"Chuck Berry Rocks" aka "Rocks" by CHUCK BERRY (2011 Bear Family CD Compilation Of Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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BLUES, VOCAL GROUPS, RHYTHM 'n' BLUES and ROCK 'n' ROLL ON CD   

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"…Dancin' And Hummin' A Rock 'n' Roll Melody…"

With the US reissue label Hip-O Select having filled the marketplace with 3 x 4CD retrospectives in 2005, 2007 and 2009 covering 'all' of Chuck Berry’s Chess recordings – and with endless cheapo Universal double CD sets that will offer the same material and more - then this 2011 Bear Family single CD might seem superfluous to requirements. But I'm glad to announce that it isn't. The big draw here for collectors will be Bear’s top quality remastered sound and a thoroughly researched booklet. Here are the details…

Released November 2011 - "Chuck Berry Rocks" by CHUCK BERRY on Bear Family BCD 17139 AR (Barcode 4000127171399) stretches to a chunky 80:01 minutes and features 32 tracks. 

All bar one were Chess 7" singles - from his first "Maybelline" on Chess 1604 in 1955 to "Dear Dad" on Chess 1926 in 1965. The only exception here is "Betty Jean" which featured on the 1960 LP "Rockin' At The Hops". Most of the Fifties recordings are MONO while the Sixties stuff is in STEREO (neither the booklet nor the outer card wrap indicates which is which).

1	Maybellene	2:20
2	Thirty Days (To Come Back Home)	2:23
3	You Can't Catch Me	2:43
4	No Money Down	2:57
5	Brown Eyed Handsome Man	2:16
6	Roll Over Beethoven	2:24
7	Too Much Monkey Business	2:56
8	School Day (Ring! Ring! Goes The Bell)	2:42
9	Rock And Roll Music	2:32
10	Oh Baby Doll	2:36
11	Sweet Little Sixteen	3:03
12	Reelin' And Rocking	3:16
13	Johnny B. Goode	2:39
14	Around & Around	2:39
15	Beautiful Delilah	2:08
16	Carol	2:47
17	Memphis, Tennessee	2:14
18	Sweet Little Rock And Roller	2:21
19	Run Rudolph Run	2:43
20	Little Queenie	2:41
21	Almost Grown	2:21
22	Back In The U.S.A.	2:28
23	Betty Jean	2:30
24	Let It Rock	1:45
25	Bye Bye Johnny	2:04
26	Jaguar And Thunderbird	1:50
27	Go-Go-Go	2:33
28	Nadine (Is It You?)	2:33
29	You Never Can Tell	2:42
30	Promised Land	2:23
31	No Particular Place To Go	2:43
32	Dear Dad

"Chuck Berry Rocks" comes in Bear's now standard packaging for this series – a 3-way foldout card digipak containing a detachable oversized booklet inside (52 pages for this issue). The CD itself repros the "Around & Around" 45 on Chess 1691 with it's famous Blue label. Pages 5 to 40 feature an in-depth essay on the American Rock 'n' Roller by noted writer and musicologist BILL DAHL whose affection and awe of Berry’s influence seem to know no bounds (in a typically scholarly way he cites both book and internet 'sources' for his liner notes). Pages 31 to 49 have a full Discography on all 32 recordings by label boss RICHARD WEIZE with contributions from BILL DAHL and FRED ROTHWELL. The text is peppered with black and white photos of the great man doing his trademark 'duck walk' on Television and Live settings, some Tel-Mar Studio shots of recording sessions and one particularly tasty moment where he shares a 'Love You' card from two female British fans at the Lewisham Odeon in London in the Sixties. 

While it’s the usual classy act from Bear, I’d have to express extreme disappointment in not seeing any COLOUR photos of either those stunning album sleeves or Berry in action. Apart from one colour photo that begins the Discography – I’d confess that the endless black and white shots give the booklet a rather monotonous look that somehow undermines Dahl’s great written work. But that’s quickly forgotten once you start playing this baby…

I’ve raved about JURGEN CRASSER and his mastering work before (see my TAG for him and reviews for the astonishing "Blowing The Fuse" series (16 compilations) and the "Sweet Soul Music" series (10 discs). The best way to describe the sound here is 'clean' – Berry’s Chess recordings are for the most part notoriously 'lo-fi' – but here there is very little hiss on any of the tracks. The recordings are still suitably ramshackle and even crude, but there’s a power in them now that 'just' pips the otherwise superlative remasters Erick Labson did for those 3 Hip-O Select tomes (and Universal's "Gold" double CD set).

