“Moments/Boz Scaggs & Band” by BOZ SCAGGS [feat Rita Coolidge, Ben Sidran, Santana Band, Steve Miller Band] (March 2008 Beat Goes On CD Reissue of his 2nd & 3rd LPs - Remastered) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This review and hundreds more like it can also be found in my 
SOUNDS GOOD Music Book: 1960s and 1970s MUSIC Volume 2 
- Exceptional CD Remasters 

It contains over 210 in-depth reviews (a whopping 2400+ e-Pages) 
And is available to buy/download at Amazon at the following link...

"…Drank All The Bottles But My Thirst Won't Go Away…"

With his 1969 Atlantic Records debut album under his perfectly coiffured belt (it didn’t chart in either the UK or USA) – William Royce Scaggs singed to Columbia Records in the early Seventies and hoped for bigger things. He’d have to wait a few anxious years before he absolutely nailed the FM motherlode with “Silk Degrees” in 1976 – but here’s where that class act of a singer/songwriter cut his tuneful teeth.

UK released March 2008 (reissued 2010) - "Moments/Boz Scaggs & Band" by BOZ SCAGGS on Beat Goes On BGOCD812 (Barcode 5017261208125) features his 2nd and 3rd albums remastered onto one CD and breaks down as follows (77:20 minutes):

1. We Were Always Sweethearts

2. Downright Women

3. Painted Bells

4. Alone, Alone

5. Near You

6. I Will Forever Sing (The Blues)

7. Moments

8. Hollywood Blues

9. We Been Away

10. Can I Make It Last (Or Will It Just Be Over)

Tracks 1 to 10 are his 2nd LP "Moments" issued March 1971 in the USA on Columbia C 30454 and in the UK on CBS S 64248

All tracks are Scaggs originals excepting "We Been Away" which was written by the band's bass player DAVID BROWN and "I Will Forever Sing (The Blues)" was written by POWELL ST. JOHN of MOTHER EARTH. The album also features RITA COOLIDGE on backing vocals, COKE and PETE ESCOVEDO from the Santana band on Percussion with BEN SIDRAN on Keyboards and Vibes

11. Money Time

12. Runnin’ Blue

13. Up To You

14. Love Anyway

15. Flames Of Love

16. Here To Stay

17. Nothing Will Take Your Place

18. Why Why

19. You’re So Good

Tracks 11 to 19 are his 3rd LP "Boz Scaggs And Band" issued December 1971 in the USA on Columbia C 30796 and 1972 in the UK on CBS S 64431

All tracks are Scaggs originals except "Monkey Time", "Up To You" and "Flames Of Love" which were co-written with CLIVE ARROWSMITH (who also took the cover photos), "Runnin' Blue" which is co-written with Trombone player PATRICK O'HARA and "Why Why" which is co-written with TIM DAVIS (the drummer in The Steve Miller Band).

The 12-page inlay has affectionate and knowledgeable liner notes by noted music writer DAVID WELLS and also features full musician credits. There's a nice card-wrap on the outside of the jewel case and the sound quality is beautifully clear and punchy throughout - digitally remastered in 2008 by ANDREW THOMPSON at Sound Performance.

Those expecting "Silk Degrees" can look away now - this is Scaggs finding his soul/rock feet - and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The string laden soulful instrumental "Can I Make It Last (Or Will It Just Be Over)" is both ethereal and beautiful, but "Alone, Alone" is awful sub-standard country-rock complete with its hammy spoken intro. "Runnin' Blues" has a B.B. King vibe about it with its brass fills punctured by thinny guitar picking, while the funk-rock of "Flames Of Love" sounds like Delaney & Bramlett at their raucous Seventies best. The quiet vibes of "Here To Stay" are so clear - the remaster really coming into its own. Even better is the funky guitar-rock of "Why, Why" which is co-written with his old friend Tim Davis - very Steve Miller Band (lyrics above). The slinky "You're So Good" finishes the CD in fine style - again the remastered sound just so sweet.

Across these 2 albums it's no surprise that the music ranges from dull to great - but when he hits that grooves - man it's just superb. Very Boz really...

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“Original Classic Albums” by THE ISLEY BROTHERS. A Review of the 2008 Mini Box Set Containing 5 Superb Soul Albums From 1969 to 1973.

