Unplugged In Boston by Megadeth

Megadeth unplugged? That was a surprise and unexpected. The heavy metal giants forever fronted by singer, guitarist and co-founder Dave Mustaine released Unplugged in Boston June 16, 2021 via the Cleopatra Records label,  previously only available to fan club members, from a live 2001 radio broadcast which was recorded at Bill’s Bar in Boston, MA and hosted by radio station WAAF  in a fully stripped down 10-song 45 minute set that by all means shows incredible musical depth beyond the headbanging chords that carry the band’s fully plugged in songs. The lineup for this album features Dave Mustaine on guitar and vocals, David Ellefson on bass, Al Pitrelli on guitar and Jimmy DeGrasso on drums.  This ten song set seems to be lifted straight from the soundboard and everything is kept intact, including Mustaine’s rant at an unfriendly fan. The set list also consists of tracks that are barely played today including Trust, Holy Wars, Mojo Psycho, Promises, Symphony of Destruction and much more.  I was quite impressed with the performance on this album as well as their songwriting talent and a superb job of recording.  This is an album I would highly recommend to anyone that loves metal, unplugged and Megadeth which is available on Vinyl, CD and digital download from Amazon, Bandcamp and many other music outlets.

The Chain by Sick Century

This morning I heard a song that I fell in love with.  It is a cover of the Fleetwood Mac song The Chain performed by a band from Pennsylvania called Sick Century featuring Mark Kahn on vocals, Scott Hoon on guitars, Nick Black on bass and my old friend Brady Hearn on drums.  Listening to this track, they gave a heavier rendition of this classic song with heavier guitar riffs, powerful vocals and driving drum beats.  I am looking forward to their debut EP that due to be released sometime in 2022.  I was also impressed with their arrangement of this song as well as their amazing performance and a superb recording.  This is a band I would love to see live and write a concert review for.  Check out this song at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nauypojg41k

End Of Innocence by Tony Kaye

End of Innocence is an album 20 years in the making, the first solo work from former Yes member Tony Kaye who retired from Yes in 1996 and came out of retirement the week following the events of 9/11 and began to write this album. This album features Dani Torchia who Kaye met in the wake of 9/11 who has written and performs on the album which is a requiem for those who lost their lives and all those touched by the horrific events of 9/11. Kaye’s wife, Dani Torchia, sings on a number of the album’s tunes, while current Yes touring drummer Jay Schellen, who played with Tony in the group Circa, also lent his talents to the record. The songs on End of Innocence thematically cover the events leading up to the tragedy, aspects of the attacks themselves and the aftermath of 9/11 such as 911 Overture, NYC Blues, 285 Fulton Street, Flight 11, Heroes, Ground Zero and much more.  I was quite impressed with the performance on this album as well as excellent musicianship, creative songwriting and a superb recording.  A portion of the profits from End of Innocence will benefit the Gary Sinise Foundation, a charity that supports veterans, military members and first responders experiencing hardships.  This album is available September 10, 2021 on CD and digital download from Amazon, Cherry Red Records, and many other music retailers.

Sounds Like Swiss by Nektar

Sounds Like Swiss is the latest release by Nektar scheduled for release on 1 October 2021 on the Beyond Before Records label and is the fourth review I hav done for this amazing band the last being in May of 2020 with the album The Other Side which that sent me a signed copy of the vinyl version.  This psychedelic progressive rock band  comprises of Randy Dembo on bass, 1 string guitar, bass pedals and vocals, Kendall Scott on keyboards and vocals, Ryche Chlanda on guitar and vocals, Ron Howden on drums, and Derek “Mo” Moore on bass.  Unearthed audio and video recordings from legendary progressive rock band Nektar captured live in Switzerland, 1973. Includes an hour-long concert videotaped for Swiss TV’s Kaléidospop, unseen since its original broadcast. The two CDs include the audio portion of the TV show as well as a complete show soundboard audio recording from the Pavilion des Sports in Lausanne, Switzerland in May 1973.  Listening to this album, plus watching their DVD and their live performance was the best next thing being there with such great tracks as A Day In The Life Of A Preacher, Let It Grow, Never Never Never, 1-2-3-4, Good Day, Cast Your Fate and so much more.  I was quite moved by the performance on this album as well as excellent songwriting talents and a superb recording.  This is definitely an album you will want to add to your music library which is available from all music retailers on October 1^st.  Please check out the band’s official website  https://nektarsmusic.com/  where you can also learn about this band, their music, and more. 

Legends Play The Beatles by Various Artists

As most people that knows me already knew, I am a major fan of The Beatles so when this new album called Legends Play The Beatles arrived in the mail, I was excited to give it a listen.  This 12 track album released June 3^, 2021 on the Cleopatra Records label features

an incredible line-up of rock, pop & folk legends gather on this collection of the best Beatles covers released in the last decade with performances by Heart’s Ann Wilson, Judy Collins, Cream’s Jack Bruce, Asia/King Crimson vocalist John Wetton, Air Supply, Molly Hatchet, Deep Purple’s Glenn Hughes and many more.  On Legends Play The Beatles, the artists stick pretty close to the originals, with a few brave souls straying from them and it is a matter of taste on how you judge these tracks. Among the tracks that I fell in love with their performance on this album is Here Comes The Sun by Richard Page and Steve Morse, Back In The USSR by Molly Hatchet, The Long And Winding Road by Air Supply, And I Love Her by Howard Jones and a couple more.  The rest of the tracks did not move me much.  All in all, it was an amazingly recorded album and worth adding to your Beatles collection.  I hope to get my hands on the vinyl version of this album to add to my Beatles library.  This compilation is available on Vinyl and CD from Amazon, Cleopatra Records, Discogs and many other music retailers.