Musically, “Time To Kill” has more of a driving beat than I’m used to from Color Theory’s material, but I like it. The arrangement, and especially that driving beat, does a great job of capturing the emotions of the song’s speaker. When it comes to the music, I’m hearing an influence from Giorgio Moroder with some hints of New Order at times. You can hear a bit of a late 70’s/early 80’s vibe to the music, yet it still sounds like a modern song thanks to current production techniques. The song has a catchy feel to it, and I’m glad to hear Brian taking a chance and trying something a little different here.

The lyrics for “Time To Kill” are a bit darker than what we normally hear in Brian’s material. The song’s speaker is someone who feels very wronged by someone and are nursing a grudge. As the track progresses, the listener gets to hear some of the ways that the speaker would like to get revenge on this person, and let’s just say that these ideas seem a little extreme. The title “Time To Kill” definitely has two meanings here, as the song starts out with the speaker saying they’ve got free time due to clearing their whole weekend, but then we transition into the ways the speaker imagines they could kill the person they’re upset with. This song could certainly serve as a character study of someone who has some serious anger management issues.

“Time To Kill” continues Brian’s recent trend of releasing songs that appear to deal with various emotional experiences through the eyes of various characters. Of all of the characters that have been focused on at this point, the speaker of this song is the most extreme, which is reflected in both the song’s musical arrangement and its lyrics. If this trend continues, I’d love to see what other characters he comes up with.

If you have any kind of appreciation for synthpop music, then you need to check out Color Theory’s material for yourself, because I think you’ll be surprised by what you find. To learn more about Color Theory’s music and experience it for yourself, check out his  YouTube channel, Bandcamp page, Spotify page, SoundCloud page, or his official website.

(reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman on August 28, 2026)

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Musically, the production has been given a modernized feel, but you can still hear a strong 80’s vibe in the musical arrangement. I think the tempo has been slowed down a little for this reimagined version, but I thought that slowing it down worked well for what the reimagining was going for. One thing that really grabbed me was the extended instrumental near the end of the track because I really liked it. This new instrumental section adds a nice texture to the arrangement. Both Britta and Ellen provide great vocal performances on the track. While neither singer sounds exactly like they did 40 years ago, their matured voices are a perfect fit for the vibe that the music of this reimagining is going for. But I do have to say here that it’s slightly disappointing that Ellen’s vocals have a lot of noticeable effects placed on them.

“Click/Clash” is a great addition to this reimagining project, and I think that Hasbro needs to seriously consider releasing reimagined versions of The Misfits’ songs with Ellen singing the vocals. The fact that a profile has been set up on Spotify for “The Misfits” makes me feel hopeful that this could be within the realm of possibility.

It’s been a little over a year since this reimagining project began, and I’m very happy to see that it’s still going. Being able to hear modernized versions of songs from an 80’s series that remains among my favorite memories from childhood has been a great experience. Let’s keep it going, Hasbro!

(reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman on August 28, 2026)

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Musically, Tina turned this synthpop classic into an atmospheric ballad, and wow, this arrangement is beautiful! Admittedly, I’d never thought of “True Faith” being done as ballad before hearing Tina’s cover, but after listening to this, I thought that this slower vibe actually works really well with the song’s theme and lyrics. And Tina’s vocal performance takes this cover over the top, as her delivery really helps sell the atmosphere and vibe that this musical arrangement is going for.

As for the lyrics, she did make one minor change. For the line, “When I was a very small boy, very small boys talked to me” has been changed to “When I was a very small girl, very small girls talked to me.” I thought this lyrical change worked and that it didn’t disrupt the flow of the lyrics at all.

When I went into this cover of “True Faith,” I have to admit that this wasn’t the direction I expected Tina to take with it, but I wasn’t at all disappointed by this. In fact, I think this atmospheric ballad arrangement was a great take on this classic 80’s song and is ultimately much stronger than any ideas I had about how she would tackle this cover.

I think fans of Tina Arena will appreciate this rendition of New Order’s “True Faith.” I don’t feel quite so confident that New Order fans will enjoy this as much as I did, but I hope they’re at least willing to give this version of the song a chance. This version of “True Faith” might also appeal to listeners who have an appreciation for slower atmospheric music.

(reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman on August 28, 2026)

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I was 26 years old when “No More Drama” was released as a single. At the time, I was hearing an edit of the Thunderpuss Club Anthem mix of the song on KNHC in Seattle, and I really liked it. I also have an appreciation for the original version of the song, although at the time I was more likely to hear the edit of the Thunderpuss remix. The lyrics of the song deal with going through hard times and moving on from pain, and I really like how these topics are handled. To be honest, I think this song is just as poignant now as it was back in 2001 when you look at everything that’s been going on in recent years.

It was interesting to learn that the song’s producers, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, had been intended for Mary J. Blige’s previous album, Mary. However, it was left off of that release when Mary suggested transferring it to her next project. It turned out that “No More Drama” was released as a single a little over a month after the 9/11 attacks in America, which I think helped to make it the right song at the right time. I believe that “No More Drama” is a strong enough song that it easily would have been a hit on its own merits, but the timing of its release might have helped a little. As an American, the immediate aftermath of 9/11 was confusing and frightening, and the vibe of this song managed to capture that.

After “No More Drama,” Mary J. Blige followed up with “Rainy Dayz,” a collaboration with rapper Ja Rule. This single peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. Mary continued having hits on the Billboard Hot 100 throughout the 2000’s. Since 2010, she’s only had two more songs appear on that chart: “Mr. Wrong” in 2011 and “Good Morning Gorgeous” in 2021. Mary J. Blige is still releasing music, and as of this writing, released two singles in 2026: “More Than a Lover” and “Want Love.”

For this post, I’m embedding both the original version of “No More Drama” and the Thunderpuss Club Anthem Mix of the song.

