Springsteen’s ‘River’ Set Delights, More Of The Same From Coldplay, Max Mac & More
Bruce Springsteen: The Ties That Bind: The River Collection (Columbia / Legacy) In the current world of non-stop reissued album and film classics, there are a few names guaranteed to ring cash registers and satisfy salivating customers worldwide. Among them are the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and, indeed, Bruce Springsteen, whose ultimate claim to fame may be less his actual music than the degree of fervent affection his lifelong fans feel for him. And this may be the motherlode for Springsteen fans. His historic The River of 1980 could be the most interesting album of his catalog, as it is brimming with content—2 LPs’ worth—created at that fascinating point in his career when international fame was a given (covers of Time and Newsweek long past), Born To Run was such a cultural phenomenon he was going out of his way not to repeat it, and follow-up Darkness On The Edge Of Town, however perfect, focused so exquisitely well on the darker side of life there was little room for the sheer joy of rock ’n’ roll. And The River was a fabulous big mess of good stuff, happy, sad, and every place in between. This new collection has been long in coming because it simply fills in the blanks—officially releasing tracks longtime fans have loved either in concert or as bootleg recordings, offering up the “original” single disc River that was never officially released (and what a different album that was), as well as a hugely enjoyable set of outtakes that, had they been released at the time, might have significantly altered our perception of the artist and his music. Packed with the original River set, separate CDs of the “Single Album” and the outtake set, and a wealth of video content, highlighted by a priceless, 2-hour 40-minute live set filmed in Arizona in 1980, this is the perfect storm of maximum content by a very relevant and interesting artist at the height of his power. That it has come on the heels of the giant 18-disc Bob Dylan Cutting Edge reissue is interesting, in that both sets capture fascinating, iconic artists at their very best–and seem less moneymaking ventures by money-hungry record labels than respectful, fascinating examinations of artists who really did have a lot to say. And now, here they are, saying it. Lushly packaged, artfully annotated by Mikal Gilmore, and, especially with the Arizona footage, it’s perhaps the best single explanation of the Springsteen phenomenon future generations might ever be offered. Highly recommended.
Coldplay: A Head Full Of Dreams (Parlophone) Certainly not a bad album, but as has been the case with Coldplay a bit too much lately—nothing here really exceptional. Nothing that doesn’t fit into that almost middle-of-the-road piano/vocal smooth stuff that, when one’s interest is suddenly perked up mid-listen, is less a function of the band’s innate creativity than their bothersome ability to recall other people’s melodies that you just can’t put your finger on. One wishes them well—as they seem like genuinely nice people—but they seem a band in decline, without much to say and a conspicuously dwindling fan base. That a significant portion of this album’s release week would be devoted to the question of whether they’d allow it to be streamed or not—comparing them to Adele and Taylor Swift, say, as opposed to purely appreciating them for the music they create—essentially tells the tale. This is what’s known as the far right portion of the career bell curve.
[Related: Coldplay to Headline 2016 Super Bowl Halftime Show]
Fleetwood Mac: Tusk (Expanded Edition) (Rhino) A moment here to praise the humans at Rhino, Warner, or wherever, who know that when they have the potential to release or rejigger absolute classic rock ‘n’ roll albums—as Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk certainly is—they unfailingly do it with class, respect, contextual foresight, and top-notch sound. This is 3 CDs’ worth of Tusk—which, you’ll remember, was originally the 2-LP vinyl set released in 1979 that followed the enormously successful Rumours and helped make the band’s career less bats**t crazy than it might’ve been had they never released it then. Also known as the album that allowed Lindsey Buckingham to do whatever the hell he wanted to—and in retrospect, that was kind of good, no?—Tusk therefore has a certain sound to it that still sounds strikingly contemporary. Which, all things considered, makes sense, since the man thought nothing of using the USC marching band to spice up the album’s title track. There are live recordings here, drawn from the same era, which are invaluable, and there are outtakes, likewise invaluable, but at the end of the day, there is nothing here that is less than exceptional–as Fleetwood Mac at this point in time were one of the very finest bands making music. And it’s obvious now.
Astropol: The Spin We’re In (Ingrid) Further proof that our friends in Scandinavia have a better grasp of pop music that nearly anyone is available here, via this collaboration by Bebban Stenborg, Björn Yttling, and Smash—from the Shout Out Louds and Peter Björn and John—which manages to evoke the fabness of ‘60s femme-pop, the apparent influences of Suicide and Willy DeVille, and a divine combo of melody and sensuality that will likely grab you where it hurts. It’s a fine project by a brand new “band,” and it shows that creativity and re-contextualization can make nearly anything, however slightly familiar, sound new and fresh again. In short: A fine, exciting new pop album you will probably like loads. Hear it today!
Bobby Rush: Chicken Heads: A 50-Year History Of Bobby Rush (Omnivore) There are scattered few times when a boxed set ends up being the best possible introduction to an artist, but in the case of Bobby Rush—a remarkable, fascinating artist who is all over the place genre-wise—this is the way to go. Combining straight blues, R&B, electrified R&B, funk, and a whole lot of personality, consistently and enjoyable throughout the recordings available here—drawn from 1964-2005, mind you—the 4-CD set is a treasure trove of skilled playing, sometimes bawdy (in the good sense) humor, and memorable story-telling that will stick with you for life. There’s lots to love here, and I’m personally drawn to that interval in Rush’s career when he was a tad beholden to James Brown–-referring to yourself in the third person is always a winner—or throwing out memorable cliché after memorable cliché, as in “What’s Good For The Goose Is Good For The Gander.” Most importantly, for a set that covers such an extended period, Chicken Heads is a remarkably cohesive, uplifting collection that paints a comprehensive, fully accessible picture of one of this country’s more memorable, if under-appreciated, artists. You should really hear it.
The Who: Live In Hyde Park (Eagle) You might be surprised at the unexpectedly strong work put in by the Who here, in this live performance taped just this June, celebrating—incredibly–the band’s 50th anniversary. While the array of songs on display are really all you might expect—their biggest hits, especially those that work best in concert, such as “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” “Baba O’Riley,” and a batch of Tommy stuff—there’s a freshness and vitality on display that’s noticeable and striking. Additionally, the only two remaining Who-folk—Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey—are in fine shape, both physically and otherwise. For those who’ve somehow missed seeing the band in their prime–let’s just assume you’re teenagers—we suspect this particular package of 3 vinyl LPs and one DVD, all documenting this year’s Hyde Park show, will ease that particular omission considerably.
Neil Finn & Paul Kelly: Goin’ Your Way (Omnivore) A moment here to praise one of this year’s most captivating concert discs, recorded two years ago and to be issued next week by the Omnivore label. It features distinguished singer/songwriter Paul Kelly–who has been around for ages, it would seem, garnering massive praise with each release–and the equally distinguished singer/songwriter/Crowded House-type Neil Finn, who everyone everywhere already knows is hot stuff, and, via live concert format, features some of the very best-ever material penned by both artists. With a superb band of mostly blood relatives, an enthused, highly receptive Sydney audience, and a setlist including Finn’s Finest (“Better Be Home Soon,” ‘Don’t Dream Its Over”) and Kelly’s Klassics (“Dumb Things,” “Careless,” “To Her Door,” etc.) and the occasional “Moon River” cover, you are talking about one of the year’s very best live recordings and the sort of artistic collaborations that only happen once or twice a decade. Absolutely classic.
Love: Reel-To-Real (Deluxe Edition) (High Moon) For those who keep track of such things, this is the one Love album that, even after all these years, has never seen an official, legit reissue. And here it is now. Originally released on the RSO label in 1974, the album was the last official album by Arthur Lee’s pioneering rock band Love—who in their short time together released some of the finest rock ‘n’ roll albums ever, most notably 1967’s Forever Changes—but, shall we say, it did not end the band’s career on a commercial high note. Though none of Love’s albums sounded like one another, Reel-To-Real was particularly an oddity, as its combination of major-key rock and R&B—there is a full-on, faithful cover of William DeVaughn’s “Be Thankful For What You’ve Got” here—was comparatively unprecedented, and whatever audience it might have been aiming for, er, it didn’t connect with. No matter. It’s still a fascinating effort, and here in this reissued context, it’s getting significantly major treatment: Excellent liner notes by David Fricke, superb sound, 12 full bonus tracks, and the sort of care and attention to detail that Arthur Lee and the legacy of Love clearly deserve. For many who care, it’s the missing link in the Love timeline—and here’s the opportunity to pick it up. All details here.