This review is part of my "SOUNDS GOOD: Exceptional CD Remasters Soul, Funk & Jazz Fusion" Download Book available to buy on Amazon to either your PC or Mac (it will download the Kindle software to read the book for free to your toolbar). Click on the link below to go my Author's Page for this and other related publications:

Author Page - SOUNDS GOOD

                       

“…Go Where You Want To Go…Be What You Want To Be…That’s Freedom…”

Issued in 2008 “Original Classic Albums” (Epic 88697304842) is one of those dinky 5CD card-repro mini box sets and it breaks down as follows:

Disc 1 is the LP “The Brothers: Isley”, issued November 1969 in the USA on T-Neck TNS 3002 and June 1970 in the UK on Liberty SSL 10300 (30:43 minutes)
[All 9 tracks are originals]

Disc 2 is the LP “Get Into Something”, issued February 1970 in the USA on T-Neck TNS 3006 (39:48 minutes)
[All 10 tracks are originals]

Disc 3 is the LP “Givin’ It Back”, issued September 1971 in the USA on T-Neck TNS 3008 (41:56 minutes)
[All 7 tracks are cover versions:
1. Ohio/Machine Gun [Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young/Jimi Hendrix – segued as one]
2. Fire And Rain [James Taylor]
3. Lay Lady Lay [Bob Dylan]
4. Spill The Wine [War]
5. Nothin’ To Do But Today [Stephen Stills]
6. Cold Bologna [Bill Withers – also features BW on Guitar]
7. Love The One You’re With [Stephen Stills]]

Disc 4 is the LP “Brother, Brother, Brother” (credited to “The Isleys”), issued June 1972 in the USA on T-Neck TNS 3009 (38:03 minutes)
[All 8 tracks are originals – except:
Tracks 1, 3 (Part 1 of) and 7 are “Brother, Brother”, “Sweet Season” and “It’s Too Late” (all Carole King covers) while track 2 is “Put A Little Love In Your Heart” (a Jackie DeShannon cover)]

Disc 5 is the LP “3 + 3”, issued September 1973 in the USA on T-Neck KZ 32453 and November 1973 in the UK on Epic S EPC 65740 (43:13 minutes)
[All 9 tracks are originals – except:
Track 2 is “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight” (a James Taylor cover), track 5 is “Listen To The Music” (a Doobie Brothers cover), track 7 is “Sunshine (Go Away Today)” (a Jonathan Edwards cover), track 8 is “Summer Breeze” (a Seals & Crofts cover) and track 10 is a CD bonus track, a live version of “That Lady” recorded in 1980]

The remastered sound quality is superb throughout. The mini box holds 5 card sleeves inside which repro the original American T-Neck Records album covers front & rear – unfortunately they’re too small & blurry to actually read any details off of them, but you can download a full Sessionography for each album from Sony’s online site www.musicmadesimple.info (download runs to 9 pages).

In truth I bought this mini box set for the “Givin’ It Back” LP – their hard-to-find covers album from 1971. It’s one of those fabulous lost soul gems you rarely ever see on vinyl let alone reissue CD (it pushes £25 in places). “Givin’ It Back” opens with a dynamite mix of CSYN’s “Ohio” with Hendrix’s “Machine Gun” and it's genius – both songs imbibed with extraordinarily passionate Isley vocals (the Vietnam war and its protests looming everywhere in the lyrics). “Lay Lady Lay” is excellent too, but it does overstay its welcome at ten minutes plus. This is offset against a radically reworked version of James Taylor’s “Fire And Rain” which is brilliantly soulful.

That the other albums also contain such an embarrassment of riches is of course a blast - a constantly repaying bonus. Check out their stunning cover of Carole King’s “It’s Too Late” from her wonderful 1971 “Tapestry” album - it’s ten minutes long, but this time it works – beautifully soulful with searing guitar work throughout. The brass on “Freedom” too (lyrics above) leaps out at you from the speakers. Another particular favourite of mine is “Work To Do” which the Average White Band practically made their own on the fab “Pick Up The Pieces” Atlantic Records “AWB” album.

So there you have it – properly great soul music in wonderful sound – and five albums worth of it too.

A wee peach of a thing – recommended big time...

Original Album Classics Series

PS: Other artists in the “ORIGINAL ALBUM CLASSICS” Series are [FIVE DISC SETS]…

1. The Allman Brothers Band
2. Jeff Beck
3. George Benson
4. Big Audio Dynamite
5. Blue Oyster Cult
6. Pierre Boulez
7. The Brecker Brothers
8. The Byrds
9. Johnny Cash
10. Cheap Trick
11. Stanley Clarke
12. Cypress Hill
13. Miles Davis
14. Duke Ellington
15. Earth, Wind & Fire
16. Agnetha Faltskog [Frida of Abba]
17. Rory Gallagher
18. Hall & Oates
19. The Isley Brothers (see REVIEW)
20. The Jacksons
21. Jefferson Airplane
22. Jefferson Starship
23. Judas Priest
24. Kansas
25. Carole King
26. Kris Kristofferson
27. Mario Lanza
28. The Mahavishnu Orchestra
29. Henri Mancini
30. John McLaughlin
31. Thelonious Monk
32. Mott The Hoople
33. Willie Nelson
34. Harry Nilsson
35. Ted Nugent
36. Dolly Parton
37. Poco
38. Prefab Sprout
39. Elvis Presley
40. The Psychedelic Furs
41. Lou Reed
42. Lou Reed Vol.2
43. Sonny Rollins
44. Santana Box 1
45. Santana Box 2
46. Joe Satriani
47. Nina Simone
48. Lonnie Liston Smith
49. Patti Smith
50. Smokie
51. The Stranglers
52. Steve Vai
53. Various - Carols For Christmas
54. Various – The Joys Of Christmas
55. Weather Report
56. John Williams



PPS: Mondays 1 and 8 February 2010 sees the introduction of THREE DISC SETS in the Series in the “UK” – the artists featured are…

1. AMERIE (01/02/2010)
(All I Have/Touch/Because I Love It)
2. SHAWN COLVIN (08/02/2010)
[Steady On/Fat City/Cover Girl]
3. AGNETHA FALTSKOG [FRIDA of ABBA] (01/02/2010)
[Agnetha Faltskog/Nar En Vacker Tanke Blirsang/Elva Kvinnor I Ett Hus]
4. (PETER GREEN’S) FLEETWOOD MAC (01/02/2010)
[Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac/Mr. Wonderful/The Pious Bird of Good Omen – The Original UK Album Track Lists – No Extras]
5. ARETHA FRANKLYN (01/02/2010)
[The Electrifying/The Tender The Moving The Swinging/Soul Sister]
6. JOURNEY (01/02/2010)
[Departure/Escape/Frontiers]
7. WILLIE NELSON (01/02/2010)
[Yesterday’s Wine/Red Headed Stranger/Stardust]
8. DOLLY PARTON (8/02/2010)
[Eagle When She Flies/Slow Dancing With The Moon/White Limozeen]
9. (CARLOS) SANTANA (08/02/2010)
[Illuminations/Oneness/The Swing of Delight]
10. SCORPIONS (01/02/2010)
[In Trance/Virgin Killer/Taken By Force]
11. SIMON and GARFUNKEL (01/02/2010)
[Sounds Of Silence/Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme/Bookends]
12. TOTO (08/02/2010)
[Toto/Hydra/Turn Back]
13. LUTHER VANDROSS (01/02/2010)
(Never Too Much/Give Me The Reason/The Power of Love)
14. THE WALKER BROTHERS (01/02/2010)
[No Regrets/Lines/Nite Flights]

“Surrealistic Pillow” by JEFFERSON AIRPLANE (1995 USA-only RCA 'Collector's Edition 24-Karat Gold Disc' CD Reissue with Mono and Stereo Mixes) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review Along With 300+ Others Is Available In My

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1960s and 1970s MUSIC ON CD - Volume 1 of 3 - Exceptional CD Remasters

As well as 1960s and 1970s Rock and Pop - It Also Focuses On

Blues Rock, Prog Rock, Rock-Fusion, Psychedelic and Underground

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"...Through An Open Window Where No Curtain Hung..."

Given the sheer fame of the band - it’s kind of surprising to find how few Audiophile CDs are out there are for one of the Sixties most influential bands – JEFFERSON AIRPLANE? But here’s a peach to whet your sonic appetite - albeit one that seems to have slipped under the net too.

The “Collector’s Edition 24 Karat Gold Disc” of “Surrealistic Pillow” was put out by RCA in the USA in July 1995 on RCA 07863 66598-2 (Barcode 078636659824) featuring both the STEREO and MONO mix of the album for the first time (22 tracks) – remastered from the original tapes. It was reissued in 2001 on a standard CD without the gold/titled card slipcase and breaks down as follows (69:35 minutes):

1. She Has Funny Cars [Side 1]

2. Somebody To Love

3. My Best Friend

4. Today

5. Comin’ Back To Me

6. 3/5 Of A Mile In 10 Seconds [Side 2]

7. D.C.B.A. – 25

8. How Do You Feel

9. Embryonic Journey

10. White Rabbit

11. Plastic Fantastic Lover

Tracks 1 to 11 are the STEREO mix of “Surrealistic Pillow” - their 2nd album released February 1967 in the USA on RCA Victor LSP-3584 and September 1967 in the UK on RCA RD 7889 (Mono) and SF 7889 (Stereo)

Tracks 12 to 22 are the MONO mixes of the American album on RCA Victor LPM-3584

JEFFERSON AIRPLANE was:
GRACE SLICK – Lead Vocals, Piano, Organ and Recorder

JORMA KAUKONEN – Lead and Rhythm Guitar, Vocals

MARTY BALIN – Guitar and Vocals

PAUL KANTNER – Guitar and Vocals

JACK CASADY – Rhythm Guitars and Bass

SPENCER DRYDEN – Percussion

Guests: GERRY GARCIA

The jewel case comes in an outer card wrap with gold borders and a die-cut rear sleeve to see the gold coloured disc within. The inlay is a disappointing gatefold slip of paper with just about enough track details to make it acceptable – typical of a major label.

But the sound quality is great. BILL LACEY did the audio restoration; EDDIE TALLIA handled the Stereo transfer while MIKE HARTRY did the mono mixes. The very quiet acoustic guitars and flute of “Comin’ Back To Me” is a good example (lyrics above) – lovely sound – even if it is a little hissy in places (the nature of the recordings). The punch of the MONO mix of “3/5 Of A Mile In 10 Seconds” is fantastic while that drum beginning in the STEREO version of “She Has Funny Cars” hits your speakers with a vengeance. The rhythm section mixing with those acoustic guitars and combo vocals on “My Best Friend” sound wonderful too (very Mama’s & Papa’s almost). And Slick sounds suitably aggressive on the classic “Somebody To Love” – those distant guitars now with more definition.

The 1995 ‘gold’ original of this audiophile CD is now long deleted and has in some cases gained a hefty price tag amongst audio buffs and fans alike. But if you can get a copy for a reasonable price - then set your credit-card propellers for ‘worth those few extra quid’. Impressive stuff indeed…

“The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get” by JOE WALSH (2009 US Audio Fidelity 24-Karat Audiophile CD - No'd Ltd Edition - Kevin Gray Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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US AND THEM - 1973
- Exceptional CD Reissues and Remasters 

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"…Oh Yeah! AAGH! AAGH!"

(aka Fabulous and Best Remaster of a 1973 Joe Walsh classic)

As a war-weary veteran of over 3000 posts/reviews across 8 years of Amazon and Blogger postings - like many music fans purchasing remastered CDs - I grow tired of record companies and their blurbs about 'meticulous transfers' and 'painstaking restoration'...  So it was with a certain amount of gonad-holding trepidation that I approached the latest Audiophile reissue of one of my favourite Joe Walsh albums – his 2^nd studio effort - 1973's album "The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get."

But I'm so glad that I bought this because ‘seriously accomplished transfer’ jumps to mind. I'm properly blown away - I really am. But to the voice-box details first...

