NEWSLETTER #6!


This week's newsletter will be brief, as next week's new releases are less than exciting. But more importantly, our physical and emotional is too fragile - as it usually is at this time, the morning after the biggest stupid night in music. So we'll get to some new releases as well as some upcoming items, right away. And check below for our Annual Grammy Rant!

NEXT WEEK'S (MOSTLY) LAME NEW RELEASES!

LOS LOBOS - "WOLF TRACKS: THE VERY BEST OF." No one loves Los Lobos more than we do, but after a 2 CD best-of and a 4 CD box set, we don't find anything too exciting about the boast of it being the first ever single disc best-of. Still, if there are many of you out there who haven't heard enough Los Lobos, this could be the place for you to start.

SERGIO MENDES - "TIMELESS." Mendes has made himself a bit of a legend, thanks to Brasil 66 and their infectious hits such as "Mais Que Nada," "The Look Of Love," and "Day Tripper," to name a few. Now, as most has-beens are wont to do, he gets a lot of young non-talent to muck up his older hits by adding off-key melismatic warbling, hip-hop beats, and one too many "Yeah, boyee!"s in "Fool On The Hill," in a misguided attempt to appeal to the kids. If you want to appeal to kids, endorse a Playstation game and leave your classic catalog alone.

TALKING HEADS - DUALDISC REISSUES, PT. 2. The second batch, which features "Speaking In Tongues," "Little Creatures," and those two awful, might-as-well-be-Byrne-solo-records, "True Stories" and "Naked," all feature 5.1 Surround Sound on the DVD side, as well as video material and bonus tracks.

THE SUBWAYS - "YOUNG FOR ETERNITY." Hailed by NME as "the sexiest thing to sweep rock n' roll off its feet in years." In England, of course, "years" means "since last Thursday." This finally gets domestic release, and it really is a good rock n' roll record. But they ain't no Arctic Monkeys! Now dem's a fine band -- the best thing to come out of England since the Subways! Sure to be in $2 crates in record stores around the country in years, which in America means "next Thursday."

VARIOUS ARTISTS - "THE LOTTA LOVE CONCERT: A TRIBUTE TO NICOLETTE LARSON." An all-star tribute to the late great voice behind such hits as "Lotta Love" and "I'll Fly Away," not to mention a bunch of Neil Young records. Such superstars as Crosby, Stills & Nash, Emmylou Harris, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Carole King and Joe Walsh pay tribute on this wonderful live recording.

And there you have it! There are many other releases for next week that may interest you even if they didn't interest us, so by all means, if there's something you want, please write (HEYNYCD@aol.com) or call (212) 244-3460. We'll get you whatever you want!

In the next few weeks we've got some really strong releases coming your way, at long last. We'll start with three that could end up on our year-end best-of list:

RHETT MILLER's (ex-Old '97s) sophomore release, "THE BELIEVER," which picks up where his fine debut, "THE INSTIGATOR," leaves off, with some more excellent pop-rock/alt.country, not unlike a modern-day Byrds. Out 2/28. KEY TRACKS: "Meteor Shower" and "I'm With Her."

RAY DAVIES - "OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES." One of the greatest songwriters in rock history returns with his first ever solo album, and it's a real return to form. Everything you wanted the last ten Kinks records to be, and more. Out 2/28. KEY TRACKS: "All She Wrote," "Is There Life After Breakfast," "The Tourist."

And the surprise of the lot... VAN MORRISON - "PAY THE DEVIL." After cranking out mediocre records for over a decade, at a pace faster than white trash gets booked on "Maury", Van the Man returns to remind us why we call him "Van The Man." "Pay The Devil" is a country record, featuring standards like "Half As Much," "My Bucket Got A Hole In It," and "Your Cheatin' Heart," as well as 12 others not attributed to Hank Williams. The arrangements are perfect, not overproduced or drenched in cheesy strings and background vocals, and Van sounds like he's been wanting to make this record for years. Out 3/7. KEY TRACKS: "Half As Much," "Till I Gain Control Again."

OTHER UPCOMING RELEASES, IN BRIEF:

THE EELS - "WITH STRINGS: LIVE AT TOWN HALL."
HOWARD TATE - "LIVE."
ELVIS COSTELLO & METROPOLE ORKEST - "MY FLAME BURNS BLUE."
ELVIS COSTELLO & ALLEN TOUSSAINT - "THE RIVER IN REVERSE."
BLACK CROWES - "FREAKIN' ROLL INTO THE FOG" (live DVD).
BILLY BRAGG - 7 remastered reissues.
MERLE HAGGARD - 5 twofers featuring 10 classic albums, newly remastered.
... and the long awaited US remasters of MOTT THE HOOPLE's "ALL THE YOUNG DUDES" and "MOTT," both featuring bonus tracks!

UNTIL NEXT WEEK, WE LEAVE YOU WITH THIS:

CHECK OUT OUR STUFF FOR SALE AT AMAZON.COM!
READ OUR GRAMMY RANT!
AND REMEMBER... WE HAVE A NEW PHONE NUMBER (212-244-3460), and for those of you on the Upper West Side who have not noticed, THE STORE IS CLOSED!

Your friends,
Sly & The Ganse Mishpucha