Confessions of a Fanboy

I’m going to have to work a second job or this site is going to have to start producing some actual royalty checks. With my mouth I curse the music industry while I simultaneously hand them huge wads of my cash. I admit the absence of any semblance of logic in this. I do hate the industry, but the list I’m compiling bolsters my claim that the problem with the music
industry cannot be blamed on a lack of quality music. My budget runneth over.

This is a quick look at some of the new releases that are hitting store shelves this summer. I put most of these in the MUST HAVE category, and these are just the ones I know about today. TheWifeToWhomI’mMarried will be encouraged to skip this post. Here is a quick peak at some of the new releases you’ll likely be hearing about over the next few weeks and months.

June 5
Bruce Springsteen - Live in Dublin (CD/DVD): A live package chronicling Bruce’s tour with the Seeger Sessions Band in support of We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions. This album grew on me… a lot. I won’t repeat my quibbles with it, other than to say I would have tried like hell to see one of these shows if he’d have brought it anywhere nearby. I love that he’s releasing this on CD and DVD. That needs to happen more often. Too many concerts are being released solely on DVD.

Tom Petty - Highway Companion Deluxe Edition: This was my #2 album of the year last year. I’m disappointed that I’m going to ‘have’ to buy it a second time in less than a year. There are two new songs and two demos on this expanded package. Petty indicated in the Conversations With Tom Petty book that there were a few songs that didn’t make the cut. It will be cool to hear these, even if I do feel a bit gouged.

Muddy Waters - Breakin’ it Up, Breakin’ it Down: Holy shit, boys and girls! A live album from the Hard Again tour. It’s a live compliation, but there’s no telling how many of these shows were recorded. This may well be the best of what’s available. Hard Again was the album that brought Muddy roaring back from obscurity. It was produced by Johnny Winter. Winter, Bob Margolin, James Cotton, Pinetop Perkins, and Willie “Big Eyes” Smith recorded the album with Waters and that same band was used on this tour. This is going to be fabulous.

June 12
Traveling Wilburys - Vol. 1 & Vol. 3 (CD/DVD): Two albums that should never have gone out-of-print will be available for the first time in a decade. Some of the most important artists in rock and roll history got together to make two albums. I’ve only heard one or two songs from these albums. They were released when I was too young and disinterested to appreciate them. Now, I can discover them for the first time and I’m really excited about this.

Paul McCartney - Memory Almost Full: I never dreamed I’d be excited about a McCartney release, but Chaos and Creation in the Backyard changed my mind. It doesn’t hurt that I like the first single, “Ever Present Past.”

Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos: This is one I’m going to call a “like to have” more than a “must have.” Octavarium didn’t really score big with me and I’m not sure how eager I’m going to be for this record. I want to hear it, but with so many others on my list it will likely get pushed back.

Chris Cornell - Carry On: This is another “like to have.” I got really bored with Audioslave. The first record was almost good. Still, I’m a huge Soundgarden fan and I think Cornell is a talent. Scarce dollars might force me to wait on this one, but I’ll be looking for it.

June 19
The White Stripes - Icky Thump: Does this even need an explanation? New White Stripes. Period. As if that isn’t enough, I’ve heard from folks who have heard the record this album marks the return of Jack White’s guitar. I like Get Behind Me Satan, but it didn’t have as much of Jack’s signature guitar work as what I’d have liked. I am looking forward to this one.

June 26
Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger: He’s a dicksmack, but he’s one of the best songwriters of his generation. Adams is a frustrated and frustrating genius. This is his first album since he released three of them in 2005. I cannot buy this one enough.

Pearl Jam - Live at the Gorge: I told you why I’m going to buy this one when I first learned of this. Seven discs of live Pearl Jam… that’s my kind of overdose.

U2 - Popmart Live from Mexico City: A must have, but a must have that might need to wait. I just don’t watch the live DVDs very often. I wish I could buy this in CD format rather than DVD. Still, this was a tour that was epic in scope and might actually look better on TV than it did on stage.

July 10
Smashing Pumkins - Zeitgeist: Another Billy Corgan/Jimmy Chamberlain collaboration. I’ve liked most of them. I am one of about three people who preferred Zwan but that won’t stop me from buying this record.

Foo Fighters - The Colour and The Shape Deluxe Edition: Everyone likes this record better than their debut but me. Still, this was an awfully good one [I'm listening to it now], and I’ll buy it for the remaster and the bonus disc. The bonus disc doesn’t look as exciting as what some other bonus editions have offered, but I have a feeling I’ll be jumping on this one. They were never as consistent as they were on the debut and on this record.

August 7
Joe Satriani - Surfing With the Alien Deluxe Edition: This will soon rival Eat a Peach for the title of “Albums Josh Has Bought the Most Copies Of.” I got my first CD player my senior year of high school. I had four CDs that Christmas morning. This was one of the originals and I still have that disc. I bought the first remaster a year or so ago. This deluxe edition will come with a DVD featuring a live performance from Montreaux and a few other goodies. I’ve been listening to this motherfucker for more than half of my life, and this is the album that introduced me to him. I am buying the shit out of it.

—

I know more titles will emerge, but this is my starting point. Carbon dioxide isn’t causing global warming. It’s these new releases! Do any of these look good to you? Have I missed any (please say I haven’t, I can’t afford what’s already on the wishlist)? What are your summer music buying plans?

Filed under: Tags: Billy Corgan, Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Joe Satriani, Muddy Waters, Musical Musings and Random Ramblings, Paul McCartney, Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Tom Petty, U2, Zwan