Classic Rock Radio: Latest Update From Jadis Just had an update from ...

John Jowitt and Gary Chandler.

Classic Rock Radio: Latest Update From Jadis  Just had an update from ...: Latest Update From Jadis  Just had an update from those frightfully nice young men at Jadis the wonderful British Band who are du...

Impacted by Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma

My house.  The paint on the stairs can wait.

Do give whatever you can to my campaign.  Bob Geldof I'm not.
UPDATE: Susan Sposato 1949-2023

Still need support to tie up loose ends.

Unifaun

Nad Sylvan, 2015 (on tour with Steve Hackett)

 Unifaun, the Swedish duo of Nad Sylvan, progs perennial late bloomer, and Bon Amici (né Christian Tordin), released their only album in 2008, opening doors for Sylvan, who has worked for Steve Hackett ever since, as the album is a pastiche of classic Genesis (and even some solo).  The founder of the indie label Progress Records, Hansi Cross, passed on some time ago and his family closed down the label, so the rights would likely be going back to Sylvan and Bon Amici.  It should be on Sylvans current label Inside Out/Century Media, now an autonomous subsidiary of Sony Music.  I have an autographed CD that I bought from his website, but now an LP could be cut.  I'm also waiting for reissues of Agents of Mercy, his band with Roine Stolt of The Flower Kings, Transatlantic, Kaipa and the Tangent, but Stolt told me he's working on that, so we'll just have to wait for those as well.

UPDATE: Esoteric Recordings/Cherry Red Records shall reissue Unifaun on 30 June 2023.  If only it were a month earlier and also on vinyl, but you can't win 'em all!

Latest Oasis News With stopcryingyourheartout.com: Noel Gallagher Talks About The New Oasis Album

Dig Out Your Soul Tour, Centre Bell; Montréal (Québec), Canada (the last tour), 2008

Latest Oasis News With stopcryingyourheartout.com: Noel Gallagher Talks About The New Oasis Album

oasis Update

Be Here Now press photo

Legendary Northerners oasis have moved their whole catalogue in the US and Canada to Reprise Records, and not just their swan song, Dig Out Your Soul, after being with Epic for over a decade. They may have become unhappy with Sony in North America because their success has waned here for the past ten years time and reduced promotion, yet could still close the place in cities such as Cincinnati. In their backyard, they had been indie, starting with Creation and later vanity label Big Brother. The last row between Noel and Liam Gallagher may be the final blow, and no reconciliation is on the horizon, so "Our Kid" and the rest of the band after Noel's departure will launch a spinoff band. Time Flies: 1994-2009 will cover their whole career while Stop the Clocks, which mainly focused on early days, left out some UK hits. It will be released this June. emusic now has the catalogue in most countries (Sony catalogue releases now qualify).

UPDATE: oasis announce reunion tour in September 2024!

Noel Gallaghers High Flying Birds: Back the Way We Came Vol 2

Noel Gallaghers HFB in Melbourne, VIC on Chasing Yesterday tour, 2015

 Last year, oasis spinoff Noel Gallaghers High Flying Birds released their first compilation Back the Way We Came Vol 1, even though they only have three studio albums and EPs each to date.  There are a number of tracks that are hard to find outside Japan that could fill a second volume.  A live album is also imminent, yet the new studio album Council Skies is on the way.  The second disc could be remixes.

A Simple Game of Genius

The Good Rebel

I'd Pick You Every Time

Shoot a Hole Into the Sun

Alone on the Rope

Let the Lord Shine a Light on Me

Leave My Guitar Alone

God Help Us All

Here's a Candle (for Your Birthday Cake)

The Girl with the X-Ray Eyes (demo)

Rattling Rose

Sail On

Evil Flower

Wandering Star

Come Outside

We're Gonna Get There in the End (demo)

Trying to Find a World That's Been and Gone Pt 1 (demo)

JMA Dome: Carrier No More

JMA Dome after the new roof was installed

 While other sports and live venues change names every so often, this one is unprecedented (that word is thrown around a lot these days).  The Carrier Dome, as it's been called all my life, will now be the JMA Dome due to a rift between SU and the air con trailblazers.  The local mobile company bought the naming rights as their new plant can see the stadium just over the horizon from their window.  It will take some time for everyone to adjust, though many will never let go, I'm sure (you know how it is).

I'm no sports fan, so I seldom set foot in there, even though the Dome is close to home, and the school is a big part of the local economy.  I tagged who has played there over the past four decades.  Prince closed the place in 1985.  I'll see Paul McCartney once again and Elton John at last later this year (wonder if he knows about L. Frank Baum being from the area when it comes to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road).  Non-Orange events can only be held off-semester or when there are away games during term.

There have been renovations and there will be more.  The new roof reminds me of Wembley Stadium getting done up, changing its character.  The I-81 project just down the hill will also be a game changer (did see Jim Boeheim drive by one time).  Just one sign around the corner needs to have the old guard taken off now.  Another on the new structure at the Loud House has been put on top since then.

No more pirate CDs?

Just several I've gotten recently

 I may not be getting any more pirate CDs from Boris any time soon.  Between a lack of titles I want from the site he uses to the current situation (we don't need to get into it too much here as we're all against Mr P.), I think it's time for an indefinite pause until further notice.  Even picking a bunch of titles I could just trade in is not feasible as that would still cost money when the economy in Russia is suffering because of the elephant in the room.  Also, the post office won't allow anything to be sent there at this time due to lack of transport and continuing sanctions.

I still plan to send some CDs over to him when it is allowed again, but it likely won't happen for the foreseeable future.  It's also because of limited availability of albums in my own area and having to go on the road or online, which can add up either way and that's before I ship.  Customs on both ends may now be wary at this time as my incoming package has not had an update in a couple weeks.  The two have had their issues prior to this anyway.  It's become a waiting game and then some.  We've gone from the latter stages of the pandemic to far worse.  Also, after those CDs do come, I shouldn't get anything else from there for the time being, even if you can't tell by looking at it (clever lot, that).

Universal and Sony have closed their Moscow offices, and Warner might next, as have many international companies, so people there would rely on pirate CDs, although downloading has become more prominent in the past two decades anyway.  It's nothing compared to the petrol rises back here.

I've also done something similar with someone in Ukraine, but we haven't done that in a period because he could no longer get anything over the border and now everyone is in survival mode, so I'm just worried about him and everyone there.  He sent few pirates, and was more into providing bootlegs.

As for Boris, I may break it to him gently once I give him information about the package, knowing how delicate this will be.  He knows all too well about he who shan't be named.  I will miss doing this, but it'll be the least of our problems compared to everything else.  I will just support the artists and buy new when I can, particularly within days of release if I can't on the day (as with indie and lesser known artists).  Maybe I've spent too much all these years with this scheme, letting it go on for so long.

UPDATE: My package is here now, but because it was sent before the war, it was probably still allowed, but another might not be until further notice.  Also, the website that he orders from hasn't has an update in a few months, so nothing new from there again until things settle down.

UPDATE 2: I've tried sending him another through a third-party service, but he has been surprisingly been uncooperative lately and won't respond to my e-mails anymore to provide information needed to proceed with the order. We all have lives no matter where we are in the world, but he usually writes back in a matter of days. Also, between the decreasing availability of titles on the list and having to deal my own life and expenses, I may not be able to do this anymore, even when everything's back to normal there. This has become too much, and I'll admit I haven't gotten back to him straightaway either in fairness, so I'm no better. Still, even the vast time zone difference hasn't been that much of a barrier. My inner Ann Landers tells me I should probably stop dealing with him, but I need closure first. I've spent too much time and money for over a decade doing all this. Now, it's more personal than external if he won't keep up his end. Even here, not everyone can be looked up online, let alone there. I think I'm done with him since I don't even listen to all of the CDs I have anymore, let alone need that many more. I had his whereabouts on paper or the plastic from the last shipment, but it was binned after I took everything out thinking I'd never need them. It's a wild goose chase and holy grail at this stage now. I won't use the term "ghosting" because that's b------s. I don't know what the problem is except that he's incommunicado, even though he's said before he gets busy, but don't we all? It takes a few minutes of your day to tell me where you live and where to ring you (I won't). Dr Phil says, "It's not an essay question" (and I wrote the essay, and then he'd say, "How's that workin' for ya?!" and "Don't invest more than you can afford to lose" [I don't watch that show anymore]). Boris, please answer me.

