Content tagged '10s'

Following its self-titled debut in 1977, Foreigner went on to record some of rock’s most enduring anthems; the group has 10 multi-platinum albums to its credit and is one of the best-selling bands of all time, with worldwide sales in excess of 75 million. Rhino celebrates the 40th anniversary of one of rock’s most popular acts with the new career-spanning compilation 40, a double-disc set that features 40 hits from 40 years. The collection brings together the best songs from Foreigner’s nine studio albums, including all 16 of its Top 30 hits: “Feels Like The First Time,” “Cold As Ice,” “Waiting For A Girl Like You,” “Hot Blooded,” the #1 smash “I Want To Know What Love Is” and more. All prior recordings have been remastered, and 40 also features two new tracks recorded especially for this release, “Give My Life For Love” and a new version of “I Don’t Want To Live Without You.”

The undisputed heavyweight champions of stoner comedy, Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong cut some of the funniest records ever made. The pair's LET'S MAKE A NEW DOPE DEAL delivers on the promise of its title with subversive drug humor sprinkled about, but Cheech & Chong wring laughs from a wide variety of subjects here, including the then-recent Star Wars (“Queer Wars”), popular music (“Bloat On,” their parody of The Floaters' hit, nearly made the Top 40 itself) and even holiday perennial “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.” The 1980 Warner Bros collection is an effective time capsule, but thanks to the appealingly goofy (and often perceptive) characters heard here, LET'S MAKE A NEW DOPE DEAL remains as hilarious as ever.

Legendary guitarist Steve Howe's five-decades-and-counting career is the focus of the new ANTHOLOGY 2: GROUPS AND COLLABORATIONS, the second in a series of archival releases. The three-CD set features 56 tracks that mix hits with a generous selection of unreleased recordings. The collection starts with mid-Sixties songs from bands like The Syndicats, The In Crowd and Tomorrow before revisiting some of Howe’s most memorable contributions to two of the world’s most successful progressive-rock groups: Yes (“Roundabout,” “Tempus Fugit”) and Asia (“Heat Of The Moment,” the previously unissued “Masquerade”). The collection also touches on supergroup GTR (including ex-Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett) and musical collaborations with such performers as Fish of the band Marillion. More than a dozen unreleased tracks make their debut on ANTHOLOGY 2.

Fans of Twin Peaks were in heaven when news broke that Mark Frost and David Lynch were revisiting their revolutionary television series for 18 episodes on Showtime this year. Directed entirely by Lynch, the new series picks up 25 years after the inhabitants of a quaint northwestern town were stunned by the shocking murder of homecoming queen Laura Palmer; Kyle MacLachlan returns as FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper. The new TWIN PEAKS (MUSIC FROM THE LIMITED EVENT SERIES) underscores the central part music has always played in Lynch's work, and as it helped establish the haunting, dreamlike nature of the original series, it plays a key role in the new one, from the debut episode's "Twin Peaks Main Theme" by Grammy-winning composer Angelo Badalamenti to such enigmatic tracks as "Shadow" by Chromatics, an electronic band based in Los Angeles. You won't find TWIN PEAKS on any map, but this alluring soundtrack will lead you straight to the heart of its mystery.

Brian Wilson's eponymous solo debut for Sire in 1988 launched an extended period of renewal for the iconic Beach Boys songwriter. The new Rhino collection PLAYBACK: THE BRIAN WILSON ANTHOLOGY is the performer's first-ever solo career-spanning collection and covers more than 30 years of music with selections from nine of Wilson's solo albums. The set's 18 tracks mix live and studio recordings and feature such highlights as the classic "Love And Mercy," “Heroes And Villains” from the Grammy®-winning BRIAN WILSON PRESENTS SMILE and “Gettin' In Over My Head” from the 2004 album of the same name. PLAYBACK also includes a pair of previously unreleased cuts: "Run James Run," a new song Wilson wrote and recorded for this collection, and "Some Sweet Day," a gem he wrote with Andy Paley in the early 1990s for an unfinished project.

When you've got 28 studio albums under your belt – as Neil Young did when he released CHROME DREAMS II ten years ago today – you've no doubt got a few leftover songs, and the Reprise collection kicks off with three great ones, most notably the 18-plus minute epic “Ordinary People.” And though Young is working here with longtime collaborators including guitarist Ben Keith, bassist Rick Rosas and Crazy Horse drummer Ralph Molina, this isn't just a journey through the past; the singer-songwriter also penned strong new material in a variety of styles ranging from country-folk (“Ever After”) to gospel (“Shining Light”) to electric rockers (the Grammy-nominated “No Hidden Path”). While its title references a legendary unreleased album from 1977, CHROME DREAMS II doesn't have a stylistic or thematic focus, and that's kind of the point; it's an album that revels in driving all over the map.

Mac Rebennack had paid his dues as one of New Orleans' most respected session pianists before taking the name “Dr. John” in the mid-1960s and beginning his rise to solo stardom. The performer signed to the Atco label, initially adopting a flamboyant hoodoo man persona before emerging as the Crescent City's leading musical ambassador in the 1970s. THE ATCO ALBUMS COLLECTION charts the evolution of Dr. John on more than 60 tracks, including the studio albums GRIS-GRIS, BABYLON, REMEDIES, THE SUN, MOON & HERBS, DR. JOHN'S GUMBO, IN THE RIGHT PLACE and DESITIVELY BONNAROO in their entirety. From early sides like “I Walk On Guilded Splinters” to such hits as “Iko Iko,” “Right Place, Wrong Time” and “Such A Night,” THE ATCO ALBUMS are the reason Dr. John has a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Formed in Los Angeles, Bread would become one of the most successful soft rock bands of the 1970s – and one that remains among its most rewarding. Founders Jimmy Griffin, Robb Royer and David Gates were all talented singers and songwriters, and the band scored a dozen Top 40 singles (including such favorites as “Make It with You,” “If” and “Everything I Own”). That the group's music was consistently good beyond the hits is borne out by the new boxed set THE ELEKTRA YEARS: THE COMPLETE ALBUMS, which gathers BREAD, ON THE WATERS, MANNA, BABY I'M-A WANT YOU, GUITAR MAN and LOST WITHOUT YOUR LOVE. It's a lot of Bread for just a little money, and these memorable melodies and engaging arrangements will never go stale.

In February 1994, Marillion surprised many with the release of their dark and sprawling concept album BRAVE. This ambitious double album charted at No.10 in the UK, making it the band's seventh consecutive Top Ten album. A new Deluxe Edition builds upon the U.K. progressive rockers' epic collection with a newly remastered version of the original studio album supervised by renowned producer Steven Wilson, and - for the first time ever - a complete recording of the band's March 1994 performance in Paris, which has been expanded with nine unreleased tracks. The 4-CD/Blu-ray set also features promo videos for the album's singles, plus a new documentary about BRAVE that includes concert footage and interviews with the band.

The Grateful Dead forged its legend on the road, traveling countless miles between 1965 and 1995 to perform a world record 2,318 shows, and the band's refusal to ever play a song the same way twice has endeared them to generations of fans. Made for die-hards and newbies alike, THE BEST OF THE GRATEFUL DEAD LIVE is the ultimate concert collection, a two-disc set with recordings selected from the band's official live albums on Warner Bros. and Arista, plus a few tracks from their many archival live releases. From "St. Stephen" (off the group's first official live album, 1969's LIVE/DEAD) to the poignant "So Many Roads" from the band's final concert at Chicago's Soldier Field in July of 1995, the 19 tracks on THE BEST OF THE GRATEFUL DEAD LIVE confirm that "there is nothing like a Grateful Dead concert."