| The
Crossing - June 2007 Edition
WARNING - AVALANCHE of ROCK
AHEAD!
Um, where to begin? As you
can ascertain from the lengthy list below, there’s an enormous amount of
Rock to sift through these days. If 1967 was the Summer of Love, 2007 might
be the Summer of Rock.If I touched on some of the artists releasing new
albums this month alone, it might easily double the length of this column,
but lets go thru a few just for posterity. (I’m not even sure what that
means, but it sounds good.) The talk of the town right now, and indeed
the world, is the reformation of The Police. A
band who called it quits
at the top of their game after the tour for the Synchronicity album back
in 1983/84. Well, they have a new 2 CD Best of retrospective out
today. You can’t beat that,
unless you’ve got the box set. Paul McCartney, you may know him as one
of the singers for The Beatles, but you might not, he releases his umpteenth
and aptly titled album “Memory Almost Full” on the same day for the first
album released on the Starbucks coffee label. Paul is dead? Check out the
five song mini-suite on the new album as Paul covers his own hypothetical
death. Don’t worry...it’s already getting favorable and lively reviews.
Former Audioslave/Soundgarden
singer Chris Cornell goes solo ‘again’ with “Carry On” and covers Michael
Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’. Approach with caution! Ryan ‘Summer of ‘69’ Adams
releases “Easy Tiger”. Rumor has it that if you call out for ‘Summer of
‘69’ at a Ryan Adams show, he’ll play ‘Cuts Like a Knife’, but if you call
out for ‘Kids Wanna Rock’, he’ll stop everything and play ‘Everything I
Do (I Do It For You)’. He loves covering Bryan. That’s only rumor though.
Prog-metal kings Dream Theater release
their ninth album “Systematic
Chaos”. Promises to be both brutal and heavy, but good! Stroke 9 return
with “The Last of the International Playboys”. They don’t really fancy
themselves that, but they do like to have fun. Check’em out! What else
comes out that day? Oh yea, Bruce Springsteen releases “Live in Dublin
with the (Seeger) Sessions band”. It’s sure to be a party as Bruce covers
old Pete Seeger songs along with some of his originals all with this special
band. Mark Olson, former Jayhawk, officially goes it alone for the first
time, dropping the Creekdippers name and releases “The Salvation Blues”.
Sure to be a good one. Eagerly awaited new albums from both The White Stripes
and The Polyphonic Spree on the same day. Just make sure you dress color-coordinated
before you pick those up at the store. A great new retrospective from Paul
Simon gets released, along with a first greatest hits package from Orange
County’s Social Distortion. I love that band. If you haven’t heard them,
this disc might be a good start. There’s a rumbling up in the great Northwest
with Pearl Jam mining a 7 disc live box set from their recent shows at
the beautiful Gorge amphitheater in George, Washington state. Said to be
one of the most beautiful outdoor venues anywhere. The mighty Queensryche
bring their vision to the stage in the acted out reenditions of Operation:
Mindcrime’s I and II at
the Moore Theater in Seattle via “Mindcrime at the Moore” on the 26th of
the month. Not to be missed! Traversing across the continent, the reformed
Philadelphia five, The Hooters release “Time Stand Still” after a 14 year
absence. Eric Bazilian, Rob Hyman, John Lilley, Fran Smith Jr., and David
Uosikkinen are all back. I know they do a cover of the Don Henley hit ‘Boys
of Summer’ on the new disc. A new Hooters album will brighten any Summer!
And lastly, (for this paragraph that is about to explode anyway), The Traveling
Wilbury’s get the grand reissue treatment with their two albums combined
with a DVD! You can’t beat that! Roy Orbison, George Harrison, Tom Petty,
Jeff Lynne and Bob Dylan. Yep, it’s the boys of Summer.
You can’t have a good Summer
without music, so get out there, catch some live music and savor the sounds
on these new releases all coming your way very soon. And some, right now...
Recently released and not mentioned in last edition:
* The Beach Boys - “Warmth of the Sun”
* The Band - “Best of...a Musical History”
* James Brown - “Gold” (2 CD Best of.)
* Luka Bloom - “Tribe” (Collaboration w/Simon O’Reilly. Available now at
lukabloom.com. In stores 7/31.)
* Electrelane - “No Shouts, No Calls”
* BrakesBrakesBrakes - “Beatific Visions”
* The Clientele - “God Save the Clientele”
* The Bravery - “The Sun and the Moon”
* Shapes & Sizes - “Split Lips, Winning Hips, a Shiner”
* Fields - “Everything Last Winter”
* Thirteen Senses - “S/T”
* Handsome Furs - “Plague Park”
* Battles - “Mirrored”
* Thee More Shallows - “Book of Bad Breaks”
* Runrig - “Everything You See”
* Cary Hudson - “Bittersweet Blues”
* Susan Cagle - “The Subway Recordings”
* King’s X - “Live and Live Some More” (2 CD set from the Dogman tour;
available at molkenmusic.com)
* Doug Pinnick - “Songs From the Closet” (Demos set.)
