Coming Up: "Choke Gasp! The Best of 75 Years of EC Comics"



Out Dec. 17 from Dark Horse. Order from Amazon now.

Details:
This volume collects stories from EC Comics' most famous titles, featuring classic stories from the hands of legendary creators Al Feldstein, Harvey Kurtzman, Johnny Craig, Jack Davis, Wally Wood, and more!

Collects material from issues of Crime SuspenStories, Frontline Combat, Haunt of Fear, Impact, Shock SuspenStories, Tales from the Crypt, Two-Fisted Tales, Vault of Horror, Weird Fantasy, Weird Science, and Weird Science-Fantasy. Over 500 pages.

Watch: "Jack Kirby: From the Avengers to the X-Men"

A short overview from SyFy on the legendary comics creator.

Watch: Video for Miles Davis' "Moondreams"

A newly created video for a tune from the legendary Birth of the Cool sessions.


New Music Friday: Beatles; John Coltrane; Dinosaur Jr.; Laurie Anderson; Sturgill Simpson; Replacements

Our picks this week. Click the links to order items from Amazon.











Pop Culture Roundup: Asterix coin; Gilligan's boat

ITEM! Asterix is featured on a commemorative 2 Euro coin in celebration of the character's 60th anniversary this year. There'll be a new Asterix book out soon, too: "Asterix and the Chieftain's Daughter," available Oct. 24.




ITEM!  The S.S. Minnow on "Gilligan's Island" was reportedly named as an insult to FCC chief Newton N. Minow, who'd referred to American as a "vast wasteland." According to "Gilligan" producer Sherwood Schwartz:
The year [that I began working on Gilligan's Island] was 1963, and the three networks were already beginning to use the dictatorial power Newton Minow, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, had handed to them." Mr. Minow's famous "vast wasteland" speech, in 1961, at the NAB convention, was brought on by the quiz show scandals, payola investigations and the general low esteem in which television was held. Unintentionally, probably, that speech had a far more devastating impact than the conditions he was criticizing. In effect, the chairman of the FCC, speaking for the government, took the position that the networks were responsible for everything they broadcast. The shocking aftermath of that designation of responsibility by Mr. Minow and the FCC gave ABC, CBS, and NBC absolute authority over everything that comes into your living room on network television.

Coming Up: Curt Boettcher and Friends "Looking for the Sun"


Out Oct. 25. Order from Amazon now.

Details:
Best known for his hit productions for The Association (Cherish, long Comes Mary) and for being one of the chief architects of 'sunshine pop,' Curt Boettcher was a founder of the visionary rock bands The Millennium,The Ballroom, and Sagittarius. A Hollywood-based producer and arranger in the Phil Spector mode (some of whose sessions he actually participated in) Boettcher was innovative in utilizing the studio as an instrument itself, impressing no less than Beach Boy Brian Wilson.
In 1966 and '67, he spent so much time at Columbia Studios in Hollywood that some began to call CBS 'Curt Boettcher Studios.' He worked with Tommy Roe, Gene Clark, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Elton John, Emitt Rhodes, and The Beach Boys, among many others.
Looking For The Sun is the first release to focus on Boettcher as a producer and arranger rather than a performer, highlighting cuts that were released as singles, most of which have remained out of print since their initial release.
Collected here are 21 tracks (18 on LP), all sourced from the original master tapes, which Boettcher either wrote, produced, arranged, or sang on. Artists include: Cindy Malone, Sandy Salisbury, Gordon Alexander, Keith Colley, Summer's Children, Jonathan Moore, Ray Whitley, Eddie Hodges, The Bootiques, Action Unlimited, and Sagittarius featuring contributions by Glen Campbell, David Gates, and Gary Usher.

New tune from Jeff Lynne's ELO - "From Out of Nowhere"

New ELO album out Nov. 1. Order it now from Amazon.

Here's the first track:


Details:
From Out Of Nowhere is the new album from Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and music legend Jeff Lynne, and follows up a remarkable run of sold out European and American tours. Jeff Lynne's ELO, whose music has touched fans deeply across three generations now, has found himself in recent years at the peak of his powers as a songwriter, musician and producer. This new collection features a buoyant title song which opens the ten-track record including the wistful "Help Yourself" to the celebratory "Down Came the Rain" to the churning rocker "One More Time" to the sweet closer, "Songbird." As does its predecessor, 2015's Alone in the Universe, From Out Of Nowhere shows Lynne finding new facets to his signature sound, at once drawing on his globally loved legacy and forging new paths in both sounds and emotions. Once again, he plays nearly every note of the music on guitars, bass, piano, drums, keyboards and vibes, as well as singing all of the lead and layered harmony vocals. Steve Jay, who also engineered the album, adds some percussion.

Time Capsule: Supremes concert poster, Sept. 26, 1969

Fifty years ago today - last chance to see the Supremes!


Pop Pic: Roger Moore


Coming Up: Rolling Stones "Let it Bleed" 50th Anniversary Edition


Out Nov. 1. Order from Amazon now.

Details:
Considered by many to be the jewel in the crown of The Rolling Stones’ unbeatable 1960’s albums, ‘Let It Bleed’ saw the band wrap up a turbulent decade with an album that uncannily reflected the times and signposted the uncertain 1970s.
Rightly regarded as one of the most important rock albums of all time, the album that brought us ‘Gimme Shelter’, ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’, ‘Midnight Rambler’ and the title track ‘Let It Bleed’, celebrates its 50th anniversary with this beautiful limited, hand-numbered Deluxe Edition.
Included in the package are 2X 180-gram LPs in stereo and mono with restored original album art, 2 X Hybrid SACDs in stereo and mono housed in custom 12” sleeve, a 7” of the in-era single ‘Honky Tonk Women’ / ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ in mono with original picture sleeve.
There’s also a beautiful 80-page hardcover book with essay by David Fricke and never-before-seen photos and three 12”x12” hand-numbered lithographs, a full-colour poster. All of the original audio has been remastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering.

Coming up: Harry Nilsson "Losst And Founnd"


A collection of previously unreleased music for the legendary singer-songwriter is out Nov. 2 from Omnivore Recordings. You can order it now from Amazon.

Omnivore Recordings is very proud to release Losst And Founnd, a brand new album by Harry Nilsson. Produced by Mark Hudson (Ringo Starr, Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne), the album features nine Nilsson originals as well as covers by Jimmy Webb and Yoko Ono.

With musical contributions from an all-star cast of musicians like Van Dyke Parks, Jim Keltner, Webb, and Harry’s son, Kiefo, the album features the classic Nilsson melodies that have been his trademark for over 50 years.

Nilsson’s legacy has been bolstered in the last few years with the successful documentary Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him)? and the many, many usages of Harry’s songs in film and television including this year’s Netflix hit Russian Doll, which features Nilsson’s “Gotta Get Up” from his classic Nilsson Schmilsson album.

Tracks:
  1. Lost And Found
  2. Woman Oh Woman
  3. U.C.L.A.
  4. Hi-Heel Sneakers/Resuce Boy Medley
  5. Lullabye
  6. Animal Farm
  7. Listen, The Snow Is Falling
  8. Try
  9. Love Is The Answer
  10. Yo Dodger Blue
  11. What Does A Woman See In A Man

New Comics Day: Green Lantern; Captain America; Incredible Hulk; Tomb of Dracula; Dan Dare

Our picks this week. Click the links to order from Amazon.





Coming Up: 1970s "Shazam!" series on Blu-ray


Out Oct. 8. Order from Amazon now.

Details:
By uttering a single magic word young Billy Batson transforms himself into the world s mightiest mortal, Captain Marvel. The acronym of the first letters of the names of the six elders who train Billy with their respective special gifts: Solomon, wisdom; Hercules, strength; Atlas, stamina; Zeus, power; Achilles, courage; and Mercury, speed, in a word...SHAZAM! Now, the entire series is available in this 4-disc set featuring every exciting episode of this classic television show!

