The White Album at 50
Industial Force
Wax Trax! Records, the legendary label managed by the daughter of the late
co-founder of the record store and label, delivered a bit of good news to the fans
of it's Industrial Accident: The Story of Wax Trax! Records, documentary. In an
email and tweet to supporters - label manager and director Julia Nash told her
The Beatles
followers the music from the film had already cleared all legal hurdles. “I can
ollowing 2017’s 50th anniversary retooling of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, producer report with 100% certainty that we will be releasing both the DVD and the
George Martin’s son Giles Martin takes a deep dive into the original White Album reels for a reve- soundtrack in April of 2019. We have officially cleared the last of our commercial
latory remix. Pepper’s remix incited heated debate. On one side were fans (and even crucial play- licensing hurdles. Just to be crystal clear, this isn’t ‘we’re working on it’ or ‘if
ers including late engineer Geoff Emerick) who considered the remix sacrilegious akin to repainting the everything goes as planned,’ or any other ambiguous language in case we run
smile on the Mona Lisa. Others saw the effort as a refreshing way to revisit classic songs and perform- into obstacles. The soundtrack WILL be released in conjunction with the DVD
ances with new insight. The majority of Beatles fans buying these deluxe anniversary releases will have next April.”
It's been a labor of love for Nash and a five-year process of clearing licensing
at least one copy of the original mix on hand, casting the new anniversary editions as companion pieces.
hurdles to get Industrial Accident ready for commercial release. She’s been tour-
Modern technology allows longtime listeners to hear details that were buried decades ago in the origi-
ing film festivals and winning awards in the US and Europe this year, retelling
nal mix. If these sets spark critical listening and reexamination of the songs, many including the surviv-
the story of the rise and fall of the store and the label. Wax Trax! made Chicago
ing band members will likely count that in the “win” column.
ground zero for industrial music, launching the careers of Ministry, Front 242 and
If there’s a divisive Beatles album, this is it. The fractious nature of The Beatles (a.k.a. The White Album), My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, among many others.
however, is a substantial contributor to its enduring fascination on its 50th anniversary. During the 1968
Nash told Seattle’s KEXP radio “because we all were in the eye of the storm
recording sessions following the return from a collective trip to India, tensions within the band coa- so to speak, at the time I had never realized the impact that the store and the label
lesced. The results were a sprawling two-album collection of less-collaborative efforts by the Fab Four. had on people around the world. I’ve come to understand after the fact that for
The White Album offers glimpses of individual strengths (and occasional B-level efforts) among the band so many fans, this wasn’t just a “cool label” with some “good bands." A cultur-
before John, Paul, George, and Ringo splintered into solo careers.
Continued
Continued on
on page
page 18
20 al shift was happening in the underground during the 1980s. Whether it was peo-
ple struggling with new LGBT issues or emerging darker club culture or even the
young tech brainiacs that didn’t feel they belonged anywhere, Wax Trax! Records
served as a constant soundtrack for what a lot of people were going through. I
think it helped get a lot of people through some exciting and often tough times,
which may be the reason Wax Trax! still resonates with many fans today.”
F
11•2018
Zappa Pale Ale
After a few years of being out of the branded beer business, Sierra Nevada received the Zappa
Family Trust’s approval to create a beer “as wild and distinctive” as Frank Zappa himself.Zappa
Wild Stache IPA will be available at a variety of locations according to a press release. Sierra Nevada
will celebrate the new brew with a special tasting event complete with a soundtrack of the late musi-
cian’s tunes, featuring a wild hop cultivated by CLS Farms “as untamed as Zappa’s musical lean-
ings.” Sierra Nevada purchased the entire 2015 crop of the wild hops, according to JamBase.com.
Dedicated Zappa fans remember that Lagunitas released five Zappa beers, each commemorat-
ing a different album: Freak Out (“a strong pale ale”), Kill Ugly Radio (“a showcase for Amarillo hops
on a wheaty base”), Lumpy Gravy (“an imperial brown thing”), We’re Only In It For the Money (“a
Belgian Tripel”) and (“a chocolate pepper stout”). They produced 8,000 cases of Freak Out, while sub-
sequent releases in the series were bumped up to 15,000 cases, and all were bottled in 22-ounce
bombers and sold for less than $4 each, according to allaboutbeer.com. The Zappa beer series came to
an abrupt end in 2009 after a disagreement between Lagunitas and Zappa's wife, Gail.
Fans can use the Sierra Nevada Online Beer Locator to find a retailer for Zappa’s Wild Stache.
6 illinoisentertainer.com november 2018
Etc, Etc
Longtime guitar retailer Midwest Buy & Sell in conjunction with Butler
Music in Missouri is back with their annual Guitar Show November 4 from 10
am to 5 pm, at the Irish American Heritage Center (4626 N. Knox, Chicago).
Admission is $5. Dealers from across the Midwest will be buying, selling, and
trading new, used and vintage guitars. You’ll also find woodwinds, brass
instruments and other gear, including accessories. If you’ve been to this show
before, you’ll remember what a blast it is. For info and to add a last minute
dealer table email mwbuynsell@ sbcglobal.net or call 773-545-2020.
In what’s become an annual tradition, the Bring It Up High fest is back hon-
oring the memory of members of Chicago's acclaimed rhythm & blues band,
HiFi & the Roadburners, most notably late members Erik "HiFi" Kish and Jeff
Schuch. The remaining Roadburners also reunite for an annual set. All pro-
ceeds go to assorted charities, which in the past have included Friends of
Chicago Animal Care & Control and the American Foundation for Suicide
Prevention. Recipients vary year to year. This year's show is on Friday,
November 9th at Cobra Lounge (235 N. Ashland). Headlining is the fabulous
and always entertaining Deke Dickerson, along with Nashville trio The
Tenders, local faves Bailey Dee's Late Night Bait, hepcat DJ Killer Diller, and of
course, The Roadburners.