By Kelley Simms
A VERY METAL CHRISTMAS
Metallica
H
ere at IE HQ, we thought we’d do
something a little special with our
Caught in a Mosh column this month
by featuring a recap of noteworthy boxed
sets and special releases to put on your
Christmas wish list. There's been a plethora
of top-notch releases in 2016, and as the year
winds down, now is the time to take advantage of some quality music. I remember the
Christmas wish lists of my youth, where I
would submit a list of records I wanted to
my mother and anticipate which ones Santa
Claus would bring me.
Hands down the most anticipated release of
2016 was Metallica’s 10th studio album,
Hardwired…to Self-Destruct. If you haven’t
purchased Metallica's newest album yet, this
should be on top of your Metal Xmas list.
The double CD set is a nice return to what
Metallica does best. It’s not perfect, but it’s
hands down Metallica’s best album since
1991’s self-titled release (Black album).
Ronnie James Dio’s A Decade Of Dio:
1983-1993 assembles Dio’s first six studio
albums, each newly remastered with a bolstered sound. I previously reviewed this
album in August’s IE Spins column. I said it
then and I'm saying it now, you just can’t go
wrong with a Ronnie James Dio release.
Plus, if you're like me and you own only two
releases on LP, one on cassette tape, and
never bothered to purchase later albums for
whatever reason, this is a good package to
buy. Furthermore, the price isn’t too shabby
for a six CD package.
34 illinoisentertainer.com december 2016
If you’re a Pink Floyd fan — and a rich
one at that — the massive The Early Years
Box Set:1965-1972 is a real doozy. This comprehensive 27-disc boxed set also includes
seven individual book-style volumes, previously unreleased songs, rare concert performance footage and other outtakes. It carries a retail price tag of $550.
Queen on Air: The Complete BBC
Sessions is a collection of overlooked songs
from one of the most influential UK rock
bands of all time. Recorded exclusively for
the BBC between Feb. 1973 and Oct. 1977,
the 24 recordings from six landmark radio
sessions are bundled as a 2-CD set, a 3-LP set
and the Collector’s Edition 6-CD set. To hear
live renditions of “Ogre Battle” and “Son
and Daughter” is well worth the price of
admission.
Another enormous BBC session package
is Led Zeppelin’s Complete BBC Sessions
(3CD and 5LP and Box Set). Originally
released almost 20 years ago and now
enhanced and remastered, the set shows the
band’s intense drive in the live setting.
There’s an extra disc that includes unreleased recordings, including a “lost” session
and rare track “Sunshine Woman.” It might
not be an essential purchase to the casual
Led Zep fan, but for the absolute Zep nerd,
dig in!
Moving into glam territory we have
Hanoi Rocks’s Strange Boys Box, which
contains the Finns’ five classic albums. If
you’re looking to get your Hanoi Rocks fix in
one big shot, this is a good start.
If you’ve been digging the recent Faith
No More reissues, the band just added
1995’s King For a Day… Fool For a Lifetime
(2CD and 2LP) and 1997’s Album of the Year
(2CD and 2LP). Both reissues come loaded
with bonus tracks, B-sides and eclectic cover
songs including a Bee Gees tune and the Burt
Bacharach classic “This Guy’s In Love With
You.”
If you fancy some post punk, then sink
your teeth into former Sex Pistols’ frontman
John Lydon’s band Public Image Ltd.’s reissues. 1979's remastered and expanded super
deluxe four CD Metal Box and 1986’s Album
(Deluxe Editions) are packed with remastered originals, rare recordings and live performances. Both are a little on the pricey
side, but if you’re a hardcore Lydon/Rotten
fan or a PIL collector, then it’s worth the
cash.
Even though Rush’s 2010 Beyond The
Lighted Stage may still be fresh in your
memory, along comes Rush: Time Stand Still
to add to your Rush documentary collection.
Celebrating their 40th anniversary on the
road with its massive R40 tour in 2015 —
which inevitably served as their farewell
tour — Rush delivers this special behindthe-scenes treat to its fans.
A couple of concert DVD releases both
from Eagle Rock Entertainment worth mentioning include legendary guitarist Ritchie
Blackmore’s Rainbow’s Memories in Rock
— Live in Germany (also available as a 2CD
set) and German rockers Scorpions’s Live In
Munich 2012. With the former, Blackmore
and a cast of musicians who were never in
Rainbow, deliver a stellar almost 2-hour performance on a rainy day in Deutschland
with a blistering setlist of Rainbow and Deep
Purple classics. With the latter, Scorpions
deliver an equally brilliant performance in
its native land on its final concert of its Sting
in the Tail world tour. Each member shines
as they deliver an energetic set that includes
the mandatory Scorpions hits “Rock You
Like A Hurricane,” “Wind Of Change,” “The
Zoo” and “No One Like You.”
Closing out our list are a couple of EPs.
For the Norse metal fan, Enslaved’s two
extremely limited EPs, The Sleeping Gods
Continued on page 43