Record Reviews

BAD COMPANY ~ ORIGINAL ALBUM SERIES RHINO 081227959241 (Barcode: 081227959241) ~ UK ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 1974 - 1979 Released: 2014 This Box Set collects the first five albums recorded by the British Rock supergroup Bad CompanyFind albums by this artist and released between 1974 and 1979. The group was formed soon after the brilliant FreeFind albums by this artist fell apart and included Free vocalist Paul RodgersFind albums by this artist and drummer Simon KirkeFind albums by this artist as well as Mott The HoopleFind albums by this artist guitarist Mick RalphsFind albums by this artist and King CrimsonFind albums by this artist bassist Boz BurrellFind albums by this artist. This lineup recorded all these five albums. Musically Bad Company was initially a direct continuation of where Free left off, i.e. moving gradually away from Blues and Blues-Rock into straightforward Rock with just a tinge of Blues, which was still present mainly due to Rogers´ incredible voice, which sounds Bluesy whatever he sings. The first two albums are absolute classic and the rest slowly loosen the magic, but in retrospect are way better that anything recorded today. Personally anything that has Paul Rodgers singing on it is fine with me, as he is definitely one of my absolute top vocal favorites, not only because of his superb and unique voice but more importantly due to his wonderful musicality, feel and groove, especially for the Blues but also in the Rock idiom. Alongside Humble PieFind albums by this artist and Spooky ToothFind albums by this artist, Free and Bad Company were the very core of British Blues-Rock, which was absolutely unbeatable by anything else on this planet. Those bands flourished for a brief period of time between late 1960s and mid-1970s, leaving an unsurpassed heritage, which still is a beacon of excellence decades later. For fans of that genre, this Box Set is an absolute must! 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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DELANEY & BONNIE & FRIENDS ~ ON TOUR WITH ERIC CLAPTON (EXPANDED EDITION) RHINO HANDMADE 603497949885 (Barcode: 603497949885) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1969 Released: 2010 This is a reissue of the third album by American singer / songwriter couple Delaney BramlettFind albums by this artist and Bonnie BramlettFind albums by this artist, known as Delaney & BonnieFind albums by this artist and later on as Delaney & Bonnie & FriendsFind albums by this artist. This album, their only live recording and their first release on AtcoFind albums on this label Records, was recorded during the band´s UK tour in December 1969 and released in 1970 as a single LP. This reissue considerably expands the scope of the album offering entire 4 CDs full of music, presenting four entire concerts. The album was recorded by a dream team of top American and British musicians, which included Delaney Bramlett on guitar and vocals. Bonnie Bramlett on vocals, Rita CoolidgeFind albums by this artist on vocals, Eric ClaptonFind albums by this artist on lead guitar and vocals, Dave MasonFind albums by this artist on guitar, George HarrisonFind albums by this artist on guitar, bassist Carl RadleFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Bobby WhitlockFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Bobby KeysFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Jim PriceFind albums by this artist, drummer Jim GordonFind albums by this artist and percussionist Tex JohnsonFind albums by this artist. The album presents original songs, which were penned by the Bramletts, as well as classic Rock And Roll numbers. This album brought Delaney & Bonnie to the center of attention of many listeners, who missed their two earlier albums entirely, most probably due to the fact that if featured Clapton, who of course was a superstar. But the music of Delaney & Bonnie was stylistically very different to what earlier Clapton recordings offered of course and presented an unprecedented mixture of Rhythm And Blues, Soul, Blues and Gospel with Rock and Pop, creating an entire new musical universe. This album turned out to be a huge commercial success, but in retrospect failed to establish Delaney & Bonnie as major artists and their career disintegrated after their divorce in 1973, after they managed to record three more excellent albums. This album belongs to the small and exclusive "club" of the best live Rock albums, which also includes Joe CockerFind albums by this artist´s "Mad Dogs & Englishmen: The Complete Fillmore East ConcertsFind albums with this title", Humble PieFind albums by this artist´s "Performance Rockin` The Fillmore: The Complete RecordingsFind albums with this title", Allman Brothers BandFind albums by this artist´s "The 1971 Fillmore East RecordingsFind albums with this title" and a few others. Luckily for the music connoisseurs all these essential albums have also been released in expanded multi-CD versions, which allow the listener to witness the entire performances from which the original albums were assembled upon their original release. This limited edition lavishly packed Box Set, which is a mock of a road case, includes some of the most vital music Rock And Roll produced at its peak, and is a must have in every comprehensive Rock record collection and an essential piece of music history. The same set in a "fat boy" CD case was reissued by RhinoFind albums on this label Records in 2017, which makes it much affordable than the original, now out of print, release. Essential stuff!

