BMG

Uriah Heep: Look at yourself (Clear/Ltd) [Vinyl LP]

Saxon: Denim and leather (Splatter/Ltd) [Vinyl LP]

Takida: Falling from fame [Vinyl LP]

ZZ Top are readying a new album titled RAW that was recorded in connection with the band's wildly popular and critically lauded 2019 Netflix documentary That Little Ol' Band From Texas. The first track set to be released is "Brown Sugar", one of the earlier recordings in the band's career. The Grammy-nominated feature from Banger Films and director Sam Dunn includes an interlude that finds the group's classic line up -- Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard and the late Dusty Hill -- gathering for a very intimate session at Gruene Hall, "the oldest continually run dance hall in Texas" located in New Braunfels, in the heart of Texas hill country. That performance provided the basis for the RAW album release. In memory of Dusty Hill.

Sparks: Hello young lovers [Gatefold / 2 Vinyl LP]

Strong Arm of The Law was originally released in 1980, a mere six months after Saxon's second album Wheels Of Steel to capitalise on the bands rollercoaster success. Like its predecessor this album is heralded as a timeless, heavy metal classic and many of its songs remain live favourites today, over 30 years after its initial release.

The groundwork for Shakin' Stevens new album Re-Set was in pre-Covid 2018, after which came rehearsals and the Greatest Hits - And More tour. That took Shaky around European hubs from Berlin to Vienna and from Prague to Warsaw, then on to an 18-date UK schedule. "He came, he shook, he conquered," wrote the Daily Telegraph of the London show at Cadogan Hall. Add to this the much-loved hero of 33 Top 40 UK hits, four No. 1s and a 50-year-plus back story has recently delighted fans who watched Shaky's return to live action shortly before Christmas 2022, as Very Special Guest on Status Quo's UK arena tour. Legions of devotees were treated to a set of old favourites ('Green Door,' 'Marie Marie') woven in with the new track Beyond The Illusion that provided the thread from his rock 'n' roll roots to the present day. From his ole house to his new one, you might say.<br/><br/>Reinvention is a much-used word in the music world. But after redefining his sound and style on 2016's hugely acclaimed Echoes Of Our Times, Shakin' Stevens wasn't content just to press repeat for his next studio project. Now, he's hit Re-Set.<br/><br/>That's the title, and indeed the attitude, of a new album that combines extraordinarily heartfelt and meaningful lyrics with the most impassioned vocal performances he has ever summoned from himself, well over 50 years since his first recordings. If that last album set the bar high, he really has Re-Set it once again, in every sense.<br/>But Re-Set is another story, and one that Stevens can't wait to share with his hugely loyal fan base and new admirers alike. "It's a follow-up," as he puts it, "but it's different. People were surprised by Echoes Of Our Times, and," he smiles, "I guess the same is going to happen with Re-Set."<br/><br/>"Nobody's pointing the finger. It's not judging, it's observing," he concludes. "I believe lyrics are very important, but if you haven't got a tune to go with them, you've had it." The man with the unfailing instinct for a great record is re-set and ready for the latest adventure of his unique career.