VIA PRESS RELEASE | Little Steven has opened the doors on his personal archive of recordings to present an in-depth look at his solo career with a brand new boxed set.
RockNRoll Rebel – The Early Work (Wicked Cool/UMe) collects the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s solo work from 1973-1999 – including Artists United Against Apartheid’s landmark 1985 LP, Sun City – together with 51 bonus tracks spanning previously unreleased demos, B-sides, rehearsals, outtakes, classic concert performances, and a number of never-before-heard Steven Van Zandt compositions. Little Steven’s RockNRoll Rebel – The Early Work will be available exclusively via the online store uDiscover Music beginning December 6; pre–orders are available now.
“It’s been a blast going through the archives and finding all these hidden gems,” says Van Zandt. “In addition to demos in various stages of completion, there are entire songs I’d completely forgotten about, and we found some really early things pre-Jukes like Southside Johnny and the Kid (the kid being me!). I’m excited to have my stuff back on vinyl for the first time in decades!”
Limited to just 1,000 copies, the bespoke slipcase multi-format boxed set includes remastered editions of five long-out-of-print classic albums – Men Without Women (1982), Voice Of America (1983), Sun City (1985), Freedom – No Compromise (1987), Revolution (1989) and the vinyl debut of Born Again Savage (1999) – across seven-colored vinyl LPs alongside four CDs of rarities and bonus tracks. This also marks the first time Revolution will be released on vinyl in the U.S., having previously only been released in Europe. The set includes liner notes about each of the 51 bonus tracks.
Digital Deluxe Editions of all six albums, complete with corresponding bonus tracks, will be available for download in the weeks leading up to the boxed set’s official release kicking off today with Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul’s 1982 debut album, Men Without Women, joined by 10 exclusive bonus tracks available now. Both RockNRoll Rebel – The Early Work and the Digital Deluxe Edition of Men Without Women include long-lost tracks from what Van Zandt calls the “soundtrack to an unmade film,” including previously unreleased alternate versions of album favorites, “Angel Eyes,” “Forever,” and “Until The Good Is Gone.” In conjunction with RockNRoll Rebel, a limited edition standalone 144-page, 12” x 12” companion book will be released featuring Van Zandt’s in-depth liner notes and memories and stories about the making of each album, lyrics to every song and hundreds of never-before-seen photos. It will be available for preorder soon.
Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul made their spectacular debut with 1982’s Men Without Women, highlighted by a pair of rock radio favorites in the opening “Lyin’ In A Bed Of Fire” and “Forever,” the latter of which spent nine weeks on Billboard’s “Hot 100” while also receiving heavy rotation at the newly launched MTV. Van Zandt and the Disciples of Soul celebrated Men Without Women with sold out live dates including a legendary performance at NYC’s famed Peppermint Lounge that saw electrifying renditions of the album’s “Save Me” and “This Time It’s For Real” (written by Van Zandt and made famous by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes), both included on RockNRoll Rebel – The Early Work.
RockNRoll Rebel – The Early Work – which arrives hot on the heels of Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul’s acclaimed latest album, Summer of Sorcery (Wicked Cool/UMe) – features appearances from an assortment of friends, collaborators, and special guests, including Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny, Rubén Blades, Miles Davis, Gary U.S. Bonds, Dino Danelli, and members of both the E Street Band and the Asbury Jukes.
To coincide with the release of RockNRoll Rebel, Van Zandt will be making select videos from his early career available on his official YouTube channel for the first time as well as offering up a ton of other visuals from the era. Fans can subscribe to the channel to be notified when videos are posted.
Following two years of nearly constant touring, totaling more than 150 shows across North America, Europe, and Australia, Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul will close the year with two triumphant final shows at the Chevalier Theatre in Boston on November 2nd followed by a homecoming performance at New York’s Beacon Theatre on November 6th.