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted: 01/06/2018

CD 4 Digipak Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

FACES ~ 1970-1975: YOU CAN MAKE ME DANCE, SING OR ANYTHING… RHINO 081227954239 (Barcode: 081227954239) ~ UK ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1970 - 1975 Released: 2015 This Box Set collects the four studio albums recorded by the legendary British Rock group FacesFind albums by this artist, remastered and expanded with previously unreleased bonus tracks and also including a fifth CD full of bonus material like B-sides, rarities, etc. Faces were formed in 1969 by members of the iconic Pop / Rock band Small FacesFind albums by this artist, following the departure of their lead singer / vocalist Steve MarriottFind albums by this artist, who left to form the supergroup Humble PieFind albums by this artist. The remaining musicians: keyboardist Ian McLaganFind albums by this artist, bassist Ronnie LaneFind albums by this artist and drummer Kenney JonesFind albums by this artist were joined by guitarist Ronnie WoodFind albums by this artist and vocalist Rod StewartFind albums by this artist, both ex-members of Jeff BeckFind albums by this artist´s group. The new quintet lineup dropped the "Small" part of the group´s name and became Faces, one of the most successful British Rock acts in the first part of the 1970. Faces released four studio albums: the debut "The First StepFind albums with this title" in 1970 (which in the US was released still under the Small Faces moniker), the second album "Long PlayerFind albums with this title" in 1971, the third album "A Nod Is As Good As A Wink…To A Blind HorseFind albums with this title" in 1971 and finally the fourth album "Ooh La LaFind albums with this title" in 1973. An ill-fated live album followed before Faces finally disbanded in 1975. In many respects Faces were the epitome of British Rock. They had everything that a great Rock group needed: superb musicianship, sublime songwriting, charismatic and powerful lead singer, years of experience and tons of talent. All those are apparent while listening to the albums in this Box Set, especially from a retrospective viewpoint. The debut album is still full of the Small Faces idiosyncrasies, but the later albums present a new crystallized identity of a group that has its own voice. The fact that Faces used almost exclusively their own original material is also remarkable. And of course they were paying a tribute to the British Blues, with their music being completely soaked in it. Another strange observation that struck me while listening to these albums is how similar this music is to the music Humble Pie played more or less in parallel. Perhaps Marriott´s departure was indeed premature and Small Faces might have developed into an environment he might have been comfortable with. In any case we can´t turn the wheels of change back and after all we were lucky to enjoy both of these sublime groups. The music in this Box Set is evidence of how great the music of the Golden Decade was, consistently strengthened with every reissue of music recorded at that time. The dichotomy between this music and the travesty we call music that is being produced today is simply devastating. This Box Set is an essential capsule of British Rock history, which should not be missed in any serious music collection. Absolute honey to my ears!

Updated: 29/01/2019Posted:

