Best of 2013 – The final results.

And so the final results are in. Who released the best CDs in 2013? There was a lot of love for the releases that were the most talked about but, you lot being quite subjective about what you listened to, and quite rightly, threw in a few surprises. There’s nothing better than reading what you thought to different releases and while we work hard to deliver timely reviews we couldn’t review everything. That’s where you come in. Your praise as discerning music listeners will help our readers make up their minds over the CDs they, and we, might have missed. Our competition winners will be notified in the next few days. Thank you to all that contributed, thank you to all of you that support us, thank you to all that read us. Lets hope 2014 brings us more boots of this standard. Aleebee –

1. Aerosmith – The Final Warming In Osaka 2CD (Zodiac 038) There was a time, 1990-2001 or so, when European bootleggers were putting out loads of great Aerosmith titles, such that, whilst not my priority collecting band, I had more Aerosmith titles than any other band. Then CDRs arrived. In recent years Japanese ‘leggers have given us some great early 70s upgrades, and now this title brings us to the present day.
2. Black Sabbath – Scandinavian Occultism (Tarantura) With the appearance of several Sabbath shows from 1970 and ’71 in the past few years, it is 1972 and 1974 dates that are under-represented, particularly on silver. This title helps address that. Not the greatest SQ, but enjoyable for all that.
3. Black Sabbath – In Nashville 1978 2CD (No Label) Finally, another 1978 show on silver. This is the (in)famous rescheduled show, following Ozzy’s no-show for the original date, sparking concerns of a kidnapping. For those who may be interested, the truth was not nearly so dramatic. Arriving at the Holiday Inn worse for wear, Ozzy had gone to ‘his’ room for a sleep. However, the room key he had was from the last Holiday Inn; the maid cleaning the corresponding room was shooed away by Ozzy when he walked through the open door. As a result, he went to sleep in the wrong room.
4. Black Sabbath – Lonely Is The Word 2CD (Zodiac 010) Silver debut for this great recording, notable for the inclusion of LITW, the studio version of which Iommi rated as one of his favourite solos when interviewed in 1982. It has always been one of mine.
5. Judas Priest – Unleashed In New York (Zodiac 039) Can’t get enough Priest of this era, myself. Couple of other shows which could do to ‘silvered’.
6. Ozzy Osbourne – Speak of The Devil Ritz: 1982 Complete 2CD (Zodiac 027) Proof, were it needed, that Ozzy re-recorded his vocal, and that ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’ was from the soundcheck. Having been listening to the official album for 30 years, it seems little studio work was required from the rest of the band.
7. Ozzy Osbourne – Ultimate Sin In Chicago (Zodiac 025) Despite some excellent recording from this era, it is sorely under-represented on silver, so I was delighted to get this.
8. Ozzy Osbourne – No Rest For The Rosemont (Zodiac 024) As above, really. Ozzy Osbourne – Live & Loud: Soundboard Masters Vols 1 and 2 (each 4CD) (Zodiac 035 and 036) Yet another release that uses the source-tapes utilised for an official release. With a hefty price-tag, I wasn’t sure I needed this. Turns out I did.
9. Scorpions – World Wide Live: Costa Mesa 1984 (Zodiac 037) A warmer sound than the official album that utilised part of this recording. Sadly, the tape ran out, but don’t let that put you off. Now, if they have this source-tape, surely they have the others?
10. ZZ Top – 2nd Annual Grangefest (Zion 036) I bought this thinking it was the silver of a great show I had downloaded. On playing it, it was different: the download was the 1st Grangefest. That 1st Grangefest hopefully shall hit silver some day soon. This release came with a 2CDR freebie from 2002, ‘XXX In Germany’ and is another that needs the full silver treatment. Indeed, so many CDRs, for so many bands, need that silver treatment. Over the past several years my top ten would have heavily featured Floyd, but in the past year I have found little of interest. Well, not true: I have been interested to read of the releases, but when they are yet another version of something I may already have upgraded more than once…

