Rhino Entertainment has just launched their Sounds of the Summer LP series, which features a slate of 24 limited edition LP releases, with most of them being offered in deep sea blue colored-vinyl versions. The multitude of releases traverses a broad range of genres and artists, and includes catalog album reissues, greatest hits packages, and new titles from the Now Playing Collection, which features compilations of classic tracks from important Warner/Rhino artists. Most of the titles are pressed on standard-weight 140 gram vinyl, and it appears that they were all pressed at Memphis Record Pressing (MRP) as well. The surfaces of the LPs were generally flawless and glossy, and many arrived in white paper inner sleeves, although certain titles featured facsimiles of the original printed inner sleeves. The waaaay cool sea blue colored-vinyl pressings are absolutely gorgeous, and enhance the collectibility of these limited-availability releases infinitely.
There was no information provided in terms of mastering, origin sources, etc., but as is typical for Rhino's and Memphis Record Pressing LPs, the pressings were generally superb, and offered very quiet playback. I did experience a few surface scuffs and a couple of minor scratches, but the otherwise excellent sound of the LPs made up for these very minor shortcomings. The Sounds of the Summer LP series is not available at Rhino's web store, but the individual titles can be found at a multitude of online and brick and mortar locations, including your local independent record store. The actual selling price of each LP may vary slightly across online and in-store locations. Here's a list of the availability dates and album titles in the series:
Available July 5:
Genesis - And Then There Were Three, 1-LP on 140-gram Sea Blue Vinyl
George Benson - Now Playing, 1-LP on 140-gram Sea Blue Vinyl
Van Morrison - Now Playing, 1-LP on 140-gram Sea Blue Vinyl
Various Artists - Now Playing: Summer Sounds, 1-LP on 140-gram Sea Blue Vinyl
Yes - The Yes Album (Steven Wilson Remix), 1-LP on 140-gram Sea Blue Vinyl
Available July 12:
Al Stewart - Now Playing, 1-LP on 140-gram Sea Blue Vinyl
Linda Ronstadt - Simple Dreams, 1-LP on 140-gram Sea Blue Vinyl
Utopia - Now Playing, 1-LP on 140-gram Sea Blue Vinyl
Available July 19:
Crosby, Stills & Nash - CSN, 1-LP on 140-gram Sea Blue Vinyl
The Doobie Brothers - Takin' It To The Streets, 1-LP on 140-gram Sea Blue Vinyl
Hall & Oates - Now Playing, 1-LP on 140-gram Sea Blue Vinyl
Little Feat - Time Loves A Hero, 1-LP on 140-gram Sea Blue Vinyl
Sonny & Cher - Now Playing, 1-LP on 140-gram Sea Blue Vinyl
Rod Stewart - Foot Loose & Fancy Free, 1-LP on 140-gram Sea Blue Vinyl
War - Greatest Hits, 1-LP on 140-gram Sea Blue Vinyl
Available July 26:
Chicago - Greatest Hits 1982-1989, 1-LP on 140-gram Sea Blue Vinyl
Jimmy Cliff - In Concert: The Best of Jimmy Cliff, 1-LP on 140-gram Transparent Red Vinyl
Joni Mitchell - Hissing Of Summer Lawns, 1-LP on 140-gram Clear vinyl
Fleetwood Mac - Best of 1969-1974, 2-LP on 140-gram Sea Blue Vinyl
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - Greatest ‘60s Hits, 1-LP on 140-gram Sea Blue Vinyl
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - Greatest ‘70s Hits, 1-LP on 140-gram Sea Blue Vinyl
Grateful Dead - Go To Heaven, 1-LP on 140-gram Sea Blue Vinyl
Grateful Dead - Shakedown Street, 1-LP on 140-gram Sea Blue Vinyl
Randy Newman - The Best of Randy Newman, 2-LP on 140-gram Sea Blue Vinyl
Warren Zevon - Warren Zevon (Deluxe Edition), 2-LP on 180-gram Black Vinyl
I received half of the two-dozen titles being released for review; I'll update my evaluations should additional stragglers arrive between now and the expiration of the series. Here we go!