CD 5 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

PETER FRAMPTON ~ ALL BLUES UNIVERSAL 602577644245 (Barcode: 602577644245) ~ UK ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is the 17th solo album by legendary British guitarist / vocalist / songwriter Peter FramptonFind albums by this artist, recorded with his regular band, which includes keyboardist Rob ArthurFind albums by this artist, guitarist Adam LesterFind albums by this artist, drummer Dan WojciechowskiFind albums by this artist and bassists Glenn WorfFind albums by this artist or David LabruyereFind albums by this artist. Several guest musicians appear on selected tracks. The album presents ten tracks, all Blues classics and obviously Frampton’s favorites. Following almost six decades of music career as member of The HerdFind albums by this artist and Humble PieFind albums by this artist, and a solo artist since 1971, which produced, among others, one of the top live Rock albums of all time, the iconic “Frampton Comes AliveFind albums with this title”, Frampton returns to his youth influences, paying tribute to the Blues. The selection of songs is impeccable and his abilities as a guitarist and vocalist, despite the diagnosed illness, are still absolutely stunning. The Blues was always an essential part of his musical persona, and this album proves why. An interesting choice of including Miles DavisFind albums by this artist’ “All Blues”, as one of the covers and the album’s title, which gests a sensational rendition herein, emphasizes the omnipresence of the Blues in all forms and shapes of music. Overall, this is a wonderful Blues Rock album, with superb guitar work, heartfelt vocals and a tinge of nostalgia, which no Blues fan ignore. Chapeau bas to one of the heroes of my youth, who still kicks ass way more convincingly that anybody half his age, despite the fact that our days are numbered!

Updated: 21/02/2024Posted: 21/02/2024

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

HUMBLE PIE ~ I NEED A STAR IN MY LIFE CLEOPATRA 03172 (Barcode: 889466317224) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1974 - 1976 Released: 2020 This is a reissue / remaster of the “lost” album by one of the greatest British Rock groups of all time, Humble PieFind albums by this artist. This album was rejected by the group’s record label A&MFind albums on this label, but they continued to record for many months, until the group fell apart and the music remained shelved, while they released their swan song album “Street RatsFind albums with this title” in the meantime. The album presents twenty tracks, most being originals written by the group members. In addition to the regular group members: vocalist / guitarist Steve MarriottFind albums by this artist, bassist Greg RidleyFind albums by this artist, guitarist Clem ClempsonFind albums by this artist, drummer Jerry ShirleyFind albums by this artist and keyboardist Tim HinkleyFind albums by this artist, they invited a plethora of guests to take part in this project, including such luminaries like bassist Boz BurrellFind albums by this artist, drummer Ian WallaceFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Mel CollinsFind albums by this artist, guitarist B. J. ColeFind albums by this artist and others. These tracks surfaced in 1990s as “Scrubbers Sessions”, both on bootlegs and eventually on Eagle Records, but are not available anymore and this new reissue offers a good sound quality and nice packaging. Overall, this is a great document, both of the era and one of the greatest British Rock groups ever, which definitely is worth being remembered. Marriott had one of the most distinctive voices of Rock and his premature and tragic death in 1991 robbed the world of his magic forever. A great piece of history!

Updated: 07/10/2022Posted: 07/10/2022

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

SPOOKY TOOTH ~ CEREMONY ESOTERIC 2133 (Barcode: 5013929723320) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1969 Released: 2009 3rd album by the excellent British band Spooky ToothFind albums by this artist and definitely one of the boldest and daring experiments in Rock music not only at the time, but since, when the band decided to cooperate on this project with French Avant-Garde electronic music composer Pierre HenryFind albums by this artist, whose "musique concrete" was at the forefront of contemporary Classical music´s quest for new areas of development. The band´s main composer, vocalist and keyboardist Gary WrightFind albums by this artist wrote six new compositions, which together formed a sort of religious Rock Mass, which the group recorded in UK, shortly after replacing the original bassist Greg RidleyFind albums by this artist (who went to form Humble PieFind albums by this artist) with Andy LeighFind albums by this artist. Considering the group was in top form, following the recording of their excellent second album, the music they recorded is absolutely stunning and the level of musicianship is truly astounding. After the recording was completed, the tape was sent to France, where Henry overdubbed the group´s music with his electronic contributions. The resulting amalgam turned out to be one of the most controversial recordings of the era, tearing the band apart as a result and invoking heated discussions amongst the critics and fans alike. If one might speculate a bit, probably the group´s music released without Henry´s overdubs would have been considered as their greatest achievement, but since that never happened, we might never know. In fact I´m still hoping that such version of the album will be available one day, at least in the form of bonus material. Still, this is definitely an intriguing piece of music, which deserves to be listened to and studied, not only by the band´s hard-core fans but by any music fan with broad horizons.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

