“Poetry, music, art — you’re making a language to explain things that your native language or any language you know isn’t quite enough for you to explain something. Sometimes it’s really difficult to explain what an emotion is. And so art and music and poetry and things like that are a way to attempt that and to feel you can stretch much longer than you’re capable of.” – Neko Case
Rush Releases “Hemispheres” 40th Anniversary With Expanded Reissues on November 16, 2018
On November 16, UMe/Anthem/ole label group continues its extensive Rush 40th anniversary album series with a new, expanded edition of the band’s ground-breaking 1978 release, Hemispheres.
Hemispheres, Rush’s sixth studio album, was originally released in October 1978, and it built upon the adventurous sonic template the band established on its acclaimed 1977 effort, A Farewell To Kings. The album’s first track, “Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres,” encompassed the entirety of Side 1 on the original release and was the logical, heady continuation of the epic album-ending Kings track, “Cygnus X-1.” Side 2 commenced with the hard-driving commentary on English culture “Circumstances,” followed by the socially aware and environmentally conscious FM radio hit, “The Trees,” and concluded with the instrumental tour de force and long-time concert favorite, “La Villa Strangiato.”
“Hemispheres was one of our most challenging and demanding records to make. From its inception in a Wales farmhouse where it was written over a 4 week span to the very difficult mixing sessions in two London recording studios, it stands as a key transitional album in Rush’s long recording history,” says guitarist/vocalist Alex Lifeson.
Hemispheres – 40th Anniversary will be available to fans in four distinct configurations, including: the (1) Super Deluxe Edition, (2) two-CD Deluxe Edition, (3) three-LP Deluxe Edition, and (4) Deluxe Digital Edition.
The Super Deluxe Edition includes two CDs, one exclusive Blu-ray Audio disc, and three high-quality 180-gram black vinyl LPs. The set encompasses the Abbey Road Studios 2015 remastered edition of the album for the first time on CD, along with previously unreleased and newly restored bonus content consisting of the band’s masterful June 1979 Pinkpop Festival performance in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, the Pinkpop recording engineer failed to capture the first several minutes of “2112,” so an amazing, unreleased performance of the song during the Hemispheres tour from Tucson, Arizona in November 1978 appears here in its place. The third bonus disc is the album newly mixed from the original multitracks in 5.1 surround sound on a Blu-ray Audio disc, along with four bonus videos: three shot in 1978 as promo videos, and one of “La Villa Strangiato,” originally shot at Pinkpop with newly restored stereo audio.
The Super Deluxe Edition of Hemispheres – 40th Anniversary will also include several exclusive items, including a 40-page hardcover book with unreleased photos and new artwork by original album designer Hugh Syme; an extensive, 11,000+-word essay by Rob Bowman; The Words & The Pictures, a replica of the band’s rare 1979 UK tour program; a 24×24-inch wall poster of the newly created Hugh Syme art; a Pinkpop Festival replica ticket; a Pinkpop Festival replica cloth VIP sticky pass; and a replica 1978 “Rush” Hemispheres iron-on patch.
The second configuration of Hemispheres – 40th Anniversary will be released in a two-CD Deluxe Edition digipak that includes the newly remastered Hemispheres album; the Pinkpop Festival performance and “2112” from Arizona; a 28-page booklet with unreleased photos and new artwork by Syme; and an edited, 5,700-word version of Bowman’s aforementioned essay.
The third Hemispheres configuration will be offered as an audiophile black vinyl 180-gram three-LP Deluxe Edition featuring the same audio content as the two-CD edition housed in a slipcase with double-gatefold packaging, along with a 24-page booklet with unreleased photos and Syme’s new artwork and the 5,700-word version of Bowman’s liner notes. Gatefold 1 features the original album with Syme’s 40th anniversary artwork, while Gatefold 2 contains the Pinkpop Festival and Arizona bonus content. A 5×5-inch digital download card sticker of Syme’s new 40th anniversary art is also included.
The fourth configuration, the Deluxe Digital Edition, is the digital equivalent to the two-CD Deluxe Edition.
