You could win this CD by voting for the next Bowie reissue...
David Bowie‘s The Rise And Fall of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars is reissued in June, but we would like to know which album from his classic 1970s period you would like to see reissued next as a deluxe / super deluxe edition.
There are many outstanding albums that have not as yet received any kind of special attention such as Hunky Dory, Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) and 1977’s Low.
Cast your vote via our Facebook poll and you will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win a rare 1990 Rykodisc edition of the Space Oddity album (aka David Bowie and Man of Words/Man of Music).
This long out-of-print CD edition of the album contains a unique mastering, comes with three bonus tracks, adopts the Ziggy period front cover and uniquely has the track Don’t Sit Down indexed separately. It also comes in the original, distinctive, green-tinted Rykodisc jewel case. The actual CD is pictured below.
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One lucky superdeluxeedition reader will be randomly picked from everyone who votes – only one vote per person please – and we will announce the winner on what we like to call superdeluxefriday – in this instance Friday 27th April. Good luck! We will publish the results from the poll in early May.
The five-disc Arkeology box set from World Party is now due for release in the UK on 4 June 2012. However, the US release still appears to be Tuesday next week (10 April).
Here’s an exclusive sneak-peak photo of the ring-bound ‘any year diary’ set – we will have more news and information on this box and the contents very soon.
Elvis Costello‘s return to his Spinning Songbook certainly was spectacular. The box set from late last year cost in the region of £200 for – wait for it – one CD. To be fair you also got a DVD, some bonus vinyl, various items of memorabilia and a signed certificate, but even Costello himself acknowledged that it was massively overpriced.
He advised fans to wait for some of the individual components to come out on their own in spring 2012. Well, that time has come and The Return of the Spectacular Spinning Songbook!!! (the exclamation marks are his, not ours…) is now offered as a single CD or a CD-DVD combo.
The later would definitely be our recommended format. For less than £15 you get a DVD taken entirely from the 12 May performance at The Wiltern, L.A. last year, plus the standard CD with 16 tracks taken from 11 and 12 May performances at the same venue.
The Spinning Songbook – Costello’s playful vaudeville gig-turned-game show format where a big wheel literally dictates the set-list – was originally conceived and toured back in 1986 and he returned to the format in 2011. Whichever song the wheel is pointing to when it stops is what the band plays next. To add to the fun members of the audience are chosen to make a selection and then come up and sit in a ‘throne’ on stage while the band play. A musical equivalent to the chef’s table.
All this is where the DVD comes into its own. Watching these theatrics, occasionally with sometime compere Napolean Dynamite (a Costello alter-ego), really adds to the enjoyment, and what’s even better is that a 5.1 surround sound option is available as well, along with some behind-the-scenes interviews, bonus tracks and (inevitably) an option to ‘spin’ the wheel yourself and go straight to whichever song is selected.
Costello’s band are dubbed ‘The Imposters’ – effectively three quarters of The Attractions. Steve Nieve, Pete Thomas are present and correct with Davey Faragher taking the Bruce Thomas role on bass guitar (he also sings backing vocals).
The band are impressive and perform a set full of familiar tracks, hardly pausing for breath during the introductory three or four songs. Costello goes walkabout during a powerful and heartfelt performance of God Give Me Strength resulting in a standing ovation, and Every Day I Write The Book is another highlight, with a Costello clearly enjoying getting the wah-wah pedal out.
The DVD features a few extra tracks not on the CD including A Slow Drag With Josephine and Jimmie Standing In The Rain, both from 2010’s National Ransom, but in the end this set is mostly about pleasing the fans with the hits and having some fun.
Last year the fans were certainly not pleased when they were expected to part with a small fortune to get their hands on this material via the box set, but all should be forgiven now that these new issues are available at very affordable prices.
Howard Jones reissues his final three albums recorded for Warners later this month (under his own Dtox label) and like the previous releases in 2010 and 2011, these will be available in a limited edition, hand-numbered box set with bonus audio. This time two bonus discs are exclusive to the box, making it a five-disc set. Continue reading “Howard Jones / One To One, Cross That Line and In The Running box”
Ex-Easterhouse guitarist Ivor Perry has been in touch to give his side of the notorious Smiths session in 1987 where he stood in for Johnny Marr, as Morrissey made what, in retrospect, appears to be a half-hearted attempt to continue the band without guitarist Johnny Marr. Continue reading “Smiths-guitarist-for-a-day Ivor Perry responds to Stephen Street”
ABBA release a deluxe edition of their final album The Visitors on 23 April. As previously reported the reissue of the 1981 album will include amongst the bonus tracks a completely unreleased ‘demo medley’ called From A Twinkling Star To A Passing Angel.
It was played on BBC Radio 2 this morning and you can listen to the full eight minute track below.
It is a fascinating journey through different approaches to the song including a disco version and an attempt with piano accompaniment.
Viva Hate is 30 years old today (14 March 2018). SDE highlights this 2012 interview with producer and co-writer Stephen Street as a way to mark the occasion.
Morrissey’s debut solo album Viva Hate is reissued next week. Producer and co-writer Stephen Street talks to us about the record and gives his verdict on the reissue.
Happy Birthday to Andrew Farriss of INXS who wrote this incredible song, from the incredible Welcome To Wherever You Are album. This is a live performance from Brixton Academy in London, 1994.
This competition has now closed. Thank you to all who entered.
Both winners were picked randomly. @ctidcarl wins the Complete Studio Albums box set and @chrismaychris wins the Original Album Series box set. Congratulations to them.
We have a copy of Madonna‘s Complete Studio Albums (1983-2008) box set to give away to one lucky reader of superdeluxeedition.com. This is a fantastic limited edition set of 11 CDs housed in gold clam-shell box. One runner-up will win the five-disc Original Album Series Box Set.
This competition has now closed. Thank you to all who entered.
The super deluxe edition of Living In the Material World, Martin Scorcese’s documentary on the life and music of George Harrison, had some flaws. The book within was softback, rather than the hardback version that was available separately. Also the actual documentary on DVD or Blu-ray and book could be bought separately for considerably less that than the £70 price tag on the super deluxe. Continue reading “George Harrison / Early Takes Vol 1”
Seems like Paul McCartney is getting in the mood for his RAM reissue. Yesterday he played the almost-title track Ram On for fans in Rotterdam. Watch the video below and see how the song has lost none of its charm, 41 years on.
