Blog Archives
GRRR In Blu – Andy Burns On The Rolling Stones’ Hi-Res Greatest Hits Set
This past fall the Rolling Stones celebrated their 50th anniversary by going all out – a series of concert dates in the UK and the New York area and the release of yet another greatest hits collection, this time a three cd set titled GRRR. I knew I wouldn’t be seeing the band live, but I’ll admit I was interested in the hits collection, even if I had all those songs on the band’s various albums and previous best of’s I own (and I have more than a few). However, I lost my initial interest when I read about the lack of decent liner notes and packaging that the multiple versions of GRRR came with. Even the super deluxe edition, which tacked on two bonus cds and a hardcover book got poor reviews. Not for the music, of course – you’d be hard pressed to find a dud track included on any version of GRRR. But the hardcover book was a serious exercise in excess, with one picture per page, and once again, no liner notes of significance. I figured I would just download the two new tracks, Doom and Gloom and One More Shot and move right along.
However, one day in December I was perusing one of the audiophile websites I go to (I like to know what albums are being reissued and remastered – I’m still a bit of a music collector) and discovered that in Europe, there was a version of GRRR being released that I thought WOULD be worth adding to my collection.
Find out what and why after the jump!
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Saturday At The Movies: Crossfire Hurricane
In 1989 Lorne Michael produced 25 x 5: The Continuing Adventures of The Rolling Stones. The film, done in cooperation with the band in celebration of their twenty-fifth anniversary, was a definitive account of their incredible history, telling the ups and downs of their career. For 12-year old me, it was just amazing, and I wore out my VHS copy watching and rewatching the documentary. It helped make me into a fan.
This past Thursday I was at a screening of a new Rolling Stones documentary, one done in celebration of the band’s fiftieth anniversary. How does Crossfire Hurricane stack up against 25 x 5? Check out the trailer and then find out after the jump!
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Win Passes To See The Rolling Stones’ Crossfire Hurricane!
The Rolling Stones turn 50 this year, and the entire world is abuzz about their return to live performance. But before they were the biggest rock and roll band in the world, they were trying to make it in music, just like so many other aspiring acts. The new documentary Crossfire Hurricane tells the story of the Rolling Stones in their own words and with the completed cooperation of the band.
And we want to you to see it first! Check out the trailer for the film and then find out how you can win after the jump!
Maroon 5 Look For More Moves Like Jagger on Overexposed
Maroon 5 recently released their fourth studio album, Overexposed, which could be referring to a number of things when it comes to lead singer Adam Levine, who seems to be everywhere these days. From appearing as one of the judges/coaches on the hit TV singing competition, The Voice, to posing tattooed and practically naked in a UK print ad for testicular cancer awareness, Levine is also a regular on the talk-show circuit and one of pop music’s most recognizable frontmen.
In 2011, Levine’s work on The Voice also helped his band achieve one of the biggest crossover hits of the year with “Moves Like Jagger” featuring his TV co-worker Christina Aguilera. The track established a new sound and direction for Maroon 5 who look to build on the funky/pop of “Jagger” on Overexposed.
Watch With Amanda: What’s on TV this week? May 14 – 20
This week it’s all about the season finale’s! Read on to see which shows are ending with a bang!
The Rolling Stones Unlock Their Archive With The Brussels Affair – Perry Schwartz Delves Into It
The Rolling Stones have spent the better part of the last few years reliving what many believe to be the band’s glory years – 1969-1974. In 2010 the band released a remastered version of the 1972 classic, Exile On Main St., in a rarities edition featuring 10 new tracks and supported by the excellent Stones In Exile documentary. Later the same year they also re-released a digitally remastered HD version of Ladies And Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones, a concert movie originally released in 1974 and featuring the band on their legendary 1972 tour in support of Exile.
Then, early last week the Stones quietly and figuratively opened the door to what is believed to be an endless vault of unreleased and live recordings from the last 50 years. www.stonesarchivestore.com is a revelation for Stones fans – an online portal with archived photos, articles, videos, tour merchandise and, most importantly, music.
Perry Schwartz’s RDIO Cure – What do Mick Jagger, Nick Lowe and The Jayhawks have in common? New Releases For One Thing!
This week I found myself listening to new music by veteran artists. It’s hard not to measure an artist against his/her/their prior works, especially when it comes to pop music. This week’s releases were highlighted by Pearl Jam Twenty, the soundtrack to the much-heralded Cameron Crowe documentary of the same name, and a new duets album by Tony Bennett ,hyped by his collaboration with the late Amy Winehouse. Well deserving releases, but my ears were focused on three other music vets doing their best to look ahead and leave their legacies in the past.
