Thursday, November 19, 2020

Weekly Music Highlights, 11/20/2020

              Not only was there a great return to form with AC/DC’s new album, Motorhead guitarist Phil Campbell released a good album of solid metal and there was also a powerful EP of Christmas music by Cellist Tina Guo and pianist Leo Z.  The year’s starting to wind down, so I’ll be posting my top songs for the year early next month, but first, we’ve got this week and next week’s releases to hear.

 

               This week contains several releases I’m looking forward to, though some are more esoteric than others.  However, there are eight big ones, which are:

 

Jimi Hendrix-Live in Maui 1970: One of the last-recorded live albums of the West Coast Seattle Voodoo Child.  It features a rare live performance of “Hey Baby (New Rising Sun),” as well as Hendrix classics like “Foxy Lady,” “Fire,” “Purple Haze” and “Red House.”  This also features the Experience band, with Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell backing him.  That’s some cool “Spanish Castle Magic” (also performed on this album).

 

Eric Clapton-Crossroads Guitar Festival 2019: It’s a bit unfair to just credit this to Clapton, as quite a few musicians are on here performing rock and blues music.  Peter Frampton collaborates with Eric Clapton on a cover of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” Gary Clark Jr. performs his songs “Feed The Babies,” “I Got My Eyes On You (Locked and Loaded)” and “Pearl Cadillac,” and John Mayer and Doyle Bramhall II join Clapton for his classic “Layla.”  Citizen Cope and Gary Clark Jr. also team up on a song called “Son’s Gonna Rise.”  Clapton also brings his classics “Wonderful Tonight” and “Lay Down Sally” to the festival and one of the last songs seems to be a cover of Prince’s “Purple Rain.”  All-in-all, an impressive display of music.

 

Josh Groban-Harmony: Josh Groban is a well-celebrated and talented singer, the favorite male singer of my sister-in-law, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I add songs from this album to her Spotify playlist.  Featuring a cover of “The Impossible Dream” and duets with Leslie Odom Jr. and Kirk Franklin, this looks like a great album for fans of vocal-oriented music.

 

UFO-Strangers in the Night (Deluxe Edition): After an apparent misfire release some weeks ago, they’re trying again to release several shows by the German-British Metal Band, hopefully with more permanent results this time.


Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa-Prisoner: A new track from Miley Cyrus' "Plastic Hearts" album, scheduled to be released next week.  I admit, I don't know much about Dua Lipa, having heard only around three songs of hers, but she's got a good voice and has collaborated with K-Pop girl group BLACKPINK in the past  The album itself will also feature Miley dueting with Billy Idol (of "Rebel Yell" fame) and Joan Jett (of "I Love Rock and Roll," "Bad Reputation," "Cherry Bomb," "I Hate Myself For Loving You" and "Crimson and Clover" fame).

 

Larkin Poe-Kindred Spirits: A bluesy duo of ladies who already released an album this year, but since there’s nowhere to go on tour, I guess they decided to record more and release a new album.  This one appears to be a covers album, featuring “Ramblin’ Man,” (made famous by the Allman Brothers Band), “Bell Bottom Blues,” (originally by Derek and the Dominos), “Rockin’ in the Free World,” (a hit for Neil Young) and “Crocodile Rock.” (an Elton John classic)  This seems to be a good release and I’m looking forward to it.

 

Iron Maiden-Legacy of the Beast Live in Mexico City: Iron Maiden is one of the more famous and enduring 1980s Metal bands and was my first heavy metal concert back in 2012.  They are famous for having dueling guitar lines, their use of elaborate stage props, involving crewmen dressed as Eddie the Head.  The band currently has three guitarists, a powerhouse bassist who writes and co-writes most of the songs, a drummer who is a Born-Again Christian and also nicknamed “Octopus” for his frenetic drumming style, and singer Bruce Dickinson, who sounds like a supercharged version of Ian Gillan for Deep Purple.  I love a huge portion of their music, like “The Prisoner,” based on a British TV show of the same name, “The Trooper,” inspired by the Charge of the Light Brigade, “Wasted Years,” about touring and the ups and downs of it, “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son,” about how those who are born as such are rumored to see the future and have the power to heal and “Fear of the Dark,” about the paranoia of darkness.  This promises to be fun.

 

Elvis Presley-From Elvis in Nashville: A collection of outtakes and miscellaneous recordings from the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley.  There are jams, a cover of “Bridge over Troubled Water” and various blues and gospel songs.

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