The Excellence of 2013: Retrospective Music Collections
2013 brought us the release of many wonderful retrospective music packages and The Filtered Excellence was there to highlight the cream of the crop. Here are a few that belong in every music lover’s collection.
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Lonely and Blue: The Deepest Soul of Otis Redding. Artists like Otis Redding are re-packaged so frequently that it’s difficult to muster much excitement for a new compilation. Redding’s latest posthumous release runs counter to that thinking. Eschewing his best-known hits this compilation collects Redding at his most mournful and soulful. If you already know Redding, this is a great collection of tracks. If you don’t know him beyond the hits, it’s a revelation. Great stuff.
Order it on Amazon.com. (FE 3-7-13)
Skydog: The Duane Allman Retrospective. Over 40 years after his untimely death, Duane Allman’s influence on the music scene can still heard through such bands as The Black Crowes and Kings Of Leon. The Allman Brothers Band is still live music staple. Skydog – a limited edition 7-CD box set – is THE definitive look at Duane Allman’s brief, but extraordinary career. The bulk of this box covers session work that he did with Aretha Franklin, The Grateful Dead, Wilson Pickett, Laura Nyro, King Curtis, Boz Scaggs, Otis Rush, Delaney & Bonnie, John Hammond, Jr and many others. There’s also numerous tracks from proto-ABB bands The Hourglass and The Allman Joys. Skydog would not be complete if it didn’t cover his stints in The Allman Brothers Band and Derek & The Dominoes – work that took him from go-to session musician to a full blown rock legend. Duane Allman was only 24 when he passed, but listening to this collection clearly shows that it was a life well spent. Skydog: The Duane Allman Retrospective is available now on Amazon. (FE 3-28-13)
Carry On: Stephen Stills. Graham Nash and producer Joel Bernstein culled through over 250 songs (some dating back nearly 50 years) to present this extraordinary 4-CD retrospective on Stephen Stills. All of his seminal work with CSN&Y, Manassas and as a solo artist are covered here, but the real find is the 25 never-before released studio recordings, and live tracks. There’s an array of superstars who make guest appearances (Jimi Hendrix, Herbie Hancock, Booker T & The MGs, Eric Clapton, and Ray Baretto, just to name a few), but Stills is not only the featured artist, but more than holds his own with these artists. Carry On makes a strong case that Stephen Stills is one of the best all-around musicians of the rock era. It’s available now on Amazon and all major retail outlets. (FE 3-28-13)
Inspiration Information/Wings Of Love by Shuggie Otis. Shuggie Otis is one of the greatest enigmas in music. The son of legendary musician/bandleader Johnny Otis, Shuggie played in his dad’s band, jammed with Frank Zappa, and released two albums before he was old enough to vote. Shuggie also received serious offers from The Stones, Bowie, Buddy Miles, and Blood, Sweat & Tears, to join their bands. Shuggie also wrote ‘Strawberry Letter 23′, which became a huge hit for The Brothers Johnson, was featured in the film, Jackie Brown, and sampled on a number of hip hop and R&B jams. His third album, Inspiration Information was not a hit upon its release, but with its dreamlike lyrics and D.I.Y production inspired a legion of musicians including Prince and Lenny Kravitz. With the exception of a 2002 reissue by David Byrne’s Luaka Bop label, Inspiration Information has been sought after by collectors for years. Sony/Legacy has re-issued Inspiration Information, complete with bonus tracks, extensive production and liner notes. As a bonus, there’s a second disc, called Wings Of Love, which includes nearly an hour’s worth of unreleased material that the reclusive musician recorded between 1975 and 2000. Both discs are extraordinary and puts Shuggie Otis in his proper place as one of the most talented musicians of all time. Inspiration Information/Wings Of Love will be released on Amazon, Itunes and all music digital outlets on April 16th.
(FE 4-11-13)
David Bowie – Aladdin Sane: The 40th Anniversary Reissue. Any fears of a letdown or backlash following the success of The Rise & Fall Of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars were quickly squashed when Bowie released the acclaimed follow-up in the spring of 1973. Recorded between legs of the Ziggy Stardust tour, the album is ripe with observations of America during that turbulent period (‘Panic In Detroit’, ‘Drive-In Saturday Night’) and its music (the Bo Diddley-influenced ‘The Jean Genie’ and the R&B/soul/avant garde jazz influences in ‘Lady Grinning Soul and the title track). There’s also a down and dirty cover of The Stones’ ‘Let’s Spend The Night Together’ that stands right alongside the original. No bonus tracks, but it was remastered by Ray Staff (who did the original album mix), so you’ll hear this splendid album in all its sonic glory. It also has one of the greatest album covers of all-time courtesy of Mick Rock.
Aladdin Sane: The 40th Anniversary Reissue is available now on Amazon
(FE 4-18-13)
Harry Nilsson The RCA Albums Collection. During a 1968 press conference when asked who their favorite American recording artist was, both John Lennon & Paul McCartney replied “Nilsson.” (Lennon reportedly listened to Harry’s debut album- ‘Pandemonium Shadow Show’ for 36 hours straight.) This definitive collection includes all 14 albums released on RCA from 1967 through 1977. Also included are three “Rarities” CD’s featuring 58 tracks, 29 of which are previously unreleased. Listen as Harry ‘covers’ his own songs made famous by others- Three Dog Night (“One”), the Monkees (“Cuddly Toy”), the Yardbirds (“Ten Little Indians”), and Blood, Sweat & Tears (“Without Her.”) Begin the journey with Nilsson Schmilsson (includes ‘Without You’, ‘Coconut’ & ‘Jump Into The Fire’) and joyfully follow it up with the award-winning fable, The Point. Harry Nilsson is an American treasure. The Beatles recognized that instantly. Now its your turn!
Order The RCA Albums Collection at Amazon.com. (FE 8-1-13)
The Bootleg Series, Vol 10: Another Self-Portrait (1969-71) by Bob Dylan. The latest in the on-going ‘bootleg’ series revisits one of the most controversial and universally disliked albums in the Dylan canon. Looking to shake the ‘voice of a generation’ tag once and for all, Dylan released Self Portrait, a double album that featured covers of folk songs, contemporary pop songs, country and even standards. Odd instrumentals and highlights of a 1969 Isle Of Wight performance with The Band were also scattered throughout. Critics hated it: The opening line of Rolling Stone Magazine’s review was ‘What is this shit?’ Fans were a bit more sympathetic: ‘Wigwam’ was a Top 40 hit and the album cracked the Top 5 in the U.K. before quickly disappearing off the charts. Another Self Portrait looks back at the sessions that created this album and New Morning and makes a strong case that the artist was way ahead of the audience. Stripping away the overdubs that were the core of the criticism, Dylan’s voice – backed by a small combo led by Al Kooper – and the songs are front and center. And it sounds fantastic. Free of the madness that surrounded him at the height of ‘electric phase’, Dylan is loose and relaxed – even as he is trying to find a new musical footing. The roots of the rest of his career can be found right here. This ranks up there as one of the best in the Bootleg series. The deluxe edition contains the entire Dylan/Band Isle Of Wight performance as well as a remastered version of the original Self Portrait. Another Self Portrait is available now on Amazon, Itunes and all digital outlets.
Order Another Self Portrait (1969-1971): The Bootleg Series Vol. 10 on Amazon.com. (FE 8-29-13)
The Band: Live At The Academy Of Music 1971. In the last week of December 1971, The Band performed at New York’s Academy of Music. They did 4 shows that week to ring in the New Year. Bob Dylan joined them for the New Year’s Eve encore performance. Now, all 4 of The Band’s recordings from that legendary week are available on “The Band: Live At The Academy of Music 1971″ box set. The 4 CD, plus a DVD set will be released on Tuesday, September 17th along with a 48 page book. The book includes photos, a reproduction of Rolling Stone magazine’s review of “Rock of Ages” written by Paul J. Gleason and an essay written by Robbie Robertson.
For more information, go to robbie-robertson.com. (FE 9-12-13)
Down In Washington Square: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection by Dave Van Ronk. Dave Van Ronk did not have the career of many of his folk contemporaries, but still managed to leave an incredible mark on the scene. The leader of the Greenwich Village scene for close to 40 years, Van Ronk released several critically acclaimed albums and mentored many upcoming singer-songwriters including Bob Dylan, Suzanne Vega and Christine Lavin. The forthcoming Coen Bros film Inside Llewlyn Davis draws heavily from Van Ronk’s memoir The Mayor Of MacDougal Street and incorporates several of his album covers into the narrative. To coincide with its release, Smithsonian Folkways has teamed up with his widow, Andrea Vuocolo for Down In Washington Square, a 3-CD career-spanning set featuring 16 never before released tracks, live material and the final studio recordings Van Ronk made before his death in 2001. It’s a great primer for fans looking to find out more about Dave Van Ronk and the new material makes it a must have for long time fans as well.
Order Down on Washington Square: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection on Amazon. (FE 11-7-13)
Never My Love: The Anthology by Donny Hathaway . During the first half of the 1970s, Donny Hathaway was on the brink of superstardom. A top flight singer, songwriter, arranger and composer, Hathaway received several critically acclaimed albums, scored the film Come Back Charleston Blue, sang the theme song for the hit CBS series Maude and had a series of hit duets with Roberta Flack. His career stalled when bouts with depression and schizophrenia required extended hospitalizations. In 1978, Hathaway returned to the music scene with a vengeance when another duet with Flack, ‘The Closer I Get To You’ made the Top 5 on the R&B and Pop Charts. He was poised for a major comeback when he was found dead on the sidewalk outside of the Essex Hotel in New York. Police ruled the death a suicide. Nearly 25 years after his untimely passing, Rhino has just released Never My Love: The Anthology, a 4-CD set that covers essential songs, his sublime duets with Roberta Flack, unreleased studio material and live tracks from his now legendary residency at The Bitter End in New York City. Remixed and remastered, this is the most comprehensive look at a musical titan. A must have.
Order “Never My Love: The Anthology” On Amazon.com. (FE 11-21-13)
Neil Young – Live At The Cellar Door by Neil Young. With a young Neil Young all acoustic on guitar, and more heavily on piano- which he states, at the time, he had only been playing for about a year- there is an ardent rawness to these performances that truly emanate. The songs stripped bare feel achingly candid as Young’s voice is imbued with emotion. The most recent of Neil Young’s Archives Performance Series, Live at The Cellar Door is an intensely intimate collection of previously unreleased recordings gathered from his mellow stint of six shows between November 30th and December 2nd 1970 at the classic DC venue. Taking place mere months following the release of After the Gold Rush, Neil Young’s third solo album, nearly half of this live album is comprised of tracks from that record; a trip to imagine that at the time of these performances, so many of these songs, now classics, were relatively new. This album seems to capture a moment in time as the singer-songwriter is authenticating himself as a solo artist; an individual performer, rather than a member of a band. It’s raw and beautiful stuff.
Order Live At The Cellar Door on Amazon.com. (FE 12-12-13)
The Beatles: Bootleg Recordings 1963. In preparation for the 50th Anniversary of The Beatles arrival in America, fans received a surprise Christmas gift: an official ‘bootleg’ containing 59 alternate studio cuts, demos and live tracks that were cut for the BBC. The studio material covers songs that ultimately made it onto Please Please Me and includes future classics ‘I Saw Her Standing There’, ‘Do You Want To Know A Secret’, and an early pass on ‘One After 909′. The BBC tracks shows why America – and the world – went nuts for the Fab Four: They were a kick ass rock n roll band. Rounding out the set are two demos of songs that never made it onto a Beatles album: ‘Bad To Me’ and the piano-driven ‘I’m In Love’, which features a killer Lennon vocal. It’s a great collection for Beatlemanics looking to relieve the hysteria of the time and for newbies who are curious to know why The Beatles continue to hold a grip on the cultural landscape. The Bootleg Recordings 1963 is available exclusively on Itunes. (FE 12-19-13)
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