Gone Digital: Bel Canto, Alesha Dixon, The Norman Haines Band, July, and Punishment of Luxury
If it’s Tuesday, then it must be time for Gone Digital, our weekly look at five albums which may not even realize are part of Rhino’s digital catalog. As ever, the types of music we’ll be covering will be all over the place, but that’s Rhino for you: we’re all about variety!
• Bel Canto, MAGIC BOX (1996): The fourth album by this Norwegian band, MAGIC BOX was partially self-produced by Bel Canto themselves, but of the other three individuals twiddling the knobs for the LP, one name stands out in particular, and that’s Jah Wobble, late of Public Image Ltd. If a former PiL member seems like an odd choice to work with these guys, well, we hate to break it to you, but his efforts turned out to be top-notch.
• Alesha Dixon, THE BOY DOES NOTHING (2020): A former member of the UK girl group Mis-Teeq, Dixon made her solo debut in 2006 with her single “Lipstick,” but it so spectacularly failed to make an impact that she was dropped by Polydor Records. Fortunately, she got a second chance from Warner UK, resulting in her 2008 album THE ALESHA SHOW hitting #11 in the UK. While Dixon’s success has yet to cross the pond, this compilation provides a nice sampling of her work for anyone who’s interested in playing catch-up.
• The Norman Haines Band, DEN OF INIQUITY (1971): Once a member of the British band Locomotive, Haines’ brief foray into a solo career was one that sounds utterly different than you’d probably expect from its title and its cover art. An organ-driven affair, this is an LP that’s filled with a little bit of rock, pop, and prog, with the tune “Daffodil” being a notable highlight.
• July, JULY: EXPANDED EDITION (1968): This British psychedelic band only existed for about two years, disbanding the year after releasing their self-titled debut, but among fans of UK psychedelia, it’s often held up as one of the best in the genre, with a surprising number of individuals daring to suggest that it’s right up there with Syd Barrett’s work with Pink Floyd. We, on the other hand, suggest that you give it a listen yourself and decide if they’re right. (We will say, though, that it’s a pretty darned solid album.)
• Punishment of Luxury, LIVE AT THE NASHVILLE 1979 (2020): These post-punkers really only lasted for a single album – 1979’s LAUGHING ACADEMY – under this name and lineup, owing to their label (United Artists) being absorbed by EMI, who dropped the band while they were in the midst of recording their sophomore effort. As if that indignity wasn’t enough, lead singer Brian Bond bailed out not long after, and while the band soldiered on under a new name (Punilux) with a new member (Tim Magneta), it wasn’t the same. That said, this live album gives you an idea what the original band was liked in their heyday.
