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Sony Legacy Record Store Dayz [2020] Sony Legacy Record Store Dayz [2020]

Record Store Dayz 2020 are in the books, and EXCLUSIVE MAGAZINE wants to say a big THANK YOU to all of you who went out to the stores over these three (3) spread out days to support and celebrate them.

We hope you found something you loved to take home with you, whether that was something released exclusively for Record Store Day or something fantastic from what they regularly stock.

Yes, every day should be Record Store Day, so we encourage you to make stopping by your favorite record store AND stopping by this website a regular thing - because we'll be telling you about awesome things going on at record stores all year long!

As our dear friends at Sony Legacy Recordings have once more kindly sent us quite a few of their RSD 2020 releases for review, as always, we shall review those whilst at the same time highlighting all the others from them.

These dozen titles run the gamut from rock and metal to electric jazz, and boundary-pushing pop and hip hop from ‘90s to the ‘10s—as always, a terrific tribute to the unbelievable artistry and musicianship upon which the Sony Music catalog has been built for decades.

Reviewing those that were sent to us below, please know the remainder of the released titles are all listed and accounted for at the base of this article.

Up first is Cheap Trick, Out To Get You! Live 1977 (2LP – Previously Unreleased).

Dateline: 1977. With punk on the rise in the United Kingdom, rock ‘n’ roll experienced a tectonic shift the world over. Rockford, Illinois’ Cheap Trick rode that shake-up, touring relentlessly in support of their self-titled debut album.

In June of that year, bursting with kinetic energy while recording follow-up In Color, the group spontaneously booked a handful of club shows at The Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles, knocking out audiences with an onslaught of down-‘n’-dirty rock righteousness – including favorite songs that wouldn’t appear on albums for years!

Released for the first time ever and newly mixed by two-time Grammy Award winner Guy Massey (The Beatles, Ray Davies, The Jayhawks), Out To Get You! showcases a band taking determined steps toward world domination.

Side A:
1. 'Hello There'
2. 'Come On, Come On'
3. 'Oh Candy'
4. 'Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace'
5. 'Elo Kiddies' 6. 'Hot Love'
7. 'Southern Girls'

Side B:
1. 'Cry, Cry'
2. 'Big Eyes'
3. 'High Roller'
4. 'He’s A Whore'
5. 'Daddy Should Have Stayed In High School'

Side C:
1. 'Can’t Hold On'
2. 'Clock Strikes Ten'
3. 'Loser'
4. 'Taxman, Mr. Thief'

Side D:
1. 'Ain’t That A Shame'
2. 'Oh Caroline'
3. 'Oh Boy'
4. 'You’re All Talk'
5. 'Auf Wiedersehen'
6. 'Goodnight'

Opening with the frenzied, raw brilliance of 'Hello There,' they flow onward with the tonal 'Come On, Come On,' the one-two guitar and drum rhythms of 'Elo Kiddies,' the Oasis-esque 'Bye Bye' (listen to it and prove me wrong!), and then the frantic punk elegance of 'He's A Whore.'

Next up is the thoughtful 'Daddy Should Have Stayed In High School,' and then we get other stand outs, such as the foot-stompin', lo-fi punk of 'Loser,' the searing, raunchy guitar vibe of 'Taxman, Mr. Thief,' closing the set (albeit one cobbled together from Early and Late show appearances), with the drum-led duo of the Fats Domino 'Ain't That A Shame,' 'Auf Wiedersehen' (a cut from their third album, Heaven Tonight), and the head-spinning guitar madness of The Knack's 'Goodnight.'

We next look into Miles Davis, Double Image: Rare Miles From The Bitches Brew Sessions (2LP Red Vinyl).

Half a century from its release, shockwaves from Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew continue to reverberate throughout the universe. Leading an army of all-stars into the studio, Miles defied all conventional styles, joining the loose ends of jazz, rock and funk into a groundbreaking new sound.

This double LP release on red vinyl features 10 keyboard-rich recordings captured in the wake of the original Bitches Brew sessions from August ’69 to February ‘70 with a rotating cast of luminaries including Wayne Shorter, John McLaughlin, Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul, Chick Corea, Jack DeJohnette and much more.

Issued on vinyl for general release for the first time ever, the recordings were originally heard on The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions released in 1998.

Side A:
1. 'Yaphet'
2. 'Corrado'

Side B:
1. 'The Little Blue Frog' (Master)
2. 'The Big Green Serpent'
3. 'Trevere'
4. 'The Little Blue Frog' (alternate take)

Side C:
1. 'Double Image' (First Version)
2. 'Feio'
Side D:
1. 'Recollections'
2. 'Take It Or Leave It'

This stirring, simply magnificent double album, which, as aforementioned, features ten embryonic recordings which paved the way for the final album, opens on the opulent 'Yaphet' before sliding gently into the drum-led 'Corrado,' backing those up on the second side with the playful, Eastern-influenced pairing of 'The Little Blue Frog' (Master) and 'The Big Green Serpent.'

The funky 'Trevere' is one of my own personal favorites here and that's backed by another, longer take (nearly 13 mins) on 'The Little Blue Frog' (Alternate Take).

