Who'd have thought that 2013 would be a year when the 60's rockers would find a second wind, or 3rd or 4th depending on how you see their contribution. Either way this year Macca, Bowie, Elton John, Black Sabbath, Roy Harper and the list goes on, released albums that brought some attention if not from a young audience then certainly with the media.
Which ever one first caught the bug to take to the studio "one more time" the virus sure spread fast and one set the rest off in not being left out of the old act. Just like the 60's, when one band rushed to beat the other to the No.1 slot in the album charts. Of course those days are long gone now and their succession of releases landed without a thud onto the web rather than major labels beloved record stores which are virtually all gone.
Nowadays the big labels just pump there old catalogue through to Spotify and hardly anyone earns a nickel from the machine, which Thom Yorke will tell you all about over and over again.
Those who didn't get the bug to release full on albums did a respectable job with a new track or two and went back on the road, which was The Stones route. And don't bet on them not showing up next year to start it up again, again.
The Who also took the Stones way minus the single, and went walk about too promoting their anniversary bumper mega buck box set of the forthcoming 'Tommy' reissue. Which was slightly less ambitiuos given that Townshed hasn't written a new song in years, well maybe he has but he ain't telling. But what has surfaced amongst the reissue is previously unheard material in the form of 20 demos from Townshend’s archive one of which is this.. “Amazing Journey". It's obviously a more raw version than on the original album but from about 3 minutes in you hear the Pete Townshend guitar take off like a large firework and you have to think why the hell haven't we heard that more recently on something new. After all PT if that other lot can do it...
VIA HENNEMUSIC.COM