Genesis, And Then There Were Three. 140 Gram Sea Blue LP
And Then There Were Three (1978) was prog-rockers-turned-pop-crooners Genesis' eighth studio album, and the first following the departure of guitarist extraordinaire Steve Hackett. It also marked the point where drummer and lead vocalist Phil Collins' superstar aspirations changed the musical direction of the group. Genesis as a trio seemed more focused on Collins' star turn and poppish ballads rather than the extended, heavily instrumented musical and theatrical showcases that were the hallmark of Peter Gabriel-era Genesis. As well as the period following Gabriel's departure, where Steve Hackett was still the primary composer of the band. The album sold well in both the US and the UK, achieving platinum sales status worldwide, and reaching No. 3 on the UK Billboard album charts, as well as No. 14. on the US album charts. Album sales were propelled by the lead single "Follow You, Follow Me," which was the band's highest charting single up to that point. Never having owned a copy of this album, my exposure was limited to the singles that got extensive airplay, including"Follow You, Follow Me" and "Deep In The Motherlode." I found the album to be entertaining, if not as memorable or musically adventurous as the two albums that preceded it, Wind and Wuthering and A Trick of the Tail. Recommended.
Van Morrison, Now Playing. 140 Gram Sea Blue LP
While I haven't been particularly enamored with the Now Playing Collection titles I've had exposure to, the Van Morrison Now Playing LP is a shining exception, where all the songs are presented full album-length, or in the case of "Blue Money," even longer (and better)! The ten songs are culled from the albums Astral Weeks (1968), Moondance (1970), and His Band and the Street Choir (1970). Including classics like "Sweet Thing," "Like Young Lovers Do," "Into the Mystic," "Moondance," "Domino," and the aforementioned "Blue Money." The sea blue vinyl LP pressing was beautiful and impressively quiet, and the cover photo of Van Morrison by Joel Brodsky is sheer perfection—this title gives me real hope for the future of the Now Playing Collection. Now that's what I'm talking about! Van Morrison's Now Playing LP is very highly recommended!
Yes, The Yes Album (Steven Wilson Remix). 140 Gram Sea Blue LP
The Yes Album (1970) was prog rockers Yes' third studio album, and the first to feature new guitarist Steve Howe. It was the band's first album to garner both critical and commercial success, achieving platinum sales worldwide while reaching No. 4 on the UK Billboard album charts and No. 40 on the US charts. Rhino's Super Deluxe Edition of The Yes Album from earlier this year featured a new remaster of the original album mix by Bernie Grundman, and for me, it represented the finest version that currently exists; the LP in that set is sheer perfection. That said, I also loooove the Steven Wilson remixes of Yes' catalog of classic albums, and I have all the high resolution digital files for those, which are perfection incarnate. This LP is the first of Wilson's remixes I've heard on vinyl, and it's not only a beautiful LP, but the sound quality of the sea blue vinyl pressing is beyond reproach. Chris Bellman's initials are in the deadwax, so it appears the lacquers for this release were cut at Bernie Grundman Mastering! Very highly recommended!
Al Stewart, Now Playing. 140 Gram Sea Blue LP
Al Stewart's Now Playing is emblematic of what I consider to be the problem that generally lessens the Now Playing Collection's appeal to me. It's a mix of Stewart's songs from the albums Year of the Cat (1976), Time Passages (1978), and 24 Carrots (1980), and contains easily the best known songs from each. The real curiosity here is the opening track, "On the Border," where the song is truncated by only 10 seconds; that 10-second cut seems completely unnecessary to me. But then we have a mix of full album version songs, like "Broadway Hotel," "Lord Grenville," and "Midnight Rocks," that are presented in tandem with Stewart's more visible songs in heavily truncated versions. Like "Year of the Cat," "Time Passages," "Running Man," and "Song on the Radio," which are all chopped by at least two minutes each. That's a tough balancing act for me personally, but for completists, the single edits on LP will be a welcome addition, and the sea blue vinyl definitely adds to its collectibility. Recommended.
