Avantasia – Here Be Dragons (Vinyl LP)

Here Be Dragons is a funk album by Avantasia on Napalm. This is the vinyl edition. This edition was released on February 28, 2025.

Digitally remastered and expanded two CD edition. Contains a bonus disc featuring 13 previously unissued demos from the band. After forming The Left Banke, Montage, and Stories, the world became familiar with the brilliant songwriting of Michael Brown. Post-Left Banke, Brown was introduced to singer Scott Trusty by a mutual friend. They collaborated on a Trusty solo single in 1970 just before Brown formed Stories. Reconnecting with Trusty a few years later, Scott introduced Michael to a few Kansas City musician friends who had just relocated to New York - Jimmy McAllister and Gary Hodgden (soon to be rechristened as Gary West) - and the new collective quickly began writing and recording songs in a loft space. Known as "Brown's Band," the demos soon found their way to Seymour Stein, and The Beckies (renamed after West's wife) had a home. Sadly, as happens, the lack of live performances and promotions saw their debut sink without a trace, but those who heard it loved the power pop and lush Brown and Hodgdon compositions. A bit of a holy grail for those in the know, the album found folks scouring the used bins for a copy of The Beckies. Now, nearly 40 years after it's original release, the original album (and more!) returns on Good To Know: The Beckies Story. The original 11-track album appears on the first disc, while the second contains 13 previously unissued songs from those original demo sessions - displaying the band's dynamics in a way the way their eventual album sometimes hinted at. Remastered by Grammy-winning engineer Michael Graves, Good To Know: The Beckies Story also contains new liner notes from set co-Producer Daniel Coston, featuring interviews with remaining band members telling the story of The Beckies and their post-Beckies journeys. Good to know, indeed.