We are greatly saddened to learn of the death of Ron Asheton, guitarist of the important '60s/'70s band, The Stooges, fronted by Iggy Pop. Ron was discovered dead in his home with no suspected foul play, apparently of a heart attack. He was 60.

He leaves behind an immense legacy. The Stooges helped shape the upcoming sounds of the latter '70s in such a way that to ignore the fact would be impossible. With incredible Stooges albums in his legacy as well as fine prior albums and the multitude of albums recorded after, Ron Asheton has given much of himself to Rock 'n Roll. The Stooges, along with brother and drummer, Scott, and of course Iggy Pop, can only be known and remembered as one of the great bands of Rock 'n Roll history. Ron's frenetic and distorted guitar was an essential. Ron Asheton's death will be felt and he will be missed. I'm very glad that a reunion had occurred earlier. Ron, go add some energy to that great band up there.

Ron Asheton
1948-2009
RIP

I have been struck with the flu bug since New Year's Eve and it has gained greater footing every day since. So, I'm making this post a quick one and get my sorry self back to recuperating. This particular bug ruined a 3.5 years streak where I have not so much as had a hint of an oncoming cold. But here I am now, towers crumbled and an overrunning army of bugs taking over the stronghold. Apologies to all expecting a little more out of me than I've provided. I did look into the mailbox to uncover some upcoming releases for you. See you again on Friday (and it won't be a day too soon).

We have several things to kick-off the New Year with. The first is our Annual Reader's Choice 'Best of 20xx' picks. In this case, you'll be picking the Best of 2008. i always look forward to these picks because it gives me a fast way to check up on things that I have missed over the year. I have always made new gains to my library with the arrival of these lists and I'm sure to do so again. You guys know the rules by now. Just send a list of the Best that graced our players over the course of 2008. We'll run this through January and then post results in February. Send them here at The Best Albums of 2008.

Also, we haven't forgot the fun Poll that picks the best album from a band's career. We're gpoing to kick off this new year with one for Aerosmith. Now Aerosmith is a band that rose to peak, crashed and burned, redefined, rose to another peak before silently fading away. Yes, the band still exists and still make recordings but not to the same degree of popularity that we have seen from them...twice. I suspect that we're going to see several schools of opinion here. Those that love the albums that began their career, those that love the second period of their revival, and those that just loved the band no matter what they did. I have a favourite. It is easily their second album, Get Your Wings. Full of high-energy bluesy rock, it was very hard for me to get back on track to anything that have done since then. However, I did love their works afterward, it was all measured against the power of that second album. So send us your choice for the Best Album for Aerosmith. You are invited to add commentary as to why you think your choice is the right one. Send them to the Best Album of Aerosmith at this easy-to-use email link. We'll post results in two weeks on January 19.

I want to take this moment to clear up any misconceptions that some of you had on my last commentary regarding 'the death rattle' of Rock. I did use Led Zeppelin as a reference point but it was not intended in any way to imply that Rock was dying. Or even as a forum to mourn the death of Rock in any way. I believe that Rock is an enduring force. What I am afraid of is the departure of enduring Rock bands - not Led Zep-like bands. The era of defined rock stars like Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Rush, etc (the list really does go on and on) that were magazine matter and such just seemed to kinda disappear over the last decade. THAT'S what I'm concerned of. Unfortunately, this is the point where this discussion can begin to splinter into many roads and so we'll leave it at this point. My only point of that last commentary was the seeming disappearance of notable and enduring Rock bands, much like U2, Rolling Stones, Beatles were/are. But please, continue to send your emails. It's how we communicate and share ideas and thoughts.

Side note: I spent much of the Holidays listening to LPs. Lots and lots of LPs. I'm listening to Monkey Island from the great J Geils Band (although they shortened their name to Geils for this one). This is one band that I'd love to see reunited for a tour, even a new album. Bet they still have it.

We have a few reviews for you to kick off the New Year. Mark Squirek, who is doing a fine job of bringing you reviews of some great music, gives a review of Live at Ronnie Scott's by Jeff Beck. I, in turn, being you a jazzy/World music review of Live!, a new set form Bujo Kevin Jones & Tenth World.

In addition, and to start the New Year Out, we have several more things before moving on. The first is a new band introduction, found below in the reviews section. They are called The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Be sure to scroll down for that. the second is that we have (tried) to launch a Facebook set of pages. We have a button for you to click on and befriend us and we hope that you will. We have a personal TAP page (because Facebook insists). And we also have a Business page and a Group page. I know...complicated. And it is. But we'll figure which to use in the long run but until then, check them all out. They are a bit different in content. I do suspect that it will be the personal page that you'll want to frequent most often as it easily leads to both of the other pages. I'm still trying to make one singular page the most impactful but haven't figured how to do it yet. If anyone has any ideas, let me know. There's nothing worse than being a 'noob' trying to produce a bit of usefulness...and not succeeding very well at it. There are some new things that we can do with it. For example, there is plenty of room there to discuss in an open forum. For those that wanted this to happen, here's an opportunity to guage it. In addition, there may als obe extra content there, capsule-like reviews, etc. This is an experiment to see what happens. You might have to sign up to check us out...I don't know. Forgive any problems that might arise from this but we'll get it figured out somehow.

For the long promised Albums You MUST Hear Before You Die! list (#27), 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 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, we have a list of 44 albums, many of which I emphatically agree with. Thanks to Kurt for his entry.

