The Amp it up

IT'S FOUR YOU was a CD recorded & released in 1994 by the Australian Beatles tribute group The Beatnix. It featured the performances of Steven Shipley, Bruce Coble, David Wood & John Taylor, the four musicians who would go on to become the founding members of THE BEATELS shortly after this album was recorded. The idea for the album came from Australian music writer Glenn A Baker, and the album was originally released on Glenn's record label, Raven Records, in 1994. Glenn had seen the band perform, & knew what they were capable of, & so he approached them & asked if they would be interested in spending a few weeks in the studio recording and mixing 19 songs that Lennon & McCartney had written, but never released by The Beatles. Some tracks had never been recorded by The Beatles - they had been given to other NEMS artists such as PJ Proby, Cilla Black, & Peter & Gordon. Many tracks had gone to number one on the charts.

Due to the underachievement of their exceptional 1982 comeback album, Creatures of the Night, Kiss knew the time was right to drop the makeup, so in September 1983 the band shocked their fans by unmasking on MTV…

Considering that Southern Accents took so much time and money to complete, finally hitting the stores two and a half years after Long After Dark, it wasn't surprising that Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers decided to release a double live album, Pack Up the Plantation: Live!, a mere eight months after its release. After all, Southern Accents was criticized from many corners for being too slick, too much in Dave Stewart's corner instead of the Heartbreakers', so it made sense to quickly return the focus to the band, showcasing the group as the rockers they are. Pack Up the Plantation does do that, even if it isn't quite the barnburner it should have been.

Considering that Southern Accents took so much time and money to complete, finally hitting the stores two and a half years after Long After Dark, it wasn't surprising that Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers decided to release a double live album, Pack Up the Plantation: Live!, a mere eight months after its release. After all, Southern Accents was criticized from many corners for being too slick, too much in Dave Stewart's corner instead of the Heartbreakers', so it made sense to quickly return the focus to the band, showcasing the group as the rockers they are. Pack Up the Plantation does do that, even if it isn't quite the barnburner it should have been.

Sometimes it seems like the Smithereens' entire career was mistimed. After the relative success of 11, Pat DiNizio and company returned with their most straightforward and mainstream-ready release yet in Blow Up. Produced by Ed Stasium, the mix is arena ready and clean, and DiNizio co-wrote two of the disc's most accessible songs with songwriters Diane Warren and Julian Lennon…