SPOOKY TOOTH ~ THE ISLAND YEARS (AN ANTHOLOGY) 1967-1974 ISLAND 602547053114 (Barcode: 602547053114) ~ UK ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1967 - 1974 Released: 2015 This magnificent Box Set collects all the recordings by the seminal British Rock band Spooky ToothFind albums by this artist, perhaps the most underrated of all British bands active at the late 1960s / early 1970s. It includes all seven albums recorded by the various Spooky Tooth lineups for Island records, before they disbanded, as well as the only album by the band Art, which was in fact an early version of Spooky Tooth and finally a previously unreleased live album by the band. Spooky Tooth formed when the four members of Art: vocalist / keyboardist Mike HarrisonFind albums by this artist, guitarist Luther GrosvenorFind albums by this artist, bassist Greg RidleyFind albums by this artist and drummer Mike KellieFind albums by this artist, were joined by the American (resident in UK at the time) vocalist / keyboardist Gary WrightFind albums by this artist, who was also a superb songwriter. The double lead vocals / double keyboards effect created a potent and incredibly spacious sound, which was completely unique among the bands active at a time, and combined with truly outstanding songwriting abilities by the band members simply placed them way at the top of the British scene as far as ambitious and original Rock is concerned. As all British Rock bands at the time, also Spooky Tooth owed a lot to the Blues revival, which swept the Isles a decade earlier. The Blues motifs are clearly evident in their music, but they are more subtle than in similar groups like FreeFind albums by this artist or Ten Years AfterFind albums by this artist. Therefore Spooky Tooth did not enter the Blues-Rock niche per se, as did many of their contemporaries, staying closer to the path set by melodic Hard Rock pioneers. It is obvious that Spooky Tooth paved the way for other British bands, like Humble PieFind albums by this artist, which included Greg Ridley as a founding member when he left Spooky Tooth to join Humble Pie. Spooky Tooth and Humble Pie have many similarities in their musical approach, which is based on solid melodic themes, great riffs, Bluesy vocals and extended instrumental soloing. The set includes the highly controversial album the band recorded with French Avant-Garde electronic music composer Pierre Henry, which is one of very few such experiments. The fact that the group recorded such daring projects and many of their other qualities firmly places Spooky Tooth as proto-Prog pioneers and to say the truth they had more Progressive tendencies than most other Prog groups at the time, although they were never credited and recognized as part of the Prog movement. This beautifully researched and lavishly packaged Box Set is a long overdue tribute to one of the best British Rock bands, including a plethora of bonus tracks, a well written booklet by the producer / researcher Mark PowellFind albums by this artist, who is well known for his love and total dedication to the subject. I can´t imagine a serious music collection without this box being a part of it. Truly essential piece of music history!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 9 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

SPOOKY TOOTH ~ THE LAST PUFF REPERTOIRE 1073 (Barcode: 4009910107324) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1970 Released: 2005 4th album by superb British Rock band Spooky ToothFind albums by this artist, led by vocalist / pianist Mike HarrisonFind albums by this artist, which was the last recording by the original lineup of the band, soon to be disbanded. Following the recording of the band´s previous album, the bold and ground-breaking "CeremonyFind albums with this title", a Rock Mass recorded with French Electronic Music composer Pierre HenryFind albums by this artist, which turned out to be a source of major controversy among the band´s members, the original superb lineup of the band started to break up, with bassist Greg RidleyFind albums by this artist leaving to join another epic British band Humble PieFind albums by this artist and vocalist / organist Gary WrightFind albums by this artist (who was the band´s main songwriter) leaving to start a solo career. Harrison brought aboard three excellent British musicians, who were previously the core of Joe CockerFind albums by this artist´s support band The Grease BandFind albums by this artist: multi-instrumentalist Chris StaintonFind albums by this artist, guitarist Henry McCulloughFind albums by this artist and bassist Alan SpencerFind albums by this artist in order to expand the lineup, and these musicians participated in the recording sessions that resulted in this release. Since there was no resident songwriter aboard, Harrison decided to record a series of arrangements / adaptations of existing Rock repertoire. His choice of material is impeccable and the bands interpretations truly inspired, resulting in an excellent piece of music, different from the original incarnation of Spooky Tooth, but nevertheless highly satisfactory and worth listening to. The overall sound is quite similar to the band´s previous incarnation and any Spooky Tooth fan will find this album most enjoyable. Warmly recommended!