Wishbone Ash – Live Dates
Genesis – Selling England By The Pound
Triumvirat – Illusions On a Double Dimple
Larry Norman – Only Visiting This Planet
Heartsfield – The Wonder Of It All
Leon Russell – Carney
Black Oak Arkansas – If An Angel Came To See You Would You Make Her Feel At Home
Rare Bird – As Your Mind Flies By
King Crimson – In The Court Of The Crimson King
Super Session – Stills, Bloomfield & Kooper
Chicago – Chicago Transit Authority (1St Album S/T)
Sly & The Family Stone – Stand!
Ten Years After – A Space In Time
Spirit – The 12 Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus
Pavlov's Dog – Pampered Menial
Isao Tomita – Snowflakes Are Dancing
Moody Blues – Seventh Sojourn
War – All Day Music
Herbie Hancock – Headhunters
Billy Cobham – Spectrum  (Tommy Bolin & Jan Hammer Guest Musicians)
Fleetwood Mac – Mystery To Me
Brewer & Shipley – Tarkio Road
Yes – Time & A Word
Steppenwolf – Steppenwolf 7
Grand Funk Railroad – Survival
Seatrain – S/T First Album
Bloodrock – Bloodrock 3
Manfred Mann's Earth Band – Solar Fire
Camel – Mirage
David Bowie – Aladdin Sane
Curved Air – Second Album
Jo Jo Gunne – Jo Jo Gunne S/T
Brownsville Station – A Night On The Town
Jeff Beck – Blow By Blow
Jan Hammer – Black Sheep
Eric Burdon – Love Is
Tommy Bolin – Teaser
Thin Lizzy – Nightlife
Nektar – Remember The Future
Nektar – A Tab In The Ocean
Frank Zappa – Apostrophe
The Temptations – Phychedelic Shack
Michael Murphy – Geronimos Cadillac
REO Speedwagon – REO II

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.

As the 50th Anniversary approaches of ‘The Day the Music Died’ or the death of Buddy Holly and others in a plane crash for everyone else, the labels have scrambled to mark the occasion with collections.  Memorial Collection is a bringing together of 60 Buddy Holly tunes and including some rare undubbed early recordings.  This album is slated for the store shelves on February 10th, just one week after the actual anniversary date, which is February 3.  This set comes from Geffen Records and Decca.

Concord Records will release a 2CD collaboration of two keyboardists, Chick Corea and Hiromi.  The album is called Duet and will feature not only originals but covers as well.  This 12-track album is scheduled for February 3. 

Several weeks ago, we mentioned a new reissue label (Iconoclassic Records) that has done a magnificent job of re-releasing The Hoople (Mott the Hoople).  They have a new album reissue in the pipe coming up for a classic Weather Report album called Tale Spinnin’ (1975).  This new reissue will include not only the original elements of the album but will also include a new 1300 word essay written by Curt Bianchi from interviews with Shorter, Johnson, and Ndugu.  It is planned for February 17.

India.Arie releases her 4th album on February 10 called Testimony Pt 2: Love and Politics. It is scheduled to be released by Universal Republic.

Fania Records will add to their reissues with a new Masterworks effort.  This one is for Indestructible (1976) from Salsa artist, Ray Barretto.  This Masterworks series set will include 5 additional tracks that includes an early version of “Ay No,” along with a Live version of the song as well.  Other bonus tracks include a jazzed-up instrumental version of Bolero’s “Yo Tengo Un Amor,” as well as the unreleased “Jazz Guajira.”  It is scheduled for February 3.

Varese Sarabande and Fuel Records will release a compiled Various Artists album featuring 16 classic blues tracks emanating from Texas’ Blues greats like T-
Bone Walker, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Johnny Winter, amongst others.  This album is planned for February 3.  The album will be from the label’s low-priced Super Blues series and is Volume Three called Texas Greats.

As was expected, there were little to note over this Holidays break. But it wasn't as if everything came to a grinding halt. One of the thing that I have is certainly no secret but since the noise was heard on our break, I'll post in case it IS a surprise to someone. The new U2 album, which is slated for March 3, is called No Line on the Horizon. Planned for release by Interscope Records, No Line on the Horizon will be released in mulltiple CD formats as well as a 2LP vinyl issue. The CD formats include a standard CD release as well as a Limited Edition CD/DVD set, and a Limited Edition CD w/ Magazine, AND a Limited Edition CD. So, just in case you haven't heard.

Reprise Records will release the next Static X album called Cult of Static. The album is scheduled for March 17.

Be prepared for a very lean 2-3 weeks as we transition ino the New Year. Longtime readers already know about this yearly drought season.

Jeff Beck is one of our great guitar heroes, who has played with many of the guitar legends in bands (Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Ronnie Wood) that he was an integral part of. Beck still makes a mean album and his Live at Ronnie Scott's is a raw listen to one of our treasures. Mark Squirek gives us the report on this album.

We've located a pretty good indie band from NYC. Named as a the tongue-twisting The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, they have released a self-titled EP, a few sold-out 7" singles, and an upcoming full-length CD, also self-titled, expected on February 3 from Slumberland Records in both CD and LP format. We enjoy their music, which is an influenced set that sounds quite cool for this time. We recommend you check out their Myspace page for a hit on their music, or even their Facebook page, as well as their own website. There is a downloadable MP3 of their song, "Everything With You" that you may enjoy.