Paul McCartney's classic solo debut 'McCartney' celebrates 50th Anniversary with limited edition vinyl release for Record Store Day 2020
On April 18, 2020 one of the greatest solo debuts in rock history, Paul McCartney's McCartney, will receive a special 50th anniversary release in a limited-edition half-speed mastered vinyl pressing for Record Store Day.
Originally released in April 1970, one month before The Beatles’ swansong Let It Be, McCartney saw Paul getting back to basics. Writing every song and playing every instrument (with backing vocals from Linda McCartney), the eponymous album represented a creative rebirth, bursting with new ideas, experiments, playfulness and freedom. Sonically, McCartney's bare-bones home recording aesthetic imbued the album with an authentic lo-fi spirit, a much sought after sound that continues to retain a contemporary edge 50 years on.
In contrast to the professional difficulties that came with the demise of the world's most iconic band, Paul was personally enjoying the contentment of family life as a newly married father. In a Q&A released at the time, Paul described the theme and feel of the album as, “Home, family, love.” This is obvious from the opening notes of Lovely Linda throughout the album, with tracks like Every Night and Man We Was Lonely musing on how much Paul’s life had improved—and nowhere more poignantly than on the tour de force Maybe I’m Amazed. Paul’s timeless tribute to Linda would be recognized as one of contemporary music’s great love songs, and remains a staple of Paul’s live set to this day, never failing to inspire tears of joy with its refrain of “Maybe I’m a man in the middle of something that he doesn’t really understand. Maybe I’m a man. Maybe you’re the only woman who can ever help me. Baby won’t you help me understand”.
Linda’s presence is also felt in the album's iconic artwork: the front cover's bowl of cherries photographed by her on holiday in Antigua, and the back cover’s portrait of Paul with daughter Mary as a baby, photographed on the family's farm in Scotland where some of the album was also written.
50 years and counting, McCartney offers an incredible insight into the mind of one of the world's greatest ever songwriters. The homespun spirit of the album and Paul's taste for experimentation capture a unique moment in time: The very first steps of an unparalleled solo career that has seen Paul McCartney release decades worth of critically acclaimed commercial blockbuster albums including RAM, Band on the Run, Venus and Mars, Tug of War, Pipes of Peace, Flowers in the Dirt, Flaming Pie, Memory Almost Full, NEW and most recently 2018’s #1-charting Egypt Station.
The 50th anniversary Record Store Day limited edition of McCartney was pressed from a master cut by Miles Showell at half speed using the original 1970 master tapes at Abbey Road Studios. It was made as a vinyl specific transfer in high resolution and without digital peak limiting for the best possible reproduction.
Tracklisting
Side one:
The Lovely Linda
That Would Be Something
Valentine Day
Every Night
Hot as Sun/Glasses
Junk
Man We Was Lonely
Side two:
Oo You
Momma Miss America
Teddy Boy
Singalong Junk
Maybe I'm Amazed
The Lovely Linda
That Would Be Something
Valentine Day
Every Night
Hot as Sun/Glasses
Junk
Man We Was Lonely
Side two:
Oo You
Momma Miss America
Teddy Boy
Singalong Junk
Maybe I'm Amazed
Kreen-Akrore
U2's ‘11 O’CLOCK TICK TOCK’ exclusive!
Island Records and UMe today announce the release of U2's ‘11 O’Clock Tick Tock’ on limited edition 12” transparent blue vinyl to celebrate Record Store Day on Saturday, April 18, 2020.
The Record Store Day release marks the 40th anniversary of ‘11 O’Clock Tick Tock’ and includes the full-length version of the track, as well as the original 7” B-side ‘Touch’; plus two previously unreleased live recordings - ‘Touch’ and ‘Twilight’ - from the band’s memorable show at the Marquee in London in September 1980.
‘11 O’Clock Tick Tock’ was produced by Martin Hannett and recorded in the spring of 1980 at Dublin’s Windmill Lane Studios. Released in May that year, the song was U2’s first single on Island Records.
