Classic Rock/Progressive Rock Review: Styx-Pieces of Eight-SACD Ltd. Numbered Ed.

Release Date: September 29, 2017

Label: Audio Fidelity

Website

Styx has always been one of my favorite bands, they still are and always will be. So, what is it like to be a lifetime fan of a band and you are still listening to their music? It holds some meaning for folks like myself. The music never sounds old or outdated and you are not expecting anything different…well sometimes it does happen. 

Consider this point, what is like for a music fan to hear the music they have been listening to for the last 30 to 40 years and suddenly it all sounds crisper, brighter, and clearer than ever before? Well, I can tell you it can be a revelatory experience to hear this music in the SACD format. 

The SACD release by Audio Fidelity last September of Pieces of Eight rocks and I heard things I have never heard before. This is what this format is intended to accomplish. I am here to tell you the job was well done (again) by Audio Fidelity. I am little late to the party but nevertheless I am reporting in to all of the respective lifetime rockers and audiophiles.

Pieces of Eight was a multiplatinum release and with good reason. The music offered radio friendly rock at the time and it was also a nod to the progressive elements of the band. The prog sounds came through loud and clear for this listener, however when I first heard it as a teenager I thought it just rocked. Which it did and still does, I just became older and more educated somewhere along the way.

Pieces of Eight is a very strong release right up there with the high echelon of prog rock releases like Grand Illusion but it rocked a bit harder. So, dare I say more metal this time around? It is there, all of it in its raging glory - rock, metal and prog. Anyone that liked to crank up the tunes can appreciate all of those genres coming together in an explosion of sound. 

That felt good to get all that off my chest and let y’all know how I really feel about this music. So, get yourself a copy before they run out again, even if you have all the other formats, you need to hear this SACD!

5/5 Stars

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

January 11, 2018

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Tracks: 
01. Great White Hope
02. I'm O.K.
03. Sing for the Day
04. The Message
05. Lords of the Ring
06. Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)
07. Queen of Spades
08. Renegade
09. Pieces of Eight
10. Aku-Aku

"Greg Lake Live In Piacenza" Limited Box Set, CD & Vinyl Now Available!

Manticore Italy Records is proud to announce the release of “Greg Lake Live In Piacenza” Limited Box Set, CD & Vinyl! Recorded in sound-demonstration quality this is the documentary of Greg Lake's last tour, recorded on November 28, 2012 in a sold out Teatro Municipale in Piacenza. It was a very special, magical evening, as Greg remembered in his outstanding autobiography, Lucky Man. The audience was so warm and he gave such a passionate performance. The Mayor of Piacenza and all the municipality attended the concert and went on stage thanking Mr. Lake for opening the “Musiche Nuove in Piacenza” festival. The concert was a triumph and eventually on January 9, 2016 the trustees of Conservatorio Nicolini of Piacenza gave Greg Lake the first honorary degree ever given by a Conservatorio.

This is a wonderful record, bringing the “Songs Of A Lifetime” project to its highest point. Exclusively for this concert, Greg performed with 3 special guests: Le Orme's leader Aldo Tagliapietra, ex PFM and Acqua Fragile's great vocalist Bernardo Lanzetti and the young talented Annie Barbazza, making the Piacenza show even more special and rare. It was Greg's wish that a precious, audiophile limited edition would re-launch his Manticore Label.

One outstanding memory I have of performing Songs Of A Lifetime show in Europe was on 28 November 2012 in the small city of Piacenza in Italy. The concert took place at a wonderful theatre there, the Teatro Municipale, which looks rather like La Scala in Milan with beautiful gold balconies and crystal chandeliers. I love Piacenza, and the Conservatorio di MusicaGiuseppe Nicolini there awarded me an honorary degree in 2016 for the way that King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer helped to bring classical music into young people’s lives - what an honour.

The show at Teatro Municipale was recorded and I decided to release a special collector’s edition of it on vinyl. Somehow the event, the feeling of the music and the atmosphere all seem to be suited to being reproduced in this analogue way.

