‘Sail On Sailor – 1972

A new expansive multi-disc and digital box set, highlighting 1972’s Carl and the Passions – “So Tough” and 1973’s Holland albums with a bounty of unreleased outtakes, live recordings, demos, alternate versions and mixes, instrumentals, and a cappella tracks.

Some highlights include a Mount Vernon and Fairway (A Fairytale) EP (not available on vinyl since its original release) and Carnegie Hall Thanksgiving 1972 concert recording. The Carnegie Hall concert is the first-ever release of a complete Beach Boys concert from this era with its original setlist. Sail On Sailor also includes a beautifully-designed, booklet with liner notes, rare photos of the band, recording artifacts, and more.

The collection is available to pre-order exclusively in our store for the next few days, and is available in a variety of formats — including an exclusive 5LP + 7” EP which features a reproduction of the original “Holland” promotional book telling the story of the making of the album and 4 collectable lithos. There is also an exclusive 2LP + 7” EP that features the reproduction of the original “Holland” promotional book, too.’

Can’t wait for this set! Holland is probably my favourite » Continue Reading.

Giles Martin has confirmed the Revolver is the next Fabs album for the box set treatment. Rumoured track list below, so now is the time to get those comments of disappointment or derision in early….

Rumoured track lists:

CD1: 2022 Stereo Mix by Giles Martin & Sam Okell 01. Taxman 02. Eleanor Rigby 03. I’m Only Sleeping 04. Love You To 05. Here, There And Everywhere 06. Yellow Submarine 07. She Said She Said 08. Good Day Sunshine 09. And Your Bird Can Sing 10. For No One 11. Doctor Robert 12. I Want To Tell You 13. Got To Get You Into My Life 14. Tomorrow Never Knows

CD2: Sessions 01. Tomorrow Never Knows (Take 1) 02. Tomorrow Never Knows (Mono Mix RM 11) 03. Got To Get You Into My Life (First Version/ Take 5) 04. Got To Get You Into My Life (2nd Version/ Unnumbered Mix) 05. Got To Get You Into My Life (2nd Version) 06. Love You To (Take 1) 07. Love You To (Unnumbered Rehearsal) 08. Love You To (Take 7) 09. Paperback Writer (Takes 1 & 2/Backing Track) 10. Rain (Take 5) 11. Rain (Take 5/Slowed Down) 12. Doctor Robert (Take 7) 13. » Continue Reading.

Firstly, having recently upgraded the ole hifi, it has really shown up the sound quality of the Spotify stream compared to CD and records. I have signed up for Amazon HD for a free month and that seems noticeably better, and it is £2 a month cheaper anyway if/when I do start paying, so it seems like a no brainer. I am using a Bluesound streamer, and another advantage is that Amazon music is available through their app whereas Spotify isn’t. Anyone else have Amazon HD? Any drawbacks?

Secondly, I am upgrading the music I have on my hard drive, also streaming through the Bluesound and want to use Flac files or similar hi res files rather than mp3, although I have always used the highest bitrate for these. How do I get the hi res files from Blu Ray discs onto my hard drive with all the relevant tags and so on? I also have Flac files that have been sent to me which I want to load up rather than convert to mp3. Mp3s are so easy to tag with metadata – can I do this with flac easily? Thought I’d ask here rather than flounder around!

Non Beatles fans look away now…

Nicked from a Beatles Facebook page.

Apple Corps and Capitol/Universal are planning a 6-disc “Let It Be” 50th anniversary box set, as rumored. Two sources familiar with the plans say the set includes a new Giles Martin remix of the “Let It Be” album; a couple of discs of rehearsals and jams from the January, 1969, Apple Studios sessions; the first Glyn Johns mix of the album from 1969; Johns’ 1970 mixes of “Across the Universe” and “I Me Mine” and new 2021 mixes of the original B-side version of “Don’t Let Me Down” and the 1970 single version of “Let It Be”; and a disc featuring Dolby Atmos/ 5.1 DTS/Hi-Res Stereo mixes. The complete rooftop concert, which is featured in Peter Jackson’s upcoming Disney+ docuseries, is not included in the box set, which has only one live rooftop track. That may have been a result of restrictions imposed by Disney. Release is expected to be in mid-October.

Happened across this on the tax dodgers site – really worth having anyway, but at this price it is a steal.

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Beatles-Eight-Touring-Years-Blu-ray/dp/B01LTHLQ0U/ref=tmm_blu_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1629153878&sr=1-19

Well, this was a nasty surprise this morning. I fired up my computer and opened up iTunes. I tried to play a track….couldn’t locate the file. Hmm…I have been here before – I store my my music on a WD Mybook NAS drive and occasionally l have had to remind ITunes that is where it all is….it still couldn’t connect….hmmm….reboot, that’ll sort it. Nope. More investigation found that my NAS drive was now absolutely empty – everything had been deleted.

