ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 3, 2008 By Steve Newton I’ve always argued that KISS’s best album was its self-titled 1974 debut, and that musically the band went downhill from there. For those who disagree, there’s IKONS. In an obvious effort to squeeze a few more bucks out of the American glam-rock quartet’s extensive catalogue, … Continue reading The mighty KISS marketing machine pulls off another fast one with IKONS
Tag: boxed set
Essentially John Mayall sees the British bluesman with a cavalcade of guitar heroes
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 13, 2006 By Steve Newton The lineup of guitar slingers on this five-CD package is enough to make any blues-rock devotee start foaming at the mouth: Peter Green, Eric Clapton, Gary Moore, Mick Taylor, Billy Gibbons, Otis Rush, Steve Miller, Walter Trout, Jeff Healey, Steve Cropper, and Jonny Lang. Such … Continue reading Essentially John Mayall sees the British bluesman with a cavalcade of guitar heroes
Extravagant Doors box captures cosmic aspects of the Lizard King
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 13, 2006 By Steve Newton Anyone put off by surviving Doors members Robbie Krieger and Ray Manzarek’s attempts to cash in on the band’s legacy by scooping up Jim Morrison look-alike Ian Astbury for last year’s Doors of the 21st Century tour can take solace in this extravagant package. Perception … Continue reading Extravagant Doors box captures cosmic aspects of the Lizard King
Nine Lives box set best suited for hardcore Robert Plant fans only
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 13, 2006 By Steve Newton Only hard-core fans of Robert Plant’s post-Zeppelin output should invest in the 10-disc Nine Lives set, which includes his nine solo albums—from 1982’s Pictures of Eleven through last year’s Mighty Rearranger—plus bonus tracks and an hourlong DVD. Nine Lives isn’t Christmas music, obviously, but that … Continue reading Nine Lives box set best suited for hardcore Robert Plant fans only
Tragically Hip box set artfully melds sound and vision
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 8, 2005 By Steve Newton My wife Dawn and I are big Tragically Hip fans. Heck, back in '97 we went to see them at Thunderbird Stadium when she was eight-months pregnant, giving our first-born an in-utero sampling of Canada's top guitar rockers. No wonder the opening riffs of "Little Bones" … Continue reading Tragically Hip box set artfully melds sound and vision
Ozzy Osbourne box the perfect primer for his post-Sabbath period
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 8, 2005 By Steve Newton Ozzy Osbourne could easily have gotten away with compiling a bunch of album tracks, tossing in a live concert DVD, and calling it the Prince of Darkness box set. But the pioneering bat-biter evidently wanted to give his hordes of fans something special. His idea … Continue reading Ozzy Osbourne box the perfect primer for his post-Sabbath period
100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can’t Be Wrong….or can they?
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 9, 2004 By Steve Newton I remember once seeing a poster that was just a picture of a turd and a sentence that read something like Eat Shit: 100,000,000 Flies Can't Be Wrong. That's what came to mind when I first laid eyes on the new, five-disc Bon Jovi boxed … Continue reading 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can’t Be Wrong….or can they?
Judas Priest’s Metalogy box set comes wrapped in metal studs
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 9, 2004 By Steve Newton Back in '82 when I first started writing for the Straight, I instantly became the paper's on-call heavy-metal dude. Nobody else seemed to want the job--certainly not Alexander Varty, the main music critic at the time. So I happily took on the role, because it meant … Continue reading Judas Priest’s Metalogy box set comes wrapped in metal studs
Consider yourself warned about Sabbath’s Black Box
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 9, 2004 By Steve Newton Now here's the ultimate stocking stuffer for that die-hard metal freak on your Christmas list. It's gonna cost you a fair chunk of cash--I just saw the Black Box going for $124 at A&B Sound--but little Timmy will be gaining invaluable insights into the roots of heavy … Continue reading Consider yourself warned about Sabbath’s Black Box
Deep Purple’s monumental Made in Japan gets box-set treatment
By Steve Newton Yesterday on its official YouTube channel, legendary rock band Deep Purple posted a video announcing the upcoming rerelease of its Made in Japan album in various formats, which include previously unseen footage on DVD, bonus material and mixes, memorabilia, and a hardback book. Made in Japan was recorded in Osaka and Budokan between August 15 and … Continue reading Deep Purple’s monumental Made in Japan gets box-set treatment
Joe Satriani’s upcoming box set is one mighty batch o’ Satch
photo by the Newt By Steve Newton The Joe Satriani show at the Vogue last year was one of my fave gigs of 2013, no surprise since Satch has been consistently blowing me away ever since I first heard Surfing With the Alien back in the eighties. Similarly minded guitar freaks who don't already own all of Satriani's albums--or … Continue reading Joe Satriani’s upcoming box set is one mighty batch o’ Satch
Mike Bloomfield’s fearless fretwork shines on new box set
By Steve Newton When you're talking about amazing guitarists who've passed away before achieving the widespread acclaim they deserve, Mike Bloomfield's right up there. But a four-disc boxed set released today on Sony's Legacy Recordings imprint should help get the word out on the mindblowing blues player. Here's the promotional bumph: Produced and curated by Al Kooper (who … Continue reading Mike Bloomfield’s fearless fretwork shines on new box set
Eric Clapton box set features Slowhand trading licks with Freddie King
By Steve Newton Music lovers of a certain age—let's call them "old fogies" for want of a better term—know that 1973 was an incredible year for guitar-based rock. You can read all about it in music historian Michael Walker's great new book, What You Want Is in the Limo, which focuses on the albums and touring … Continue reading Eric Clapton box set features Slowhand trading licks with Freddie King