Max Marchini recorded and produced the concert in Piacenza and together with Max I decided to restore Manticore Records label for the production and distribution of high-quality vinyl recordings. - Greg Lake, from “Lucky Man - The Autobiography”


(photo by Franz Soprani)

“Greg Lake Live In Piacenza” is available as:
1) very limited double premium audiophile vinyl in 700 hand-numbered copies, gold hot foil lettering.
2) very limited CD in 1600 hand-numbered copies, gold hot foil lettering.
3) very limited Box Set in 500 hand-numbered copies, gold hot foil lettering containing: double vinyl in clear audiophile edition, CD in audiophile gold limited edition, 10 in-folio photographic prints, original concert poster and ticket, exclusive video DVD documentary of the concert, Greg Lake logo sticker.

Produced by Greg Lake and Max Marchini
Recorded by Alberto Callegari
Mixed and mastered at Elfo Recording Studios, Tavernago (PC)
Post Productions by Greg Lake and Annie Barbazza.

Tracklist:
01. 21st Century Schizoid Man
02. Lend Your Love To Me Tonight
03. From The Beginning
04. Heartbreak Hotel
05. Epitaph/In The Court Of The Crimson King
06. I Talk To The Wind
07. You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away
08. Touch And Go
09. Trilogy/Still... You Turn Me On
10. I Believe In Father Christmas
11. Shakin’ All Over
12. C’est La Vie
13. People Get Ready
14. Lucky Man (featuring Annie Barbazza, Bernardo Lanzetti and Aldo Tagliapietra)
15. Karn Evil 9 (1st Impression, part II)

Visit Manticore Italy Records to purchase “Greg Lake Live In Piacenza”: www.manticorerecords.com

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Wishbone Ash The Vintage Years (1970-1991) Limited Edition Deluxe 30CD Box Set Available April 2018!

Authorised by all of the original band members!

In April 2018, Madfish celebrate Wishbone Ash, one of Britain’s most enduring and best-loved rock acts, by releasing a comprehensive deluxe 30 CD box set, The Vintage Years. Loaded with rarities, memorabilia, a new interview and a lavish 156-page hardback book, a third of this new collection features previously unheard & unreleased material.

Following decades of being starved of unreleased material from the true vintage years from Wishbone Ash, fans will soon be able to enjoy the long-awaited, remastered anthology from this esteemed and influential band in its pure quality in both musical and printed content.

This box set is strictly limited to 2,500 copies and includes all 16 studio albums between 1970-1991, all of which feature bonus material including rare album outtakes, B-sides and 12 previously unreleased studio tracks. These are presented in mini-gatefold sleeves. Three of the 16 albums are currently out of print on CD (Nouveau Calls, Here to Hear & Strange Affair). The box set will feature brand new cover artwork designed by Colin Elgie, the original designer behind the award-winning Live Dates sleeve artwork.

There are 3 original live albums (Live Dates, Live Dates Volume Two & Live in Tokyo) and 8 previously unreleased live albums (on 11 discs) recorded between 1973 & 1980.

1. Portsmouth Guildhall 1973 (2CD) from the Wishbone Four / Live Dates tour
2. Southampton University 1973 from the Wishbone Four / Live Dates tour
3. Edinburgh Usher Hall 1976 from the New England tour
4. Marquee Club 1977 from the Front Page News tour
5. Newcastle City Hall 1977 from the Front Page News tour
6. Bournemouth Winter Gardens 1978 (2CD) from the No Smoke Without Fire tour
7. Guildford Civic Hall 1980 (2CD) from the Just Testing tour
8. Chelmsford Odeon 1980 from the Blowin' Free tour

All music has been remastered from the original multitrack and ¼ inch tapes, sourced from Martin Turner and Andy Powell's personal collections, and from the Universal Music and Atlantic archives.

Accompanying this thorough collection of repertoire is a 156-page coffee table hardback book written by Classic Rock's Dave Ling, which includes personal photos, rare posters and flyers and collector's memorabilia.

Fans lucky enough to purchase this set also receive:
• 36-page poster book covering the early years through to Here to Hear.
• Four reproductions of original posters for:
Christmas at the Palace Dec 1973
Live Dates European tour – Hamburg Musikhalle 1974
Europe 1975 tour
Front Page News tour – Empire Pool Wembley 1977
• A Facsimile MCA debut album promo pack.
• A 7-inch flexi disc for the single “Blind Eye”, the first of the 11 Japanese singles series
• Individually signed photos of each band member.

Talking about the release, founder member Martin Turner explains, “I looked after most of these tape recordings for decades, wondering when they would ever see the light of day and I am very glad that they will at last be available for everyone to hear. I wanted to mix the live performances myself, but being a busy chap and not famous for my speediness, we decided to give it all to the wonderful Pete Reynolds whom I believe has done a brilliant job of mixing and remastering a massive collection of work. It's almost like having one's whole musical life in one box. It certainly represents the most comprehensive Wishbone collection that I know of and I hope you enjoy it.”

Andy Powell agrees, “It's truly amazing to look back at the musically fertile 70s and 80s and wonder at the sheer amount of incredible creative output from our band. We had great roots and a really strong blue-print for success. I feel blessed to have played my part in it all and I'm truly thankful that it's set the course for my entire life and all the music that's followed, as the band continues to live on into the 21st century.”

Rarely is an anthology of this quality ever released… Wishbone Ash: The Vintage Years is so comprehensive and lovingly-compiled, with such beautiful and quality accompanying material … if ever there was a box set not to miss, this is it!

For more information:
www.wishboneash.com
www.martinturnermusic.com ;
www.madfishmusic.com/wa

Press inquiries (North America only): Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

King Crimson To Release "Official Bootleg: Live in Chicago, June 28th, 2017" & "Sailors' Tales (1970 – 1972)" - Limited Edition 27 Disc Boxed Set

King Crimson's “Official Bootleg: Live in Chicago, June 28th, 2017,” a two CD set, taken from the band's most recent US tour, will be released on October 13, 2017. Presented as a King Crimson Collectors' Club special edition, King Crimson's “Live in Chicago is packaged in a media-book style hard cover 2CD edition with a 24 pages booklet featuring photographs by Tony Levin, introductory notes by Robert Fripp and photos/production notes by KC producer/manager David Singleton.

The album showcases many iconic King Crimson pieces performed live by this line-up for the first time – some being played live for the first time ever, including: “Islands,” “The Lizard Suite,” “The Errors,” “Fallen Angel,” “Cirkus” & more..

Featuring:
Mel Collins: Saxes & flute, Robert Fripp: Guitar & keyboards, Gavin Harrison: Drums, Jakko Jakszyk: Guitar & voice, Tony Levin: Basses, stick, voice Pat Mastelotto: Drums, Bill Rieflin: Keyboards, Jeremy Stacey: Drums & keyboards

 “If we are looking for a KC live (show); Chicago was exceptional” – Robert Fripp

 “One of our best” – Tony Levin

Reasons for the CD release:

1) Musicians know when a gig has really worked; when all the practicing, rehearsing, playing, set-list comes together in a particular time & venue with a particular audience. So, when musicians unanimously say that a concert was special, it's time to pay attention & plan a release for the broader community of fans as soon as is possible

2) King Crimson is a band that's best experienced live & if you can’t be there, the live album is the next best thing. Those fortunate to have recently witnessed the band live will surely want to also own this new live release.

“King Crimson - Sailors' Tales (1970 – 1972)” - Limited Edition 27 Disc Boxed Set containing 21CDS/4Blu- Rays/2DVD (all audio) will be released on November 3, 2017.

With much of the material from “In The Wake Of Poseidon,” “Lizard” and “Islan ds” now being performed by the current King Crimson line-up (2014 - to present), it is only in recent years that the wider world has begun to realise what fans have always known: this era's recordings are as vital as any other segment of the King Crimson catalogue.

Recorded between the dazzling impact of “In The Court Of The Crimson” in 1969 and the startling reinvention of the band in 1973's “Larks' Tongues In Aspic,” this boxed set documents a crucial period in King Crimson's history and shows it to be brimming with innovation, experimentation, and boundary-pushing energy.

With a wealth of previously unheard studio recordings from band rehearsals to full alternate mixes and a vast array of live material, much of it on CD/Blu-Ray for the first time and including four recently found, never before released concerts, this set presents the complete King Crimson recorded history of the period in the best quality audio possible.

