The Beatles - Rubber Soul (2026 Special Edition)

Finally! The 29 track, double disc "Special Edition Deluxe" set with the new stereo mix by Giles Martin. Been waiting for this one since I heard the 2022 Special Edition of Revolver (some of this post is simply copied from that earlier post).

If you're looking for my earlier thoughts on the album plus the usual ads, CD longbox picture, album reviews, chart data, etc., please check out my 2012 post here: The CD Project: Rubber Soul. This post will primarily deal with the new mixes, bonus tracks, and packaging.

Like the other Giles Martin mixes, this stereo mix sounds fantastic. The individual parts are cleaner, separated, much easier to delineate. Back in 1965, the album was first mixed to mono; the stereo mix was an afterthought, which is one reason why many fans prefer those earlier mono versions:

There is an intensity to mono because it was mixed to blast straight into you from that one speaker. By contrast, the stereo separation diffuses the atmosphere in some songs and distracts in others.

So this new mix not only benefits from technological advances, but also from a deliberate, concerted effort to produce the best stereo mix available. Now these cuts can "blast straight into you" in lively, rich stereo. It's a revelation to these ears even though they've heard these songs hundreds of times over the past decades. I mean it as a compliment when I say that I don't notice anything in particular about the demixes/remixes here, just that these familiar songs now sound even better.

If you prefer the mono mix, then by all means keep listening to it; it's not going anywhere. But if, like me, you grew up spinning an inferior stereo mix (first on vinyl then the original 1987 CD release), check out these new mixes; I count 10 different physical format options for you to choose from. FWIW, I like the mono mixes, too, and they'll be appearing here at some point in the future.

The 40 page booklet that came with the 2 CD set includes a foreword from John Lennon ("We finally took over the studio"), an introduction from Paul McCartney ("a very exciting album to make"), an essay by Beatles historian/former BBC radio producer Kevin Howlett, and lots of photos. Good stuff and all welcome in this house.

Tracks: I'm still blown away by the fact the whole album was written and recorded in just 4 weeks, October 12 through November 15, 1965. Makes me think I haven't done much lately. While all of these stellar tracks benefit from the remixes to varying degrees, my favorite new mixes are Drive My Car, Norwegian Wood, Michelle, and If I Needed Someone. And I hope to have In My Life played at my funeral. No hurry.

Bonus tracks: CD 2 is 41 minutes, 16 tracks. Mostly demos, alternate takes, instrumental backing tracks, and studio chatter; none of which interests me much. Still, I'm glad I got the 2 disc set, if only for the 2023 mixes of Day Tripper and We Can Work It Out.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Nothing and everything. "Everybody's born knowing all the Beatles lyrics instinctively. They're passed into the fetus subconsciously along with all the amniotic stuff." - from the 1998 movie, Sliding Doors.

Previously revisited for the blog:

Now And Then (2023)	Yellow Submarine (1969)
Love (2006)	The Beatles (1968)
Let It Be... Naked (2003)	Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
Anthology 2 (1996)	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
Anthology 1 (1995)	Revolver (1966) & (2022)
Free As A Bird (1995)	Rubber Soul (1965)
Live at the Hollywood Bowl (1977)	Help! (1965)
1967-1970 (1973)	A Hard Day's Night (1964)
1962-1966 (1973)	Please Please Me (1963)
Abbey Road (1969) & (2019)

Todd Rundgren - Something/Anything? (1972)

Japanese import

Multi-LP sets usually have me immediately considering what tracks I would include in a single album edit (see Out Of The Blue, for example). The temptation to do such an edit with this set was strong until I finally came to the conclusion that what we've got here is a brilliant single album surrounded by an very interesting second album. In other words, I'd like to simply forget about the tracks in which Rundgren wants everyone to know he's the best musician/smartest person in the room, but there's something inherently fascinating about those tracks. When it's good (which is most of the time, to be honest), it's '70s soft rock and power pop at its finest with lots of 7^th chords and vocal harmonies that would make Brian Wilson proud.

Rundgren played every instrument and did all the vocals on the first 3 sides of the original LPs. At his best, that sort of control produces remarkably economical pop: melodic and immediately accessible without being simplistic. The album is less successful when Rundgren’s fascination with the recording studio begins to compete with the songs themselves. Some of the experiments are genuinely inventive while others seem included primarily because he could include them. For what was side 4, Rundgren kinda sorta throws together another album side with various bands recorded at various studios and calls it "Baby Needs a New Pair of Snakeskin Boots (A Pop Operetta)." Certainly ambitious but Rundgren certainly possesses the talent to pull it off. If I were editing it for listening pleasure, I'd probably go to the trouble of making a single LP edit. But since I'm hopelessly trying to assess Rundgren's artistic vision as a whole, I guess I'll keep the double album, even track 7, Intro.

Press of the time:

• Robert Christgau (A-): "this has the feel of a pop masterpiece"
• Rolling Stone: "Rundgren may produce the masterpiece he has in him, but Something/Anything? most decidedly is not."
• CashBox: "Something very musical and hitbound."
• Record World: "an outstanding achievement"
• Billboard: "The most important thing about this album is that he seems to have had a great time recording it and it is enormous fun to listen to."

On Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, Something/Anything? was ranked at #173 on the 2003 & 2012 lists, dropping to #396 in the 2020 edition. It was also included in the 2005 book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, where it was called "Rundgren's most compelling work" and "an album that stands as Rundgren's zenith both commercially and critically."

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #29
• CashBox: #37

Tracks: They certainly picked some of the strongest tracks for single release: Hello It's Me (#5 pop, #17 AC), I Saw The Light (#16 pop), and Couldn't I Just Tell You (#93 pop). Track 3, the Motown homage titled Wolfman Jack, was later released in 1974 and bubbled under the Hot 100 at 105. The whole thing starts off with softrocktastic songs on what was side 1 (tracks 1-6 here) that Rundgren correctly dubbed "A Bouquet of Ear-catching Melodies." Side 2 (tracks 7-13) contain much of the production gimmicks mentioned above, but even the novelty songs, The Night The Carousel Burned Down and Song Of The Viking have hooks galore. And with Side 3 (tracks 1-5 on the second disc) Rundgren helps define the sound of the power pop genre. Aside from Hello It's Me, side 4 isn't my favorite, but even then something will catch my ear from time to time.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Riding around in an early '70s Ford Country Squire station wagon and hearing Hello It's Me on the car's AM radio.

Previously revisited for the blog:
The Very Best Of Todd Rundgren (1997)
The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect (1982)
Healing (1981)

Kirsty MacColl - Tropical Brainstorm (2000)

Note: the CD I listened to was the 2001 US release, an Enhanced CD with three bonus tracks and a video track. Tropical Brainstorm was released in the UK on March 20, 2000, but the US release was April 24, 2001, after MacColl's tragic death.

from the CD back insert

Songwriting so good that you'd like this album even if you didn't care for Latin-tinged music. But I do indeed appreciate that genre, so I enjoy this thing. But please hold off on the cries of cultural appropriation. To her credit, MacColl didn't try to make an authentic Latin album, saying "I didn't want to try and fail at being the Buena Vista Social Club. I wanted to succeed at being Kirsty MacColl."¹ Instead, she tackles and adds a modern twist to many of the various Latin styles - tango, samba, salsa, bossa, batucada, etc. - much to my delight. Writing for Playboy magazine, Robert Christgau called the album "loose and raunchy" and while the lyrics can get saucy at times, the performances are anything but loose. But the only adjective you really need to describe this album is "outstanding." Grab a fruity drink and enjoy.

Press of the time:

• Rolling Stone: "highlights her love of Latin music, and the sensual rhythms provide the perfect setting for her tales of romantic wheeling and dealing."
• CMJ: "it's the 'English lass kicks off her shoes' vibe that makes the album such an ironic treat."
• Robert Christgau (A-): "she soars like she never has"
• Billboard: "a stunning testament to MacColl's powerful songwriting and passion for Latin culture."
• Entertainment Weekly (A): "As usual, her songs express endless disappointment in love matched to melodies that won’t quit."

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: It's all good, but for me the cream of this bumper crop is In These Shoes?, which sets itself apart both musically and lyrically. Other favorites include Mambo De La Luna, Nao Esperando/Alegria, and Designer Life. 

Bonus tracks: Unlike many bonus tracks, these three are quite good, which shouldn't surprise me considering they come from MacColl. I'll single out Things Happen.

The bonus MPEG track is the promotional video for Mambo De La Luna.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, but if I had discovered this album around the turn of the century when I was going through an Afro-Cuban/Brazilian phase of my own, this would have fit perfectly. File this one under "better late than never."