Chambau –

1. 10. Led Zeppelin: Led One Radio Special (Boleskine House Records) Nothing new here, but I did not have this show before getting this title. Too bad it’s only 6 songs, but anyone who loves Zep should listen to this concert to understand why they are one of the greatest. And it was only 1969.
2. 9. Whitesnake: Last Stand in Tokyo The Year of the Snake, 2CD (Zodiac) It’s Whitesnake with Tommy Aldridge back where he belongs. A great performance, great audio and, mostly, the longest WS setlist ever bringing back The Deeper The Love, Guilty of Love and Gambler. The Forevermore songs are a treat live. Great addition to my collection.
3. 8. U2: Forever in Hear, Forever in Fever, 2CD (Godfather) This is the Boston show. Like the next, which took place in NY, it’s from the best U2 tour ever with official audio quality.
4. 7. U2: The New Voice of Freedom, 2CD (Godfather) This is the New York show. Same as the one listed above.
5. 6. Deep Purple: Plays Fur Elise, 1CD (Tarantura) I love the vibe the band had in the early ’70s. No one could sing like Gillan in those days. In addition you have Blackmore and Lord in their best. This is an essential show for DP lovers. The sound is terrific.
6. 5. Black Sabbath: Lonely is the Word (Zodiac) When I first knew about this release I got excited for it having both Bill Ward – who I like way better than Vinnie Apice, and LITW. The recording is really clear, one of those that you have to listen very loud. To my ears, the louder, the better. It’s increadible how a 30+ years audience recording could have almost ZERO tape hiss.
7. 4. Roger Waters with Eric Clapton: Lunatic Rave, 2CD (Mid Valley) It was about time to have a SBD recording of that tour. Both sound & performance are great and ther packaging is also wonderful.
8. 3. Led Zeppelin: Double Shot, 6CD (Empress Valley) It was a delight having those 2 great performances in a single set. It’s The Soundboard Revolution moving on. Time to bring in the L.A. ’75 & 77 concerts, though.
9. 2. Led Zeppelin: Throwing the Wild Seeds, 6CD (Godfatherecords) GF did another tremendous job releasing these 2 NY shows together in a single box in mindblowing audio quality and mastering. If one of those was not released before, this would be #1 in my list, probably. Packaging is outstanding again.
10. 1. Iron Maiden: British Metal Onslaught Vol. II, 6CD (Godfatherecords) Three absolutely great shows in great quality in a gorgious deluxe packaging. It’s Maiden in its best. A great prize for the best metal band ever. Up the Irons!

