Record Reviews

TONY ASHTON / JON LORD ~ FIRST OF THE BIG BANDS WOUNDED BIRD 2778 (Barcode: 664140277823) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1974 Released: 2009 Only studio album recorded by this wonderful pair of British musicians keyboardist / vocalist Tony AshtonFind albums by this artist (Ashton, Gardner & DykeFind albums by this artist) and keyboardist / composer Jon LordFind albums by this artist (Deep PurpleFind albums by this artist), which was a predecessor of the Paice, Ashton & LordFind albums by this artist group, which recorded the legendary "Malice In WonderlandFind albums with this title" a couple of years later. The pair is joined by a large group of musicians, the list reading like a who´s who of the British Rock scene at the time, including Peter FramptonFind albums by this artist and Ron WoodFind albums by this artist. The music is quite interesting, presenting a "wall of sound" effect with jazzy brass arrangements behind the rocky foreground. Some great guitar and keyboards parts spice the album up, but overall it flows wonderfully and shows a lot of the typical British humor. Musically the project shifts between Prog and Rock, but the brass arrangements and the jazzy undercurrent make it quite unique. It is great to have this little gem back in circulation!

CD 1 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

HERD ~ PARADISE LOST: THE COMPLETE UK FONTANA RECORDINGS GRAPEFRUIT 018 (Barcode: 5013929181823) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1967 - 1969 Released: 2011 This album compiles all the recordings made by the British Pop / Rock group the HerdFind albums by this artist, fronted by guitarist / vocalist Peter FramptonFind albums by this artist, who was still a teenager at the time. The group managed to record only one album and several singles, all of which were released on the FontanaFind albums on this label label and are all included here. Although the Herd were largely considered a Pop group, they were quite an ambitious team, which is evident from the music within, some of it even very surprising, Jazz influenced, Psychedelic and definitely proto-Prog at some moments. In retrospect this music really sounds great and shows how special this period truly was, with magic touching every note. Worth investigating!

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend