A slew of special gift-worthy new audio collections are celebrated in my column this week. Several of the audio titles are available on vinyl as well...
Title: Uprising Live! (Eagle Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Bob Marley, Ziggy Marley, reggae music
Tell me more: In celebration of the 75th birthday of the late reggae great Bob Marley, Eagle Records and the Bob Marley Estate have released Uprising Live! on vinyl for the first time. The classic recording captures a performance on the Jamaica native's "Uprising Tour" that ran through Europe from May to July 1980 with five additional dates in the U.S. in September of that year. Sadly, it was Marley's final tour before his death from cancer in May 1981. He was only 36. Uprising Live! was recorded at Dortmund's Westfalenhalle on June 13, 1980 and is a must have for fans of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. After a short set featuring his backing trio I Threes (Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths, Judy Mowatt), Marley is front and center to perform inspired and riveting versions of many of his most beloved anthems. The intoxicating likes of "Natural Mystic," "Could You Be Loved," "No Woman No Cry," "Exodus," "Redemption Song" and "Get Up, Stand Up" are among the galvanizing performances showcased on the title. In addition to the 3LP being available on black vinyl, a limited-edition colored vinyl release is also available. Marley is widely credited with introducing reggae to millions of fans around the world and his legacy is celebrated spectacularly across Uprising Live! Information: BobMarley.com.
Title: Wildflowers & All the Rest (Warner Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Tell me more: From the rousing rocker "You Wreck Me" and gorgeous ballad "Crawling Back to You" to the shimmering Byrds-flavored "A Higher Place," the material across Tom Petty's Wildflowers & All the Rest reveals a sophistication, ambition and unadulterated diversity that is a reminder how great the 1994 album Wildflowers was. The expanded Wildflowers & All the Rest includes all 25 songs originally envisioned to be part of a double album; standouts on "All The Rest" (disc 2) include the dreamy "Something Could Happen," melodious "Leave Virginia Alone," Southern fried blues rocker "Confusion Wheel," Americana swoop "Harry Green" and genre-busting "Climb That Hill." There are several deluxe configurations of Wildflowers & All the Rest available; this writer has the 4-disc audio CD version with 54 tracks including seven unreleased songs; there is a disc of solo home recordings and another disc of tracks performed live. Information: TomPetty.com.
Title: Southern Child (Omnivore Recordings)
You might like if you enjoy: Little Richard, James Brown, Vintage Trouble
Tell me more: The death of Little Richard on May 9, 2020 only increased interest in one of rock and roll's most influential founding fathers. Southern Child, the rocker's shelved third album for Reprise that was recorded following 1971's acclaimed King of Rock and Roll, is a predominantly country-rock effort and was unheard until the tracks appeared on a long-out-of-print label retrospective in 2005. The album was recorded in Los Angeles in spring of 1972; the LP was then mixed, mastered and handed to the label. However, Reprise instead opted to release The Second Coming in its place. Now Southern Child will be released on yellow vinyl on Friday, Nov. 27 (four bonus tracks are included on the audio CD version that follows on Dec. 4). The album is fascinating to be sure, and there are plenty of great songs here. The nuanced "If You Pick Her Too Hard (She Comes Out of Tune)," pretty "Ain't No Tellin'," uptempo "Southern Child," tender "In The Name" and zealous "Over Yonder" are among the country-flavored standouts on the set. Elsewhere the Macon, Georgia native tears it up on the funk-tinged rock 'n' soul original "Burning Up With Love," genre tossing "Last Year's Race Horse (Can't Run in This Year's Race)," and '50s-mining "I Get a Little Lonely" and bonus instrumental cut "Sneak the Freak." He also displays a way-out sense of fun via the quirky "Puppy Dog Song." Information: OmnivoreRecordings.com.
Title: Spirals Vol. 2...Time & The Space In Between (Purple Heart Recording Co.)
You might like if you enjoy: Jackson Browne, Nils Lofgren, Boz Scaggs
Tell me more: Singer-songwriter Bruce Sudano's latest album Spirals Vol. 2...Time & The Space In Between is a follow-up to Spirals Vol. 1...Not a Straight Line to be Found released earlier this year; it is a true celebration of bringing real life to songs that entice on first listen. A talented singer, songwriter and keyboardist, Sudano's songs capture his observations of the intimate and universal, unfolding with a rich variety of styles. "It Don't Take Much" is an uptempo jewel, while the jazz-flavored "Morning Kisses" is wistful and bolstered by Sudano's top-tier lead vocals. The winning acoustic guitar-anchored "The Promise" looks at the challenges of a relationship with an uncanny depth and beauty. The gorgeous "American Sunset" dreams of a better U.S. offered up with Springsteen-like power. The hopeful "Walking Down The Road" and "For the Sake of Humanity" undoubtedly speak for the voices of many who dream of better days ahead. Information: BruceSudano.com.
Title: Kindred Spirits (Tricki-Woo Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Samantha Fish, The Record Company, Larkin Poe
Tell me more: Kindred Spirits marks the second full-length album from Nashville-based blues rock duo Larkin Poe issued this year. Larkin Poe has followed up the release of their June 2020 LP Self Made Man with their first-ever covers album. Kindred Spirits is filled with familiar songs reworked to perfectly fit the signature style of Megan and Rebecca Lovell in sparse versions that reveal vast emotional reaches via stirring arrangements. "Nights in White Satin" takes listeners on an otherworldly journey; singer Rebecca Lovell's soaring vocals are mirrored by Megan Lovell's deft lap steel slide guitar work. Equally stirring is their take on Phil Collins' "In The Air Tonight," a Southern gothic sortie bolstered by the sisters' artful harmonies. The siblings actually best several of the originals covered on the disc, notably Post Malone's "Take What You Want." Their masterful reworkings of Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love," Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World" and Elton John's "Crocodile Rock" further certify the power of this well-crafted set. Information: LarkinPoe.com.
Robert Kinsler
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