12” Info
- 4 track 12” EP, cut at 45 rpm
- Pressed on 180g transparent blue vinyl
- Full color gatefold outer sleeve
- Photo gallery on inner gatefold
Collective Soul set to release 'Half & Half' EP via Fuzzle-Flex Records on Record Store Day
March 5, 2020 – As part of what is now one of the most eagerly awaited days for true music fans, Record Store Day (Saturday, April 18), COLLECTIVE SOUL--E Roland (vocals / keyboards / guitar), Dean Roland (rhythm guitar), Will Turpin (bass), Jesse Triplett (lead guitar), Johnny Rabb (drums)—will release a limited edition 45 rpm/180g vinyl EP exclusively to independent record stores only entitled HALF & HALF. It features covers of “Opera Star” (Crazy Horse and Neil Young), “The One I Love” (R.E.M.), and two brand new songs.
The band will celebrate Record Store Day with a special in-store signing at Park Avenue CDs in Orlando.
For participating stores, fans can go to Recordstoreday.com.
“It’s an honor to be a part of Record Store Day with this exclusive new EP,” proclaims singer/guitarist E Roland. “Being a vinyl guy myself, that’s all I listen to when I am home, I don’t stream, and it has always been about vinyl for me. I think I have over 5,000 pieces of vinyl now.
“We decided to do covers on HALF & HALF’ which we have never really done as a band. The first one we chose is “Opera Star” by Crazy Horse and Neil Young, originally released on Re·ac·tor in 1981. I had been playing guitar for about two years, at that point, and I remember getting that record and going, ‘This is how I want to play guitar!’ My father was also operatically trained, so the line in there, ‘You were born to rock, you’ll never be an opera star…,’ was kind of where I got the vibe of…’I’ll just rock man!’
“We also did a cover of R.E.M.’s, ‘The One I Love.’ Being from Georgia, or really anywhere, R.E.M. is one of the most influential bands of all time. For everyone in the band, being able to play something from another Georgia band is very special.
“Support vinyl and support mom-and-pop record stores man, it is very important. It is the way music should be heard, vinyl.”
Here’s the track listing:
Side A:
Opera Star
Let Her Out
Side B:
Back Again
The One I Love
COLLECTIVE SOUL’s highly anticipated tenth studio album, BLOOD, was released June 21 on Fuzze-Flex Records/ADA as a download or CD on any of these digital retailers. Vinyl copies of the album are currently available on the band’s official website. It garnered impressive debuts on various Billboard’s charts thanks to devoted fans whose support continues to help the band celebrate their 25th anniversary, including #3 on the “Alternative Albums” chart. Elsewhere, it debuted at #4 on the “Independent Albums” chart, #5 on the “Rock Albums” chart, #12 on the “Digital Albums” chart, #15 on the “Top Current Albums” chart, and #19 on the “Internet Albums” chart.
In touring news, while they celebrated their 25th anniversary last year, COLLECTIVE SOUL’s celebration with their fans isn’t stopping anytime soon. Their 2020 headlining U.S. tour, which kicked off in Englewood, NJ on February 12, continues throughout the year. In addition to shows starting April 2 in San Antonio, TX, new tour dates will be announced in the coming weeks.
DATE CITY VENUE
Thu 4/2 San Antonio, TX Aztec Theater
Fri 4/3 Lake Charles, LA Golden Nugget Casino – Grand Ballroom
Sat 4/4 Biloxi, MS IP Casino Resort and Hotel
Thu 4/16 Huntsville, AL Von Braun Center – Mars Music Hall
Fri 4/17 New Brockton, AL Bama Slam Saloon
Sat 4/18 Kissimmee, FL Sunset Walk at Margaritaville Resort Orlando
Thu 4/23 Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues
Fri 4/24 Macon, GA Macon City Auditorium
Sun 4/25 Jacksonville, FL Naval Station Mayport (free show for military)
Thu 5/14 Catoosa, OK Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa
Fri 5/15 Richardson, TX Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival
Sat 5/16 Norman, OK Riverwind Casino
Sat 7/11 Traverse City, MI National Cherry Festival
Sat 7/18 Waukesha, WI Waukesha County Fair
COLLECTIVE SOUL
RECORD STORE DAY
#RSD20
Craft Recordings announces exclusive vinyl releases for Record Store Day 2020
Lineup includes limited-edition reissues from Willie Colón with Héctor Lavoe,
Camille Yarbrough and Parish Hall
Additional titles include a collection of ’60s garage rock rarities,
plus gems from the White Whale Records catalog
Los Angeles, CA (March 5, 2020)—Craft Recordings is excited to announce their roundup of exclusive vinyl titles for Record Store Day 2020, taking place on April 18th at independent record stores across the country. This year’s array of titles features several rarities, including the first-ever vinyl reissue of The Iron Pot Cooker—the 1975 LP from performance artist and activist Camille Yarbrough, plus the long out-of-print, self-titled 1970 album from blues-rockers Parish Hall. Also available is Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe’s first-ever Gold record, 1969’s Cosa Nuestra; plus, a UK-only exclusive EP from British garage, grime and hip-hop pioneers, So Solid Crew.
