Terry Allen - Smokin the Dummy - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

On his manifold fourth album, acclaimed songwriter and visual artist Terry Allen contemplates kinship-the ways S*x and violence stitch and sever the ties of family, faith, and society-with skewering satire and affection alike. Bloodlines compiles thematically related but disparate recordings from miscellaneous sources both theatrical and historical two songs written for plays; two full-band reprises of selections from Juarez; the irreverent hellfire-hitchhiker-on-highway ballad InchGimme a Ride to Heaven BoyInch (featuring Joe Ely); and the poignant eponymous ode to the arteries of ancestry and landscape (the debut recording of eight-year-old Natalie Maines, later covered by Lucinda Williams). This first-ever vinyl reissue, remastered from the original analog tapes, includes a gatefold jacket and inner sleeve with restored, new, and alternate artwork and photos by Allen and friends; an insert with lyrics and original notes; and a high-res download code. No veteran country songwriter sounds more attuned to the national mood. His songs still feel like little guidebooks for staring down a harsh universe. - The Washington Post

Iconic and iconoclastic Texan songwriter and visual artist Terry Allen's heartbreaking, hilarious new album, his first set of new songs since 2013's Bottom of the World, features the full Panhandle Mystery Band, including co-producer Charlie Sexton (Dylan, Bowie, Blaze), Shannon McNally, and Jo Harvey Allen; mainstays Bukka Allen, Richard Bowden, and Lloyd Maines; and co-writes with Joe Ely and Dave Alvin. The connections to Melville's masterpiece are metaphorical and allusive, as elusive as the White Whale. The masterly spiritual successor to Lubbock (on everything), Just Like Moby Dick casts it's net wide for wild stories, depicting, among other monstrous things, Houdini in existential crisis, the death of the last stripper in town, bloodthirsty pirates (in a pseudo-sequel to Brecht and Weill's InchPirate JennyInch), the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (in the InchAmerican ChildhoodInch suite), a vampire-infested circus, mudslides and burning mobile homes, and all manner of tragicomic disasters, abandonments, betrayals, bad memories, failures, and fare-thee-wells. The deluxe tip-on gatefold 2×LP package features lyrics, color labels, high-res Bandcamp download code, three sides of music, and a fourth-side vinyl etching artwork by Allen. The gatefold CD edition includes a six-panel lyrics insert with different artwork by Allen.

Digitally remastered and expanded three CD edition of the 1974 album by legendary progressive rock trio Refugee. Formed in 1973 by former members of The Nice Lee Jackson (bass, vocals), Brian Davison (drums) and keyboard virtuoso Patrick Moraz, Refugee recorded one classic studio album during their short career, which was issued in 1974. Taking the template established by The Nice (and their keyboard player Keith Emerson who later was part of Emerson, Lake & Palmer), Refugee earned praise upon it's and saw the band gain a loyal following. In May 1974, they recorded a memorable performance for BBC Radio One's In Concert program which appears as part of this set for the first time. A UK tour saw an appearance at Newcastle's City Hall in June 1974 which was recorded by the band's sound engineer and forms CD Three of the set. Thanks to the profile of Patrick Moraz being raised by his work with Refugee, he soon joined Yes, replacing the recently departed Rick Wakeman.