Original Produced by Joe Walsh and BILL SZYMCZYK - the musicians were:

JOE WALSH - Lead Guitar, Lead Vocals, Keyboard and Synthesiser

JOE VITALE - Drums, Flute, Vocals, Keyboards & Synthesiser

ROCKE GRACE - Keyboards and Vocals

KENNY PASSARELLI - Bass and Vocals

Guests:

JOE LALA - Percussion

CLYDIE KING and VENETTA FIELDS - Backing Vocals

1. Rocky Mountain Way [Side 1]

2. Book Ends

3. Wolf

4. Midnight Moodies

5. Happy Ways

6. Meadows [Side 2]

7. Dreams

8. Days Gone By

9. Daydream (Prayer)

His second solo vinyl album "The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get." by JOE WALSH was originally released September 1973 in the USA on Dunhill/ABC DSX-50140 and on Probe SPBA 6275 in the UK in October 1973. This US-only 24 KT + Gold CD (HDCD encoded) on Audio Fidelity AFZ 059 (Barcode 780014205928) is a December 2009 straightforward reissue of that Seventies rock classic (36:10 minutes). Engineer and disc-cutter KEVIN GRAY (over 150 credits to his name) has remastered the original first generation tapes using AF's "analogue to digital converter" system. Without any further 'sonic manipulation', the disc is then cut in 'real time' to get the very best sound achievable.

The inlay is placed behind the CD in the card wrap - some people have found that this left it with indentation on other AF releases - all I can say is that it hasn't done so here. Other buyers have also complained about the AF version of The Cars "Heartbeat City" - songs that were segued together on the original LP were clumsily separated with jarring breaks on the CD reissue - again not so here. Rocke Grace's funky flute instrumental "Midnight Moodies" segues into the crystal clear bass opening of "Happy Ways" and while the rock of "Meadows" fades out, the drum and cymbal count of "Dreams" sneaks in so sweetly - there are no gaps - the transition to each is seamless and beautifully handled.

The outer card wrap is numbered on the rear (a limited edition of 3000), the fold-out inlay reproduces the outer and inner gatefold artwork of the original US sleeve (pictures Side 1 and 2 of the Dunhill/ABC labels too), but disappointingly doesn't have any further liner notes nor historical appreciation (this is something AF really should address). But as ever, the real fireworks on a release like this, lies in the sound...

Having been a rabid fan of this album for over 35 years and having parted with a hefty wad of cash to acquire this Audiophile CD, the temptation of course is to 'hear' stuff because you desperately want to. But that's a no-brainer with AFZ 059. The sonic improvement is so absolute and so obvious as to render that argument completely mute. The reproduction is clean, muscular and staggeringly detailed. Every instrument seems to be there all of a sudden - especially on the lethal double of Vitale's "Bookends" followed by Walsh's "Wolf" - the synth on the first pounds out of the speakers, while the spacious echo of Walsh's guitar on the second sounds glorious - just huge. 

The album's opener "Rocky Mountain Way" was always going to be a sonic tester for this reissue - and it doesn't disappoint - guitar riffage everywhere - drums and bass so sweetly complimenting - it's astonishingly clean and full of power. "Happy Ways" was written by Kenny Passarelli and Joe Lala's lifelong friend BERNARD "BUDDY" ZOLOTH (of Blues Image fame) and it has Latin-based acoustic guitars that are so Stephen Stills' Manassas - the sonic clarity is simple breathtaking on it. The flanged guitar of "Days Gone By" coupled with the flute and keyboards - again wonderfully vibrant. There's a keyboard flourish about one minute into "Dreams" which literally made me stop in my tracks - gorgeous clarity - then it rocks about 2:18 and I'm blubbering like a fool. The album finishes with the quiet piano of "Daydream (Prayer)" which is perhaps the prettiest song on here - the girly vocals of King and Fields now so beautifully clear.

I own the AF versions of "Montrose" by Montrose and "A Nod Is As Good As A Wink..." by Faces and thought them great in some ways, but slightly underwhelming in others - not so on "Smoker". The words "meticulous transfer" actually do apply here because every single second of every single song screams it. If I met Kevin Gray on the street, I'd shake his hand, pat his kids on the forehead and stick a medal on his chest.

Joe Walsh talks babble at the beginning of "Meadows" and eventually screams "Oh Yeah! AAGH! AAGH!" On thrilling to this fabulous CD reissue, I now know exactly what he means. A stunning job done…

PS: see also my reviews for the Hip-O Select version of his 1972 debut album "Barnstorm" and BOTH the 2004 Japanese Card Repro and the 2009 Japanese SHM CD versions of his 3rd album "So What" from 1974...