Rush — bassist/keyboardist/vocalist, Geddy Lee, guitarist/vocalist, Alex Lifeson, and drummer/lyricist, Neil Peart — maintains a large and supremely passionate worldwide fanbase that recognizes and respects the band’s unique, bold, and always exploratory songcraft that combines sterling musicianship, complex compositions, and distinctive lyrical flair. Rush has sold more 25 million albums in the U.S. alone, with worldwide sales estimated at 45 million (and counting), and has been awarded 24 Gold, 14 Platinum, and three Multi-Platinum album distinctions. Rush has received seven GRAMMY nominations, and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.
‘HEMISPHERES’ – 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITIONS: TRACK LISTINGS
SUPER DELUXE EDITION
CD – DISC 1
Original Album – Produced by Rush and Terry Brown
1. Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres
2. Circumstances
3. The Trees
4. La Villa Strangiato
CD – DISC 2
Live at Pinkpop Festival – June 4, 1979
1. A Passage To Bangkok*
2. Xanadu*
3. The Trees*
4. Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres – The Sphere A Kind Of Dream*
5. Closer To The Heart*
6. La Villa Strangiato*
7. In The Mood*
8. Drum Solo*
9. Something For Nothing*
Live in Arizona – November 20, 1978
1. 2112*
BLU-RAY AUDIO – DISC 3
96kHz 24-bit 5.1 Surround Mix
96kHz 24-bit Original Stereo Analog 2015 Remaster
1. Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres*
2. Circumstances*
3. The Trees*
4. La Villa Strangiato*
Bonus Promo Videos
48kHz 24-bit Stereo Only
1. Circumstances (1978 Promo Video)*
2. The Trees (1978 Promo Video)*
3. La Villa Strangiato (1978 Promo Video)*
4. La Villa Strangiato (Live at Pinkpop Festival: June 4, 1979)*
3-LP VINYL
LP 1 – SIDE A
Original Album – Produced by Rush and Terry Brown
1. Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres
LP 1 – SIDE B
1. Circumstances
2. The Trees
3. La Villa Strangiato
LP 2 – SIDE C
Live at Pinkpop Festival – June 4, 1979
1. A Passage To Bangkok*
2. Xanadu*
LP 2 – SIDE D
1. The Trees*
2. Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres – The Sphere A Kind Of Dream*
3. Closer To The Heart*
4. La Villa Strangiato*
LP 3 – SIDE E
1. In The Mood*
2. Drum Solo*
3. Something For Nothing*
LP 3 – SIDE F
Live in Arizona – November 20, 1978
1. 2112*
2CD DELUXE EDITION / DELUXE DIGITAL EDITION
DISC 1
Original Album – Produced by Rush and Terry Brown
1. Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres
2. Circumstances
3. The Trees
4. La Villa Strangiato
DISC 2
Live at Pinkpop Festival – June 4, 1979
1. A Passage To Bangkok*
2. Xanadu*
3. The Trees*
4. Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres – The Sphere A Kind Of Dream*
5. Closer To The Heart*
6. La Villa Strangiato*
7. In The Mood*
8. Drum Solo*
9. Something For Nothing*
Live in Arizona – November 20, 1978
1. 2112*
*Previously unreleased
Fender Releases Two Signature Ukuleles With Grace Vanderwaal – The Brand’s Youngest Signature Artist
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation today announced the release of two ukuleles inspired by singer-songwriter Grace VanderWaal. The 2017 Billboard Rising Star award recipient popularized ukulele when she won Season 11 of NBC’s America’s Got Talent in 2016 at age 12. The Grace VanderWaal Signature Ukulele and Moonlight Ukulele were created with the classic clean, legendary Fender tone to inspire and capture hearts of the next generation of musicians. The release of these two artist signature models comes at an exciting time for VanderWaal who has just come off a summer tour with pop-rock band Imagine Dragons and is slated to make her 2019 film debut as the lead in Disney’s book-to-film adaptation of Stargirl.
“What I think is cool about Fender, and what originally drew me to them, was the Fender electric guitar headstock, which I’ve never seen on another ukulele,” said VanderWaal. “I feel like a rockstar when I’m tuning it. I wanted these ukuleles to be pretty, but also have a great sound. Fender perfectly accomplished that and made my dream ukuleles come true. I’m seeing my passions come full circle. I think everyone has music inside them and my hope is that I can help them find it.”
The performance-inspired GRACE VANDERWAAL SIGNATURE UKULELE incorporates everything that Grace loves about playing live for her fans. From the stage-ready, Fishman® Kula preamp pickups, dark walnut exterior and custom deluxe gig bag, the instrument itself reflects Grace’s boho-chic style and mission to inspire the next generation of players. The concert body is constructed from sapele wood which gives the signature ukulele a balanced, earthy tone that serves as the perfect support for her uniquely soulful voice. VanderWaal personally selected each detail to make the ukuleles sound rich and embody her personal style, which is reflected in the custom gold hardware and rosette. In addition, her signature adorns the Telecaster headstock, as well as the custom soundhole label–the first of its kind on a Fender instrument. VanderWaal also worked with Fender to create the GRACE VANDERWAAL MOONLIGHT UKULELE – a navy blue-colored version of the California Coast Series Venice Soprano uke – perfect to play by the beach or at home with friends and family. It features all the same personal touches on the Signature model, but at a more accessible, entry level price point for those just beginning their musical journey.
“Designing the Grace VanderWaal Signature Ukulele with Grace was effortless,” adds Billy Martinez, VP Category Manager of Acoustics and Squier Divisions. “She knew she wanted personal touches, such as the gold hardware and her signature on the headstock, but was most passionate about the electronics so she could be stage-ready at all times. Having Grace join the Artist Signature Series brings that same on-stage energy to Fender Ukuleles and underscores that no matter how wild your dreams, anything is possible.”
To assist players that want to follow in VanderWaal’s footsteps, Fender has included a 30-day free trial of Fender Play – the perfect companion and complete learning app for ukulele, guitar and bass – with the purchase of either signature ukulele. Six of VanderWaal’s hit songs including, “I Don’t Know My Name,” “Just a Crush,” “Clay,” “Gossip Girl,” “Light the Sky,” and “So Much More Than This,” are offered in the app’s ukulele lessons, so fans can sing and play along with VanderWaal in minutes. To check out a lesson preview of “I Don’t Know My Name,” click here.
The Grace VanderWaal and Fender partnership also supports Grace’s efforts to bring music to underserved schools. Her foundation “Little Miracles” strives to give the gift of music to local schools and communities where music programs have been reduced or cut altogether. Fender has donated several ukuleles to this cause and will continue supporting Grace in her work with the foundation. To learn more visit GraceVanderWaal.com/LittleMiracles.
Fender’s popular artist signature models are geared toward product progression and storytelling, creating instruments designed to the unique specifications of the world’s most iconic artists. The Grace VanderWaal Signature Ukulele and Grace VanderWaal Moonlight Ukulele give fans and players at all experience levels a chance to embark or continue on their musical journey. To learn more about this new artist signature model and her mission to pave the way for the next generation of players from VanderWaal herself in the “Fender Presents: Grace VanderWaal Signature Ukulele” video, click here. Also, make sure to watch an exclusive performance with Grace of her single, “A Better Life,” a song from her debut album, Just The Beginning, out now. For approved images of Grace VanderWaal and her Signature Ukulele as well as product images of both models, please click here.
Kate Bush’s Studio Album Catalogue Is Remastered For The First Time
Kate Bush will release remastered versions of her album catalogue on vinyl and CD in November. This is the first (and definitive) programme of remastering undertaken by the artist and includes the release of many rarities and cover versions on the vinyl and CD formats for the first time.
The vinyl albums – all Kate’s studio work – will be released in 4 separate boxes, the first two on November 16 and the latter two on November 30. The CD boxes will be staggered on the same dates. The live album ‘Before The Dawn’ is included in CD Box 2 in its original mastered form.
The albums, many of which have been unavailable on vinyl for a decade, have been remastered by Kate and James Guthrie. Kate’s 10 studio albums are spread over 3 vinyl boxes, whilst the 4th box contains many rarities previously unavailable on vinyl, including a whole disc of cover versions. The total number of vinyl discs is 18.
