Welcome to the VintageRock.com Digital Lounge. This is where we offer you a feast of information and multimedia on the latest CD, DVD & Blu-ray Disc releases from your favorite Vintage Rock artists. Turn it up!
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Deep Purple’s studio album for 2024 is called =1. This is the band’s first record with guitarist Simon McBride, the replacement for longtime member Steve Morse, who left in 2022 due to personal circumstances. McBride has been playing to Deep Purple audiences since then, and going over well. =1 embodies the vibe of Purple’s 1970s incarnation possibly more than any other album in recent memory. With Bob Ezrin once again producing, the record evokes the pioneering band’s classic sound, without relying on nostalgia. The enigmatic title =1 symbolizes the idea that in a world growing ever more complex, everything eventually simplifies down to a single, unified essence. Everything equals one. Fronted by Ian Gillan, with bassist Roger Glover, drummer Ian Paice, keyboardist Don Airey, and McBride on guitar, Deep Purple are all in on =1. The album is available in a variety of formats, including CD+DVD (Digipak), CD (Jewelcase), double LP Gatefold (black, 180g), Ltd. Purple double LP Gatefold (180g), Ltd. Crystal Clear double LP (180g) and a Ltd. Box Set (CD+DVD Digipak, double LP black Gatefold, 3x exclusive 10” vinyl editions feat. live recordings from Deep Purple’s 2022 tour, exclusive Collector’s T-shirt, 2x exclusive guitar picks, 1x exclusive art print, 1x exclusive lanyard, and the chance to win a Golden Ticket giving access to all shows on the Deep Purple “=1 MORE TIME”-tour). There’s a bonus DVD with the 60-minute documentary, Access All Areas. Viewers are exposed virtually every angle of Deep Purple and their team backstage and on tour. So far, there have been three videos released behind the singles from =1 — “Portable Door,” “Pictures of You,” and “Lazy Sod,” which can be viewed below.
Release Date: 07/19/24
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Southern rock behemoths Robert Jon & The Wreck are poised to unveil their most ambitious project yet, Red Moon Rising. Coming out on Joe Bonamassa’s Journeyman Records, the album captures the essence of the band’s transformative years, setting a new course for their musical odyssey. The album’s lead single and title track, “Red Moon Rising,” emerges as a beacon of this new era. With its funk-infused rhythms and thought-provoking lyrics, the song represents a slight departure from the band’s traditional sound. “Red Moon Rising” started out as a simple jam in the room and took on a life of its own,” reveals frontman Robert Jon. “It’s about all the beliefs, myths, and traditions surrounding a red moon, symbolizing rebirth and change, which perfectly encapsulates the spirit of our new album.” Following a whirlwind of activity in recent months, including the release of their acclaimed singles, “Ballad Of A Broken Hearted Man,” “Help Yourself,” “Hold On,” and “Stone Cold Killer,” as well as their studio and live albums Ride Into The Light and Live At The Ancienne Belgique, Robert Jon & The Wreck continue to forge their path with unyielding momentum. Red Moon Rising is the culmination of their experiences, a testament to their resilience and a celebration of their collective growth. Reigning from Southern California, Robert Jon & The Wreck take the Southern rock sound from the east coast and make it their own. Since their inception in 2011, these native Californians; Robert Jon Burrison (lead vocals, guitar), Andrew Espantman (drums, background vocals), Henry James Schneekluth (lead guitar, background vocals), and Warren Murrel (bass) have been electrifying audiences all over the world with their soaring guitar leads, rich vocal harmonies, and memorable tunes. Recently, keyboardist Jake Abernathie joined the band as an official member as they continue to tour and record in the studio. As the group prepare to embark on this next chapter with Red Moon Rising, fans old and new are invited to join in the celebration of change, rebirth, and the relentless spirit of rock ‘n’ roll. Stay tuned for continued updates. Check out the video below for the album’s lead single and title track, “Red Moon Rising.”
Release Date: 06/28/24
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Following a successful IMAX Event Cinema worldwide release, Queen Rock Montreal will become available in several different configurations, including a double Blu-ray / double 4K ultra high definition package, a double CD, a double CD limited edition version, and a triple vinyl set (black and colored transparent blue). Recorded in 1981, Queen Rock Montreal presents Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon when they returned to Montreal, Canada, for the fourth time in November 1981 to play two huge concerts at the 18,000-seat Forum. After their massive success in the 1970s, the band entered the 80s bigger than ever, with the hugely successful The Game album producing their two biggest ever US singles in “Another One Bites The Dust” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” (both Billboard No.1’s), followed by the UK No.1 single “Under Pressure.” Queen’s return to Montreal came after almost two years of touring, including their very first tours of South and Central America, which saw the band playing two nights at Sao Paulo’s Morumbi Stadium to more than 150,000 devoted fans. As a result, when the band arrived in Canada in November 1981 they were in electrifying form. The original concerts, which took place on November 24 and 25, 1981, were arranged specifically to be filmed for a full-length concert film to document their live show. Director Saul Swimmer planned to shoot them using state-of-the-art Double Anamorphic 35mm footage, which allowed it to be projected on a gigantic, five-story high screen. Backstage tensions between the members of Queen and Swimmer could have caused problems, but instead they propelled the band to new heights. Queen Rock Montreal features a rawer version of the band who had released “Bohemian Rhapsody” half a decade earlier, showcasing their unparalleled musicianship, soaring vocal power and unstoppable live energy. The powerful vocal acrobatics of Mercury, May’s dazzling six-string pyrotechnics, Deacon’s rock solid heartbeat bass, Taylor’s unstoppable rhythmic display, and not to mention the unique combination of all four voices – Queen Rock Montreal shows the total cohesion and individual strengths of four musicians who were, as Brian May says, “at the top of our game.” Preview “Let Me Entertain You” below.
Release Date: 05/10/24
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Spirit of Unicorn Music presents Emerson, Lake & Powell’s The Complete Collection, a triple CD box set that pays tribute to the power and creativity of this all-too-brief powerhouse collaboration. In the early 1980s, many of the established progressive rock artists were experiencing a rough ride. The musical landscape was changing. The arrival of punk rock and new wave meant that for many, the grand, creative indulgences which were de rigueur throughout the 1970s, were fast becoming outdated. During a time of rapid change, bands had to adapt to survive. By 1979, Emerson Lake & Palmer, one of the biggest bands in the world during the 1970s, were struggling and quietly called time on their once supergroup status band. Having both explored solo careers, come 1984 Keith Emerson (The Nice, Emerson, Lake & Palmer) and Greg Lake (King Crimson, Emerson, Lake & Palmer) were considering their next move. Carl Palmer (PM, Asia, Emerson, Lake & Palmer) was busy enjoying enormous success with Asia. Thus, the legendary Cozy Powell (Rainbow, Whitesnake) stepped in to occupy the drum stool. “When Cozy came in, he really dazzled us. We didn’t intend to put the group back together but he was such a good technical drummer and such a good performer, we thought it might be a good idea to go back out with a new version of the band,” Greg Lake told the LA Times back in 1986. And so, Emerson, Lake & Powell came to pass. This box set includes the band’s one and only studio release: Emerson, Lake & Powell, featuring three bonus tracks. Also included is their live album, Live In Concert and a CD of rehearsals called The Sprocket Sessions. All material included in the box set has been remastered by renowned engineer Andy Pearce. It is also presented with an enhanced booklet with sleeve notes written by Prog Magazine editor, Jerry Ewing. Check out the clip of the group’s hit “Touch And Go” below.
Release Date: 04/12/24
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Mercury Studios releases the first official audio companion of the Who’s Live At Shea Stadium 1982. Previously released on DVD and Blu-ray in June 2015, The Who (Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle, and Kenney Jones) delivered both classic tracks and rarely performed songs across three vinyl LPs and two CDs. Songs include “Pinball Wizard,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” “My Generation,” “Substitute,” “Who Are You,” “I Can’t Explain,” “See Me Feel Me,” “Baba O’Riley,” and many more. The tour promoted the 1982 album It’s Hard and the set list also included a few numbers from the new release, some of which the band would only play live on this tour. The Who’s 1982 North American tour was their last to feature Jones on drums and the band did not tour again until 1989. This recording features the show from the second of their two nights at New York’s Shea Stadium and was recorded on October 13, 1982. Check out the video below of the Who performing “Love Reign O’er Me” at the Shea Stadium show.
Release Date: 03/01/24
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Canadian melodic rock band Honeymoon Site have a new album for 2024 called Alive via Frontiers Music Srl and featuring core band members, including Johnnie Dee (vocals), Derry Grehan (guitars, keyboards, and background vocals), Dave Betts (drums), Gary Lalonde (bass), and Peter Nunn (keyboards). Alive is produced by notable Canadian producer Mike Krompass, whose songwriting and production credits include artists like Meghan Trainor, Steven Tyler, Theory of a Dead Man and Smash Mouth. His expertise combined with the bands celebrated melodic rock, powerful vocals and memorable guitar riffs, is sure to make this a timeless record of unforgettable rock anthems. Honeymoon Suite was originally formed in 1981 by Dee from Niagara Falls, Ontario. Following the departure of the original lead guitarist, Derry Grehan, also from the Niagara Falls area, joined the band. Dee and Grehan decided to re-build the band at that point and recruited Dave Betts on drums, Ray Coburn on keys, and Gary Lalonde on bass. In 1983, the band entered a demo of “New Girl Now” to a homegrown contest put on by Toronto rock station Q107. They won that year and this led to a multi album deal with WEA Canada after being signed by Bob Roper. They recorded their debut self titled album which was released in July, 1984. The album was an instant success, and with the help of massive airplay, several videos on MTV and MuchMusic, it went on to sell over 300,000 units in Canada alone. Since their debut release, the group has released a total of seven studio albums with over 1 million units sold worldwide driven by the success of a string of hit singles such as “New Girl Now”, “Burning In Love”, “Wave Babies”, “Stay In the Light”, “Feel It Again” and “What Does It Take”, to name a few. Fast forward to 2020. the group is armed with a surplus of new original songs. They reached out to fellow Canadian producer/songwriter MIke Krompass based in Nashville, TN. A long-time fan, Krompass was all in to co-write and produce a new Honeymoon Suite album for his new record label. The band are excited about the album’s release. Check out the title track below.
Release Date: 02/14/24
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Robby Krieger and The Soul Savages release the ensemble’s debut album via Provogue Records / Mascot Label Group. Krieger knows that when you assemble the right bunch of musicians, and trust in the creative process, magic happens. As a founding member of The Doors, the guitarist intuitively understands the beauty of free-flowing collaboration and telepathic group interplay. This is evident on Robby Krieger And The Soul Savages. The album was recorded old school style with a bunch of friends jamming and recording in a relaxed studio setting. Tracked at Krieger’s own Love Street Studios in Glendale, California, it finds the guitarist stretching out over cinematic groove music inspired by classic soul, 1960s jazz, blues, rock, psychedelic rock, and beyond. Fans of the guitarist’s singular style will rejoice that his latest album is filled with Robby-isms. Robby Krieger And The Soul Savages brims with his celebrated fingerstyle fretwork, including some adventurous jazzy and microtonal slide guitar playing; his slinky, funk-inspired rhythm work; and his silky Wes Montgomery-style octave playing. The 10-song album explores the soul-jazz, dirty blues, and noir-ish roots of The Doors while also furthering the man’s career as a jazz-fusion guitarist. Joining Robby on this all-instrumental odyssey of psych-rock soul are top-shelf composers, instrumentalists, and bandmates. Bassist-songwriter Kevin “Brandino” Brandon co-wrote and recorded with Robby on the Singularity album, and he has won over half a dozen Grammy awards as well as three Emmy awards. His extensive resume includes credits with James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, and Beyonce. Keyboardist-songwriter Ed Roth is a Grammy-nominee known for his work in jazz, rock, and pop, and a robust resume that includes working with Ringo Starr, Brothers Johnson, Coolio, Shuggie Otis, and Annie Lennox. And drummer-songwriter Franklin Vanderbilt brings savage to the band’s soul with his fatback groove and jazzy nimbleness. Among others, his credits include drumming for legendary Chaka Khan, recording with fusion jazz pioneer Stanley Clarke, and touring worldwide with Lenny Kravitz. Robby Krieger And The Soul Savages opens with “Shark Skin Suit,” a bracing dose of lysergic-laced funk that recalls P-Funk, Jimmy Smith, and The Doors. Here, Krieger’s slide guitar parts are wildly melodic, touching upon blues, jazz, Indian sitar music, and 1960s acid rock with technical precision and imagination. The keys here recall Bernie Worrell’s color-swirling P-Funk work, as Ed keeps things infectiously funky and technicolor-ly textured. The rhythm section lays down meaty and uncluttered grooves to support the fertile improvisations. Robby reveals that the quartet found their stride on the cinematically funky “Day In L.A,” and it definitely feels like a flag-planting moment. “Ricochet Rabbit” finds Robby in fleet-fingered jazzer mode, playing beautiful octave jazz lines inspired by the late Wes Montgomery over some modern jazz-funk stylings. The groovy but odd-metered “Math Problem” is aptly named with its playfully shifting time signatures. Krieger effortlessly plays bluesy licks and serpentine jazz-influenced lines over the challenging time changes. Check out the playful official music video for “Ricochet Rabbit” from Robby Krieger And The Soul Savages below.
Release Date: 01/19/24
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