Rhino High Fidelity (Rhino Hi-Fi) cranks up the volume again on its series of acclaimed limited-edition, high-end vinyl reissues by revitalizing and re-energizing two more rock classics!
New Rhino Hi-Fi versions of Television’s pivotal sophomore LP Adventure and Faces’ fourth full-length album, Ooh La La, will be available today, exclusively at Rhino.com and internationally at select WMG stores. Each release is limited to only 5,000 individually numbered copies priced at $39.98. Order HERE.
New York art-rock pioneers Television boldly progressed on their second album, Adventure. This time around, frontman Tom Verlaine co-produced the record alongside John Jansen. Upon release in April 1978, the band’s uncompromising vision incited widespread critical applause. It served as their last release for 14 years. In retrospect, Pitchfork praised how “the music is quieter and more reflective.”
Jansen wrote new liner notes for the High Fidelity Release of Adventure. Recalling the 1977 sessions in vivid detail, he shares stories of working with the musicians in Record Plant and witnessing the songs take shape. He highlights how “The band, having had the experience of recording the first album, were more adventurous this time around—Tom Verlaine especially.” He also applauds their willingness to push boundaries, “Straying from a format that works for the band could be dangerous. This was not a concern for Television.” Spotlighting the sonic progression, he notes, “The three songs that make up Side Two of the album are quite different from anything one would have considered part of the punk musical ethos at the time.”
Faces reached another creative high watermark with Ooh La La. Dropping March 1973 and produced by Glyn Johns at Olympic Studios in London, it would be the final proper album recorded by the powerhouse lineup of Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, Ian McLagan, Ronnie Lane, and Kenney Jones. After bowing at #1 on the UK Albums Chart, its influence has only grown over the years. The title track “Ooh La La” famously soundtracked the end of the Wes Anderson classic Rushmore, while “Glad and Sorry” appeared in Blow. Looking back on the record, American Songwriter raved, “To their credit, Faces rose to the occasion at just the right time with their strongest set of songs.”
The liner notes for Ooh La La boast a highly rare and utterly fascinating conversation between Glyn Johns and Kenney Jones, including commentary by reissue producer Rob Caiger. Their discussion spans everything from how Johns recorded the drummer with just “one overhead mic plus one on the side” to the incredible musical union at the heart of the group, as the producer proclaims, “The thing about the Faces was they were a band! There was no leader. They were all equal.” Most importantly, they paint the picture of “an incredibly good time had by all” during the creation of this LP.