Record Reviews

ALWARI TUOHITORVI / KIRKA & ISLANDERS ~ POP LIISA VOL. 11 & VOL. 12 SVART 018 ~ FINLAND ~ Jazz-Soul Fusion Recorded: 1974 - 1975 Released: 2016 The Finnish group Alwari TuohitorviFind albums by this artist, formed in 1968, went through a major personnel change in 1972 and the new lineup stabilized with lead guitarist Seppo AlajokiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Jukka RautiainenFind albums by this artist and bassist Mika SundqvistFind albums by this artist, all three sharing vocal duties, and drummer Raimo PikanenFind albums by this artist. When their live radio broadcast was captured they were already working on their eponymous debut album, which was released a while later, but none of the songs on that album were featured on the radio show, which presented nine songs covering some of their Prog era material, like the covers of songs by Wishbone AshFind albums by this artist and Beggars OperaFind albums by this artist and other Classic Rock items, as well as one original song by Alajoki. The material clearly marked their musical shift towards conventional Rock, following the general trend on the local Finnish scene, which after the first Progressive Rock wave was over became almost completely Rock dominated. Vocalist KirkaFind albums by this artist (a. k. a. Kirka BabitzinFind albums by this artist) was a successful Finnish artist with a career spanning six decades. He changed styles over the years moving within the Pop and Rock idioms and recorded over sixty albums until his death in 2007. His appearance on the live radio broadcast catches him with his band The IslandersFind albums by this artist, a superb Soul-Rock outfit, expanded to a ten-piece smoking Brass Rock, which included Romanian (resident in Finland) trombonist Mircea StanFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Pentti LahtiFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Kassu HalonenFind albums by this artist, guitarist Esko VesterinenFind albums by this artist, bassist Matti TyniFind albums by this artist and drummer Juoni KestiFind albums by this artist, strengthened by three top Finnish Jazz musicians trumpeter Mike KoskinenFind albums by this artist and saxophonists Pekka PoyryFind albums by this artist and Tapio TuominenFind albums by this artist. Together they perform eight songs, three covers by Pop / Soul / Blues songs (BeatlesFind albums by this artist, Otis ReddingFind albums by this artist, Edgar Winter BandFind albums by this artist) and five excellent original songs, two each by Stan and Halonen and one traditional Blues arranged by Stan. Kirka´s superb voice and the spectacular band create some outstanding Jazz-Rock-Soul Fusion somewhat resembling the divine Joe CockerFind albums by this artist and his Mad Dogs & EnglishmenFind albums by this artist band with a slightly more Jazz feel.. The strength of this material and the performances turn this music into an instant classic, regardless of the Finnish lyrics, which don´t spoil the fun one bit. It is an absolute unadulterated fun from start to finish! Overall this is some of the most staggering music created in Europe in the early to mid 1970s that one is able to hear and for Fusion and Jazz oriented Prog-heads this is an absolute must have! Side Note The Finnish independent label SvartFind albums on this label Records released an unprecedented series of albums called Pop Liisa and Jazz Liisa, which present priceless historical recordings of Finnish Rock, Progressive Rock, Jazz-Rock Fusion and Jazz music, recorded live and broadcasted from the Liisankatu Studios in Helsinki under the "Popstudio" and "Jazzstudio" monikers between 1972 and 1977. The studios were owned by the YLE (Finnish Broadcasting Company), a public broadcasting service, which not only allowed the burgeoning Finnish music scene at the time to be exposed but also carefully archived the recordings for future generations. All this incredible music was previously unissued and collectively is probably the most important document of Finnish music from that period ever assembled. The music was released on 36 LPs (Pop Liisa Vol. 01 to Vol. 18 and Jazz Liisa Vol. 01 to Vol. 18) and on 18 CDs with every two consecutive volumes combined on one CD. The sound quality is absolutely superb, often better than the sound quality on the LPs released by these artists at the time. Many of the groups appearing on these albums never managed to record an album and these recordings are the only recorded legacy in existence of their activity. The released are accompanied by well researched and intelligent liner notes. This archival project is an outstanding example of how Cultural Legacy should be treated as well as of exemplary dedication to record producing professionalism.

