Welcome to Monday...once again.

We're going to put up a new Band Best Album Poll today and run it, like all of them, for two weeks. This week is going to be for YES, particularly after the Anderson/David swap that upset Jon Anderson and sent Steve Howe into damage control afterwards. I think that Yes could have waited a bit until Anderson recovered fully (even though I believe that the David situation is temporary). It would not have hurt them, Rick might even have come back in a year. However, Benoit David does have a good voice for the show. Oh well...fans count for little these days. Understanding the fact that some won't perform or cannot perform with previous fixtures, choices must be made. When a singer and/or guitarist is gone (as in Foghat), the remaining members are welcome to perservere with the best that can be offered. I stilI still think that after the flood of fame and cash, when many performers think little of their fans, we often get the shaft, settling for second best. I applaud - completely - Eddie Van Halen's willingness to put the bad stuff behind his and Diamond Dave's spat for a nice tour even though it was sullied by the conspicuous absence of Anthony. Rock and Roll...right?

Thanks to everyone who has sent in their list of Albums that MUST be heard before we die. We have a nice collection although not as many as I would have liked. But the ones that were sent in often had 50 selections. I still have to figure if a cut 'n' paste is workable or if I should just list them. We'll figure it out.

Again, YES is our choice for our new Best Album Poll. Many of you know the drill. For those that don't know, it's easy. Just click the available link and offer up your choice of what you consider to be the best album that Yes made. You have quite a catalogue to wade through. I may forgive you some of your choices, and I may not. (Just kidding). Send all votes to The Best of YES and we'll collect 'em. And we'll let you know in a few weeks what you chose as the numero uno YES album.

For review, I have a few words on the April release of Life Death Love and Freedom by John Mellencamp, which contains not only the T Bone Burnett-produced CD but also the DVD hi-res with downloadable files for your iPod or PC library.

We'll see you back here on Wednesday with more promised reviews.

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.

MRI will release both CD and DVD versions of Have You Heard Jim Croce Live for legendary singer, Jim Croce.  It is scheduled for release on October 28.  MRI will also release the CD called The Wicked Soundtrack by Al Jourgensen by Ministry a month later on November 25.

Epic and Legacy will release an LP reissue of Passion and Warfare, a Steve Vai album now planned for October 28.

Columbia and Legacy will also release Vinyl LP reissues for Miles Davis offering these classics on November 25: Bitches Brew, In a Silent Way, Nefertiti, and Sketches of Spain.

The recently converted Motley Crue catalogue to the recently formed Motley Crue Records will reissue their albums (Dr Feelgood; Girls, Girls, Girls; Saints of Los Angeles; Shout at the Devil; Theatre of Pain; Too Fast for Love) on Vinyl LP.  They are scheduled for November 25.

Kemado Records will bundle the two albums from The Sword (Age of Winters; Gods of the Earth) in to a slipcase releasing the set on November 25.

Soft Drive Records will release the solo effort from Scott Weiland, a personal album of music from the STP/Velvet Revolver vocalist called Happy in Galoshes on November 25.

We’ll remind you but there are albums coming in 2009 from Mark Isham, Delbert McClinton, and The Cover Up.

The original roundup of series titles (The Green Series) that include music by: Trace Adkins; The Band; Glen Campbell; Joe Cocker; Grand Funk Railroad; Great White; Lee Greenwood; Heart; Huey Lewis and the News; Megadeth; Steve Miller Band; Poison; and Bonnie Raitt, has been date-shifted from original date of November 25 to NEW date of December 9.  Make your corrections.

Verity Records will bring Gospel and Christmas together with a collection of songs called And There Was Christmas.  This album will feature songs by the best in today’s Gospel like Yolanda Adams (“Little Drummer Boy”), Donnie McClurkin (“Hark the Herald Angels Sing”), Mary Mary (“Merry Little Christmas”), and others.  This album is scheduled for October 28.

Razor & Tie will offer an upcoming Christmas title from The Blenders, scheduling for October 28.  The album is called Holiday Classics and will have – at the moment – 16 tracks of traditional songs.  The same label will also be releasing I’ll Be Home for Christmas from Brian McKnight, also with a batch of traditional songs but given the McKnight treatment.  It, too, is available on October 28.

Rounder has announced the LP release of the previously announced Jingle all the Way from Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.  It is currently planned for issue on November 4.

Mike Burchfield will release his A County Piano Christmas on November 11.

John Mellencamp has been around in the many decades that he has been creating music. On his latest album, Life Death Love and Freedom, he looks at many of our live's quesations, anxieties, and fears. If you're a fan of John Mellancamp then you'll like his latest album.

Manhattan yields up a fantastic band called Band of Thieves that REALLY demand some attention. Their brand of energetic rock carries a lot of trademarks and remembrances, lots of them with smiles. I highly recommmend a vist to their MySpace Music page (accessible at the Myspace button) and/or their website. You'll be surprised.