It's a quiet day over in TAPLand today. Thanks for all of the participation on the Black Sabbath Poll and all of the emails that came AFTER the post. Oddly, while this was one of the low MAJOR band outputs (less than 100), we received more warm emails than for any other band polls. Black Sabbath has some deep friends and fans out there. They SHOULD know this.

Ok, after reading something a while back, I came across "bands that you need to hear before you die." I thought that would be a great topic for one of our posts. And so, guess what...we're going to do a Ten Bands You HAVE to hear before you die Poll. It's going to be fun. And I'm not even going to ask for it until October 1. That should give you plenty of time to start thinking about this. After the post, I'll give it a two-week life-span and then I'll post the results...somehow. So get to thinking. I know everyone has their Best 10 albums tucked deeply into their hearts.

Before I run off, however, I just read an interesting article on how labels will be releasing high potential sales albums on SD or Micro SD flash memory cards. The files will be high resolution and the cards will run about 1GB in memory capacity. I remember that Sandisk actually tried this some years back with The Rolling Stones' last album. It never came out. And I believe that the cost was prohibitive. While I know that this will not catch on, there might be a tiny market for it. We'll keep an eye on it.

And here's something so different, it belongs up here where you'll be sure to read it. On October 7, The Pretenders will release their 9th studio album called Break Up the Concrete. What makes this one a bit different the anything else that we've seen is that the cover will be of handmade seed paper...which can be planted...and will sprout (don't know what but I'm guesing a tree). This is unique to the first run of the CD and is likely to be a hell of a collectible. the second run of the CD will NOT have plantable paper although the paper will be of recyclable material. The LP version will be available in a gate-fold edition and the sleeve is also of a recyclable nature. Nice touch, guys. But I'm REALLY looking at the collectible aspect of this disc. The album is being released by Shangri-La Music and will have 11 tunes recorded in a fast 12 days.

Jon Anderson from YES has posted on his website stating that he feels that the members of YES has disrespected him by going on with a replacement singer to continue with plans for a 40th anniversary tour. Touchy business. Get well quickly, Jon.

And THIS, I simply refuse to believe...

Finally...you can get a free download of the lead-off song ("Mississippi" - unreleased from Time Out of Mind) from Tell-Tale Signs (Bob Dylan). Just click on over to HERE and you'll have a two-week lead before the album's release. But get by Monday because it ends just as Monday does.

Today, we have a series of reviews for you. The first review covers 12 titles from the recently released Japanese-styled Mini-LP Replica CD reissues for Brian Eno. In addition, I review a collection of Cabaret tunes from Revue Noir called Anthology Archive.

In addition, we are introducing you to another NYC band (we haven't done this for awhile) named Blacklist. I find them very good and thought...what the heck. You SHOULD hear about them. I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do.

Back on Friday...woohoo.

If you have missed the last As The Disc Spins (updated), check it out here.

To access the previous site and catch up, click here.

Lost Highway will release Cardinology from Ryan Adams and The Cardinals.  The album is being released in both CD and LP.  The LP will contain a bonus 7” vinyl “piece” as well as a download card allowing for the download of the songs as MP3s along with what is being referred to as a “super-cool surprise.”  Cardinology will release on October 28.

Kaiser Chiefs will come around again with their 3rd release, an anticipated Off With Their Heads.  This is being set for an October 28 release date by Universal Motown Records.  Off With Their Heads will be released as CD, Deluxe Edition CD, and LP.  The Deluxe Edition will add an expanded 36-page booklet along with 4 new live tracks recorded at their Elland Road performance in Leeds.  The band will launch a US tour for 2009 and will be at Chicago’s Park West on November 13 (I LOVE Park West, LOVE it), at NYC’s Webster Hall on November 15, and LA’s Henry Fonda Theatre on November 11.

Showdog Nashville will release That Don’t Make Me a Bad Guy from Country performer, Toby Keith, planning the album for October 28.

Previously mentioned, MCA will release a 3CD ‘best of’ for Reba McEntire called Reba – 50 Greatest Hits.  This set will include 46 of her TopTen hits, 20 of them #1 charters.  The three CDs will be housed in a Box and is planned for release on October 28.

Here’s some more info on the upcoming October 28 release of Greatest Hits, Volume One from Rascal Flatts.  It will be released as a single CD as well as a 2CD Limited Deluxe Edition.  The Limited Edition is truly limited as the remaining stock WILL be pulled after the Holidays.  Why then?  Simple actually, because the bonus disc will contain three Christmas tunes (“White Christmas,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” “I’ll be Home for Christmas”).  So if you want it, better pick it up early rather than later.  This album comes from Lyric Street Records.

Also previously mentioned, this partial reissue of A Midwinter Night’s Dream (includes five songs from A Winter Garden – 1995) will not only be released as a single disc packaged in a digipak but also will be reissued as a Deluxe Limited Edition Boxset.  The CD found in both packages will add 8 new Christmas songs including several absolute favourites of mine, “In the Bleak Midwinter,” and “The Holly and the Ivy.”  The Deluxe Edition ups the ante with a bonus DVD, which includes a 25-minute set of performances (3) from her 2007 Ancient Muses tour and a 66-minute documentary.  Included in the Boxset are 2 postcards, 2 holiday ornaments, and a special foldout piece.  A Midwinter Night’s Dream by Loreena McKennitt is available on October 28.

EmArcy Records will release a series (Road Shows) of Live Sonny  Rollins albums beginning October 28.  They will begin with Volume One.  The set will choose classic performances from Sonny Rollins shows from the last 30 years.  The performances are culled from Rollins’ private soundboard recordings and should yield up plenty of great songs along the way.  Anxious, so very anxious for this one…and the following sets.

The arriving new Snow Patrol album called A Hundred Million Suns, will be released in the standard CD issue as well as a 2LP set.  The 2LP set will be issued in coloured vinyl.  Both sets are expected on October 28 from Geffen Records.

Universal Republic Records will release Life, Love & Lies from Canadian rockers, State of Shock.  This album is geared to a release date of October 28.

There is excellent news on the upcoming Cat Stevens albums that we had previously announced (Tea for the Tillerman, and Teaser and the Firecat).  Instead of being eco-packs that have been pouring out the door of these labels, these are actually expanded 2CD Deluxe Edition packages.  Each set will add in a 2nd disc of bonus tracks, etc.  Tea for the Tillerman will add 11 tracks:

• Wild World (Demo)
• Longer Boats (Live at The Troubadour)
• Into White (Live at the Troubadour)
• Miles From Nowhere (Demo)
• Hard Headed Woman (Live in Japan)
• Where do the Children Play? (from The Majikat Earth Tour – 1976)
• Sad Lisa (from The Majikat Earth Tour – 1976)
• On the Road to Find Out (Live at KCET-TV LA)
• Father and Son (Yusuf’s Café)
• Wild World (Yusuf’s Café)
• Tea for the Tillerman (Live at the BBC)

Teaser and the Firecat will add 10 tracks to their bonus 2nd disc:

• Moonshadow (Recorded at the Troubadour)
• Rubylove (Demo)
• If I Laugh (Demo)
• Changes IV (Demo)
• How Can I Tell You (Demo)
• Morning Has Broken (Demo)
• Bitterblue (Recorded at The Royal Albert Hall)
• Tuesday’s Dead (from The Majikat Earth Tour – 1976)
• Peace Train (South African Mix)
• The Wind (Yusuf’s Café)

Both albums are newly re-mastered and, in addition to the rarities 2nd disc, will contain extensive booklets with complete original artwork, new liner notes from Paul Samwell-Smith, Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), and his longtime guitarist, Alun Davies.  Both of these Deluxe Edition sets will be released by A&M Records on November 04.  Must haves!!

These grand classic Brian Eno reissue titles have been imported and are being sold in the US. These releases are Limited so be sure to grab 'em when you can. They take advantage of the 2004 re-masters and are repackaged in these popular mini-LP jackets. Nice collector stuff. the titles ranged from Here Come the Warm Jets and Taking Tiger Mountain to later titles from the Ambient series up to Thursday Afternoon.

Blacklist is another band from NYC that I have discovered amongst MySpace pages that I like pretty well. With a sound like the stuff from the '80s and sounding so NYC, it's hard to avoid this stuff. PLUS, they have a free downloadable EP (Blacklist EP - 2005) of music, along with their newest one, Solidaire, available to purchase. And you could even download a song from it for free. Check these guys out. I think that you'll become fans. Click the MySpace button below for access to their music and EPs.