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I took the kids to see Weird Al Yankovic at the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) this past sunday. Just want to make it clear that I went to the concert for MY KIDS. Certainly not for myself since I’m a sophisticated music blogger and all. *ahem*. …OK, who am I kidding? Weird Al and his band put on a great live show and the kids and *I* had a blast. There I said it. I enjoyed the Weird Al show, OK? Why should I feel embarrassed for admitting that? The guy is a pop culture icon. Yankovic has managed to sustain a 30 year career out of making song parodies. I mean, he’s outlasted a long, long list of bands and artists that have come and gone over the years. Plus he’s got his live shows down to a science – which includes lights, video screens, a couple cheerleaders, stormtroopers, Darth Vader and a slew of costume changes.

Yankovic’s show is a well-oiled machine that’s scripted, well-rehearsed and synchronized with the video feeds. So there’s not much spontaneity here but in the world of Weird Al, there’s no need for such things. OK, ok, fans might argue that Weird Al does alternate playing “You Make Me” with “Frank’s 2000 inch TV” from show to show and he mentions a local coffee shop during his spiel in “Craigslist” but they’d be missing the point. A Yankovic concert is more like a broadway musical than say a Phish concert where setlists differ from gig to gig.

But enough about that. All that really matters is that the kids and I enjoyed seeing Weird Al. His fans pretty much packed the DPAC which holds around 2,500. Luckily we got our tickets early and were close enough to get splashed with water during his Nirvana spoof and be able to notice his double-chin becoming unglued at the end of “Fat”.

I love all his rap parodies so I was delighted to see him do “Another Tattoo”, “Amish Paradise” and “White and Nerdy”. The Star Wars encore was another highlight of course. The “oldies” Medley hit all the right notes but I personally would have like a few more “oldies” in the setlist. Another memorable bit was during “Wanna B Ur Lovr” where Yankovic, dressed up in a tiger-striped suit, went around and air-grinded a few “lucky” women in the audience.

With all the wardrobe changes the guy has to do each night, I have to say that Al sure does work hard for his fans. Oh, and big props to his band – Steve Jay, Jon Bermuda Schwartz, Ruben Valtierra and Jim West. they can pull off any genre with ease which isn’t as easy as it looks. they sounded pretty tight.

All in all, a fun night out with my kids. I’d definitely catch Yankovic again the next time he comes through. And after seeing all the grinning faces at the end of the night, I’m pretty sure most if not all would do the same.

retroGrade: A

Weird Al Yankovic
October 9, 2011
Durham Performing Arts Center

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Rock icon Lindsey Buckingham performed at the Carolina Theatre in Durham, NC this past saturday as part of his 2011 Seeds We Sow tour. I have to admit that I wasn’t all that excited before the show since I learned that the setlist didn’t feature some of my personal favorites from “Gift of Screws” and “Out of the Cradle”. But whatever issues I had with the setlist quickly went out the window once the man took the stage. I didn’t realize what a powerful performer Buckingham is. Yes, the guy is a virtuoso on guitar but his dynamic vocal abilities really brought the house down. It was amazing to see and hear how he fully commits to songs like “Go Insane”, “Never Going Back Again” or “Big Love”. Buckingham put so much passion and emotion into those performances, you ended up wondering if the guy was gonna literally pass out on stage. How the hell he could give 110% like that, over and over again at every show is beyond me. Big props to Buckingham because I consider that a rare talent these days.

After doing the first five songs solo, Buckingham brought out the rest of the band – Brett Tuggle, Neale Heywood and Walfredo Reyes. the guys did a fantastic job recreating the new songs on stage. In fact, some of these versions are even better than their recorded counterpart. “Stars are Crazy” and “Illumination” are two that come to mind.

I also noticed that Reyes was playing a Roland electronic drum kit. I’m guessing that it was Buckingham’s decision to use electronic drums but whatever the case may be, I personally missed the hard “thwack” of a real snare on rockers like “I’m So Afraid” and “Go Your Own Way”. oh well, I guess that’s just me.

Buckingham shared a few stories in between numbers which was a nice touch. From all the years of performing live, Buckingham seems to be very at ease on stage. The way he spoke to the crowd was very natural and didn’t seemed forced. He definitely made a connection with the audience which for some other performers is a hard thing to do (i.e. Eric Clapton).

As for the newly renovated Carolina Theatre – I love seeing shows in this venue. It’s a very intimate setting with not a bad seat in the house. Oh, and with the parking deck right across the street, getting in and out of the place is never a problem. plus the folks at the theatre are always polite and friendly. a big thumbs up to the Carolina Theatre and I wish the venue much success with the upcoming lineup of shows. as a matter of fact, I’ll be coming back for the Todd Rundgren/Utopia show next month!

I do have to mention a weird thing that happened with the sound toward the end of the concert. I’m not sure if the sound team were simply testing out the limits of the new sound system or what but the overall volume got extremely loud (which resulted in a muddy, almost distorted mix) for the last few songs. It was pretty noticeable since the sound mix was pretty much perfect up until that point.

highlights of the evening included: “Stars Are Crazy” (way better than the recorded version), “Big Love” (yes, he’s played this version for years but it always packs a big whallop!), “Illumination”, “Trouble” (love the acoustic rendition), “I’m So Afraid” (love the long drawn out guitar solo)

retroGrade: A+

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The new album Sweetheart of the Sun by the Bangles is out in stores today. The new release is the follow-up to their 2003 Doll Revolution album. But for some, Sweetheart of the Sun may feel like a follow-up to Matthew Sweet’s collaboration with Susanna Hoffs (Under the Covers Vol. 1 and Vol. 2) especially since Sweet co-produced & engineered the record and all. The loose, retro vibe carried over from the Under the Covers sessions is a natural fit for a band like the Bangles since they’ve always been heavily influenced by 60′s rock.

Hoffs, Vicki Peterson and Debbi Peterson have never sounded more relaxed and comfortable than they do here. Maybe without the pressures of a major label, the band is finally free to create music for themselves and not for high-volume sales. Introspective lyrics, jangly guitars and sweet three-part harmonies, all make for a lovely listen. The girls hook you in with the tuneful opening chords of “Anna Lee” and won’t let you go until 40 minutes later with the lingering notes at the end of their Todd Rundgren cover, “Open My Eyes”.

It’s great to see this group back together again after the long hiatus but I do have to admit that I miss the presence of original bassist Michael Steele. but it is what it is. And you may not be aware of this but this year marks the 30th anniversary of the band! holy cow!

highlights include: Anna Lee, Under a Cloud, I’ll Never Be Through With You, Circles in the Sky

retroGrade: B+

The Bangles
Sweetheart of the Sun
released: September 27, 2011
label: Model Music Group
the Bangles are: Susanna Hoffs, Vicki Peterson and Debbi Peterson
produced by The Bangles and Matthew Sweet

TRACK LISTING
1 Anna Lee (Sweetheart of the Sun) 3:30
2 Under a Cloud 4:07
3 Ball N Chain 3:51
4 I’ll Never Be Through with You 3:40
5 Mesmerized 3:46
6 Circles in the Sky 4:04
7 Sweet and Tender Romance 2:11
8 Lay Yourself Down 3:23
9 One of Two 3:39
10 What a Life 3:22
11 Through Your Eyes 3:50
12 Open My Eyes 3:00

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Todd Rundgren’s follow-up CD to his tribute to Robert Johnson is out this week, titled reProduction. And surprise, surprise, it’s ANOTHER album of covers!! That’s TWO cover albums in a row! wow. this is definitely unusual for Todd. Apparently at this stage in the game, securing proper funding for the recording & distribution of new material is getting difficult for legacy artists like Rundgren. As Rundgren explained in recent interviews, his Robert Johnson tribute album was required by Hi Fi Records in order to get his 2008 album, Arena released. Similarly, reProduction is a result from his participation in Gigatone’s “My Record Fantasy Camp” which allowed fans (willing to shell out the big bucks) to record with Rundgren in a studio.

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting a whole lot from this CD of remakes but after playing it the last couple weeks, I have to say that it’s a fun listen. but first there are a number of strikes against the new record that fans might have to overlook:
1) like I mentioned earlier, it’s yet another covers album!! the market is currently inundated with them including recent ones by Duncan Sheik, Mickey Thomas (also by the same record label- Gigatone), Kim Wilde, Andrea Corr, etc..
2) the front cover design is just plain bad. blech.
3) it’s on the Gigatone label which just reeks of cheese! their releases include the likes of Dwight Twilley, Mickey Dolenz (of the Monkees!!) and Mickey Thomas (from Starship)
4) and finally, these covers aren’t just straight ahead carbon-copy covers. First of all, these songs are from artists that Rundgren produced in the past, which is fine and dandy. But here’s the twist! Todd took up the challenge of performing them in a techno/dance/pop style. yeah, that’s right, a total novelty record!!