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NOW Yearbook Presents the 60’s – Volume 3: 1965-1966 is part of a series of compilations being released in the United Kingdom by Sony Music / EMI, which feature songs that were hits in the U.K. during the 1960’s. This volume focuses specifically on songs that were hits in 1965 and 1966. However, it should be noted that the songs on this compilation are not presented in chronological order, so you don’t get a smooth listening experience of how the songs of the 60’s progressed over the two years covered by this set.

I wasn’t alive during the 1960’s, but I’ve had exposure to material from the decade over the years and I have an appreciation for it. When I looked at the tracklist for this compilation, I discovered that I was already familiar with more of the songs on here than I had thought. I still found some tracks that were absolutely new to me, and those are the ones that I will be focusing on in this review.

The first song that was new to me on this release was “All Or Nothing” by Small Faces, an act I had never heard of before listening to NOW Yearbook Presents the 60’s – Volume 3: 1965-1966. From what I can see, this song was promoted as a single in the United States but it failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, which likely explains why I’d never heard of either the song or the group before now. Musically, it’s a pop rock track with some hints of psychedelia in its musical arrangement, which accompanies lyrics about a relationship that’s breaking apart. This is actually a pretty good song, but I’m wondering if it just wasn’t quite “pop enough” for the American pop audience of the day to get into it. I liked this, though, and it’s among my favorite new discoveries on this compilation.

While I’ve heard a couple of songs by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich prior to listening to this release, “Hold Tight!” was a new song for me. This appears to be another case where the song was promoted as a single in the United States but failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Sonically, it has a heavy and distorted sound, and from what I know of American pop music of this mid-60’s, it’s a sound that wasn’t making waves on the pop chart. I like the sound of this, although I felt like the vocal performances on here were trying a little too hard to mimic The Beatles at times. It’s a pretty decent song, although I don’t think it’s quite as strong as Small Faces’ “All Or Nothing.”

I’ve been familiar with a bit of material by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, “Going to a Go-Go” is one of the songs that I really don’t know. Which is kind of surprising, since the song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. This uptempo R&B track has an infectious rhythmic riff that you can clap your hands along with. Lyrically, the song invites people from all walks of life to attend a go-go party. I thought this song was really catchy, and it surprises me that as far as I can tell, I’d never heard this song by the act before listening to this compilation. It’s another song that I was glad to discover while listening to NOW Yearbook Presents the 60’s – Volume 3: 1965-1966.

Before getting this compilation, the only song I knew by Shirley Ellis was “The Name Game.” On this release, I finally got to hear her version of “The Clapping Song (Clap Pat Clap Slap),”as I have some familiarity with The Belle Stars’ cover version from 1982. I was surprised to learn that the Shirley Ellis version of the track was a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, as I’d never heard it before now. I have to admit that it’s got a very catchy musical arrangement, and the vocal delivery makes me think of chants you’d hear kids say on the playground. It was nice to finally hear the original version of the song and to hear how it compares with The Belle Stars’ cover.

While I’m quite familiar with Cher’s material from the 1980’s and later, my knowledge of her material prior to the 80’s is nowhere near as strong. NOW Yearbook Presents the 60’s – Volume 3: 1965-1966 includes “All I Really Want to Do,” a song by her that I’d never heard before. This appears to be a cover of a song written and originally recorded by Bob Dylan. I’m not familiar with the original song, so I don’t know how the two versions compare. As I’d never heard this song by Cher before, I assumed it wasn’t much of a hit in the United States. However, it turns out it peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, so I’m kind of baffled as to why I’d never heard Cher’s version of this song before now. I like the sound of this, and it was a great choice for Cher to record because it really highlights her voice. I also think her delivery really sells the lyrics of the song. I’m actually surprised that this wasn’t a bigger hit at the time, because it seems like this should have been able to easily hit the Top 10. “All I Really Want to Do” ranks among my favorite new discoveries on this compilation.

Before listening to this release, I was primarily familiar with The Seekers through the song “Georgy Girl.” Thanks to this compilation, I have now also heard “The Carnival Is Over.” From what I’ve read, this song is based on a Russian folk song from 1883 and adapted with original English lyrics. I love the feel of this song musically, and the vocal harmonies on this track are fantastic. The vocals also sell the lyrics of this song, which is told from the point of view of a speaker who’s saying goodbye at the end of a relationship. If you have an appreciation for folk rock and haven’t heard “The Carnival Is Over” yet, you should check it out. This is another song that I was grateful to discover while listening to NOW Yearbook Presents the 60’s – Volume 3: 1965-1966.

This compilation introduced me to Horst Jankowski’s “A Walk in the Black Forest.” From what I see, this song made it to number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was a number one hit on the U.S. easy listening chart. This easy listening pop instrumental has an uptempo and jaunty feel to its musical arrangement, and it’s actually kind of catchy. The piano is the star of the arrangement, although the strings and percussion are also noticeable and enhance the piano’s sound. I can easily hear how this was a successful song in the United States in the mid-1960’s. To be honest, “A Walk in the Black Forest” is another favorite new discovery I made while listening to this release.

I also heard Ken Dodd’s “Tears” for the first time while listening to NOW Yearbook Presents the 60’s – Volume 3: 1965-1966. I learned from doing some research that Ken’s song is actually a cover of a song from 1930. As far as I can tell, though, this song didn’t chart on the Billboard Hot 100, and from listening to this, I’m not surprised. Sonically, this really wouldn’t have fit in with what was performing well on the pop charts in the United States in the mid-1960’s. It’s not a bad song, but I found that this didn’t grab me as much as a lot of the other new discoveries I made while listening to this compilation.

I also heard The Fortunes’ “You’ve Got Your Troubles” for the first time as I listened to this release. As I did some research on the song, I was surprised to discover that this song peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 at the time it was being promoted as a single. After learning that, I find it a little surprising that I’d never heard this before now. It’s a nice midtempo pop rock track, and I can hear why this was a Top 10 hit. Sonically, this would have fit in quite easily with the material that was performing well at pop radio at the time. The vocals are good on here, and the delivery perfectly complements the music’s vibe while also selling the lyrics. For me, this was another standout on here.

