May 2012
Some interesting releases, new and repackaged, for May though we are still waiting for the big new album that is going to come along and shake the world to its core. It is going to be a long wait, methinks.
7/5 - Damon Albarn- Dr Dee (Parlophone)
You've got to admire the man's work ethic. Described by Albarn as `Strange pastoral folk' music inspired by the life of John Dee, mathematician, polymath and adviser to Elizabeth I. 18 tracks. We'll leave that one with you.
7/5 - Gallon Drunk - Road Gets Darker From Here (Clouds Hill)
Still ploughing their lonely furrow. One of the great, largely ignored bands of the past twenty years are back with their seventh studio album.
7/5 - The Cribs - In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull (Wichita)
Back to a trio following the departure of Johnny Marr, the Jarmans return with their fifth studio album. Initially in a CD+DVD package.
7/5 - The Small Faces - Remasters
Forty-five years on (hell's teeth!) from their signing to Immediate, we have a full remastering and repackaging of all of the band's releases for Decca and Immediate which have been produced with the full blessing and co-operation of surviving members Kenney Jones and Ian McLagan. The UK sees deluxe two-disc sets of the Decca albums Small Faces and From The Beginning, while Sanctuary have put out Small Faces (the Immediate album) and a three-disc set of Ogden's Nutgone Flake. UK listeners are, however, missing out as Immediate have released a digibook version of Small Faces (2) and CD and vinyl versions of Ogden's in its original circular format. These are available at www.immediate-records.com but they won't sell them to you if you live over here, which is a real kick in the teeth. The reason is they are only licensed for the rest of the world. Get your friends and relations abroad to invest for you, but snap up the Decca UK releases.
7/5 - The Primitives - Echoes And Rhymes (Elefant)
Having come together, sadly, for the funeral of bassist Steve Dullaghan, the Prims are once again recording and release this album of covers of songs from relatively obscure female-fronted bands of the past. Haven't heard where they are yet, but few bands could match the glory of the Prims' early years on Lazy.
7/5 - My Bloody Valentine - Remasters (Sony)
At long last, after countless false dawns we see the remastered Isn't Anything, Loveless in a two-disc set featuring two different remasters (you've got to love Kevin Shields) and EPs 1988-1991, featuring the remastered EPs 'Feed Me With Your Kiss', 'You Made Me Realise', 'Glider' and 'Tremolo' alongside seven additional rare and previously unreleased tracks. Re-release the early stuff as well, I say.
21/5 - Paul McCartney - Ram (CM)
Not everyone's cup of tea, but the recent remastering and repackaging of the former Beatle's solo work has been terrifically done and this is another belter. The second solo album from the distressing period when Macca was attempting to clear his brain of the fallout from the bitter collapse of the biggest band in the history of the world. A two-disc package for the general listener and a five-disc CD/DVD package for the obsessive. Nice work.
28/5 - Public Image Limited - This is PiL (Sony)
The return of the greatest ever frontman with his newly reformed PiL collective, featuring former Damned guitarist Lu Edmonds. The first album from the band in twenty years, this is released on PiL's own label on CD, vinyl and a limited CD/DVD package.
Coming Soon
Dexy's - One Day I'm Going To Soar (BMG); Cockney Rejects - East End Babylon (the film of the band's history - get to see it); David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust 40th Aniversary Editions (EMI).
