Alan Shorter

YES are the most successful and longest lived of all the progressive rock bands that appeared in the late sixties / early seventies, still releasing albums and playing to packed houses nearly forty years from their formation. This 5CD box set includes their three most recent studio albums: "Open Your Eyes", "The Ladder" and "Magnification" plus their 1994 album "Talk". The fifth CD sees the first ever release of highlights from their live concert at Montreux in 2003.

After being rediscovered by the folk-blues community in the early '60s, Son House rose to the occasion and recorded this magnificent set of performances. Allowed to stretch out past the shorter running time of the original 78s, House turns in wonderful, steaming performances of some of his best-known material. On some tracks, House is supplemented by folk-blues researcher/musician Alan Wilson, who would later become a member of the blues-rock group Canned Heat and here plays some nice second guitar and harmonica on several cuts. This two-disc set features alternate takes, some unissued material and some studio chatter from producer John Hammond, Sr. that ocassionally hints at the chaotic nature inherent to some of these '60s "rediscovery" sessions. While not as overpowering as his earlier work (what could be?), all of these sides are so power packed with sheer emotional involvement from House, they're an indispensable part of his canonade.

Metal Blade has reissued two classic albums from progressive metal act Fates Warning. Disconnected, which was originally released in 2000 and FWX, which was originally released in 2004, have both been remastered for these reissues by Alan Douches and contain additional bonus tracks.
Fates Warning presents us here with their tenth album FWX, an album that still has some of the modern edge of Disconnected but with a mix of the classic Parallels album and A Pleasant Shade Of Gray and an overall heavier sound. FWX unlike more recent efforts, avoids the lengthy conceptual pieces instead, opting for more shorter and concise songs.

I grew up in Newark, New Jersey where such great artists as James Moody, Sarah Vaughan, Walter Davis Jr., Hank Mobley were my neighbors and Wayne Shorter was my dear friend. Wayne and I went to grammar school and Arts High School together. I was very influenced by Wayne in every way and knew at young age that he was a genius. But I could not tolerate the cold winters, so I decided to move to Los Angeles. It was 1960. In 1961, I received a call from Jules Chaikin, a young contractor that I worked for, who knew my playing and asked if I wanted to go on the road with Stan Kenton. I was overwhelmed since this was one of the bands I dreamed of playing with. Nine months later we ended the tour at Capitol Records. I recorded three albums with the band, including “Adventures in Jazz” which won a Grammy for Stan and “Adventures in Blues” which Stan said was my album since it featured the bass walking predominantly through the whole album.