Record Reviews

CHRIS FARLOWE ~ FROM HERE TO MAMA ROSA REPERTOIRE 1331 (Barcode: 4009910133125) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1970 Released: 2017 This is a reissue of the fourth album by the seminal British vocalist Chris FarloweFind albums by this artist, one of the most distinctive voices of the British Isles´ musical history. His career started in the early 1960s and he was at the epicenter of the British Rhythm And Blues explosion with his group The ThunderbirdsFind albums by this artist. He was considered as one of the top three acts of the era, together with Georgie FameFind albums by this artist and the Blue FlamesFind albums by this artist and Zoot MoneyFind albums by this artist and the Big Roll BandFind albums by this artist. Farlowe recorded no less than three albums in 1966, all excellent examples of the Blues and Rhythm And Blues. In time The Thunderbirds morphed into The HillFind albums by this artist, the group that accompanies Farlowe on this album, which included guitarist Steve HammondFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Peter RobinsonFind albums by this artist, cellist Paul BuckmasterFind albums by this artist, bassist Bruce WaddellFind albums by this artist and drummer Colin DavyFind albums by this artist. The original album presented nine tracks, all but one composed by Waddell or co-composed by him. This reissue adds three bonus tracks. Musically this album is very different from Farlowe´s earlier Rhythm And Blues recordings and it has a distinctive Progressive Rock flavor, which is hardly surprising considering that soon after the recording of this album Farlowe was about to join the mighty ColosseumFind albums by this artist and later also Atomic RoosterFind albums by this artist, two of the most important representatives of the British Progressive Rock and Jazz-Rock Fusion. The album presents excellent tunes, all beautifully performed, with impressive instrumental soloing, as appropriate for the Prog idiom. Superb Hammond organ parts and of course cello, which was quite unusual in the Rock setting. In retrospect this is one of those rare gems that almost completely slipped under the radar of the Prog fans over the tears, which can be rectified with this reissue of course. As for Farlowe, some listeners seem to be allergic to his unique vocal capabilities and theatrics, but personally he was always one of my favorite vocalists, with very few equals over the years. This is definitely one of the best albums of his solo recording legacy, all of which are definitely worth checking out. It´s great to see this album back in circulation and hopefully it won´t be missed out by his many fans this time. This is a little known gem, which deserves to be heard!

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

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

CHRIS FARLOWE ~ LIVE AT ROCKPALAST 2006 MIG 90842 (Barcode: 885513908421) ~ UK ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 2006 Released: 2018 This is a live album by legendary British Rock / Blues / Soul vocalist Chris FarloweFind albums by this artist, recorded with the band led by Blues guitarist Norman BeakerFind albums by this artist, which included bassist John PriceFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Dave BaldwinFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Damian HandFind albums by this artist, drummer Paul BurgessFind albums by this artist and guest vocalist Nikolay ArutyunovFind albums by this artist. The 2CD album presents fourteen tracks, which include many Blues and Blues-Rock standards. The DVD presents the same material in video version and a bonus backstage interview. Farlowe, born in 1940 and aged eighty-three at the time of writing, is a veteran of the British Rock scene, starting his career in the late 1950s and getting first attention with his group The ThunderbirdsFind albums by this artist in the mid-1960s. He joined the legendary group ColosseumFind albums by this artist in 1970 and is still an active lead vocalist of the group, almost fifty-five years later, a truly amazing achievement. He has one of the most distinctive voices and his affinity to the Blues is absolutely unique as are his interpretations of Blues oriented material and he has been one of my all-time favorite vocalists since forever. This album finds him exactly where likes to be, singing a wonderful set of Blues-Rock material, accompanied by excellent instrumentalist, including Beaker, who is a superb electric Blues player. Sixty-six years young at the time, his vocals are absolutely untouched by time and he sound wonderful as always. Overall, this is a brilliant Blues-Rock album, one of those which only get better with time, especially when the Blues-Rock scene is thinning out dramatically. Farlowe never made a bad record in his life, and this one is definitely up to par with his abilities. For guitar fans, not familiar with Beaker’s skills, this is quite a shocker, and of course for Farlowe many followers, this is an absolute must in their collection!

Updated: 01/08/2024Posted: 01/08/2024

2CD+DVD 3 Digipak Recommend To A Friend