Midge Ure, Nazareth, Marc Almond & More!

Brief commentary of vinyl releases from BMG, Music on Vinyl, Silva Screen, Chrysalis and more!

NAZARETH

Fans of the heavy rock band. Nazareth have been having a fine time of late with BMG’s album releases on vinyl. Well, here’s yet another batch for you: Snaz (1981, pictured above) a double album that’s rare in projecting the raw energy of the group…

YOU CAN BUY THE ABOVE ALBUM VIA THE LINKS BELOW
USA – https://amzn.to/2ObIrxi
UK – https://amzn.to/33cpQ8H

2XS (1982) a superb 80s release…

YOU CAN BUY THE ABOVE ALBUM VIA THE LINKS BELOW
USA – https://amzn.to/33bwVGD
UK – https://amzn.to/2rekLiO

Sound Elixir (1983) the band’s last major label release, via MCA – good in parts…

YOU CAN BUY THE ABOVE ALBUM VIA THE LINKS BELOW
USA – https://amzn.to/2pGhSa2
UK – https://amzn.to/2OeS5PT

Cinema (1986) an oft ignored LP that deserves attention…

YOU CAN BUY THE ABOVE ALBUM VIA THE LINKS BELOW
USA – https://amzn.to/2XCTZN6
UK – https://amzn.to/347UKjI

No Jive (1992) a very strong album that kicked back at the grunge scene of the time and finally…

YOU CAN BUY THE ABOVE ALBUM VIA THE LINKS BELOW
USA – https://amzn.to/2D47xb0
UK – https://amzn.to/2D9n89c

Move Me (1995), which offers more energy than creativity.

YOU CAN BUY THE ABOVE ALBUM VIA THE LINKS BELOW
USA – https://amzn.to/2KJXexa
UK – https://amzn.to/37qiCkR

MUSIC ON VINYL

New from Music on Vinyl (www.musiconvinyl.com) comes The Best of Spirit (1973) features the better known songs such as I Got a Line on You and 1984.

Not really a hits-type band, this compilation serves as a good introduction to their core album collection.

YOU CAN BUY THE ABOVE ALBUM VIA THE LINKS BELOW
USA – https://amzn.to/2saqgj5
UK – https://amzn.to/2qsRCk2

Peter Green’s White Sky is a rock-out LP with songs written by brother Mike but Peter’s contribution sounds a little uncomfortable.

YOU CAN BUY THE ABOVE ALBUM VIA THE LINKS BELOW
USA – https://amzn.to/2O9J3U4
UK – https://amzn.to/2ObWqmM

Finally, Marc Almond’s Stardom Road (2007) and arguably his best album.

Consisting of covers from the likes of Charles Aznavour, David Bowie and Al Stewart plus a host of guests (i.e. Kiki Dee, Sarah Cracknell, etc.) Almond examines the artist, related emotions and excess. And does it very well indeed.

YOU CAN BUY THE ABOVE ALBUM VIA THE LINKS BELOW
USA – https://amzn.to/37van75
UK – https://amzn.to/2D84UFm

MIDGE

Midge Ure has a new Soundtrack out and about.

The Singles 1980-1988 (Chrysalis) is a 10-tracker from Midge featuring Call of the Wild and If I Was. Watch out for the 2017 version of Fade to Grey!

YOU CAN BUY THE ABOVE ALBUM VIA THE LINKS BELOW
USA – https://amzn.to/2XDaPLJ
UK – https://amzn.to/37mTNGe

UFO

The mighty, Gerry Anderson TV program UFO (Silva Screen; www.silvascreen.com) –  one of my favourites as a kid – has emerged as a soundtrack, penned by the legendary Barry Gray.

Replete in a gatefold sleeve plus great pics inside, it arrives without shrink wrap but, instead an (extremely tight fitting!) band and sticker. Arrives on purple vinyl: a popular colour in the TV series, it has to be said.  

YOU CAN BUY THE ABOVE ALBUM VIA THE LINKS BELOW
USA – https://amzn.to/2OdqYEJ
UK – https://amzn.to/2XF1Ud2

CHANTAL CHAMBERLAND

Temptation from Chantal Chamberland (Evosound: www.evosound.com) makes a big sticker play of its German pressing source but fails to say exactly where.

Nevertheless, this singer-songwriter combines new and classic tracks, cooly interpreted, vocally textured and spatially generous. It’s also exactly what you’d expect to hear at a hi-fi show. So you probably will.

YOU CAN BUY THE ABOVE ALBUM VIA THE LINKS BELOW
USA – https://amzn.to/2Ow5eCY
UK – https://amzn.to/2QHa5nr

GUIDO SPANNOCCHI

Guido Spannocchi’s jazzy All of the Above (Audioguido; audioguidorecords.kudosrecords.co.uk) is supposedly derived from European folk but sounds like classic bop to me! Excellent stuff.

YOU CAN BUY THE ABOVE ALBUM VIA THE LINKS BELOW
USA – https://amzn.to/2OFGcRM
UK – https://amzn.to/35s83fb

WIZARD RIFLE

Wizard Rifle’s (Svart: svartrecords.com) self-titled, psychedelic noise rock is hard, tough, in yer face yet injects surprising melodic undertones.

YOU CAN BUY THE ABOVE ALBUM VIA THE LINKS BELOW
USA – https://amzn.to/2KMxMXJ
UK – https://amzn.to/2s8MKRw

KLONE

Klone’s Le Grand Voyage (Kscope: kscopemusic.com) reminds me of Steven Wilson blended with Sting. But the former in terms of arrangements and delivery. Porcupine fans take note.

YOU CAN BUY THE ABOVE ALBUM VIA THE LINKS BELOW
USA – https://amzn.to/2D8M1Ss
UK – https://amzn.to/2qFk2ai

THE AKRON QUARTET

The Akron Quartet Plays Ritualul Sferei (Vampi Soul: www.munster-records.com) is a jazz combo majoring in exotica. Think Les Baxter in its cool, lounge strangeness. 

YOU CAN BUY THE ABOVE ALBUM VIA THE LINKS BELOW
USA – https://amzn.to/2reoMno
UK – https://amzn.to/2qFCKif

[Don’t forget to check out my Facebook Group, The Audiophile Man: Hi-Fi & Music here: www.facebook.com/groups/theaudiophileman for exclusive postings, exclusive editorial and more!]