• The complete 1970-72 King Crimson boxed set: 21CDS/4Blu-Rays/2DVD – all audio.
• 3CDs feature Steven Wilson & Robert Fripp stereo mixes of “In The Wake Of Poseidon” (1970), “Lizard” ( 1970) & “Islands” (1971) + additional tracks.
• 6CDs feature the Islands line-ups early concerts from Germany (new to CD) & the UK (1971).
• 9CDs feature live recordings (several new to CD and/or previously unreleased in any format) from the 1972 US tour, including a new stereo mix of “Summit Studios” & an expanded “Earthbound.”
• 3CDs feature auditions for the Islands band & two further, as yet, unidentified concerts from 1972 (all previously unreleased)
• 3 Blu-Ray discs contain the main studio albums in 5.1 Surround Sound & recent stereo editions mixed by Steven Wilson & Robert Fripp + 30th anniversary masters of the original stereo albums mixes (all in 24/96 hi-res), plus extensive additional material with each disc also featuring a complete alternate album + a further selection of additional, related studio/live material in hi-res.
• “Lizard” Blu-Ray: also contains the audition material from CDs19/20
• “Islands” Blu-Ray: also contains the following concerts in stereo Zoom Club (4 shows), Marquee Club, Plymouth, Glasgow, Detroit all from 1971.
• “Earthbound Tour”: Blu-Ray features an expanded version of the original album, Summit Studios gig in Stereo & Quadraphonic (newly mixed), the “Schizoid Men” sequence from the “Ladies of the Road” album, 2 newly discovered concerts in hi-res stereo & every existing soundboard concert recording from the 1972 US tour: Wilmington, NYC (2 shows), Chicago (2 tracks only), Detroit, Jacksonville, Orlando, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Peoria, Indianapolis & Denver (2 shows).
• 2 DVDs feature the expanded “Earthbound”, “Summit Studios,” “Schizoid Men,” “New York 1972” & the recently discovered live concerts.
• 12” box with booklet, memorabilia, a further downloadable concert, new sleeve-notes by Sid Smith, Jakko Jakszyk & David Singleton

King Crimson's “Official Bootleg: Live in Chicago, June 28th, 2017” and “King Crimson - Sailors' Tales (1970 – 1972)” - Limited Edition 27 Disc Boxed Set can be pre-ordered via the shops at www.schizoidshop.com as well as available through traditional retail outlets. The US based Schizoid Shop has recently added a range of new shirts and other band-related merchandise, and offers weekly specials including offers to win free tour tees.

Catch King Crimson's US tour Fall 2017!

Tour dates:
19 Oct Bass Concert Hall, Austin, TX - tickets
21 Oct Music Hall, Dallas, TX - tickets
23 Oct Center Stage, Atlanta, GA - tickets
24 Oct Center Stage, Atlanta, GA - tickets
26 Oct Duke Energy Centre for the Performing Arts, Raleigh, NC - tickets
28 Oct Lisner Auditorium, Washington D.C. - tickets
29 Oct Lisner Auditorium, Washington D.C. - tickets
31 Oct New Jersey Performing Arts Centre, Newark, NJ - tickets
02 Nov Merriam Theatre, Philadelphia, PA - tickets
03 Nov Merriam Theatre, Philadelphia. PA - tickets
06 Nov Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA - tickets
08 Nov The Egg, Albany, NY - tickets
09 Nov The Egg, Albany, NY - tickets
11 Nov Miller Symphony Hall, Allentown, PA - tickets
13 Nov Paramount Theatre, Long Island, NY - tickets
15 Nov Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY - tickets
17 Nov Beacon Theatre, New York, NY - tickets
18 Nov Beacon Theatre, New York, NY - tickets
20 Nov Palace Theater, Greensburg, PA - tickets
22 Nov Michigan Theatre, Ann Arbor, MI - tickets
24 Nov Hard Rock Rocksino, Cleveland, OH - tickets
26 Nov Riverside Theatre, Milwaukee, WI - tickets

For more ticket information: https://www.dgmlive.com/tours?liveshow=on

As well as standard tickets, the band's label, DGM, also has announced sale of VIP Royal Packages, limited to just 60 per show. Details can be viewed at the label's interactive and recently redeveloped website, www.dgmlive.com.



Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Bill Nelson's "Chance Encounters In The Garden Of Lights" 2CD Remastered & Expanded Edition With Bonus Tracks To Be Released July 28!

New remastered & expanded 2CD edition of the classic 1987 ambient double album with 21 bonus tracks drawn from the original 1988 CD edition & a rare limited edition EP

London - Esoteric Recordings' imprint Cocteau Discs, dedicated to the work of BILL NELSON, are proud to announce the release of a deluxe 2 disc digipak limited edition of the classic collection “Chance Encounters in the Garden of Lights.”