Time Capsule: Vintage ad - Donovan on tour, plus bonus video!




New trailer - El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie

Starts streaming Oct. 11 with some theatrical screenings ahead of that.


New on Video: Yesterday; Local Hero - Criterion Edition; DC’s Legends of Tomorrow

Our picks. Click the links to order DVDs or Blu-rays from Amazon.



Out now: "Motown Unreleased: 1969" digital collection


Available for download for $11.49 now from Amazon.

Details:
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the celebrated label, Motown/UMe today released MOTOWN UNRELEASED: 1969, a digital only collection that contains 60 previously unreleased studio recordings made during 1969 including songs by Diana Ross & the Supremes, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and Jr. Walker & the All Stars and many more. 
More than half of the tracks are never-before-heard compositions, including the heart-breaking-yet-hopeful "I Had a Dream (Opus I)," written and produced by Ashford & Simpson for Gladys Knight & The Pips, recorded a year after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.; Stevie Wonder's joyful "Mister Moon," one of his first self-productions, infused with ecstatic falsetto harmonies; and "Pretty Little Brown Skin Girl," a celebration of African-American beauty from The Temptations. Also among the jewels is "Touched by Love," a Johnny Bristol production recorded by Bobby Taylor while he was grooming the Jackson 5 in advance of their first album.

Additional tracks are unique covers of previously released songs, including several by Ivy Jo Hunter, one of the great unsung Motown writers and producers who re-works the hits he had created for other artists including "Dancing in the Street" and "Ask the Lonely." The Jackson 5, just two months from debuting with "I Want You Back," lay down a thrilling, up-tempo version of the Miracles' "What's So Good About Goodbye," providing a fresh take of a Smokey Robinson classic. Diana Ross & the Supremes deliver an achingly beautiful version of "For Once In My Life," an historic session that marks the last time Ms. Ross, Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong are together in the studio. 
On other tracks, engineers were able to repair technical issues on the original recordings that had prevented Motown from releasing the songs, including Kiki Dee's "While They Watch" and "You're My World."

The collection also includes five funky instrumental tracks by the Funk Brothers house band – surely highlighted by the Paul Riser production, "Moratorium" – recorded under the name of their indomitable leader, Earl Van Dyke.

All of the new collection's tracks have been mastered for the first time at Studio 4 by Phil Nicolo from their original analog master tapes, which were individually selected by Motown A&R specialists from UMG's secure storage facilities. Half the collection's tracks were sourced from their original Motown mixes, while the rest were mixed for the first time for this release, by Obie O'Brien at Mixville USA and by John Morales at M+M Mix Studios.
Tracks:
1.  Diana Ross & the Supremes / For Once In My Life
2.  Stevie Wonder / Can't Do Without Your Love
3.  Ivy Jo / It's Love I Need
4.  Chris Clark / My World Is Empty Without You
5.  The Temptations / Pretty Little Brown Skin Girl
6.  The Volumes / Forever I'll Love You
7.  Jr. Walker & the All Stars / (Baby) I Need You
8.  Frank Wilson / Look Out Your Window
9.  Edwin Starr / I'll Always Love You
10.  Earl Van Dyke / Stone Soul Booster
11.  Gladys Knight & the Pips / You Took Me This Far (Take Me All The Way)
12.  Smokey Robinson & the Miracles / Won't You Come and Fly With Me
13.  Edwin Starr / Born Just To Be That Way
14.  Smokey Robinson & the Miracles / What About Me
15.  Jonah Jones / Too Many Fish In The Sea
16.  Edwin Starr / Fan The Flame
17.  Chris Clark / The Last Thing On My Mind
18.  Smokey Robinson & the Miracles / Backfire (version 1)
19.  Gladys Knight & the Pips / I Had A Dream (Opus I)
20.  The Temptations / Why (Must We Fall In Love)
21.  The Fantastic Four / What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted
22.  Ivy Jo / Ask The Lonely
23.  Ivy Jo / Yesterday's Dreams
24.  Ivy Jo / I Got To Get To California
25.  The Originals / Blame It On War
26.  The Stylists / The Jackpot
27.  The Spinners / Don't Think It's Me
28.  Michael Denton / MacArthur Park/Didn't We
29.  Michael Denton / Someone For My Own
30.  The Volumes / One Lucky Day I Found You
31.  The Rustix / Generation
32.  Jr. Walker & the All Stars / Country Girl
33.  Jr. Walker & the All Stars / Something You Got (studio version)
34.  Bobby Taylor / At Last (I Found A Love)
35.  Bobby Taylor / Love Is Here And Now You're Gone
36.  Jackson 5 / What's So Good About Goodbye
37.  Bobby Taylor / You've Really Got A Hold On Me - feat. the Jackson 5
38.  Earl Van Dyke / The Stranger
39.  Earl Van Dyke / I Wish It Would Rain
40.  Stevie Wonder / Start Out A New Day
41.  Gordon Staples & the Motown Strings / All the Many Shades In Between
42.  Valerie Simpson / You Ain't Livin' Till You're Lovin'
43.  Edwin Starr / Pain From My Loneliness
44.  Yvonne Fair / All I Could Do Was Cry
45.  The Temptations / Home Is Where The Heart Is
46.  Stevie Wonder / Mister Moon
47.  Rare Earth / Your Heartaches I Can Surely Heal
48.  Ivy Jo / Dancing In The Street
49.  Marvin Gaye / I'll Take Care Of Business
50.  Ivy Jo / Pride, Foolish Pride
51.  Earl Van Dyke / Moratorium
52.  Kiki Dee / While They Watch
53.  Terry Johnson / This Is The Beginning
54.  Terry Johnson / I Blew My Mind
55.  Earl Van Dyke / Chicken Little 69
56.  Kiki Dee / You're My World
57.  Bobby Taylor / Touched By Love
58.  Hearts of Stone / When Push Comes To Shove
59.  Jimmy Ruffin / I Gotta Cover A Whole Lotta Ground
60.  Terry Johnson / Tomorrow's Child

Preview: "Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?" Batman team-up

Those meddling kids and the Caped Crusader meet once again in Scooby's latest animated series.


Cool! Scooby-Doo cooler

Via The Awesomer:





Video Find: BBC TV documentary on Brian Wilson and "Pet Sounds"


Coming Up: Bob Dylan - Travelin' Thru, 1967 - 1969: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 15


Out Nov. 1. Order now from Amazon.

Details:
1967 saw a profound transformation in Bob Dylan’s musical evolution. Withdrawing from public view following his July 1966 motorcyle accident, he re-emerged in 1967 with John Wesley Harding, recorded in Nashville with a core trio featuring bassist Charlie McCoy and drummer Kenneth Buttrey, the resulting album had a sublime, minimal sound. Follow-up Nashville Skyline, also recorded in Nashville, featured the stirring “Girl From The North Country,” a duet with Johnny Cash. The album would reach number 1 in the U.S. and the U.K.

Now, Travelin’ Thru, 1967-1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 15 revisits Dylan’s pivotal journey to Nashville. This 3CD or 3LP set features outtakes from both albums, including the first release of Dylan and Cash’s joint studio sessions. The package also features Dylan and Cash’s performance on The Johnny Cash Show, two Nashville outtakes from the Self Portrait sessions and tracks recorded in 1970 with Grammy Award-winning bluegrass banjo legend Earl Scruggs for a PBS television special.


New Music Friday: Robbie Robertson; Mudhoney; Ramones

Our picks this week. Click the links to order vinyl, CDs or downloads from Amazon.