Craft has also put together two special compilations. The first, Double Whammy! A 1960s Garage Rock Rave-Up, offers a power-packed lineup of hits and rarities from the era’s influential underground music scene, and features acts like the Music Machine, the Vagrants and Count Five. Also uncovering long-lost musical nuggets of the ’60s is The Land of Sensations and Delights: A White Whale Records Collection, which highlights the folk-rock and psychedelic-pop of White Whale Records, and features singles from artists like Smokestack Lightnin’, J.K. & Co., and The Clique.
Since 2008, Record Store Day has celebrated the culture of the independent record store—offering music lovers the chance to pick up exclusive or limited-edition releases, while supporting their local music retailer at the same time. With the spirit of the devoted cratedigger in mind, the team at Craft Recordings has put together the following #RSD20 releases:
Willie Colón canta Héctor Lavoe: Cosa Nuestra
When the multi-talented trombonist, bandleader and community activist Willie Colón teamed up with one of the greatest salsa singers of all time, Héctor Lavoe, musical history was made. The best-selling duo, who were instrumental in popularizing salsa in the United States, collaborated throughout the late ’60s and ’70s, and recorded a total of 10 vibrant albums together, while also both taking part in the celebrated Fania All-Stars band.
Released in 1969, Cosa Nuestra was the pair’s fourth album, and their first record to be certified Gold by the RIAA. The LP features the pair at the top of their game, as they perform such hits as the exuberant “Che Che Colé,” “Juana Peña,” “Te Conozco,” and the bolero “Ausencia.” AllMusic called the album “a masterpiece,” adding that Lavoe's vocals are “his best on record.” This 180-gram reissue of Cosa Nuestra has been cut from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and manufactured at Memphis Record Pressing. The pressing is limited to 2,000 copies worldwide and comes housed in a classic tip-on jacket.
Cosa Nuestra is currently available in standard digital format (listen here) and will be released in high-resolution audio for the first time on April 24th.
Track list - Cosa Nuestra:
Side A:
1. Che Che Colé
2. No Me Llores Más
3. Ausencia
4. Te Conozco
Side B:
1. Juana Peña
2. Sonero Mayor
3. Sangrigorda
4. Tu No Puedes Conmigo
Camille Yarbrough: The Iron Pot Cooker
Praised by SPIN as a “hip-hop foremother,” Camille Yarbrough is an award-winning performance artist, author and cultural activist, among many other hyphenates. In 1971, Yarbrough wrote and starred in a one-woman, spoken-word show, called Tales and Tunes of an African American Griot. Four years later, Yarbrough released The Iron Pot Cooker, an album based on the show.
This rare and highly collectible landmark title has been recognized for its candor and passionate rhetoric. Part R&B, part street poetry, The Iron Pot Cooker has been called “a precursor to…The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" by writer Kevin Powell, while Billboard called it “thought-provoking,” adding that “Yarbrough has stylish traces of Nina Simone and Gil Scott-Heron but her own style of singing and recitation...are outstanding.”
The album is perhaps best known by a younger generation for its song “Take Yo' Praise,” which was sampled in the hit 1998 Fatboy Slim song “Praise You.” This 180-gram reissue, which marks the first vinyl availability of the title since its 1975 release on Vanguard Records, was cut from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. The pressing was manufactured at Memphis Record Pressing and comes housed in a tip-on jacket.
The Iron Pot Cooker is digitally available now (listen here) and will be released in high-resolution audio for the first time on April 24th. Limited to 2,300 copies worldwide.
Track list - The Iron Pot Cooker:
Side A
1. But It Comes Out Mad
2. Dream - Panic - Sonny Boy The Rip-Off Man - Little Sally The Super Sex Star (Taking Care Of Business)
3. Ain't It A Lonely Feeling
Side B
1. Take Yo' Praise
2. Can I Get A Witness
3. All Hid
Various Artists: Double Whammy! A 1960s Garage Rock Rave-Up
This garage rock extravaganza unearths rarities and spotlights classic tracks from the vaults of Stax, Original Sound, Vanguard and Fantasy Records. A follow-up to the 2019 Record Store Day title Poppies: Assorted Finery From the First Psychedelic Age, Double Whammy! surveys another influential underground scene of the 1960s: garage rock—or, as compilation producer Alec Palao describes it, “The American grass roots response to the British Invasion.” Thanks to the popularity of rock acts like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, bands without formal training or a slick, studio-tweaked sound suddenly had an opportunity for recognition and radio play. It was the beginning of an exciting new cultural era—one that celebrated the raw energy of youth culture, and where possibilities seemed limitless.
