Well, this is the last post of the week as we head into the revered US holiday known to eaters everywhere as Thanksgiving.  But we're not going in without leaving you some stuff to check out, new music to pay attention to, and other goodies including several new reviews. 

But before we dive into all of that, I wanted to mention the passing of an artist that had designed covers for some memorable LPs.  Guy Peellaert created surreal paintings that found them hung in halls and on walls of the rich and famous including the very artists he designed for.  The two memorable album covers that he produced are found on The Rolling Stones' It's Only Rock 'n Roll, and David Bowie's Diamond Dogs.  Yes, those were his covers and explain the reason why we're mentioning his notable passing here.  His art didn't begin and end with Rock and Roll, however.  You could see his creations on film posters, and in unique  stand-alone paintings with strange depictions of altered realities – Alice Cooper as a carnival hawker, Dylan in a lonely limousine, and other dream-induced paintings.  We just wanted to the take the moment to acknowledge Mr Peellaert for his contributions to the annals of Rock, which we can never forget.  As indelible as the music is on It's Only Rock 'n Roll, the cover is just as permanently etched in our minds.  They are inseparable.  We miss not only that level of imaginative art on our albums but we'll miss Guy Peellaert's ability to transcend the album further.  Keep drawing them, Guy!!

Guy Peellaert
1934-2008
RIP

We also want to draw attention to the passing of Robert Lucas, whose voice was the essence and power of Canned Heat since 1994 until 2006. His extraordinary voice was a Rock'n'Roll one and as such, is one that we'll miss hearing. He died of unfortunate circumstances at the young age of 46.

Robert Lucas
1962-2008
RIP

We hope that you enjoyed the Poll for Grand Funk Railroad.  Even though we only received 41 votes, they were passionate ones with each voter serious about the selection that each chose.  And with only a short number of entries, most of the great GFR albums were selected even if some made it in by a single vote.  We'll introduce a new one on December 8 with the results shown on the week of Christmas before we break for the various holidays that occur within that time-frame.  We haven't decided which band to choose but we will pick one that should generate a lot of enthusiasm.

Reviews on TAP are the David Byrne/Brian Eno collaboration called Whatever Happens Will Happen Tomorrow, and the reissue of The Complete Peel Sessions for Magazine (BBC).  Those are my contributions.  We also have another Front Page Review for you, this one of Play by Project Grand Slam.  On our return on Monday, December 1, we'll entertain with another Front Page Review as well as a review from Mark Squirek of You Heard It Here First, a Various Artists collection of classic songs.  I might even contribute a new one for then.  In the meantime, be aware that today is Vinyl Sides Wednesday on The Sound (100.3FM-LA).  If you enjoyed it last Wednesday, I expect that you'll enjoy it again.  If you're outside the airwaves of LA, then just use the provided link to tune in and listen.

We'll see you again on Monday (Dec 1).  If you're in the US, enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday.  If outside the US, please...enjoy your days as well.

We have a stream of four songs from the Amy Grant Christmas Collection album that we have reviewed. The songs are complete streams so have fun and enjoy them.

Jingle Bells - Windows Media
Jingle Bells - Quicktime

I Need a Silent Night - Windows Media
I Need a Silent Night - Quicktime

Baby It's Christmas - Windows Media
Baby It's Christmas - Quicktime

Count Your Blessings - Windows Media
Count Your Blessings - Quicktime

For the long promised Albums You MUST Hear Before You Die! list (#15), I will be posting a letter each post until exhausted (there were only 17 21 25 27 29 30 31 32 33 34 emails).  Some were only a few titles, some only one.  But there were more than a few that were massive and a few extended, well-detailed lists.  I’ll post them as I received them.  Today, I have a list of 27 new and classic albums. Thanks to Greg for his list:

1. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
2. Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
3. Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks
4. Michael Franti & Spearhead - All Rebel Rockers
5. Peter Gabriel - Up
6. Genesis - Invisible Touch
7. Green Day - American Idiot
8. Colin Hay - Man at Work
9. Icehouse - Man of Colours
10. Kings of Leon - Because of the Times
11. Mark Knopfler - Shangri-La
12. Metallica - Master of Puppets
13. Van Morrison - Moondance
14. Morrissey - Live at Earls Court
15. My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade
16. Adam Pascal - Model Prisoner
17. The Proclaimers - Sunshine on Leith
18. The Proclaimers - Life With You
19. Red Hot Chili Peppers - By the Way
20. R.E.M. - Automatic for the People
21. Boz Scaggs - Silk Degrees
22. William Shatner - Has Been
23. Bruce Springsteen - The Rising
24. Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
25. Rufus Wainwright - Want One
26. Warren Zevon - Warren Zevon
27. Warren Zevon - The Wind

We're going to keep the Best Album of ALL Time up for a long while as we continually update it. But I'll say this: The Beatles took the lead with not only The White Album but also the fact that they have been selected with two albums. Like The Albums You MUST Hear Before You Die! run, which does not show signs of stopping (I'm still getting emails, which I have no problem with and encourage - Send Them In), I'm hoping that this new thing stays strong. Send in your selection (one only, please) for the album that is the ruler of all.

If you have missed the last As The Disc Spins (updated), check it out here.

To access the previous site and catch up, click here.

We have spent a little time hawking Glasvegas.  We've also announced their upcoming US release on Columbia Records planned for January 6.  Now, we're going to expand a bit on their expected album release.  The US version of their debut will add in two bonus tracks (“The Prettiest Thing on Sailcoats Beach,” “Everybody's Got to Learn Sometimes”) making this particular release an interest for overseas readers.  The UK base entered their debut in at #2.  They have something going for them and people know it.  For those that need further convincing, David Letterman has them booked for a performance appearance on January 5, just prior to their US debut.  Glasvegas is beginning 2009 with a 7-date mini tour before showing up at SXSW and then embarking on an extensive US tour after that.

Saxophonist, Amy Dickson will release her new album called Smile via RCA Red Seal Records.  Planned for January 6, this album will contain 13 tracks of familiar material from the likes of Rachmaninov, and Debussy, amongst other and including the title track, “Smile” by Charlie Chaplin.

RCA Red Seal will also release Symphony No. 5, and Symphony No. 1 (Beethoven) by Paavo Jarvi, who directs the Cincinnati Symphony.  The album will be released as a Multi-Channel Hybrid SACD on January 6.

We have a bit more info on that upcoming Neil Sedaka release (Waking Up is Hard to Do) appearing on January 6 from Razor & Tie Records.  The album, as it turns out, is a Children's album.  Sedaka has taken notable tunes and reimagined them to fit in with a child's frame of mind.  Hence, you get “Waking Up Is Hard to Do,” scrounged from “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” and “Where The Toys Are” from “Where the Boys Are,” and – my favourite - “Lunch Will Keep Us Together” from “Love Will Keep Us Together.”  You get the point.  In any case, this album contains 12 tracks and should make some collectors happy.

Gospel singers, Shari Addison, and Crystal Atkins have separate releases arriving on January 13 via Verity and Zomba Records Group.  The album expected from Shari Addison is self-titled and is her debut release while the Crystal Atkins album, is also a self-titled debut.

Shout Factory will be releasing a 2CD collection for Freddy Cannon called Boom Boom Rock 'n' Roll: The Best of Freddy Cannon.  The 2CD collection will contain 24 tracks and is expected on January 13.

You've already heard the news that Legacy will issue a 2CD Legacy Edition of the great Jazz classic, Kind of Blue by Miles Davis.  You've even heard us detail the contents of not only this January 13 reissue but also of the massive Deluxe Edition that dropped some months back, which is the father of this pared down Legacy Edition.  But it certainly bears mentioning again...just so some of you are prepared for this album's release.  The 2CD version will contain the original album, remastered, and is expanded with 7 bonus cuts (alternate takes, “false start” of “Freddie Freeloader,” and studio sequence pieces) while the second disc is filled with songs from the sessions of Kind of Blue, and a previously “unauthorized” extended Live version of “So What.”  The liner notes for this edition are historical and collectible making even this 2CD Legacy Edition a definitive version of Kind of Blue.  Will it get any better than this release?  Doubtful.  But one never knows.  Until then, this version of Kind of Blue should be in your library.  Don't let them disappear.

As a reminder, the Derek Trucks Band album, Already Free is coming on January 13.  It will contain twelve tracks and will be made available in a 6-panel CD digipak as well as a 180g 2LP set.  I'm looking forward to this album myself.  Really!

Also, don't forget about the upcoming batch of Legacy-issued From the Heart collection series, designed with Valentine's Day in mind.  I have track-listings for the releases expected for Air Supply; Babyface; Miles Davis; Aretha Franklin; Billie Holiday; The Isley Brothers; Dolly Parton; and Frank Sinatra.  If you want to know what they are, email and I'll let you know.  Also coming are titles for the Series collection called Playlist, which is an artist-assisted selection of career overview tracks (obviously some artists would not apply) delivered in Green packaging (no plastic, 100% recycled paper).  They are for Indigo Girls; Dan Fogelberg; Europe; Michael Bolton; Menudo; Peter Tosh; Run-DMC; The Spin Doctors; Steve Perry; Teddy Pendergrass; The Jacksons; and Van Morrison.  Again, should you desire track-listing info, just email.  ALL titles in this paragraph will be released on January 13.

Magazine was the influential band almost no one heard of. Do a poll amongst your peers and odds are that 99 out of...99 have not heard of them. Yet their albums were pretty fine works dating back to late '78 through their final year in 1981. This BBC Peel Sessions is a grand piece to have in your collection if you're a Magazine fan. You don't know who they are? No? then check them out and become a fan. The Complete John Peel Sessions is a good add in to a library of Magazine albums.

Moody jazz is such sweetness to enjoy and very hard to ignore if done right.  The debut album by Project Grand Slam (made up of important jazzmen, Robert Miller, Haim Cotton, Ron Thaler, and Gilad Ronen, who have individually played with more known musicians so as to impress immensely) called Play takes the best kinds of jazz and produces 13 superb jazz pieces that include a gorgeously repeatable vocal track with “The Captain of her Heart” as well as a bonus instrumental version of the 1986 hit classic by Double.  The song is perfectly sung by Judie Tzuke, which represents the only vocal track on this album of jazz club tunes.  In addition to the previously mentioned song, five tracks found on this album have been featured in Lipstick Jungle, a TV series on NBC starring Brooke Shields (“Out of Tahini,” “Ode to Jerry,” “Riding the Berks,” “Heat 2007,” “Studio One”).  At times, this album wants to snuggle up with you and at other times, move you around.  You will enjoy the tunes found on Play, especially their wonderful version of “The Captain of Her Heart.”  **** (4 Stars)

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