“Go Away Little Boy – The Sass & Soul Of…” by MARLENA SHAW. A Review of the 1999 Columbia/Legacy CD Compilation.

“…Oh Baby…This Time I’m Gonna Be Sweeter…”

Here’s the breakdown (64:10 minutes):

1. Yu-Ma/Go Away Little Boy [co-written with Gerry Goffin and Carole King]
2. I Think I’ll Tell Him
3. Rhythm Of Love
4. Moonrise
5. I Wonder
6. Shaw Biz/Suddenly It’s How I’d Like To Feel/Shaw Biz (Reprise)
7. I’m Back For More
8. Sweet Beginnings [Leon Ware cover]
9. More [Marlena Shaw song]
10. Walk Softly [Van McCoy cover]
11. No One Yet [Marlena Shaw song]
12. Pictures And Memories
13. Love Dancin’ [Linda Clifford/Gladys Knight cover]
14. Touch Me In The Morning [Diana Ross cover]

Tracks 1, 2, 8, 10 and 12 are from the album “Sweet Beginnings”, 1977 on US Columbia 34458
Tracks 3, 4, 5, 7 and 9 are from the album “Acting Up”, 1978 on US Columbia 35073
Tracks 6, 11, 13 and 14 are from the album “Take A Bite”, 1979 US Columbia 35632



This April 1999 Columbia/Legacy CD was compiled by LEO SACHS and has detailed liner notes by BARRY WALTERS. The original master tapes were remastered by TOM RUFF at the Sony Music Studios in the USA and the sound is sweet – really clear – very little hiss on any of the songs - punchy when it needs to be - subtle and soft too when the strings kick in. In fact, it's typical of the high standard across most of the LEGACY range.

Musically this is very Studio 56/Philadelphia International territory – and despite the “sass” in the subtitle - this compilation is often very mellow. There are funky floor filling tunes on here like “Sweet Beginnings”, “More”, “Pictures And Memories” and “No One Yet” which late Seventies Three Degrees, Isaac Hayes, Gladys Knight and Ronn Matlock fans will love. Highlights also include the witty and perceptive “get out of my life – oh no – come back” lyrics of the opener “Yu-Ma/Go Away Little Boy”, while the lovely bedroom ballad “Moonrise” features sweet Alto Sax fills by SELDON POWELL. It should also be noted that “Touch Me In The Morning” is the ultra-rare full-length 12” disco mix at 7:19 minutes. And although it doesn’t state it on the rear sleeve either, the Linda Clifford cover of “Love Dancin’” is the rare 12”extended version at 7:56 minutes also – two big draws for those who like their club classics.

Part disco, part soul diva, part jazz-vocal and very Seventies – there’s a lot on here to enjoy – and Shaw’s vocals are a discovery worth making.

“Go Away Little Boy” is a really good compilation culled from 3 hard-to-find albums (pictured above).

“Hill Of Thieves” by CARA DILLON. A Review of the January 2009 Folk CD.

"...His Children Came Around Him With Their Verses And Their Stories
Their Verses And Stories - To Drive Cares Away..."

I'll throw in my Dublin/Irish tuppence worth and say that this is a truly gorgeous album - probably one of the loveliest listens I've had pass by my weary ears in yonks.

I've been aware of Northern Ireland’s Cara Dillon (she's from Dungiven in County Derry) for some time now. On her lovely "Cara Dillon" debut album in 2001, she did a cover version of a particular favourite of mine - "Black Is The Colour". It was a piano-led/guitar folk take on the famous ballad and it was brilliant. And that delicate as silk voice too - I thought - now here's a talent.

With "Hill Of Thieves" she realizes all of that potential. She also settles down and goes for the full-on-folk album - and like Kate Rusby - or even Andrea Corr - she knocks you sideways with the beauty of her voice and the clever choices of interpreted Traditional Airs (all bar the opener "Hill Of Thieves" are Traditional Songs arranged and interpreted by both Cara Dillon and her husband/keyboardist Sam Lakeman).

Another fave of mine is "Spencer The Rover", which I first heard covered by JOHN MARTYN on his wonderful "Sunday's Child" album on Island in early 1975 (lyrics above). Cara Dillon does a very different take on it, and for me it's 'the' highlight on here. With his tragic loss still fresh in our minds, I think Iain David McGeachy would give this version a great big Scottish nod - it's gorgeous - it really, really is.

Also worth nothing is that while Sam Lakeman plays on all the tracks and co-arranges all the songs; SETH LAKEMAN duets with her on "Spencer" - and also plays Tenor Guitar and fiddle on the tune. And that would be my only complaint about the album - is that when Dillon and Seth Lakeman duet - there's a perfect harmony magic that takes place - and I only wish there was more of it on here. Only on the one track I'm afraid.

Cara also does a serenely peaceful version of the Londonderry Air "She Moved Through The Fair" while "Jimmy Mo Mile Stor" sounds like a great Planxty/Bothy Band reel - with perfectly complimentary Flutes and Uileann Pipes. Made me tingle and think of home.

If you're new to the lady and her gentle magic, then prepare to punish that credit-crunched plastic of yours again in the next few weeks - because you'll want every album she's ever done after buying this...

Lovely stuff.

"A Nod To Bob – An Artists' Tribute To Bob Dylan On His Sixtieth Birthday" by VARIOUS (2001 Red House Records CD Compilation) - A Review by Mark Barry...

1. Love Minus Zero/No Limit by ELIZA GILKYSON
2. Sweetheart Like You
by GUY DAVIS and THE HIGH FLYING ROCKETS [feat LEVON HELM of THE BAND on Drums]
3. Clothes Line Saga by SUZZY and MAGGIE ROCHE
4. Girl Of The North Country by JOHN GORKA
5. Delia by SPIDER JOHN KOERNER and DAVE RAY
6. I Want You by CLIFF EBERHARDT
7. All Along The Watchtower by TOM LANDA and THE PAPERBOYS
8. Dieu á Nos Cotés (With God On Our Side) by HART-ROUGE
9. Boots of Spanish Leather by MARTIN SIMPSON
10. Restless Farewell by NORMAN BLAKE and PETER OSTROUSHKO
11. It Ain't Me Babe by LUCY KAPLANSKY
12. Pledging My Time by GREG BROWN
13. Tomorrow Is A Long Time by ROSALIE SORRELS
14. [Spoken Intro To] Don't Think Twice, It's All Right [Leads into 15]
15. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right by RAMBLIN' JACK ELLIOTT

"...My Love…He Laughs Like The Flowers…"

Released in May 2001 on Red House Records to tie in with his 60th birthday, there's a bunch of reasons why this 14-track compilation of Bob Dylan cover versions 'so' works.

First up is the clever choice of songs - almost all of them avoid the usual suspects - there's not a single tune off "Blood On The Tracks" - yet more than a few of these artists would probably give blood to a vampire rather than part with their original copy of it. Nothing from "Desire", "Oh Mercy", "Love & Theft", "Nashville Skyline" - not even a "Knocking On Heaven's Door"!! And yet - their very obscurity makes the songs such a refreshing listen - it's like somebody finally finding the magic in them.

Then there are the artists themselves - outside of fairly knowledgeable circles, most of these names will be complete unknowns to the casual buyer - and yet all of them put in extraordinary performances of what is - let's face it - overly familiar material. And yet perhaps because they're "not" a famous name that it makes their interpretations such a sweet listen and discovery. Most have fantastic voices and each track is beautifully recorded. I'm reminded of "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" - that sense of rediscovery - "A Nod To Bob" is similar - a cross between US Folk and Americana - done really well.

And last is the way they interpret Dylan's songs. Most avoid the 8-minute lyric workouts that now sound slightly trite and tiresome and instead opt for his more straightforward love songs. The jaunty pop of "I Want You" from "Blonde On Blonde" is completely transformed by Cliff Eberhardt into a slow pleading love ballad - and it's brilliant. In fact most of the versions on here are acoustic - breaking down the song and bringing out what was latent in the originals - the lovely melody. You throw in Dylan's poignant lyrics and you're on a winner.

Negatives - some might feel the French Cajun feel to "Dieu A Nos Cotes" (With God On Our Side) is too much and the one real clinker for me is "Delia" - a song not written by Dylan but more famously associated with Johnny Cash. It doesn't work at all. But so many others do. The black and bluesy voice of Gary Davis imbibes the truly lovely "Sweetheart Like You" from "Infidels" with such tenderness - really great - and Greg Brown's "Pledging My Time" from 1966's "Blonde On Blonde" is probably the closest of them all to the original - it boogies along in a bluesy way like an Eric Bibb shuffle or EC circa "461 Ocean Boulevard".

The 20-page booklet allows each artist space to explain their choice - the record label has given the great man a two-page letter of appreciation - and there's a card wrap on the outside - giving the whole project a classy feel.

Most will yawn at the idea of yet another tribute to Bob Dylan - but even those who don't like him at all will find something beautiful in here. "A Nod To Bob" is easily one of the most captivating and lovely listens I've heard in years and accomplishes that rarest of things - it properly compliments the great man and his unparalleled body of work.

If you want an audio taste of the music - try "Love Minus Zero/No Limits" by ELIZA GILKYSON or JOHN GORKA'S quiet version of "Girl From The North Country" - both are available as snippet-listens on iTunes.

Lovely, lovely, lovely... Highly recommended.

“The Black Balloon”. A Review Of The Elissa Down Film on DVD (Released in Australia in March 2008).

"...another man's Hell."

As 50-year old parents of an 18-year Autistic son, the better half and I sat down to watch "The Black Balloon" with an open mind. She thought it was honest, true to life and moving - I thought it was brutal, clinically exploitive and deeply hurtful to those of us who actually have to live with - and grow old with - this difficult condition.

First up - Autism doesn't sell - so the cover of the DVD slyly tries to pan it off as a teenage love story - when most of movie is dominated by the lead character's Autistic brother whose inappropriate, but unintentional outbursts make life for him, his parents and their family - a living hell.

This is an Icon Production - Mel Gibson's company - and I've found his movies bludgeon you over the head in order to extract emotion. If he can't gore it up, he'll hurt it up. As other reviewers have pointed out, the brother's behaviour is wild (rubbing excrement into the carpet, punch outs at home, tantrums in supermarkets) - some of which does happen, but most doesn't. No experienced parents would take their son to such situations precisely because it will precipitate such behaviour - these film parents are conveniently clueless - and that just doesn't wash. Then there's the horrific cruelty of the Australian school kids and neighbours - again all of it so over the top as to beggar belief.

But the worst scene is after a particularly horrific home incident, the special needs brother Charlie (played by Luke Ford) supposedly apologises in sign language to his brother Thomas (played by Rhys Wakefield) - this just wouldn't happen. It is precisely because of Autism that Charlie would never make this cognitive leap - and in the real world - it's in this maddening knowledge - that lies so much hurt for siblings. Your brother doesn't progress - your sister doesn't get any better - and most people - including the authorities - couldn't give a toss. But this is a film - and after all that battering-ram stuff - the makers must offer you some hope...

Autism has been used in movies before - and to some good effect; "Mercury Rising" with Bruce Willis and most famously Dustin Hoffman as the Savant in "Rain Man". But these were simplistic versions of the condition without any of the really nasty self-injurious stuff and effect on the family. "The Black Balloon" seems to want to bludgeon you over the head with only the gross stuff- and then somehow arrive at a magical point of tolerance at the end. The real world, however, is slightly different.

