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Usher confessions vinyl record8/9/2023 ![]() ![]() The release of the third album by goth metal group Evanescence in 2011 was something of a minor miracle. There is no love lost between the members of the Wrens right now, the success of this reissue may send a strong message that people still care about their music and it would be a damn shame if we’ve heard the last of the group.Įvanescence: Evanescence (Craft Recordings) This re-release corrects the previous error of squeezing its 54-minutes of music onto a single LP, stretching it out across two colored pieces of vinyl that sound impressively clear with only a hint of noise in the quieter passages. Released in 1996, Secaucus is a damn great showcase for the Wrens’ ungodly facility with hooky guitar rock with a hearty splash of psychedelia keeping the quartet’s collective third eye engaged and on the lookout. And luckily there’s a lot to be excited about both with the forthcoming release by Aeon Station, the project that rescues Kevin Whelan’s material from the Wrens’ long delayed fourth album, and this re-pressing of the group’s brilliant second full-length. The Wrens: Secaucus (Grass/Craft Recordings)Īs it has become apparent that The Wrens are never ever getting back together, us fans of the power pop group have to resign ourselves to what little joys we can still receive from the New York group. This family group turns “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem” into a shadowy lament, and through their hands and voices, they find a smoldering sensuality beating at the heart of “Silent Night.” If this isn’t already in your regular holiday listening rotation, it’s time to correct that major oversight. This is, in spirit, a down and dirty gospel record with the barest of instrumentation (guitar, organ and drums) and a spotlight on the heart-stopping harmonies of Pops, Mavis, Pervis and Yvonne Staples. Originally released in 1962, it’s a holiday album that doesn’t feel like a holiday album as it does away with all the jingle bell trappings and treacly cheer. If your local record shop is out of copies of the Sam Cooke release mentioned above, ask for this other gospel gem from Chicago legends the Staple Singers. The Staple Singers: The Twenty-Fifth Day of December (Craft Recordings) It’s a tremendous package that should be atop your “To Buy” list for this RSD Black Friday. show, a glossy promo photo of the Soul Stirrers, and the correspondence between Art Rupe at Specialty Records, Cooke and his former group working out the details of his secular shift. The last disc finds Cooke exploring his options as a pop vocalist with demos of early singles like “I’ll Come Running Back To You” and “Loveable.” Matching the greatness of the music is the work David Gorman did to research and recreate ephemera from the era, including news clippings announcing the L.A. The second features three performances from the group’s shudderingly great 1955 performance at L.A.’s Shrine Auditorium. The first collects a dozen of the Soul Stirrers’ best-rapturous music that hits the sweet spot where the spiritual purity of gospel and the bodily concerns of R&B consort. ![]() Each record represents a different step of that journey. This lovingly crafted triple 10” collection spotlights the creatively rich but personally fraught period of Sam Cooke’s career as a member of the Soul Stirrers, the gospel vocal group he was a part of from 1950-1956, and as he prepared to leave the group to pursue a secular pop career. Sam Cooke & the Soul Stirrers: The First Mile of the Way (Specialty/Craft Recordings) This month we help get you ready for RSD Black Friday by highlighting four exclusive releases out today and a bevy of other vinyl worth your time and money. Rather than run down every fresh bit of wax in the marketplace, we’ll home in on special editions, reissues and unusual titles that come across our desk with an interest in discussing both the music and how it is pressed and presented. Record Time is Paste’s monthly column that takes a glimpse into the wide array of new vinyl releases currently flooding record stores around the world.
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