Spotlight on Omnivore Recordings
The folks at Omnivore Recordings are experts at finding recordings that are rare or never before released and they have just issued three such titles on CD in conjunction with this year's Record Store Day Black Friday event. Let's check them out!
Warren Zevon - Epilogue: Live at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival
If you think that a folk music festival is an unusual place for Zevon to perform, you are correct. This recording even leaves in a bit of stage chatter where Warren explains, "I don't play too many festivals and I don't play too much folk music," jokingly adding "I don't really go outdoors much." What this recording offers is a chance for fans to hear Zevon's music in a different light, stripped down with Warren on piano, acoustic guitar, vocals and harmonica and accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Matt Cartsonis who adds acoustic and electric guitar, dulcimer, banjo, fiddle and harmony vocals. The show starts with favorite "Lawyers, Guns and Money" before moving into "I Was in the House When the House Burned Down" and a cover of Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You." "Detox Mansion" is included as is, perhaps as a nod to being in Canada, "Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song);" of course "Werewolves of London" is a highlight that comes mid-set, howled "aah-oo"s and all. A few other cuts and a brief Cartsonis spotlight on his self-penned banjo instrumental "A Tune With No Name" leads into early favorite "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" and "Play it All Night Long." Zevon ends the show with an actual folk song, "Canadee-I-O" which he does a spectacular job with. This show was recorded about a year before Zevon passed away and has never before been released.
Rock the Plaza: Concert to Save the Historic Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs- (Various Artists)
This benefit concert recorded in 2022 features many luminaries, the most notable of which is Alice Cooper who begins the show with four favorites: "No More Mr. Nice Guy," "I'm Eighteen," the searing "Under My Wheels" and "School's Out" with an added bit of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" appended at the end. Josh Homme takes over after Alice, performing a nice take on David Bowie's "Let's Dance" and with Orianthi, a take on the Frank and Nancy Sinatra-associated "Somethin' Stupid." Orianthi covers "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" on her own and then is joined by Brian Ray, Paul McCartney's longtime guitarist (and organizer of the benefit) for a great interpretation of "I Got You Babe." Homme also turns in Gerry Rafferty's "Right Down the Line" and "I Sat by the Queen" before Paul Rodgers of Bad Company fame comes on for "Can't Get Enough," "I Thank You" and "Feel Like Makin' Love." The show closes with Jay Nailor performing Bowie's "Rebel Rebel," Cooper back on stage for the stuttering Who composition "My Generation" and Rodgers with the finale of "All Right Now." This great rock show has never before been released.
The Lemon Twigs - Written by Ronnie D'Addario
Here's another previously-unreleased record featuring Brian and Michael D'Addario of the Lemon Twigs and various guest artists performing songs written by their father, Ronnie D'Addario, famed for his work with Tommy Makem of the Clancy Brothers. The songs are all in the light rock or baroque pop genre. The set begins with the pastoral "Intromental," which with the exception of a few closing words is an instrumental. "A Very Short Dream" has a Beach Boys-type lushness to it, like something from the Holland album while "Be Like Him" moves to a 60's-ish bop as Darian Sahanaja and Probyn Gregory guest. The biggest name guest here is Todd Rundgren who turns in a typically sublime vocal on "I See the Patterns." Other guests include Mac Demarco on "Love's Won Me Over," Matt Jardine (son of Beach Boy Al Jardine) on "Don't Wait for Yesterday" and Sean Ono Lennon on the somewhat Beatles-ish "So That's How It Is." Ronnie performs harmony vocals on some of the cuts on this set of relaxed yet cheery songs.
