"I Can See Clearly Now" by JOHNNY NASH [feat Bob Marley, Average White Band] (2011 Big Break Records (BBR) 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster with Two Bonus Tracks) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review Along With 100s Of Others Is Available in my

SOUNDS GOOD E-Book on all Amazon sites

SOUL, FUNK and JAZZ FUSION - Exception CD Remasters  

Just Click Below To Purchase for £3.95

Thousands of E-Pages - All Details and In-Depth Reviews From Discs 

(No Cut and Paste Crap)

"…Gone Are The Dark Clouds That Had Me Blind…"

Some confusion surrounds "I Can See Clearly Now" because it has the same name as a 1989 CBS 'Best Of' compilation that naughtily contained some unannounced re-recordings. This 2011 Big Break Records CD is not that compilation - it's a reissue of the original 1972 album with two bonus tracks added on. And the album quietly features both Bob Marley and members of Average White Band. Here are the less foggy details…

UK released 1 August 2011 - "I Can See Clearly Now" by JOHNNY NASH on Big Break Records CDBBR 0064 (Barcode 5013939036420) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster with Two Bonus Tracks and plays out as follows (42:43 minutes):

1. Stir It Up
2. That’s The Way We Get By
3. Guava Jelly
4. (It Was) So Nice While It Lasted 
5. Ooh Baby You've Been God To Me
6. You Poured Sugar On Me 
7. I Can See Clearly Now [Side 2]
8. Comma Comma
9. We’re All Alike
10. How Good It Is 
11. The Fish And The Alley Of Destruction
12. There Are More Questions Than Answers
Tracks 1 to 12 are the album "I Can See Clearly Now" - originally released July 1972 in the UK on CBS Records S CBS 64840 and on Epic Records KE 31607 in the USA. It peaked at number 39 and 23 on the Pop Charts in the UK and USA. 
[Note: Tracks 1 to 12 are the UK track list - the original US LP replaced "The Fish And The Alley Of Destruction" on Side 2 with "Cream Puff"]

BONUS TRACKS: 
13. Cream Puff - the non-album B-side of "Stir It Up" - originally the first 45 lifted off the album and a track included on the American LP version
14. Stir It Up (Single Mix) - a 2:18 minute remix and edit of the album version - Track 1 at 3:06 minutes

There were 4 x 7" singles issued in the UK and USA off the album at the time - this release will allow you to sequence all of them as follows:
1. Stir It Up [14] b/w Cream Puff [13] - released March 1972 in the UK on CBS Records CBS 7800 and May 1972 in the USA on Epic Records 5-10973
2. I Can See Clearly Now [7] b/w How Good It Is [10] - released 2 June 1972 in the UK on CBS Records CBS S 8113 and July 1972 in the USA on Epic 5-10902
3. There Are More Questions Than Answers [12] b/w Guava Jelly [3] - released September 1972 in the UK on CBS Records CBS S 8351 (unreleased in the USA)
4. Stir It Up [14] b/w Ooh Baby You've Been Good To Me [5] - reissue issued in the USA-only in January 1973 on Epic 5-10949

The 12-page booklet has thoroughly detailed and affectionate liner notes by CHRISTIAN JOHN WIKANNE with pictures of UK, US and European singles. A clever inclusion is the original Marty Pekar liner notes that appeared only on the back of the 'US' LP. Because the UK sleeve had neither credits nor an insert - it didn't highlight the extraordinary musician contributions that lay within - and some of these names went on to become huge (see below). But the very best news is the truly stunning SOUND. Remastered by ALAN WILSON at Western Star Studios from the 1st generation tapes with help from BBR's own WAYNE A. DICKSON - the audio quality is truly gorgeous and hits you straight in the solar-plexus the second the drum-whack of "Stir It Up" exits your speakers. Having had to endure years of lacklustre compilations - this is at last the real deal.

As already mentioned above, the album featured uncredited session-men and lesser-known writers. BOB MARLEY was one of them - he features in no less than five writing credits - "Stir It Up", "Guava Jelly", "Comma Comma", "Cream Puff" and a co-wrote with Nash on "You Poured Sugar On Me". Marley hadn't signed to Island Records just yet and was still being hawked around London by Nash as someone people should notice. In fact insiders and journalists of the time cited Johnny Nash as a major catalyst in Marley's global success that eventually came 3 years later in 1975 with his legendary "Live! At The Lyceum" set. It is also widely accepted that members of the backing band at the album sessions were THE WAILERS and even future members of the AVERAGE WHITE BAND. Marley would feature his own version of "Stir It Up" on his Island Records debut album "Catch A Fire" in April of the next year - 1973. Another contributor was sessionman and keyboardist JOHN 'RABBIT' BUNDRICK (had solo albums on Island in the mid Seventies) who wrote three tracks - "That's The Way We Get By", "We're All Alike" and "The Fish And The Alley Of Destruction". Unfortunately they're the weakest songs on here with "Fish" containing some truly cringing lyrics too.

