Simon RushworthChristmas is coming early for classic rock fans with a slew of legendary concerts set for a colourful vinyl reboot.
Stadium behemoths Kiss, Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, Rainbow and Mötley Crüe are the epitome of live music at its entertaining best.
And five landmark concerts featuring a quintet of multi-million selling bands are set to be top of every rock fan’s festive wishlist this year.
Eagle Rock has revealed new vinyl versions of Aerosmith Rocks Donington, Mötley Crüe’s The End Live In Los Angeles and Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow Memories In Rock will hit stores on November 20.
And snazzy reboots of Sabbath’s The End and Kiss Rocks Vegas will follow on December 11.
Aerosmith Rocks Donington (reissued on triple violet vinyl) captures the legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Famers delivering a scorching career-spanning show at the famed Download Festival in June 2014.
Supercharged versions of Love In An Elevator, Janie’s Got A Gun, I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing, Dude (Looks Like A Lady), Walk This Way, Dream On, Sweet Emotion, Toys In The Attic, Mama Kin and many more pace a legendary set.
The Rushonrock review of a classic gig read: “Four years on from their last Castle Donington stint that perfectly professional yet perfunctory set was utterly overshadowed by a show screaming authenticity, improvisation, instinct and invincibility.
“Whatever differences Steven Tyler and Joe Perry may have had since 2010 were left in the dressing room as the duo rekindled Aerosmith’s glory days and rediscovered their love for live music.”
We were also there to deliver our verdict on the UK leg of Crüe’s The End tour – supposedly the final run of shows by the bad boys of sleaze rock.
And we reported: “Those familiar with Crüe and their four-decade stay at hard rock’s top table didn’t expect a band strong on style but short on substance to arrive on Tyneside transformed.
“Nobody turned up dreaming of a faultless, note perfect, ultra-professional take on an occasionally ropey back catalogue rooted in 80s sleaze.
“This was supposed to be a supercharged send-off, a fun farewell and a grandiose party built on daft choruses and even dafter posturing.
“In that respect it ticked all of the boxes and more.”
The Eagle Rock reissue of the Crüe’s LA sign-off at the end of the same tour is pressed on sun yellow transparent vinyl and captures the madness and the majesty of what was then considered to be the band’s final live performance.
A party-starting tracklisting includes Girls, Girls, Girls, Dr Feelgood, Looks That Kill, Smokin’ In The Boys Room, Saints Of Los Angeles, Home Sweet Home, Live Wire and Primal Scream.
Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow completes November’s vinyl treats – the timeless axeman revisiting his glory years in 2016 across two sold-out German shows.
Released on dark green vinyl, Memories In Rock’s peerless setlist is every classic rock fan’s dream as Rainbow standards jostle for position with Deep Purple hits.
Look out for stellar versions of Catch The Rainbow, Mistreated, Since You Been Gone, Black Night, Spotlight Kid, Smoke On The Water, Stargazer and Perfect Strangers.
December’s highlights feature rock and metal royalty in the shape of Black Sabbath and Kiss.
Sabbath’s The End is reissued on blue vinyl and stands the test of time as a fitting record of the band’s final hometown show in Birmingham in February 2017.
Iron Man, Paranoid, War Pigs and many more provide a fitting footnote to the career of the incomparable heavy metal pioneers.
Kiss Rocks Vegas was filmed in the midst of their 40th Anniversary World Tour, during the band’s residency at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in November 2014.
We caught the band five months earlier as they set the seal on Download and our review stated: “Ultimately this show will be remembered for a thunderous version of set opener Detroit Rock City, a devilish rendition of Deuce, a deliciously sleazy take on Calling Dr Love and a no-holds-barred final salvo in the shape of Rock And Roll All Nite.
“According to Gene Simmons ‘rock is dead’ but the monstrous bass player did everything in his power to disprove that ridiculous theory as the curtain came down on another diverse and compelling Download.”
Kiss Rocks Vegas will be available on double yellow vinyl.
The Aerosmith, Mötley Crüe and Kiss vinyls are packaged with a DVD.
Pre-order Aerosmith Rocks Donington here
Pre-order Mötley Crüe’s The End Live In Los Angeles here
Pre-order Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow Memories In Rock here
Pre-order Black Sabbath’s The End here
Pre-order Kiss Rocks Vegas here