A Star in the Cosmos

There has been a fair amount of press over the Big Star box set that Rhino released this month called Keep An Eye On the Sky. That four CD set contains a treasure trove of demos, alternate versions, different mixes, and a 1973 live set from the band. A lot of the material has been unreleased to this point but some of it saw the light of day on last year's great compilation Thank You Friends: The Ardent Record Story that came out in the UK on Big Beat Records.

But what hasn't had much press is the deluxe edition of the Chris Bell compilation I Am the Cosmos that is coming out on the Rhino Handmade. This edition will contain a remastered version of the original Ryko compilation that came out in 1992 along with a second disc containing fifteen other tracks. Most of the second disc's tracks are alternate versions or alternate takes. But, there are also a few songs from Bell's pre-Big Star bands Icewater and Rock City as well as an unreleased instrumental. Initial orders will also come with a 7" of 'I Am the Cosmos' b/w 'You and Your Sister,' the two songs that initially appeared on the 1978 Car Records single. Full track listing is as follows;

1. I Am The Cosmos
   
2. Better Save Yourself
   
3. Speed Of Sound
   
4. Get Away
   
5. You And Your Sister
   
6. I Got Kinda Lost
   
7. Look Up
   
8. Make A Scene
   
9. There Was A Lighht
   
10. I Don't Know
    
11. Fight At The Table
    
12. Though I Know She Lies
    
13. Looking Forward - Icewater
    
14. Sunshine - Icewater
    
15. My Life Is Right - Rock City
    
16. I Don't Know (Alternate Version)
    
17. You And Your Sister (Alternate Version)
    
18. I Am The Cosmos (Extended Alternate Version)
    
19. Speed Of Sound (Alternate Version)
    
20. Fight At The Table (Alternate Mix)
    
21. Make A Scene (Alternate Mix)
    
22. Better Save Yourself (Alternate Mix)
    
23. Get Away (Alternate Version)
    
24. You And Your Sister (Acoustic Version)
    
25. Stay With Me (With Keith Sykes
    
26. In My Darkest Hour (With Nancy Bryan
    
27. Clacton Rag (Instrumental)
    

The Sandman Returns

There is a really nice tribute that has been going on for a while now. But I thought it was better late than never to mention it. It is the tribute to Mark Sandman, singer, songwriter, and leader of the group Morphine who passed away ten years ago. The Mark Sandman Music Project & HI-N-DRY record label have put together a Sandman Tribute Project, where three Sandman related MP3s will be released from July 3rd to September 20th (although they are a bit behind, so it should run past the 20th).

Each week, one MP3 of a Sandman cover has been released, along with one spoken word piece from Mark, as well as one unreleased song from the Sandman archives. The current week's MP3s are free, but donations to the Mark Sandman Music Project, a project to provide music programs for young people, is strongly encouraged. And if you missed the previous week's MP3s, there is no need to fret as they can be purchased from the site for $1 per download. This current week sees a cover of "Honey White" by Les Claypool, who is backed up by former Morphine members Billy Conway, Jerome Dupree, and Dana Colley.

Wynn Tackles the Dylan Songbook

Steve Wynn, solo artist and former front man for the Dream Syndicate, recently announced the first release from his new Short Run Records series. The series will include limited edition releases of recordings from the vault as well as new material that would not be included on standard releases. Steve Sings Bob is the first in the series and is limited to 300 copies, all of which will be signed by Steve.

This release includes several Bob Dylan covers that Wynn has recorded over the years. A few come from the Dream Syndicate days (one from as far back as 1982 when Kendra Smith was still in the band), while others were done with various incarnations of musicians he has put together to support him in recent years, including; Alejandro Escovedo, Chris Cacavas (Green on Red), Duane Jarvis, and more. More information can be found on the CD release at www.stevewynn.net. Track listing is as follows;

1. Blind Willie McTell (Band: The Dream Syndicate)
   
2. Positively 4th Street (Band: Steve Wynn and Loose Change)
   
3. Watching The River Flow (Band: Steve Wynn and Friends)
   
4. Honest With Me (Band: Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3)
   
5. Knockin' On Heavens Door (Band: Steve Wynn with the Alejandro Escovedo Band)
   
6. All Along The Watchtower (Band: The Dream Syndicate)
   
7. Groom's Still Waiting At The Alter (Band: Steve Wynn Quintet)
   
8. Outlaw Blues (Band: The Dream Syndicate)
   
9. Gotta Serve Somebody (Band: Hazel Motes)
   
10. Like A Rolling Stone (Band: Steve Wynn and Jason Victor)
    

Round Trip Ticket

Last year saw the release of the all the studio material recorded by The Nerves over thirty years ago. It was called One Way Ticket. The power pop band was made up of Peter Case (later of The Plimsouls), Paul Collins (Paul Collins Beat), and Jack Lee.

This week sees an unexpected addition to the Nerves catalog. Alive Records have released a limited edition, vinyl only live record, unexcitingly called Live At The Pirate's Cove, Cleveland OH, May 26th 1977. The show was pulled from a tape band member Jack Lee recently discovered in an unmarked box. It is a show from The Nerves 1977 Magic Blistering Tour. The vinyl only release will come on colored vinyl; 500 copies on pink vinyl, 500 on yellow vinyl.

In addition, information on the Alive web site shows that there is a plan to release a record from the band The Breakaways (this time on CD & LP) called Walking Out on Love - The Lost Sessions. The Breakaways was a short lived band from 1978 formed by Peter Case and Paul Collins after The Nerves broke up which also included guitarist Pat Stengl. The band had recorded several demos but did not release an album. I'm guessing this release will contain those demos, but there is no word as to what else might be on it.