Southside Johnny

Sony Music blew it ages ago with the Southside Johnny catalog -- apart from one moderately satisfying compilation, the contents of the group's original three albums have been lying there, mastered for CD nearly 20 years ago and neglected since 1980-whatever; of course, they've also ignored the upgrade of most of the Bruce Springsteen catalog, so why should they do better by anyone lower on the priority list? But in late 2003, Sony licensed the group's first two albums to England's BGO Records, which has paired them up on one CD in a sparkling new digital transfer with the richest sound those records have ever enjoyed -- Southside Johnny Lyon's voice has the richness, the horns have the serious bite, the drums and bass the depth, and the whole disc the detail that was missing from the old Columbia/Sony CDs. Additionally, the disc comes with an excellent essay by John Tobler that gives a detailed account -- albeit from a British perspective -- of Lyon's life, career, and recording history. This release is the best thing to happen to his music since he recorded it, and is an essential part of any fan's library. One hopes that its release is a harbinger of good things to come for the follow-up album, Hearts of Stone (but what can they pair up with it, except maybe the live promotional mini-LP by which Columbia introduced them?), and maybe for their Mercury catalog as well. The idea of finally hearing the voice that you know is on those masters on "Next to You" in all of its power, or on "Talk to Me" (and hearing those romping horns and Max Weinberg drumming like he sprouted extra arms), is something to look forward to. (And ain't it a wonderfully, supremely screwy reality we live in when Southside Johnny Lyon gets the upgrade/audiophile remastering treatment ahead of Bruce Springsteen and most of Bob Dylan's catalog?) ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide