New Releases for March 2008

Index of New Releases for March 2008

Artist:	MANCINI, HENRY
Title:	Touch of Evil OST
Label:	EL RECORDS (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	ACMEM 134CD

"Touch of Evil is a masterpiece of 20th century cinema: Director Orson Welles' final Hollywood film and regarded as the last great film noir. Stars Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, Marlene Dietrich and Welles himself as the crooked police chief Hank Quinlan, who always gets his man even if he has to concoct the evidence to do so! The searing semi-Latin rock & roll score is considered (both by critics and the composer) to be one of Henry Mancini's finest. Barney Kessel, who featured on Pet Sounds and many of the Phil Spector and Monkeys' hits, plays guitar."

ELEKTRA

Artist:	OCHS, PHIL
Title:	I Ain't Marching Anymore
Label:	ELEKTRA
Format:	LP
Price:	$11.00
Catalog #:	EKS 7287LP

Exact repro LP reissue. Phil Ochs' second album, originally issued on Elektra in 1965; produced by Jac Holzman. "1965's I Ain't Marching Anymore contained perhaps Ochs' most issue-driven songwriting. Militarism, American imperialism, the Vietnam War, labor struggles, and the explosive conflicts of the Civil Rights movement -- one or the other of these concerns were behind the messages of almost every song. If this ensured that some of the pieces would be more dated than Ochs' subsequent, more diverse repertoire, they also provide something of a snapshot of the mid-1960s social turmoil that both enraged and inspired his generation."

EM RECORDS (JAPAN)

Artist:	STEEL AN' SKIN
Title:	Reggae Is Here Once Again
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD/DVD
Price:	$25.50
Catalog #:	EM 1075CD

Outstanding steel pan, disco and dub CD + DVD release and the third installment in Em Records' Steel Pan Series. Steel 'N' Skin were an Afro-Caribbean workshop band based in 1970s London, founded by Peter Blackman, featuring ex-members of 20th Century Steel Band (Grandmaster Flash's fave). Comprised of young nightclub musicians born in Ghana, Nigeria, St. Kitts, Trinidad and the UK, the group gave concerts and workshops in London schools, expanding nationwide to prisons, psychiatric hospitals and summer festivals. The group combined an admirably brave, open and unironic mix of musical forms with community outreach, non-cynical and untainted by preachiness or "social work." Gratifyingly intricate African ritual rhythms and strong vocals compliment reggae, funk, disco and soul influences to form a relentless groove machine. This EM reissue consists of Steel 'N' Skin's 1979 debut 12" single "Reggae Is Here Once Again," featuring "Afro Punk Reggae (Dub)," a fine disco-dub workout, plus two tracks from their 1984 LP Acid Rain as well as one unissued track. The documentary DVD by Steve Shaw features perceptive commentary from Steel 'N' Skin's founder Peter Blackman, killer live and rehearsal footage of the band, workshop scenes and devastating views of inner-city Liverpool. Including liner notes written by Peter Blackman, English/Japanese text and rare photos. DVD running-time approximately 34 minutes; All-Region; NTSC.

EMANEM (UK)

Artist:	LONDON & GLASGOW IMPROVISERS ORCHESTRAS
Title:	Separately & Together (2007)
Label:	EMANEM (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$27.00
Catalog #:	EMANEM 4219CD

"The whole of a 2007 Freedom Of The City festival concert, which was the first meeting of these two orchestras. The 27-strong LIO started the proceedings with conductions by Philipp Wachsmann, Ashley Wales, Alison Blunt and Terry Day interspersed with free improvisations. The 17-strong GIO then performed pieces devised by George Burt and Emma Roach and a free improvisation. Finally, the two orchestras combined to be conducted by David Leahy, Una MacGlone & Raymond MacDonald, and Dave Tucker. 126 minutes."

ESOTERIC RECORDINGS (UK)

Artist:	MAN & FRIENDS
Title:	Christmas At The Patti
Label:	ESOTERIC RECORDINGS (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$19.00
Catalog #:	ECLEC 2018CD

"Man's importance in the history of Welsh rock music cannot be understated. Fusing the worlds of psychedelia, blues, rock and roll and West Coast-inspired rock, they were simply one of Britain's most original groups of the 1970s. Recorded on December 19, 1972 at a Christmas concert in Swansea, the album features amazing performances by Man and their friends Dave Edmunds, Help Yourself with Deke Leonard et al., and is a wonderful document. Released as a limited edition double album in July 1973, the album is now remastered and is available once more in definitive form. The reissue book features previously unseen photos and liner notes exclusively penned by Man guitarist and raconteur Deke Leonard. The time is right to re-experience the musical ages of Man!"

Artist:	WEB
Title:	I Spider
Label:	ESOTERIC RECORDINGS (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$19.00
Catalog #:	ECLEC 2027CD

"Classic progressive rock album, now 24-bit remastered from the original master tapes. I Spider is truly a lost classic of the progressive era. Originally released by Polydor Records in 1970, the album was influenced by the experiments of groups such as King Crimson, Gentle Giant et al, but was more than a mere clone of these bands. The group evolved from an excellent blues influenced band who released three albums for Deram, who then recruited keyboard player and writer Dave Lawson and recorded their final album. The musicianship on the album was excellent and Lawson's compositions were groundbreaking and memorable. The group soon evolved into Samurai (whose eponymous album is also released by Esoteric). This Esoteric reissue is remastered from the original master tapes and features two bonus tracks recorded live in Sweden in 1971, a booklet with previously unseen photographs and an interview with Dave Lawson."

Artist:	HEAVEN
Title:	Brass Rock 1
Label:	ESOTERIC RECORDINGS (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$19.00
Catalog #:	ECLEC 2030CD

"Classic progressive jazz rock album reissued on CD officially for the first time. 24-bit remastered from the original master tapes. Heaven, a jazz rock group from Portsmouth, burst forth onto the British rock scene in 1970 when they appeared at the legendary Isle of Wight festival sharing a bill with The Who, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix et al. Making a stunning debut, the band (now managed by festival organizer Rikki Farr), soon secured a recording deal with CBS Records who signed the band for a large advance. The resulting double album Brass Rock 1 appeared in 1971, adorned in a lavish fold-out sleeve. Well received critically, the album failed to achieve the expected success and Heaven soon disbanded, leaving behind a fine example of classic jazz rock. Officially released on CD for the first time, this Esoteric Recordings reissue is digitally remastered from the original master tapes and restores the album artwork in full."

Artist:	EAST OF EDEN
Title:	Mercator Projected
Label:	ESOTERIC RECORDINGS (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$19.00
Catalog #:	ECLEC 2033CD

"A milestone in the birth of 'progressive' rock, East of Eden's debut album, Mercator Projected has been cited by MOJO magazine as a minor masterpiece. Released on the legendary Deram label in 1969, the album established East of Eden as a major act, particularly in France, where the band had several top ten singles and major album success. An imaginative fusion of jazz, psychedelia and world music, Mercator Projected has been remastered from the original master tapes and features twenty minutes of bonus material, including previously unreleased extended demo versions of 'Waterways' and 'In The Stable of the Sphinx' and East of Eden's take on The Byrds' classic 'Eight Miles High.' All original artwork has been restored and the booklet features many unseen photographs and memorabilia."

Artist:	EAST OF EDEN
Title:	Snafu
Label:	ESOTERIC RECORDINGS (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$19.00
Catalog #:	ECLEC 2034CD

"East of Eden's second album Snafu was originally released in 1970 by Deram Records and saw the band take their particular fusion of jazz, psychedelia, world music and even blue beat, one step further. As ever, the instrumental prowess of Dave Arbus on violin dominated the music, leading eventually to Arbus playing the infamous violin solo on 'Baba O'Reilly' by The Who. Snafu was the result of many months in the studio, where a second album had been virtually completed before being shelved in favor of starting work on a fresh project. This Esoteric Recordings reissue has been remastered from the original master tapes and features many unreleased bonus tracks, including five previously unreleased tracks from the aborted album sessions and alternate demo and single versions of their 1971 hit, 'Jig-A-Jig.' An extensive essay features interviews and previously unseen photographs."

Artist:	EGG
Title:	Egg
Label:	ESOTERIC RECORDINGS (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$19.00
Catalog #:	ECLEC 2035CD

Originally released on Decca in 1969. "Egg featured the talents of Dave Stewart on keyboards, Mont Campbell on bass and Clive Brooks on drums and were associated with the so-called 'Canterbury' style of rock music pioneered by artists such as Caravan and Soft Machine. The trio produced music of startling originality and energy, drawing on influences ranging from rock to jazz to psychedelia to classical. This fusion resulted in one of the most enduring releases to appear on Decca's short lived Nova imprint and is now critically regarded as one of the more unique albums of the early 1970s." Includes two bonus tracks.

Artist:	FAY, BILL
Title:	Bill Fay
Label:	ESOTERIC RECORDINGS (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$19.00
Catalog #:	ECLEC 2037CD

New reissues of the 2 main Bill Fay albums, previously reissued on Eclectic -- which has now resurfaced under the new label name Esoteric. This first one was originally released in 1970 on Deram Nova; this is presumably the same 2005 24-bit remaster from original tapes as Eclectic used, with 2 bonus tracks from his staggeringly great1967(!) single, new liner notes by Mark Powell , etc. Very well done. "Bill Fay is an enigmatic UK based singer, songwriter and pianist whose work is impossible to categorise. His late '60s and early '70s work has a strong cult following, is highly regarded by many music journalists and is dark and haunting with songs rarely going over three minutes. Bill was originally signed to Decca and between 1967 and 1971 the label released a beautifully odd single ('Some Good Advice'/'Screams In The Ears') and two excellent albums (the lushly orchestrated Bill Fay and the rawer, more rock-oriented Time Of The Last Persecution). Bill's fantastic songs have touched and inspired many -- his fans include country rockers Wilco, songwriter/producer Jim O'Rourke, Ben Chasny of Six Organs Of Admittance and David Michael of Current 93."

Artist:	FAY, BILL
Title:	Time Of The Last Persecution
Label:	ESOTERIC RECORDINGS (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$19.00
Catalog #:	ECLEC 2038CD

Reissue of the 2nd Bill Fay album, originally released in 1971 on Deram. 2005 24-bit remaster from the original tapes, with new liner notes from Mark Powell. Time Of The Last Persecution is an album noted for its stripped-down and stripped-away raw nerve. Differing slightly from his first self-titled release, this record is considered to be more raucous, more guitar-oriented, alongside some simple piano. Great guitar playing from Ray Russell, who is also co-credited with producing and arranging the album. "Time Of The Last Persecution' is a bonafide classic album, the kind you will keep going back to until the day you die. The fact that, beyond the occasional mention in Mojo (and that for his first album), Fay remains practically unknown is almost incomprehensible. This album makes a mockery of lesser figures who have persisted in the music crits' lexicon, and while the likes of Dylan are certainly a touchstone for him, Fay really is in a class of his own here." --headheritage.uk

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Artist:	EGG
Title:	The Polite Force
Label:	ESOTERIC RECORDINGS (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$19.00
Catalog #:	ECLEC 2036CD