Have you seen the brand new Paul Simon docu-series, now running on MGM+?
You may remember that Simon retired from live performances about a year ago because he was having trouble hearing himself on stage …
But Paul now says that his hearing has improved, if the conditions are right. (He can’t really have any background noises coming thru his earbuds … once you add drums or another guitar, he can’t hear himself again.)
The series focuses on Simon’s entire career, dating back to his days with Art Garfunkel (and even before, when he was recording as Jerry Landis!) Over the course of the film, you’ll observe milestones throughout Simon’s entire, lengthy career, highlighting early recording dates and appearances, through winning a boatload of awards (both as a duo AND as a solo artist) on through his 1981 Central Park Reunion Concert with Art Garfunkel, the making of his 1986 Grammy Award winning album “Graceland,” right on thru to his most recent release, “Seven Psalms,” from last year.
It premiered last Sunday, March 17th, with a second installment scheduled for this Sunday (3/24) … and it is very well done. (kk)
Kent,
This is in regards to the comments made in your Sunday Comments Page by you and another FH reader about Steely Dan not playing Do It Again on their recent tour opening for the Eagles.
I first saw Steely Dan in St. Petersburg, FL, in 1994, and probably five or six times since, including the show at the Kia Center in Orlando, opening for The Eagles just a couple of weeks ago.
I have never seen the band perform Do It Again at any show that I have witnessed and in fact, when they played Rikki Don't Lose That Number at the Orlando show, that was the first time that I have heard that being played live by the band.
I had just always assumed that Donald Fagen just did not care for the either song or did not enjoy playing either one live.
You mentioned that perhaps he was not the lead singer on that song when the band recorded it for their first album, Can't Buy A Thrill. David Palmer was hired by the band to sing lead vocals during the first incarnation of the band because supposedly, Fagen suffered from stage fright. However by the time of album number two, The Royal Scam, Palmer had been dismissed and Fagen took over lead vocal duties permanently. Palmer was responsible for two lead vocals for Can't Buy A Thrill, which are Dirty Work and Brooklyn (Owes The Charmer Under Me) and contributed to three other songs. However, Fagen is the recorded lead singer on Do It Again.
You probably noticed that when the band played Dirty Work at their recent concert, Fagen had the three female backup singers do the lead vocal on the song instead of him.
Also, since curiosity got the best of me, I checked the website Setlist.fm, which gives detailed info on about everything you could possibly want to know about any past concert. It seems that in their entire concert history Steely Dan has performed Do It Again 185 times and Rikki 245 times, which is actually more than I had suspected.
In comparison, what song do you think has been played the most?
The answer is Peg at 783 times, followed by Hey Nineteen at 773 and Kid Charlemagne at 756. Another one of my favorites, Deacon Blues, has only played 209 times.
Rich Turner,
Largo, FL
Interesting stats … but if Fagen sang “Do It Again,” he went through great lengths to avoid having anybody ever finding out.
Take a look at this early clip of Steely Dan appearing on the hit television music series “Midnight Special” from 1973. “Do It Again” launched their career … yet Fagen lets Palmer assume the lead vocal while the band lip-synchs its way thru the tune! (kk)
Now here’s an alternate take of that same performance with the band performing live … again, Palmer sings the lead (but sounds nothing at all like the record.) Why go thru all the trouble??? Especially since Fagen clearly sang OTHER songs on the same LP!!!
In fact, browsing around YouTube, I found another clip of Michael McDonald sitting in with Steely Dan for a performance of this same tune … and this time it’s McDonald who sings the lead!!!
Really makes you wonder!
The general consensus that I was able to find after receiving your email is that Donald Fagen did, in fact, sing the lead vocal on the hit record. But he sure went out of his way to make it look like he didn’t! lol I wonder why he went so far to disassociate himself from the tune ... that answer might provide a clearer picture as to why the band stlll doesn't perform it today. (kk)
Meanwhile, word is The Eagles are headed to Las Vegas for a lengthy residency at The Sphere, recently vacated by U2. (It is not clear if Steely Dan will be part of this show or not.)
Now The Eagles aren't a very visual band ... sure, they had some BEAUTIFUL backdrops displayed on the large video screen behind them when they performed at The United Center a couple of weeks ago ... but (other than maybe Joe Walsh), I can't really picture these guys appearing and disappearing thru stage elevators, shooting out into the audience on long, extended ramps or giving in to all the glitz and glamor of fireworks, lightning bolts and laser special effects. Part of the whole appeal of the Eagles is that they let their music speak for itself WITHOUT all the gimmicks and gadgetry.
