"Twin Sons Of A Different Mother/Phoenix" by DAN FOGELBERG [and TIM WEISBERG] (2011 Beat Goes On 2CD Remasters of Albums From 1978 and 1979) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Once I Was A Man Alone...Time To Carry On…"

I purchased these superb sounding Dan Fogelberg 2CD reissues by Beat Goes On Records of England way back and have been meaning to review them ever since. I’ve covered Volume 1 “Home Free” (1972) / “Souvenirs” (1974) and Volume 2 “Captured Angel” (1975) / ”Nether Lands” (1977) in separate reviews.

UK released 12 December 2011 - "Twin Sons Of Different Mothers/Phoenix" by DAN FOGELBERG on Beat Goes On BGOCD 1021 (Barcode 5017261210210) is Volume 3 in this series of Beat Goes On 2CD Remasters and Reissues. 

While "Phoenix" is a DAN FOGELBERG solo LP - the "Twin Sons" set is credited to DAN FOGELBERG and TIM WEISBERG. This British 2CD Reissue plays out as follows...

Disc 1 (34:44 minutes):

1. Twins Theme [Side 1]

2. Intimidation

3. Lazy Susan

4. Guitar Etude No. 3

5. Tell Me To My Face

6. Hurtwood Alley [Side 2]

7. Lahaina Luna

8. Paris Nocturne

9. Since You’ve Asked

10. The Power Of Gold

Tracks 1 to 10 are his 5th album “Twin Sons Of Different Mothers” [credited with Jazz Flautist TIM WEISBERG] first issued September 1978 in the USA on Full Moon JE 35339 and in the UK on Epic EPC 82774.

Disc 2 (42:52 minutes):

1. Tullamore Dew [Side 1]

2. Phoenix

3. Gypsy Wind

4. The Last To Know

5. Face The Fire

6. Wishing On The Moon [Side 2]

7. Heart Hotels

8. Longer

9. Beggar’s Game

10. Along The Road

Tracks 1 to 10 are his 6th LP first issued December 1979 in the USA on Full Moon Records PE 35634 and in the UK on Epic EPC 83317.

Like the other reissues in this superb series - the 16-page booklet is excellent – all artwork reproduced, the lyrics to both albums, full credits - and comes complete with new liner notes in this case by noted writer JOHN O’REGAN. With the outer card wrap – it’s a classy presentation. But the big news for fans is the fabulous remasters. ANDREW THOMPSON at Sound Mastering in London has done the deed (he’s handled large numbers of BGO’s reissues) and his transfers on this 2CD set are beautifully handled. On to the music…

I can still recall the shock of “Twin Sons…” Having done 4 albums of Eagles-type singer-songwriter fare – Fogelberg went Instrumental and probably scared the crap out of his loyal fans. Excluding an acoustic/string ditty here and there – most of the 7 instrumentals on the 10-track LP are Flute Driven Jazz Fusion of sorts – a little like Jeff Beck’s “Blow By Blow” or “Wired” but without the lead guitars. One of the three vocal performances “The Power Of Gold” even became a minor US 7” single hit (features Don Henley on barely perceptible backing vocals). Beautifully produced - it was given a Half Speed Mastered Vinyl LP reissue in the Eighties. So it’s not surprising that the CD remaster here is breathtaking. I only wish I could say that the album warrants it because for me “Twin Sons…” has always been a failed curio. Some of the tracks are interesting for sure (like “Intimidation”) - but there are no real songs on here. But if "Twin Sons" is three stars then Fogelberg more than made up for it when he returned in 1979 with what is easily his most accomplished all-rounder album - the five-star “Phoenix”…

Opening with a fantastic double-whammy of the pretty acoustic instrumental “Tullamore Dew” – it launches into the long rocking “Phoenix (lyrics above). The trio of gorgeous soft ballads “Gypsy Wind”, “Heart Hotel” and especially “Longer” were tailor-made for Radio and not surprisingly “Longer” became a hit single for him in January 1980 (reached Number 2 on the Pop charts). But I’ve always felt that the album finisher “Along The Road” is a true Dan Fogelberg masterpiece – haunting to this day. And having lived with the crappy Eighties American CD all these years – I can’t stress enough how good this 2011 remaster has made the album sound. Wonderful…

He would really open out with “The Innocent Age” double in 1981 (featuring a rare duet vocal appearance by Joni Mitchell on the track "Nexus"). In the meantime - this beautiful-sounding 2CD reissue (along with the others) does his musical legacy proud...

"Seed Of Memory" by TERRY REID. A Review Of His 4th Album From 1976 Now Remastered Onto CD In 2004 (Reissued 2013) by Beat Goes On.

This review is part of my Series "SOUNDS GOOD: Exceptional CD Remasters 1970s Rock And Pop" 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:

                       http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00LQKMC6I

Originally released on CD in May 2004 - this September 2013 reissue (again on the excellent Beat Goes On label) gives me a damn good excuse to review this cool and overlooked nugget of an album.

The vinyl LP was originally released June 1976 in the UK on ABC Records ABCL 5162 (ABCD-935 in the USA) and was his 4th label outing. His 1968 US debut LP on Epic "Bang Bang You're Terry Reid" and the UK follow up on Columbia "Terry Reid" from 1969 marked his more rocking side - while the mellow and slinky "River" from 1973 on Atlantic is more akin to what you get here.

Living in the USA at the time - his buddy GRAHAM NASH produced and brought on board an array of West Coast top players for "Seed Of Memory". Names like DAVID LINDLEY, AL PERKINS and TIM WEISBERG give the proceedings a very Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young feel with a little Boz Scaggs "Silk Degrees" and Neil Young's "On The Beach" thrown in for good measure (if that makes sense).

Reid famously turned down the lead vocalist spot in both Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple - and why they wanted him is in evidence here - his raspy pipes in full-on Eddie Hinton/Frankie Miller mode. All tracks are self-penned and it's mellow one moment, sexy the next and so on. The languid acoustic strumming of "Brave Awakening" feels like a mid-Seventies CSYN or Graham Nash song while "The Way You Walk" is the lone rocker - feeling like Neil Young let loose in the studio (great stuff). And his ability to pen a moving and plaintive ballad goes all the way back to his first US 45 "Mayday" (off "Terry Reid") on Epic 10498 which is fabulous stuff - that skill reappears on one of the album's undoubted highlights "To Be Treated Rite". Silly spelling of 'right' notwithstanding - it feels huge even now - acoustics and strings swirling around with a lonesome Bob Dylan harmonica refrain too (lyrics from it title this review).

ABC tried a 7" single by issuing the wonderfully funky Rock/Soul/Reggae vibe of "Ooh Baby (Make Me Feel So Young)" backed with "Brave Awakening" on the B in August 1976 on ABC 4137 - but it tanked despite being such a good track and as commercial as anything around at the time. "The Frame" is slinky Steely Dan/Boz Scaggs territory with lovely brass fills. At first the 7:21 minutes of the album finisher "Fooling You" feels overly long and slightly schmoozy but it works it ways into you - especially the gorgeous harmony vocals with Nash and James Brown's main man Fred Wesley floating in on some lovely horn. So why don't you know about this record? ABC ran into financial difficulties soon after the album was released and "Seed" never received the due plug it deserved (the terrible cover artwork didn't help either). And its been kind of underground ever since..

It doesn't say who remastered this Beat Goes On CD on BGOCD619 (43:15 minutes) - but the sound is really great - so well done - full of power and never compressed. It was superbly produced in 1976 anyway - but the remaster has brought that out big time.

Reid made another album for Capitol in 1979 called "Rogue Waves" (also re-issued in 2004 by BGO) and then a WEA album in 1991 called "The Driver" (which features a storming cover of the old Sixties fave "Gimme Some Loving"). Since then its been occasional live appearances to adoring audiences.

A cracking good album that you will return to again and again and make you want to track down everything he's ever done.
This is a good place to start that journey...