Peter Gabriel: PG Certificate

Peter Gabriel, 2011

 In 2019, Peter Gabriel released the compilation Rated PG, which features songs from films which weren't already on his own albums, apart from the original version of "In Your Eyes", later in 1989's Say Anything.  So many were overlooked, so another is needed, even though a studio album of new material is long overdue (I/O).  There was also Flotsam and Jetsam that had rare tracks (named for a song from the second solo album).

Strawberry Fields Forever (from All This and World War II)

Out Out (from Gremlins)

I Go Swimming (live) (from Hard to Hold)

Walk Through the Fire (alternate version) (from Against All Odds)

In Your Eyes (extended version) (from Say Anything)

Biko (live in Cuyahoga Falls, OH) (from Cry Freedom)

Lovetown (from Philadelphia)

I Have the Touch ('96 remix) (from Phenomenon)

I Grieve (original version) (from City of Angels)

Shaking the Tree '97 (from Jungle 2 Jungle)

The Tower That Ate People (from Red Planet)

Signal to Noise (instrumental) (from Gangs of New York)

While the Earth Sleeps (with Deep Forest) (from Strange Days)

Different Stories, Different Lives (from Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure) (previously unreleased)

Jadis

Gary Chandler, 2006

 Seems every now and then, I add another artist to my long collection, and this time it's another prog band with a cult following called Jadis.  I find their 2003 album, appropriately called Fanatic at the shop, and I buy it because two members at the time were also in IQ (Martin Orford, who since returned after leaving the business over piracy, and John Jowitt) and the drummer Steve Christey has worked for the late John Wetton on solo albums and with Geoffrey Downes on the first two Icon albums prior to the return of original Asia proper.  Turns out I friended frontman Gary Chandler on Facebook several years ago, but thought little of it until a couple months ago, as it was now meant to happen (and added Jowitt recently, and told him that I got an autographed CD of the band), even though he's not any more active on social media personally than I am.

Then there's trying to get more CDs.  The next two I bought I had to get online.  They weren't cheap, mind, and I've paid a pretty penny for other people.  A lot of them are a right fortune that, and I know where in person they might be available at a remotely better price, given the rise on essential items these days (they only had one, but with some determination, the follow-up could be found on amazon via a German seller I know at a doable price as other sellers there, Discogs and eBay charge an arm and leg for P&P alone).  The band have their own label and have the same indie distributor as IQs label, so they could reissue these albums, making them more affordable and available.

I also need a freely licenced photo for Wikipedia as the ones I used here can't be used there, just adding to my Holy Grail wild goose chase!  If they could play the US, I'd take my own, but it's hard enough right now to tour near home, and they don't have the same resources as some of their peers like visas and a budget, even if they started a crowdfund appeal like Marillion used to do, since Steve Rothery have helped Jadis get their foot in the door.

amazon.com Pro CD-Rs

Alan Reed in 2011

 We all know amazon.com these days, yet sometimes, when you order a CD from them, either direct or a third-party seller, it may be on a pro CD-R.  It's an authorised, licenced product, but you look underneath, it looks like the kind of thing you'd burn yourself twenty years ago (yes, it's been that long!).  I just bought the second solo album from the late Ray Thomas of the Moody Blues, Hopes, Wishes and Dreams.  It has been approved by his estate and label, and it may be a way to make product available, and this was done well before the current COVID supply chain catastrophe made it an issue.  Even Alan Reed (pictured), late of Pallas, had his début full length solo release, First in a Field of One, sent this way when I ordered my copy, and he insisted that I order his CDs through the Merch Desk instead (can't always order directly outside the US).  Even his former day job at the BBC (news producer) hasn't covered this lesser known practise of pro CD-Rs, I bet.  MIA indie artist Al Chantrey (né Alan Williams) had some of his DIY releases available through here, but are now as scarce as hens teeth, having had less trouble finding Robbie Williams and Take That in my area, but anyway.  Even Procol Harum have one. Can't come up with others, but they are out there.

I have, however, told you before about a similar scheme called The Disk Kiosk, which drew heavily on Universals catalogue. That unceremoniously went into obscurity along with some of their titles.

Maybe if some artists did allow their CDs to be pressed on pro CD-R, then regular ones, new or used, wouldn't be so rare and/or expensive.  I need most of Jadis's CDs as that's my new thing this year.  I guess if I'm desperate enough, I'll get the albums on CD-R if it's all I can afford and it's what's offered.