Friday, October 31, 2008

Ace of Base



This should get some people here. Ace of Base are still together, for the most part.
Not shown is Linn Berggren, who gradually faded from view and lives privately. The remaining members, Jenny Berggren, Jonas Berggren, and Ulf Ekberg are reinventing themselves. Greatest Hits and Remixes features new versions of hits such as "Wheel of Fortune". Look for it in mid-November.
Arista dropped them in 2000 after slipping sales. The last studio release, Da Capo in 2002, was only available as an import to the Americas (I got mine from the EU through someone in Singapore). Now that, along with the back pan-Euro catalogue, is available legally on iTunes and emusic now that the worldwide rights belong to indie labels Playground/edel-Mega.
I also managed to find loads of rare tracks. You just have to look hard for them.
The new studio release, the first since Da Capo, will likely be self-titled and be out sometime in the new year. A long tour will follow, which I hope will come across Upstate NY (here we go again!).
There's someone not too far from me who's a bigger Acer than me. He sold me a rare 45. He runs a shop and he played the albums.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Denny Laine



Its a certain kind of day as I type this one. I've been trying for the past few years to find albums (physical releases) from former Wings and Moody Blues member Denny Laine. Few people realise hes had a solo career since Wings ended in 1980. Most of his solo albums are officially out-of-print and rare as gold because they obviously didn't sell enough copies to stay in circulation. Its very frustrating when this situation arises. Its given me endless headaches! Denny is underrated as his own man, and is forever in the shadow of Paul McCartney (don't get me wrong, I love them both). Budget CDs tag the name on just to attract casual fans.
I have Aah...Laine!, Holly Days, Japanese Tears (reissued as Send Me the Heart), Blue Nights, Reborn, Spreading My Wings, A Tribute to Paul McCartney & Wings, a mix CD, and Rock Survivor so far. I'm looking for Anyone Can Fly, Hometown Girls, Wings on My Feet, Lonely Road, All I Want is Freedom, Arctic Song, Blue Musician, and the bootleg Birmingham Boy, as well as the single "Catherines Wheel" (I don't really need Master Suite). If you have any of these, please contact me straight away. We can arrange a CD trade, or even a sale within reasonable rates. I hope somebody sees this. Most of these albums were released by pioneering UK indie President Records, but they told me they have to weed through all their masters (a likely story). I can't get a response on MySpace either. This may be the Holy Grail for me. I'll give myself another year to find these lost treasures from an under-appreciated talent.
I have gotten a few responses so far. Anyone else?

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Jon & Vangelis



Another possible site I may create in future will be for Jon & Vangelis. There isn't a fan site for just that. Vangelis still hasn't even launched his own site. I'm more a fan of Jon Anderson anyway. At least it's not with Yanni!
I'm looking for the rare B-side "Song Is". So send an mp3, please.
Get well soon, Jon!

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Marillion and Fish



I might be interested in getting Marillion and former frontman Fish. I know him from when he worked with Tony Banks. Marillion have never been a major success in the US, and the only Fish people in my area know is what's for lunch and/or dinner in much of Christendom every Friday (or Phish for that matter), yet both factions have a cult following here by the thousands. Marillion are trailblazers online, with fans even paying for albums and tours directly (as opposed to just buying them at shops or getting tickets). I did get the h era, but I find the Fish one more relatable to the prog I've been listening to such as Banks's Genesis, Gentle Giant, Yes, and King Crimson. I'm sure the critics, including this blog's namesake, pointed this out 25 years ago, and Marillion must be tired of the comparison like Badfinger to the Beatles, but everybody gets compared to somebody else in life, if not slated.
I wanna get the albums from my usual sites, but the band guilt-tripped everyone on their site saying not to do such a thing. Not everybody in music is rich (h has said that Marillion are not millionaires), between lower CD sales and the economy, so it hits home. Three shops I frequent have imports, so I might aim for them. I was also in touch with Mark Wilkinson, the classic line-up's answer to Storm Thorgerson, but more for the Ph.D. reissues, since he also restores covers for Voiceprint. I've also e-mailed Claudio Momberg in Chile, who was in one tribute band (as well as one to Genesis) and now has another called Fugazi (not the DC punk band), since we know of each other from the John Payne Google Group.
I might take this one more slowly. I've rushed into everybody else.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Geordie - Lost Northern Legends



It's AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson's birthday as I write today's post, and I fish out my Geordie CD-Rs. Trying to put info into my iTunes takes longer than I hoped as I mixed and matched the tracks I bought from an mp3 site. Also, I just put guitarist Vic Malcolm as writer since he did the bulk of it as Johnson wasn't much of a writer then. His voice was also calmer and markedly different from the writhing we know and love.
There is not even a proper fan site, let alone an official one on the band. When I have time, and actually find the records (which is hard in the US cheap), I might do it (Can You Do It?!). I've filled a niche for three other underrated bands, so this could be the next one. Stay tuned!

Friday, October 3, 2008

Asia imports




I'm looking for these Asia imports from Japan, Hong Kong, or South Korea:

Wetton Downes Icon: Never in a Million Years (Avalon Marquee)
John Wetton Caught in the Crossfire
GPS Window to the Soul
Asia featuring John Payne Military Man EP (US only)

These have exclusive bonus tracks you can't get anywhere else. If anyone has these, please email me mp3 links, or mail me CD-Rs, or spare copies (you have to ask me for my address). We can trade or you can sell to me at a low price. I can't afford what they offer on most sites. You can also just send mp3s of the bonus tracks. If you're looking for these yourself, then I can help you with that. I'd expect the same. Thanks for the help.