On December 6th, less than a month after wrapping the reissue campaign, Bush will release a book of her own hand-curated lyrics, How to Be Invisible, via publisher Faber and Faber.
Kate Bush – Remastered in Vinyl
Album Listing:
Remastered in Vinyl 1
The Kick Inside
Lionheart
Never For Ever
The Dreaming
Remastered in Vinyl 2
Hounds Of Love
The Sensual World
The Red Shoes
Remastered in Vinyl 3
Aerial
Director’s Cut
50 Words For Snow
Remastered in Vinyl 4
12″ Mixes
The Other Side 1
The Other Side 2
In Others’ Words
Track List for Fourth Vinyl Box / Final Four Discs of Second CD Box:
Remastered in Vinyl 4
12″ MIXES
1. “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)”
2. “The Big Sky (Meteorological Mix)”
3. “Cloudbusting (The Orgonon Mix)”
4. “Hounds Of Love (Alternative Mix)”
5. “Experiment IV (Extended Mix)”
The Other Side 1
1. “Walk Straight Down The Middle”
2. “You Want Alchemy”
3. “Be Kind To My Mistakes”
4. “Lyra”
5. “Under The Ivy”
6. “Experiment IV”
7. “Ne T’Enfuis Pas”
8. “Un Baiser D’Enfant”
9. “Burning Bridge”
10. “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) 2012 Remix”
The Other Side 2
1. “Home For Christmas”
2. “One Last Look Around The House Before We Go”
3. “I’m Still Waiting”
4. “Warm And Soothing”
5. “Show A Little Devotion”
6. “Passing Through Air”
7. “Humming”
8. “Ran Tan Waltz”
9. “December Will Be Magic Again”
10. “Wuthering Heights (Remix / New Vocal from ‘The Whole Story’)”
In Others’ Words
1. “Rocket Man”
2. “Sexual Healing”
3. “Mná na hÉireann”
4. “My Lagan Love”
5. “The Man I Love”
6. “Brazil (Sam Lowry’s First Dream)”
7. “The Handsome Cabin Boy”
8. “Lord Of The Reedy River”
9. “Candle In The Wind”
Creedence Clearwater Revival 7-LP deluxe box set out November 30
The arrival of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s 50th anniversary brings an unprecedented celebration of everything the band contributed in their short but startlingly epochal time together (1968 – 1972). To commemorate this milestone, Craft Recordings is releasing a deluxe box set comprising the band’s complete seven-album studio output: Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bayou Country, Green River, Willy and the Poor Boys, Cosmo’s Factory, Pendulum and Mardi Gras.
Each album in this collection has been mastered at half-speed at Abbey Road Studios, benefiting from an exacting process that allows for an exceptional level of sonic clarity and punch, bringing these classic recordings a new vibrancy. The 180-gram LPs come housed in handsome tip-on jackets replicating the packaging of the original pressings. Along with the complete studio album collection comes an 80-page book featuring new liner notes from music journalist Roy Trakin, archival photos and reproductions of band ephemera – offering something for both new and the most diehard of Creedence fans.
Using high-res transfers from the original analog tapes, the half-speed mastering process involves playing back audio at half its recorded speed while the cutting lathe is turned at half the desired playback speed. The technique allows more time to cut a micro-precise groove, allowing more accuracy with frequency extremes and dynamic contrasts. Abbey Road Studios’ award-winning engineer Miles Showell explains, “I’ve tried to be as authentic as I could, and just make it sound like music. Not over-hyped, not over-processed. Up until now a lot of processing has been done on these recordings, so my approach was to strip them right back and just expose them for what they are – because what they are is great music.”
Although the band members were together for only four years under the Creedence Clearwater Revival appellation, they managed to accomplish more than many artists do in a lifetime. Powered by John Fogerty’s visceral growl, along with Tom Fogerty, Stu Cook and Doug Clifford’s gritty, in-the-pocket punch, they’ve sold over 30 million records in the U.S. alone, releasing 14 Top 10 hits, six Platinum albums (two of which went to number one) and one Gold album. They also managed to play over 150 tour dates around the world, including a headlining spot at Woodstock.
