Record Reviews

ARTWOODS ~ ART GALLERY (EXPANDED EDITION) REPERTOIRE 5134 (Barcode: 4009910513422) ~ UK ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1966 Released: 2009 ArtwoodsFind albums by this artist were one of the greatest British Blues / Rhythm And Blues bands from the mid-1960s, which unfortunately never achieved the success it truly deserved. Led by singer Arthur WoodFind albums by this artist (or "Art" and hence the band´s name) the band also included keyboardist Jon LordFind albums by this artist (future founding member of Deep PurpleFind albums by this artist) and drummer Keef HartleyFind albums by this artist, guitarist Derek GriffithsFind albums by this artist and bassist Malcolm PoolFind albums by this artist. All these players, despite their tender age at the time, were excellent musicians already, which can be heard here. Due to quite strong Jazz influence, this music can be considered as early Jazz-Rock to some extent, similar to the material recorded by the Graham Bond OrganizationFind albums by this artist. The band managed to record only one album, one EP and several singles; all of their recordings are collected here for our pleasure. Definitely a classic, worth investigating!

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted:

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

DOG SOLDIER ~ DOG SOLDIER ESOTERIC 2252 (Barcode: 5013929735224) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1974 Released: 2011 Only album by the short-lived UK Prog group Dog SoldierFind albums by this artist, which was formed by drummer Keef HartleyFind albums by this artist with guitarist Miller AndersonFind albums by this artist, guitarist Derek GriffithsFind albums by this artist, bassist Paul BlissFind albums by this artist and keyboardist Mel SimpsonFind albums by this artist. Hartley and Anderson played together in the Keef Hartley BandFind albums by this artist of course and Hartley and Griffiths go back as far as the ArtwoodsFind albums by this artist. Together they played some excellent music, mixing Hard Rock and Prog elements, as appropriate for the period. The album is a little known gem, which only a few dedicated collectors ever knew about, but now with this long-overdue reissue it will surely be of interest to many new fans. Highly recommended!

CD 1 Oversampling Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

JON LORD / HOOCHIE COOCHIE MEN ~ DANGER WHITE MEN DANCING EDEL 4029758846285 (Barcode: 4029758846285) ~ GERMANY ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 2007 Released: 2007 Known to the world as the founder of the seminal Rock / Prog group Deep PurpleFind albums by this artist and later as a wonderful contemporary Classical Music activist, organist / composer / bandleader Jon LordFind albums by this artist is less known for his great love of the Blues idiom. This is the second album he recorded with the Australian Blues-Rock power trio The Hoochie Coochie MenFind albums by this artist, which comprises of bassist Bob DaisleyFind albums by this artist, guitarist Tim GazeFind albums by this artist and drummer Rob GrosserFind albums by this artist. Three guest vocalist: Ian GillanFind albums by this artist, Jeff DuffFind albums by this artist and Jimmy BarnesFind albums by this artist sing on two tracks each and the rest of the vocals is by Gaze. The album presents thirteen tracks, mostly composed or co-composed by the trio members (and Lord in one case), but a couple of classic Willie DixonFind albums by this artist songs are also included, as well as one Rolling StonesFind albums by this artist and one Don NixFind albums by this artist numbers. A bonus DVD adds a documentary and three tracks recorded live. The music is absolutely stunning from start to finish and for Blues-Rock enthusiasts is nothing short of heaven on earth. The trio plays superbly, Lord provides sublime organ and piano parts and the guest singers do their job perfectly, which combined with the excellent songs offers a brilliant listening experience. Of course music lovers familiar with Lord’s recording career are aware of the Blues influence in his music and way of playing from day, even before he joined The ArtwoodsFind albums by this artist, but somehow this direct connection with the Blues idiom had to wait until Lord’s career was nearing its end. Sadly, no more cooperation with the Australian trio was recorded before Lord’s passing in 2012, but the two albums they made together are absolute classics and are worth their weight in gold. Essential stuff!

Updated: 24/02/2021Posted: 24/02/2021

CD+DVD 2 Digipak Essential Recommend To A Friend