Updated: 29/05/2020Posted: 09/05/2020

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

MAGGIE BELL ~ QUEEN OF THE NIGHT ANGEL AIR 200 (Barcode: 5055011702004) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1974 Released: 2006 1st album by Maggie BellFind albums by this artist, after her group Stone The CrowsFind albums by this artist disbanded a year earlier. A wonderful singer with a distinct husky voice and great musical sensitivity, she was definitely one of the most important female vocalist on the UK scene in the 1970’s. The album is excellent in every respect: the choice of material, the accompanying band and the performances are all first rate. Maggie moves freely between genres – soul, blues, Rhythm And Blues and even jazz. Her range and passion make every tune to come alive and she obviously has a ball singing. The overall atmosphere resembles recordings by Joe CockerFind albums by this artist and at times also Janis JoplinFind albums by this artist. Great remastering, which brings out all the crisp sounds of the original and two live bonus tracks make this a definite worth investigating item for fans of British Rhythm And Blues of the 1970’s.

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted:

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

JOE COCKER ~ MAD DOGS & ENGLISHMEN (DELUXE EDITION) A&M 886006 (Barcode: 602498860069) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1970 Released: 2005 This is one of the greatest rock albums ever recorded! Following Joe CockerFind albums by this artist`s Woodstock appearance in 1969, which was one of the musical highlights of the festival, a US tour was arranged for him the following year (1970). The accompanying band, led by the mighty Leon RussellFind albums by this artist, provides Cocker with a perfect vehicle for his vocal pyrotechnics. The lad really shows the Yankees the true meaning of Rhythm And Blues! His husky voice and almost demonic ability to express feelings and emotions are unique and overpowering. The tour was filmed (and later a movie was released) and recorded and this album is a perfect document of that event. This new edition adds previously unheard material, creating two solid hours of some of the best music of the 1970`s one can ever hear. Heartworming, breathtaking and absolutely essential!

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted:

CD 2 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

RITA COOLIDGE ~ RITA COOLIDGE / NICE FEELIN` BGO 0846 (Barcode: 5017261208460) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1971 Released: 2009 This is a reissue of the first two albums by American Rock vocalist Rita CoolidgeFind albums by this artist, both released in 1971. Together the twofer presents twenty wonderful songs written for her by the best songwriters of the period and she is accompanied by a stellar lineup which includes keyboardists Leon RussellFind albums by this artist and Booker T. JonesFind albums by this artist, guitarists Spooner OldhamFind albums by this artist, Stephen StillsFind albums by this artist, Marc BennoFind albums by this artist and Clarence WhiteFind albums by this artist, bassist Chris EthridgeFind albums by this artist, drummer Jim KeltnerFind albums by this artist and many others, as well as brass and string sections. Coolidge was discovered by the team Delaney & BonnieFind albums by this artist and very quickly became a permanent part of the American Rock scene singing backing vocals on countless classic Rock albums by Leon Russell, Joe CockerFind albums by this artist, Graham NashFind albums by this artist, Eric ClaptonFind albums by this artist, Bob DylanFind albums by this artist, Stephen Stills and many others. She was blessed by a wonderfully expressive voice and a superb feeling for Soul / Rhythm And Blues / Rock, which she expressed both as a backing vocalist and a lead singer. This reissue is a wonderful reminder of these wonderful days when American Rock was most productive and capable of creating lasting music. Although Coolidge enjoyed a successful career in the years that followed these two early albums and her work with the a.m. artists are for me the pinnacle of her artistic achievements. Overall this is a great glimpse at the days when everything sounded better, looked nicer and tasted sweeter then ever. An absolute Classic Rock bonanza!

