CREAM – ROYAL ALBERT HALL LONDON MAY 2-3-5-6, 2005
When Cream reunited in 2005 after nearly four decades apart, fans braced for either magic or mayhem. Thankfully, they got a bit of both. This live album, recorded over four nights at the Royal Albert Hall, captures Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker revisiting their blues-rock legacy with surprising finesse. While the psychedelic fire of their youth is tempered, the chemistry remains. Clapton’s solos sound are fiery and focused, Bruce’s bass is thunderous, and Baker is still a beast on the drums (side note: please watch the documentary Beware of Mr. Baker to get the full scope of Baker’s beast).
Stream • Reprise • Connect: @creambandofficial
DURAN DURAN – GREATEST (REISSUE)
Duran Duran are one of those bands that is somehow equally overrated and underrated. Coming from the same industrial working class hometown that gave us Black Sabbath, Duran Duran‘s sound was infected by dreams of nonstop vacations and wealth. A band that grew with MTV’s golden era give a fresh look at their old sounds with the reissue of Greatest, now on white vinyl with an embossed cover. Originally released in 1998, this 19-track compilation spans the band’s first eight albums. It’s a reminder of how Duran Duran fused glam, synth-pop, and new wave into a sound that defined the ‘80s. “Rio,” “Hungry Like the Wolf,” and “Ordinary World” are just as shimmery fun to listen to, while deeper cuts like “Skin Trade” and “Electric Barbarella” show their evolution. Without the trappings of MTV videos highlighting Simon Le Bon‘s hair, the music stands on its own sleek, sexy, and surprisingly emotional.
Stream • Parlophone • Connect: @duranduran
THE LEMONHEADS – LOVE CHANT
Evan Dando is back with new music, a very confessional new book, and a tour that’s stopping by the Fine Line on December 6th. Love Chant is the first Lemonheads album of original material in nearly 20 years, and it’s a scrappy, heartfelt return to the lo-fi jangle-pop and punk-leaning melodies that made It’s a Shame About Ray a ‘90s alt-radio staple. Recorded in Brazil, the album features old friends like J Mascis and Juliana Hatfield, and new collaborators like Erin Rae. Dando’s knack for melodic melancholy is still intact, and the music and loose, fuzzy, and rocking enough to make you feel good about it.
Stream • Fire • Connect: @thelemonheads
THE POGUES – RUM SODOMY AND THE LASH (40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION)
Forty years on, Rum, Sodomy & the Lash still sounds like a smoking cigarette you found on the sticky floor of an Irish pub. Produced by Elvis Costello, this reissue is a treasure chest for fans of Irish punk and folk, celebrating the Pogues’ landmark 1985 album with 2 red marbled vinyl and a deluxe 2CD set (heads up: the vinyl version comes out in the US Nov. 28). You get the Poguetry in Motion EP, BBC sessions, and a rough mix of their cover of The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Do You Believe in Magic.” Shane MacGowan’s voice is half snarl and feels like he either wants to attack you or kiss you. “A Pair of Brown Eyes” and “Sally MacLennane” remain rousing singalongs, making you wish you were in a bar a few whiskeys deep.
