MuzikMan's Reviews And News

4/09/2024

Prog Legends Nektar’s “Recycled” 5CD Remastered and Expanded Box Set Released March 29, 2024

• NEW 5CD REMASTERED AND EXPANDED EDITION OF THIS CLASSIC ALBUM

• NEWLY REMASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES.

• FEATURING AN ADDITIONAL 32 TRACKS INCLUDING THE FIRST MIX OF THE ALBUM BY GEOFF EMERICK, ALONG WITH THREE CDS OF LIVE CONCERT RECORDINGS FROM MASSEY HALL, TORONTO AND CALDERONE CONCERT HALL, LONG ISLAND ON THE 1976 RECYCLED TOUR

• WITH ILLUSTRATED BOOKLET AND NEW ESSAY

First released in October 1975, Nektar’s “Recycled” was a conceptual work about the concerns of the impact of pollution and environmental damage to the earth and was recorded at the Chateau d’Herouville in France and at AIR Studios in London with sessions engineered by Geoff Emerick.

The album was also significant for the guest appearance of synthesizer player Larry Fast (of Synergy, who was later to work with Peter Gabriel). “Recycled” became another hit in Germany and the USA and spawned a long US and Canadian tour. The message of the album is arguably more pertinent than it was at the time of its original release and remains one of Nektar’s most highly regarded works.

This new 5CD edition features a newly remastered version of the album along with two rare single edits, a discarded early mix of the album by Geoff Emerick and an additional three CDs of live recordings from concerts at Massey Hall, Toronto and Calderone Concert Hall in Long Island on the band’s 1976 “Recycled” tour. The set also features an illustrated book and is a fine celebration of a progressive rock classic.

TRACK LISTING

DISC ONE
Recycled – 2024 Remaster
1 Recycle
2 Cybernetic Consumption
3 Recycle Countdown
4 Automaton Horrorscope
5 Recycling
6 Flight to Reality
7 Unendless Imaginations
8 Sao Paulo Sunrise
9 Costa Del Sol
10 Marvellous Moses
11 It’s All Over
Bonus tracks
12 Flight to Reality (single version)
13 It’s All Over (single version)

DISC TWO
Recycled – Original Geoff Emerick mix 1975 – 2024 Remaster
1 Recycle
2 Cybernetic Consumption
3 Recycle Countdown
4 Automaton Horrorscope
5 Recycling
6 Flight to Reality
7 Unendless Imaginations
8 Sao Paulo Sunrise
9 Costa Del Sol
10 Marvellous Moses
11 It’s All Over

DISC THREE
Live at Massey Hall, Toronto – 26 May 1976 – Previously unreleased
1 Sao Paulo Sunrise
2 Marvellous Moses
3 It’s All Over
4 Patch
5 Listen
6 Smile
7 Recycled
8 1-2-3-4
9 Let it Grow

DISC FOUR
Live at Calderone Concert Hall, Long Island, USA – 24 July 1975 – Previously unreleased
1 A Tab in the Ocean
2 Remember the Future Part One
3 Sao Paulo Sunrise
4 Marvellous Moses
5 It’s All Over

DISC FIVE
Live at Calderone Concert Hall, Long Island, USA – 24 July 1975 – Previously unreleased
1 Patch
2 Listen
3 Smile / Lonely Roads
4 Recycled
5 Let it Grow

To purchase: https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/nektar-recycled-5cd-remastered-and-expanded-box-set/

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (USA), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

British Punk Legends UK Subs Make Their Touring Curtain Call On Upcoming Live Album Filmed & Recorded At London’s Historic 100 Club!

Los Angeles, CA – 48 years. 23 studio albums + 17 live albums (from A-Z and beyond), thousands of live performances, countless band members and one legacy that will undoubtedly outlive us all. UK Subs have seen it all, done it all, and conquered all, becoming one of the most well-respected, most loved bands to come out of the original ’77 punk rock movement. Recently, the band announced that their 2022 studio album Reverse Engineering would be their last and the 2023 tour in support of the album would be their final tour. That historic occasion concluded in the most epic way imaginable with 5 consecutive sold out shows at London’s epicenter for the punk rock revolution 100 Club.

Thankfully, this superb finale was captured on both video and audio and is set to be released as a multimedia CD/DVD set on May 3 as The Last Will And Testament Of UK Subs! Still fronted by incendiary frontman Charlie Harper along with longtime bassist Alvin Gibbs and newer members Steve Straughan and Stefan Häublein, the band offers thrilling, energetic performances of all their classic songs from “Warhead” to “Riot” to “Stranglehold” and lots more! Disbelievers who doubt the band can still throw fire from the stage can check out the version of “Riot” from the set, which has been released to all streaming services today!

Stream/download the single: https://orcd.co/uksubs_riot2023

Also, for a taste of the video portion of the show, check out the powerful trailer here: https://youtu.be/oXAhJt5wSVE

LONG LIVE UK SUBS!

Order the CD/DVD: https://cleorecs.com/store/shop/uk-subs-the-last-will-and-testament-of-uk-subs-cd-dvd/

Pre-order/pre-save the digital: https://orcd.co/lastwillandtestamentuksubs

TRACK LIST
1. Scum Of The Earth
2. Bitter & Twisted
3. Fear Of Girls
4. Rockers
5. New York State Police
6. Barbie's Dead
7. Emotional Blackmail
8. Kicks
9. Fragile
10. Kill Me
11. Limo Life
12. Time And Matter
13. Down On The Farm
14. Tomorrow's Girls
15. Warhead
16. Riot
17. Stranglehold
18. Disease
19. C.I.D.
20. I Live In A Car
21. I Couldn't Be You
22. Party In Paris
23. Squat 96
24. Keep On Running (Till You Burn)
25. Teenage

Press inquiries:
Glass Onyon PR
Billy James
PH: 828-350-8158
glassonyonpr@gmail.com

4/08/2024

Be-Bop Deluxe Legend Bill Nelson’s Unreleased Album “Powertron” Available May 3, 2024!

Recorded in 2016, “Powertron” has languished in the Bill Nelson archives for eight years.

A potent collection of twelve pieces that highlight Nelson’s prowess and invention as a guitarist.

“Its genesis came whilst recording tracks for ‘The Jewel’ album. Amongst these was a track titled ‘Drive Shaft’ which I considered too brash for ‘The Jewel’, but too good to abandon. I decided to create a suitable album to house ‘Drive Shaft’ and ‘Powertron’ was the result. It’s an album of left-field rock songs, mainly vocal but layered with loud and edgy guitars. It will appeal to those who enjoy the wilder side of my work.” - Bill Nelson

Track list:
01) Fascinating Noise
02) A River On The Edge Of Time
03) Dreams And Smoke (Flow With The River)
04) The Moon Came In My Window
05) Where's The Wonder?
06) Loose Chippings
07) When I Don't Feel Blue
08) Moments In The Day
09) Fair Winds And Steam Machines
10) Sailing My Boat
11) Laughing Sailors, Raging Seas
12) Drive Shaft

To pre-order CD in jewel case: https://burningshed.com/store/billnelson/bill-nelson_powertron_cd

Also available:
“Starlight Stories”: https://burningshed.com/store/billnelson/bill-nelson_starlight-stories_cd
“All The Fun Of The Fair”: https://www.billnelson.com/fun-of-the-fair

Available as both physical CD (from Burning Shed) or as a digital download (from Bandcamp).

For more information: https://www.billnelson.com/

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

4/05/2024

Instrumental Review: Jeffrey Reid Baker-Concrete Jungle

Release Date: October 31, 2019

Label: ‎JRB Records

Website

Jeffrey Reid Baker's release Concrete Jungle is an instrumental conglomerate of sounds. Because of that, I found it difficult to put a genre label on it except Instrumental. The artist's website explains it: "A mix of cinematic, ambient, light jazz, and Latin styles that is the unique world of Baker's musical vision."

Tracks like the title track, "Concrete Jungle," envelop you in a jazz atmosphere, instantly resonating with the artist's music description. On the other hand, "Rainforest Chorale" transports you to an ethereal ambient world, its sounds weaving a captivating tapestry.

"Mesquite" is more relaxed and new-age-like. The keyboards' calmness and layers make you feel like you could melt right into your favorite easy chair—that's the whole point. Then "Bareback" is more of a movie soundtrack track, complete with a click of the horse galloping down the road. "Top of The Hill" was also very upbeat and cinematic.

I was impressed with the constant change from track to track—diversity rules for my attentive ears. And that became readily apparent just a few tracks in. Natural talent can quickly jump from one style/genre to the next and present it all properly.

Jeffrey Reid Baker is very successful in Concrete Jungle. His talents are many within each composition, and he uses the tools and instruments to create the right atmosphere and attract the attention of a prospective listener.

Listening to this music, I felt many things. The reason for that is the overall eclectic track selection and the way it was performed. If you are searching for something relaxing, different, and diverse, Concrete Jungle may be the antidote to help calm you down and readjust your mindset and attitude. Considering it was released five years ago and the strides made with technology and recording music every year, the artist did a good job putting all of this together.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-MuzikMan.net Founder

April 3, 2024

Tracks:

01. HIGHER GROUND

02. BLACK HILLS

03. CONCRETE JUNGLE

04. RAINFOREST CHORALE

05. MESQUITE

06. BAREBACK

07. CLOUDS 501

08. TOP OF THE HILL

09. SUNDOWN

10. DOWN HILL

11. BACKSTREET

12. MOONBEAM

13. NIGHT RIDER

14. TALES END

Prog Ensemble Cymbalic Encounters Featuring Drummer Mark Murdock To Release New Album “Eclipsis”

Cymbalic Encounters new album “Eclipsis” coincides with the solar eclipse of 2024. Guest artists include bassist Dave Sturt from Gong and Prog guitarist Fernando Perdomo.

Mark says, “There are some elements of electronica that made their way onto some of the tracks, which modernize the 'Cymbalic' sound, yet the material still retains the 'Encounters' essence.”

“Eclipsis” Track List:
The Penumbra Shadow
Echo, Delta, Charlie
At the Drop of the Bowler Hat
Afterlife Theme Park
Eclipsis
Futuristic Skylines
Electromagnetic Interference
Chinatown
Disruption of the Order
The Nectar of Immortality

Mark Murdock/drums/synthesizers/fretless bass synth
Fernando Perdomo/guitar on 1 & 3
Dave Sturt/fretless bass on 1 & 7
Joe Berger/lead guitar on 8, 9 & 10
Tim Pepper/vocal on 6
Charles Lambiase/fretless bass on 8, 9 & 10
Daniel Kubota/guitar on 4

Recorded in Cyber Space: Tokyo, NYC and the U.K.

“Eclipsis” is available on Bandcamp: https://cymbalicencounters.bandcamp.com/album/eclipsis

Contact: cymbalicencounters@gmail.com