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Up.”“ Natty Dread” was the title track to the Wailers’ latest album, released the prior Fall. During the song, Marley sings about the self-assurance found in his Rastafari beliefs. Eric Clapton had a # 1 single with his 1974 cover of Marley’ s underdog anthem“ I Shot the Sheriff,” but the two versions caught on these platters prove that the definitive version belonged at home with the world’ s premiere reggae band.
– Jeff Elbel
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PETER GABRIEL Growing Up Live Still Growing Up Live & Unwrapped( DVD)( Eagle Rock)
This package documents the concert tours supporting Peter Gabriel’ s 2002 album Up. The Growing Up Live disc reissues 2003’ s concert film from Milan, Italy in high-definition Blu-ray format for the first time. The ambitious tour flexed both musical and visual muscle, with Gabriel’ s veteran band augmented by Richard Lepage’ s striking design and an innovative stage set in the round. Gabriel and daughter Melanie sing“ Downside-Up” while walking an inverted track in mid-air, suspended by wires. Gabriel rides a bicycle around the perimeter as the band skips merrily around the revolving stage during a jubilant“ Solsbury Hill.” The Blind Boys of Alabama rise from below to add stately Gospel harmony to Up track“ Sky Blue.” Gabriel prowls and bounces inside a giant inflatable hamster ball, imagining a return to the womb during“ Growing Up.” Deeper cuts include“ Animal Nation” from The Wild Thornberrys Movie soundtrack, a song inspired by musical interaction with Bonobo apes. Top hits including“ Sledgehammer” and“ In Your Eyes” bring the crowd to fever pitch. Guitarist David Rhodes lashes into the meaty riff of“ Digging in the Dirt.” Bonus features on this disc include documentary film Growing Up on Tour: A Family Portrait, directed by Gabriel’ s daughter Anna, as well as The Story of Growing Up. Tour photos by superb bassist and avid photographer“ Uncle Tony” Levin are also included. The Still Growing Up DVD captures European footage from 2004 in arenas, sheds and town squares during an ambitious victory lap. As well-rehearsed as the band was from the prior year, Gabriel and company stir things up with several different songs. Cuts veer further from the beaten path with“ White Ashes” and“ The Tower That Ate People” from 2000’ s Ovo, and the low funk of“ Burn You Up, Burn You Down” from the long-gestated Big Blue Ball project. Gabriel addresses his audiences in their native tongue, describing the backstory to the Native American rite of passage tale“ San Jacinto” in French. Even those who don’ t speak the language will understand the menace of le serpent as Gabriel imitates a rattlesnake’ s deadly warning. Favorites including protest pieces“ Games Without Frontiers” and the stirring“ Biko” are played, the latter concluding with thousands of voices singing along to drummer Ged Lynch’ s martial beat.“ Come Talk to Me” was written as a song about Gabriel’ s once strained relationship with the daughter now featured in the touring band. Here, Gabriel performs the song hand in hand with Melanie to electrifying effect. Bonus cuts include a studio rehearsal of Up’ s“ No Way Out” not included in either concert film, as well as a version of“ No Self Control,” filmed in 1988 when a still youthful Gabriel still had a full head of hair( a distinction he mentions with a grin during Growing Up Live). The main film’ s more contemporary Gabriel benefits from a richness in his earthen voice that can only be the result of years and miles.
– Jeff Elbel
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TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS The Complete Studio Albums Vol 1( 1976-1991)
( MCA)
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were born in the vinyl age of the‘ 70s, and the great American band’ s music is now collected on the format that its longtime fans know best. Two boxes of high-quality vinyl reissues have arrived in time to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Heartbreakers’ eponymous debut. Volume 1 includes Petty’ s first nine albums with the classic five-piece line-up anchored by drummer Stan Lynch. Original bassist Ron Blair departed after four albums, but not before playing on staples ranging from 1976’ s“ American Girl” to“ The Waiting” and“ A Woman in Love” from 1981’ s Hard Promises. Howie Epstein introduced his savvy bass and high vocal harmonies with“ You Got Lucky” and“ Change of Heart” from 1982’ s Long After Dark. As one of rock’ s great keyboardists, Benmont Tench adds shimmering Gospel organ to howling rockers like Damn the Torpedoes singles“ Refugee” and“ Don’ t Do Me Like That,” as well as supremely cool electric piano on deeper cuts like“ Spike” from 1985’ s Southern Accents. Completing the Heartbreakers’ signature sound is the inspiring lead guitar of Mike Campbell, elevating Petty’ s reliable riffs with memorable melodies throughout the run, from“ Breakdown” to“ Learning to Fly.” At the
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