It seems some hackers in Eastern Europe have had fun exploiting a loophole in the expired and no longer supported firmware by factory resetting everyone’s kit. Bastards.

So…I have lost thousands of tracks and I am more than slightly miffed. As it happens, I was thinking of a drastic pruning anyway as Spotify has pretty much taken over for everything mainstream, and I still have most of the CDs, although all those magazine cover CDs that I painstakingly ripped during lockdown and have since gone to the chazza are lost. End of the world…? Not really, but it is annoying.

I still have a lot of tracks on my iPod, which I guess I can transfer back, and » Continue Reading.

And you thought the upcoming Beach Boys set was expensive..?

George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass is getting the remix and re-release palaver, and get this….the top of the pile ‘Uber’ set in a wooden crate gets you…

includes the album on 8LP and 5CD/BR housed in an artisan designed wooden crate, accompanied by two elegantly designed books paying homage to Harrison’s love for gardening and nature.

The edition contains:

Wooden Crate (approx. 12.4″ x 12.4″ x 17.5″)

Elaborate and expanded 96 page version of the scrapbook, curated by Olivia Harrison, with unseen imagery and memorabilia from the era: handwritten lyrics, diary entries, studio notes, tape box images, a comprehensive track-by-track and more.

A second 44-page book chronicling the making of “All Things Must Pass” through extensive archival interviews with notes.

Wooden bookmark made from a felled Oak tree (Quercus Robur) in George’s Friar Park.

1/6 scale replica figurines of Harrison and the gnomes featured on the iconic album cover.

Limited edition illustration by musician and artist Klaus Voorman.

A copy of Paramahansa Yogananda’s “Light from the Great Ones”

Rudraksha beads contained in individual custom-made boxes

Replica of the original album poster

Set features 70 tracks, including 47 demo recordings, » Continue Reading.

Just when you thought the barrel had been thoroughly scraped, this comes along! It is probably my favourite BB era (this covers the Sunflower/Surfs Up period) and looks terrific.

The 5CD set doesn’t seem to be on the dodgers UK site yet at time of posting fo some reason..? Vinyl and 2CD editions are options as well.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/beach-boys-feel-flows-box-set-guide-1176987/

Obviously prompted by the post by @pawsforthought on whether we are at peak vinyl, I wonder if we have reached the nadir of the CD yet? Even before the aforementioned post, it was fairly obvious to me that the CD was being squeezed between the convenience of streaming and the re-emergence of the good old LP (I refuse to call them vinyls!) for physical formats. New releases, and certainly re-releases, seem to be concentrating on selling us the retro format, often with a download included, and back catalogue of CDs is drying up big time, so is the CD doomed? Those back catalogue items that are still there are often cheaper than the mp3 download, so they can’t be selling. The exception appears to be the mega de Luxe type box sets where the capacity of the silver disc trumps LPs, and for major artists where it is economic to offer as many formats as possible (collectors will also buy the lot ….even bloody cassettes). So….do we forget the things, or buy them up while they are still around? As soon as things disappear they seem to be desirable for some people (head over to eBay » Continue Reading.

I nicked this from a post on the Nothing Is Real Facebook page

Someone has made a list of all the weird little anomalies which can be heard on Beatles records and had tried to explain what they are.

I have been listening to these tracks since they came out and have not been aware of most of these things…yes, the odd squeaky drum pedal and so on, but this is at an entirely different level. Weirdly fascinating for me, probably because I HAVE been listening for so long and thought I knew them – clearly not!

http://wgo.signal11.org.uk/html/alpha-index.htm

Another new song from Bob Dylan, which I think is rather fine. I have no idea of its provenance as yet regarding recording etc. but I’m really enjoying this! A new album soon perhaps..?

A bit surprised no one else has posted this but, in case you missed it, there is a Bowie digital EP being drip fed over the next few weeks and a (wouldn’tyerjustknowit) Record Store limited edition LP/CD release in April of unreleased material.

This version of The Man Who Sold The World is rather good….!

https://www.davidbowie.com/blog/2020/1/7/parlophone-to-issue-unreleased-bowie-tracks

I know we have been here before on here, and I’ve been moaning for years about RSD and its creation of overpriced releases, but this article makes the case better than I can. A friend used to run a small indie record shop and he hated the whole thing – he was not allowed to sell beyond a certain price and had to watch buyers hoovering stuff to put it on eBay, so it did very little for his turnover and led to disgruntled regulars.

This also makes the case for all of this driving up prices generally, even in chazzas ….oh, and No Parlez gets a mention, so is the author an Afterworder by chance..?

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/dec/04/a-very-black-friday-how-the-fetish-for-vinyl-is-sending-prices-soaring?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Bit of a surprise to see this scheduled for next February, but seems reasonably priced.

Track list…

DISC ONE – OCTOBER 4, 1968 – Oakland Coliseum, Oakland (previously unreleased, except *)

White Room * Politician * Crossroads Sunshine Of Your Love Spoonful Deserted Cities Of The Heart * Passing The Time I’m So Glad

DISC TWO – OCTOBER 19, 1968 – Los Angeles Forum, Los Angeles (previously unreleased, except *)

Introduction by Buddy Miles White Room Politician * I’m So Glad * Sitting On Top Of The World * Crossroads Sunshine Of Your Love Traintime Toad Spoonful *

DISC THREE – OCTOBER 20, 1968 – San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego (previously unreleased)

White Room Politician I’m So Glad Sitting On Top Of The World Sunshine Of Your Love Crossroads Traintime Toad Spoonful

DISC FOUR – CREAM FAREWELL CONCERT NOVEMBER 26, 1968 – Royal Albert Hall, London (first time released on CD)

White Room Politician I’m So Glad Sitting On Top Of The World Crossroads Toad Spoonful Sunshine Of Your Love Steppin’ Out

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07ZWBMD3D/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I got a sniff of this happening a week or so ago – apparently someone got in touch with our local venue saying that Robert Plant wanted tò do a tour of small venues. The tickets went on sale on Froday and there are a few left if anyone else is down this way. Hilariously, the Exmouth Pavilion have had the emphasise that this is NOT a tribute act….that indicates the usual offerings here!

There is very little on the internet about this new band, setlists etc. Has anyone caught them?

https://www.ledleisure.co.uk/exmouth-pavilion/book-now/saving-grace-featuring-suzi-dian-and-robert-plant

Had this email today….at least it isn’t a wallet threatening mega box!

TRAVELIN’ THRU, 1967-1969: THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOL. 15 Available November 1 1967 saw a profound transformation in Bob Dylan’s musical evolution. Withdrawing from public view following his July 1966 motorcyle accident, he re-emerged in 1967 with John Wesley Harding, recorded in Nashville with a core trio featuring bassist Charlie McCoy and drummer Kenneth Buttrey, the resulting album had a sublime, minimal sound. Follow-up Nashville Skyline, also recorded in Nashville, featured the stirring “Girl From The North Country,” a duet with Johnny Cash. The album would reach number 1 in the U.S. and the U.K.

Now, Travelin’ Thru, 1967-1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 15 revisits Dylan’s pivotal journey to Nashville. This 3CD or 3LP set features outtakes from both albums, including the first release of Dylan and Cash’s joint studio sessions. The package also features Dylan and Cash’s performance on The Johnny Cash Show, two Nashville outtakes from the Self Portrait sessions and tracks recorded in 1970 with Grammy Award-winning bluegrass banjo legend Earl Scruggs for a PBS television special.

Well, well…there has been a deafening silence…until now. Surely this means there WILL be an Abbey Road box..?

Giles Martin Tweet

No, not the Springsteen song (as such) but the record shop. I have been in Cheltenham where I went to college exactly 50 years ago. A lot is the same – a prosperous town with a shopping centre to match, and now with added food and drink outlets. I found they have an HMV in one of the shopping arcades and investigated to see how they are shaping up these days – this branch had racks of vinyl records on the ground floor with a large selection of CDs also very prominently displayed. I didn’t buy anything, but came away far less depressed than after visits in recent years.

Then…down a side street I came across Badlands. I remember the name from a few years ago and had bought things by mail order, but they had gone off my radar. I never even realised they were in Cheltenham (for 33 years, apparently), and it was a real treat to go into a proper record shop again. I had a lovely time going through the racks and chatting to the young chap behind the counter. They sell a lot through eBay now by all accounts, but only have the one, small, » Continue Reading.

I had an email from Spotify yesterday saying that there had been ‘suspicious activity’ on my account and I should change my password. I wasn’t locked out or anything, but my recent activity list clearly shows music I have never played! An internet search shows I’m not alone and techy sites report many users have had this email.

Obviously I have changed my password, but has anyone any thoughts on this..? The implication from my ‘activity’ is that someone has used my account to listen to some music, but I don’t quite understand how that would work, and also this seems to be a large scale problem rather than one just personal to me, so it doesn’t quite add up in my little brain.

I have used Richer Sounds on and off since the 80s when I first discovered their London Bridge shop. As a customer I always found them helpful and obliging, and enjoyed the slightly quirky approach. They seemed to move from the bargain basement approach to embrace listening rooms and decent mid-range gear and the shops gradually smartened up over the years.

It appears that Mr. Richer is indeed something of a model employer and is giving his employees a stake in the business as he retires, instead of selling up and riding off into the sunset. Good for him I say!

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/may/14/richer-sounds-staff-julian-richer?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other