now we’re cooking,” said Urban. Damn straight thery were. 

 

And the band didn’t let off steam from there: Urban sang along to a video intro and segment of Waylon Jennings’ “Are You Sure Hank Done it This Way” (this time with a flashy lighted guitar) and segued into “Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me.” Band introductions allowed three different members to sing a couple verses of various songs (U2’s “With or Without You,” Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ “American Girl,” AC/DC’s “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Want to Rock ‘n’ Roll”)). 

 

Urban made another foray into the audience; this time climbing into the midsection to play “You Look Good in My Shirt” and thrilled a female fan, who apparently got to keep his electric guitar at the conclusion. Come encore time, actor/musician Jack Black appeared in a cowboy hat and shirt to do rapid fire lead vocal chores on a frantic cover of Charlie Daniels Band’s “The Devil Went Down to Georgia ” in a comedic style only he can deliver. The song reached a fevered pitch when Urban hammered at his guitar strings, Eddie Van Halen-style. Black did a summersault and came close to tearing off his pants. 

 

Jake Owen warmed up the crowd with an appealing 40-minute set. The charismatic Florida native’s third release “Barefoot & Blue Jean Night” recently topped the country album charts; the title track reached the pole position and has moved 1 million digital downloads.

 

At Staples, he went down well, thanks to the aforementioned catchy tune - tailor made for an arena – not to mention rambunctious ones like “Yee Haw” (a top 20 country hit in ’06) and “8 Second Ride.” But it was the stirring R&B-styled country of “Don’t Think I Can’t Love You” and swelling, keyboard-driven “Along With You” that made the biggest impact.

 

Setlist: Keith Urban, Staples Center , Oct. 8, 2011 

Main set: Put You in a Song/Days Go By/I Told You So/Raining on Sunday/Long Hot Summer/Stupid Boy/Making Memories of Us/I’m In/Jeans On/You’ll Think of Me/You Gonna Fly/Georgia Woods/’Til Summer Comes Around/Proud Mary (with John Fogerty)/Sweet Thing/Kiss a Girl/Without You/Somebody Like You/Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me/You Look Good in My Shirt

Encore: Tonight I Wanna Cry/The Devil Went Down to Georgia (with Jack Black)/Bette

Daughtry reveals track listing for new album

Daughtry has revealed additional details including album artwork and track listing for the new album Break the Spell, out Nov. 21 from 19 Recordings/RCA Records.

The long awaited third release from the multi-platinum selling rock band includes the chart-climbing "Renegade" and "Crawling Back to You," which is well on its way to becoming the band's fifth No. 1 at the Hot AC format. The new record will be released five years to the day from the release of their multi-platinum debut album in 2006.

Every song was co-written by Chris with either one of his bandmates (guitarists Josh Steely , Brian Craddock and bassist Josh Paul) or collaborators such as Marti Frederiksen, Busbee and Bret James. Produced by Howard Benson, who worked on the two previous chart-topping albums, Break the Spell allows the band room to grow musically while still maintaining its knack for distinctive, melodic pop-rock anthems.
Track listing:

1. Renegade  

2. Crawling Back To You

3. Outta My Head
4. Start Of Something Good
5. Crazy
6. Break The Spell
7. We're Not Gonna Fall
8. Gone Too Soon
9. Losing My Mind
10. Rescue Me11. Louder Than Ever
12. Spaceship