Before listening to this compilation, I had some familiarity with a handful of Sandie Shaw’s songs. “Girl Don’t Come,” which is included here, is a track by her that I’d never heard before. It turns out that even though this was Sandie’s biggest hit in the United States, it only managed to peak at number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100, and this likely explains why I’d never heard it before now. This slow-to-midtempo pop track has a bit of a similar vibe to “(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me,” and Sandie gives a good vocal performance on here. However, I find that overall, “Girl Don’t Come” isn’t quite as strong as the other material I’ve heard by her. It’s not a bad song, but it’s also not a standout.

I heard Chris Farlowe’s “Out Of Time” for the first time when I listened to NOW Yearbook Presents the 60’s – Volume 3: 1965-1966. While doing research on this track, I discovered that it was a cover of a song by the Rolling Stones. I also learned that even though this song had been released as a single in the United States, it only made it onto the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart, which explains why I’d never heard of Chris Farlowe or of this song before now. It’s got a catchy sound, and I love how the strings create a nice texture for the musical arrangement. Chris’ vocal delivery is also good, and it complements the vibe the music is going for. To be honest, I’m surprised that Chris Farlowe’s version of “Out Of Time” didn’t make any real impact on the American pop charts, because from what I’ve heard from this era, I would have thought for sure that this would have been a Top 40 hit. For me, though, this was another standout among the new discoveries I made while listening to this compilation.

I also heard Dionne Warwick’s “Message To Michael” for the first time on here. From what I’ve learned after doing some research, this is a cover of a song originally titled, “Message To Martha.” I was also surprised to learn that this had been a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for Dionne. Lyrically, the song are addressing a bluebird and wanting it to take a message to their sweetheart, who has left to pursue musical stardom in New Orleans. The message they ask the bluebird to take is to ask for their sweetheart to return. Dionne gives a fantastic vocal performance on this, and you believe she means the words that she’s singing. Her delivery also complements the musical arrangement. This is another track that I’m glad to have discovered while listening to this release.

Here’s a breakdown of the artists that appear on NOW Yearbook Presents the 60’s – Volume 3: 1965-1966: Dusty Springfield; The Righteous Brothers; The Walker Brothers; The Beach Boys; The Byrds; The Mamas & The Papas; Sonny & Cher; Sandie Shaw; Tom Jones; The Moody Blues; Manfred Mann; Small Faces; The Kinks; The Animals; Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich; The Spencer Davis Group; The Troggs; The Mindbenders; Jimmy Ruffin; The Temptations; Percy Sledge; Ike & Tina Turner; Four Tops; The Supremes; Martha & The Vandellas; Smokey Robinson & The Miracles; Stevie Wonder; Gloria Jones; Frank Wilson; James Brown; Wilson Pickett; Fontella Bass; Bobby Hebb; Shirley Ellis; The Four Seasons; The McCoys; Elvis Presley; Cher; Marianne Faithfull; The Lovin’ Spoonful; Donovan; The Seekers; Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames; Chris Montez; Andy Williams; Frank Sinatra; Nina Simone; Horst Jankowski; Burt Bacharach; Jackie Trent; Cilla Black; Ken Dodd; Jim Reeves; The Sandpipers; Peter & Gordon; The Everly Brothers; Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders; The Fortunes; The Overlanders; Roger Miller; Roy Orbison; Simon & Garfunkel; Petula Clark; The Toys; The Shangri-Las; The Troggs; Barry McGuire; Bob Dylan; and Dionne Warwick.

If you’re a fan of 60’s music, especially music that was popular in the United Kingdom during this era, then NOW Yearbook Presents the 60’s – Volume 3: 1965-1966 would be a great addition to your music library. There’s a lot of material here that would be familiar to American fans of 60’s pop music, and American listeners would also be exposed to songs from the era that they’ve likely never heard before.

(reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman on August 26, 2026)

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Babyface released his second album, Tender Lover, on July 7, 1989. It would go on to peak at number 14 on the Billboard 200 album chart, thanks to Top 10 hits like “It’s No Crime” and “Whip Appeal.” Tender Lover also went on to win the Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Album, Male in 1990. Babyface also received award nominations for himself or for material on the album: Favorite Soul/R&B New Artist at the 17th American Music Awards, along with a Grammy Nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for “Whip Appeal” and Best R&B Instrumental Performance for “It’s No Crime,” and a nomination for Producer of the Year with L.A. Reid.

My knowledge of Babyface came from hearing his name in conjunction with production credits with some of the songs I was hearing and enjoying on Top 40 radio in the later 1980’s. When I heard “It’s No Crime” on the radio for the first time, I recognized the name and I was intrigued to hear material by a man who I knew as a producer rather than as an artist. While I enjoyed the singles that I heard, I didn’t actually buy a copy of the Tender Lover album until years later. It’s been a long time since I heard this album in its entirety, so I decided to take this opportunity to listen to it again and write this review.

The album opens with “It’s No Crime,” the lead-off single that went on to peak at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. I loved this song the first time I heard it, because it had a catchy musical arrangement and I appreciated how the track’s chorus used crime imagery to convey its message. Even though “It’s No Crime” is a product of its time, the song really doesn’t sound quite as dated as it could have. I think that this is among the standout tracks on this release, and it was a great way to open the album.

Next is the album’s title track, which was released as the second single. The version of the song that was released was actually a remix featuring a rap verse by Bobby Brown, and it ended up peaking at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. Compared with the single version, the original is shorter and has a noticeably different feel sonically. I have to say, though, that I actually enjoy the album version more than the remix that was released for the single. It’s a catchy R&B track as it is, and honestly, I think this version would have worked fine for the single. Babyface’s vocals capture the arrangement’s vibe and sell the lyrics. This is another song that I enjoy listening to on Tender Lover.

This is followed by “Let’s Be Romantic,” a midtempo R&B track. It has a nice sound to it, and it has a rather promising start. But then it takes almost three minutes for the music to go much of anywhere musically. The last minute-and-a-half becomes repetitive due to having the chorus being repeated four times. The track’s runtime is five minutes and one second in length, and I think the song could have been tightened up a little to help make it a little stronger. As it is, “Let’s Be Romantic” is a track on the album that I’m not really going to listen to very much.

“Can’t Stop My Heart” is a mid-to-uptempo R&B track that has a catchy feel to its musical arrangement. While you can hear some elements that sound similar to “It’s No Crime,” you can still tell that this is a completely different song. Lyrically, the track is from the point of a speaker who’s very interested in someone and trying to convey their feelings to the object of their affection. The groove is nice on this one, although there are some parts of Babyface’s vocal delivery on this track that don’t as much for as I would like. “Can’t Stop My Heart” isn’t a bad song, but it’s not among my favorites on Tender Lover.

Next is “My Kinda Girl,” which was released as the fourth and final single from the album. However, there was a different mix that was used for the single release, which sounds noticeably different from the album version. Of the four singles released from Tender Lover, this was the least successful, peaking at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100. I loved the single version of “My Kinda Girl,” and that was what I knew from hearing the song on the radio. When I heard the album version for the first time, I was a little disappointed because it sounded too slow compared to what I was used to. However, the album version has grown on me over time, and I’ve come to enjoy it. I enjoy its celebratory tone, as the lyrics are from the point of view of a speaker who’s grateful for their significant other. This is another song that I like on the album.

This is followed by “Where Will You Go [Prelude],” which is a 39-second instrumental that serves as a bridge between “My Kinda Girl” and the next song on the album. To be honest, some kind of bridge piece was needed here for this sequencing. If this wasn’t here, the transition between “My Kinda Girl” and the next song would have sounded a bit awkward.

“Whip Appeal” was released as the third single from Tender Lover, and it peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s the first real ballad on the album, and it has a “quiet storm” vibe to its arrangement. Admittedly, this song didn’t really grab me when I was teenager in 1990, but it’s one that’s grown on me over the years. Babyface’s vocal performance is such a perfect fit for this musical arrangement, and he really sells the suggestive nature of the lyrics. This is another song that’s a standout on the album.

Next is “Soon as I Get Home,” which is another ballad on Tender Lover. However, unlike “Whip Appeal,” this has a more standard R&B vibe to its musical arrangement. I don’t want to say it sounds generic, but there’s not a whole lot hear to make it stand out from other similar sounding songs of the era. While I appreciate the sentiment that the lyrics are going for, about how the speaker insists they’ll be a faithful and reliable significant other to the object of their affection, some of the examples used are a little irritating. Also, the latter half of the song is redundant lyrically. The song is a little over five minutes in length, and I think this could have been tightened up a little by cutting back on the lyrical repetition at the end. To me, at least, “Soon as I Get Home” is one of the weaker tracks on the album.

This is followed by “Given A Chance,” a slow-to-midtempo R&B track. Musically, the arrangement has a lot of character, and I like how light and airy it can feel. This musical style gives Babyface a great opportunity to showcase his voice, and his performance really captures what the lyrics are going for. While this song’s lyrics may be on the simpler side, as it’s from the point of view of a speaker insisting that they’ll be there for someone they’re interested in and won’t let them down like other lovers have, Babyface still brings an emotional nuance to them through his vocals. In my opinion, “Given A Chance” is among the standout tracks on Tender Lover.

“Sunshine” is the longest track on the album, clocking in at five minutes and 10 seconds.  It’s another R&B ballad, with lyrics from the point of view of a speaker realizing they’ve found the love of their life and the person they want to settle down and spend the rest of their life with. In the chorus, they show their gratefulness for the other person by comparing the feelings they bring into the relationship to the sunshine that brightens the darkness. This really is a nice song, and it’s one that I enjoy listening to on this release.

The album closes with “Where Will You Go,” another song that breaks the five-minute mark. This is also an R&B ballad, but it has a lyrical theme you don’t see as much in this kind of material. In this song, the lyrics are from the point of view of a speaker who admitted they have romantic feelings for a friend, but the other person didn’t want to go the next level. Because of this, the friendship has changed, and the speaker wonders what the friendship would have been like if the romantic feelings had never come to light. Both the musical arrangement and Babyface’s vocal performance capture the confusion that the speaker is feeling, and you believe that he means every word that he’s singing. To me, this is another standout track on this release, and it was the perfect song to end the album on.

After listening to Tender Lover, I found that there were quite a few great individual songs, but that the sequencing of the tracks wasn’t as strong as it could have been. The more uptempo numbers all appear in the first half, while all of the slower songs and ballads made up the second half of the album. Unfortunately, having five slower songs back-to-back bogged down the listening experience in the second half for me. “It’s No Crime” and “Where Will You Go” are in the perfect spots, but I wonder if there could have been a better way to sequence the rest of the album in order to give a little better variety in tempo throughout it.

If you have an interest in late-80’s R&B and haven’t heard Babyface’s Tender Lover album, I’d recommend listening to it at least once. Babyface was one of the major producers in the genre at the time, so if you have an appreciation for the era, then you’ve likely already heard some of his work as a producer. He also has talent as an artist, and the material on Tender Lover is worth checking out.

(reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman on August 25, 2026)

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On June 26, 2026, Metallica released a reissue of their 1997 album, ReLoad. The reissue was released as a single CD, a three CD Deluxe Edition, a two LP release, a cassette release, digital release, and a Super Deluxe Edition. The review focuses on the Super Deluxe edition of this reissue.

In addition to the various CDs and vinyls included in the Super Deluxe Edition, there’s also a 128-page hardcover book that includes photos and stories from this era of Metallica’s history. It also includes extra items (a pack of 13 Rorschach Test cards, poster, sticker, print, plectrums, lyric sheets, 10 guitar picks/bass picks and laminated tour passes). The set also includes a digital download card which allows you to download the content from the LPs included in the box. Honestly, the only item of interest among the extras is the lyric sheets, as this is the only way to get the lyrics for the album’s songs in this release. Outside of that, I really have nothing to say about the merchandise-type content of the set, since I’m more interested in the music portion.

