B-Side

Released 45 years ago today: “Heaven Up Here” by Echo and the Bunnymen. Fronted by 22-year-old singer Ian McCulloch, this second LP by the Liverpool post-punk band arrived ten months after their debut “Crocodile”. Reviews are generally excellent; it reached #10 UK but only #184 Billboard. Singles: “A Promise”+ “Over the Wall”. NME crowned it 1981’s Album of the Year and later 39th greatest of the ‘80s. In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked it 463rd Greatest Album of All Time. More in Comments.

This week’s New Releases: Kurt Vile; Violet Grohl; Paul McCartney; All Them Witches; Underscores; Eleni Mandell; Eric Bibb; Eric Andre: Blarf; Greg Mendez; Villagerrr; Joe Lovano; Joe Hisaishi; Willie Nelson; Behemoth; Manchester Orchestra; Avishai Cohen Trio; Tyshawn Sorey ARCHIVAL: Allen Toussaint songbook; Roland Burrell; Camper Van Beethoven II + III deluxe; Floating Points ‘16; Tony Rice ‘76; Adrian Belew ‘89-’92 box

May 29 Birthdays: Carl Story b.1916; Eugene Wright (Dave Brubeck Quartet) and Harry Smith b.1923; Freddie Redd b.1928; Sandy Mosse b.1929; John Eaton b.1934; Sylvia Robinson b.1935; Gary Brooker (Procol Harum) b.1945; Hilton Ruiz b.1952; Mike Porcaro (Toto) and Mars Williams (Psychedelic Furs / NRG Ensemble) b.1955; Irmin Schmidt (CAN) is 89; Roy Crewdson (Freddie and the Dreamers) is 85; Joey Levine (Ohio Express) is 79; Francis Rossi (Status Quo) is 77; Rebbie Jackson is 76; Ron Levy is 75; Karl Bartos (Kraftwerk) is 74; Danny Elfman (Oingo Boingo) is 73; La Toya Jackson and Larry Blackmon (Cameo) are 70; Jim Snidero is 68; Mel Gaynor (Simple Minds) and Steve Hanley (The Fall) are 67; Melissa Etheridge is 65; Wycliffe Gordon and Noel Gallagher (Oasis) are 59; Chan Kinchla (Blues Traveler) is 58; Patrick Connaughty (Squarewave) is 54; Scary Spice (Spice Girls) is 51; Dave Buckner (Papa Roach) is 50; Pelle Almqvist (The Hives) is 48.

Notice: B-Side is OPEN Mon-Thurs 10-6 / Fri+Sat 10-7 / Sunday 11-5. Email [email protected] or message here to support our shop with any Vinyl, CD, t-shirt or gift card orders, for pickup or shipment to your home. Thank you for shopping local 🙂

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45 years ago, Bill Nelson released “Quit Dreaming and Get on the Beam”. To put in context, the 27-year-old English art-pop songwriter had already led his guitar-rock band Be-Bop Deluxe through five studio LPs plus one with his new wave band Red Noise. He had even issued a solo album as a teenager. This one was planned as the second Red Noise LP but after EMI dropped them from the label roster, Quit Dreaming… evolved into a solo project in 1979, but its release was delayed two years. When it finally dropped in May 1981, it reached #7 on the UK chart, boosted by singles “Do You Dream in Colour?” + “Youth of Nation on Fire”. Reviews are excellent. Fun fact: The first 10K copies included a free second LP of instrumental music “Sounding the Ritual Echo (Atmospheres for Dreaming)” which pointed to another range of genre avenues he would explore in depth over a long, prolific (and still active) recording career. More in Comments.

May 26 Birthdays: Al Jolson b.1886; Mamie Smith b.1891; Papa Charlie McCoy b.1909; Moondog b.1916; Rubén González (Buena Vista Social Club) b.1919; Peggy Lee b.1920; Miles Davis b.1926; Jaki Liebezeit (Can) b.1938; Levon Helm (The Band) b.1940; Poli Palmer (Family) b.1943; Ronnie Harkai (The Outsiders) and Mick Ronson (Bowie) b.1946; Richard Sohl (Patti Smith Group) b.1953; Ray Ennis (The Swinging Blue Jeans) and Lew Tabackin are 86; Willie Cantu (The Buckaroos) is 83; Verden Allen (Mott the Hoople) and Gerry Roslie (The Sonics) are 82; Garry Peterson (The Guess Who) is 81; Stevie Nicks (Fleetwood Mac) is 78; Hank Williams Jr. and Vicki Lawrence are 77; David Torn is 73; Marian Gold (Alphaville) is 72; Lenny Kravitz is 62; Tommy Stewart is 60; Kevin Moore (Dream Theater) is 59; Phillip Rhodes (Gin Blossoms) is 58; Alan White (Oasis) is 54; Lauryn Hill (Fugees) is 51; Justin Pierre (Motion Picture Soundtrack) is 50; Phil Elverum (The Microphones) and Josh Kaufman (Bonny Light Horseman) are 48; Isaac Slade (The Fray) is 45; Ken LaBarre (Tangy) is ??

Notice: B-Side is OPEN Mon-Thurs 10-6 / Fri+Sat 10-7 / Sunday 11-5. Email [email protected] or message here to support our shop with any Vinyl, CD, t-shirt or gift card orders, for pickup or shipment to your home. Thank you for shopping local 🙂

If you enjoy our human-written (no AI) daily posts celebrating historic albums, songs & artist birthdays, please invite your friends to follow the B-Side page, thanks

Farewell Sonny Rollins, composer, tenor saxophonist and last of the original bebop jazz giants. Monumental CV and life. Gone at 95.

Released 45 years ago today: “Neuromantic” by Yukihiro Takahashi. This self-produced third solo LP from the 28-year-old drummer, songwriter & keyboardist of pioneering Tokyo technopop trio Yellow Magic Orchestra is practically a YMO album itself, featuring his (then still current) bandmates Haruomi Hosono & Ryuichi Sakamoto. Many others contributed however, including Roxy Music members Andy Mackay & Phil Manzanera. This synthpop album earned good reviews and is a fan-favorite. Cover art is a self portrait. More in Comments.

May 24 Birthdays: Frank Signorelli b.1901; Herbie Fields b.1919; Charles Greenlee b.1927; Max Bennett (Frank Zappa / L.A. Express) b.1928; Michael White b.1930; Harold Budd b.1936; Prince Buster b.1938; Charles Earland b.1941; Derek Quinn (Freddie and the Dreamers) b.1942; Terry Callier b.1945; Cynthia Plaster Caster b.1947; Heavy D b.1967; Archie Shepp is 89; Tony Valentino (The Standells) and Bob Dylan are 85; Patti LaBelle is 82; Steve Upton (Wishbone Ash) is 80; Albert Bouchard (Blue Öyster Cult) and Waddy Wachtel are 79; Rosanne Cash is 71; Larry Blackmon (Cameo) is 70; Guy Fletcher (Dire Straits / Mark Knopfler) is 66; Steven Shane McDonald (Redd Kross / Off!) is 59; Rich Robinson (The Black Crowes) is 57; Alessandro Cortini (Nine Inch Nails) is 50; Jonathon Mayer (Surgeons in Heat) is 41; G-Eazy is 37.

Notice: B-Side is OPEN Mon-Thurs 10-6 / Fri+Sat 10-7 / Sunday 11-5. Email [email protected] or message here to support our shop with any Vinyl, CD, t-shirt or gift card orders, for pickup or shipment to your home. Thank you for shopping local 🙂

If you enjoy our human-written (no AI) daily posts celebrating historic albums, songs & artist birthdays, please invite your friends to follow the B-Side page, thanks

Released 40 years ago today: “Out of the Grey” by The Dream Syndicate. Led by songwriter Steve Wynn (26) and produced by new lead guitarist Paul B. Cutler, this third studio LP by the L.A. jangle-pop / ‘paisley underground’ band arrived after a brief breakup due to being dropped from a major label (A&M). They went on to issue one more studio album before breaking up again. In 2012, they reunited a third time and have issued four studio albums since. Despite good reviews, this album did not chart. More in Comments.

May 23 Birthdays: Scatman Crothers and Artie Shaw b.1910; Bumps Blackwell b.1918; Mac Wiseman b.1925; Rosemary Clooney b.1928; Robert Moog b.1934; Michel Colombier b.1939; Tiki Fulwood (Parliament / Funkadelic) b.1944; Richie Beirach b.1947; Danny Klein (The J. Geils Band) and Famoudou Don Moye (Art Ensemble of Chicago) and Ruth Underwood (The Mothers of Invention) are 80; Jim Mankey (Concrete Blonde) is 74; Rick Fenn (10cc) is 73; Luka Bloom and Dean Friedman are 71; Ken Peplowski is 67; Simon Gilbert (Suede) is 61; Phil Selway (Radiohead) is 59; Maxwell is 53; Jewel and Tim Whalen are 52; Tristan Prettyman is 44.

Notice: B-Side is OPEN Mon-Thurs 10-6 / Fri+Sat 10-7 / Sunday 11-5. Email [email protected] or message here to support our shop with any Vinyl, CD, t-shirt or gift card orders, for pickup or shipment to your home. Thank you for shopping local 🙂

If you enjoy our human-written (no AI) daily posts celebrating historic albums, songs & artist birthdays, please invite your friends to follow the B-Side page, thanks