Long time fans should get the joke. Rundgren has always included novelty songs on his albums i.e. “Emperor of the Highway”, “An Elpee’s Worth of Tunes” and “Onomatopoeia”. Hell, he even released a full-on Beatles spoof with his band Utopia titled “Deface the Music” which essentially sabotaged the band’s popularity back in early eighties but that’s a whole ‘nother can ‘o worms so don’t get me started on that.

Anyway, if you can get past all those hurdles, Rundgren’s new interpretations aren’t all that bad. The new arrangements and sound palette aren’t that far removed from what Rundgren did on his 2004 Liars album. You can definitely hear synth patches that he’s regularly used in the past so the album is not a total *180* that some might think. And after the last two guitar-based albums (Arena, TR’s Johnson), it’s nice to hear his signature Todd chord/tone-clusters that he usually does on keyboard-centric songs. So if you can recall Rundgren techno-flavored tracks like “Truth” or “Wondering” (both from the album Liars) or even something like “Chant” (from 1983′s Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect), you can get a sense of what the new album sounds like.

Overall, reProduction is full of addictive ear candy. Todd built interesting arrangements around easily digestible hooks. Just take a listen to the Daft Punk-esque chorus of “Tell Me Your Dreams”. It’ll definitely linger around in your head a long while after the CD’s done playing. Also, Rundgren sings enthusiastically all throughout the record. As a matter of fact, I can picture him laughing his ass off while constructing these songs on his little MacBook. shit, an artist having a blast making a record?? hell, I’m all for that!

and yes, there’s liberal use of the autotune/melodyne vocal effects here but it’s all good since it’s simply part of the genre Todd is spoofing here.

The only misstep that I’d like to mention is “I Can’t Take it”. Todd’s remake is pretty much a sped-up version of the original but with a clunky drum machine. Not a complete makeover like some of the other tracks. Since it’s more of a power pop flavored arrangement, Rundgren should have overdubbed live drums (perhaps he ran out of time during his Record Fantasy Camp sessions at the Track Shack back in January) instead of leaving in the canned drums. It just sounds stilted and awkward as is. Definitely a missed opportunity.

RetroGrade: B

personal favorites include: “Nothing to Lose”, “Walk Like a Man” (love Rundgren’s vocals on this one), “Personality Crisis” (sounds like Rundgren’s take on Lady Gaga), “Tell Me Your Dreams” and “Out of My Mind” (even catchier than the original).
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The popular Christian praise band, Hillsong United made their way to Greensboro last week. These guys are in a unique position where their songs are known and sung in local churches all across the world. Who needs radio airplay when you have millions of believers singing your songs every sunday, right? And because of this, Hillsong United attract arena-sized crowds wherever they go. They even managed to sell out the Staples Center in Los Angeles earlier this year. And after seeing them at the Greensboro Coliseum, I can tell you first hand that they know how to put on an arena-sized show.

It’s an interesting dynamic that the team has to balance, really. Singing praise songs to God is an intimate thing so how do you handle and respect that aspect of it when you perform in an enormous venue? I mean, it’s a tough enough job just to command the attention of 10,000 people for two and a half hours. But to do that PLUS bring people closer to God just adds to the complexity of it all. In any case, I have to say that Hillsong United did a tremendous job both as a live band and getting those in attendance pumped up for Christ.

Yes, they incorporated all the elements found in a typical concert including a synchronized light show, video screens and top-notched sound equipment. But thankfully they did things with humility and sincerity that helped transform the concrete arena feel more like church. Don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t your touchy-feely, wimpy campfire singalong that people usually think of in terms of church praise music. These guys rocked. the band was tight and played like a well-oiled seasoned arena-rock band. The guys out front (Joel Houston, JD Douglass, Matthew Crocker and Jad Gillies) were full of energy and were infectiously enthusiastic about sharing their love for Christ.

highlights included: “With Everything” (with the band pounding away and the arena shouting in one voice, it was absolutely phenomenal!!), “All I Need is You” (would have loved to have lingered in the sweet moment a while longer but the band had more songs to perform), “Shout Unto God”, “The Stand” and the one-two-three punch of the high-energy encore led by JD Douglass (“Your Name High”, “Take it All” and “Yours Forever”).