The vinyl breaks down to a two LP remaster of the original vinyl on 180 gram vinyl, a 7” single for “The Memory Remains” (which includes “The Memory Remains” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls [Haven’t Heard It Yet Mix]”), and a triply vinyl for a performance in London, England at Ministry Of Sound ’97. I have not listened to any of the vinyls in the set, because I listened to the digital download versions of this content instead. Because of that, I can’t truly comment on the sound quality of the vinyls included in this box set.

The concert performance on the triple vinyl has a setlist that includes songs from Kill ‘Em All, the self-titled album, Master Of Puppets, ReLoad, Load, and some cover songs. The audio quality for the concert performance is pretty song for a live recording.

After purchasing the Super Deluxe Edition reissue of the Load album last year, we knew that we would also need to purchase the Super Deluxe Edition of ReLoad, as the two albums go together. I only had vague memories of the singles that were released from this album before listening to ReLoad in its entirety for the first time, so I really didn’t have any real expectations going into it. After listening to this album, I found that my favorite songs included on here are: “Fuel,” “The Memory Remains,” “Devil’s Dance,” “Carpe Diem Baby,” “Low Man’s Lyric,” and “Attitude.”

The next four CDs are labeled as “Shadowcast.” I still have no idea what the “Shadowcast” title for these discs is supposed to mean, but the contents of these discs include riffs, demos, vocal ideas, various takes, rough mixes, and other early versions of the songs that appear on ReLoad. It should be noted that since this is archival material that originally hadn’t been intended for commercial release, the sound quality isn’t going to be terribly great for the most part. Of the material included on these four discs, the riffs are things that I’m really not going to go out of my way to listen to. The riffs will likely have a stronger appeal to songwriters and guitar players.

I have to be honest here and say that for the most part, not a lot stood out to me on the “Shadowcast” discs. For me, the main standout among these four discs is the outtake of “The Memory Remains” that focuses on Marianne Faithfull’s vocals. Not only was it kind of neat to hear her vocals isolated from the rest of the track, it was also intriguing to learn that there was more of a spoken word section than the “say yes” and “at least say hello” that appears at the end of “The Memory Remains.” There’s an entire spoken word bit that was recorded, but only those two lines were taken from it for the final track.

Discs Six and Seven of the Super Deluxe Edition of the ReLoad reissue are “Escape From the Studio ’97 (Live At Reading).” All of Disc Six and most of Disc Seven feature a live recording of a performance Metallica did at England’s Reading Festival on August 24, 1997. The tracklist for the performance features songs from Load, Master Of Puppets, the self-titled album, Ride The Lightning, Kill ‘Em All, a couple of B-sides, and a song from ReLoad (“Fuel”). The audio quality of the recordings of this live performance is quite good.

The rest of Disc Seven is labeled as “The Remixes That Should Not Be,” and this portion includes five remixes. There are two for “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” and one each for “Fuel,” “The Unforgiven,” and “Enter Sandman.”

“For Whom the Bell Tolls [The Irony of it All],” which was remixed by DJ Spooky. The remix has a promising start, but by the two-minute point, when the vocals finally start making an appearance, it’s obvious that the vocals aren’t working as well as they could be with the musical arrangement for the mix.

“For Whom the Bell Tolls [Haven’t Heard It Yet Mix]” is the remix that appears on the 7” single that appears in the box set. The mix, which was also remixed by DJ Spooky, sounds very similar to The Irony of it All. However, it doesn’t appear to use as many vocals as the other remix, which in this case, makes this the stronger remix. This is an odd thing for me to say, as I normally want to hear more of the vocals being used in a remix, but in this case, I’m willing to make an exception.

Next is “Fuel [Unreleased Boymerang Viper Mix],” which was remixed by Boymerang. After listening to this remix, I can hear why it was unreleased. Honestly, this mix was pretty dreadful. Very little of the musical elements of the track remained, and only a small percentage of vocals were used. If I had randomly heard this without any context, I wouldn’t have guessed that this was a remix of a Metallica song.

This is followed by “The Unforgiven [Unreleased Whipping Boy Mix],” which is a remix by Greg Brimstone. Musically, there’s some interesting ideas going on, but the mixes focuses more on using vocal snippets instead of all of the vocals. This could have been a much stronger mix if it hadn’t relied so much on vocal snippets for most of its runtime.

The final remix on this disc is “Enter Sandman [Unreleased Overseer Mix],” which was remixed by Overseer. This mix does a great job of bringing a new sound to the song while retaining the spirit of the original and utilizing more of the vocals than any of the other mixes included on this disc. This is easily the strongest of the five remixes, and it’s a shame that it remained unreleased until now.

Discs Eight and Nine are labeled as “Poor Acoustic Me,” which contains acoustic performances from four different appearances.

The first eight tracks on Disc Eight come from the Bridge School Benefit in Mountain View, California on October 19, 1997. The setlist includes acoustic versions of songs from ReLoad, Load, Ride The Lightning, Kill ‘Em All, the self-titled album, and three covers. The audio quality is good for this performance, and it was interesting to hear some of these songs performed with an acoustic arrangement. The standouts to me were “Fade To Black,” “The Four Horsemen,” and “Last Caress.”

The remaining three tracks on this disc come from a performance on Virgin Radio on November 14, 1997. All three of these songs were also performed at the Bridge School Benefit: “Low Man’s Lyric,” “The Four Horsemen,” and “Nothing Else Matters.” The audio quality was also good for these four performances, and the acoustic arrangements here match what was heard for the Bridge School Benefit.

The first four tracks on Disc Nine come from a rehearsal at KSJO Studios on December 17, 1997, while the remaining tracks come from a performance for KSJO on December 18, 1997.

