Seminal Punk Artists CRASS to Release Crassical Collection; Featuring Collectible Editions of Classic Albums via One Little Independent

All Crassical Collection;Releases to Include Remastered Audio, Rare Tracks, New Art and Comprehensive Liner

One Little Independent Records has revealed details on the Crassical Collection, a collection of seminal avant-punk collective CRASS’ legendary albums, restored from the original analogue studio tapes.

Set for release in North America on October 30, the Crassical Collection includes Stations of the Crass (1979), Feeding of the Five Thousand (The Second Sitting) (1981), Penis Envy (1981), Christ – The Album (1982), Yes Sir, I Will (1983), Ten Notes on a Summer’s Day (1986) and Best Before 1984 (1986). Each of the records have been repackaged and bolstered by rare and unreleased tracks, and stunning new artwork from Gee Vaucher, who has lovingly created what could only be considered a true artifact.

The first six albums include two CDs, with the first disc being the main album remastered by Alex Gordon at Abbey Road Studios and the second being a mixture of rare live and remastered studio recordings. Each package also includes a fold-out poster and a high-quality 60-page booklet featuring all lyrics along with extensive liner notes from band members Penny Rimbaud and Steve Ignorant, which shed light on the making of the records.

The Best Before 1984Crassical Collection is brand-new and has also been remastered and features five fold-out posters and a 52-page booklet.

“Number seven – the one that almost got away,” CRASS’ Penny Rimbaud notes. “This final Crassical Collection double CD re-mastered by Alex Gordon and Penny Rimbaud at Abbey Road Studios in 2018 contains the original album plus a further album’s worth of related material; good, bad and indifferent. Half the band want it out, while the other half wanted out, but hey, here it is in all its glory.”

Pre-orders for the seven releases are available now via Amazon (see below for direct links).

Leading up to the release of the Crassical Collection, CRASS has embarked on the ambitious The Feeding of the Five Thousand Remix Project. Beginning in late 2019, CRASS took the step of making the original separate track stems of their seminal debut album The Feeding of the Five Thousand available as a free download. With a call to take the original 16 track recording in its pre-mix state, the intent was for people to create their own remixes and interpretations and breathe fresh life and ideas into this revolutionary music.

The resulting Normal Never Was series has just released its third installment, featuring remixes by legendary producer Steve Aoki and Japanese outsider musician Mikado Koko. All proceeds from the Normal Never Was series are being donated to the Refuge charity (www.refuge.org.uk).

“Different genre, different world, but common ground,” Rimbaud told Rolling Stone, which premiered Steve Aoki’s remix of “Banned from the Roxy” yesterday. “Steve’s contribution to the remix project defies the divide and rule notions of the governing classes and brings us together in a vibrant scream for liberation.”

Aoki added, “Remixing the legendary band CRASS was a big honor for me, and when they told me the proceeds from the remix would all be donated to a Refuge to help women in need my answer was an immediate yes. There’s a lot of people and problems that need our help and attention in this world, and I only hope that the money raised by this remix project helps to unfuck some of it.”

Watch the video for Aoki’s remix at https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/steve-aoki-crass-banned-from-the-roxy-remix-1046805/.

“Mikado Koko is a ground-breaking Japanese artist and musician stretching the boundaries of feminism and the avant-garde,” Rimbaud told Vive le Rock!, which debuted Koko’s “Asylum” remix. “No wonder, then, that she was drawn to remixing ‘Reality Asylum’ and thereby proving the universality of the liberationist cause.”

Check out the video for Koko’s remix at https://vivelerock.net/crass-remix-project-stage-3/.

Normal Never Was III is  available digitally at https://open.spotify.com/artist/0fchjvjsXNVrxJ98kdPxYX. Physical copies of Normal Never Was III will be available October 16. Pre-order now at https://www.olirecords.com/shop/crass/normalneverwas3/.The first two sets of remixes Normal New Was I and Normal Never Was II are available at https://crass.lnk.to/normalneverwas and https://crass.lnk.to/CrassNormalNeverWasII, respectively.

Join Rimbaud and Aoki for a livestream chat via Instagram Live on Monday, August 24 August at 4 p.m. EDT/1 p.m. PDT.

In addition to the CRASS releases, Rimbaud’s latest solo record, HOW?, also dropped last Friday. HOW? is available at https://oli.lnk.to/How.

Pre-order links for the Crassical Collection:Best Before 1984 (Crassical Collection)https://www.amazon.com/Best-Before-1984-Crass/dp/B07NR8KRDJ

Ten Notes on a Summer’s Day (Crassical Collection)https://www.amazon.com/Ten-Notes-Summers-Crassical-Collection/dp/B08FTBNGDN

Yes Sir, I Will (Crassical Collection)https://www.amazon.com/Yes-Sir-Will-Crassical-Collection/dp/B08FTF34ZZ

Christ – The Album (Crassical Collection)https://www.amazon.com/Christ-Album-Crassical-Collection-Crass/dp/B08FTH9KMV

Penis Envyhttps://www.amazon.com/Penis-Envy-Crassical-Collection-Crass/dp/B08FT8X8JK

Stations of the Crasshttps://www.amazon.com/Stations-Crass-Crassical-Collection/dp/B08FTBNGDM

Feeding of the Five Thousand (The Second Sitting)https://www.amazon.com/Feeding-Thousand-Sitting-Crassical-Collection/dp/B08FTHLN95

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BMG to Reissue DIO’s Classic 1996 – 2004 Studio Albums

BMG to Reissue DIO’s Classic 1996 – 2004 Studio Albums

The entire DIO studio album collection is now complete! BMG and Niji Entertainment Group Inc. have partnered to reissue DIO’s 1996 – 2004 studio albums. Fans will finally be able to enjoy official versions of Angry Machines (1996), Magica (2000), Killing The Dragon (2002), and Master Of The Moon (2004). These titles have sold a quarter of a million copies in the US alone and have been out of print and unavailable for nearly five years. Beginning today, September 14, 2018, all four albums will be available globally on all DSP’s.

The launch date lines up with Julien’s Auctions tribute to one of the most influential heavy metal heroes and forefathers of headbanging music with the “Property from the Estate of Ronnie James Dio” auction, live at the Hard Rock Café in New York today, September 14 and Saturday, September 15.

Wendy Dio says, “I am very excited to be working with BMG, a label that still has a passion for rock music. They will be making the complete DIO catalogue available again with some interesting surprises.”

Now Available Globally at All DSPs:

Angry Machines
Originally released in 1996, DIO’s first independent release
Personnel: Ronnie James Dio (Vocals), Tracy G (Guitars), Jeff Pilson (Bass), Vinny Appice (Drums) & Scott Warren (Keyboards)
Features: “Don’t Tell The Kids” and “Hunter Of The Heart”

Tracklist:
1. Institutional Man
2. Don’t Tell The Kids
3. Black
4. Hunter Of The Heart
5. Stay Out Of The Mind
6. Big Sister
7. Double Monday
8. Golden Rules
9. Dying In America
10. This Is Your Life

Magica
Originally released in 2000
Personnel: Ronnie James Dio (Vocals), Craig Goldy (Guitars), Jimmy Bain (Bass), & Simon Wright (Drums)
Magica hit the charts in the US, Finland, Germany, Sweden and Japan
Features: “Fever Dreams” and “Magica Theme”

Tracklist:
1. Discovery
2. Magica Theme
3. Lord Of The Last Day
4. Fever Dreams
5. Turn To Stone
6. Feed My Head
7. Eriel
8. Challis
9. As Long As It’s Not About Love
10. Losing My Insanity
11. Otherworld
12. Magica (Reprise)
13. Lord Of The Last Day (Reprise)
14. The Magica

Killing The Dragon
Originally released in 2002
Killing The Dragon charted in the US, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Austria, & Japan
Personnel: Ronnie James Dio (Vocals), Doug Aldrich (Guitars), Jimmy Bain (Bass), & Simon Wright (Drums)
Video for the single “Push” features appearance by Tenacious D
Tracklist:
1. Killing The Dragon
2. Along Comes A Spider
3. Scream
4. Better In The Dark
5. Rock & Roll
6. Push
7. Guilty
8. Thrown Away Children
9. Before The Fall
10. Cold Feet

Master Of The Moon
Originally released in 2004, final studio album under the DIO band name
Personnel: Ronnie James Dio (Vocals), Craig Goldy (Guitar), Jeff Pilson (Bass), & Simon Wright (Drums)
Master Of The Moon charted in the US, Finland, Sweden, & Germany
Features: “One More For The Road” and “The Eyes”

Tracklist:
1. One More For The Road
2. Master Of The Moon
3. The End Of The World
4. Shivers
5. The Man Who Would Be King
6. The Eyes
7. Living The Lie
8. I Am
9. Death By Love
10. In Dreams

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Filed Under: Music, Music Headlines Tagged With: 1996, 2004, albums, bmg, classic, dios, ...

Fall Out Boy Announces Comprehensive Career-Spanning Vinyl Box Set ‘The Complete Studio Albums’

Fall Out Boy Announces Comprehensive Career-Spanning Vinyl Box Set
‘The Complete Studio Albums’

Modern Alt-Rock Pioneers Celebrate Their 15-Year Recording Career with a Seven-Album Collection on September 28 via Island/DCD2/UMe

Following their electrifying early morning performance of their hits “The Last of The Real Ones,” “Uma Thurman” and “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up)” in NYC’s Central Park for Good Morning America’s “Summer Concert Series” today (watch the full set here, including online exclusives “Champion” and “Centuries”), multiplatinum modern alt-rock pioneers Fall Out Boy have announced they will release all seven of their studio albums on vinyl as a lavish box set titled The Complete Studio Albums on September 28 via Island/DCD2/UMe. Spanning the band’s storied and wildly successful 15-years-and-counting recording career, the comprehensive collection contains all of Fall Out Boy’s best-selling studio albums, starting with the band’s 2003 pop-punk debut, Take This To Your Grave, including 2005’s career-defining double-platinum hit platter, From Under The Cork Tree, and capping off with their most recent album M A N I A which earned the band their fourth No. 1 record upon release this past January. This must-have on-wax collection also includes 2013’s combo Save Rock And Roll (PAX•AM Edition) for the first time ever on 12-inch vinyl. The Complete Studio Albums will be made available in two versions — a standard edition on 180-gram black vinyl, and as a limited-edition, 180-gram clear vinyl collection. View the unboxing video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Prlrcqdr07k

Pre-order The Complete Studio Albums on black vinyl: https://UMe.lnk.to/BlackVinyl
Pre-order The Complete Studio Albums on limited-edition clear vinyl: https://UMe.lnk.to/ClearVinyl

This extensive vinyl box celebrates the first decade and a half of the Chicago-bred band’s incredible career, showcasing all of Fall Out Boy’s iconic hits like the hard-knock manifesto “This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race,” the muscular lament of “Sugar, We’re Goin Down,” the hard-stomping, fist-pumping singalong “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up),” the wistful shorthand lament of “Thnx fr th Mmrs,” and the immortalized directive of “Centuries,” among them.

Spread across 11 LPs, the records included in The Complete Studio Albums are all pressed on 180-gram black vinyl and come packaged in a beautifully designed shadow box along with an exclusive custom slipmat. The 1,000-piece limited-edition version includes all of the elements found within the black-vinyl box, but is instead pressed on 180-gram clear vinyl.

The 2LP version of From Under The Cork Tree is the Black Clouds And Underdogs Edition that was initially released in March 2006 with an expanded track list that added three new songs and two dance mixes. The aforementioned Save Rock And Roll (PAX•AM Edition) package contains all of the tracks from the original album plus eight songs produced by Ryan Adams that had been released separately in October 2013, six months after the initial album drop.

Fall Out Boy’s live prowess will be on full display when the band’s M A N I A tour kick offs on August 29 in Uniondale, New York. The 25-plus-date U.S. tour includes an extra special stop on September 8, when Fall Out Boy returns to their native stomping grounds for a special homecoming milestone event — namely, their first-ever headlining show at Chicago’s iconic Wrigley Field. Tickets for the tour are available now, and $1 from every ticket sold will go to the Fall Out Boy Fund benefiting charities all throughout Chicago. For more information and a complete list of tour dates, please visit https://falloutboy.com/tour

Some of the albums contained in the box set are also receiving individual releases on cool customized vinyl, including American Beauty/American Psycho (180g, with black & white swirl), Folie À Deux (180g opaque brown), From Under The Cork Tree (180g, with red & black split), and Infinity On High (180g clear with red splatter), all on October 26. Then, on December 14, Save Rock And Roll (PAX•AM Edition) takes center stage in two versions: standard 180g black vinyl, and 180g red vinyl with black smoky swirls.

Regardless of which version fans choose to experience the sonic wonders found within this all-inclusive box set, The Complete Studio Albums has been designed to be the ultimate Fall Out Boy collector’s item.

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FALL OUT BOY – THE COMPLETE STUDIO ALBUMS [11LP 180-gram vinyl box set]

TAKE THIS TO YOUR GRAVE (1LP, 2003)
SIDE A
1. “Tell That Mick He Just Made My List Of Things To Do Today”
2. Dead On Arrival
3. Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy
4. Saturday
5. Homesick At Space Camp
6. Sending Postcards From A Plane Crash (Wish You Were Here)
SIDE B
7. Chicago Is So Two Years Go
8. The Pros And Cons Of Breathing
9. Grenade Jumper
10. Calm Before The Storm
11. Reinventing The Wheel To Run Myself Over
12. The Patron Saint Of Liars And Fakes

FROM UNDER THE CORK TREE (BLACK CLOUDS AND UNDERDOGS EDITION) (2LP, 2005)
LP1
SIDE A
1. Our Lawyer Made Us Change The Name Of This Song So We Wouldn’t Get Sued
2. Of All The Gin Joints In All The World
3. Dance, Dance
4. Sugar, We’re Goin Down
SIDE B
5. Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner
6. I’ve Got A Dark Alley And A Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth (Summer Song)
7. 7 Minutes In Heaven (Atavan Halen)
8. Sophomore Slump Or Comeback Of The Year

LP2
SIDE C
9. Champagne For My Real Friends, Real Pain For My Sham Friends
10. I Slept With Someone In Fall Out Boy And All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me
11. A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More “Touch Me”
12. Get Busy Living Or Get Busy Dying (Do Your Part To Save The Scene And Stop Going To Shows)
13. XO
SIDE D
14. Snitches And Talkers Get Stitches And Walkers
15. The Music Or The Misery
16. My Heart Is The Worst Kind Of Weapon (Demo)
17. Sugar, We’re Goin Down (Patrick Stump Remix)
18. Dance, Dance (The Lindbergh Palace Remix)

INFINITY ON HIGH (2LP, 2007)
LP1
SIDE A
1. Thriller
2. “The Take Over, The Breaks Over”
3. This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race
4. I’m Like A Lawyer With The Way I’m Always Trying To Get You Off (Me & You)
SIDE B
5. Hum Hallelujah
6. Golden
7. Thnks fr th Mmrs
8. Don’t You Know Who I Think I Am?

LP2
SIDE C
9. The (After) Life Of The Party
10. The Carpal Tunnel Of Love
11. Bang The Doldrums
12. Fame < Infamy
SIDE D
13. You’re Crashing, But You’re No Wave
14. I’ve Got All This Ringing In My Ears And None On My Fingers
15. G.I.N.A.S.F.S.
16. It’s Hard To Say “I Do,” When I Don’t

FOLIE À DEUX (2LP, 2008)
LP1
SIDE A
1. Disloyal Order Of Water Buffaloes
2. I Don’t Care
3. She’s My Winona
SIDE B
4. America’s Suitehearts
5. Headfirst Slide Into Cooperstown On A Bad Bet
6. The (Shipped) Gold Standard

LP2
SIDE C
7. (Coffee’s For Closers)
8. What A Catch, Donnie
9. 27
SIDE D
10. Tiffany Blews
11. w.a.m.s.
12. 20 Dollar Nose Bleed
13. West Coast Smoker

SAVE ROCK AND ROLL (PAX•AM EDITION) (2LP, 2013)
LP1
SIDE A
1. The Phoenix
2. My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up)
3. Alone Together
4. Where Did The Party Go
SIDE B
5. Just One Yesterday (ft. Foxes)
6. The Mighty Fall (ft. Big Sean)
7. Miss Missing You
8. Death Valley

LP2
SIDE C
9. Young Volcanoes
10. Rat A Tat (ft. Courtney Love)
11. Save Rock And Roll (ft. Elton John)
SIDE D
12. We Were Doomed From The Start (The King Is Dead)
13. Art Of Keeping Up Disappearances
14. Hot To The Touch, Cold On The Inside
15. Love, Sex, Death
16. Eternal Summer
17. Demigods
18. American Made
19. Caffeine Cold

AMERICAN BEAUTY/AMERICAN PSYCHO (1LP, 2015)
SIDE A
1. Irresistible
2. American Beauty/American Psycho
3. Centuries
4. The Kids Aren’t Alright
5. Uma Thurman
SIDE B
6. Jet Pack Blues
7. Novocaine
8. Fourth Of July
9. Favorite Record
10. Immortals
11. Twin Skeleton’s (Hotel In NYC)

MANIA (1LP, 2018)
SIDE A
1. Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea
2. The Last Of The Real Ones
3. Hold Me Tight Or Don’t
4. Wilson (Expensive Mistakes)
5. Church
SIDE B
6. Heaven’s Gate
7. Champion
8. Sunshine Riptide
9. Young And Menace
10. Bishops Knife Trick

FALL OUT BOY – 2018 MANIA TOUR DATES
August 24th- Reading UK @ Reading Festival
August 25th- Leeds UK @Leeds Festival
August 29th – Uniondale, NY @ NYCB Live, Home of The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
August 31st – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
September 1st – Hershey, PA @ Hersheypark Stadium
September 2nd – Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center
September 4th – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
September 5th – Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
September 6th – Grand Rapids, MI @ The Van Andel Arena
September 8th – Chicago, IL @ Wrigley Field
September 9th – Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena
September 11th – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
September 12th – Louisville, KY @ KFC Yum! Center
September 14th – Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum Complex
September 16th – Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
September 21st – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
September 22nd – Oklahoma City, OK @ Chesapeake Energy Arena
September 23rd – Austin, TX @ Frank Erwin Center
September 25th – El Paso, TX @ UTEP Don Haskins Center
September 26th – Tucson, AZ @ Tucson Arena
September 28th – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
September 29th – Anaheim, CA @ HONDA Center
September 30th – San Jose, CA @ SAP Center
October 2nd – Boise, ID @ Taco Bell Arena
October 3rd – Salt Lake City, UT @ Vivint Smart Home Arena
October 5th – Lincoln, NE @ Pinnacle Bank Arena
October 6th – Des Moines, IA @ Wells Fargo Arena
October 7th – Indianapolis, IN @ Bankers Life Fieldhouse
October 9th – North Little Rock, AR @ Verizon Arena
October 10th – New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center

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The Rods’ Dave “Rock” Feinstein and Carl Canedy talks about new song “Great Big Fake Ones”

Media Mikes had the great pleasure recently to speak to not one but two legendary heavy metal musicians. Dave “Rock” Feinstein and Carl Canedy make up 2/3rds of the band The Rods a band which has been carrying the flag for heavy metal and hard rock since the late 1970’s. Both members have new solo albums out along with a newly released Rods single titled “Great Big Fake Ones” and we spoke with the guys recently about these new releases and their plans for the coming year.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about the decision to re-issue “Heavier Than Thou” and
“Hollywood”?
Dave “Rock” Feinstein: “Heavier than Thou”, and the “Hollywood” albums have been albums that wanted by the fans for a long time.  We felt that now was a good time to re-issue them.  They are both slightly different than a traditional RODS album, so I think that’s what makes them so interesting to the fans.
Carl Canedy: We’ve been in the process of re-issuing a lot of our back catalog that we own the rights to. These two CD’s in particular were something the fans had not had a chance own in a re-issued, re-mastered format. Fans have been emailing us for years asking when they’d be available. So like Dave said it simply was time.

AL:  What can you tell us about the newly recorded Rods track “Great Big Fake Ones”?
DF: There are many words that have been used to describe the song, but when Carl brought the song in, the three of us just felt that it was so funny, and just different enough to make the fans want to hear it.  You have to take it for what it is.  It’s not a traditional RODS song, but it is a very catchy tune that should make you laugh.
CC: The guys have been really cool about doing a song this since I initially brought it to them. It’s clearly a “one-off” type of song. The fans who’ve heard love it. I think as long as you realize it’s “tongue-in-cheek” you can enjoy it for what it is. Personally I love it and think it’s quite amusing. I gave it to the guys and when it came time to record it was done quickly. Rock and Garry really nailed the vocals.

AL: You both recently released new solo albums. Can you tell us about those and some of the guests who appear on the albums?
DF:  “Clash of Armor” is my forth solo release now and was done mostly by myself and Nate Horton. On my previous releases I have had quite a few guest performers. In the past guys like John West, Michael Butler, Jeff Howell and Matt Barnes have all come in to help me on various tracks as has Nate. On the song “Bitten By the Beast” from my 3rd solo release I had Carl and Garry come in. I played guitar and Ronnie James Dio did the vocals.
CC: On my CD, I have John Hahn, a Leviathan artist who is a Mike Varney discovery. I’ve known John for quite a few years as I played on his first solo CD in the “90’s. Mark Tornillo has 3 vocals, Joe Comeau has 2 vocals and David Porter has 2 vocals. Chris Caffery came in and did some soloing on 2 tracks as well as several other artists who graciously brought their talent to this project.

AL: With a career spanning multiple decades what do you find these days to be the most rewarding part of being a musician?
DF: It’s rewarding to still be able to create new music.  Of course playing live is the ultimate rush, and to know that there are still fans around the world checking out our music and wanting more.

AL: Are there any plans to perform this new material live and what type of
plans do The Rods have in place for 2015?
DF: I think I can speak for the three of us that we love to perform live, and if a song of ours merits being performed live, then we will do so.  Right now for us we take every request to perform seriously, and try to do as much as we can to make these live appearances happen, For us and for the fans as well.
CC: We do have a few dates in the works that are not yet confirmed and we have confirmed the Defenders of Old Festival in March with Exciter. We’re excited about this show as it’s the first time in years we’ve been to the NY area. Also, I love the band and the guys in Exciter so I’m looking forward to the reunion.

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Hank 3 talks about his two new albums “Brothers of the 4×4” and “Fiendish Threat”

Hank 3 the son of legendary country singer Hank Williams Jr. and of course the grandson of country music pioneer Hank Williams is back with not one but, two new albums. “Brothers of the 4×4” is a two disc release featuring Hank 3’s signature country sound while “Fiendish Threat” is a single disc release of punk rock material which is very reminiscent of early Misfits material. Both albums are being released on Oct. 1st and Media Mikes had the chance to talk with Hank 3 recently about the albums and his signature sounds.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about the two new albums you have coming out?
Hank 3: Most of the time I write longs songs and make long records. The first album is more of a country album titled “Brothers of the 4×4”. It’s a double disc album and there are a few slow and sad songs mixed with the more happy go lucky type songs. There are also a few songs on there that I wouldn’t necessarily consider country. They have more of a Pink Floyd, spaghetti western type sound going on. There are a lot of different sounds on this record. The second release I have coming out on the same day is more of a punk rock record titled “Fiendish Threat”. That album was all done with acoustic instruments which have all sorts of fuzz and distortion placed over the top of it. The two albums are like night and day. The sounds and attitudes are quite different.

AL: This is the second time you have released multiple albums on the same day. Do you have a specific reason for doing so or do things just happen more naturally?
Hank 3: Most standard songs are two minutes and thirty seconds. That’s if you are looking to write a hit song and get it on the radio. It’s a standard format. People have told me that when they listen to my songs they get to a point where they are waiting for it to end however it doesn’t. Things just keep going but that’s how it is on some of my material. On songs like “Loners for Life” or “Deep Scars” the steel guitar just sort of caries things through and that how it is. As far as releasing multiple albums goes I have always been known for performing multiple sounds during my live shows. I usually do almost four different sounds during a single show. That’s why I like to release multiple releases all at the same time. When I tour fans get to see all those different sides of me. One other reason is I do things this way is that I feel like I have been held back in a way in relation to my career. Frank Zappa put out over 90 releases and my father has released over 120. Where I am at in my career I don’t feel I have that much on the plate so I am trying to make up for lost time in my eyes.

AL: When you’re creating multiple albums at the same time do you find that they will often play off of each other or blend together in certain areas?
Hank 3: It’s kind of different. Once I start recording I may have a feeling where I want to do just drums one day or just guitar stuff. I may warm up by playing some country and then end the day with some harder sounding material.  It’s very similar to how I perform live. Everything is one performance to me. Yes the songs change but I am still trying to give it my all throughout the whole performance or record. When I am writing the songs things do vary. If I am working on a country song I will sing things off the top of my head and then record it. Once that’s done I then go back with a pen and paper to write down what I think is a little more important. I try and make things more of a story. If I am working on rock or metal material I always do the guitar riff first and then the drums and vocal. They are both opposite with one being music oriented while the other is not.

AL: Being that you, your father and your grandfather all have unique styles do you ever try and incorporate any of their sounds into your own when working on an album or song?
Hank 3: If you were to really look at my records you will notice that each one has a specific sound or style to it. I am the guy who is doing all the recording, mixing and mastering. Things might not sound the best or the worse but it’s going to sound different. It’s all self done which that alone makes it stand on its own two feet. When I write a song it just depends on what I am going for. I am lucky enough to have created my own niche and found my own sound within going against my father and grandfather in the country music world. That in itself is hard enough. Things have happened and I have been able to create a very loyal fan base that has been with us for many years. Some people may say I sound like one or the other on any given day but I don’t think any of my material is orientated to that of my other family members.

AL: What was the lineup of musicians who played on the new albums?
Hank 3: On the country record I had Johnny Hiland do all the chicken pickin’ stuff while Zach Shedd , David McElfresh and Billy Contreras make up the rest of the guys who are on there. Zach is one of the guys who plays on both of the records. Billy played a few interesting fiddle parts on the punk/rock record while other guys like Andy Gibson played steel guitar on the country album and Leroy Troy played banjo on a track called “Possum in a Tree”. I also made my first attempt and playing some lap steel on the record as well.

AL: Do you have all the parts pre-arranged when the different guys come in or do they just come in and add their own parts?
Hank 3: It varies. I might have parts in my head that I will hum or sing to whoever is playing or when it comes to guys like Johnny Hiland he has me play him what I have and then he will do a couple passes and let me take what I like. The guys I have worked with for some time we do a little bit of everything and just go back and forth with ideas.

AL: Will these guys be the same group that will go out on the road with you?
Hank 3: Some of the guys who played on the record I don’t always get to use that much on the road. I use my band as much as possible but guys like Johnny Hiland and Billy Contreras aren’t always available but they know my door is always open. I think when you are used to playing with people like George Jones and then you come down to the level that I am at there can be a pretty dynamic difference when it comes to money sometimes. Some guys dig the environment and don’t mind making less. I try to pay everyone in the band as much as I can while still keeping the ticket prices low for the fans.

AL: When putting together a set list how do you choose which songs you are going to play being that you have quite a diverse catalog to choose from?
Hank 3: I don’t hit the stage with a set list. We have a few standards that we will always play and in between I mix in a few newer songs. With the rock record we might be a little more uniformed however I have so many country songs that I can fill up a two hour slot pretty quick. Not having the same set list every night keeps my guys fresh and on their toes. Everything is a little different each night.

AL: Do you have any other projects that you are currently working on, Possibly a DVD or book?
Hank 3: I have always been pro bootlegger with a lot of my fans in that I allow them to come out and record the shows. I have been letting fans do that for many years now. I recorded a song with David Allen Coe not too long ago called “The Outlaw Ways” which was released on limited vinyl. Sirius radio picked that up and was playing it which has been great. As far as books and other things I don’t feel I have hit that part of my career just yet. I am very busy being on the road and making records.

 

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Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: 3, 4x4, albums, brothers, fiendish, hank, ...

Blu-ray Review “Pink Floyd: Classic Albums – The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon”

Actors: Pink Floyd
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Eagle Rock Entertainment
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Run Time: 92 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Ever since I was a kid, I have been a huge fan of Pink Floyd, starting with “Dark Side of the Moon” (thanks Dad). After listening to this album over and over and over, I never got tired of it and still never have. “Dark Side” is one of those records that just gets better every time, I can’t explain it but if you are a Floyd fan that you will know what I am talking about. “Classic Albums – The Making Of Dark Side Of The Moon” was originally released in 2003 and covers the making of this amazing album. It features great interview with with band members including Roger Waters, Richard Wright, David Gilmour, and Nick Mason. But more than that there are also great and very insightful interviews with engineer Alan Parsons, the late designer Storm Thorgerson, and tons of others. After 40 years, “Dark Side” is still one of the best selling albums in history and will continue to shine on.

Eagle Rock Entertainment is behind this Blu-ray release to be honest it just feel a little lazy. This is the first in there new SD (Standard Definition) Blu-ray releases. So basically this is just an upscaled versions of the original DVD. So it is cool to have it on Blu-ray but it is not really worth the upgrade if you already own the DVD’s. Along with “The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon”, they are also giving this treatment to the following Blu-ray “Bee Gees: One Night Only”, “Scorpions: Moment of Glory”, “The Rolling Stones: Stones in Exile”, so be wary of these as well. In terms of audio, the uncompressed LPCM 2.0 track works but I would have love to see this given a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1.

Since this was originally shot for television, it runs 50 minutes. But there is an additional 40 minutes of bonus Features included on this Blu-ray. There are extra portions on “Brain Damage”, which features a complete solo acoustic performance by Roger Waters, which is amazing. “Money” features Roger Waters and Alan Parsons discuss the song and weaved in-between is David Gilmour playing guitar and Roger Waters playing bass. “Us And Them” features the late Richard Wright talking about the song and playing solo piano. “Breathe” features a complete solo acoustic performance by David Gilmour. “Time” features Waters discusses the track and showing demo footage. Lastly “Gilmour’s Guitars” focuses on track tracks including “Breathe”, “The Great Gig In The Sky” and “Us And Them”.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: albums, bluray, classic, dark, floyd, making, ...

Hank Williams III talks about new solo albums

Hank Williams III has recently released four new solo albums. These albums were the first to be released by William’s newly formed label Hank 3 Records. Media Mikes had the chance to talk with Hank 3 about what it was like releasing four albums simultaneously.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about the idea of releasing four albums simultaneously?
HW3: For me I wanted to try something different. There are many different angles. Doing something different was the first one. The second part for me was trying to make another mark in musical history. I am standing on my own two feet. People can look back on my career and see that I did quite a few different things with the family he was from. A third reason is I haven’t been able to sell a CD at any of my shows in almost 18 years. I wanted to be able to give the fans a chance to see all the different sounds and a chance to also buy them. I don’t know if I will ever have that much focus or drive to do that amount of work again in a short period of time. There are all kinds of things that prompted me to push myself a little harder and do something un-standard. I also kicked off Hank 3 Records with these releases. What better way to do it than to come out of the gate strong.

AL: What made you decide to start your own label?
HW3: Basically I am going through one lawyer instead of five or six. I have less people trying to tell me what I can or can’t do. It’s pretty simple what I am trying to do. I am making music and touring. When I get a chance to work with another musician I don’t want that opportunity shut down. I have always known my sound. Henry Rollins gave me some advice a long time ago about only really needing a good distribution company as the other stuff is already in place. I kept his words very close to me. So far things have not been an issue. However if it starts cutting into my creativity then I might think about changing it up. Right now it is just another way of trying to become more hands on.

AL: Did the writing/recording process vary at all between the four albums?
HW3: The country is always a bit more serious to me. I have to worry about pitch and the tone as well as the timing. I take that a lot more serious when I am working on the country sound. At night I would do a lot of the “ADD” and “3 Bar Ranch” stuff. It was a good way to end the session and wind things down. For a couple of months it was working from the time I got up until the time I went to sleep. Things were full on. I have always been that way when I have been working on the country stuff. You have to be sharper with that stuff. The other material I am playingmostly by myself so things are less intense. There are no outside players coming in and needing your ideas explained to them.

