Several new audio titles and a noteworthy book are featured in my column this week.
Title: The Complete Capitol Albums (Omnivore Recordings)
You might like if you enjoy: The Everly Brothers, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard
Tell me more: Listening to the wonderful recordings that fill Omnivore Recordings' The Complete Capitol Albums by American country duo The Hagers, it defies belief that the team failed to ever score a top hit on the Billboard charts. Jim and John Hager recorded three albums for Capitol Records: The Hagers and Two Hagers Are Better Than One in 1970, and Motherhood, Apple Pie & The Flag in 1971. Additionally, the identical twins appeared 135 times on "Hee Haw" between 1969 and 1985. With the appreciation and explosion of Americana and roots music over the past decade, it's not a stretch to see there may very well be a new appreciation of The Hagers in 2022. The vocal talents of the twins shine across the 30-track collection. The lovely "Loneliness Without You," lively "I'm Her Fun," affecting take on Buck Owens' "Tender Loving Care," soaring "Give It Time," elegant "Flowers Need Sun Too" and nuanced cover of Merle Haggard's "Silver Wings" are early highlights. Late disc standouts include the lovely "Second Fiddle," lovely "I'm Miles Away," countrified "Motherhood, Apple Pie & The Flag," alluring "Four Strong Winds" and Everly Brothers-styled "California On My Mind." Information: OmnivoreRecordings.com.
Title: Melt Away: A Tribute to Brian Wilson (Fantasy)
You might like if you enjoy: She & Him, Brian Wilson
Tell me more: She & Him — M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel — are back with their first new full-length album since 2016, the delightful Melt Away: A Tribute to Brian Wilson. The new title features the duo's signature blend of 1960s pop sheen and indie rock sensibilities, a perfect fit with Wilson's timeless songcraft. While She & Him cover a few of Wilson's best-known hits, they more often stray off the beaten path across the 14-track set. The strength of the album spans from the uplifting "Do It Again" and "Good To My Baby" to the melancholy-adorned "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and "Melt Away" and darker currents of " 'Til I Die" (the disc's most stirring track). A touching tribute to the 80-year-old Wilson and welcome return from She & Him in one essential collection. Information: sheandhim.com.
ROCK 'N' ROLL READ
Author: Paul Gorman
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Pages: 240 pages; 580 illustrations
Tell me more: Previously published in 2009 under the title Reasons to Be Cheerful, the just published The Wild World of Barney Bubbles is an expanded and immersive celebration of the visual work of pioneering graphic artist Barney Bubbles. The 240-page book penned by journalist-author Paul Gorman is bolstered by contributions from Peter Saville, Clarita Hinojosa, Billy Bragg and Art Chantry. The book features hundreds of seldom seen photographs, working sketches, notebook images and original artwork. Readers who journey through the book will appreciate how fully Bubbles — born Colin Maximilian Fulcer in 1942 — was able to use arresting graphic design as a bridge between fine art and music. Among the diverse field of music makers to feature Bubbles' work were Hawkwind, Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, the Psychedelic Furs, Carlene Carter and many more. Perhaps the biggest takeaway from spending time inside the pages of The Wild World of Barney Bubbles is how Bubbles' work wonderfully avoided a single style while soaring no matter the discipline. Sadly, Gorman died in November 1983. He was only 41. Information: thamesandhudsonusa.com.
Robert Kinsler
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