On The Shelves: US Album Releases, October 30, 2012 - Neil Young, Black Country Communion, Toby Keith, Meek Mill, Rod Stewart, Katherine Jenkins
It's going to be a tough fight to knock Taylor Swift from the top of this week's chart and looking at this week's major contenders, it seems unlikely that any of them have the commercial punch to do it. As major labels hold some of their big releases back for the Christmas rush, others will be kept back until 2013, so they don't get swamped by a barrage of festive compilations and greatest hits releases.
Neil Young releases his 35th studio album this week. Psychedelic Pill was written and recorded in collaboration with his sometime band, Crazy Horse, marking their first album of original material since Greendale in 2003. As with many of Young's latter-day releases, the quality is less than consistent, though most reviews have erred in favour of the experienced rocker and Metacritic have given it a highly respectable collated score of 82.
Black Country Communion - the super-group featuring Joe Bonamassa, Glenn Hughes, Jason Bonham and Derek Sherinian release their third album, Afterglow, this week. There have been rumours bounding around that Black Country Communion were on the verge of splitting but, with an album to promote and, that doesn't seem likely just yet. The album's been well received in the world of rock, metal and blues publications; the lure of Bonamassa may well be enough to create some mainstream appeal for Afterglow, as well.
Continue reading: On The Shelves: US Album Releases, October 30, 2012 - Neil Young, Black Country Communion, Toby Keith, Meek Mill, Rod Stewart, Katherine Jenkins