Linda Ronstadt, Simple Dreams. 140 Gram Sea Blue LP
1977's Simple Dreams was Linda Ronstadt's eighth studio album, and one of her most classic releases during her long tenure on the Asylum label. The album features many of the usual suspects on Ronstadt albums, including Don Grolnick on keyboards, Dan Dugmore and Waddy Wachtel on guitars, Kenny Edwards on bass, and Rick Marotta on drums. Simple Dreams contains Ronstadt's classic interpretations of songs that have become rock standards, like "It's So Easy," "Blue Bayou," and " Tumbling Dice." And again, she tackles the songs of Warren Zevon, with rousing versions of "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me" and "Carmelita." Linda's cover version of any tune is easily among the best that exists, and she makes those songs her own—that goes without saying! And she also covers a pair of great traditionals here, the classic "Old Paint" and "I Never Will Marry." The latter represents one of her first trios with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris, but both are exquisite examples of her vocal artistry. The same master was used for this version as was used in the excellent Record Store Day box of Linda Ronstadt's The Asylum Years (1973-1977) with lacquers cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering. The sea blue vinyl pressing was perfect, and this record comes very highly recommended!
Crosby, Stills & Nash, CSN. 140 Gram Sea Blue LP
1977's CSN was the third studio album from Crosby, Stills & Nash. CSN reached No. 2 on the US Billboard album charts and went 4x platinum in the US alone; based on worldwide album sales, it's the trio's biggest selling album of all time. And is rife with amazing songs, including the album's two singles, Graham Nash's "Just A Song Before I Go" and Steven Stills' "Fair Game," but other great songs like "Cathedral," "Shadow Captain," "See The Changes," and "Dark Star" got tons of serious FM radio airplay. It's an impressive collection of nearly perfect songs and performances, easily rivaling their classic records Crosby, Stills & Nash and Déjà Vu—which was the first album to also feature the contributions of Neil Young. I came late to this album, ignoring the adulation my friends heaped on it, but eventually came around. I've had a deep appreciation for CSN for decades now—it's beyond doubt a desert island disc for me. The sea blue vinyl pressing was flawless, with lacquers cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, and the overall sound quality easily bettered my Atlantic label original. Highly recommended!
The Doobie Brothers, Takin' It To The Streets. 140 Gram Sea Blue LP
Takin' It To The Streets (1976) was the sixth studio album from The Doobie Brothers, and came on the heels of lead singer and guitarist Tom Johnston's departure from the band due to chronic stomach ulcers. His condition had forced him to leave the tour for 1975's Stampede, and guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter enlisted former Steely Dan bandmate Michael McDonald to complete the remaining dates. McDonald reluctantly agreed, but when the Doobies entered the studio to record Takin' It To The Streets, they offered him the full time job. Even though they realized that it probably would change the focus of the band's music significantly, which became more heavily keyboard and horn-oriented. Michael McDonald brought along several new songs, including the title track and "It Keeps You Runnin'", both of which were huge singles for the band, helping the album reach No. 8 on the Billboard charts and propelling it to platinum sales. McDonald would remain with the band for three additional studio albums, including 1978's Minute By Minute, which was the band's biggest selling album of all time and won multiple Grammys. This reissue arrived in a nice gatefold outer jacket; the sea blue vinyl pressing was perfect, Chris Bellman cut new lacquers at Bernie Grundman Mastering, and the album's sound quality was top notch. It's a great album I'd never previously had in my collection, Michael McDonald really shines here, and Takin' It To The Streets is filled with excellent performances. Highly recommended!
Little Feat, Time Loves A Hero. 140 Gram Sea Blue LP
Time Loves A Hero was Little Feat's sixth studio album; it came at a time when Lowell George's dominance in the band was waning, and Little Feat had begun to explore more diverse musical directions. The normally prolific George only contributed one song to Time Loves A Hero, the classic "Rocket In My Pocket," and he co-wrote "Keepin' Up With the Joneses" with guitarist Paul Barrère, who was rapidly becoming the band's most prominent songwriter and vocalist. Lowell George also sang lead vocals on Barrère's "High Roller," as well as a cover of Terry Allen's "New Delhi Freight Train," while Barrère wrote or co-wrote six of the album's nine songs, and sang or shared lead vocals on four of them. I'd never had a copy of Time Loves A Hero in my album collection, and this LP has been an absolute joy to experience. The mix of songs is propulsive, energetic, and entertaining, and the band's lone instrumental, "Day at the Dog Races," is a masterwork of jazz/rock fusion. The sea blue vinyl for this LP had the worst looking surfaces of the entire group of albums I received, with several significant scuffs on side two. That said, playback was surprisingly superb, and Bernie Grundman's initials are in the deadwax, so it appears that he cut the new lacquers for the LP. I highly recommend Rhino's new reissue!
Rod Stewart, Footloose and Fancy Free. 140 Gram Sea Blue LP
I grabbed an LP copy of Rod Stewart's classic Footloose and Fancy Free (1977) immediately upon its release back in the day. The album is peak Seventies' Hot Rod, and achieved multi platinum sales status worldwide, reaching the No. 2 position on the US Billboard album charts and leaping to No. 3 on the UK charts. Footloose and Fancy Free features a cavalcade of classic rockers like "Hot Legs," "You're Insane," "You're In My Heart," and "You Keep Me Hangin' On." Rod also offered up soulful covers of "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right" and "You Got A Nerve." A poignant tale of adolescent love, "I Was Only Joking" may be the best song on Footloose and Fancy Free, and Gary Grainger and Billy Peek's guitar interplay in the song's center lifts it to an impressive level of goodness. Rhino's new reissue surprised me with its nicely executed LP jacket package, which included a reproduction of the original album's artfully cool and graphically stylish booklet and printed inner sleeve. Although there was no deadwax information—at all(!)—the sea blue vinyl LP's sound was superb, easily bettering my Warner Brothers label original. Very highly recommended!
War, War's Greatest Hits. 140 Gram Sea Blue LP
1976's War's Greatest Hits compiled the Long Beach, California funk, rock, and soul band's string of successes from a quartet of albums following their beginnings as Eric Burdon and War. Including tracks from the classic catalog titles All Day Music (1971), The World Is A Ghetto (1972), Deliver The World (1973), and Why Can't We Be Friends? (1975). I know I've complained about the truncated track lengths on Rhino's Now Playing Collection of LPs, and as War was well-known for their lengthy jams in concert and on their studio albums, that would seem particularly problematic here, as well. But many of the tracks featured on this LP are the single edits released for radio airplay, which are probably the only version of these songs that most listeners have ever heard. Other than those who've done a deep dive into the band, or perhaps bought the full albums, and I'm guilty as charged with regard to my neglect of War's catalog of albums. But I have been recently turned on to The World Is A Ghetto—Rhino's recent Quadio Bluray disc is excellent, and well worth checking out! There are many classic songs here that got played endlessly back in the day, and still get significant airplay, especially on XM Sirius and streaming services. Like "All Day Music," "Slippin' Into Darkness," "The World Is A Ghetto," "The Cisco Kid," "Why Can't We Be Friends," and of course, the irrepressibly classic party anthem "Low Rider." I've seen numerous posts online that this LP was pressed using the same tapes as the very highly regarded Record Store Day release from a couple of years ago. I can't confirm that, but the sea blue vinyl LP was flawless, and the sound quality was superb: this is the perfect album for a party! Very highly recommended!
Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac: Best Of 1969-1974. (2) 140 Gram Sea Blue LPs
Fleetwood Mac: Best Of 1969-1974 compiles 19 tracks from seven albums over the period, from 1969's Then Play On through 1974's Heroes Are Hard To Find. This is the pre-Buckingham/Nicks era, and the compilation opens with three great songs from Then Play On, Peter Green's last album with the band. Including single versions for "Oh Well" and "The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)," in a cool stereo version I've never heard before! Danny Kirwan stepped up and took the lead when Peter Green walked away from the band, offering great tunes like "Jewel Eyed Judy," "Sands of Time," and "Bare Trees." After Kirwan's mental breakdown, Bob Welch took the helm, with memorable tunes like "Sentimental Lady," "Emerald Eyes," and the nearly hypnotic vibe of "Hypnotized." Christine McVie really breaks free from her shell on the albums Penguin and Heroes, offering really great songs like "Remember Me," "Heroes Are Hard To Find," and "Prove Your Love." Fleetwood Mac: Best Of 1969-1974 is easily the best sampler that exists of the band's work pre-Buckingham/Nicks material, showing an impressive level of talent that's scattered across multiple incarnations of the group. Chris Bellman mastered the album and cut new lacquers at Bernie Grundman Mastering, but nothing in the deadwax identifies where the pair of nearly perfect sea blue vinyl LPs were pressed. The sound quality was also superb; Fleetwood Mac: Best Of 1969-1974 comes very highly recommended!
Warren Zevon, Warren Zevon (Deluxe Edition). (2) 180 Gram Black LPs
Warren Zevon (1976) was the artists' second studio album, and the one where he began to gain significant traction in the Southern California music scene. The record was produced by Jackson Browne, who helped Zevon assemble a who's who of SoCal musicians, including the likes of Buckingham/Nicks, Waddy Wachtel, David Lindley, Bob Glaub, John David Souther, Jackson Browne, Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Phil Everly, and even Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys. Some of Zevon's most well-known songs appear here, including "Frank and Jesse James," "Hasten Down The Wind," "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me," "Mohammed's Radio," "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead," and "Carmelita." Linda Ronstadt was a huge proponent of Zevon's songs, and covered a host of them on her own albums, giving his songwriting a much needed push into the spotlight. Warren Zevon (Deluxe Edition) adds a second LP which contains a plethora of demos, live tracks, alternate takes, and alternate versions. It's the only LP in the entire Sounds of the Summer series that is pressed in black 180 gram vinyl, and the pair of LPs from Memphis Record Pressing were flawless. And with perfectly dynamic sound; while all the credits on the album jacket reference a 2008 reissue, I swear to God, "BG" is scribed into the deadwax, leading me to believe that Bernie Grundman cut the lacquers for this release. Regardless, Warren Zevon (Deluxe Edition) comes very highly recommended!
Rhino's Sounds of the Summer Series is the Perfect Summer Refresher!
You can see the components in my audio systems by clicking on my name in the header above. I used my all-analog system to evaluate all LPs from the Sounds of the Summer series. It features a pair of Vanguard Scout loudspeakers, which are in the same vein as classic British monitor designs like the LS3/5A's. I'm using them in tandem with a Caldera 10 subwoofer; that setup also incorporates the excellent new PS Audio Stellar phono preamp, and the loudspeakers are powered by my PrimaLuna EVO 300 tube integrated amplifier. I've just upgraded the amplifier with a matched quad of Sovtek 6550 power tubes and a pair of vintage, NOS Brimar 12AU7 output tubes, both of which provide an impressive uptick in my analog sound quality. LP playback was handled by the ProJect Classic turntable that's mounted with an Ortofon Quintet Bronze moving coil cartridge. It gave these LPs the finest quality of sound one could possibly expect.
That sound quality was a bit variable among the copies I received for review, mostly due to a handful of pressing issues with the LPs from Memphis Pressing, which were a tad inconsistent. There were a few scuffs and scratches, and as most of the LPs arrived inserted in white paper inner sleeves, most of them also had a heavy static charge. Causing many of the LPs to be heavily dusted with white paper residue that required some serious cleanup prior to playback. As is my usual practice, I replaced all the white paper sleeves with better ones made from rice paper to minimize the chances of static buildup, scratching, and paper dust accumulation. But it's all good; the sound quality of the music as presented by the sea blue vinyl LPs following cleanup was exceptional, and at the low price point of most of these albums (typically $22-$25), Rhino obviously couldn't have the LPs pressed at Optimal or RTI. The Sounds of the Summer series LPs are being offered with limited availability, and many of them will have a definite degree of appeal to completists and collectors alike. Thanks to Miranda Alston at Rhino for all her assistance; the LPs in the Sounds of the Summer series come very highly recommended!
Rhino Entertainment
All images courtesy of Rhino Entertainment and the author