* Ty Tabor - “Tacklebox” (2 CD demos set.)
* Eric Gales - “Psychedelic Underground”
* Brett Dennen - “More From So Much More” (Live Ep.)
* David Olney - “One Tough Town”
* Misty River - “Stories”
* The Church - “El Momento Siguiente” (Import.)
* Various Artists - “Monterey International Pop Festival (2 CD set.)
* Mike Scott & The Waterboys - “Strange Boat (Book written by
Ian Abrahams.)
* Marshall Crenshaw - “Live at World Cafe Live” (DVD.)
* Seraphim Falls - DVD
* Not One Less - DVD
* Fur - DVD
6/5
* The Police - “The Police: Best of” (2 CD set.)
* Paul McCartney - “Memory Almost Full”
* Ryan Adams - “Easy Tiger”
* Chris Cornell - “Carry On”
* Dream Theater - “Systematic Chaos” (w/DVD.)
* Stroke 9 - “Last of the International Playboys”
* Cinematic Orchestra - “Ma Fleur”
* Trembling Blue Stars - “The Last Holy Writer”
* The Long Blondes - “Someone To Drive You Home”
* Tesla - “Real To Reel” (Covers project; two volumes available.)
* Poison - “Poison’d” (Covers project covering some unlikely people.)
* Stevie Nicks - “Live at Red Rocks” (DVD.)
* Bruce Springsteen - “Live in Dublin with the Sessions Band” (2CD/DVD
set.)
* After The Wedding - DVD
* Blood & Chocolate - DVD
* Norbit - DVD
* The Messengers - DVD
* Meatballs - DVD (Special edition reissue.)
6/12
* Paula Cole - “Courage”
* Abra Moore - “On The Way”
* Mark Olson - “The Salvation Blues”
* Romantica - “America”
* Pegi Young - “S/T” (Debut solo album; wife of Neil.)
* Joan as Police Woman - “Real Life”
* Sister Hazel - “BAM! Volume 1” (Rarities collection.)
* Sonic Youth - “Daydream Nation” (2 CD deluxe edition.)
* The Traveling Wilburys - “S/T” (2 CD/DVD special complete edition.)
* Deep Purple - “Live at Montreux 2006” (2 DVD set.)
* Various Artists - “The Summer of Love: 1967” (CD/DVD.)
* Various Artists - “Instant Karma: Campaign to Save Darfur” (2 CD set
includes all covers of John Lennon songs by U2, REM, Green Day, Jack Johnson,
Regina
Spektor and many more.)
* Atlantic Records: House that Ahmet Built - DVD
* The Bridge - DVD
* Breach - DVD
* Glastonbury - DVD
* Ghost Rider - DVD
* Primeval - DVD
6/19
* The White Stripes - “Icky Thump”
* The Polyphonic Spree - “Fragile Army”
* Bon Jovi - “Lost Highway”
* Tomahawk - “Anonymous”
* Brad Paisley - “5th Gear”
* Maps - “We Can Create”
* Rocky Votolato - “Brag & Cuss”
* Straylight Run - “The Needles, the Space”
* Chemical Brothers - “We Are The Night”
* Andrea Corr - “Ten Feet High”
* Mandy Moore - “Wild Hope”
* Ron Block - “Doorway”
* Hackensaw Boys - “Look Out”
* The Mooney Suzuki - “Have Mercy”
* The Aliens - “Astronomy for Dogs”
* Nick Drake - “Family Tree” (Rarities set.)
* Dennis DeYoung - “One Hundred Years from Now” (Import.)
* UFO - many reissues
* Al Stewart - many remastered reissues
* Sammy Hagar - “Live in St. Louis” (DVD.)
* Bryan Ferry - “Dylanesque” (DVD.)
* Bridge To Terabithia - DVD
* Miss Potter - DVD
* Factory Girl - DVD
6/26
* The Hooters - “Time Stand Still” (The Philadelphia Five return with their
fifth album. Sixth if you count the seldom seen “Amore”.)
* Paul Simon - “Essential” (2 CD set w/DVD.)
* Social Distortion - “Greatest Hits”
* Pearl Jam - “Live at the Gorge” (7 CD boxset.)
* Queensryche - “Mindcrime at the Moore” (2 CD’s/2 DVD’s; the Seattle quintet
performs all of Operation: Mindcrime I and II at the Moore Theater in Seattle.)
* Queens of the Stone Age - “Era Vulgaris”
* The Beastie Boys - “The Mix-Up”
* Kelly Willis - “Translated From Love”
* Nick Lowe - “At My Age”
* Steve Forbert - “Strange Names and New Sensations”
* Steve Vai - “Sound Theories”
* Lifehouse - “Who We Are”
* Symphony X - “Paradise Lost”
* Green On Red - “BBC Sessions”
* Bad Brains - “Build a Nation”
* Blondie - “Eat to the Beat” (Reissue w/DVD.)
* Damien Dempsey - “To Hell or Barbados”
* The Flower Kings - “Road Back Home” (2 CD Best of.)
