Days at home and quiet nights means now is the time for the deep dive.
THE BAND: The Band: 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe
The second LP by Dylan’s backing group is a must-have masterpiece not just for the hits “Rag Mama Rag” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” but the handmade ambience of these sessions held in Sammy Davis Jnr’s pool house. Robbie Robertson cleaned up the originals and thirteen unreleased outtakes but kept the dirt on their boots. Look out also for his memoir Once Were Brothers and the documentary of the same name.
KATE BUSH, The Other Sides
Kate Bush’s oeuvre is completely unclassifiable. She was the first woman to top the UK Hit Parade with an original song and she has continued to break ground ever since. This collection of 34 b-sides, remixes, deep dives and covers is exactly as expected: lush, weird, hyper-romantic, deeply personal and unique. Bush never fitted into a defined gang but a new generation – FKA Twigs, St Vincent and Florence have created one behind her and this is where music is going.
PRINCE, 1999
Prince celebrates the end (“You and I know we gotta die someday”) by going out with a bang, definitely no whimper. Sadly we may never party again like it was 2019. Aside from the apocalyptic message, 1999 was a sonic revolution melding pop rock and funk in new ways. Pop music was never the same. This five-disc set will get you through what’s coming.
McCOY TYNER, The Real McCoy
The piano player who died recently, came to prominence working with John Coltrane on masterpieces such as A Love Supreme. He finally left Coltrane’ spaceship and emerged on his own with this jazz masterpiece that also features Elvin Jones on drums and bassist Ron Carter. Light, breezy, passionate and warm. It’s a record you’ll cherish.
