Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Sights and Sounds: The Dixie Dregs, Queen in 3-D, Hype!, Status Quo

Here is a super cool roundup of music news...


The original lineup of The Dixie Dregs has announced plans to reunite and tour in 2018. The original lineup features Rod Morgenstein, Andy West, Allen Sloan, Steve Davidowski and Steve Morse.

Keep checking dixiedregs.com and facebook.com/TheDixieDregs for updates on the upcoming tour.

Formed in the 1970s, The Dixie Dregs were an American band that performed mostly-instrumental music that fused together Southern and hard rock, progressive metal and classical forms into something that was completely unique. This will be a much-anticipated tour to be sure!


Queen in 3-D, a stereoscopic masterpiece by iconic guitarist and songwriter Brian May, is the first history of any rock group created in 3-D and written by a band member.Queen in 3D features more than 300 previously unseen 3-D photographs, capturing the history of Queen from the early 1970s to present day. The book has a lenticular 3-D front cover and exclusive Brian May patent OWL 3-D viewer.  It will be released by the London Stereoscopic Company in the U.S. on August 24, 2017.  www.queenin3-D.com

"The whole process of writing this new kind of book was almost subconscious. As I looked at the 3-D photos, memories were triggered and the stories poured out. It’s the 3-D element that makes it so evocative. I believe each image will draw readers in deeper, like me, inviting them to immerse themselves in a scene, to share a previously unseen Queen moment,” said May.

The 3-D illustrations were all captured with May’s stereoscopic cameras.  From an early age he traveled with a 3-D camera, allowing him to capture rare behind-the-scene moments on Queen Tours and during recordings. Some of the photographs had not even been fully processed until the book was in the making. Initially thought by May to be a quick job, this project turned into a labor of love which spanned three years. Each time the book seemed to be close to completion, more 3-D photos were found in forgotten hiding places, prompting further memories and filling in the story. Queen in 3-Deventually became a compelling set of snapshots of May’s life and the life of Queen, over more than 50 years.

Published as a lavish, high quality coffee table book by May’s own London Stereoscopic Company, Queen in 3-D reveals the band’s history through his eyes and reflective narrative.   The book is illustrated with around 360 photographs, mostly accessible in 3-D using the OWL viewer supplied. May’s recollections about himself and fellow band members Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor and John Deacon, are shared for the first time. Images were taken on stage and behind the scenes, including informal shots taken on the road and during leisure time. Mercury, shy and fiercely protective of his privacy, interacted playfully and comfortably with May’s camera.  Queen in 3-D shares rare glimpses of this consummate showman as viewed by his band mate and close friend. Current fans of the band will also enjoy the modern sections, including on and off stage moments with Adam Lambert.

This is an important book, not only capturing the very essence of one of the world’s all-time greatest bands, but also exploring the culture, politics and atmosphere of the many territories where Queen performed. Brian has created a text that chronicles changes in the music industry alongside major changes in the history of the world.

more here



The Blu-ray collector's edition of Hype! is set for release on September 29, 2017 courtesy of Shout! Factory. Released in 1996, the film was directed by Doug Pray and really is among the most notable films to look at the famed Seattle music scene of the early 1990s.

Here is the description on the upcoming release featured on the official Shout! Factory website:



Drop into the Pacific Northwest in the early '90s and watch a vibrant underground music scene explode into a global "grunge" media frenzy. Hype! follows the music from local bands playing for their friends, to Sub Pop Record's brilliant exploitation of "the Seattle Sound," to Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" hitting #1 on the charts. Questions of money, authenticity, and fame arise as "grunge fashion" hits the runways and a mass migration of wanna-be Seattle bands saturates the city. The Northwest experience is one of humor, loss, and epic irony. With intense live performances by Soundgarden, Mudhoney, Pearl Jam, and many more, Hype! rocks the definitive story of the world's last great local music scene.
"Two Thumbs Up!" – Siskel & Ebert
"The most accurate and energetic look at the Seattle music scene you'll ever see" – Chris Riemenschneider, Austin American-Statesman
"A brilliant synthesis of social anthropology and entertainment" – Christine McKenna, Los Angeles Times


Status Quo release The Vinyl Singles Collection 1984 - 1989on August 4, 2017 on UMe. This carefully curated release is the third in a series of five limited edition Status Quo 7” singles box sets. Each set covers a decade (in the case of the Eighties there are two sets) of the band’s U.K. singles. The music is also available via a digital download code included in the box. Classic Rock said of the first in the series, “This is Quo in their effortless, casually-exalted pomp… The singles box, complete with picture sleeves and choice B-sides, is a delight”.

The Vinyl Singles Collection 1984 - 1989 features all the 7" singles from the second part of the Eighties and features tracks such as “Rollin’ Home,” “The Wonderer” and “In the Army Now.” “Naughty Girl” appears for the first time as a single as it was unreleased at the time

The singles, mastered from original tapes, are presented in their original sleeves (picture and house bags). This Limited-Edition release offers twelve 7” black heavyweight vinyl records housed in a rigid lift-off lid box.  The box set contains a booklet with quotes and chart history of each single along with a selection of rare foreign covers and memorabilia.

Fully supported by the band, The Vinyl Singles Collection 1984 - 1989 is a phenomenal collection that will be cherished by Quo fans the world over.

Following on from the well-received release in March 2017 of the first collection covering 1972 - 1979, The Vinyl Singles Collection 1984 - 1989 is a triumphant revisiting of the glory days of one of the world’s most important rock acts.

The Vinyl Singles Collection 1984-1989


SINGLE ONE
“The Wanderer” / “Can't Be Done” 

SINGLE TWO
“Naughty Girl” / “No Contract”

SINGLE THREE
“Rollin' Home” / “Lonely”

SINGLE FOUR
“Red Sky” / “Don't Give It Up” 

SINGLE FIVE
“In the Army Now” / “Heartburn”

SINGLE SIX
“Dreamin'” /”Long Legged Girls” 

SINGLE SEVEN
“Ain't Complaining” / “That's Alright” 

SINGLE EIGHT
“Who Gets the Love?” / “Halloween”

SINGLE NINE
“Running All Over the World” / “Magic”

SINGLE TEN
“Burning Bridges (On and Off and On Again)” / “Whatever You Want”

SINGLE ELEVEN
“Not at All” / “Gone Thru the Slips” 

SINGLE TWELVE
“Little Dreamer” / “Rotten to The Bone” 

Order The Vinyl Singles Collection 1984-1989 here: https://StatusQuo.lnk.to/VinylSinglesCollectionVol3


Robert Kinsler

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