* Asia - “Fantasia: Live in Tokyo” (2 CD set.)
* Sinead O’Connor - “Theology”
* Frank Black - “Best of: ‘93 - ‘03”
* Tab Benoit - “Power of the Pontchartrain”
* Faith Hill - “Hits”
* Billy Squier - many reissues
* Love - “Blue Thumb Recordings” (3 CD set.)
* The Supersuckers - “Live in Orange County” (CD/DVD.)
* Eliza Gilkyson - “Live from Austin City Limits” (CD/DVD.)
* Black Snake Moan - DVD
* Shooter - DVD
* Pride - DVD
7/3
* Velvet Revolver - “Libertad”
* Ash - “Twilight of the Innocents”
* Silverstein - “Arrivals & Departures”
* Widespread Panic - “Capricorn Years: 1991-1999”
* The Wonder Stuff - “BBC Sessions” (Import.)
* The Ex - DVD
* Driving Lessons - DVD
7/10
* The Smashing Pumpkins - “Zeitgeist”
* Buffalo Tom - “Three Easy Pieces”
* Interpol - “Our Love To Admire”
* Spoon - “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga”
* Crowded House - “Time On Earth”
* Kim Richey - “Chinese Boxes”
* St. Vincent - “Marry Me”
* Jason Isbell - “Sirens of the Ditch” (Formerly of Drive By Truckers.)
* They Might Be Giants - “The Else”
* Manic Street Preachers - “Send Away the Tigers”
* Reel Big Fish - “Monkeys for Nothin’ and the Chimps for Free”
* Rabbit in the Moon - “Decade” (CD/DVD.)
* Against Me - “New Wave”
* Fionn Regan - “End of History”
* Mark Ronson - “Version”
* Jesse Harris - “Feel”
* Stryper - “Roxx Regime Demos”
* Depeche Mode - “Exciter” (reissue.)
* The Dresden Dolls - “Live at the Roundhouse, London” (DVD.)
* The Astronaut Farmer - DVD
* The Last Mimzy - DVD
7/17
* Suzanne Vega - “Beauty & Crime”
* Minnie Driver - “Seastories”
* The Editors - “An End has a Start”
* The Decemberists - “EP”
* Chris Rice - “What a Heart is Beating For”
* Emerson Hart - “Cigarettes & Gasoline” (Singer of Tonic.)
* The Rocket Summer - “Do You Feel”
* Meat Puppets - “Rise To Your Knees”
* Yellowcard - “Paper Walls”
* Lillian Axe - “Waters Rising”
* Willie Nelson - “Live at Billy Bob’s Texas” (CD/DVD.)
* Garbage - “Absolute Garbage: Best of”
* The Beau Brummels - a few reissues
* The Number 23 - DVD (7+17=24...nope!)
* Premonition - DVD
7/24
* Silverchair - “Young Modern”
* Unkle - “War Stories”
* Evans Blue - “Pursuit Begins...”
* Brian Setzer & The Nashvillains - “Red Hot & Live”
* Juliette & the Licks - “Four on the Floor”
* Peter Criss - “One For All”
* Robert Palmer - many reissues
* The Wind that Shakes the Barley - DVD
* The Host - DVD
7/31
* Zodiac - DVD
* 300 - DVD
* Whole New Thing - DVD
* Pathfinder - DVD
8/7
* Okkervil River - “The Stage Names”
* Magnolia Electric Co. - “Sojourner” (4CD/1DVD box set.)
* Unaccompanied Minors - DVD
8/14
* Eisley - “Combinations”
* Mae - “Singularity”
* Linda Thompson - “Versatile Heart”
* Cake - “B-Sides & Rarities”
* Fracture - DVD
* Inland Empire - DVD
* Wild Hogs - DVD
* Aqua Teen Hunger Force - DVD
8/21
* The New Pornographers - “Challengers”
8/28
* Ben Harper - “Lifelines”
* The Rascals - many reissues
* Blades of Glory - DVD
9/4
* U2 - “Popmart: Live in Mexico City” (DVD.)
LYRICS of the MONTH:
Just a castaway
An island lost at sea
Another lonely day
No one here but me
More loneliness
Than any man could bear
Rescue me before I fall into despair
I’ll send an SOS to the world
I’ll send an SOS to the world
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that soemone gets my
Message in a bottle
A year has passed since I wrote my note
But I should have known right from the start
Only hope can keep me together
Love can mend your life
But love can break your heart
I’ll send an SOS to the world
I’ll send an SOS to the world
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
Message in a bottle
Walked out this morning
Don’t believe what I saw
A hundred billion bottles
Washed up on the shore
Seems I’m not alone in being alone
A hundred billion castaways
Looking for a home
I’ll send an SOS to the world
I’ll send an SOS to the world
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
Message in a bottle
Sending out an SOS...
Sting (The Police), the song “Message in a Bottle” first released on the
album Reggatta de Blanc in 1979.
Enjoy the Summer! See you in July!
Chris Barlow
|
