"Joyful" (released last year in Europe; producer: Jay Newland; first single: "Down On My Knees"; Hear here)
(Interscope, Nov. 20, 2007)
Sebastian Bach
"Angel Down" (his first solo album since 1998's "Bring 'Em Bach Alive!"; producer: Roy Z; guest: Axl Rose; first single: "[Love Is a] Bitchslap"; Hear here; Read here)
(Merovingian Music/Get Off My Bach Productions/Caroline/EMI, Nov. 20, 2007)
"Free at Last" (producers: Just Blaze, Lil Jon, Kanye West, Chad West, Scott Storch, Swizz Beatz, etc.; guests: Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Sleepy Brown, ?uestlove; first single: "Roc-A-Fella Billionaires"; Hear here)
(Roc-a-Fella/ Def Jam/G-Unit, Nov. 20, 2007)
Genesis
"Live Over Europe 2007" (2 CDs; more than two hours of music, plus a 24-page booklet and a link to exclusive bonus tracks online; producer: Nick Davis; Read here)
(Atlantic, Nov. 20, 2007)
Kunks, The
"The Kunks" (a Rutles-like tribute/parody of The Kinks; producer: Tal Shelmy; Hear here; Read here)
(Heartpunch, Nov. 20, 2007)
BTW: John Dunbar, the mastermind behind The Kunks, gives P&P the lowdown on his tip o' the hat to The Kinks.
"When The Rutles was finally released on CD a while back, everyone I know was very excited about it (including myself)," he says, "and being a huge Kinks fan I thought, 'Wouldn't it be great if someone did something like that for the Kinks?' I often try to give myself homework assignments to try to write songs in a way I'm not used to, so I nominated myself the challenge of Rutling The Kinks.
"I ended up writing 24 songs (the Kinks have had a long career and have dabbled in many styles). I decided to record the four best ones and send them out to some friends to see what they thought. One friend decided to write a review of that EP on a Kinks newsgroup unbeknownst to me. Next thing I knew, I started getting inquiries from people to buy it from all over the world. So I had to basically make them on request. I'd put those songs onto a CD-R and a friend of mine painted a great cover to go along with it.
"I knew at some point I had to go back and record the remaining stronger songs and put it out officially. I've had a few releases in between ('The Moment You've Not Been Waiting For' and last year's 'Excursions in Trevorland' - which was another songwriting homework assignment gone out of hand - I took stories of legendary author William Trevor and turned them into pop songs). After those, I told myself I really need to get back and finish The Kunks once and for all. And now here it is. I really had a lot of fun doing it, now if I could only get a movie together documenting the history of the brothers Raven. Maybe ask Michael Palin?? (just kidding)."
Naturally, we just have to know: What are Dunbar's favorite Kinks album and song?
" 'The Village Green Preservation Society' is my favorite album of all time, so it has to be my favorite Kinks album as well," he says. "Favorite Kinks song??? That's a tough one, it changes all the time. How could I not say 'Waterloo Sunset'? How about I choose one per decade? - '60s: 'Waterloo Sunset'; '70s: 'No More Looking Back'; '80s: 'Better Things'; '90s: 'Scattered.' "
"Genesis 1983-1998 [CD/DVD box set]" (expanded version of the April 2007 CD box set features five DVDs of a documentary, music videos, rehearsals, etc.; Read here)
"Our Love to Admire [CD/DVD]" (2007 album; with a limited-edition live DVD EP, recorded at the London Astoria, and videos for "Heinrich Maneuver" and "No I in Threesome")
"The Joshua Tree: Deluxe Edition" (1987 album; 2 CDs; remastered, with B-sides and demos; enhanced; Hear here; Read here; also available with a DVD, featuring "The Joshua Tree Tour" live from the Hippodrome in Paris and other rare video footage)
"Crossroads Guitar Festival 2007 [DVD]" (2 discs; recorded on July 28 at Toyota Park in Chicago; guests: B.B. King, Jeff Beck, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Vince Gill, John Mayer, Buddy Guy, Robert Randolph, Doyle Bramhall II, Jimmie Vaughan, Johnny Winter, Robert Cray, etc.; See here; Read here)
"MTV Unplugged in New York [DVD]" (concert from Nov. 18, 1993, featuring "Something in the Way and "Oh Me," which didn't air on the original broadcast, plus some soundcheck material and outtakes; See here; Read here)
Go next to Nov. 27, 2007