If you think the heavyweight contributions would somehow overshadow Nash's own work - the exact opposite is the truth. Some of the best songs on the album are his. There's "(It Was) So Nice While It Lasted" - a bittersweet ballad with a superb vocal from him - "Ooh Baby You've Been Good To Me" - a chipper and fantastic dancer with great backing-group vocals and the Mellotron-laden "How Good It Is" - probably the most Seventies-Reggae sounding track of them all. Then there are the two huge singles - "I Can See Clearly Now" and "There Are More Questions Than Answers". While the Marley cover "Stir It Up" had aroused interest in Nash's new musical direction when it was released in March 1972, "I Can See Clearly Now" took the summer of that year by storm reaching Number 1 in the USA and 5 in the UK (lyrics above). Neither Reggae nor Soul - it was a strange hybrid of both and the public loved it. And I cannot stress enough how good the sound quality is on both of these gems - especially after years of naff compilations. If you have any love for these songs - then you need to hear them on this CD.

To sum up - it's not all genius for sure but this a great reissue of a criminally forgotten and ignored Reggae/Soul LP from the early Seventies and a timely nod to an artist who thoroughly deserves accolades galore. Buy it and enjoy…

PS: Big Break Records (BBR) CD Remasters I’ve reviewed to 2015:
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 Debut LP on Sussex/A&M Records)
36. Heartbeats – YARBROUGH & PEOPLES (1983)

-->

“Piece Of My Heart – The Best Of 1969-1978” by BONNIE BRAMLETT [feat Delaney, Eric Clapton] (2008 Raven CD Compilation of Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review Along With 500 Others Is Available In My

SOUNDS GOOD E-Book on all Amazon sites

CLASSIC 1970s ROCK On CD - Exception Remasters  

Just Click Below To Purchase for £3.95

Thousands of E-Pages - All Details and In-Depth Reviews From Discs 
(No Cut and Paste Crap)

"...Your Guitar Sounded So Sweet…"

Born Bonnie Lynn O’Farrell in Acton in Illinois, she met and married Delaney Bramlett from Pontotoc Count in Missouri in 1967 and thereafter the two Americans became professionally known as DELANEY and BONNIE. Separating in 1972, she pursued a solo career that’s still going to this day. This truly excellent 2008 CD compilation on Australia’s RAVEN label gives us 19 REMASTERED tracks across 5 labels and 9 albums – and it’s a peach.

There’s a lot on RVCD-290 – so let’s break in down (74:59 minutes):

1. Piece Of My Heart [a Bert Berns/Jerry Ragovoy song/Erma Franklin cover]
2. When The Battle Is Over [Traditional Song cover, arranged by Dr. John & Jesse Hill]
3. The Love Of My Man [An Ed Townshend song, Etta James cover]
4. Come On In My Kitchen [a Robert Johnson cover]
5. Groupie (Superstar) [a Delaney & Bonnie Bramlett/Leon Russell song]
6. Only You Know And I Know [Dave Mason cover (of Traffic)]
7. Able, Qualified And Ready [Leon Ware/Bonnie Bramlett song]
8. Crazy ‘Bout My Baby [Robert Mosley song]
9. Rollin’ [Marc Benno/Rita Coolidge/Tommy McClure/Dan Penn song]
10. The Sorrow Of Love [Daniel Moore cover]
11. (You Don’t Know) How Glad I Am [Jimmy Williams/Larry Harrison song]
12. Your Kind Of Kindness [D & B Bramlett/Jerry Allison/Dale Gilmore song]
13. Your Love Has Brought Me (A Mighty Long Way)
[Jackie Avery/Earl Simms/Carlton McWilliams writers]
14. Oncoming Traffic [Gregg Allman song]
15. Two Steps From The Blues
[John Riley Brown/Deadric Malone writers/a Bobby “Blue” Bland cover]
16. Forever Young [Bob Dylan cover]
17. Can’t Find My Way Home [Steve Winwood writer/Blind Faith cover]
18. The Flame Blinds The Moth [R A Martin song]
19. Memories [Bonnie Bramlett song]