I also want to give props to the audio/visual team. They obviously spent a good amount of time/resource to create unique visuals/lighting design for each song. It definitely enhanced the experience. Also old venues like the Greensboro Coliseum weren’t originally built/designed with concerts in mind so it’s pretty difficult to get decent sound in places like these. But under the circumstances, I thought the sound crew did a spectacular job. I don’t think I’ve ever heard it sound as good at the Coliseum before.

RetroGrade: A

concert: Hillsong United
venue: Greensboro Coliseum
date: August 19, 2011

Greensboro set list:
Go
Break Free
You
Search My Heart
Mighty to Save
Hosanna
All I need is You
Bones
Nova
Aftermath
Freedom is Here
Shout unto God
Like an Avalanche
Rhythms of Grace
Oh You Bring
The Stand
From the Inside Out
With Everything

Take Heart

Hillsong United:
Joel Houston, Matthew Crocker, Hayley Law, JD Douglass, Jad Gillies, Dylan Thomas, Adam Crosariol, Simon Kobler, Timon Klein, Peter James

purchase Aftermath via CDUniverse

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You’ve probably already seen a diverse range of opinions concerning Yes’ brand new studio album, Fly From Here. As far as I can recall, Yes has always had a polarized fan base. But now without Jon Anderson in the band, the naysayers are out in full force. As for me, I’m still not totally convinced that Benoit David has the chops and/or talent to completely fill Anderson’s shoes BUT bringing in Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn to record the new album was a GENIUS move. I was pleasantly surprised by Fly From Here. It’s probably the strongest batch of songs I’ve heard from the band since 1994′s Talk.

First off, with Horn at the helm, the recording sounds impeccable. No complaints about the way it sounds. Another nice touch is the return of the “epic” twenty-minute track (although it’s more like a song suite). “Fly From Here” is well done but I have to say that the transition into “Bumpy Ride” is a bit odd.

Surprisingly, the standout track for me is “The man You Always Wanted Me to Be”. It’s not proggy at all and is more 70′s “yacht-rock” to tell you the truth. But the Chris Squire-led track features a great melodic hook that just won’t leave my brain! someone please help!

I like the direction the band took with this, dialing down the prog and focusing more on memorable melodies. The only track that I’ve found myself skipping is “Life On a Film Set”. For some reason, the song doesn’t do anything for me. But other than that, the album as a whole is very listenable and very enjoyable. It’s definitely worth checking out especially for those that enjoyed Drama, 90125, and Big Generator.

retroGrade: B+

Fly From Here tracklist:
1 Fly from Here – Overture 1:53
2 Fly from Here – Pt I – We Can Fly 6:00
3 Fly from Here – Pt II – Sad Night at the Airfield 6:41
4 Fly from Here – Pt III – Madman at the Screens 5:16
5 Fly from Here – Pt IV – Bumpy Ride 2:15
6 Fly from Here – Pt V – We Can Fly (Reprise) 1:44
7 The Man You Always Wanted Me to Be 5:07
8 Life on a Film Set 5:01
9 Hour of Need 3:07
10 Solitaire 3:30
11 Into the Storm 6:54

Produced by Trevor Horn
Engineered and mixed by Tim Weidner
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In this day and age of instant gratification, instant streaming, instant messaging, etc., where anything and everything is available at an INSTANT, Paul McCartney fans are having to exercise a lot of patience. The reissue campaign for McCartney’s back catalog will span over the course of several years with select titles being released a few at a time. MPL/Concord Music Group kicked things off successfully last year with the deluxe reissue of Band on the Run. And now after months and months of waiting come the next batch of remastered reissues: McCartney (1970) and McCartney II (1980).

I totally understand the need to stagger the releases since it maximizes the exposure of each set but from a fan’s point of view, the waiting sucks. If the reissue campaign continues at this pace, it’ll be well into the latter half of this decade before we get the complete set. that’s a LONG time. Who knows if CDs will even still be around a few years down the road?

But enough of me whining. The big positive in all this is that the remasters (so far at least) sound GREAT. There’s no brickwalling, no harshness/shrillness in sound and the “no-noised” dullness of the previous remastered collection has been corrected. kudos to the Abbey Road remastering team for doing Macca fans a “solid” in this regard.

I got the two-disc “special editions” of McCartney and McCartney II. I know, I know, I should have splurged for the “super deluxe” versions to get the hard bound books and DVDs but unfortunately, I’ve got a tight budget. But anyway, the albums have never sounded better. I’m not going to comment on the content of the original albums since most fans already know these albums by heart. I’ll just run through some of the bonus content.

Frankly, the bonus disc on McCartney I is a bit skimpy. The rumor is that the “good stuff” is being saved for a rarities box set which may (or may not) get released at the end of this long reissue campaign. But it is still great to finally hear “Suicide” in full which we’ve always heard a snippet of at the end of “Glasses”. The three tracks from the Wings 1979 Glasgow show is a surprise. I was hoping Concord would release the full Glasgow show as part of the “Back to the Egg” package but I guess not. “Don’t Cry Baby” is simply the instrumental mix of “Oo You”. And “Woman Kind” is a bit of a throwaway.

The bonus disc on McCartney II is a lot more interesting. “Blue Sway” features orchestration by Richard Niles which was added/overdubbed back in 1986. Pretty neat but the track sticks out a bit because it’s not a “one-man band” like the rest of the material. The live “Coming Up” version is slightly different that the one we’ve all heard as a single. This version includes the extra “making music endlessly” verse and the ending is a bit weaker which indicates a lil’ overdubbing/sweetening was done on the original single. The rest are the leftover tracks that would have comprised the 2-LP version of McCartney II. Yeah, I think it was a wise decision to go with the single LP but still a fun listen. I really appreciate the fact that McCartney was obviously experimenting during these sessions with no intention of making a hit single.

RetroGrade: remastered sound A+, bonus audio content for McCartney C, McCartney II B.
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Looking at the list of new releases this summer, one might think it’s still the summer of ’85. Bands like Journey, Night Ranger, Yes and The Cars all have new albums out. Hell, even Weird Al Yankovic is still going strong in 2011 with a new album titled “Alpocalypse”. So, I guess it’s fitting that one of my favorites from the mid-80′s are back with a brand new album as well. The album is titled “RePlay” and it’s by none other than The Outfield.

The new album is chock full of memorable hooks, sunny harmonies and multi-layered guitars, just like how the band sounded back in their heyday. It’s almost uncanny how lead singer Tony Lewis can hit those high notes as he did way back when. It’s also great to see drummer Alan Jackman back in the fold. Jackman has been sorely missed over the years and so his presence and his style of playing has obviously re-energized the band. As a matter of fact, the new material has a focus and drive that hasn’t been heard from the band since 1987′s “Bangin’” album. This might also be related to the fact that main songwriter/guitarist John Spinks has been battling some health issues these last few years which may have given him all the more reason to put together some “A game” material this time out.

highlights include:
“A Long, Long Time Ago” – a rockin’ track that sounds like something straight off the ’87 “Bangin’” album. Probably my favorite song on the album.

“New York City” – the song features a nice loop-like groove and a neat repetitive drum fill that may seem out of place at first but becomes one of the hooks in the song after a few listens. the lyrics in the chorus are a bit weak but I’ll let it slide since the band was never known for clever or deep lyrics.

“Disraeli Years” – is a big nod to ’60′s blues/rock trio Cream. the songs features fun lil’ lyrical references to the iconic band as well as a tasty guitar solo “a la Clapton”. And just in case you miss any of those references, Jackman adds the unmistakable drum fill from “White Room” at the end of the song. fun stuff.

“Shake Your Thing” – Lewis’ vocals are an integral part of the Outfield sound. In the past his high tenor overshadowed his bass playing. But with the new album and on tracks like “Shake Your Thing”, Lewis has come a long way in terms of memorable bass lines.

With all three original members in place, the band seems revitalized. And RePlay, with its upbeat and oh-so melodic tunes, is a perfect addition to this summer’s soundtrack. It’s too bad the band won’t be out on tour this summer to support the new release. Spinks is still dealing with health issues so live gigs are unfortunately out of the question.

Anyway, purchase the album, turn up the volume and have a rockin’ retro summer!

retroGrade: A
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So, the latest album by Todd Rundgren is finally out in stores – Todd Rundgren’s Johnson. It’s basically Rundgren’s take on ol’ bluesman Robert Johnson, just in time to celebrate what would have been Johnson’s 100th birthday.

This project was recorded in the same fashion as 2008′s Arena album. Essentially Rundgren recording by himself (except for Kasim Sulton on bass) onto his laptop.

What a missed opportunity!! I’m pointing out the obvious but come on, drum machines and “the blues” absolutely DO NOT mix. YES, YES, I understand that Rundgren had no recording budget for this project but this is just “demo quality” work that he’s passing off as a “real” album. The drum samples sound horrid on the CD – almost “casio keyboard” like in quality. I’m not sure if the drum samples (especially the cymbals) used are of low bit rate quality but it’s almost comical. No one is going to take these Robert Johnson covers seriously when it sounds like something any dude could have done using “garage band” on a MAC in his bedroom.

Rundgren and/or the record company (MPCA) should have put up the extra dough to overdub Prairie Prince (Todd’s drummer) on top of these tracks, at the least. They definitely had the time to do it since MPCA sat on the album for over a year. well, I can’t really blame them now that I’ve heard the “finished product”. They probably didn’t have any confidence in the recorded material and just kept on delaying the release date of the album ’til they could figure out how to market this thing.

If I were MPCA, I would have pushed back and released Rundgren’s live performance of the Johnson album instead of these “demos”. Since the April 11th, 2010 performance at the Ridgefield Playhouse was recorded for streaming purposes via the web, I’d think that it wouldn’t have taken much more effort to issue the live recordings in place of Todd’s demos. Maybe just a remixing and mastering issue. Todd and the band performed these Johnson covers a hundred times better live than what was recorded by Todd alone. Plus the live setting and the interplay among the musicians in the band would have given these blues covers a bit more authenticity in my book.

but again, it’s just a long line of miss opportunities in the history of Todd. Oh well, it’s par for the course I guess.

now don’t get me wrong, it’s not ALL bad. I like Todd’s arrangements and his guitar work is stellar on the new CD. But in terms of the way the CD sounds, it’s just embarrassing. You won’t find me playing the CD for any of my buddies. Actually, there’s not much desire to relisten to this at all.

retroGrade: C-

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I’m not sure if you heard it or not but back in early November, there was a huge collective sigh of relief from Paul McCartney fans the world over. That was when fans finally got the chance to hear the newly remastered Band on the Run CD. Yes, it’s the first of Concord Music Group‘s career-spanning reissue campaign and we’ve all been keeping our fingers crossed hoping that this record company won’t screw it up. You may remember my initial post concerning the reissue campaign back in April expressing my hopes that they’d take special care during the remastering of these albums. Well, I’m happy to report that Concord/MPL did the album justice. The new 2010 reissue of Band On the Run sounds phenomenal. No worries of “brickwalling” or “no-noising” here. In fact, it’s probably the best sounding version of all the past reissues of the album including the highly regarded DCC reissue. Of course, opinions will differ depending on personal preferences but there’s no denying that this reissue is a vast improvement over the 1993 “no-noised” EMI version.

In addition to the great remastering job, Concord thankfully included some bonus material. The 2CD/DVD set features a 9-track bonus CD plus a DVD of the unreleased “One Hand Clapping” special. A special collector’s edition includes a third CD (the audio documentary from the 25th anniversary edition) and a beautiful 120-page book of photos by Linda McCartney and Clive Arrowsmith. And it doesn’t stop there. Concord is also making available a 2-disc 180 gram vinyl set for audiophiles.

I’ve listened to the Band on the Run album off and on ever since junior high so needless to say I’m very familiar with the material. But even so, the sound quality and the details that come alive in songs like “Bluebird” and “Mamunia” result in an almost brand new listening experience. Plus, “One Hand Clapping” footage is neat to see. It’s essentially the band playing live in the studio with McCartney full of enthusiasm. As a fan, it’s a blast to see the man perform at this stage in his career (in the early to mid-70′s). His live vocal performances are effortless and he seems very eager to prove himself as an artist out from under the Beatles’ shadow. It’s too bad the video quality of the “One Hand Clapping” special wasn’t spruced up to today’s standards. But as “archival footage” from the mid-70′s, it’ll do.

I’m still not certain if Concord/MPL will be doing the “deluxe” treatment on every album in McCartney’s catalog but it sure would be nice if they do. There’s probably enough material (B-sides, alternate mixes, re-mixes, unreleased tracks, etc.) to fill up multiple discs for every release. But I guess Concord will be making the decision on those future “deluxe treatments” based on how well “Band on the Run” does in the marketplace. So, Macca fans, do your duty and order more copies of the Band on the Run reissue for holiday stocking stuffers for all your family & friends! Let’s encourage Concord to do the right thing and invest in the extra care and attention to McCartney’s back catalog.

retroGrade : A+ kudos to MPL and Concord Music Group!!

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