Originally issued on Bill’s Cocteau label in 1987, the double set featured two distinct works; “The Angel at the Western Window” and “The Book of Inward Conversation.” In his note for the original release Bill Nelson declared; “The music presented on these two albums marks the consolidation of several years of musical and philosophical practice. Almost every piece was conceived during moments of intense stillness or 'magical vacuity.' Of all the music I have made, this is, perhaps, the most personal and yet the least demonstrative.”

“Chance Encounters in the Garden of Lights” has now become a highly regarded collection of beautifully evocative ambient music in the prolific discography of Bill Nelson. Long out of print, this Cocteau Discs remastered limited edition presents this wonderful double album once again, restoring the original artwork in the collection in a deluxe 2CD digipack set.

It also features 21 bonus tracks drawn from the 1988 CD edition and a rare limited edition EP included with the very first LP pressing of the double album.

TRACK LIST:

DISC ONE:
THE ANGEL AT THE WESTERN WINDOW
1. WEST KEEP
2. THE SPIRIT CANNOT FAIL
3. PILOTS OF KITE
4. SEVENTH SEAL
5. PHANTOM GARDENS
6. THE ANGEL OF HEARTH AND HOME
7. VILLEFRANCHE INTERIOR
8. NIGHT TIDES
9. FIRST MEMORY
10. AZURE EXTENSION
11. RADIANT SPIRES
12. THE EVENING PEAL
13. THRENODIA
14. A SHORT DRINK FROM A CERTAIN FOUNTAIN
15. BODY OF LIGHT
16. AT THE CENTRE
17. SELF-INITIATION
18. THE WORD THAT BECAME FLESH
19. THE HERMETIC GARDEN
20. REVOLVING GLOBES
21. THE FOUR SQUARE CITADEL
22. LITTLE DAUGHTERS OF LIGHT
23. ORIENT OF MEMPHIS
24. THE ANGEL AT THE WESTERN WINDOW ADDITIONAL

BONUS TRACKS NOT ON ALBUM OR CASSETTE RELEASE:
25. THE PIANO ROOM
26. RAIN DANCE
27. ACHING HEART
28. ARISING
29. WELCOME TO REALM SEVEN
30. WITHOUT A BLUE HORIZON
31. FEMALE NEBULA
32. DEMON RAISING
33. BURNING THE GROVE OF SATYRS
34. THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF
35. REALM OF ARCHONS
36. THE ROSSETTI EFFECT
37. INFINITE STATION
38. PIANO ANGELICA

DISC TWO:
THE BOOK OF INWARD CONVERSATION
1. MY DARK DAEMON
2. THE DOVE CONSUMED (THE SERPENT SLUMBERS)
3. CALLING HEAVEN, CALLING HEAVEN, OVER
4. PATH OF RETURN
5. THEURGIA
6. STAIRCASE TO NO PLACE
7. EVOCATION OF A RADIANT CHILDHOOD
8. THE KINGDOM OF CONSEQUENCE
9. THE DIVINE RAPTURES OF SISTERHOOD
10. BRIGHT STAR (MOONLIGHT OVER OCEAN BLUE)
11. A BIRD OF THE AIR SHALL CARRY THY VOICE
12. CLOTHED IN LIGHT AMONGST THE STARS
13. GNOSIS
14. BRINGERS OF LIGHT TO THE FEAST
15. HASTENING THE CHARIOT OF MY HEART’S DESIRE
16. TRANSCENDENT
17. CONSOLAMENTUM ECCLESIA GNOSTICA (MUSIC FOR THE INTERIOR CHURCH)
18. SET ME UP AS A SEAL UPON THINE HEART
19. MYSTERIUM
20. KATHAROS
21. DAY OF ETERNITY
22. EVENING ADORATION
23. ECCLESIA GNOSTICA
24. YOUNG ANGELS BY AN ANCIENT RIVER
25. FINIS GLORIA MUNDI

(TRACKS 18 – 25 TAKEN FROM THE 7-INCH EP ORIGINALLY AVAILABLE WITH THE FIRST LP PRESSING OF “CHANCE ENCOUNTERS IN THE GARDEN OF LIGHTS”)

Release date July 28, 2017

For more information:
https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/chance-encounters-in-the-garden-of-lights-2cd-remastered-expanded-edition/

Bill Nelson's official website: http://www.billnelson.com/

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com