The four tracks we get rehearsal recordings for are “The Four Horsemen,” “Poor Twisted Me,” “Tuesday’s Gone,” and “Last Caress.” As these are rehearsal recordings, the quality isn’t quite as good as the actual performance, but it’s not bad. Sometimes, you also get some chatter, which helps to add some character to these recordings.

As for the actual performance itself, while the majority of the songs already appeared in at least one other performance, there’s one song that’s exclusive here: “Creeping Death.” I have to say, I think this acoustic arrangement for the song is actually pretty cool. The audio quality for this recording of the performance is also quite good.

Discs 10 and 11 are titled, “Poor Australian Me,” and they include a live recording of a concert performed at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia on April 20, 1998. The setlist includes songs from Master Of Puppets, Load, the self-titled album, ReLoad, Ride The Lightning, … And Justice For All, Kill ‘Em All, and one B-side. Three of the songs in the setlist (“Low Man’s Lyric,” “The Four Horsemen,” and “Motorbreath”) are performed with an acoustic arrangement. This performance marks the first time that an acoustic version of “Motorbreath” appears in this set. I thought the acoustic arrangement worked great for this song. When it comes to the audio quality for this concert, it’s pretty good for a live recording.

Discs 12 and 13 are titled, “Poor North American Me,” and they include a live recording of a concert performed at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on July 17, 1998. The setlist includes songs from Master Of Puppets, the self-titled album, ReLoad, Load, … And Justice For All, Ride The Lightning, Kill ‘Em All, as well as some cover songs. Three of the songs (“Low Man’s Lyric,” “The Four Horsemen,” and “Last Caress”) are performed with an acoustic arrangement. The audio quality for this concert recording is pretty decent. While it’s not quite as strong as some of the others, it doesn’t sound horrible.

The final two CDs in the set are titled, “Poor ReTouring Me ’97-’98: The Soundboard Tapes.” The 28 tracks that span these two discs come from various performances on the tour for this era, with only a small handful being multiple recordings from the same show. The audio quality is pretty good on these recordings.

I was glad to hear that for many of the concert recordings, you can hear the audience, so there’s little to no awkward silence during the audience participation sections of the concert. For me, being able to hear the audience helps me to immerse myself in the listening experience.

With the various full live performances included in this set, a lot of the same songs may appear in each one, but there’s still enough changes made to the setlist between each one that it doesn’t sound like you’re listening to the same show over and over again.

There is a total of four DVDs that are included the Super Deluxe Edition reissue of ReLoad. The first is labeled, “Studio Shit + Music Videos + TV Appearances.” The “Studio Shit” portion includes the second parts for “Writing in Lars’ Dungeon” and “Rehearsal at The Plant.” The first part for each appeared on one of the DVDs in the Super Deluxe Edition reissue of Load. Admittedly, I found this to be the most boring part of this DVD.

There are also four music videos include on here: “The Memory Remains,” “The Unforgiven II,” “Fuel,” and “Fuel [Hot Rod Edit].” The Hot Rod Edit of the “Fuel” video removes all footage of the band and only has footage from the hot rod race shown in the original video.

The first TV appearance comes in the form of MTV’s ReLoad, Rehearse, and Request special, which was a special performance by the band as they were rehearsing for the tour to promote ReLoad. It opened with an acoustic set, and then the rest of the performance included some of Metallica’s staples as well as songs requested by the fans who were in attendance at the performance. Overall, this was a decent special.

The remaining television appearances include performances of “The Memory Remains” on Top of the Pops and TFI Friday, and performances of “King Nothing” and “Fuel” on Recovery TV. I was really impressed by the fact that for the two performances of “The Memory Remains,” guest vocalist Marianne Faithfull was included. Of course, it was more impressive for the TFI Friday performance, since that was live rather than a lip-sync.

The second DVD is labeled “Banned In Philly,” which is a recording of an infamous free pop-up concert that Metallica performed in a parking lot in Philadelphia. The title comes from the fact that local officials tried to cancel or block the performance, and the band threatened legal action and performed anyway. This content had previously been released as a bootleg video titled, “Banned In Philly,” and its inclusion on this disc marks its official release.

The third DVD is labeled “Poor East Asian Me,” and from what I seemed to pick up on while watching it, this concert was recorded in South Korea. Unfortunately, this was a case where the audio was recorded in such a way that the audience can hardly be heard. This makes for an awkward viewing experience, especially during the audience participation segments. From the video, you can see that the audience is getting into what’s going on, but you really can’t hear them, and I found that to be a little disconcerting.

The final DVD is labeled “Poor Californian Me,” and it features a concert that doesn’t appear on any of the CDs in the set. A lot of times in sets like this, you’ll have an audio recording of a concert on a CD and then a DVD or Blu-ray will include the accompanying audio. That didn’t happen here, and I don’t mind, because this gives the listener another concert to enjoy.

When it comes to the video quality on the DVDs, I’d have to say that overall, it’s on the decent side.

After going through the Super Deluxe Edition of ReLoad, I’d have to say that it’s on about the same level as the Super Deluxe Edition of the Load album. Considering that these two albums are tied into each other, it makes sense that their Super Deluxe Editions would be rather comparable in what they had to offer.

This Super Deluxe Edition of ReLoad will have the strongest appeal for Metallica’s die-hard fans. Unlike the previous Super Deluxe Edition reissues, an exact number of copies for the Super Deluxe Edition of ReLoad was never announced. As the number of copies went down between the self-titled Super Deluxe Edition and the Load Super Deluxe Edition, I expect that the ReLoad Super Deluxe either held steady at 20,000 to match the Load reissue or went down a little. In any case, if you’re a Metallica fan who’s considered picking this up and haven’t gotten it yet, you might want to track this one down sooner rather than later.

This set could also have an appeal to listeners who like Metallica and also have an appreciation for alternate versions of songs and live recordings, although this could be a very pricey way to pick up alternate versions of these songs. For those listeners, the three CD version (the remastered album, a disc of alternate versions, and a disc of live recordings) might be a better fit. For those who simply want a remastered version of ReLoad, the standalone CD would be best.

(reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman on August 24, 2026)

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I share new music that I’ve discovered during the week on AeschTunes’ social media channels (Bluesky, Mastodon, Tumblr, and YouTube), and each Sunday I post a “New Music Discoveries” post to the AeschTunes website that collects all of the songs that were shared on the socials each week.

This is what I discovered over the past week. Check the songs out and see what you think.

Maren Davidsen recently released “Forehead Kiss.”

This is a gentle piano-driven song with lyrics that tell a story with a speaker that find self-awareness before leaving a relationship. Maren’s soft and understated vocal delivery sells “Forehead Kiss” and its lyrical message.

If the embedded video doesn’t load, click here to view it.

Ellie Goulding recently released “4 Seasons” from her forthcoming album, I Know Too Much.

Musically, this is a gentle pop song with a strong focus on acoustic guitar for its musical arrangement. Ellie’s vocal delivery shows a more vulnerable side, which is a perfect for the music’s vibe.

If the embedded video doesn’t load, click here to view it.

Barenaked Ladies recently released “Careful (For Dee).”

Its musical arrangement features acoustic guitar, mandolin, bass, and percussion. This folksy feel is accompanied by lyrics with a heart-to-heart candor about the passing of time. I feel the vibe of this song and I can relate to it.

If the embedded video doesn’t load, click here to view it.

Swedish House Mafia recently released “Happiness Is So Sad,” a collaboration with Lykke Li.

This is a more laid-back EDM track with an introspective feel to its musical arrangement. Lykke’s vocal performance sounds nearly hypnotic here, which fits the vibe that the music is going for.

If the embedded video doesn’t load, click here to view it.

Ninajirachi recently released “WannaCry,” a collaboration with Porter Robinson.

This is an uptempo and catchy throbbing trance track that’s performed as a duet between the two artists, and these EDM acts sound great together. Apparently, the song’s title comes from a 2017 ransomware attack.

If the embedded video doesn’t load, click here to view it.

Tove Lo recently released “DNH” as a single from her forthcoming album, Estrus.

Musically, this darker-sounding pop track has a bit of a haunting feel to it. The lyrics paint a portrait of a friendship tested by an alcohol-fueled night out, and the vocal delivery really sells the lyrics.

If the embedded video doesn’t load, click here to view it.

Amos & Riot Night have released “Pieces,” which is a collaboration with Grant Trowbridge and Lucy Starr.

This EDM track has an early 2000’s calming trance vibe to it. The lyrics focus on dealing with the aftermath of trauma, and the combo of the music and the lyrics creates an uplifting song.

If the embedded video doesn’t load, click here to view it.

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On February 20, 2026, Moby released his 23rd album, Future Quiet. It was released with a 2-CD pressing, a 2 LP pressing, and as a digital release. This review focuses on the 2-CD release of the album.

Future Quiet has been labeled as an “ambient” album, but after listening through this release, I think it’s more accurate to say it’s more of a release that focuses on minimalist piano with some ambient tracks.

The album opens with a new version of “When It’s Cold I’d Like to Die,” which uses newly recorded vocals by Jacob Lusk instead of the original vocals by Mimi Goese. This was only song on here to be released as a single to promote Future Quiet. To be honest, I found that there was something about Jacob’s vocal style that I felt didn’t quite fit with a song like this. Jacob has a good voice, but the delivery on this song doesn’t sound entirely natural to me. Musically, I think this is a good interpretation of “When It’s Cold I’d Like to Die,” but it probably would have been a little stronger with a different vocalist.

Next is “This Was Never Meant For Us,” a five-minute track that combines piano, strings, and electronic elements to create an ambient-sounding track. Moby provides the vocals on this track, although there’s more of a lo-fi feel to them. His delivery captures the melancholic lyrics while complementing the vibe that the music is going for. To me, this is among the stronger tracks on Future Quiet.

This is followed by “Retreat,” which clocks in at almost seven minutes in length. This is a piano-based song that uses a sample of someone singing the word “home” over and over. When the sample plays, at least before the arrangement becomes fuller, you can clearly hear the crackly sound that makes it sound like the sample was taken from a vinyl source. Some strings enter the mix around a minute-and-a-half in, which adds some texture to the musical arrangement but it doesn’t hide the repetitive nature of the lyrics. I have to be honest here and say that I think this track would have been stronger either if it had been an instrumental or if its runtime was shorter. Lyrics just consisting of one word over and over for the majority of the track’s nearly seven-minute runtime makes this a song that I’m not going to go out of my way to listen to very often.

“Estrella Del Mar,” another track that runs for almost seven minutes, features vocals by Elise Serenelle. The lyrics to this song seem to be in Latin. Musically, this is a slower track that features piano and strings for its arrangement. Elise’s vocal performance is fantastic, and she has an almost operatic feel to her delivery. The combination of the musical and Elise’s vocal performance creates a heavenly-sounding song, and I think this is among the standouts on this album.

Next is “Ruhe,” a German word that means “quiet.” This feels rather appropriate, as this album is titled, Future Quiet. This is an instrumental track that’s just a little over five minutes in length. It’s a piano piece, with an arrangement and sound that gives off a calming vibe. This is a track I could easily hear myself listening to if I need to calm down and try to find some peace.

This is followed by “Mott St. 1992,” a nearly six-minute long instrumental. For its instrumentation, it combines piano, electronics, strings, and percussion to create a more ambient-sounding track. I really like the feel of this piece, and I think making this an ambient track rather than a piano-based song was the right choice. Some of the strings on here make me think of some of the material that Moby released during the Everything Is Wrong era, which would have been during the mid-90’s. With the year 1992 being referenced in the title, including an element from an era of his career that was about 2-3 years later than that seems appropriate. In my opinion, “Mott St. 1992” is another track on the album that grabbed my attention.