Gig Addiction –   Again 2013 had plenty of great releases & as ever, The Godfather seems to be the label that all other labels should aspire to. Being a big fan of Iron Maiden it’s hardly surprising that some of GFs Maiden releases feature in my list. So here goes : 1. IRON MAIDEN : The Decade Of The Beast – British Metal Onslaught Vol. 2: The Final Chapter (The Godfather Box G.R. Box 19). The companion box set to the previous release “British Metal Onslaught Maiden England 1982-83-84”. Man they really have treated us with another great box set. No other label releases packages like this that are a reasonable price. Great quality audience recordings that capture the band perfectly. I think my fave one here is the Whitley Bay 88 recording. I’ve always thought that this was the year Maiden peaked & this tour had my favourite set list. An interesting thing about this box set are the totally different eras of Maiden. 2. IRON MAIDEN : Monsters Of Rock 1988 25th Anniversary Edition (Zodiac 033/034) What a fantastic compilation of Maidens pinnacle of their career. Very interesting to hear them perform in a small venue just days before the “triumph & tradgedy” of Castle Donington. I actually prefer the bands performance at QMC as ive always felt MOR was just too fast.(In fact, i’m pretty sure ive read or seen an interview with Adrian Smith where he said a similar thing). The QMC show, whilst being slightly overloaded, is a great listen. Love it when Bruce has a go at the suits. Considering Donington was recorded in a field with thousands in the audience, there is very little audience interference on the recording.If anything, you hear more audience via the PA (picked up off the stage mics). At times this could pass as a soundboard recording. 3.SCORPIONS : World Wide Live: Costa Mesa 1984 . Yet again Wolgangs Vault is the source of a classic show. Superb soundboard recording which equals the official release “World Wide Live”. Great thing about this boot is it has consistency. A great document of The Scorpions at their peak. 4. OZZY OSBOURNE : Speak Of the devil Complete Ritz NY 2+27-9-82 (FM). We finally hear the shows as they sounded, complete with mess ups etc. I love the official release,but man, the boots are so cool! This is what i love about bootlegs; the warts n all REAL live recordings. I consider this to be an essential Ozzy item for anyones collection. 5.JUDAS PRIEST : Unleashed in New York Live at Mudd Club, New York City, New York, USA 11th March 1979 STEREO SBD This is a very entertaining little show! The venue sounds as though it is pretty small.When i first saw this release, i wondered if it was one of the bunch of Priest Soundboards that got out in the early 80s when their FOH guy left them. It is not from that cash of tapes,but yet again it’s one from (Wolfgangs) Concert vault. Man there have been so many great  recordings that have surfaced from there! Whilst the sound & performance on this is generally pretty great, Rob Halford seems to have a strange attitude through out. From his initial “This is spontanious music” intro to “Hell Bent For Leather” all the way through, his comments come over as almost sarcastic! At one point he talks to someone down the front “…Turn the monitors down Paul, i’m trying to talk to this guy…Nice to see that T-shirt displayed amongst our cultural friends from Studio 54! Sorry about that…it’s not our fault..” Well, whatever, it’s a great little recording if a short show. 6. LED ZEPPELIN : FILLMORE WEST 1969 OFF REELS- (IMP-N-040F) 2CD M+ APRIL 27 1969, SAN FRANCISCO Superb performances & superb quality. Nothing more needs to be said! 7. AEROSMITH – Counterpart Studios 1973 (Shades 461) Ok, this one actually came out in 2012, but i couldn’t track it down till recently. I love the intimacy of this recording. It’s very cool how we hear the off mic comments from both the radio dj & Steven Tyler. Fantastic sound quality & a pretty unique presentation. A must have Aerosmith live CD ! Michilino – Hi there Already a year gone again, I remember very well my last submission for the best of 2012. When wading through my lists of new acquisitions for last year I just got aware that it was likely my 30st year of collecting unofficial records – and I missed that jubilee! The bug hit me when I managed to get my hands on the Lords of the New Church “Paralyzed” LP sometime in 1983 via some mail order service. A bootleg! from one of my favourite artists! An incredible feeling. And likely very addictive, as ever since that moment, the collection of unofficial records kept growing and growing and at some time started to bypass by numbers even the number of official records. As it has always been pretty difficult to obtain unofficial records for me, it was very common for me to buy almost every bootleg I came across, as long as the financials permit. 2013 has been a good year for my personal collection – and, for the most part, focused on completing certain artists or labels releases – as long as they are still available. In previous years, I filled the gap by purchasing nice items from artists that I usually would not fancy that much (no Led Zeppelin this year!). However, when looking at the additions to the collection from last year in order to compile my top 10 for 2013 I recognized how much of my historical collecting patterns still exist, so you’ll find some “unusual” choices here. List in ascending order:

1. 10. Prince Dakota Diaries Box (8xCD) (Eye Records EYE 241-248) Not that I’m much into Prince, I have to admit that his “loyal” bootleg labels (apart from Eye also Sabotage Records needs to be mentioned) are always producing stunning releases. I like this release from Eye Records – from sound to packaging it set the level of quality very high for the year.
2. 9. Springsteen, Bruce Roxy 1978 – Roll Your Tapes! (Growing Records GR-001/002/003) I have stopped counting the number of versions of this show I have on sliver – and I think only last year there must have been at least three releases of it – not sure, what caused the hype, but I’ve listened to this great show several times – it just does not to seem to age. Great piece of rock’n’roll history!
3. 8. Rolling Stones Before The Affair (Godfather Records GR 845) Talking about rock’n’roll history – I was only a small kid, when this legendary show took place in the next big town to where I grew up. A great piece to have – together with the 2012 Tarantura of the gig in Zuerich a must have for a Swiss collector!
4. 7. Springsteen, Bruce Human Rights Tokyo 1988 (TLALOC Records TLALOC 001/002) Records The official release of the Human Rights Box last year may have fostered this release – it contained all ingredients of a collector’s item: limited and numbered to 300 copies – no way I could bypass this item.
5. 6. Springsteen, Bruce This Is Not a Dark Ride (Godfather Records) The Torino 1988 has already been added several times in various vinyl incarnations to my collection – it has been a nice experience way back at that time to buy live lps from contemporary concerts. Well, I should not admit that in public, but my colleagues who were into the boss at that time kept on bashing the Tunnel Of Love tour – and actually this show (together with the infamous “Tunnel of Lust” double CD, the first CD Bootleg I EVER bought) turned my into Springsteen. So it was great to see Godfatherecords releasing it on silver –however, why the label did use the title from a Doberman release covering another show is still a mystery to me.
6. 5. Kraftwerk Computer World Tour Tokyo 1981 (Masterpiece KCD9981) Kraftwerk always has been and still remains one of my favourite artists. Tis release of a very classic show (with quite a few silver releases previously) came just in time for their upcoming Japan tour. With this sonically perfect broadcast it has been a highly appreciated addition to my collection (sad only that I missed the limited edition with the free CDr version of another show!) Unfortunately I did not see much of silver releases of their most recent tour, although quite a few CDR labels covered much, if not all, of their shows. I hope we will see a few of them in the future.
7. 4. Springsteen, Bruce Darkness Starts Here (ESB Masterpiece) This release might be among the most questionable choices for the 2013 top ten, however I think the historical importance of this show justifies for it all. Thanks to Masterpiece to put that show on silver.
8. 3. Springsteen, Bruce London Killing The Power Night (Crystal Cat) Again a show that duplicated a show that has been released in form of a different recording from another label. The Piccadilly Circus records (in collaboration with Paco Records) version has been released in a matter of weeks after the event, but sonically never matches the version from “The Cat”. A great show, performance and quality wise. A great listen! Together with the usual great packaging this is a well-deserved member of the 2013 top 10
9. 2. Depeche Mode Nice Cote D’Azur (UMS) I grew up with Depeche Mode from day one of my listening to music experience. “Speak and Spell” has been among my first vinyl albums to be bought and has also been part of my limited first batch of CDs bought. This release by the UMS label actually made me thinking a lot to write a review for CMR for quite some time – due to heavy workload both the review of this CD and the essay on DM and the unofficial records remains unwritten to this day. However, this release from the kickoff show of their recent tour shows how cool the band even today is. And it was the very beginning of getting Depeche Mode back into a bootlegable band, just like Godfather showed us with their recent DMO2 release – I only wonder if Crystal Cat will cover the Swedish shows again, like the label did over the last few decades!
10. 1. Springsteen, Bruce The Boston Godfather: The Definitive Boston March 1977 Tapes (GR Box 17) This box by Godfather is for me the clear winner! It only happens very rarely that historical relevance matches sound quality and packaging. Despite other releases, this is a clear winner for 2013. No question.