Another nice aspect to the sound achieved here is that Chuck’s in-house musicians gave his records a certain glorious Rock ’n’ Roll feel – and principal among them is the mighty JOHNNIE JOHNSON. His rattling and fabulous piano playing is now a little more to the fore – and what an audio treat that is (he passed away in 2005 – inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 as one the great sidemen).

Highlights – I loved rehearing the lesser-heard "Dear Dad", "Let It Rock" and "Sweet Little Rock And Roll" (lyrics above) which Rod Stewart covered so well on his underrated "Smiler" album in 1973. And the STEREO takes are particularly alive too – the Leroy Davis and James Robinson brass/Johnnie Johnson piano on "You Never Can Tell" and the wonderful "No Particular Place To Go" which still sounds so totally kicking ("…stole a kiss at the turn of a mile…") And on that point – the lyrics – witty, smart, full of cool Americanisms – he really did chronicle the teenage experience (and thankfully no dire "Ding A Ling" to pollute the proceedings).

The incomparable Bear Family folks – class and quality - they may cost you – but the best always does.

PS: The "Rocks" Series by Bear Family features the following artists:

1. Chuck Berry [see REVIEW]

2. Pat Boone

3. Johnny Burnette [see REVIEW]

4. The Cadillacs

5. Eddie Cochran

6. Bobby Darin

7. Fats Domino

8. Connie Francis

9. Don Gibson

10. Glen Glenn

11. Bill Haley

12. Roy Hall

13. Slim Harpo [see REVIEW]

14. Dale Hawkins

15. Ronnie Hawkins

16. Screamin' Jay Hawkins

17. Wanda Jackson [see REVIEW]

18. Sonny James

19. Buddy Knox & Jimmy Bowen with the Rhythm Orchids

20. Sleepy LaBeef

21. Brenda Lee

22. Jerry Lee Lewis

23. Smiley Lewis [see REVIEW]

24. Little Richard

25. Bob Luman

26. Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers

27. Carl Mann

28. Amos Milburn [see REVIEW]

29. Ella Mae Morse [see REVIEW]

30. Ricky Nelson

31. Carl Perkins

32. Roy Orbison

33. Lloyd Price

34. Piano Red (aka Dr. Feelgood) [see REVIEW]

35. Charlie Rich [see REVIEW]

36. Jack Scott

37. Shirley & Lee

38. The Treniers

39. Big Joe Turner [see REVIEW]

40. Conway Twitty

41. Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps

42. Rusty York [see REVIEW]

The Bear Family "Rockin' Rollin'" Series features:

1. Johnny Horton

2. Marvin Rainwater

3. Marty Robbins Vol.1

4. Marty Robbins Vol.2

5. Marty Robbins Vol.3

"Beautiful Girls". A Review Of The 1996 Film Now Reissued On A 2011 BLU RAY.

"…Let's Walk This World Together…"

A should-be-doing-more-than-this-with-his-life Willie Conway (Timothy Hutton) takes a wad of crumpled notes out of a beer glass - slurps down his last whiskey of the night and closes the lid on the bar's battered upright piano. With his dollar tips firmly wedged in his pockets, he then trudges through the cold streets of New York heading for the Port Authority building on 6th Avenue.
Onboard the Greyhound bus and bound for his hometown in Massachusetts, he looks out through the neon-reflected glass and ponders what lies ahead. First will be his slightly loony family (Robert Bright and David Arquette play his monosyllabic Dad and simpleton brother) and worse – a high-school reunion full of memories, achievers and awkward questions. The big city boy who left Hicksville in the dust finally returns triumphant...or maybe not…

But while the seasons change in snowbound Knight's Ridge – it seems little else does. Willie is met at the other end by his sorry-assed crew of former college buddies. Paul obsesses over his ex-vegetarian girlfriend Jan who is are now dating a meat-cutter (Michael Rapaport and Martha Plimpton) while his best buddy Tommy pushes a snow plough in suburban driveways which he quickly follows with some pushing of another man’s wife (Matt Dillon and Lauren Holly). Watching all of this from the sidelines is Maz Perlich as the permanently squinting hat-wearing Kev who doesn’t seem to want much from life except maybe a beer with his mates and a good hot meal - while the unexciting but steady Michael (Noah Emmerich) is a genuinely nice guy trying to hold down his job and keep his marriage together. Even Willie’s 13-year neighbour (a cleverly cast Natalie Portman) acts weird towards him – developing an instant crush on the thirtysomething to the point where she asks him to wait 6 years until she's 18 and they can "...walk the world together…" Willie is so confused about his place in life and women in general - at one point - it’s an offer he seriously considers…

Then there are the other side of the relationship coin – the town’s long-suffering women. Michael’s wife is Sarah (a lovely Anne Bobby) - who is ever understanding and supportive. In fact most of the ladies of the town seem to exude stoical patience - they simply sigh and put up with their men’s shortcomings and immaturity. Miro Sorvino’s character Sharon loves Matt Dillon’s character Tommy - but dies inside just once too often as he deposits his cockiness in someone else’s bed. Michael Rapaport’s character Paul festoons his walls with pictures of lingerie models because he is convinced they represent some kind of love nirvana – ladies who can do no wrong and bring only joy into your life simply because they’re "…beautiful girls".
The scene where Rosie O’Donnell bawls out the boys in a supermarket about obsessing over these fake fantasies in glossy magazines – is both brilliant and ball-breakingly funny. She makes a good point too. The boys do need to "...get a grip!"

And into this heady mix is thrown some genuine temptation – a visiting Uma Thurman who effortlessly knocks all the boys for six (even the faithful ones) as she wanders into their regular waterhole Stinky’s bar (Pruitt Taylor Vince). The habitual womaniser Tommy and smooth musician Willie fancy their chances with her – while the less-attractive boys just fancy her but would never have the nerve to do anything about it. There later follows some delicious dialogue moments - Hutton’s character half-heartedly wooing Thurman in the bar and ice-hut afterwards – and especially when Hutton is sparring with Natalie Portman about how she will grow up anyway and have a great life with her own memories to savour (even at 13 she showed extraordinary star quality and acting chops).

But when Willie's classy girlfriend Tracy finally flies in from New York to meet his family – she quietly wows them all. In fact they want to touch Willie to see how in God’s name he got this lucky – she’s a lawyer, she’s warm-hearted, she’s got the ‘boob thing’ going – Tracy is a catch and the clan Conway knows it (a lovely turn from Annabeth Gish). So Willie finally has to be mature now and decide…and on it goes to a wholly satisfying ending…

Directed by TED DEMME and written by SCOTT ROSENBERG - as you can see from the names above – this 1996 movie featured an extraordinarily good ensemble cast – and each of them given real meat to work with. It was popular at the time – effortless hip too – and is a smart choice for reissue on BR.

Transfer-wise - the BLU RAY picture is defaulted to fit the entire screen and is a vast improvement over the DVD (even if the opening credits to David A Stewart’s score contain a few scratches and glitches). Once it gets to the snowbound town – day or night – the clarity is lovely and blemish free and really adds to the film’s homely vibe. The outdoor sequences on the ice-rinks are particularly clear and eye-catching. It’s a damn shame there’s no extras though – a real let down.

To sump up - “Beautiful Girls” doesn’t really seem to be about anything in particular, but nonetheless you enjoy its company immensely. It’s like a good night out with the boys – or girls – or preferably both. “Beautiful Girls” is like life itself – enjoyable one moment – heartbreaking the next. It’s just working out which one to side with…

Recommended.

PS: Blink and you’ll miss it cameo is by JOHN SCURTI as a Greyhound Bus Ticket Dispenser at the beginning of the movie (barely gets 2 lines). He later became the leading character Kenny Shea in Denis Leary’s superlative “Rescue Me” TV series about New York firemen post 9/11.

“Breakfast At Tiffany’s”. A Review Of The 2011 BLU RAY Reissue.

Beautiful Blu Ray Picture Quality - But A Dreadfully Dated Film - Even With The Ethereally Beautiful Audrey Hepburn...

If you're a fan of "Breakfast At Tiffany's" then this 2011 BLU RAY reissue will knock your socks off. For the most part, the fully restored print is glorious to look at - even in the scenes where too much sepia shading is placed on the leads for effect. The outdoor sequences with Peppard and Buddy Epstein are faultless, full of colour and incredible detail (clothing, scenery) - and look like they were filmed yesterday. There's decent extras too (interviews with Director Edward Blake, members of the cast) and the dreadfully washed out old stock print used in the "Making Of" segment gives you a very good comparison as to just how improved the restored version really is.

But for me - that's where the good news ends. I watched this with my wife - and even with Audrey Hepburn exquisite throughout (especially on the balcony-outside-her-window scene where she is strumming her guitar and singing Mancini's famous theme song "Moon River") - the film is staggeringly dated - and at times terribly leaden. The party sequence in her New York apartment is awful - with square types trying to be cool. And the amount of times the word "darling" and "baby" is said will make you cringe and not giggle with affection. I can't help but think that Capote's novella about a socialite/hooker got seriously watered down into forced farce because that was an easier sell. And while George Peppard looks the handsome leading-man part - there's little real bite in him. The Chinaman impression by Mickey Rooney (even by Edwards own admission) is a derogatory mistake that rankers even to this day. But it's the vapid pointlessness of it all that leaves you cold. OK - Hepburn could light up any shot - even when she was overdoing the “darling” dialogue. But quite why this Sixties tosh is considered a classic is beyond me - because re-watching “Breakfast At Tiffany’s” in 2011 is a painfully strained experience – and not nearly as loveable or as romantic as you remember it to be.

The bottom-line is this - if you're a fan - or have any love for this 1961 kooky movie - then you NEED to own it on BLU RAY.

But if you're undecided - then I'd say rent it first – before a nostalgia urge costs you a purchase you’ll look at once and never watch again…

"Go For Your Guns" by THE ISLEY BROTHERS (2011 Big Break Records (BBR) 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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SOUL, FUNK and JAZZ FUSION - Exception CD Remasters  

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Big Break Records of the UK (part of Cherry Red) have a huge number of CD reissues focusing entirely on quality versions of Seventies and Eighties Soul, Funk, Disco and Fusion albums. I’ve reviewed over 30 (see list below) and each has been a revelation in terms of sound quality, presentation and bonuses - all top class. And this overlooked funky gem of an album from 1977 by the mighty Isley Brothers is no exception. Let’s gun for the details...

UK released 24 October 2011 – "Go For Your Guns" by THE ISLEY BROTHERS on Big Break Records CDBBR 0086 (Barcode 5013929038622) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster of the 1977 T-Neck Records LP with Three Bonus Tracks added on and plays out as follows (47:13 minutes):

1. The Pride (Part 1 & 2)

2. Footsteps In The Dark (Part 1 & 2)

3. Tell Me When You Need It Again (Part 1 & 2)

4. Climbin' Up The Ladder (Part 1 & 2)

5. Voyage To Atlantis

6. Livin' In The Life

7. Go For Your Guns

Tracks 1 to 7 are the album "Go For Your Guns" released March 1977 in the USA on T-Neck Records PZ 34432 and April 1977 in the UK on Epic Records EPC 86027. It reached Number 1 on the US R 'n' B charts (Number 6 on Pop) and hit Number 46 in the UK albums charts too.

BONUS TRACKS:

8. Voyage To Atlantis (Alternate Version)

9. The Pride (Part 1) (Single Version)

10. Voyage To Atlantis (Single Version)

The album produced 3 singles in the USA (2 in the UK) at the time of release and this CD (along with its predecessor "Harvest For The World") will allow fans to sequence those tracks as follows:

1. The Pride (Part I) b/w The Pride (Part II)

(USA – February 1977, T-Neck ZS8 2262

UK – May 1977, Epic S EPC 5105)

2. Livin' In The Life b/w Go For Your Guns

(USA - May 1977, T-Neck ZS8 2267

UK - March 1974, Philadelphia International S PIR 2178)

3. Voyage To Atlantis b/w So You Wanna Stay Down

(UK – July 1977, Epic S EPC 5443

USA – October 1977, T-Neck ZS8 2270

Note: USA B-side is "So You Wanna Stay Down" from the "Harvest For The World" album (1976), but the UK B-side is "Tell Me When You Need It Again (Part 1 & 2)" which is on the "Go For Your Guns" album)

The 12-page booklet has an informative interview conducted by SHELLEY NICOLE with Ernie and Ronald Isley featuring recollections by the late Marvin Isley. There is a track-by-track breakdown and the text is peppered with pictures of US 45's on T-Neck, colour photos of the band and a discography/credits section at the rear. It's very well done and the jewel case is one of those new rounded-corner affairs - very tasty. But the really great news is the SOUND...