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted: 20/09/2020

CD 1 Slipcase Remastered Recommend To A Friend

DELANEY & BONNIE ~ THE ORIGINAL DELANEY & BONNIE: ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTE ELEKTRA 4943674139804 (Barcode: 4943674139804) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1969 Released: 2013 This is the second 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 release on ElektraFind albums on this label Records (founded and run by Jac HolzmanFind albums by this artist), took them away from the image associated with Afro-American music which their previous label, StaxFind albums on this label Records, symbolized. The album was recorded by a dream team of top American musicians, which included pianist Leon RussellFind albums by this artist, guitarist Jerry McGeeFind albums by this artist, 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, drummers Jim KeltnerFind albums by this artist and Jim GordonFind albums by this artist and the incredible vocalist Rita CoolidgeFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten songs, most of which were penned by the Bramletts. Musically the album continues the direction put forward by the debut album, which amalgamates Rhythm And Blues, Soul, Gospel and Blues with Pop and Rock, adding this time some American Southern Rock accents. The resulting fusion produced some of the most perfect American Rock music ever. With the Bramletts´ writing talents, Bonnie´s incredible husky vocals, which at their best rival Janis JoplinFind albums by this artist, superb arrangements and perfect, soulful and inspired instrumental work, production and sound quality, the album is a timeless gem. The album was not very commercially successful at the time of its release, but fellow musicians and music industry figures recognized its sublime qualities. George HarrisonFind albums by this artist offered Delaney & Bonnie a contract with AppleFind albums on this label Records, which was even signed, but subsequently voided of course in view of the already signed Elektra contract. Eric ClaptonFind albums by this artist loved the album, which led Delaney & Bonnie and the crew (to be called together Delaney & Bonnie & Friends) to play as an opening act on the Blind FaithFind albums by this artist American 1969 tour and later on to participate in the recording of his debut eponymous solo album "Eric ClaptonFind albums with this title". In order to get a full view of the talents of the musicians playing on this album, it is worth to remember that they were involved in making the following milestone recordings, all recorded in 1970: Joe CockerFind albums by this artist´s "Mad Dogs & EnglishmenFind albums with this title", Eric Clapton´s (as Derek And The DominosFind albums by this artist) "Layla And Other Assorted Love SongsFind albums with this title" and George Harrison´s "All Things Must PassFind albums with this title" – all this and more in just one incredible year! In retrospect this is a milestone recording in American music, which eradicated the racial discrimination between American Country and Folk music and the Afro-American Rhythm And Blues, Soul and Gospel traditions, creating, perhaps for the first time, a true all-American music. This album is an absolute must have in any serious Rock music collection and its everlasting values are still in full bloom five decades later. Essential!

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

CD 1 Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend

DELANEY & BONNIE & FRIENDS ~ MOTEL SHOT (EXPANDED EDITION) REAL GONE MUSIC 0516 (Barcode: 848064005162) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1970 Released: 2017 This is fifth 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 third and last release on AtcoFind albums on this label Records, was recorded in 1970 and released in 1971 with a new version of "Friends", which includes, keyboardist Bobby WhitlockFind albums by this artist, bassist Carl RadleFind albums by this artist, drummer Jim KeltnerFind albums by this artist and guests like pianist Leon RussellFind albums by this artist, guitarists Duane AllmanFind albums by this artist and Dave MasonFind albums by this artist, vocalists Gram ParsonsFind albums by this artist and Joe CockerFind albums by this artist and others. The original album presents twelve songs, which are the usual mixture of Bramletts´ originals and Rock / Rhythm And Blues classics. This expanded and remastered version adds eight bonus tracks, taken from the earlier recording session of the same material, done during the couple´s short lived ElektraFind albums on this label days. Musically the album presents the already established Delaney & Bonnie formula, mixing Rhythm And Blues, Soul and Country music with Rock instrumentation and featuring the duo´s vocal harmonies and Bonnie´s heartwrenching vocal pyrotechnics. Combined with superb instrumental work by the "Friends", the music is full of energy and genuine enthusiasm spiced with talent and good taste, which at that time was still around. The concept of this album being almost entirely acoustic and "informal", recorded during impromptu jam sessions in motel rooms, is nor really reflecting the reality. In spite of the success of a couple of singles taken out of this album it did not sell well and remained highly regarded by some critics and Delaney & Bonnie devotees, but in retrospect disappeared into oblivion, which is a great pity as the music it offered was excellent all through and certainly worth being remembered. On the other hand considering the quality of music that was being produced at an incredible rate at the time, many classic Rock albums shared the faith of this one. It is great to see that the album is available on CD thanks to the outstanding work by the Real Gone MusicFind albums on this label reissue label, which means it can be enjoyed by people who still remember it when it happened in real time as well as being (hopefully) discovered by some younger listeners. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted: 13/07/2018

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

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

DELANEY & BONNIE & FRIENDS ~ TO BONNIE FROM DELANEY WOUNDED BIRD 326 (Barcode: 664140032620) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1970 Released: 2016 This is fourth 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 second release on AtcoFind albums on this label Records, was recorded and released in 1970 with a new version of "Friends", since the previous version of "Friends", which accompanied them on the live album "On Tour With Eric ClaptonFind albums with this title" was practically hijacked by Leon RussellFind albums by this artist to accompany Joe CockerFind albums by this artist on his US 1970 tour, which produced the legendary "Mad Dogs & EnglishmenFind albums with this title" album. The new "Friends" retained only keyboardist Bobby WhitlockFind albums by this artist from the previous band, but offered an impressive list of players, such as guitarists Duane AllmanFind albums by this artist (who played slide guitar) and Charlie FreemanFind albums by this artist and many others, including the Memphis HornsFind albums by this artist brass section, which took part in the recording of their debut album "HomeFind albums with this title". The album presents twelve songs, which are the usual mixture of Bramletts´ originals and Rock / Rhythm And Blues classics. Musically the album presents the already established Delaney & Bonnie formula, mixing Rhythm And Blues, Soul and Country music with Rock instrumentation and featuring the duo´s vocal harmonies and Bonnie´s heartwrenching vocal pyrotechnics. Combined with superb instrumental work by the "Friends", the music is full of energy and genuine enthusiasm spiced with talent and good taste, which at that time was still around. In spite of the success of the preceding live album, this album did not come near to the same level of success and remained highly regarded by some critics and Delaney & Bonnie devotees, but in retrospect disappeared into oblivion, which is a great pity as the music it offered was excellent all through and certainly worth being remembered. On the other hand considering the quality of music that was being produced at an incredible rate at the time, many classic Rock albums shared the faith of this one. It is great to see that the album is available on CD thanks to the outstanding work by the Wounded BirdFind albums on this label Records reissue label, which means it can be enjoyed by people who still remember it when it happened in real time as well as being (hopefully) discovered by some younger listeners. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted: 02/06/2018

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

FRANKIE MILLER ~ ...THAT`S WHO! - THE COMPLETE CHRYSALIS RECORDINGS (1973-1980) CHRYSALIS 5060516091249 (Barcode: 5060516091249) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1973 - 1980 Released: 2018 This wonderful Box Set presents all seven albums recorded by the Scottish Rock singer / songwriter Frankie MillerFind albums by this artist for the ChrysalisFind albums on this label Records label: "Once In A Blue MoonFind albums with this title", "High LifeFind albums with this title", "The RockFind albums with this title", "Full HouseFind albums with this title", "Double TroubleFind albums with this title", "Falling In LoveFind albums with this title" and "Easy MoneyFind albums with this title". The albums are remastered and include bonus material. Most of the songs on these albums were written by Miller and he is accompanied by some of the best Rock musicians of the period. Miller is one of the great unsung heroes of Rock and his great achievements both as a performer and more importantly as a songwriter are sadly little know even to the avid Classic Rock connoisseurs. Blessed with a superb throaty voice in the same league as Rod StewartFind albums by this artist and Joe CockerFind albums by this artist, Millet´s heartfelt Blues / Soul inspired vocals are among the best Rock performances out there. Miller´s songs were covered by dozens of British and American Rock artists over time, many of which became major hits. His songwriting was diverse stylistically and covered the entire spectrum of Rock sub-genres, from Blues and Blues-Rock, via Soul, Rhythm And Blues, Country and even Hard Rock. Regardless of the style his songs were all little gems, which still sound every bit as good as they did at the time they were written and originally recorded, This Box Set is a splendid opportunity to discover Frankie Miller and of course to remember his contribution to Rock history. Most of these albums were out of print for ages and this is an easy and inexpensive solution to get hold of these gems in one fell swoop. Definitely wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 09/03/2024Posted: 31/05/2019

CD 7 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

FRANKIE MILLER ~ LIVE AT ROCKPALAST MIG 90592 (Barcode: 885513905925) ~ UK ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 1976 - 1982 Released: 2013 This Box Set presents a collection of live concert recordings by the great British Blues-Rock vocalist / guitarist / songwriter Frankie MillerFind albums by this artist, captured by the German TV program Rockpalast. The 3CD collection presents forty-three tracks, recorded on three different occasions, as described below. With a few exceptions all the songs were written by Miller. CD1 was recorded on August 28th, 1982 and the lineup includes Miller, lead guitarist Ed DeaneFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Mick WeaverFind albums by this artist, bassist Chrissie StewartFind albums by this artist and drummer Malcolm MortimoreFind albums by this artist. CD2 was recorded on June 3rd, 1976 and the lineup includes Miller, lead guitarist Ray MinhinnitFind albums by this artist, keyboardist James HallFind albums by this artist, Stewart and drummer Graham DeaconFind albums by this artist. CD3 was recorded on May 6th, 1979 and the lineup includes Miller, Deane, guitarist / accordionist / violinist Steve SimpsonFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Nick JuddFind albums by this artist, bassist Tex CommerFind albums by this artist and drummer Fran BryneFind albums by this artist. Miller was blessed with an incredible throaty voice, closely similar to that of Paul RodgersFind albums by this artist, Rod StewartFind albums by this artist or Joe CockerFind albums by this artist, also sharing their affinity to the Blues, making him one of the best British Blues-Rock vocalists ever. He recorded a series of excellent albums for the ChrysalisFind albums on this label label, which were reissued in the brilliant Box Set “...That`s Who! - The Complete Chrysalis Recordings (1973-1980)Find albums with this title”, and which is a must to all British Blues-Rock fans. His live performances are full of energy and zest, as this music in this Box Set proves beyond any doubt. In 1994 Miller suffered a brain aneurysm, who took him out of the performing environment, but he made a remarkable recovery, which took over a decade, and returned to recording music. Overall, this is a wonderful archival collection of live performances by Miller at his peak, which is a true delight to all Blues-Rock fans, and offers incredible thrill of music performed with joy and passion. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 10/03/2024Posted: 09/03/2024