Jerrythebarman – 

ROBERTO –

1. “STUDIO MAGIK SESSIONS “- Led Zeppelin ( on Godfatherecords) 18cds box set, i’m not a Led Zepp die -hard collector but this is the best LZ item i’ve ever seen in years , you don’t need to look for those very expensive Japanese boxes ( and not really complete, anyway!), here you have EVERYTHING!! If you can locate a copy don’t miss the chance to own it!
2. ” OHIO, SPRING 1972″ – Pink Floyd ( on Godfatherecords ) 2cds – this is a recently released item that made me jump when seen on the stalls of the dealers at fairs: unreleased on vinyl and on silver, for the first time we see factory pressed a completely overlooked concert from one of the most interesting tours of the band, i thought CMR was going to review it but i’m still waiting for it, hope you’ll fill this gap soon!! However another FANTASTIC release from the greatest label in the world.
3. – ” FIRST TIME IN JAPAN ” – Pink Floyd ( on Godfatherecords) – 3cds – another very solid release that gives the chance( even to casual buyers) to see this group at the dawn of a wonderful career, for the first time here we have together the 2 gigs ( the third apparently was never taped, anyone has it in a dusty box?) the band performed in the very first visit in the Far East, unmissable for every Floyd collector.
4.  ” THE GUNNER’S DREAM ” – Roger Waters & Eric Clapton ( on Sigma) – 2 cds – fantastic sound for a fantastic performance, Rog & Eric offer their best in this underrated tour, Eric will ( obviously) never play like Gilmour does but surely i don’t miss Dave in this totally recommended gig.
5. – ” SERENADE TO ROME ” – Bruce Springsteen ( on Godfatherecords) – 3cds – every visit of the Boss in Italy carries memorable gigs and this is no exception! Starting from the greatest concert of all in 1985 in Milan we have too many shows to mention but this is surely one that you will put again and again in your cd player, every song tastes of sweat, love and Rock ‘n Roll, i’m never tired of listening to this, Fabulous!!
6.  ” COMPLETE BLUES NIGHTS 1990″ – Eric Clapton ( on Beano) – 6 cds – these shows are so renowned that everyone seems to have attended to them , but how many more people would have been there? Here you can be in the first row and you can enjoy in full the skill of all players, again a wonderful job from the best label ( with Mid Valley) devoted to Eric Clapton
7. ” FACE TO FACE IN PHILLY” – Elton John & Billy Joel ( on Zion) – 3 cds – i mention this release because i think that the ” Zion ” label is a little underrated , the past year brought some interesting releases from it and this is one of them: great sound and a stunning performance from Elton and Billy :who played and sung better? You’ll be the judge, anyway every song is absolutely enjoyable , pick any of them and you can’t be wrong!
8.  ” NEW VOICES OF FREEDOM” – U2 ( on Godfatherecords) – 2 cds – in the past years we have seen many other U2 releases sourcing for the Don’s label: from the most recent tours to the older ones we usually have sterling releases but if i’m forced to choose this is one that i keep on listening after several months and still finding emotions and thrills , anyone can ask something else from music? So i warmly recommend it even to casual buyers, don’t pass it on!
9.  ” BALTIC NIGHT RENDEZ-VOUS” – Eric Clapton ( on Mid Valley ) – 6 cds – on the sticker on the slipcase of this excellent release we can read ” Ec MVR Exclusive live 2013! “, the three gigs we have here are from strange and quite unusual places for live music so Eric did a great job going there to perform the songs from his latest album, i’d like to see many other top names living the better known paths and push themselves where there’s a lot of hungry for live performances, this title is absolutely amazing and a must have for every Clapton collector , search for it on the web!
10.  ” TOKYO AMIGOS ” – Santana – ( on Tarantura) – 2 cds- this legendary label offers a stunning performance thanks to the Mr. Peach archive, Carlos Santana suffererd from very few quality releases on silver in the past years and with the one released from Zion label i think this is unmissable for every Carlos fan and highly enjoyable even to people rarely listening to him, the problem with this label is the extremely limited number of copies and the expensive price, hope they will continue their recently started ” Budget Price ” policy and will release other affordable amazing shows.- END OF MY BEST OF… LIST-

Javier from Spain – Best of 2013, the 10 best silver pressed bootleg releases of 2013 (released between January 1st, 2013 and December 31st, 2013.)

1. The Rolling Stones-Les Loups Dans L`Abattoir : The Complete Paris Tapes Godfatherecords Box 20 (5 June 2013).
2. The Rolling Stones-Brixton Academy 1995 Rattlesnake RS 251/252.
3. U2-Forever In Fever,Forever In Heat Godfatherecords 843/844 (28 February 2013).SOUNDBOARD RECORDING:COMPLETE SHOW FOR THE 1st TIME ON CD!!!.
4. U2-New Voices Of Freedom Godfatherecords 874/875 (5 June 2013).SOUNDBOARD RECORDING:COMPLETE SHOW FOR THE 1st TIME ON CD!!!.
5. The Rolling Stones-Looking For My Glastonbury Girl Godfatherecords 912/913 (23 September 2013).
6. U2-Paris Love Town Godfatherecords 938/939 (14 October 2013).
7. Depeche Mode-DMO2 Godfatherecords 957/958 (11 December 2013).
8. Pink Floyd-Another Movie In Long Island Godfatherecords 879/880 (5 June 2013).RESTORED DEFINITIVE VERSION:NO CUTS,GAPS OR DIGINOISES!!!.
9. The Rolling Stones-Voodoo Lounge In Tokyo:Third Night And Last Night No Label.
10. The Doors-From the Ancient Gallery:The Definitive Stockholm `68 FM Broadcast Godfatherecords 937 (14 October 2013).THE DEFINITIVE UPGRADED VERSION!!!

Leedslungs71 – Hello CMR readers, writers, reviewers and listeners, Thought I’d join in the party and offer a Baker’s Dozen list of my favorite wearable, listenable footwear in 2013 — that would be boots, of course — (at least those I heard and/or wrote about). As primarily a longtime Rolling Stones collector, both on vinyl and CD (as well as The Keith Moon-era Who), I’m inevitably heavy on rare Stones releases. But I do pick up the occasional Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, and of course, the Beatles. Several big-bang-for-the-buck box sets came out this year from the good people at the Original Master Series label that gathered, in one place, the best outtakes, rehearsals, alternate mixes culled from my favorite early-to-mid-period Fab Four era (including the fairly recent “Rockband” mixes that have surfaced and were taken from master tapes supervised by the respective Beatles estates and former producer George Martin and his son Giles; I had resisted checking out these new “video game” instrumental mixes for a long time based on the dubious proposition that these qualified as authentic or original historical documents of creative intent, whatever that means, as well as my aversion to video/interactive games in general; that said, they sound great). My criteria for compiling my best-of list (personal favorites is probably a more accurate term, though, since there were so many stellar new releases across a broad spectrum of artists I did not get the chance to hear) was based on factors such as sound quality; rarity of title, tracks, or show; historical significance; and presentation(level of ambition of the release; packaging such as era-correct artwork; liner notes; gatefold covers; disc art etc.). Okay, onward.

