Rod Stewart - Storyteller - The Complete Anthology: 1964-1990 [4 CD, 2009/FLAC]

 

Storyteller - The Complete Anthology: 1964-1990, is a 4-disc compilation by Rod Stewart . Five of the tracks had never before been released.

Storyteller spans the whole of Rod’s career beginning with the 1964 release of "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" and ending with "Downtown Train", a new song for 1989. It was designed for release in the US and contains four discs each covering a different period somewhat chronologically. Disc One spans 1964–1971 and includes " Can I Get a Witness?" recorded while Rod was with Steampacket and which had never before been released. Disc Two spans 1971–1976. Disc Three spans 1975–1981 and includes "To Love Somebody" featuring Booker T. & the M.G.'s. In the liner notes Rod recalls that this version was recorded shortly before Al Jackson, Jr. was killed. Disc Four spans 1981–1989 and includes never before released versions of "I Don't Want to Talk About It" and "This Old Heart of Mine". Originally released in an LP-sized box package, it was re-released on 17 November 2009 in a more compact boxed configuration.

 

Johnny Burnette - The Train Kept a Rollin' Memphis to Hollywood: The Complete Recordings 1955-1964 (9 CD, 2003/FLAC)

 If ever there were an act that deserved more than it got, it was Johnny Burnette and the Rock 'n' Roll Trio. These three young men -- Johnny and his brother Dorsey and guitarist extraordinaire Paul Burlison -- were the authentic rockabilly article, hailing, like Elvis Presley, from Memphis proper. They were rawer than Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis put together and at their best more exciting to listen to. And while Burnette went on to write hits for Ricky Nelson and score a few of his own, it's the Rock 'n' Roll Trio sides -- none of which ever charted -- for which he is most remembered. 

The nine CDs here include the earliest Burnette material issued as the Rhythm Rangers in 1955 on the Von label from Corinth, MS, and sounds like the last gasp of the hillbilly boogie shack shaking music issued throughout the late '40s and early '50s. What happened to transition the Rhythm Rangers to become the Rock 'n' Roll Trio is unknown other than the overnight success of Elvis. The two bands contained exactly the same personnel (although an earlier Rhythm Rangers included Scotty Moore as well, Elvis' famed guitarist). All of the Coral singles as well as outtakes are here, as are their Imperial sides by the Burnette Brothers, those obscure Dorsey solo singles on Cee-Jam and Surf, and Johnny's solo sides on Freedom (such as "Gumbo" and "Me and the Bear"), Liberty, Vee-Jay, Chancellor, Reprise, Capitol, Sahara, and Magic Lamp. All 163 sides are featured here in great remastered sound and painstakingly annotated in the true obsessive Bear Family tradition. 

The story and sounds chart the evolution of the rockabilly sound into Johnny's successes as a crooner and pop singer as well as a successful songwriter who was on his way to another breakthrough creatively when he was killed in a boating accident. While many may find the slicker pop material superfluous, it is exceptionally well-crafted and deserves a righteous hearing, not in spite of the rockabilly wildness that the Rock 'n' Roll Trio put down but because of it. This is one of the finest sets the Bear Family label has ever assembled; it is a labor of love to be sure, but it is also a work of art.

 

Bread - The Elektra Years (6 CD, 2017/FLAC)

 

1969 - Bread 

1970 - On The Waters 

1971 - Manna 

1972 - Baby I'm-A Want You

1972 - Guitar Man 

 

VA - The Many Faces of Santana (3 CD, 2017/FLAC)

 

In the late 1960s, when acid rock reigned and the British Invasion was still raging, Carlos Santana and his band introduced a Latin-based rock sound featuring an Afro-Cuban beat. Carlos Santana was a fourth-generation musician and the son of a violinist who played mariachi music. His father tried for many years to teach him violin, but at age eight, Santana discovered the guitar and started listening to the electric blues of B.B. King and John Lee Hooker and that was the end of it. During his long-lasting career, Carlos Santana's name has become synonymous with some of the most important genres of music today - jazz, Latin, salsa, blues and rock. In The Many Faces of Santana we will explore Santana's inner world, including it's members' side projects, alternative versions of some of his classics y his vast range of influences who made the multifaceted artist he ended up being. With fantastic artwork and remastered sound, we welcome Santana as another essential addition to our The Many Faces collection.

 

Leadbelly - The Library Of Congress Recordings (6 CD, 1991-1994/FLAC)

 These powerful performances date from 1939-43 when Ledbetter had moved to New York City after his years in prison. He was a fluid performer and his command of his trademark 12-string guitar is evident. Recorded by John and Alan Lomax, these sessions include "BollWeevil," "The Titanic," "Tight like That" and "Henry Ford Blues."