"Forever Changes" (Rhino/Elektra) by Love remains one of the most highly regarded albums of the 1960s. That says a lot considering it was released in 1967, the same year as groundbreaking albums by the Beatles, the Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, the Velvet Underground and Nico, Leonard Cohen and many others. Newly reissued in a handsomely packaged expanded limited edition (15,000, numbered), the deluxe 50th-anniversary set is comprised of Bernie Grundman's stereo remastered 180 gram vinyl LP and a 96/24 DVD stereo remaster of the album, along with a rare 1968 promo film. The four CDs include producer-engineer Bruce Botnick's remaster of the original album, mono and alternate mixes, as well as singles, outtakes and rare tracks. Aside from the legend that surrounds the album, recorded in a mere 64 hours, Love mastermind Arthur Lee was able to merge his R&B musical sensibilities with the folk and psychedelic rock sounds of that period on "Alone Again Or," "The Daily Planet," "You Set the Scene" and "Live and Let Live." Talk about your summer of Love!
Stephen Bishop's 1976 debut album "Careless" was one of those bar-setting recordings that guaranteed the talented singer-songwriter would never achieve that kind of greatness again. In addition to big hit singles "On and On" and "Save It for a Rainy Day," "Careless" featured fantastic guest artists, including Chaka Khan (whose duet with Bishop on "Little Italy" is a must) and Eric Clapton. Songs from the album would go on to be recorded by Barbra Streisand ("One More Night"), Phoebe Snow ("Never Letting Go") and Art Garfunkel ("Looking for the Right One"). If the expanded CD reissue of Bish's third album, 1980's "Red Cab to Manhattan" (Blixa Sounds), doesn't live up to expectations, you don't have to feel bad for him. In-between "Careless" and "Red Cab," he recorded songs for the movies "Animal House" and "China Syndrome," then went on to record the Oscar-winning song "It Might Be You" from "Tootsie," and earn an Oscar nomination for "Separate Lives" from "White Nights." Decent songs on "Red Cab" include "Send a Little Love My Way" and the title song.
Originally released 40 years ago as a double-LP set, the remastered two-CD reissue of "Decade" (Reprise) by Neil Young collects 35 songs spanning the 10-year period from 1966-76. Drawing on Young's sizable catalog of solo work and collaborations, "Decade" provides a vintage snapshot of the prolific artist. Included in the set are Buffalo Springfield songs ("Broken Arrow," "Down to the Wire," "Mr. Soul"), Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young ("Ohio," "Helpless") and "Long May You Run" from the sole release by the Stills-Young Band. Solo recordings are represented by "Sugar Mountain," "Cinnamon Girl," "Cowgirl in the Sand," "Down by the River," "After the Goldrush," "Old Man," "Heart of Gold," "The Needle and the Damage Done," "Like a Hurricane," and "Love Is a Rose."
Elvis Presley died more than 40 years ago, on Aug. 16, 1977. All these years later, there still seems to be a bottomless vault containing enough recordings to justify yet another compilation. The latest addition, "A Boy from Tupelo: The Complete 1953-55 Recordings" (Legacy/RCA) claims to be the "definitive collection of Elvis' Sun-era recordings in one comprehensive package." The triple-disc set is grouped by "Memphis Recording Service Acetates," "Sun Masters," "RCA Masters," "Sun Studio Sessions" and "Live and Radio Performances," for a total of 85 tracks.