Gift Ideas: Reich, Jarrett, Elvis, Queen, Depeche Mode & Otis – December 13, 2016

Countdown to Santa’s arrival is a mere twelve days!  Here’s a grab bag of goodies across genres to stimulate your giving gland…

The ECM Recordings from Steve Reich offers a kind of Reich 101 course in the form of the most essential material, remastered of course, from the giant of minimalism.  The set is well-timed as his 80th birthday two months ago and his selection as the Debs Composer’s Chair at Carnegie Hall for the 216-2017 season has stimulated interest in his work.  That’s hardly to suggest interest was waning, he has only grown in stature since Music For 18 Musicians hit in 1978.  This three disc includes that masterpiece alongside 1980’s Violin Phase/Music For A Large Ensemble/Octet as well as 1982’s Tehillim plus the original essays written by the composer upon the release of each.

Keith Jarrett’s A Multitude Of Angels also provides illuminating liner notes (newly penned) from the artist himself to accompany the stunning collection of music contained on the four CDs.  These 1996 concerts came at a difficult time personally for the Allentown, PA born artist who, at that point, had already been an important pianist across jazz and classical lines for three decades.  The performances are all the more remarkable knowing that he was suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which would keep him away from playing for the next two years.

The video collection is a no-brainer for fans of Depeche Mode with an impressive roster of directors allowing their disparate imaginations and visual sensibilities to complement, comment on, and amplify the songs of Gahan, Gore, and Fletcher.  

Queen Greatest Hits, The Wonder Of You by Elvis Presley with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Otis Redding’s Live at the Whisky A Go Go are all available on vinyl.  Whereas the Queen collection of course is for the entry level appreciator of Freddie and the fellas, the Presley and Redding sets are aimed at the fan that wants to get somewhere they haven’t been before with the considerable material that’s already available from the the king and the big O.

Musical Holiday Gift Ideas for 2015

So you need some musical holiday gift ideas for 2015 – no problemo!  I have donned Santa’s hat and sprawled many tasties on a table for your amusement and to make suggestions on what to buy for yourself or the music lover on your list.  From the king of Afrobeat Fela Kuti to Rage Against The Machine, we’ve got wax and discs of audio and video to inspire and delight.

The Bob Dylan Bootleg Series Volume 12: The Cutting Edge certainly yields some treasures for Zimmy enthusiasts.  This set offers alternate takes and other bric-a-brac from the Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, and Blonde on Blonde sessions.  If you’re writing a book on Dylan focusing on that period, maybe you’d want every note available on 18 CD’s!  If you’re hardcore, you’d likely go for the version on half a dozen CD’s.  I’m satisfied getting the best bits which are available on 2 CD’s and/or what I got – the 3 LP set which is packaged with the utmost affection.  I could say the same about the Spoon 10th anniversary re-issue of Gimme Fiction. 

The Sly and The Family Stone set offers both early and late shows recorded at Fillmore East, the storied joint on 2nd Avenue around 6th Street, in 1968.  The Who box set offers a DVD along with 2 CD’s in what could be their final live album, but I think I said that about Who’s Last in 1984.  Same format for Eric Clapton with a DVD/2 CD’s captured at Royal Albert Hall for his 70th birthday celebration.  I was lucky enough to catch one of the two Madison Square Garden shows that he played two weeks before the Royal Albert ones so I was especially pleased that it was recorded and released as Slowhand was in such sparkling form.  The Queen DVD is worth a peek and as far as Jazz goes, I can’t speak highly enough about the Miles Davis set covering 20 years of performances at Newport Jazz Festival.  It’s phenomenal.  The Weather Report and Jaco Pastorius soundtrack I’m just scratching the surface on, but these promise many hours of rewarding listening.

The Big Band Holidays disc by Wynton Marsalis and the fellas hits the spot, as does the Johnny Mathis box which has a few Christmas songs among the singles released between 1956 and 1981.  It’s a worthy collection on Johnny’s 80th birthday.  The Them compilation includes all the tracks on Angry Young Them (1965) and Them Again (1966) along with demos and what have you and it sounds great in remastered form.  Happy holidays!