CLIMAX BLUES BAND Mark Their Jubilee With A New Album

January 15, 2019

It’s been almost 50 years since CLIMAX BLUES BAND released their debut album and more than a decade since the British ensemble issued their last one. The veterans – half of whom joined the ranks in the ’80s to carry on the legacy now that no original member is in the line-up, one of those leading the combo’s American version – refuse to retire, though, and this year has seen the arrival of the group’s new album. “Hands Of Time” features a devil’s dozen of fresh creations and a bonus which has the great late Colin Cooper, one of the collective’s founders, on vocals and sax. A worthy entry in the combo’s history – judging by the video below.
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Interview with John Young

January 9, 2019

John Young / Photo © Michael BanksJohn Young has come a long way: a well-respected musician by the end of the previous millennium, he reached a star status in the recent years – thanks not to his looks or his talent, that were always there, but to sheer perseverance and trying to find new ways for a musician to exist in today’s climate. Perhaps, not for nothing the English artist’s latest, and most successful, project is called LIFESIGNS: it’s a great example of Young’s ability to creatively exist now.

Read the interview.

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Jon Anderson Releases A Star-Strewn Album

October 23, 2018

Jon Anderson is probably the most misunderstood – and, thus, underrated – artist ever. Perceived as a pixie-like progressive rock protagonist, the singer has much more layers to him than meets the eye, yet not ear. Beyond vast panoramas and cosmic pop of YES, he explored Celtic, Latin American and Toltec cultures, plugged into urban gloss on "In The City Of Angels" and went for art grandeur on the still-unissued “Chagall” – and it’s only a surface probe of his solo endeavors – but, again, it’s not just encyclopedic depth that defines Jon, because not a lot of people are familiar with Anderson’s fantastic sense of humor. All of this will come to light on “1000 Hands”: an album the veteran’s been working on for three decades and is ready to release soon, with pre-orders available from October 25th, the warbler’s 74th birthday, with Instagram and Facebook accounts already open to support the event.
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WINGS’ “Wild Life” and “Red Rose Speedway”: Deluxe Details Revealed

October 18, 2018

WINGS - Wild Life & Red Rose SpeedwayAnd so, the wait is almost over! 1971’s “Wild Life” and 1973’s “Red Rose Speedway” – WINGS’ first two albums – have been one of the most desirable entries in “The Paul McCartney Archive Collection” ever since this series was launched eight years ago. Both finally reappear as deluxe and expanded editions on December 7th – as often with Macca, too close for fans’ comfort to the release of other BEATLES-related products, in this case the “Imagine” and “White Album” reissues. Still, the new box sets should satisfy many an aficionado, given the regular abundance of audio, video and printed materials included. Of special note is the selection of home recordings on “Wild Life” and the presentation of “Red Rose Speedway” as a double album, although not a real one – because the 1972 acetates of this version had rather different tracklisting.
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Keith Reid Sails On With New Album

October 15, 2018

Although Keith Reid will always be associated with PROCOL HARUM, his absence on the band’s “Novum” from last year was more than conspicuous. Whatever the poet’s reasons for falling out with the band were, he’s still out there – not turning his back on the realm of music. It might take Keith a decade to follow up on “The Common Thread” which saw Reid write with a few singers, but December 7th should finally the the release of “In My Head” by THE KRP – that’s the acronym for THE KEITH REID PROJECT. Again, there’s an array of vocalists involved, with John Waite and Steve Booker resuming their work with the wordsmith, and new voices joining them.
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