It's not all grim of course - it isn't. There's a moment of extraordinary tenderness and one of the best 'growing up' sexy scenes I've ever seen. The gorgeous Gemma Ward plays Jackie (legs as long as the M1 motorway and a face the camera adores) who fancies the slightly odd she suspects brave Thomas (constantly defending his brother). Along with all the other swimmers, they are at a school safety exercise lesson lying down by the poolside; she leans over him in her dripping swimsuit to administer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation as per her instructor. He has his eyes shut - supposedly drowned. She has to apply mouth-to-mouth - up and down - blowing in air. The way the sunlight catches her wet hair - the drops falling on him - the proximity of such loveliness - the lips that nearly touch, but can't because people are watching - it's beautifully done - really ace stuff...

Also on the up side is Luke Ford's performance as the Autistic Charlie - his mannerisms are very good and at times uncomfortably accurate - our boy displays some of the same. Erik Thompson and Toni Collette are gripping as the parents trying to cope and keep their family together.

I'm not adverse to a difficult watch worth the difficulty, but I found this movie strangely exploitive - and for all the wrong reasons. I'll admit that anything that hurts children - especially special needs children - makes me wince and rage - so perhaps my opinion of the movie simply can't be anything other than biased. My wife thought it was brilliant - finally exposing the pain and difficulty parents of special needs children have to go through. I on the other hand would smash Mel Gibson over the head with a mallet...

One review on the DVD box tells us the movie is "...life-affirming..." and "...a sheer delight..." Absolute balls.

Make up your own mind folks. As ever, "One man's Heaven is..."

“The Band’s Visit”. A Review of the 2007 Israeli Film on DVD.

“It’s The Sound Of The Water And The Waves…You Can Hear The Whole World…Like A Symphony…”

When the blue-uniformed Egyptian police band 'The Alexandria Ceremonial Orchestra' gets lost in small town Israel on its way to an Arab cultural centre where they're supposed to play, it sets the scene for personal and ideological differences to be tested and turned around - and the results are both achingly funny and truly life-affirming. "The Band's Visit" has clocked up over 35 International Awards and having enjoyed every rather lovely and quirky minute of it, I can easily see why it's captured the hearts of so many.

Tewfiq - the regimental, guarded and awkward 65-year old bandleader - is played with truly stunning restraint by veteran Arab actor SASSON GABAI - who in turns strikes up an unlikely relationship with the town’s feisty and vibrant 35-year old café owner Dina - played with relish and gusto by the gorgeous RONIT ELKABETZ – an actress who lights up the screen every second she’s on it (both are pictured below). This woman has a choker of gold around her ankle and her toenails are painted – any interesting man who comes to her ‘dead’ town had better watch out. Tewfiq is an interesting man – despite their huge age difference. But he’s also the sort of old school gentleman who will open a door for a lady, but won’t answer her probing personal questions – even if love ‘is’ on the cards…

The orchestra of 8 has its youngest member in the womanizing romantic that is Halib - played by the handsome SALEH BAKRI. The scene where he sings “My Funny Valentine” to a pretty receptionist behind a glass protection panel at the airport is both hilarious and touching.

In some respects not a lot happens in “The Band’s Visit” – hours pass, backgammon is played, roads lined with thousands of overhanging streetlights stretch out for miles in either direction without a car every bothering the shimmering tarmac. A fork falls on the kitchen floor, someone clips a moustache, a hat is hung over a picture of a tank so as not to offend. But then – against all this boredom and monochrome existence – you’re hit with scenes of unexpected tenderness. There’s a local lad waiting all night by the town callbox for his girlfriend to call. The shy and awkward band member played superbly by KHALIFA MATOUR sitting on the bed of the family who have offered him overnight accommodation; he’s watching their baby boy sleep - when he suddenly gets the notes in his head to finish that concerto for clarinet he’s been writing but sadly never finished. His face as he realizes his dream. Or in the local dancehall, the impossibly awkward and shy lad Papi - who wants an equally awkward and equally shy girl - is helped by the woman-knowing Halib – it’s as funny and as tender as cinema gets – truly fantastic stuff (all three are pictured below).


