Society & Culture & Entertainment Music

Top New Releases - April 2012

About Society & Culture & Entertainment 259 106
In the pipeline this month - the sequel to a 40 year old Jethro Tull classic, previously unreleased Janis Joplin recordings, live performances by Alice Cooper, Wishbone Ash and Todd Rundgren. All that plus Record Store Day!


Ian Anderson - 'Thick as a Brick 2'

It has been 40 years since Jethro Tull's Thick as a Brick was released. That prog rock classic, written by lead vocalist/flutist/guitarist Ian Anderson, was a single track, almost 45 minutes long, in which a fictional British lad named Gerald Bostock is reciting a poem he has written about the difficulties of growing up.Some of those responsible for the album reaching #1 on the Billboard album chart in 1972 may not have known that the album they were buying was actually a spoof: a parody of popular prog rock albums by bands like Emerson Lake and Palmer, and Yes.As Anderson tours the world throughout the rest of 2012, performing the album in its entirety, he is also releasing the sequel, Thick as a Brick 2, in which we learn where the now 50-year-old Gerald's life has taken him after 40 years. "If someone had suggested that I might release a Prog concept album in the year 2012, I would have thought him seriously, dangerously even, off his trolley," Anderson writes on the Tull website. "But that is precisely what happened."A special edition includes a DVD with a Surround Sound mix of the album, a "making of" video, and an interview with Anderson.Buy from Amazon »


Janis Joplin - 'The Pearl Sessions'

This two-CD set is an eerily realistic trip back in time to the studio where Janis Joplin recorded her final album (released after she died of a drug overdose in 1970) Pearl. Along with previously unreleased outtakes and alternate versions is raw sound of the artist chatting and joking with her band mates and producer. The set also includes the original mono versions of Joplin singles heard alongside the album versions. Your Joplin collection will not be complete without this release.Buy from Amazon »


Wishbone Ash - 'Live Dates II'

Wishbone Ash's hard rock brand of progressive rock has always been best experienced in live performance. Because of that, three editions of vintage live performances have been released over the years under the 'Live Dates' banner. Live Dates II, never released in the US (until now) is a collection of live shows between 1976 and 1980. It features the lineup that consisted of guitarist-songwriter Andy Powell, bassist-vocalist Martin Turner, guitarist Laurie Wisefield, and drummer Steve Upton.Buy from Amazon »


Todd Rundgren's Utopia - 'Live at Hammersmith Odeon '75'

Utopia's first concert in the UK has been a bootleg staple for years, but is only now being made available in an "official" commercial version. The 1975 lineup included guitarist-lead vocalist Todd Rundgren, keyboardist Roger Powell, bassist John Siegler, and vocalist-drummer Willie Wilcox. Future R&B solo artist Luther Vandross is heard on backup vocals.Buy from Amazon »


Alice Cooper - 'No More Mr. Nice Guy Live'

Alice Cooper is on a roll. On the heels of the 2011 release of Welcome 2 My Nightmare comes the 2012 release of a two-CD set capturing Coop's Halloween night performance in London last year. The set list featured songs from the artist's entire 40 year career.Buy from Amazon »


April 21 - Record Store Day

The fifth annual Record Store Day is April 21. More than two dozen releases from classic rock artists will be available either exclusively, or first, on Record Store Day.More »

Related posts "Society & Culture & Entertainment : Music"

Playing a Harp: Music Arrangements

Music

Tate Stevens Biography

Music

When To Use An Audio Hire

Music

Fingerstyle Guitar for A Minor: Pattern 2

Music

How to Write a Good Piece of Descriptive Writing

Music

Why download ringtones are extremely popular these days

Music

Where Do Improvisations Come From?

Music

Easy Guitar To Play Online

Music

Practicing Finger Picking on Guitar

Music

Leave a Comment

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.