Author Archive: dereksmusicblog

COCTEAU TWINS-TREASURE HIDING: THE FONTANA YEARS-VINYL.

Cocteau Twins-Treasure Hiding: The Fontana Years-Vinyl. Label: UMC It was the best of times, it was the worst of times for 4AD President Ivo Watts-Russell when the Cocteau Twins released their sixth studio album Heaven Or Las Vegas on the ’17th’ of September 1990. He watched as the critically acclaimed  album of dream reached number seven …

Continue reading

HOT WAX.

Hot Wax. Label: Be With Records. Recently, Be With Records have been reissuing a number of albums from the KPM 1000 Series, and this includes Hot Wax which features the dream team of Brian Bennett, Alan Hawkshaw and John Fiddy. They were responsible for some of the best library music that KPM released during the …

Continue reading

OSCAR PETERSON-MOTIONS AND EMOTIONS

Oscar Peterson-Motions and Emotions. Label: MPS Records. By 1969, forty-four year old Oscar Peterson was signed to the MPS, label and well on his way to becoming one of the greatest pianists in jazz history. The man who Duke Ellington called the Maharaja of the keyboard eventually won eight Grammy awards and released over 200 …

Continue reading

HOLGER CZUKAY-MOVIES.

Holger Czukay-Movies. Label: Gronland Records. By 1979, Holger Czukay’s career was at a crossroads, after Can the group he cofounded in 1968, had split-up.  After releasing eleven albums in eleven years, one of music’s most innovative groups were no more. This came as no surprise to Holger Czukay, who was about to resume his solo career. …

Continue reading

SOUL OF A NATION: JAZZ IS THE TEACHER, FUNK IS THE PREACHER.

Soul Of A Nation: Jazz Is The Teacher, Funk Is The Preacher. Label: Soul Jazz Records. Release Date: ‘23rd’ November 2018. Just fifteen months after the release of their critically acclaimed compilation Soul Of A Nation, Soul Jazz  Records will release the much-anticipated followup Soul Of A Nation: Jazz Is The Teacher, Funk Is The …

Continue reading

JOHN COLTRANE-1963: NEW DIRECTIONS.

John Coltrane-1963: New Directions. Label: Impulse! As 1963 dawned, John Coltrane was at the peak of his powers and was already regarded as one of the greatest tenor saxophonists of his generation. However, the previous year 1962, had been somewhat disappointing by his high standards. Neither of the two albums he released in 1962, Ballads …

Continue reading

LED ZEPPELIN-THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME-VINYL.

  Led Zeppelin-The Song Remains The Same-Vinyl. Label: Atlantic Records. By the ‘22nd’ of October 1976, Led Zeppelin were one of the biggest selling bands in the world. Their first seven studio albums had sold seventy-nine million copies in America alone, and worldwide Led Zeppelin’s albums had sold over 100 million copies. This resulted in …

Continue reading

TOM WAITS-THE HEART OF SATURDAY NIGHT-VINYL.

Tom Waits-The Heart Of Saturday Night-Vinyl. Label: Anti. As 1973 drew to a close, Tom Waits had just turned twenty-four and was taking stock of what had been the most important year of his career so far. He had released his debut album Closing Time in March 1973, and then embarked upon a three-month tour …

Continue reading

BOB DYLAN-THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOLUME 14:MORE BLOOD, MORE TRACKS.

Bob Dylan-The Bootleg Series Volume 14: More Blood, More Tracks. Label: Legacy Records. On January the ’20th’ 1975, Bob Dylan released his fifteenth album Blood On The Tracks, to mixed reviews. Despite that, Blood On The Tracks, which was recorded in New York and Minneapolis during September and December 1974 topped the US Billboard 200 …

Continue reading

JETHRO TULL-THIS WAS (50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION).

Jethro Tull-This Was (50th Anniversary Edition). Label: PLG UK Catalog. By April 1978, Jethro Tull was still one of the most successful British bands of their generation, and were about to release their eleventh album of their career, Heavy Horses. It was the second album in a trilogy of folk rock albums and Jethro Tull hoped that Heavy Horses, …

Continue reading

KIM MYHR-PRESSING CLOUDS PASSING CROWDS.

Kim Myhr-Pressing Clouds Passing Crowds.  Label: Hubro Music. Release Date: ‘23rd November 2018. Thirty-seven year old Kim Myhr is one of the leading lights of Norway’s vibrant and thriving experimental music scene and has been for the past two decades. During that period, he has spent much of the time touring, writing and recording, including …

Continue reading

TIM MAIA-TIM MAIA (1977).

Tim Maia-Tim Maia (1977). Label: Mr. Bongo Records. As 1977 dawned, Tim Maia had already released seven albums since his 1970 eponymous debut, and although some of these album had been released to critical acclaim and were a commercial success, the charismatic Brazilian singer found himself financially embarrassed. Things had been going from bad to worse …

Continue reading

HOLGER CZUKAY, JAH WOBBLE, JAKI LIEBEZEIT-FULL CIRCLE-VINYL.

Holger Czukay, Jah Wobble, Jaki Liebezeit-Full Circle-Vinyl. Label: Gronland Records. Having released eleven albums in eleven years, Can called time on their career in 1979. By then, Can were rightly regarded by critics as one of the most important, influential and innovative bands of the Krautrock era. However, like many of the Krautrock bands, Can …

Continue reading

THE BETA BAND-THE BETA BAND-VINYL.

The Beta Band-The Beta Band-Vinyl. Label: Regal Records. Buoyed by the success of 1998s critically acclaimed The Three E.P.s compilation, The Beta Band’s thoughts turned to recording their debut album. Initially the plan for the Edinburgh-based band was to record parts of the album on different continents. However, financial constraints put paid to this plan, …

Continue reading

PRIMAL SCREAM-GIVE OUT BUT DON’T GIVE UP: THE ORIGINAL MEMPHIS RECORDINGS-VINYL.

Primal Scream-Give Out But Don’t Give Up: The Original Memphis Recordings-Vinyl. Label: Sony Music. It’s never easy to followup a classic album, and countless bands have discovered that over the last fifty years.  In 1994, the latest band to realise that were Primal Scream, who three years earlier, at the height of the Acid House era  had …

Continue reading

STUDIO ONE LOVERS ROCK. 

STUDIO ONE LOVERS ROCK.  Studio One Lovers Rock. Label:Soul Jazz Records  Twenty-six years ago in 1992, Stuart Baker founded Soul Jazz Records in London, England to draw “cross cultural connections between various music genres.” This included Brazilian music, dub, jazz, Latin, reggae, ska and soul. Many of these compilations, especially the reggae compilations were released …

Continue reading

ABSTRACT ORCHESTRA-MADVILLAIN VOLUME 1.

Abstract Orchestra-Madvillain Volume 1. Label: ATA. On the ‘30th’ of June 2017, the Abstract Orchestra, who are led by saxophonist Rob Mitchell, released their debut album Dilla to plaudits and praise. Buoyed the response to Dilla, the Abstract Orchestra headed out on a lengthy tour of Britain where the all-star hip hop band’s music found …

Continue reading

BLACK ROOTS-TAKE IT.

Black Roots-Take It. Label: Nubian Records. Within the British reggae scene, Black Roots are viewed as respected elder statesmen who have been together since 1979. During the last thirty-nine years, Black Roots have been making music that is powerful and full of social comment. That’s the case on their new album Take It, which was recently released on Nubian …

Continue reading

IF MUSIC PRESENTS: YOU NEED THIS- WORLD JAZZ GROOVES.

If Music Presents: You Need This-World Jazz Grooves. Label: BBE. Release Date: ‘23rd’ November 2018. Compilation Of The Week. Recently, If Music supremo Jean-Claude has been on something of a roll, compiling a trio of critically acclaimed compilations for BBE. This included two volumes of A Journey into Deep Jazz and an introduction to Black …

Continue reading

RUNNING THE VOODOO DOWN 2: PSYCHROCKFUNKSOULJAZZ 1965-77 

Running The Voodoo Down Volume 2-Psychrockfunksouljazz 1965-77 Label: TAD. Release Date: ‘9th’ November 2018. Just nineteen months after the release of the critically acclaimed Running The Voodoo Down compilation, the much-anticipated follow-up Running The Voodoo Down Volume 2  will be released on the ‘9th’ November 2018 by TAD. Running The Voodoo Down Volume 2 has …

Continue reading