Over the last 50 years, Creedence Clearwater Revival’s canon has become a part of the Great American Songbook. Songs like “Bad Moon Rising,” “Down on the Corner,” “Fortunate Son,” “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?,” “Proud Mary,” “Born on the Bayou,” “Travelin’ Band” and “Up Around the Bend” have been ingrained into pop culture – not just as rock staples, but as classic standards.
This hardworking band offered beautifully simple and relatable music for the every-man or -woman. Blue-collar Americans saw their experiences and sociopolitical concerns reflected in Creedence’s class-conscious broadsides (“Run Through the Jungle,” “Who’ll Stop the Rain,” “Fortunate Son”) and portraits of working class life (“Cotton Fields,” “Proud Mary”).
In 1993 Creedence Clearwater Revival were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. During his speech honoring the band, Bruce Springsteen noted, “I stand here tonight still envious of that music’s power and its simplicity. They were hits filled with beauty and poetry and a sense of the darkness of events, of history. An American tradition shot through with pride, fear and paranoia. They rocked and played great together… they weren’t the hippest band in the world, just the best.”
Creedence also had a gift for transforming other musicians’ songs in their own image. Impressive covers of classic tracks from all genres are dotted across their albums; from Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell on You,” Dale Hawkins’ “Susie Q” and Little Richard’s “Good Golly Miss Molly,” to the Leadbelly–popularized, blues-gospel evergreen “Midnight Special” and the Marvin Gaye-popularized Motown hit “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.”
With so many memorable songs that continue to grace our radio waves and television and movie screens, plus lyrics that still resonate today, Creedence Clearwater Revival is, truly, America’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll band. This lovingly remastered and restored Complete Studio Albums (Half-Speed Masters) box set represents a package worthy of the Creedence legacy, marking 50 years since the Fogertys, Clifford and Cook brought us a body of work that has inspired and electrified generations of fans.
Track Listing
Side A:
1. I Put a Spell on You
2. The Working Man
3. Suzie Q
Side B:
1. Ninety Nine (And a Half Won’t Do)
2. Get Down Woman
3. Porterville
4. Gloomy
5. Walk on the Water
About Bayou Country (1969):
Liner notes extract: “Instead of delving into the underground,” Fogerty told Uncut’s Bud Scoppa, “…my Elvis-and-Beatles upbringing came directly into play. And I was able to write songs that would go on Top 40 radio, because that’s what I had wanted to do since I was four. I wanted to make hit singles.”
Track Listing
Side A:
1. Born on the Bayou
2. Bootleg
3. Graveyard Train
Side B:
1. Good Golly Miss Molly
2. Penthouse Pauper
3. Proud Mary
4. Keep on Chooglin’
About Green River (1969):
Liner notes extract: “The album became the band’s first chart-topper, lodging at #1 on the Billboard 200 for the entire month of October, in between Blind Faith and Abbey Road, fulfilling their ambition to become the American Beatles.”
Track Listing
Side A:
1. Green River
2. Commotion
3. Tombstone Shadow
4. Wrote a Song for Everyone
Side B:
1. Bad Moon Rising
2. Lodi
3. Cross-tie Walker
4. Sinister Purpose
5. The Night Time Is the Right Time
About Willy and the Poor Boys (1969):
Liner notes extract: “It’s a very powerful anti-war message, but even more so, it’s an anti-class-bias message,” Fogerty told Uncut’s Bud Scoppa in 2006. “When I sing it now, it still has teeth.”