Previously revisited for the blog:
Kite (1989)

David Sanborn - Inside (1999)

Not the strongest Sanborn collaboration with multi-instrumentalist/writer/producer Marcus Miller, but it certainly has its moments. I think the album tries to cover a bit from all phases of Sanborn's multi-faceted career: '80s instrumental pop, Night Music, R&B/soul Sanborn, and the more straight ahead attempts of the Elektra-era (1991-99). So the album isn't cohesive, especially when four different vocalists appear for tracks with a definite late-'90s adult contemporary sheen.

What ultimately holds it back for me are the scattered choices of material and arrangements. There are some questionable drum programming and looping decisions. However, the musicianship is consistently good, Sanborn sounds like Sanborn, and the album won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Performance. Despite multiple nominations, that win was the only one for Sanborn in that particular Grammy category, which was awarded between the years 1992-2011. 

Ratings/reviews:

• Hi-Fi World: "Not half bad at all."
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★½

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #2

Tracks: The highlights for me are the remake of Lisa (originally appeared on Sanborn's 1980 album, Hideaway) and Brother Ray, a tribute to Ray Charles. Skip track 3, Trance. As for the vocal tracks, Cassandra Wilson on a cover of Aretha Franklin's Day Dreaming is a good idea. Lalah Hathaway and Eric Benét on When I'm With You makes musical sense, but it's almost too slick and radio ready. And Sting on a cover of the Bill Withers hit Ain't No Sunshine is... well, that's very 1999.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:

Original Album Series (2010)	A Change of Heart (1987)
Timeagain (2003)	Double Vision (1986)
Love Songs (1995)	Straight To The Heart (1984)
The Best of (1994)	Backstreet (1983)
Hearsay (1994)	As We Speak (1982)
Upfront (1992)	Voyeur (1981)
Another Hand (1991)	Beck & Sanborn (1975)
Close-Up (1988)

Young Gun Silver Fox - West End Coast (2015)

I can't think of anything to add to what I've already written about this wonderful neo-yacht band. The duo's debut album is fantastically smooth; I dig the thing and have for over a decade. If you're of a certain age (born sometime in the 1960s) and listened to pop music in the late '70s (preferably on AM radio), you should check out any music from this duo. But don't take my word for it, let's see what the brain trust over at Amazon has to say about this album:

• "Just like a 70's mix tape but modern!"
• "Close your eyes and you'd swear you are relaxing on a California beach circa 1978 with a record player going in the background"
• "What a blissfully laid-back, summer vibe album"
• "Planning a garden party? Use this as a background sound experience."
• "The music is based on its idols but does not reach the originals."

The bloggers liked it, too:

• Spill Magazine: "Hands down, West End Coast is sonic gold."
• Written In Music (★★★★): "perfectly executed pop"
• Sonic Soul Reviews: "Absolutely fantastic."

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: It's all delightfully derivative and on most tracks they perfectly capture the tones, instrumentation, and production of the era. One can easily listen to any of the ten tracks here and think, "that sounds like [insert name of '70s soft rocker]." For example, if track 4, Distance Between Us, doesn't immediately remind you of the 1977 Player tune Baby Come Back, then you're at the wrong blog. I can't pick any favorites here, just press play.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Pleasure (2025)
Ticket To Shangri-La (2022)
Canyons (2020)
AM Waves (2018)

The Amazing Bud Powell. Vol. 2 (1954)

Note: the CD I listened to was the 2001 Rudy Van Gelder Edition with 7 bonus tracks. Originally released as 8 track, 10-inch LP in 1954, this album was reconfigured and re-released as a 12-inch LP in 1955.

This CD reverts back to the original 8 track sequence, then adds one extra track and six alternate takes. All tracks recorded at WOR Studios, New York City, on August 14, 1953. Curiously, this recording session was engineered by Doug Hawkins and not Rudy Van Gelder. It appears as a RVG edition having been remastered by Van Gelder in 2001.

Like Volume 1, this album is superb. The trio plays with a combination of precision and looseness (if that dichotomy is possible - evidence here suggests it is). I hear Powell thinking in real time, moving from his bebop roots to something new. The chord substitutions and extensions are fascinating.

Powell - piano
George Duvivier - bass
Arthur Taylor - drums

Original liner notes by Leonard Feather. 2001 liner notes by Bob Blumenthal.

Reviews/ratings:

• DownBeat (★★★★★): "worth repeated listening"
• The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide (1985): ★★★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★★★

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: My top picks today are Beets And I, Collard Greens And Black-Eyed Peas, Polka Dots And Moonbeams, and I Want To Be Happy.

Bonus tracks: I’ve Got You Under My Skin is a great take and it's omission on the original release is obviously a matter of Blue Note having limited space on the 10" record. The other bonus tracks are alternate takes that simply illustrate that the label could have used any take and it would have been the right call.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Inner Fires: The Genius Of Bud Powell (1982)
The Amazing Bud Powell. Vol. 1 (1956)

Squeeze - Trixies (2026)

Note: the CD I listened to was the "enhanced 2CD + Blu-ray edition" which includes the album, a second CD of demos & live cuts, and a Blu-ray of 24-bit HD audio masters & the album mixed by Bob Clearmountain in Dolby Atmos. All packaged in an quadfold digisleeve.

Edited from the band's website:

Although ‘brand new’ may not be entirely appropriate; written by the teenage Chris Difford (19) and Glenn Tilbrook (16) at the very start of their songwriting partnership, when concept albums and rock operas were de rigueur, the songs are a collection of stories set in a fictional night club, Trixies.

“We fully committed ourselves to songwriting but this was three or four years before we even got to make our first record. Long story short, these were songs that we just didn’t have enough musical experience to record properly” explains Chris.

Under the guiding production hand of Squeeze’s bassist Owen Biddle, this collection of songs finally gets to enjoy its moment in the spotlight. “The songs that we wrote then astound me. I’m proud of them now, and I’m particularly proud that it was young us that did that. These are very much the same songs that we wrote then,” says Glenn, “The only difference is that now I can teach the songs to the rest of the band. Back then, I didn’t even know what the names of the chords were!”

Well, considering the age and inexperience of the boys when these tunes were written, they're not terrible. But coming back to them decades later? Maybe not the best idea. I've got an old play script I wrote when I was 17 years old but I sure wouldn't stage a production of it today.

Anyway, I knew that some Squeeze tunes require multiple listenings before appreciation, but that didn't do the trick for me with these tracks. Then I heard the songs live (see below) and that didn't help, either. So this probably won't get many spins in the future, if any. And a three disc set was indeed overkill. Metacritic has the album rated as 83/100 so I'm obviously missing something. And I'm OK with that.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: 13 tracks, almost all midtempo or slower. The best track on the album is You Get The Feeling, followed at a distance by Hell On Earth. I usually skip the attempt at Bowie glam rock, The Place We Call Mars and The Dancer, which is terribly repetitive.

CD 2: 11 demos from 1974 plus 2 live tracks from 2024. Nothing worth hearing more than once, if that.

Blu-ray: the 13-track album in Dolby Atmos. Good news: I think Atmos mixes sound terrific. Bad news: what that means for my bank account.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: My lovely wife and I caught the band September 22, 2026 on their "Tried, Tested and Trixies" tour, which I've dubbed their "Maximum Hubris" tour because of the questionable decision to play Trixies in its entirety:

• Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)
• Up the Junction
• Another Nail in My Heart
• Is That Love
• *The entire Trixies album*
• Hourglass
• Black Coffee in Bed
• Third Rail
• Goodbye Girl
• Slap & Tickle
• Cool for Cats
• Tempted
• Take Me I'm Yours

Glenn Tilbrook was in fine voice and the band was tight. However, playing the whole album sucked the life out of the crowd for 40 minutes. Songs ended without applause. Band members looked miserable trying to fake enthusiasm while rushing through the set. Concertgoers headed to the bar/restrooms/exits. Fortunately, the band ended strong, what was left of the crowd came alive, and I'm glad we stayed with it (although the whole reason I bought the tickets was to see the opening act, Haircut 100, and they were great).

Previously revisited for the blog:

The Knowledge (2017)	Babylon and On (1987)
Cradle To The Grave (2015)	Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti (1985)
The Complete BBC Sessions (2008)	Difford & Tilbrook (1984)
Domino (1998)	Singles: 45's and Under (1982)
Ridiculous (1995)	Sweets From A Stranger (1982) and 2008 reissue
Some Fantastic Place (1993)	East Side Story (1981)
Play (1991)	Argybargy (1980) - 1987 reissue and 2008 Deluxe Edition
A Round And A Bout (1990)	Cool For Cats (1979)
Frank (1989)	U.K. Squeeze (1978)