Still, no less an authority than The New York Post reported last week that The Eagles will be appearing at The Sphere during a ten week run between September and December. (This would have had to been planned and scheduled WELL in advance in order to fit into their ever-expanding "Long Goodbye" tour schedule.)
There's a part of me that wishes we would have known ...
Would we have foregone the Chicago concert to turn this into the ultimate Las Vegas Vacation ... tool around Sin City and catch a show at entertainments latest new spectacle?
Quite possibly. We haven't been to Vegas in a VERY long time (and we used to go nearly every year) ... so this would have been one HUGE bucket-list kind of event to see (especially since we had figured all along that this would be the last time we'd ever see The Eagles again.) kk
Another act we said we'd never see again (all these shows are just too damn expensive!!!) was Jeff Lynne's ELO ...
Until, of course, he announced HIS final tour this week, which includes a stop in Chicago on September 27th.
Without question, one of the best shows we've ever seen ... and we LOVE his music ... it's almost impossible to think that we would NOT go see ELO one last time.
Dates announced for Jeff's last trek across the United States include:
August 24th - Palm
Desert - CA Acrisure Arena
August 27th - Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena
August 28th - Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena
August 30th - Portland, OR - Moda Center
September 1st - San Francisco, CA - Chase Center
September 6th - St. Louis, MO - Enterprise Center
September 7th - Indianapolis, IN - Gainbridge Fieldhouse
September 9th - Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Arena
September 10th - Pittsburgh, PA - PPG Paints Arena
September 13th - Cincinnati, OH - Heritage Bank Center
September 14th - Cleveland, OH - Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
September 16th - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
September 20th - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
September 23rd - Boston, MA - TD Garden
September 25th - Washington, DC - Capital One Arena
September 27th - Chicago, IL - United Center
September 30th - St, Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
October 2nd - Denver, CO - Ball Arena
October 9th - Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena
October 11th - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena
October 12th - Atlanta, GA - State Farm Arena
October 15th - Austin, TX - Moody Center
October 16th - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
October 18th - Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
October 21st - Phoenix, AZ - Footprint Center
October 23rd - Sacramento, CA - Golden 1 Center
October 25th - Los Angeles, CA - Kia Forum
Billed as the "Over And Out" Tour, tickets are on sale now. (kk)
kk ...
Let me tell you MY sad record collecting story.
Going Back Years Ago, I Bought One Of Those Books That Tells You What Your Records Are Worth.
It Was Fun Checking The Labels + The Years + The Original Numbers.
When I Was Done --- Best One I Had --- 1954 / "GLORIA" / CADILLACS / JOSIE LABEL / EVEN MATCHED ORIGINAL NUMBERS
Book Says It's Worth $ 500 .
Only 1 Vinyl 45 In My Collection Of Hundreds Of 45's Is Cracked.
Can You Guess Which One It Was?
Don't Make Me Say It. Your Guess Is Correct.
Former Record Collector
If you’re a King Crimson fan, you’ll definitely want to know about this …
TODD RUNDGREN’s Explosive Take On KING CRIMSON’s “21ST CENTURY SCHIZOID MAN” Previews The Forthcoming Star-Studded KING CRIMSON Tribute Album!
Album features performances by King Crimson alumni Mel Collins and Jakko M. Jakszyk
as well as thrash guitar god Chris Poland, Deep Purple's Ian Paice,
Rainbow's Joe Lynn Turner, Dream Theater's James LaBrie, Cactus's Carmine Appice and more!
It’s one of the most groundbreaking debut albums of all-time, a monster of innovative musical composition and thought-provoking lyrics whose appeal and creative influence has not only endured though generations but has expanded since its initial release in 1969. In The Court Of The Crimson King is a magnum opus like no other in rock history and now an all-star gathering of rock music royalty have come together to recreate the masterpiece in its entirety!
It begins with a spectacular version of the lead off track, a mind-blowing, sonic soul-crushing blast called “21st Century Schizoid Man,” which features vocals by Rock Hall Of Fame inductee Todd Rundgren as well as theatrical legend Arthur “God Of Hellfire” Brown alongside former King Crimson saxophonist Mel Collins, guitarist Chris Poland and drummer Ian Paice. Together this extraordinarily talented quartet breathe vicious new life into the song. Rundgren’s vocal performance is nothing short of deliriously demented as he takes on the twisted psyche of King Crimson’s shattered mirror image of modern man. The single is released today on all music platforms to herald the imminent arrival of the full tribute album.
Stream/download the single: https://orcd.co/21stcenturyschizoidman
Drummer Paice recalls “I had the great privilege of seeing Crimson live in London just after the first album was released, a really inventive, wonderful band. We in Deep Purple thought they were really great!”
Set for release on April 19, Reimagining The Court Of The Crimson King unites an astounding mix of musical virtuosos and creative collaborators that’s as eclectic and far-reaching as King Crimson’s own noble cortege. Guests include all of those mentioned above plus current King Crimson vocalist/guitarist Jakko Jakszyk, Joe Lynn Turner, James LaBrie, Marty Friedman, and Carmine Appice. Adding to this stellar lineup are rock and prog giants such as Steve Hillage, known for his work with Gong, and Jah Wobble, the post-punk bass maestro and PIL & Eno collaborator; and the Hawkwind alumni trifecta of Alan Davey, Paul Rudolph, and Nik Turner, infusing the project with a cosmic touch!
This album is not just a tribute; it's a celebration and reinvention of a musical masterpiece, bringing together the past, present, and future of rock music. Don't miss this unparalleled musical journey.
Order the CD/Vinyl: https://cleorecs.com/store/?s=reimagining+the+court&post_type=product
Pre-order/pre-save the
digital: https://orcd.co/reimaginingthecourtofthecrimsonking
Track List:
1. 21st Century Schizoid Man feat. Todd Rundgren, Arthur Brown, Mel Collins,
Chris Poland & Ian Paice
2. I Talk To The Wind feat. Mel Collins, Django Jakszyk & Jakko M Jakszyk
3. Epitaph feat. Alan Davey, Paul Rudolph, Nik Turner, Adam Hamilton &
Danny Faulkner
4. Moonchild feat. Joe Lynn Turner, Marty Friedman, Jah Wobble & Chester
Thompson
5. The Court Of The Crimson King feat. James LaBrie, Carmine Appice & Steve
Hillage
BONUS TRACKS [CD ONLY]
6. 21st Century Schizoid Man feat. Arthur Brown, Brian Auger, Chris Poland
& Ian Paice
7. 21st Century Schizoid Man (Instrumental Version)
And, speaking of new releases, here’s one that Queen fans are gonna love!!!
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“Live and Dangerous in 1981” Following record-breaking IMAX Event Cinema worldwide release, Queen to release Queen Rock Montreal Double Blu-ray / double 4K Ultra High Definition package Double CD / Triple Vinyl 2CD Limited edition 3LP Black 3LP Coloured Transparent Blue Vinyl (Queen Online Store exclusive) Pre Order here Set to arrive May 10, 2024 Preview “Let Me Entertain You” here |
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Queen Rock Montreal captures the world’s most iconic rock band at the very peak of their live powers. Recorded in 1981 and recently released as a record-breaking digitally restored IMAX concert film, this landmark moment in the band’s history is now being released as both double Blu-Ray and double 4K Ultra High Definition packages, plus double CD and triple vinyl packages. Both come May 10th the band has announced. Queen Rock Montreal presents Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon at their most exciting and exhilarating. As Brian May puts it, this is Queen “live and dangerous.” Queen were on all-conquering form when they returned to Montreal, Canada for the fourth time in November 1981 to play two huge concerts at the 18,000-seat Forum. This pair of Montreal concerts marked an historic moment for Queen. After their massive success in the 1970s, the band entered the 80s bigger than ever, with the hugely successful The Game album producing their two biggest ever US singles in Another One Bites The Dust and Crazy Little Thing Called Love (both Billboard No.1’s), followed by the UK No.1 single Under Pressure. Queen’s return to Montreal came after almost two years of touring, including their very first tours of South and Central America, which saw the band playing two nights at Sao Paulo’s Morumbi Stadium to more than 150,000 devoted fans. As a result, when the band arrived in Canada in November 1981 they were in electrifying form. “Montreal is one of our favourite cities, it’s a great audience there, very full of energy,” says Brian May. “We’d played this particular venue, The Forum, several times before, and it was always full of really enthusiastic people giving us a lot of energy back.” The original concerts, which took place on November 24 and 25, 1981, were truly ground-breaking. They were arranged specifically to be filmed for a full-length concert film to document their live show. Director Saul Swimmer planned to shoot them using state-of-the-art Double Anamorphic 35mm footage, which allowed it to be projected on a gigantic, five-storey high screen. Backstage tensions between the members of Queen and Swimmer could have caused problems, but instead they propelled the band to new heights. “We were very, very hyped up, some of the tempos are really fast, there’s a lot of really incisive, angry playing,” says May. Queen Rock Montreal features a rawer version of the band who had released Bohemian Rhapsody half a decade earlier, showcasing their unparalleled musicianship, soaring vocal power and unstoppable live energy. “There’s no one on the stage apart from us,” says May.  Says Taylor: “It's fascinating to now realize how free we were on stage in 1981. It's a four piece, just the four of us in Queen, and to see Freddie. It's like being on stage with the band because the cameras are very high quality for the time. I've never seen anything that makes you feel quite so involved with the performance.” From Freddie Mercury’s opening cry of “Hello Montreal… long time no see. You wanna get crazy?” through to the thrilling climactic one-two of We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions, the energy rarely lets up – and even then only for signature ballad Love Of My Life.  The powerful vocal acrobatics of Mercury, May’s dazzling six-string pyrotechnics, Deacon’s rock solid heartbeat bass, Taylor’s unstoppable rhythmic display, and not to mention the unique combination of all four voices – Queen Rock Montreal shows the total cohesion and individual strengths of four musicians who were, as Brian May says, “at the top of our game”. Queen Rock Montreal Double CD/Triple vinyl LP
(Universal Music) The album’s 28-track setlist shows the breadth and brilliance of Queen’s songwriting. It mixes 70s classics (Killer Queen, Now I’m Here, We Will Rock You, We Are The Champions, Bohemian Rhapsody) and recent hits (Another One Bites The Dust, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Play The Game, Save Me) with fan-favourite deep cuts and album tracks (Keep Yourself Alive, Dragon Attack, I’m In Love With My Car, Sheer Heart Attack), as well as two songs, Flash and The Hero, which are exclusive to the audio-only formats. The audio comes as 2CD/3LP black vinyl and special 3LP Coloured Transparent Blue Vinyl (Queen Online Store exclusive).
Coloured Vinyl Pre-Order at QueenOnline Store: Double Blu-ray or Double 4K Ultra High Definition
package
As never before seen, the package presents this historic performance for the
first time in 4K with Dolby Atmos sound to experience rock & roll royalty
with Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon as they take
to the stage in this historic and exhilarating live concert from 1981. The 35mm original negative has been scanned to ensure the highest possible resolution, which was then examined frame by frame to remove any dirt, damage or splices to enhance the sharpness and quality of the picture. “I can’t think of any other record of our shows in which you are so intimately in contact with Freddie,” says May. “You can almost see everything that’s going on in his head, you can see his anger, you can see his insecurity, you can see his consciousness that he can move people right to the back of the auditorium. To me, it‘s very emotional. Oh my God, he was good.” For the first time ever, the concert will be presented in both full-frame and widescreen formats. The full-screen aspect ratio echoing more closely the way the film was originally shot, and the widescreen being a carefully cropped alternative presentation to fill the 16:9 ratio. In addition, the 4K Ultra High Definition release also has SDR / HDR dynamic range options.  In addition to Montreal, this package includes the most famous 21 minutes in rock & roll history – Queen’s electric performance at Live Aid, upscaled to high definition for the first time ever and with brand-new stereo, 5.1 and Dolby Atmos sound mixes, along with Freddie Mercury & Brian May performing “Is This The World We Created…?” later that evening. Now, these double CD/triple vinyl LP and Double Blu-ray or double 4K Ultra High Definition packages bring an entirely new dimension to this iconic slice of Queen history. “You see four young guys, we’ve already been around the world a lot of times, we’ve sold a lot of records, we’ve had a lot of hits, we know how to play with each other,” says Brian May of Queen Rock Montreal.“I feel proud of who we were at the time.” Taylor echoes the sentiment: “It’s so satisfying
to look at our younger selves in explosive action after all these years!” Queen Rock Montreal will be released worldwide May 10. |
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Formats/Track Listing: Double CD/Triple Vinyl |
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2CD CD1 CD2 3LP SIDE B SIDE C SIDE D SIDE E SIDE F |
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Queen Rock Montreal + Live Aid Double Blu-Ray /
Double 4K Ultra High Definition 4K – Disc 1 Live Aid: 4K Disc 2 Bonus: Live Aid Rehearsal: Blu-ray – Disc 1 Live Aid: Blu-ray Disc 2 Bonus: Live Aid Rehearsal:
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And don't miss Part 1 of Rewound Radio's DJ Hall Of Fame Birthday Salute to John Records Landecker, kicking off tomorrow at Noon Eastern Time on RewoundRadio.com! (Part 2 airs NEXT Saturday, March 30th)
