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Disc a Day -- Classic Rock Disc a Day -- Classic Rock Vitaminic Capsule Releases to be Administered Daily Blues/R&B | Classic Rock | Eclectica | Funk | Jazz | Modern Rock | New Orleans | Reggae | World Jimmy Page and the Black Crowes-- Live at the Greek (Musicmaker.com) "My, my, my, I'm so happy; I wanna join the band" sings Chris Robinson, in a meaty rendition of the appropriate Led Zeppelin cut "Celebration Day". What was certainly a crowd pleaser - makes for an extraordinary release. Page meshes completely with the band. When they wrap the final beats of "Nobody's Fault But Mine" you don't even miss John Bonham - so strong is the stick work of Steve Gorman. In addition to the many Zep tracks you can interactively add to your mix on the musicmaker site, there are a few choice covers, Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well", Yardbirds' "Shape of Things" and B.B. King fave "Woke Up This Morning". It's nice to hear Page cut loose after that late 90's fold in the Plant/Shatner continuum, his guitar playing sharpened by frequent practical work. The Byrds -- Untitled (Unissued) (Columbia) "Lover of the Bayou" an unsung classic rock track lights a fuse of signature McGuinn Americana on this worthy re-release. This last great installment of the Byrds with Skip Battin, Gene Parsons and Clarence White just got much better with remastering, a 14 track bonus cd, extensive liner notes and many Dylan covers: "My Back Pages", "It's Alright Ma..." and Basement Tapes classic "This Wheel's On Fire". A live version of the latter rings with true mid-flight psychedelic bliss, guitars sparring in a jazzy duel, McGuinn's Danko-esque vocal resounding with grace "If your memory serves you well..." Magnifico. Paul McCartney-- Run Devil Run (Capitol) Macca is back! Sir Paul rocks with more abandon than anytime since his Hamburg days, backed by Dave Gilmour on guitar and Deep Purple's Ian Paice on drums. Run Devil Run recreates the live wire energy of original '50's Rock. The tight interplay came from limiting the number of takes of each song in jams covering Perkins, Presley, Berry and Domino. Devil is on a par with recently remastered Band on The Run and '97's Flaming Pie as McCartney's finest. The Post-Linda Paul reaches deeper for the soul voicing and screams in Larry Williams "She Said Yeah". Meanwhile his magic touch for bass resurfaces on a bouncy cajun accordian driven rendition of Berry's "Brown Eyed Handsome Man." 12 covers and 3 originals map this paean to the music of his idols. An end of the Century poll named John the Best Vocalist, Paul closes ground in the waning hours. Bob Dylan -- Time Out of Mind (Columbia) Bob Dylan makes a triumphant return recording his own material on Time Out of Mind. His strongest work in 20 years features the raw swamp groove courtesy of producer Daniel Lanois (Oh Mercy!). Dylan took home three Grammy's for this one including best rock song for "Cold Iron's Bound" a rollicking, descending riff highlighting some of the hard, spare imagery of the record. It's as though aging is pushing Dylan into Johnny Cash territory where truths are stark. On "Highlands" Dylan rambles through a could be sequel to "North Country Girl" improvising lyrics for over a dozen minutes. "Love Sick", "Million Miles" and "Not Dark Yet" all great work from the master. Jimi Hendrix -- BBC Sessions (2 cd's, Experience Hendrix) Hendrix re-issues are plenty, but this one could be the most essential Hendrix release if you had to pick just one. The chock-full 2 cd package out does the earlier BBC release featuring live versions of well known numbers ("Foxey Lady", "Hey Joe", "Killing Floor") from the days when the Experience were proving themselves as a live act. Also great new finds: a version of Dylan's "Please Crawl Out Your Window", The Beatles "Day Tripper" and Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love". The interplay with BBC host and bluesman Alexis Koerner gives a taste of the remarkable era and makes for a rousing "Hoochie Coochie Man" and several fiery takes on "Driving South" where Hendrix cuts loose finding leeway on the freeway as he heads into blues territory. Small Faces -- Ogden's Nut Gone Flake (Sony) The Small Faces were perhaps British Rock in it's most pure form, embellishing their streetwise package with rural touches. They commandeered the mid-60s singles charts with numbers like "Lazy Sunday," "Song of a Baker," "Itchycoo Park," and "The Universal." Now on the reissue of Ogden's Nut, their best LP (w/ CD bonus "Tin Soldier" live), they've rarely sounded better. Recorded in 1968, Ogden's Nut was a last hurrah for leader Steve Marriot, who moved on to Humble Pie with then 17 year-old Peter Frampton. Drummer Kenny Jones, bassist Ronnie Lane, and keyboardist Ian McLagan then imported Ron Wood and Rod 'the Mod' Stewart as replacements. Eric Clapton -- Rainbow Concert (Polydor) The band from this set pretty much says it all: Steve Winwood, Rick Grech, Rebop, Jim Capaldi, Ron Wood, and driving force Pete Townshend who coaxed Clapton out of a two year retirement to play at the Rainbow. Clapton rose to the challenge and never looked back, here with over 30 minutes of bonus cuts, Clapton's focused blues intensity overpowers 1973's glam mood. The concert features "Crossroads," "Bell Bottom Blues," "Key To The Highway" and a dramatic "Little Wing" including eight tracks unavailable on the original vinyl. For classic rock heads, guitarists, and Clapton fans alike, this is a tremendous article of the faith. Paul Butterfield -- East/West Live (Winner) Guitarist Mike Bloomfield's masterful sonic excursions from 1966 and 1967 are at once a psychedelic, eastern and bluesy extended ride. The ongest of the three versions of the legendary "East-West" composition here clocks in at 28 minutes, the rock solid Chicago Blues-bred band responded with loose improvisational interplay. A more alive counterpart to the Dead , Bloomfield and Butterfield live it up on this disc. Though slightly limited by the recording equipment of the day, these artistic statements stand the test of time. Thanks to keyboardist Mark Naftalin and his label Winner records. This one is a winner. The Beatles -- Anthology III (2 cd's, Capitol) All these versions were previously unreleased, with masterful songwriting, vocal delivery and tight from the gut performances by the band which established Rock and Roll as an art form. Of particular note are a slow blues-riffed "Helter Skelter", McCartney's whelps and yelps and Lennon's wry asides on "I've Got a Feeling", a mind-blowing rendition of "Dig a Pony" and a medley of Fifties hits recorded in 1959 (as the band recalled its early days covering the American greats). Some very interesting between track chatter stiches it together from "A Beginning" all the way through "The End". 150 minutes in all. The Rolling Stones -- Rock 'n' Roll Circus (Abkco) In December 1968 the Rolling Stones threw a clown party with some friends: John Lennon, Jethro Tull, Eric Clapton... leaving a time capsule of high entertainment. On Circus hear Lennon (vocals/guitar), Clapton (lead guitar) , Richards (bass) and Mitch Mitchell (drums) play an All-Star jam of "Yer Blues." These performances are finally available on official VHS and CD. The Stones thought they were outdone by the Who's performance of the mini-opera "A Quick One (While He's Away)," which also appeared in The Kids Are Alright film in 1979, and may have held back release of this movie until now. "Sympathy for the Devil" shows that there was little need for concern. The Stones' set of six songs comprises half of a consistently hot disc. The Who -- 30 Years of Maximum R&B; (MCA, VHS video) A video chock full of very convincing live footage mostly unavailable until it's 1994 release. Includes new interviews, 1970 Isle of Wight show, Keith Moon's 1973 collapse at San Francisco's Cow Palace (where the band pulled his replacement directly from the crowd), and more mesmerizing concert footage by the 'World's Loudest Band'. Townshend's memorable, physical guitar blasts on Entwistle's "Heaven and Hell" serves as a heavy show opener at Tanglewood, MA, in 1970. Cowabunga -- Surf Music Box (4 cd box, Rhino) Guitar paradise, the long runs of Dick Dale, the Beach Boys harmonies, "Wipeout"... The history of surf in one excellent package from Rhino is a public service. Originally just a Southern California style, surf caught a wave of popularity in 1963 and this box captures both the musicianship and kitsch value without missing a beat. A must-have for collectors of surf-related memorabilia. The Tornadoes' "Bustin Surfboards" captures the spirit of the time perfectly. Dire Straits -- Live at the BBC (Warner Bros.) These recordings from 1978 capture the now lengendary act at an early peak of energy and form just after their debut release. Knopfler's tightly arranged material careens between Spanish guitar and Dylanism's prompted Dylan to comment "He does me better than anybody." The next year Dylan hired Knopfler to play on Slow Train Coming. The very tail end of classic rock, Dire Straits portrayed a quality of musicianmanship rare in the business. "Six Blade Knife" exemplifies Knopfler's command of the guitar.