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

JEFF BECK ~ BECK-OLA (EXPANDED EDITION) EMI 578750 (Barcode: 724357875028) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1969 Released: 2004 This is the 2nd and last album by the group formed by guitarist Jeff BeckFind albums by this artist soon after leaving The YardbirdsFind albums by this artist. Combining forces with vocalist Rod StewartFind albums by this artist, pianist Nicky HopkinsFind albums by this artist, bassist Ron WoodFind albums by this artist and drummer Tony NewmanFind albums by this artist, Beck´s group was every bit a supergroup as the other ensembles led by ex-Yardbirds guitarists: CreamFind albums by this artist (with Eric ClaptonFind albums by this artist) and Led ZeppelinFind albums by this artist (with Jimmy PageFind albums by this artist). Absolutely brilliant from start to finish, with exceptional performances by Beck and Stewart, combining raw energies and great talent, this is a masterpiece of the era. This album includes some originals as well as superb arrangements of classic blues songs and other no less inspiring material pays off in this case. The sound is even heavier than on the debut album. This is classic Rock with an early definition of what "Hard Rock" will sound like a few years later and altogether is just one hell of a kick to listen to after all these years. This edition provides a much better sound quality and a plethora of bonus track, which were previously impossible to find. Not to be missed!

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

JEFF BECK ~ TRUTH (EXPANDED EDITION) EMI 873749 (Barcode: 724387374928) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1968 Released: 2005 This is the 1st legendary album by the group formed by guitarist Jeff BeckFind albums by this artist soon after leaving The YardbirdsFind albums by this artist. Combining forces with vocalist Rod StewartFind albums by this artist, bassist Ron WoodFind albums by this artist and drummer Mick WallerFind albums by this artist, Beck´s group was every bit a supergroup as the other ensembles led by ex-Yardbirds guitarists: CreamFind albums by this artist (with Eric ClaptonFind albums by this artist) and Led ZeppelinFind albums by this artist (with Jimmy PageFind albums by this artist). In fact this album preceded Led Zeppelin´s debut by six months. Absolutely brilliant from start to finish, with exceptional performances by Beck and Stewart (for whom this was the first album he ever recorded), combining raw energies and great talent, this is a masterpiece of the era. The only "problem" is the lack of original material, but the superb arrangements of classic blues songs and other no less inspiring material pays off in this case. This is classic Rock with an early definition of what "Hard Rock" will sound like a few years later and altogether is just one hell of a kick to listen to after all these years. This edition provides a much better sound quality and a plethora of bonus track, which were previously impossible to find. Not to be missed!

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend