Hell’s Bells!!  Will the theft of life ever end? 

To complete this horrid trilogy of deaths, the scythe-carrrying taker of lives decides to take the one guy I thought he’d hand out passes to.  But on Tuesday, the lead singer of the zombie-punk band, The Cramps, Lux Interior, succumbed to a heart condition at the age of 60.  Since the late ‘70s, The Cramps graced stages at CBGBs, Max’s Kansas City, and a whole mess of dives the world over. 

Lux Interior was a kinetic energy that crackled the second he took the stage.  I had the good luck of seeing The Cramps over many years on their frequent Halloween shows, some of them in OC at the now closed (and missed) The Galaxy Theatre. In those shows, not only did the band deliver a furious set of their classics but Lux Interior never showed an aging part of himself…ever.  In fact, he was as shocking at the end as he always had been during his younger years.  Never embarrassed to be a Rock ‘n’ Roll showman, he played it to the hilt becoming part of the true definition of the anarchy of Rock.  While he is not alone in this genuineness, he is one of the real deals.  It was more than just a ‘show,’ it was abandon on hyperdrive.  There are just a few that can share that crown.  One of them just left. 

Yes, a bit of Rock ‘n’ Roll just seriously died with the passing of Lux Interior, who now goes on to change things up in the Big Band.  I hope they’re ready for this one.

Lux Interior
1948-2009
RIP

I am about 60% recovered by an ‘in the jungle’ kind of flu.  However, I’m well enough to sit quietly at the PC and pound out a much needed post.  Lots of things have happened in my quarantine, one of them is the possible merger of TicketMaster, and Live Nation, a mega-power that can only bode poorly for concert-goers.  It’s bad enough that you have to pay a fee – an exorbitant fee – to print out your own ticket, now you have to deal with a company that can set its own rule that you have no choice BUT to follow if you want to see your favourite act.  I’m a capitalistic kind of guy but if Obama is going to put foots down to stop the ridiculous, this is a good time to do some foot-stompin’.  Personally, I’d rather see a revolt by the consumer (much more effective).  The artists could greatly help here too.  I’m sure that the likes of The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, and other large-scale artists have enough clout to buck this system by going down a different road.  Why not set up your own dates, set up a ticketing site for the events, and give people good pricing?  With the technologies available, I’m sure this is a not too much a problem.

Realities?  Artists are part of the issue (the big ones).  They charge extraordinary sums to play a date, and we pay it.  Here’s what the scenario should be:  We refuse to pay  these ridiculously priced tickets, artists have to answer by lowering prices, and then we get back into the business of enjoying a reasonably priced show.  I not sure ANY tour requires THAT much money to run.  However, as always, change starts with us, the consumer.  If we continue to buy into the machine, we allow these types of situations to continue.  One good boycott after another will solve lots of these ills and erase some of that unchecked greed exercised at will by corporate entities such as LiveNation and TicketMaster, as well as MANY artists.  Love whom we will, but those individuals and entities are part of the problem, as are we.

Hey, I just rattled my tin cup across the bars.  Fun!

I have a few reviews for you. Just scroll down and get surprised. I gotta get back to bed.

See you on Monday.

For the long promised Albums You MUST Hear Before You Die! list (#36), I will be posting a letter each post until exhausted (there were only 17 21 25 27 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 40 emails).  Some were only a few titles, some only one.  But there were more than a few that were massive and a few extended, well-detailed lists.  I’ll post them as I received them.  For today's post, it's simply Rob's MASSIVE list.