AL: What interested you in using different auctioneers in the back ground of the “3 Bar Ranch” album?
HW3: I have always looked at cattle auctioneers as different singers. I thought the speed of the auctioneers combined with the speed of heavy metal were a good mix. I lost more than 60% of the guys I wanted to use on that album because they didn’t feel comfortable with what I was doing. I was trying to explain to those guys that they weren’t going to like the music or understand it but I was in no way making fun of their industry. I wanted to offer inspiration to younger auctioneers in a different way. I also wanted to give maybe aspiring bull riders a different kind of music to get all amped on before going on an 8 second run. There are quite a few angles but it just goes back to doing something out of the box and different. This album is only for select people out there that might get into this kind of stuff. For me it was a lot of fun. I pushed myself to some other limits as a player. It was a good way to end all of the records.

AL: Did you use samples of auctioneers or did you actually go out and record at various places?
HW3: Basically I would have to try and track the guys down. A lot of them already had stuff up on YouTube. I would call and talk to them about what I was doing and make them an offer. Everyone got offered the same deal. It didn’t matter if you were 17 years old or one of the highest paid auctioneers out there. I just told them this is what I was offering and would they want to be a part of it. When I started losing like 60% of the guys out there I went and recorded a few local people. I did all of the Tennessee auctioneers in person. There were a few guys that were really helpful. Some of the older guys have started to see what I am doing and they have gotten a feel for what it is. I am being a little different but trying not to be disrespectful. At times people don’t quite understand creativity or art views.

AL: What has it been like playing these albums live?
HW3: It’s been fun. By the time I get to the “3 Bar Ranch” stuff we are about 3.5 hours into it. We have taken the audience through a lot of different moods already. For that last little segment it’s pretty intense. For me it’s a lot of fun. When everything is right it feels great. For now we have to work around samples of the auctioneers. One day it would be great to find the right kid who can do that stuff live and correctly. Until then we have to work around the samples. We have done 5 tours with “3 Bar Ranch” so far. There are still some people hanging out at the end of the show who come up and tell us their minds have been blown. It’s always good when you leave an impression on someone.

AL: Personally is there one of the four albums that stands out for you above the rest?
HW3: It just depends on which way you are looking at it. Creativity wise a lot more went in to “Ghost to a Ghost” and “Gutter Town”. This was only because of all the outside players and effects. There was a lot more work that went into that as opposed to “Cattle Callin” and “ADD”. It is intense but not as intense. That stuff is a little more fun and I don’t have to be as strict on myself. It’s like taking a break in a way. The hardest part out of all of this was the mixing. Each album is special to me in its own way. People seem to recognize more with my roots in country music more so than in rock or heavy metal. I try to make sure I deliver some stuff to the hardcore fans out there.

AL: Do you have any more tour plans for these albums?
HW3: We are getting ready to do a Mid-West run which will be sort of a short tour. From there we will be heading over to Europe for about a month. That will take us through mid July. When I get back from that and I take some time to put myself back together we have a west coast run scheduled for August. We are possibly trying to get into Canada as well.

AL: Do you think you will be back in the studio anytime soon?
HW3: Once I break even. I have to keep working until I break even. Once that happens and everyone is satisfied then I will be able to think about that. For me I can’t get creative until I get everything back level.

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Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: 3, albums, hank, shelton, solo, talks, ...

The Top 10 Albums of 2011

2011 brought a plethora of good and bad music releases to the masses and we here at Media Mikes had quite a pile of releases to choose from for our top 10 of 2011. However after great thought and debate our writers have come up with the lists below.

Adam Lawton:
1.) Wasting Light- Foo Fighters
2.) Heavy Worship- The Great Commission
3.) Worship Music- Anthrax
4.) The Truth Is…- Theory of a Deadman
5.) Set the World on Fire- Black Veil Brides
6.) Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes- Social Distortion
7.) Human Conditional- Fallon Bowman
8.) Understanding What We’ve Grown To Be- We Came as Romans
9.) Balls Out- Steel Panther
10.) A World Destroyer- Degradead

Mike Gencarelli:
1.) Anar – Marketa Irglova
2.) Chief – Eric Church
3.) Evanescence – Evanescence
4.)  Jeff Bridges – Jeff Bridges
5.) Original Sountrack – Janie Jones
6.) Original Sountrack – Midnight in Paris
7.) Original Sountrack – The Muppets
8.) Own The Night – Lady Antebellum
9.) Race Wars – mc chris
10.) Wasting Light- Foo Fighters

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Filed Under: Music Headlines Tagged With: 10, 2011, albums, top
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