Focusing on the period between 1965 and 1968, the set features such legendary acts as the Music Machine, the Vagrants and Count Five, as well as lesser-known groups like Sacramento’s Group “B,” New York City’s Circus Maximus and Memphis’ the Poor Little Rich Kids. The 16-track LP also includes three previously unreleased tracks. Pressed on limited-edition translucent blue vinyl in a foil-wrapped jacket, the package includes liner notes from GRAMMY®-nominated writer and producer Alec Palao, who offers an in-depth look into each song on the compilation. Limited to 2,800 copies worldwide.
Double Whammy! A 1960s Garage Rock Rave-Up will also be available across all digital platforms on April 24th, while a previously unreleased extended version of the Music Machine's "The People in Me" will be available to stream or download as a special sneak peek on April 10th.
Track list - Double Whammy! A 1960s Garage Rock Rave-Up:
Side A
1. Count Five: Psychotic Reaction (Unedited Version)
2. Lonnie Duvall: Attention*
3. The Torquays: Harmonica Man (From London Town)
4. The Pullice: Can’t Get Enough*
5. The Squires: Anytime Anywhere
6. Circus Maximus: Short-Haired Fathers
7. The Bittersweets: In The Night
8. Joey Paige: ’Cause I’m In Love With You
Side B
1. Jack Bedient & The Chessman: Double Whammy
2. The Orfuns: The Animal In Me
3. The Music Machine: The People In Me (Full-Length Version)*
4. The Poor Little Rich Kids: Stop Quit-It
5. The Vagrants: I Can’t Make A Friend
6. Group “B”: She’s Gone
7. The Tears: Rat Race
8. The Fantastic Zoo: This Calls For a Celebration
*previously unreleased
Parish Hall: Parish Hall
Out of print on vinyl for decades, the first and only album from Parish Hall has been a long-sought-after title by record collectors from around the globe. The Bay Area trio—which consisted of singer, guitarist and pianist Gary Wagner, bassist John Haden and drummer Steve Adams—played a heavy, blues-infused rock, which has often drawn comparisons to one of their contemporaries: the Jimi Hendrix Experience. In 1969, the group caught the ears of local composer Ray Shanklin, who brought the band into the Fantasy Records fold, and produced the album. The result was a raw, energetic collection of 10 original songs by Wagner.
Parish Hall only released that one album together in 1970, and then seemingly fell into obscurity. Twenty years later, the LP gained a cult following among rock enthusiasts, and soon became a hot commodity with collectors. More recently, the songs from Parish Hall have had a new life, appearing in shows like The Deuce, films like the Steve Jobs biopic, Jobs, and video games like Mafia 3.
This reissue, which marks the very first American pressing since 1970, has been cut from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Memphis Record Pressing. Limited to 1,500 copies worldwide.
Parish Hall will also be released digitally across all platforms for the very first time on April 24th. The title will be available in high-resolution audio on the same date.
Track list - Parish Hall:
Side A
1. My Eyes Are Getting Heavy
2. Dynaflow
3. Ain't Feelin' Too Bad
4. Silver Ghost
5. Skid Row Runner
Side B
1. Lucanna
2. We're Gonna Burn Together
3. Somebody Got the Blues
4. How Can You Win?
5. Take Me with You When You Go
The Land of Sensations & Delights: The Psych Pop Sounds of White Whale Records, 1965–1970
Featuring 26 hits and rarities from the ’60s, The Land of Sensations & Delights: The Psych Pop Sounds of White Whale Records, 1965–1970, unearths the best gems from the Los Angeles label. Founded by Ted Feigin and Lee Lasseff in 1965, White Whale Records was instantly put on the map, thanks to its debut single, the Turtles’ “It Ain’t Me Babe,” which hit the Billboard Top 10 that summer. Throughout the next five years, the short-lived but enterprising label issued over 150 singles, as well as 24 albums. Though not every release had the same success as the Turtles’ output, Feigin and Lasseff signed a wide range of artists: from singer-songwriters to psychedelic pop acts. The Land of Sensations & Delights celebrates the “myriad of obscurities and curiosities” that came from the White Whale catalog, as the GRAMMY®-nominated compilation producer, Andrew Sandoval, explains in his in-depth liner notes.
Housed in a gatefold jacket, the two-LP collection includes such artists as the jazzy, Latin-tinged Triste Janero, the Laughing Gravy (a solo project by Dean Torrence, of Jan & Dean fame), Sunset Strip regulars Smokestack Lightnin’ and Professor Morrison’s Lollipop, whose garage-rock single “You Got the Love” gained traction as a regional hit. Limited to 2,000 copies worldwide.
In addition to the vinyl release, The Land of Sensations & Delights will also be available digitally and on CD, starting April 24th.
Track list - The Land of Sensations & Delights: The Psych Pop Sounds of White Whale Records, 1965–1970:
Side A
1. Professor Morrison’s Lollipop: You Got The Love
2. The Answer: I’ll Be In
3. Smokestack Lightnin': Got A Good Love
4. The Odyssey: Little Girl, Little Boy
5. XL’s: We Must Find A Way
6. The Everpresent Fullness: Darlin’ You Can Count On Me
Side B
1. Kris Jensen: I Can’t Get Nowhere With You
2. Lyme & Cybelle: Song #7
3. The Laughing Gravy: Vegetables
4. The Motives: The Chair
5. The Bears: Goin’ It Alone
6. Kenny O’Dell: Sunshine Dreamin’
7. J.K. & Co.: Land Of Sensations & Delights
Side C
1. The Clique: Superman
2. Bazooka: Look At You Now
3. Dalton & Montgomery: All At Once
4. Bobby Lile: Time To Be A Woman
5. The Brothers: Love Story
6. The Committee: If It Weren’t For You
7. Mournin’ Do: Summer Dream
Side D
1. Horses: Cheyenne
2. Rainy Daze: My Door Is Always Open
3. The Reivers: Constantly
4. The Buster Brown: The Proud One
5. The Rockets: Won’t You Say You’ll Stay
6. Triste Janero: In The Garden
So Solid Crew: 21 Seconds EP
So Solid Crew are a British garage and hip hop group originating from Battersea/Clapham Junction, London. With their seminal Number One single “21 Seconds,” the collective defined the UK music scene in the early 2000s and are today cited as pioneers of UK garage, grime and hip hop. The BRIT award-winning crew consisted of many influential members, the most notable include Megaman, Lisa Maffia, Romeo, Asher D, DJ Swiss and Harvey.
To celebrate an upcoming anniversary tour, So Solid Crew will release a new EP featuring the original anthem, alternate mixes and unreleased live cuts from the BBC archives. A very special 12” for Record Store Day 2020—limited to 2,100 copies—is pressed on ultra-clear heavyweight vinyl and housed in a bespoke “21” cut-out sleeve. This title is available for the UK-only.
Track List - So Solid Crew: 21 Seconds EP:
Side A
1. 21 Seconds (Original Mix)
2. 21 Seconds (BBC Radio 1 Lamacq Live, 2002)
Side B
1. 21 Seconds (DJ Swiss & Dan Da Man Vocal Remix)
2. 21 Seconds (12” Version)
3. 21 Seconds (BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge, 2001)
Greg Dulli announces Record Store Day exclusive 7" 'A Ghost,' including "Girl From The North Country" with Mark Lanegan
FIRST EVER SOLO ALBUM RANDOM DESIRE
OUT NOW VIA ROYAL CREAM/BMG
Last month, Greg Dulli, frontman of The Afghan Whigs and The Twilight Singers, released Random Desire, the first solo album under Dulli’s own name, out now on Royal Cream/BMG. Today, he announces a special Record Store Day release - Dulli’s A Ghost. The limited-edition blue vinyl features the single “A Ghost” taken from Random Desire, and a special b-side cover of Bob Dylan’s, “Girl From The North Country” with Dulli’s long-time collaborator Mark Lanegan. Lanegan has appeared on numerous projects with Dulli including the Twilight Singers and they have also recorded together as The Gutter Twins.
Dulli has announced a full slate of North American and European tour dates in support of Random Desire. The run kicks off in Minneapolis on April 24th and concludes in Los Angeles on May 28th. Other highlights include Metro in Chicago on April 25th, Webster Hall in New York City on May 6th and The Showbox in Seattle on May 23rd. All tour dates below.
Praise for Random Desire:
"His first solo work in more than a decade reminds us why he was one of the alt-rock era's most compelling tortured romantics." - Rolling Stone
"His records are like romantic thrillers with all the exposition and character development stripped out, leaving only moments of heated conflict and disarming confessions.” - Pitchfork
"Random Desire, looks to be the best snapshot yet of the musician’s dark, soulful style, filled with minor-key grooves and stirring torch-song anthems driven by his whiskey-on-honey voice." - The AV Club
"Before they were rock royalty, Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen were artists who could best be classified as “If you know, you know.” That means before they got the deserved love, respect and acclaim that often comes with being able to survive the music industry for more than 30 years, they were those artists only those diehard fans would travel to see, get their lyrics tattooed on them and exclaim in wide disbelief when fans hadn’t heard of their heroes...You can add Greg Dulli to that group too." - SPIN
“Dulli remains a restless and unpredictable frontman, constantly distorting his voice from a soaring falsetto into a bellowing bass, as though he's just getting started.” - Uncut Magazine
"Whereas ‘Pantomima’ cut through cynical themes with sharp, driving instrumentation, ‘It Falls Apart’ allows itself to get pulled into its darker inclinations. Perpetually falling piano notes grip at the melody, miring it in a sense of inevitable collapse. Even so, the synthesizers and drums push upward, giving Dulli’s vocals something to hook onto as he sings..." - Consequence of Sound
"Haunting, desolate and broody from the very first bars, Random Desire is a ten-song joyride through the darkest depths of Dulli's mind — told with the poetic poignancy only he can muster...Dulli has spent his whole career as a shape-shifting storyteller and Random Desire sees this continue...Dulli continually finds ways to explore the hidden pain of the human experience." - Exclaim!
"Dulli revels in murky, edgy, often choppy waters as he shifts from a booming baritone to falsetto in songs that won’t be troubling the hit parade anytime soon...Dulli’s unconventional, minor key songwriting, distinctive vocals and playing that, even with guests on every track, comes primarily from his mind and hands." - American Songwriter
"’It Falls Apart’ errs on the eerie side of Dulli’s signature sound, veering from the punchy deconstructed pop of ‘Pantomima’ toward pensive minor chords, weeping keyboard drones, and percussive tension that builds but never breaks. It’s kind of like the Greg Dulli version of Radiohead’s ‘Reckoner,’ which means it rules." - Stereogum
"’It Falls Apart’ is dark, sleek and sultry, with strings and synths riding atop a pulsing beat." - Brooklyn Vegan
Random Desire started in the aftermath of the last Whigs record, 2017’s In Spades, which Pitchfork named one of the best rock records of the year, hailing it as a “heavy, menacing work of indie rock majesty…thrilling and unsettling.” Drummer Patrick Keeler was about to take a short sabbatical to record and tour with his other band, The Raconteurs. Dulli’s longtime collaborator, bassist John Curley went back to school, and there was the tragic death of the band’s guitarist, Dave Rosser.
In response, Dulli returned to his teenage bedroom roots, finding musical inspiration via the model of one-man-band visionaries Prince and Todd Rundgren. The Los Angeles-by-way-of-Hamilton Ohio native wrote nearly every part of the record from piano lines to drums to bass riffs. As always, the music came first and the lyrics were completed later. Recording and writing way stations included his home in Silver Lake, the village of Crestline high up in the mountains above San Bernardino, and New Orleans. But the bulk was finished amidst the arid beauty and stark isolation of Joshua Tree (at the studio of engineer Christopher Thorn). Dulli handled most instrumentation, but an all-star cast of characters appear across the track-listing including The Whigs’ guitarist Jon Skibic and multi-instrumentalist Rick G. Nelson, Mathias Schneeberger (Twilight Singers), pedal steel wizard, upright bassist, and physician Dr. Stephen Patt, and drummer Jon Theodore (Queens of the Stone Age, The Mars Volta).
Clocking in at a lean 37 minutes, Random Desire is a clinic put on by a veteran master operating at the height of his powers, offering evidence of the hard-fought and weary wisdom learned from setbacks and victories alike. A lucid, confident and self-assured document of the songs of experience, the perils of existence, and the possibilities that offer themselves anew with each breath. Another death and rebirth from an outlaw who has seen it all and somehow lived to tell.