“Precious Mind [Quiet Future]” a new version of a song from his last album, Always Centered at Night, ends the first disc of the set. India Carney, the vocalist on the original, was retained for this new rendition. This version adds almost 50 seconds to the runtime of the original song, slows the arrangement down a little, adds some strings, and removes the original percussion. While the original was more of an ambient-leaning track, I think this slower and more stripped down version of the song is just as strong, if not stronger, than the original. To me, this is another standout track on Future Quiet.

The second disc opens with “Tallinn,” an instrumental piece with a runtime of roughly six-and-a-half minutes. It’s a very slow arrangement that relies a lot on lingering piano chords that keep going until they essentially stop before Moby plays another chord. Occasionally, some strings will appear in the mix, but the strings just aren’t quite enough to hide the long and drawn out piano chords. There are occasional times where Moby might play another chord before the previous one ends, but this doesn’t happen very often. To me, this song feels like it’s plodding along, which makes it a bit tedious to listen to. While this is kind of an interesting idea for an arrangement, I think this might have worked a little better if the song was shorter.

Next is “On Air [Quiet Future],” is a new version of another song from the Always Centered at Night album. The vocalist on the original, Serpentwithfeet, returns for this rendition. This new arrangement adds roughly 40 seconds to the original’s runtime, slowing down the arrangement a little while stripping it down to just piano and strings. “On Air” was among my favorite tracks on Always Centered at Night, and I really like how this version turned out. It changes the feel of the song while still capturing the spirit of the original track.

This is followed by “Selene,” an instrumental that’s roughly five-and-a-half minutes in length. This is a simple piano piece, but its simplicity is its strength. Listening to this, I think this is a track where adding strings or any other elements could have potentially weakened the arrangement. This is another track on Future Quiet that has a calming vibe, which I think is another strength for it. In my opinion, “Selene” is among the stronger instrumental tracks on the album.

“Le Vide” is a roughly six-minute-long track with an arrangement that features piano and strings, as well as vocals that are nearly chanting, “O magnum, O magnum, magnum mysterium, mysterium” over and over. As I listen to these vocals, I can’t help but be reminded of some of Enigma’s early material. Moby is definitely trying to capture a “holy” vibe with the song’s music and vocals, but I wish there was a little more to the vocals than what we get. Either that or tightened up the song so it wasn’t so long. There’s not much change to the musical arrangement until the last couple of minutes of the track’s runtime, and the repetitive vocals only help to emphasize how little the music changes for over half of the song. I like the idea he’s going for here, but this is a case where I think less (i.e. a shorter runtime) would have been more.

Next is “Great Absence,” which is the longest track on Future Quiet, clocking in at eight minutes and 33 seconds. This is a simple piano instrumental piece, which is well-played by Moby and sounds good. Unfortunately, with this being sequenced so far down in the tracklist and immediately following a song like “Le Vide,” it makes this track feel longer than it is and created an experience I was feeling a little “bogged down” by the album at this point. I have nothing against “Great Absence,” because it’s a good piece, but I wish it had been sequenced a little sooner on the album.

This is followed by “Mono No Aware,” an almost six-minute-long instrumental. It’s another simple piano piece. It’s a well-played piece of music, but after just going through eight-and-a-half minutes of a piano instrumental and following it up with “Mono No Aware,” there’s a sense of “sameness” to it. This did hamper my enjoyment of this track a little and helped contribute to my sense of feeling ‘bogged down” at this point in the album’s runtime.

The second disc closes with “The Opposite of Fear,” another instrumental that runs for almost eight-and-a-half minutes. However, this is more of an ambient piece, which I normally would have found to be interesting. However, after sitting through the repetitious “Le Vide” and nearly 15 minutes of similar-sounding pieces, “The Opposite of Fear” doesn’t grab me as much as it might have otherwise. If I heard this track on this own outside of this sequencing, I might have enjoyed it more.

After listening to Future Quiet, I can say that I appreciate the idea Moby had going into this, but the execution wasn’t as strong as it could have been. To be honest, I felt that the first disc was stronger than the second. But a piano-based/ambient album like this is what I refer to as a “mood album,” because I would have to be in just the right mood in order to listen to it in its entirety. Future Quiet is an album where I’m more likely to listen to individual tracks than I am to the entire release.

Fans of Moby who have an appreciation for his ambient or ambient-leaning material will likely have the greatest appreciation for Future Quiet. However, I have to be honest and say that there’s likely not going to be much interest for this album outside of Moby’s fanbase. It’s not a bad album, but there’s not much here that’s going to grab the attention of listeners who have no familiarity or appreciation for Moby’s material.

(reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman on August 22, 2026)

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As for Jaki Graham, I only came to know of her through hearing some of her material on the NOW Yearbook compilations that I’ve been reviewing on the site over the past few years. I’ve liked what I’ve heard on those compilations, so I was intrigued to hear her collaborating with Johnny Hates Jazz.

Musically, “Soul Believer” is a catchy mid-to-uptempo track with a musical arrangement that does a great job of capturing a 70’s soul vibe while wrapping a modern sheen around it. The song’s shimmering arrangement grabs the listener and doesn’t let go. This soulful pop track pays homage to early soul in a way that sounds genuine and respects the material and the artists of that era. The vocal performances are fantastic on this song, with Clark Datchler and Jaki Graham’s voices perfectly complementing each other.

The song’s lyrics are almost entirely built around titles of classic soul records spanning between the 1960’s and 1980’s. This was accomplished in a way that sounds natural rather than feeling forced, which allows the lyrics to be among the track’s strengths. From listening to the song, I have to say that there’s at least 20 song titles referenced here, as well as shoutouts to Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin by name.

I really enjoyed “Soul Believer,” and I think fans of both Johnny Hates Jazz and Jaki Graham will appreciate it as well. I think the song could also potentially appeal to listeners who have an appreciation for both pop and soul music who may not have any familiarity with either of the artists.

(reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman on August 21, 2026)

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