Music & More

Photos courtesy of Van Morrison Sony Legacy has just released a brand new CD remastering of Van Morrison's 1974 double live album It's Too Late To Stop Now. They have also sweetened the pot in a major way by digging into their newly acquired Morrison vault to release three complete shows from the same 1973 tour that produced the double LP, 45 previously unreleased tracks over three CDs plus a live DVD. Last year Legacy acquired the rights to the entire Morrison catalog, which they announced thusly. Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, has acquired the rights to the most complete discography of contemporary music legend Van Morrison ever assembled under one label imprint. The Van Morrison musical acquisition spans more than 50 years of music, encompassing some 50 album, video and compilation titles from 1964 to the present. The new Legacy Van Morrison archive includes all of Morrison’s solo works from 1971 to the present as well as the record...

Last week's Top Forty countdown on Sirius XM's 70s channel was from the year 1971. It was a year when good music ruled the chart, for the most part... Billboard Top 20 for the Week of August 14, 1971 01. How Can You Mend A Broken Heart - Bee Gees 02. Mr. Big Stuff - Jean Knight 03. Take Me Home, Country Roads - John Denver 04. Draggin' The Line - Tommy James 05. You've Got A Friend - James Taylor 06. Indian Reservation (The Lament Of The Cherokee Reservation Indian) - The Raiders 07. Beginnings/Colour My World - Chicago 08. What The World Needs Now Is Love - Abraham, Martin and John - Tom Clay 09. Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology) - Marvin Gaye 10. Signs - Five Man Electrical Band 11. It's Too Late/I Feel The Earth Move - Carole King 12. Bring The Boys Home - Freda Payne 13. Never Ending Song Of Love - Delaney & Bonnie & Friends 14. Liar - Three Dog Night 15. Sweet Hitch-Hiker - Creedence Clearwater Revival 16. Hot Pants (S...

Photo courtesy of Norah Jones Norah Jones is set to deliver her sixth studio album, Day Breaks, on October 7th. The advance word from Jones is that on this record she returns to the piano and that jazz/blues/country vibe that characterized her first album. On August 5, she released the album's first single "Carry On". Watch the video, below. As soon as you hear it, you are reminded of what made Come Away With Me so appealing that it sold millions of copies and won Norah an armload of Grammys. Day Breaks has a stellar cast of musicians surrounding Jones including Brian Blade on drums, Wayne Shorter on sax, and Dr. Lonnie Smith on organ. Also appearing on Day Breaks are two more members of the Brian Blade Fellowship Band, Chris Thomas on bass and Jon Cowherd on organ (Cowherd played the beautiful organ solo on "Carry On"). Some of New York's finest session musicians also appear, including John Patitucci (Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea) on bass, Tony Scherr ...

Eric Clapton's Crashocaster, Fender Custom Stratocaster Guitar (www.edroman.com) Crossroads Revisited: Selections From The Crossroads Guitar Festivals was just released by Rhino Records on three jam packed CDs containing nearly four hours of live performances. It features Eric Clapton and special guests including Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, Jimmie Vaughan, B.B. King, James Taylor, Vince Gill, J.J. Cale, Sonny Landreth, John Mayer, Carlos Santana, Jeff Beck, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Los Lobos, Steve Winwood, ZZ Top, Earl Klugh, Gary Clark Jr., Keb’ Mo’, Warren Haynes, Jonny Lang, Ronnie Wood, Steve Cropper, Keith Urban, and (believe it or not) many more. The set has been compiled from the festivals that have been held in 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2013. All four festivals have been previously released on DVD and blu-ray, but this is the first time that these recordings have been made available on CD. The format for these concerts is that the guests come ...

Why I Love the Internet: The other day, I was listening to some new two disc remasters by Emerson Lake & Palmer, their first three albums in what will be a major overhaul from their catalogue this year (I will write, in detail, about these soon). The reissue of Pictures At An Expedition has some extraordinary bonus material, including a nearly 15 minute recording of a live Pictures medley from the Mar Y Sol Festival, a rock festival held in Puerto Rico in 1972. In the wake of Woodstock, a number of festivals were held attempting to recreate the magic. They were usually followed by an album; The Atlanta Pop Festival comes to mind. I remember the Mar Y Sol album from playing it on the radio; it was a two record set with a wealth of great and interesting artists represented. As I listened to that ELP Pictures album, I was thinking about the eventual blog article and I started to wonder if this live Pictures medley had been included in that Mar Y Sol album back in '72. It onl...

Kree Harrison just released her debut album, This Old Thing, on Plaid Flag Records. The first thing you notice about Kree is her immensely appealing voice. This Old Thing has everything going for it: arresting lyrics, intriguing melodies, excellent musicianship, arrangements, production, and that voice. Even though this is her debut album, the Woodville, Texas native is no overnight success. She started early, real early. According to her bio, by the age of three she asked her pastor if she could sing at church. ...The request was accepted and after she sang, her pastor commented, "I was expecting Jesus Loves Me, but she belted out El Shaddai by Amy Grant. I knew then this child had a special gift." Over the next several years, Harrison sang for churches, rodeos, weddings and competitions. At eight, she was the opening act for R&B performer Percy Sledge. At nine, she won "Artist of the Year" from Kirbyville Playhouse, and at ten, she sang on The Rosie O...