Track 1 is from their debut album “Home”, issued March 1969 on Stax STS 2026 in the USA and Stax SXATS 1029 in the UK (pictured below)


Track 2 is from “Accept No Substitute - The Original Delaney & Bonnie”, issued July 1969 on Elektra EKS 74039 in both the USA and the UK (the UK issue is simply credited as “The Original Delaney & Bonnie”) (pictured below)



Track 3 is from “To Bonnie From Delaney”, issued in October 1970 on Atco SD33-341 in the USA and Atlantic 2400 029 in the UK (pictured below)


Track 4 is from “Motel Shot”, issued March 1971 on Atco SD33-358 in the USA and on Atlantic 2400 119 in the UK (pictured below)


Tracks 5 and 6 are from “D & B Together”, issued April 1972 on Columbia KC 31377 in the USA and CBS S 64959 in the UK (pictured below)


Tracks 7 to 11 are from “Sweet Bonnie Bramlett”, issued 1973 on Columbia KC 31786 in the USA and CBS S 65001 in the UK (pictured below)


Tracks 12 to 14 are from “It’s Time”, issued February 1975 on Capricorn CP 0148 in the USA and Capricorn 2429 125 in the UK (pictured below)


Tracks 15 to 16 are from “Lady’s Choice”, issued 1976 on Capricorn CP 0169 in the USA and Capricorn 2429 145 in the UK (pictured below)


Tracks 17 to 19 are from “Memories”, issued 1978 on Capricorn CP 0199 in the USA and Capricorn 2429 162 in the UK

[TRACKS 1 to 3 are credited to DELANEY and BONNIE; Tracks 4 to 6 are credited to DELANEY and BONNIE and FRIENDS; Tracks 7 to 19 are credited to BONNIE BRAMLETT]

Formerly one of Ike Turner’s Ikettes, Bonnie Bramlett had a Janis Joplin voice and an equal love of blues, R’n’B and soul. With Delaney Bramlett (a member of the 60’s group The Shindogs), they met, married and then recorded that vibe live in the studio to keep it real. This fused their love of black music with white man’s rock producing what is arguably a hugely influential variant which we now take for granted – a sort of white boy’s soul. Along the way, they amassed a huge number of high-profile rock alumni referred to on the albums as “& FRIENDS” – they included Eric Clapton, Duane and Gregg Allman, Bobby Charles, Bobby Keys of The Stones, Rita Coolidge, Leon Russell, Bobby Whitlock, Little Richard, Eddie Hinton, Dave Mason of Traffic, Dickie Betts and many more – even the Average White Band and Lowell George of Little Feat played on her funky 1973 solo debut “Sweet Bonnie Bramlett” (both are uncredited).

The set‘s been compiled by KEITH GLASS and PETER SHILLITO and the 12-page liner notes have photos, album details and reminiscences from the great lady herself. But the really good news is the SUPERB SOUND – far better than any of the former issues of their material (some of the earlier tracks do have high hiss levels – undoubtedly on the tapes – but the rest are fabulous). It really is a genuine blast to finally hear these great tunes given the sonic makeover they’ve always deserved (remastered by WARREN BARNETT at Raven).

The music veers from fast to slow – and as a listen – the compilation is blindingly good. Highlights include the 60’s sounding “Able, Qualified & Ready” coming over like a more ballsy Staple Singers and the truly fantastic sound quality on the funky “Crazy ‘Bout My Baby”. Keeping it uptempo is the fab Jack Avery 1970 gem on Capricorn “Your Love Has Brought Me (A Mighty Long Way)”, which was made famous by Wilson Pickett on his 1971 Atlantic album “Don’t Knock My Love”. Gregg Allman puts in a career-best soulful duet vocal on “Two Steps From The Blues”, while Dave Mason’s “Only You Know And I Know” is a fantastic mid tempo rocker too (covered to superb effect by Joan Osbourne in 2002). “Groupie (Superstar)” has been done by loads of people including most memorably by The Carpenters as “Superstar” in 1971. There’s so much more too…

It’s rare that you come to a compilation and enjoy “all” of it – and could easily chew up Volume Two – but “Piece Of My Heart…” is such a collection. I’ve been listening to it for weeks now - a great job done. Buy with confidence - and big time recommended.