As with other BBR releases - this remaster uses the 'original tapes' and has been carried out by WAYNE A. DICKSON at the BBR Studios with STUART WEST assisting in the Audio Research. The results are wonderful. Everything on here sounds amazing.

To the album itself... It's predecessor "Harvest For The World" from 1976 was all mellow and Soulful and even Gospel in its overall feel – "Go For Your Guns" basically wanted to boogie – party a bit – and then make its way back to your shagpad afterwards for a serious session between the sheets. So as a long-playing record "Go For Your Guns" has everything fans love about the band – great loverman ballads combined with funky floor fillers.

It opens with the Rock-Soul bass-slapping Funk of "The Pride" and it's irresistible (topped the R&B charts in the USA). Having had your dancing shoes scuffed, they then hit with the real deal – the nugget on this album – the gorgeous slow groove of "Footsteps In The Dark" (lyrics above). "The Pride" opener sounds huge – but its on "Footsteps" that you begin to really notice how good the remaster is – everything so clear – warm and properly soulful. It amazes me to this day that T-Neck didn’t release it as a single at the time – surely a Top 5 if not Number 1 contender? It finally turned up in 45-form in the US and UK - but as a B-side to "Groove With You" in 1978. Speaking of 45s…

As with so many of these expanded BBR editions – the inclusion of the 7" single edits are a genuine bonus. I often feel that too many Seventies Soul LPs had songs on them they knew to be winners – so they’d stretch them to seven, eight, nine, ten minutes…often overstaying their welcome. The single edits gave you the concise version – and delivered a far better punch. Though in honesty with both "The Pride" and "Voyage To Atlantis" – BOTH the album versions and single cuts are superb. You can also hear why the 'Alternate Version' of "Voyage To Atlantis" was canned – it's very good – but the released cut is far better – especially with Ernie's stunning guitar intro more pronounced.

To sum up – this is a superlative release and I can only hope that BBR tackle more on the T-Neck, Philly and CBS labels output – especially when they add on those 7" edits for collectors...

(BBR) Big Break Records CD Remasters I’ve reviewed to date:

1. Is It Still Good To Ya – ASHFORD and SIMPSON (1978)

2. Stay Free – ASHFORD and SIMPSON (1979)

3. Central Heating – HEATWAVE (1977)

4. Hot Property - HEATWAVE (1979)

5. Candles - HEATWAVE (1980)

6. Turnin' On - HIGH INERGY (1977)

7. Harvest For The World - THE ISLEY BROTHERS (1976)

8. Go For Your Guns - THE ISLEY BROTHERS (1977)

9. In The Heart – KOOL & THE GANG (1983)

10. I Hope We Get To Love On Time - MARILYN McCOO & BILLY DAVIS (1976)

11.  I Miss You - HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES (1972) [known as "Harold Melvin The Blue Notes" in the UK]

12. Black & Blue - HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES (1973)

13. Love Is The Message - MFSB (1973)

14. Universal Love – MFSB (1975)

15. All The Faces Of... - BUDDY MILES (1974)

16. For The First Time – STEPHANIE MILLS (1975)

17. I Can See Clearly Now - JOHNNY NASH (1972)

18. In Philadelphia - O'JAYS (1969)

19. Back Stabbers - O'JAYS (1972)

20. Ship Ahoy - O'JAYS (1973)

21. Down To Love Town – THE ORIGINALS (1977)

22. Ebony Woman - BILLY PAUL (1970 and 1973)

23. 360 Degrees Of Billy Paul - BILLY PAUL (1972)

24. War Of The Gods - BILLY PAUL (1973)

25. Platinum Hook – PLATINUM HOOK (1978)

26. Love For What It Is - ANITA POINTER (of The Pointer Sisters) (1987)

27. Live: Stompin’ At The Savoy – RUFUS and CHAKA KHAN (1983)

28. Summernights – SILVER CONVENTION (1977)

29. Smoked Sugar - SMOKED SUGAR (1975)

30. Spinners – SPINNERS (1973)

31. Soul Master – EDWIN STARR (1968)

32. Involved - EDWIN STARR (1971)

33. Switch - SWITCH (1978)

34 Watercolors – THE WATERS (1980)

35. Just As I Am - BILL WITHERS (1971)

36. Heartbeats – YARBROUGH & PEOPLES (1983)