By John M. James

A number of benefit projects supporting the victims of the Sept. 11 tragedy are in stores now or coming soon. With an estimated 16 million viewers when it originally aired, the recent "Concert for New York City" is being fast-tracked into production by the Columbia Records label. Look for it to hit store shelves at the end of this month. Paul McCartney is also releasing a separate 7-inch and CD single of the song he wrote for the concert, "Freedom," with additional tracks and mixes on the British EMI imprint. Stone Temple Pilots are delivering a benefit single at month's end of a studio recording of the Beatles' "Revolution," first performed by the band on the Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music concert and TNT broadcast. All proceeds will benefit the Twin Towers Fund, and the enhanced CD single also promises behind-the-scenes video footage of the recording session. The independent Fresh Tracks label is stepping up to the plate for the United Way and the September 11th Fund with their just released Bands for America collection. The 17-track CD features new tracks from O.A.R., The String Cheese Incident, Sonia Dada, Garrett Dutton of G. Love & Special Sauce and one of my favorite new bands, The Booda Velvets. My vote for the most soul-stirring of all these patriotic-themed releases is due next month, as the Columbia Legacy label is reissuing two stand-up-and-salute classics from a truly native son ­ Johnny Cash. The label is reissuing his intimate America album from 1972 and Ragged Old Flag from 1974. Both albums feature Cash in solo spoken word and song. ... This month Capitol Records is releasing Echoes, a two-CD "best of" from Pink Floyd. Also available on vinyl, the visual package reunites the original members with art director and album cover designer Storm Thorgerson, touching on delicate visual icons from the band's bountiful history. The cover art and booklet, under Thorgerson's command, is tastily conceived with full lyrics and a series of new conceptualized photographs that riffs on elements from all their previous album covers. The newly remastered set features 26 tracks ­ over two hours and 20 minutes ­ mixed together in a creative, non-chronological order, and woven together as one piece of continuous music. Food for thought: Pink Floyd's seminal classic Dark Side of the Moon sells over 8,000 copies a week in the U.S. and is currently on its 1,278th week on Billboard Magazine's Top 200 album charts. ... The Lo Fidelity Allstars have an interesting guest in their camp on their forthcoming album Don't Be Afraid of Love. Former Afghan Whigs frontman Greg Dulli contributes guitar and vocals to the track "Somebody Wants You" and will be joining the band on select UK dates. Look for the Columbia/Skint release next year.

Releases Coming Tuesday
And like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change... The Alarm - Greatest Hits Live (Beyond) 18-track CD and 24-track DVD recorded on last year's Second Generation tour; Barenaked Ladies - Disc One: Greatest Hits 1992 ­ 2001 (Reprise); Boy George Presents: Lucky For Some (J-Bird/More Protein) first pressings contain a bonus CD of vocal tracks for DJs; Garth Brooks ­ Scarecrow (Capitol) featuring duets with Trisha Yearwood and George Jones; Burn ­ Cleanse (Equal Vision) CD EP and 12-inch single; Common - Water Babies Return To Earth... Just Remember To Breathe (MCA); Cry Baby Cry - Jesus Loves Stacy (Dischord/Skoda) described as "X if they listened to more Beatles than Rockabilly"; The Cure - Greatest Hits (Elektra); DJ Revolution - Big Honky Breaks (Ground Control/Nu Gruv) battlin' turntables debut from host of The World Famous Wake-Up Show; Ghostface Killah - Cuban Linx II: Bullet Proof Wallets (Epic) with guests Method Man, Raekwon, ODB and Carl Thomas; Michael Gira and Dan Matz - What We Did (Young God) new collaboration of the Swans and Windsor For the Derby founders; Green Day - International Superhits (Reprise) featuring two new tracks; Carly Hennessy - Ultimate High (MCA) Dublin native raised in the international theater productions of "Les Miserables"; Jewel - This Way (Atlantic); Kittie ­ Oracle (Artemis) featuring a cover of Pink Floyd's "Run Like Hell"; The Liars Academy - No News Is Good News (Equal Vision); Love - Electrically Speaking: Live In Concert (Almafame) the first album in a new series of Arthur Lee & Love sanctioned releases; Shelby Lynne - Love, Shelby (Island); Bob Marley ­ Exodus (Island) deluxe edition reissue expanded to two CDs featuring a live concert from London in June, 1977; Mary's 9th Cut - Swan Song (Dogprint) Japanese Power Pop; Paul McCartney - Driving Rain (Capitol) featuring the benefit single "From A Lover To a Friend"; Natalie Merchant ­ Motherland (Elektra) produced by T-Bone Burnett; Naughty By Nature - The Rah Rah (TVT); Radiohead - I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings (Capitol) eight-track live EP featuring the previously unreleased "True Love Waits"; Busta Rhymes ­ Genesis (J Records) with guests Madonna, Kid Rock, Mary J. Blige, Dr. Dre and Jill Scott; Sevendust ­ Animosity (TVT); Rob Zombie - The Sinister Urge (Geffen) with guests Ozzy Osbourne, Tommy Lee and DJ Lethal of Limp Bizkit.

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