CD 3 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

LEON RUSSELL ~ LIFE JOURNEY UME 602537764716 (Barcode: 602537764716) ~ USA ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 2012 Released: 2014 This is an incredibly sad album, being an epitaph of the American iconic Rocker / singer / pianist / songwriter Leon RussellFind albums by this artist, read by the artist himself. Russell´s remarks on the album liner notes are basically a farewell to this world, summing up his life, and the music on this album is also a summary, including (as he puts it) "…pieces of things that I have done and thing I never did…", which is as accurate as music descriptions go. Although not specified on the album´s cover, the music was apparently recorded in 2012, i.e. a couple of years before it was actually released, which under these circumstances is a bit macabre, as if the record label was waiting for Russell to actually cross over to the other side and then capitalize on that; go figure. Russell´s voice and piano playing did not change much over the years and his strength was more as a "behind the scenes" person, which made great thing happening. In retrospect he had a wonderfully diverse career but at the same time he is probably one of the most underappreciated Rock icons in the American history. In fact he was always appreciated more in England than in the US, both in the early days of his career (see his cooperation with Joe CockerFind albums by this artist on "Mad Dogs & EnglishmenFind albums with this title") and at the very end of it (see his recording "The UnionFind albums with this title" with Elton JohnFind albums by this artist). Ironically Russell is an epitome of American music, if ever there was one, and therefore the lack of respect from his own People is ever more painful. The album includes twelve songs, only two of which are Russell´s original compositions. The rest is a bizarre, but somehow wonderfully cohesive collection of American Pop songs, Jazz Standards and other ditties. They are all beautifully arranged, using a simple Rock team and up to a fully scaled Big Band. Russell´s croaky voice sounds simply wonderful and the thought that this might be the last recording he made is simply heartbreaking. But if one has to say goodbye, after over sixty years of musical journey, this is probably as good a way to go, as one can imagine. This is a true soundtrack of his life, as much as mine. Thank you Leon!

CD 1 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

ROD STEWART ~ THE TEARS OF HERCULES WARNER BROS. 603497842520 (Barcode: 603497842520) ~ UK ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is the thirty-second studio album by the iconic British vocalist / songwriter Rod StewartFind albums by this artist, recorded with a small team of his usual cohorts, which includes keyboardist Kevin SavigarFind albums by this artist, guitarist Emerson SwinfordFind albums by this artist, violinist J`anna JacobyFind albums by this artist, percussionist Julia ThorntonFind albums by this artist and several backing vocalists. The album presents twelve songs, nine of which were co-written by Stewart and Savigar (one also by Swinford) and three are arrangements of songs by other songwriters. The songs are connected into a continuous stream of sound without the usual pauses between them. I first fell under the spell of Stewart’s idiosyncratic voice when I heard him fronting the Jeff BeckFind albums by this artist group in 1967 and this “love affair” is still very much on. His long and convoluted career produced many albums of various quality, but his vocals always were, and still are, completely amazing and lost nothing of their uniqueness and power, which is pretty astounding. Personally I most enjoy his early albums and The Great American Songbook series, but honestly Stewart never sung a wrong note in his life. He is a superb interpreter of songs written by other great songwriters, and in my book he stands proudly next to another British Rock icon, Joe CockerFind albums by this artist, both born only a few months apart. This new album, created amidst the pandemic, is one of the best efforts of his late career. The songs are all solid and well written, especially the ballads, and are a true joy to listen to. On a few songs the contemporary arrangements are a tad artificial, and Stewart still sounds the best just accompanied by a piano, like on the title song. His heartbreaking balladry is still completely unappalled. Overall, for an artist with six decades of musical legacy, Stewart still sounds as sweet and sour as he ever did and combined with the fine songs he sings here, this album is pure unadulterated musical delight. Hats off!

Updated: 18/12/2021Posted: 18/12/2021

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend