Record Reviews

BOOKER T. & THE MG`S ~ ORIGINAL ALBUM SERIES RHINO 081227972547 (Barcode: 081227972547) ~ USA ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1962 - 1968 Released: 2012 This Box Set collects five early albums by American instrumental quartet Booker T. & The MG`sFind albums by this artist, which originally consisted of keyboardist Booker T. JonesFind albums by this artist, guitarist Steve CropperFind albums by this artist, bassist Lewie SteinbergFind albums by this artist and drummer Al Jackson, Jr.Find albums by this artist In 1965 Steinberg was replaced by Donald DunnFind albums by this artist and that lineup lasted until Jackson´s death in 1975. The quartet was the house band for StaxFind albums on this label Records and as such appeared on countless classic Soul albums in the 1960s and 1970s. In parallel they released instrumental albums as a quartet, which combined Funk, Soul, Rhythm And Blues and early Jazz-Rock Fusion. The albums included here are their first five studio recordings (except for a Xmas album) released originally between 1962 and 1968. The music includes some original compositions by the group members, but mostly covers of (then) contemporary Pop / Soul material, skillfully arranged by the group, with some absolutely classic riffs and moves, which are sadly rarely heard today. The cheesy organ sound of the first albums is so ridiculous, that it is a beauty of its own and a trademark of the time. Some fifty years after this music was recorded it is still a great fun to listen to, notwithstanding the guilty nostalgic feeling of times long gone. The group was so tight and professional that anything they played sounded smooth and funky, making you stand up and dance. These are immortal qualities, which keep this music alive and kicking. For young listeners and musicians this is a superb example of what great music is made off, and therefore a valuable lesson to be learned by all. As these albums clearly show, very limited resources, simple straightforward arrangements and a lot of talent are enough to create great music. Highly recommended! Side Note The "Original Album SeriesFind albums with this title" by Warner Bros.Find albums on this label, the "Original Album ClassicsFind albums with this title" by SonyFind albums on this label, the "5 Original AlbumsFind albums with this title" by UniversalFind albums on this label, the Box Sets by RhinoFind albums on this label and other similar releases are an archetypal example of how good intentions turn sour. Although these new editions often bring back to life some of the best music ever made on this planet, which in many cases has been lost in the tides of time and was unavailable on the market for ages, they suffer from an unforgivable disregard for the essence of cultural values and general sloppiness, contrary to human decency, which requires as to treat our Cultural Legacy with respect and loyalty. The Box Sets produced under these monikers have no discographical information whatsoever about the lineups, musician names, composers, lyricists, dates and places of recording, original release data and even basic copyright data (the last is strictly illegal BTW). Although the original LP sleeves are reproduced, they are often edited and information (which would be in most cases too small to be readable) is removed. Most importantly these Box Sets don't include any booklet offering a historical background and perspective about the Artists and the Music, which are extremely important and vital to the preservation of our Culture and passing the knowledge to the next generations. In short the fact that these Box Sets are meant to be inexpensive, does not mean that they have to be cheap. Considering the fact how many times this music has been sold over and over again by the labels, this is a crying shame!

Updated: 05/04/2024Posted:

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CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG ~ LOOKING FORWARD REPRISE 093624743620 (Barcode: 093624743620) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1997 - 1999 Released: 1999 This is the third (and so far the last) studio album by the iconic Classic Rock group Crosby, Stills, Nash & YoungFind albums by this artist. The album was initially planned as the next Crosby, Stills & NashFind albums by this artist album, but at a later stage Young joined the trio and contributed his playing and material to turn this into a bona fide quartet album. The four singers / songwriters are supported by keyboardist Michael FinniganFind albums by this artist, bassist Donald DunnFind albums by this artist, drummer Joe VitaleFind albums by this artist, percussionist Joe LalaFind albums by this artist and several other guests. The album presents twelve songs, recorded over a period of almost three years between 1997 and 1999, all bar one written or co-written by the group members, with David CrosbyFind albums by this artist contributing two songs, Stephen StillsFind albums by this artist three songs, Graham NashFind albums by this artist two songs and Neil YoungFind albums by this artist four songs. The last song was written by guitarist Denny SarokinFind albums by this artist, who also plays on the album. Personal conflicts, ego wars and genuine problems prevented Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young from fulfilling their tremendous potential and the fact that they managed to record only three studio albums is a travesty. "Looking Forward" sadly did not become prophetic as far as the quartet was concerned, although they did play several tours as a quartet in the years that followed. If any other group wrote and recorded these twelve songs they would have been considered as excellent, but sadly in comparison to their glorious past these songs, which also suffered from the uneven production, sound somewhat pale and underachieved, which gave both the critics and even the faithful fans plenty of opportunity to bitch bitterly, although it performed better in the charts than its predecessor "American DreamFind albums with this title". To be fair, in retrospect the album is not that bad at all, surely not in comparison to what passes as music these days. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young did not loose their ability to compose superb melodies, write meaningful lyrics and sing sublime vocal harmonies, which can all be found on this album. The album sounds quite nice and surprisingly stands the test of time relatively well, especially so the David Crosby and Graham Nash songs, which are up to par with their usual classics. Overall this is perhaps not the greatest recording by these iconic musicians, but definitely an album worth to be remembered and re-visited periodically, making sure it is not forgotten.

Updated: 02/02/2019Posted: 02/02/2019

CD 1 HDCD Recommend To A Friend