Beatles - Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.  (Even though I prefer Revolver, this is the one album everyone should hear before they die.  It's not overrated so much as it is familiar.  Any backlash is purely a result of its ubiquity.)
Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life.  (Again, I like Innervisions better, but this is the must-hear.)
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV. (over Physical Graffiti.)
Prince - Purple Rain. (over Sign O The Times.)
Michael Jackson - Thriller. (over Bad.) 
Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed. (over Sticky Fingers.)
Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced. (over Electric Ladyland.)
David Bowie - The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust. (over Hunky Dory.)
Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. (over Honky Chateau.)
U2 - The Joshua Tree (over Achtung Baby, which I much prefer.)
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon.
Radiohead - Ok Computer.
Marvin Gaye - What's Going On.
Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison.
Queen - A Night At the Opera.
Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited.
The Who - Who's Next.
Bob Marley - Exodus.
Santana - Abraxas.
Aretha Franklin - I've Never Loved A Man...
Paul Simon - Graceland.
The Clash - London Calling.
The Sex Pistols - Nevermind The Bullocks....
Velvet Underground - Velvet Underground & Nico.
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours.
T.Rex - Electric Warrior.
Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair.
The Police - Sychronicity.
Donna Summer - Bad Girls.
Blondie - Parallel Lines.
Parliament - Mothership Connection.
Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere.
Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark.
Madonna - Like A Virgin.
Alanis Morrisette - Jagged Little Pill.
Grateful Dead - American Beauty.
Frank Sinatra - Sinatra At the Sands.
The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead.
Nirvana - Nevermind.
The Pixies - Doolittle.
Outkast - Stankonia.
Dr. Dre - The Chronic.
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue.
Air - Moon Safari.
Soundtrack - Saturday Night Fever.
Soundtrack - O Brother Where Art Thou?

And once those are devoured...

Paul McCartney & Wings - Band on the Run.
George Harrison - All Things Must Pass.
John Lennon - Imagine.
Seal - Seal (1991).  (over Human Being.)
Aerosmith - Toys In The Attic (over Rocks & Get Your Wings.)
Cream - Disraeli Gears.
George Michael - Faith.
INXS - Kick.
REM - Document.
Pretenders - Learning To Crawl.
Kate Bush - Hounds of Love.
Guns N Roses - Appetite For Destruction. 
Flaming Lips - Yoshimi vs. The Pink Robots.
Journey - Escape.
Carole King - Tapestry.
Steely Dan - Aja.
Talking Heads - Remain In Light.
Metallica - Metallica.
ELO - Out of the Blue.
Fiona Apple - When The Pawn....
Amy Winehouse - Back to Black.
Tina Turner - Private Dancer.
Bjork - Homogenic.
The Cardigans - First Band On The Moon.
Ramones - Ramones.
Soundgarden - Superunknown.
The Band - Music from Big Pink.
Beck - Odelay.
The Cure - Disintegration.
Coldplay - Parachutes.
Robert Cray Band - Strong Persuader.
Blur - Parklife.
Bangles - Different Light.
Heart - Little Queen.
Dusty Springfield - Dusty In Memphis..
Pet Shop Boys - Please.
Sly & The Family Stone - Stand!
Earth Wind & Fire - All N All.
kd Lang - Absolute Torch and Twang.
Lyle Lovett - Pontiac.
Anita Baker - Rapture.
Norah Jones - Come Away With Me.
Sade - Love Deluxe.
RUN DMC - Raising Hell.
Snoop Doggy Dogg - Doggystyle.
NWA - Straight Outta Compton.
The Strokes - Is This It?
The White Stripes - Elephant.
Beach Boys - Pet Sounds. (and I'm not even a big Beach Boys fan.)
Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run (Ditto...)
The Eagles - Hotel California.  (and I'm not even a small Eagles fan.)

Hey, you asked for it.  Good luck.

We're going to keep the Best Album of ALL Time up for a long while as we continually update it. But I'll say this: The Beatles took the lead with not only The White Album but also the fact that they have been selected with two albums. Like The Albums You MUST Hear Before You Die! run, which does not show signs of stopping (I'm still getting emails, which I have no problem with and encourage - Send Them In), I'm hoping that this new thing stays strong. Send in your selection (one only, please) for the album that is the ruler of all.

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.

