Preston Frazier takes a look back at the Best of 2020 in box sets, live projects and reissues, touching on releases from Trevor Rabin, Prince, Ian Dury, Greg Lake and others:
PRINCE – SIGN O’ THE TIMES: SUPER DELUXE EDITION (R&B/POP): The estate of the late artist known as Prince has done it again. Just when you thought the deluxe editions of 1999 and Purple Rain could not be surpassed, along came the super deluxe treatment of what is arguably Prince’s greatest work. This expanded edition of his 1987 album contained 92 songs, 63 of which were previously unreleased. There was plenty here to please the casual Prince fan, and the diehard zealot. Miles Davis jammed with the expanded Revolution on “It’s Gonna Be a Beautiful Night,” the original version of the song “Crystal Ball” was presented, and a version of the almost-perfect “Ballad of Dorothy Parker” with horns was also included. “Power Fantastic,” perhaps one of Prince’s best live-in-the-studio creations, was also here. Even the most hardcore Prince fan will be pleased with the package. The super deluxe edition of Sign O’ the Times was well worth every penny, plus the DVD concert film and 120-page book sealed the deal.
SYLVESTER – STEP II (R&B/DANCE): Our next Best of 2020 item, a 1978 gem originally produced by Sylvester with Harvey Faqua, was musically ambitious. Sylvester’s fashion sense and flair often got more attention than his musicianship, but songs like “Dance (Disco Heat)” and “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” are disco classics. With unmistakable grooves, it’s easy to overlook the fact that Step II was played by top-flight R&B musicians to Sylvester’s arrangements. Drummer Randy Merritt and bassist Bob Kingson did most of the rhythm section’s heavy lifting – without the aid of Pro Tools and studio trickery. Soul giants James Jamerson Jr. and James Gadson brought the funk on “Just You and Me, Forever.”
NAT ‘KING’ COLE – STRAIGHTEN UP AND FLY RIGHT (JAZZ/POP): Subtitled The Best of Hittin’ the Ramp: The Early Years (1936?-?1943), this 22-song digital version of the more expansive celebration of Nat King Cole’s 100 birthday was no less stunning. An accomplished jazz pianist, Cole is more known for his velvety voice and being one of the best-selling vocalists of all time. This collection of early work showed the talent later confirmed in Cole’s career. Instrumentals like “Two Against One” from 1939 amaze the listener with Cole’s instrumental and arranging talents. “Gone with the Draft” added a bit of contrast with Cole displaying his vocal arranging skill. Other gems such as “Blue Lou” and and early version of “Straighten Up and Fly Right” were here too, but the sum of the parts easily made this compelling as any compilation focusing on this great artist.
IAN DURY – HIT ME!: THE BEST OF IAN DURY (ROCK): Ian Dury left us in 2000 at the age of 57, and his impact on pop music has, in some quarters, since gone overlooked. The October release by BMG music of Hit Me!: The Best of Ian Dury served as a timely reminder. The three-CD, 50-song set (or 20-track gatefold white vinyl LP) featured the expected “Sex Drugs & Rock & Roll,” liner notes from the Blockheads’ Phil Jupitis, and some of his original 12-inch mixes – including “Reasons To Be Cheerful Pt. 3,” “Blockheads” and “There Ain’t Half Been Some Clever Bastards.”
TREVOR RABIN – CHANGES (PROG/ROCK): Trevor Rabin has an amazingly diverse solo career outside of the Yes orbit, and most of it was captured in this 10-disc Best of 2020 anthology. Changes included exclusive photos, extensive liner notes, photo books from the making of the Wolf and Can’t Look Away albums, as well as a signed certificate from Rabin. It’s a must-have for fans of his tenure with Yes. Not that Rabin didn’t have his own style before joining the world’s greatest progressive rock band. Wolf, in fact, is one of my favorite Trevor Rabin discoveries. Sure, it had an ’80s AOR feel, but Rabin is always craftsman, as shown on songs like “Open Ended” and “Long Island,” the latter of which was co-written with Ray Davies. Changes also featured A-list help like Simon Phillips on drums and Jack Bruce on bass. Equally enchanting were the 90124 and Live in Boston discs. The latter offered a look behind the curtain at what would become Yes’ best-selling album, while the former captured a rare glimpse of Rabin in full flight and without a net. There is so much music here, it would take weeks to digest it all. There are also two wonderful versions of “Owner of a Lonely Heart” among the live and demos, too.
GREG LAKE – THE ANTHOLOGY: A MUSICAL JOURNEY (PROG/ROCK): This two-disc set contained a blend of solo work, King Crimson and Emerson Lake and Palmer gems, plus rarities by early bands the Shame and Shy Limbs, making for a fitting retrospective to the late Greg Lake. Lake’s manager Stewart Young helped compile a powerful collection that highlighted a journey which has had a lasting impact on rock. The expected classics are here, such as “Lucky Man” and “C’est La Vie” by ELP. Lesser-known songs like “Peace – An End” by King Crimson and “I Believe in Father Christmas” round out Lake’s legacy. Just as enticing was the deluxe packaging and detailed liner notes which are included in the high-quality vinyl set and CD package. High-quality remastering completed the package, making this another prog-rock must-have for 2020.
DAVID CROSS AND PETER BANKS – CROSSOVER (AMBIENT/PROG): Violinist and former King Crimson member David Cross recently unearthed these previously lost recordings made with former Yes guitarist Peter Banks. The resulting Best of 2020 honoree is more a collection of ambient noodlings than melodic songs. That being said, Crossover is still a worthy listen. Still active as a solo artist and occasional collaborator with the Stick Men prog-rock band, Cross knows his way around improvisational music. Banks’ solo work tended to be more melodic with a rock focus, songs like “Crossover” and “The Smile Frequency” show another side of Peter Banks. Yes men Billy Sherwood, Tony Kaye and Geoff Downes also make important contributions to the album. If you are a fan of either artist’s work, Crossover is a worthy addition to your collection.
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