"...Rolls Royce...Does
It Make You Happy?"
Despite "Sour Milk
Sea" being written by George Harrison at a time when all-things-Beatles
was at an-all-time fever pitch – Jackie Lomax's debut album on their Apple
Label has never really raised the goose bumps on collector’s arms (or the
public’s interest - his next albums on Warner Brothers were the same despite
some quality tracks). But on rehearing this 1969 opening salvo – there is much
to enjoy here. One of 14 Apple Label albums Remastered and Reissued on 20
October 2010 - here are the questionable details...
Using the Stereo Mix of the
album – the October 2010 Expanded Edition CD Remaster of "Is That What You
Want?" by JACKIE LOMAX [featuring Eric Clapton, Nick Hopkins, Tony Newman,
Madeline Bell and Doris Troy] on Apple 5099990825521 (Barcode the same) breaks
down as follows (60:09 minutes):
1. Speak To Me
2. Is This What You Want?
3. How Can You Say Goodbye
4. Sunset
5. Sour Milk Sea
6. Fall Inside Your Eyes
7. Little Yellow Pills [Side
2]
8. Take My Word
9. The Eagle Laughs At You
10. Baby You’re A Lover
11. You’ve Got Me Thinking
12. I Just Don’t know
Tracks 1 to 12 are the LP
"Is That What You Want?" released 14 March 1969 on Apple APCOR 6
(Mono) and Apple SAPCOR 6 (Stereo) in the UK and on Apple ST-3354 in the USA
(Stereo only).
BONUS TRACKS:
13. New Day
14. Thumbin’ A Ride
15. How The Web Was Woven
16. You’ve Got To Be Strong
17. You Make It With Me
18. Can You Hear Me
Tracks 13 to 15 were the 3
bonus tracks given with the 1991 reissue while 16 to 18 are previously
unreleased and exclusive to this 2010 version. There are also 5 more extra
tracks available via Digital Download from iTunes or Amazon as an extra payment
(see either site for details).
Using both album and bonus
tracks, this CD will allow fans to sequence his 3 Apple UK 7" singles as
follows:
1. "Sour Milk Sea"
b/w "The Eagle Laughs At You" [Tracks 5 and 9]
(Released 31 August 1968 in
the UK on Apple APPLE 3)
2. "New Day" b/w
"Fall Inside Your Eyes" [Tracks 13 and 6]
(Released 2 May 1969 in the
UK on Apple APPLE 11; the A-side is a non-album track and is a MONO mix)
3. "How The Web Was
Woven" b/w Thumbin' A Ride [Tracks 15 and 14]
(Released 6 February 1970 in
the UK on Apple APPLE 23. Both sides are cover versions, the A-side by Clive
Westlake and David Most while the B is a Coasters song written by Jerry Leiber
and Mike Stoller. It is also the only single on the Apple catalogue produced by
a Beatle on each side - George Harrison on the A and Paul McCartney on the B.
Both songs were non-album at the time of release)
BOOKLET/PACKAGING:
Noted writer and music lover
ANDY DAVIS does the new liner notes for the disappointingly weedy booklet (they
all appear to be this generic length - 12 pages - EMI pushes the boat out again
people). But with what little text he has been afforded, Davis does at least
fill it with properly informative details - and it's peppered with some very
tasty black and white photos of Lomax in Hyde Park in 1969 (two more adorn the
inner gatefold) - and colour portraits of Jackie with George Harrison and Paul
McCartney in the studio. It's cute, but
you do wish there was more...
PLAYERS/CONTENT:
Like so many of the sessions
of the time, the recordings included three of The Beatles and many famous and
talented friends - George played Guitar, Ringo was on Drums, Paul McCartney and
Klaus Voormann contributed Bass - others musicians included ERIC CLAPTON on
Guitar, NICKY HOPKINS on Keyboards and TONY NEWMAN of Sounds Incorporated on
Drums. Although the liner notes don't state it - the backing vocals are
probably DORIS TROY and MADELINE BELL. Excepting "Sour Milk Sea" (written
by George Harrison) - the other 11 tracks on the album are Jackie Lomax
originals.
SOUND:
The same team that handled
the much-praised 09/09/09 Beatles remasters has done this - GUY MASSEY, STEVE
ROOKES, PHIL HICKS and SIMON GIBSON. The audio quality is BEAUTIFUL - a massive
improvement. It also makes you reassess a lot of the songs and especially the
musicianship involved.
The album opens strongly with
"Speak To Me" - strings, vocals, guitars - all sounding great. It's
followed by the 'possessions are corrupting' title song (lyrics above) with a
lovely Oboe floating over the loaded lyrics. In fact a lot of the album
reflects a thinking-man's Rock 'n' Roller - "Little Yellow Pills"
warning against doctor's helpful prescriptions and the plaintive album finisher
"I Just Don't Know" ruminating about chasing dreams and girls -
neither of which appear attainable to the dapper Jackie. Some of the slower
songs don't work for me - a little forced and even twee in places - "Fall
Inside Your Eyes" and "Baby You're A Lover"
But like the other issues in
this series, the best is kept until last. What the 3 new bonus tracks lack in
recorded finesse are more than made up for with heart and raw talent -
"You Got To Be Strong" and "Can You Hear Me" are co-written
with fellow label mate DORIS TROY - and they're excellent. Sort of hybrid
Soul-meets-Rock songs, they suit his guttural vocals so well. "Can You Hear Me" is even moving in
a slightly Northern Soul way - a truly lovely melody.
Niggles - the gatefold card sleeve
is nice to look at for sure, but the booklet and overall packaging feel
lightweight (what EMI could get away with). The CD should have one of those
gauze inner bags to protect it - a problem that no record company seems to want
to acknowledge (scuffing and damage). These are minor points I know but worth
making...
Lomax went on to make
"Home Is In My Head" and "Three" for Warner Brothers in
1971 and 1972 (both of which featured ace UK slide-guitarist Bryn Haworth -
they've been reissued by Rhino with extra tracks) - but this forgotten and
underrated album is where it all started proper.
Recommended - especially given the massive improvement in sound quality
and those excellent bonus tracks…
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