There are a few series sets coming to stores at various times.  One of them is a 16 Biggest Hits collection, while the other is a continuation of the Playlist assemblies.  Here are the ones coming:

On March 24, there will plenty of Country ‘best of’ series sets (16 Biggest Hits) for Alabama; Clint Black; Johnny Cash; Charlie Daniels; David Allen Coe; John Denver; Diamond Rio; Joe Diffie; Merle Haggard; Alan Jackson; Waylon Jennings; George Jones; Lonestar; Ronnie Milsap; Willie Nelson, Vol 1 & 2; Roy Orbison; Dolly Parton; and Ricky Van Shelton.  There will also be a Johnny and June Carter Cash entry for this 16 Biggest Hits series.

On March 31, there will be a selection of Rock and Pop artists in Playlist series that include Clay Aiken; Michael Bolton; Cheap Trick; Bob Dylan (‘70s); Gloria Estefan; Frankie J; Etta James; Gladys Knight and the Pips; Bob Marley & The Wailers; Ted Nugent; Our Lady Peace; Toto; and Luther Vandross.

Epic Records will be releasing a ‘best of’ set for Tori Amos with a tentative tile of Legs and Boots: The Best of Tori Amos.  It is being currently planed for March 31.

Columbia Records has two CD versions and a Blu-ray Video coming of Chris Botti in Boston for the famed singer, Chris Botti.  Those are planned for March 31.

Wind-Up Records has a Developing Artists debut arriving on March 31 for a band named Civil Twilight, their album being S/T (self-titled, also called Civil Twilight).  Might be worth a check out.  Wind-Up Records also has a Developing Artists album coming from Pilot Speed called Wooden Bones, also due on March 31.

Don’t forget that Legacy and Epic have a grand package coming for Ten by Pearl Jam on March 24.  It will arrive in a Legacy Edition, a Box set, a CD, and an LP.

Concord Music and Prestige will add three more Rudy Van Gelder re-masters, all with new and original liner notes.  The three albums are Standard Coltrane (John Coltrane); Collector’s Items (Miles Davis); and Worktime (Sonny Rollins).  These are scheduled for release on March 3.

It should be noted (especially if you are waiting for it) that the LP version of Easy Come Easy Go by Marianne Faithfull, will add six additional tracks on a 2LP, Double Gatefold issue.  It is planned for release on March 3 by Decca Records.  The CD follows on March 17.

The Daniel Lanois-produced album by Rocco Deluca and The Burden is scheduled for release on March 10 by Universal Republic Records.  The album is called Mercy.

Scream, the new album by Chris Cornell, is scheduled for March 10 on Interscope Records.  Watch for a Live appearance on The Jimmy Kimmel Show (March 10) in support of the album.  And for those that like this kind of knowledge, the album was produced by Timbaland.

Geffen Records will release previously unreleased performance Live tracks by BB King in a set called Live at the BBC.  The CD will contain great tunes from throughout his career from 4 separate time points (1978, 1989, 1991, 1998).  It is scheduled for March 10.

MCA Nashville will do the same for Steve Earle with an album called Live at the BBC.  Most of the tracks are from his 1988 (Copperhead Road) period and will add four bonus tracks from a 1987 period.  This is scheduled for March 10.

Bruce Springsteen has a lot of years between this release and the release of his first album, all for the same label. There's a lot of experiences tucked into those individual releases, each as different as the one before...and the one after. Bruce may not always hit on all cylinders for everyone but the fact remains, he hits on cylinders and is well thought of. In this lengthy review, Mark Squirek approaches Working on a Dream with a measure of respect and awe. We hope that you enjoy this review of Springsteen and the E-Street Band's latest.

This is a Soundtrack of collected remixes of Various Artists and their songs serve the ambience of the film well. With remixes assembled by NIN's Danny Lohner, this compilation is sure to be an interest to its audience. Underworld: The Rise of the Lycans is not only a decent film in the trilogy (thus far), but the music is apt as well.