1. Led Zeppelin, “Studio Magick” (Godfather): Quite imply, the most exhaustive, comprehensive attempt yet at documenting Zep’s entire studio output, and by that I mean giving the listener a fly-on-the-wall experience hearing the tracking process, recording and rehearsal sessions that transpired between 1969 and 1980. Fascinating and revelatory. And did I say exhaustive?
2. Rolling Stones, “El Mocombo 1977 +” (Red Tongue Records): As a longtime vinyl junkie and LP collector, the Red Tongue label is a Stones fan’s wet dream. This is the latest in their lavish, gorgeous series of multi-LP, colored vinyl releases is this legendary (if little heard) show at the Mocombo Club in ’77, that came between the “Black and Blue” and “Some Girls” era. There was no tour that year so this is a rare chance to hear a complete raw and rousing live Stones show at this tiny club. Plus, as with all Red Tongue releases, the vinyl contents of this box set also comes with silver-pressed CDs of the tracks.
3.  Beatles, “All Sides of Rubber Soul” (Original Master Series): This compact four-CD box collects pretty much every “Rubber Soul” era song and session available, arranging it song by song (in other words, multiple takes of each song in chronological order, rather than a hodge-podge). While this approach can be a little tedious (hearing many multiple takes as opposed to, say, mixing up the tracks for variety), it appeals to one’s sense of completeness and order. Beautiful booklet, photos, and packaging too.
4. Beatles, “All Sides of Revolver” (Original Master Series): See description above, substitute the word “Revolver” in place of “Rubber Soul,” and you’ve got a sense of what this nifty box set brings to the Beatles fan (or fans of one of perhaps the top three or four greatest rock & roll records ever made).
5.  Rolling Stones, “Hyde Park Legend 1969 Complete Edition” (Goldplate): A proper treatment of a historic and legendary Stones show; a huge free concert in Hyde Park, England, that marked the arrival of new guitarist Mick Taylor following the departure and death of founding member Brian Jones. This set pulls together multiple sources and perspectives for a documentary feel (the only missed opportunity, in my view, would have been the inclusion of a DVD of the show — which has existed in semi-legit form for decades — for the ultimate, definitive word on this concert).
6.  Faces, “Electric Soup” (Godfather): An excellent June 4, 1973 recording at the Edmonton, London, which happened to be founding member/bassist-vocalist Ronnie Lane’s last show with one of the best and most versatile British Guinness-fueled bar bands to ever come out of England, or anywhere else for that matter. This attractively presented title, and the first Faces release for Godfather, also includes several raucous BBC tracks, which is never a bad idea.
7. . Rolling Stones, Les Loups Dans L’Abattoir – The Complete 1976 Paris Tapes (Godfather): Next to Zep’s “Studio Magick,” this was the most over-the-top and comprehensive set I saw all year: an eight-disc set documenting the Stones’ multi-night stand in Paris during their 1976 European Tour. Tremendous packaging (program reproductions, mini-poster, stunning photographs from the shows etc.) and very good, multiple-sourced overall sound make this title a must for completists and one of the definitive documents of the ’76 Stones and tour.
8.  The Who, “Little Billy Relaxes At The Fillmore” (Godfather): An oft-booted ’68 Who concert in stunning sound that captures the ‘Orrible ‘OO right around the time of their pre-“Tommy” conceptual masterpiece, “Sell Out.” They are a dynamic force of nature, of course, but still very much a power chord-built pop band built largely on irresistible singles rather than the extended rock opera theatrics that would soon define them.
9.  Neil Young & Crazy Horse, “Buffalo Campaigner,” (No Label): Absolutely pristine, stunning live soundboard recordings of “Ragged Glory”-era Neil Young and Crazy Horse at their loudest, most unhinged, and gloriously rocking best. Excellent presentation, too, with era-accurate cover artwork that echoes the official “Weld” releases. Really now, need I say more?
10.  Rolling Stones, “Secrets Travel Fast” (Scorpio/Bad Wizard): The Stones’ 1970 European tour has always been under-documented, so any shows that surface in decent sound quality — and even a somewhat flawed release such as this one — are a welcome treat. Such is the case with this title, which collects both their Sept. 23, 1970 Palais des Sport performance, as well as a handful of tracks culled from the band’s second-to-last Dec. 14, 1969 show at the Saville Theatre (the latter, frustratingly, in spliced but stunning quality), and a few random offerings from the ’70 tour dates in Sweden and Germany. The Stones more than compensate for the rough, audience-quality sound with gritty performances and a rough-and-tumble set list that includes a generous helping of Chuck Berry covers, from whence their sonic foundation was built.
11.  Rolling Stones, “Black and Blue — The Real Alternate Album” (Red Tongue Records): Another limited edition (600 copies) colored vinyl (4-LP) box set collecting most, if not all, of the session recordings in one place for what would be the underrated “Black and Blue” album and a couple of scattered tracks that would wind up on “Tattoo You.” Also included is a batch of semi-rare and obscure live performances over the years of tracks from this underrated album. As with most of Red Tongue’s titles, this has a lenticular-type hologram cover and handy silver CDs that contain all of the songs that appear on the vinyl.
12.  The Rolling Stones, “Live At The Marquee Club” (Goldplate): This CD and DVD combo makes a strong bid for being the definitive title of this March 26, 1971 show, with the CD offering the complete performance including false starts, second takes, and pre-rehearsals of a special BBC television show capturing the Stones’ return to their early stomping grounds of the Marquee. A special delight is hearing early live readings of “Bitch” and “Brown Sugar,” released that month on the “Sticky Fingers” album, as well as another “Sticky” track that has rarely been played, “I Got The Blues.” One of several top-notch Goldplate Stones releases this year, it comes in the best sound quality I’ve ever heard it (most Marquee releases have been marred by muddy sound). The companion DVD offers no less than three versions of the performance (the recent re-broadcast TV version; the original TV version; and the unedited long version). A very nice audio and overall upgrade of a classic Mick Taylor-era performance, from a rarely (and often poorly) documented year that saw the Stones on the road for only a brief “Farewell To England” tour.
13.  The Who, “The Dutch Seduction” (Godfather): Technically, a late 2012 release of this essential and classic 1969 Who soundboard that I only heard in this configuration this year. The Who were fast becoming a fearsome, four-headed hydra and rapidly developing into perhaps the best stage act and most powerful live rock band in the world, and you can hear it here. A stellar recording given a stellar treatment.

Jens –

1. Led Zeppelin – Throwing The Wild Seeds 6 CD Box (Godfather)
2. Led Zeppelin – Love And Peace 3 CD (Empress Valley)
3. Van Morrison – Deep In Your Heart 1 CD (Godfather)
4. Led Zeppelin – Led One Hour Radio Special 1 CD (Boleskine House Record)
5. Genesis – The Lamb Master In Los Angeles 2 CD (Virtuoso)
6. Pink Floyd – A Total Zabriskie Point Of View 2 CD (Godfather)
7. Asia – Asia In Asia / Definitive Soundboard Masters 2 CD (Virtuoso)
8. U2 – New Voices Of Freedom 2 CD (Godfather)
9. Led Zeppelin – No Cancellation 1 CD (Akashic)
10. Led Zeppelin – Thunder Down Under 20 CD 1 DVD Box (Empress Valley)

WD –

1. Slayer – Reign In Nottingham Live at Rock City, Nottingham, UK 21st April 1987 Zodiac 021
2. Clash, The The Promised Land GR911
3. Black Sabbath – Lonely Is The World Live at Stadthalle, Offenbach, Germany 2nd June1980. Zodlac 010
4. Scorpions – Costa Mesa 1984 World Wide Live Zodiac 037
5. AEROSMITH / GOOD CONDITION IN KYOTO FEBRUARY 6 1977Tarantura TCDAS-3-1, 2
6. Alice Cooper Band – Champions Of The Lunatic Fringe GR835
7. Judas Priest – Unleashed In New York Zodiac 039

Wish list: I hope they ll be more Megadeth, Motorhead & Iggy Pop silvers in 2014 than in 2013 Relayer67 – 2013 saw much sadness to the CMR family but we had the music to help us heal, this did spark more interaction from the site readers as there were quite a few review submissions from new writers that are much welcomed. There were many releases not on this list, mostly a lot of the new Floyd Sigma titles that were not significant upgrades but I spent a lot of time enjoying them and filling out my Floyd collection.Of course there were a few great official releases from Black Sabbath (13), the ABB Brothers and Sisters 4 cd set and Russian Circles Memorial to name a few. Here is my top 10 in no particular order. Relayer67

1. Led Zeppelin Studio Magik Sessions 1968-1980 – The Godfather Box 18. The Definitive statement (for now) of Led Zeppelin’s underground studio work and arguably the best box set so far from The Don.
2. Ozzy Osbourne Speak Of The Devil Ritz 1982 Complete – Zodiac 027. Incredible release from Zodiac giving us the raw tapes from the two concerts that made up his first solo live set Speak of The Devil in glorious soundboard quality.
3.  Led Zeppelin LZ AU GALA De L’ECOLE – Graf Zeppelin LZSC-015A/B/C/D. A new Zeppelin tape surfaces in really good quality plus an interesting performance from late 1969. There were many different releases, this is the one I return to the most.
4.  Pink Floyd Household Objects In Paris – The Godfatherecords G.R.867/868. A new Pink Floyd tape surfaces, from the same taper as the about Zeppelin. The sound is very good and the performance is spectacular featuring some of the bands more experimental material. The Godfather source had wonderful mastering and IMO is the version to grab.
5.  Iron Maiden The Decade Of The Beast – The Godfather Box 19. A continuation of the first Maiden Box Set featuring excellent recordings from the 1986-1990 years. Sound quality, performance, and packaging come together for one of the best metal releases of the year.
6.  KISS 10th Anniversary Tour The Godfatherecords G.R. 863/864. A stellar year for KISS fans, first and for most the band final gets the nod by the Hall Of Fame. While I am sure Vinnie Vincent will not be among the inductee’s (he should be), the VV era produced some excellent music that deserves recognition. A great show in terms of sound and performance, Godfather is hands down, the KISS label.
7.  U2 New Voices Of Freedom The Godfatherecords G.R. 874/875. Superb soundboard recording of an incredible U2 show, my favourite from the 2013’s releases by far.
8.  The Doors From The Ancient Gallery The Godfatherecords 937. The famous Stockholm 1968 late show in best ever quality and most complete version to date. I for cannot get enough Doors boots and hope that we get more in the future. This is certainly a toss up between the Old Stone Road title, both deserve praise.
9.  Deep Purple The Palace 1972 Tarantura TCDDP-4 (2nd). Originally released back in 2011, its initial press sold out very quickly, thankfully in 2013 there was a 2nd print. A blistering performance with the band being at the peak at of their collective powers, a desert island release for sure.
10.  Black Sabbath The Day Of Tony’s Illness Tarantura TCDBS-9. The missing piece of the 1980 Japanese tour surfaces from the Mr Peach archives, the entire tour from his recordings are available. This new release, like all the others is in typical Peach sound quality and features a show cut short due to Tony becoming sick mid show.

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