Track Listing
Side A:
1. Down on the Corner
2. It Came Out of the Sky
3. Cotton Fields
4. Poorboy Shuffle
5. Feelin’ Blue
Side B:
1. Fortunate Son
2. Don’t Look Now (It Ain’t You or Me)
3. The Midnight Special
4. Side O’ the Road
5. Effigy
About Cosmo’s Factory (1970):
Liner notes extract: “Cosmo’s Factory represents the apogee of Creedence Clearwater Revival, playing like a greatest hits album despite the fact the songs (and covers) are all appearing on disc for the first time…”
Track Listing
Side A:
1. Ramble Tamble
2. Before You Accuse Me
3. Travelin’ Band
4. Ooby Dooby
5. Lookin’ Out My Back Door
6. Run Through the Jungle
Side B:
1. Up Around the Bend
2. My Baby Left Me
3. Who’ll Stop the Rain
4. I Heard It Through the Grapevine
5. Long As I Can See the Light
About Pendulum (1970):
Liner notes extract: “With Pendulum, the band decided to experiment in the manner of Sgt. Pepper, without any preconceived ideas, which ran against Fogerty’s notions of organization and control…”
Track Listing
Side A:
1. Pagan Baby
2. Sailor’s Lament
3. Chameleon
4. Have You Ever Seen the Rain?
5. (Wish I Could) Hideaway
Side B:
1. Born to Move
2. Hey Tonight
3. It’s Just a Thought
4. Molina
5. Rude Awakening #2
About Mardi Gras (1972):
Liner notes extract: “…the now-threesome went into the studio in the spring of 1971 to record a new single, “Sweet Hitch-Hiker,” with the B-side a song written and sung by Stu Cook, “Door to Door,” an amiable rockabilly number. “Sweet Hitch-Hiker” would be the band’s last Top 10 single, reaching #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. ”
Track Listing
Side A:
1. Lookin’ for a Reason
2. Take It Like a Friend
3. Need Someone to Hold
4. Tearin’ Up the Country
5. Someday Never Comes
Side B:
1. What Are You Going to Do
2. Sail Away
3. Hello Mary Lou
4. Door to Door
5. Sweet Hitch-Hiker
Check Out Bailey Tomkinson’s “Hey Ace” For What’s Left Of Sunny Weather
Hey Ace is the dazzling debut of U.K. singer/songwriter Bailey Tomkinson. Her powerful storytelling ability and fresh-air vocals shines through across all 5 Songs of the EP, and check out her hook-laden melody from the sun-bleached country pop of the title cut below. Undoubtedly moving, this song feels like the right tune at the right time.
Dear Young People: “Don’t Vote”
The US belongs to whomever shows up. And do you know who shows up for every election? Old people. But only 46% of people 18-34 years old voted in the last election.
So the elderly have a disproportionate influence on our politics and our country. And a lot of them would like to keep it that way.
Thom Yorke Releases New Song “Has Ended” From Suspiria Soundtrack
Following the release of first single “Suspirium” — described by The New York Times as “sweetly chilling” and Rolling Stone as “peak Yorke, and scary good” — a second track, “Has Ended,” has been released in advance of Thom Yorke’s Suspiria (Music for the Luca Guadagnino Film). The album will be released October 26 on XL Recordings.
Suspiria consists of 25 original compositions written by Thom specifically for Luca Guadagnino’s reimagining of the 1977 Dario Argento horror classic. The album is a mix of instrumental score work, interstitial pieces and interludes, and more traditional song structures featuring Thom’s vocals including the previously released “Suspirium,” which features the melodic theme that recurs throughout the film and its score.
As scoring a horror film presented Thom with altogether new challenges and opportunities, Suspiria stands apart from any of his other work. Piano/vocal ballads, Krautrock-esque modular synth work inspired by the film’s Berlin 1977 setting, multilayered vocals, and melodies that convey terror, longing and melancholy combine to create a chaotic yet cohesive musical spell.
Suspiria was written and arranged by Thom Yorke, recorded and produced by Thom and Sam Petts-Davies. The album also features the London Contemporary Orchestra and Choir, Noah Yorke on drums on “Volk” and “Has Ended,” and Pasha Mansurov on solo flute on “Suspirium.”
Suspiria (Music for the Luca Guadagnino Film) will be available across digital platforms, as well as 2-LP gatefold package pink vinyl and 2-CD physical versions.
Floppy Disc Computer Remakes Ozzy’s “Crazy Train”
The Floppotron continues to take over the world in the battle of man vs machines by way of our ears with its cover version of Ozzy Osbourne’s 1980 hit single, Crazy Train.