The third side opens with the yearning creak of 'Double Image' (First Version), the near 12 minute, thoughtfully precise, low key jam 'Feio,' with the fourth side opening on the albums longest track, at nearly 20 minutes, the hauntingly stoic 'Recollection,' closing on the emotively moving 'Take It Or Leave It.'

The importance and influence of Bitches Brew in Miles Davis’s catalog can’t be overstated. The new electric direction he established with In A Silent Way in 1969 was refined even further for Bitches Brew by focusing on African rhythms and funk.

Betty (Mabry) Davis, who was his wife from 1968 to 1969, is credited with being the inspiration for turning Davis on to the explosion of rock and funk from James Brown and Jimi Hendrix (and apparently renaming the project from “Witches Brew”) which fueled the somewhat polarizing (at least among fans of Davis’s career up to this time) new direction that he’d pursue through 1975, up until his disappearance from performing for five years.

We next get one of my all-time favorites albums growing up, Judas Priest, British Steel (Limited Edition 40th Anniversary Edition) (2LP Picture Disc).

One of Judas Priest’s most iconic and recognizable albums is celebrating its 40th anniversary. To mark this momentous occasion, the album (along with rare bonus tracks “Red, White & Blue” and a live take on “Grinder”) is being pressed on double vinyl with the album artwork printed on each side.

Side A:
1. 'Breaking The Law'
2. 'Rapid Fire'
3. 'Metal Gods'
4. 'Grinder'
5. 'United'

Side C:
6. 'Living After Midnight'
7. 'You Don’t Have To Be Old To Be Wise'
8. 'The Rage'
9. 'Steeler'

In truth, British Steel is still considered by many heavy metal aficionados as one of the greatest albums for that genre. It was certainly their most refined, well produced and commercially successful album to date, spearheading the fledgling “New Wave of British Heavy Metal” as a force to be reckoned with.

It was the right kind of album at this point in time for Judas Priest and also paved their most successful era.

My personal favorites on this album would include 'Rapid Fire', 'Metal Gods', 'Steeler' and the understated, and lumbering 'The Rage', which contains the best Halford performance on this album.

'Grinder' and 'You Don’t Have To Be Old To Be Wise' are decent middle-of-road album staples that were only occasionally performed live. The anthemic 'United' strives a little too hard to be a crowd participation favorite and never really caught fire with the fans.

Of course, the album is best known for 'Breaking The Law' and the uber catchy 'Living After Midnight', which are effective as concise radio staples and now live anthems.

This RSD release us a double picture disc vinyl in a gatefold PVC sleeve. Sides A & C are Red/White/Blue marbled with Sides B & D being the classic album artwork (ie: razorblade image).

The last vinyl kindly sent to us for review is Toto, Live In Tokyo 1980 (12” Red Vinyl).

Toto’s well-honed musical craftsmanship helped sell more than 40 million albums in four decades together. In 1980, the band embarked on their first tour of Japan, forming a lifelong bond with fans in that country who adored their polished West Coast rock style.

For the first time as a standalone release, the Live In Tokyo 1980 EP captures the original line-up of the band – vocalist Bobby Kimball, guitarist Steve Lukather, keyboardists David Paich and Steve Porcaro, bassist David Hungate and drummer Jeff Porcaro – performing four tracks from their then-new sophomore album Hydra (plus the unreleased track 'Runaway') during that historic trek.

Side A:
1. 'St. George And The Dragon'
2. 'Mama'
3. 'Tale Of A Man'

Side B:
4. 'White Sister'
5. 'Runaway'

Opening with the brilliance of the pop rock of 'St. George And The Dragon,' they back that up with the vocal range excellence of 'Mama' and the harder at times, more jazzy vibe of 'Tale Of A Man' rounding out Side A.

Side B opens with key-led, thundering rock opera of 'White Sister' and then this 5-track RSD release coming to a close on much the same, with the key-pounding 'Runaway.'

Thus, and as fans of the band already know, this breathtaking live flashback to one of rocks most beloved acts, Live In Tokyo 1980, which was only ever originally released as part of the All In box set, is out now and ready to be spun on your turntables!

And finally, as promised, here are all the other RSD Legacy Recording releases for you to delve into on your own time:

Destiny’s Child, Say My Name (12” Picture Disc)

Manic Street Preachers, La Tristesse Durera (Scream to a Sigh) (12" Vinyl)

Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets, See Emily Play/Vegetable Man (12” Single with Etching)

Pink Floyd, Arnold Layne Live 2007 (7" Single with Etching)

Britney Spears, Oops!…I Did It Again (Remixes and B-Sides) (12” Baby Blue Vinyl)

TLC, Waterfalls EP (12” Picture Disc)

Tyler, The Creator, Cherry Bomb (2LP Red Vinyl – Previously Unreleased On Vinyl)

Tyler, The Creator, Cherry Bomb The Instrumentals (2LP Pink Vinyl – Previously Unreleased On Vinyl)

Various Artists, Sweet Relief: A Benefit For Victoria Williams (2LP – Previously Unreleased On Vinyl)

www.RecordStoreDay.com

www.LegacyRecordings.com

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