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

YES ~ PROGENY: SEVEN SHOWS FROM SEVENTY-TWO RHINO 081227956417 (Barcode: 081227956417) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1972 Released: 2015 This monstrous Box Set comprises of seven 2CD sets, which present seven concerts recorded between October 31, 1972 and November 20, 1972 during the North American YesFind albums by this artist tour promoting "Close To The EdgeFind albums with this title", their fifth album. The band at the time comprised of vocalist Jon AndersonFind albums by this artist, guitarist Steve HoweFind albums by this artist, bassist Chris SquireFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Rick WakemanFind albums by this artist and the new drummer Alan WhiteFind albums by this artist. These concerts had an almost identical set list, which is of course reflected herein. Some of these recordings were already used in the past to compile the "YessongsFind albums on this label" live album released in 1973 but most are previously unreleased. By the time Yes recorded "Close To The Edge", there was absolutely nothing left of the initial spark of genius that was reflected by their first two albums. They were deeply into overblown and self-centered world, which had almost completely lost touch with reality. Anderson´s "mystical" lyrics were dangerously close to gibberish and his hysteric vocal extravaganzas reflected a state of blurred consciousness. Wakeman´s endless keyboard doodling was pompous and arduous, and the rest of the gang just schlepped along. Yes, things could be a lot worse and indeed they would soon be much worse with the release of the forthcoming albums, but it was already truly "close to the edge". Sarcastically, Yes were crowned as Kings of the Progressive Rock, whereas in fact their music completely stopped to progress (i.e. develop) from their third album on. It simply spiraled deeper and deeper into narcissism and arrogance, producing worthless Rococo trinkets hanging in the air. The melodies became simplistic, the endless instrumental passages became intolerably boring and a chill of emptiness took over. Oddly and completely beyond any reasonable explanation the Yes bandwagon keeps rolling to this very day, with this Box Set being a pinnacle of the theatre of absurd. The sheer audacity of releasing this Box Set is of epic proportions, and reflects the complete detachment between Yes and the real world. Even if God Almighty himself had have called upon Moses to come up the mountain to receive the ten commandments seven times in a row, that would have been considered way overboard. But apparently releasing a box of seven almost identical concerts played within twenty days of each other is fine with some people. Every live music performance is unique, true. But some are more unique than others. Box sets that present a series of live recordings captured in the span of a relatively short time and include repetitions of the same material do exist, but they all are completely justified, as opposed to this Box Set. "The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard RecordingsFind albums with this title" is a four CDs Box Set by John ColtraneFind albums by this artist, presenting concerts played during four days and includes many repeated tunes. It is a singular most important collection of music ever produced on this planet. But Coltrane was God. "The Complete Live At The Plugged Nickel 1965Find albums on this label" is an eight CDs Box Set by the legendary Miles DavisFind albums by this artist second quintet, presenting music played just in two days. Of course there is repetition, but it is pure genius. And of course Miles thought he was God. "Performance Rockin` The Fillmore: The Complete RecordingsFind albums on this label" is a four CDs Box Set by British Rock Supergroup Humble PieFind albums by this artist, presenting four identical sets played in two days (i.e. each song is repeated four times, with just one exception), but they are miles apart from each other. It epitomizes Rock at its absolute peak, which is purely Devilish. I could of course go on and on listing Box Sets, which present extensive live recordings from every possible genre, which are all perfectly justifiable, make perfect sense and include fabulous music. Sadly nothing similar can be said about this Box Set. It symbolizes pure vanity and complete disregard towards the fans of the band, which are repeatedly requested to pay for the same material again and again, honestly offering nothing in return. The sound quality is of course still very much Lo-Fi, in spite of the great efforts made to improve it. Even the Roger Dean graphics, which I usually adore, look pale and weathered. This is cynical BS and if anybody tells you otherwise, you are being bullshited.

Updated: 29/01/2019Posted: 28/12/2015

CD 14 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend