Kit O’Toole’s Top Beatles Albums, Books, Collectibles and Movies for 2015
Kit O’Toole counts down the best Beatles-related releases of the past year, ranging from books to CDs to DVDs to calendars and more.
Other News
Mr. Mister’s brilliant Pull simply arrived at the wrong time
Largely uncategorizable, Mr. Mister’s ‘Pull’ would finally be released five years ago after decades of neglect. It was worth the wait.
How Deep Purple’s ‘Smoke on the Water’ ‘almost got left off the album’
Inspired by a Dec. 4, 1971 blaze at Montreux, “Smoke on the Water” nearly missed being included on Deep Purple’s ‘Machine Head.’ Roger Glover explains.
Queen, “Flash” from ‘Flash Gordon’ (1980): One Track Mind
Released 35 years ago, Queen’s theme song is the best thing about a justly forgotten 1980 film called ‘Flash Gordon.’
Velocity – Displacement Over Time (2015)
The music that Velocity plays is sometimes complex but always easy on the ears. That’s why ‘Displacement Over Time’ is easy to recommend if old school funk-jazz is your thing.
Billy Sherwood on Citizen, Yes’ Cruise to the Edge: Something Else! Interview
Billy Sherwood goes in depth with Douglas Harr on his new solo project ‘Citizen,’ and discusses Yes’ surprise setlist addition during Cruise to the Edge.
Frank Sinatra’s Trilogy offered one final thunderous triumph
Frank Sinatra would enter a studio again only a handful of times after ‘Trilogy’ arrived 35 years ago. None produced more timeless results than this.
Neil Young’s Sugar Mountain: Live at Canterbury House finds an artist in ascension
‘Sugar Mountain: Live at Canterbury House,’ issued on Dec. 2, 2008, presents Neil Young before he rose to solo stardom. But you’d never know it.
Pat Metheny – ’80/81′ (1980): Track by Track Through a Classic
’80/81′ visits “out” material and more straight ahead jazz, with a healthy introduction to Pat Metheny’s idea of “folk jazz.”
Brand New Heavies’ self-titled debut defined a now-lost acid-jazz cool
As brilliant as N’Dea Davenport is, I’m drawn more these days to feel-good instrumentals on the Brand New Heavies’ self-titled album from 25 years ago.