Alongside the silences is the other character - Music - and its ability to break down barriers, bring people together, dissipate awkward situations. It features heavily throughout the film and it gives the piece its emotional heart. The father of the family who sings Gershwin’s “Summertime” at the dinner table and all the religions join in; the pop music on the radio in the car breaking the silence for the youngsters as they drive through Saturday night; the band practising an Arabic lullaby in the warm evening air outside the town café…

But there’s better than that. There are about five scenes with Tewfiq and Dina where their discussions about men and women and marriage and children – are just electrifying – and its easy to see why so many of those International Film Awards were for the screenplay which the Writer/Director ERAN KOLIRIN freely admits took 9 years to perfect. Dina is lonely despite her vivaciousness and Tewfiq has deep hidden pain. When Gabai and Elkabetz are together, they’re dialogue and interaction really are something else – both of them rising to the great material. (His discussion about fishing being the most ‘important thing in the world’ gives this review its title).

If you were to highlight downsides, they’d only be minor niggles - the entire end credits rolling up in front of you are in Arabic and not in English so you can’t understand a single word - nor know who did what. And in the Special Features Section - the Photo Gallery pictures many of the actors without telling us Westerners who they are. Sloppy. However, these are countered by a lovely 20-minute “Making Of The Fairy Tale” featurette, which has interviews with the director, the music editor HABIB SHADAD and the principal actors - and is both warm and very illuminating.


With Arabs and Jews, Palestinian and Israeli artists all making this movie together - “The Band’s Visit” is Israeli cinema coming of age and something of a cultural milestone. It’s about music and love and made with the same. Eran Kolirin has produced a little gem out of all that political mayhem and personal demarcation – and he and his crew should be rightly proud of it.

Like “Caramel” and “The Namesake”, this is a foreign film that does not dwell on the extinction of life, but the living of it. I was deeply moved.

Put “Bikur Ha-Tizmoret” or “The Band’s Visit” high on your rental/to buy list – highly recommended.

“The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen” - Terry Gilliam's Movie. A Review of the 2008 BLU-RAY Edition.

Sometimes you despair. A new format is trust upon us - and an opportunity is presented to the movie industry to finally to do the business by their classics - and what do they do - they give us the same old dull stock and rip us off by getting us to pay more for it.

Twenty years on, Terry Gilliam's 1989 fantasy epic is still extraordinary - inventive, funny, touching, and on a scale few movies today would even dare to go near. Unfortunately, the 2008 transfer of it to the new format is more Blur-Ray than Blu-Ray. And while it's not awful all the way through - it's not far off it. For large parts of the film there's grain and blocking - the colours in some instances are better for sure - but it's also obvious that little or no restoration has been done to the print - when like "Time Bandits" - here is a fantasy film that is crying out for a clean up - and would surely have been much more commercially viable if it had been cleaned up - and a big deal made of it (even a re-launch in the cinemas?).

The extras mimic the special edition DVD issue - reviewed elsewhere - nothing great.

When you see "Cool Hand Luke" or "Zulu" or "2001: A Space Odyssey" on BLU RAY, the clean up work is immediately apparent and evident throughout the entire film - making them an enjoyable 'spot-the-difference' experience for the whole duration. But you know you're in trouble with "Munchausen" the second the washed out "Columbia" logo comes up at the beginning - I've seen crinkled videotape look better than this. What a huge disappointment and what a disservice to a really great fantasy film. I can only think of the gobsmacking beauty of Uma Thurman as she appears in a seashell to cheer myself up...

Unfortunately this release is why Amazon reviews are necessary. Avoid this overly expensive poor reissue unless you absolutely have to own it...

“Flashbacks Of A Fool”. A Review Of The 2008 Film on DVD.

“I Would Do Anything For You…I Would Walk A Thousand Miles…Read You My Secrets…”

Having just had a threesome with two luscious naked babes in the silk sheets of his bedroom (itself the size of Terminal 5) and having just stuffed up his hooter enough pharmaceuticals to paralyse the entire population of Vancouver, Daniel Craig then stands on the balcony of his multi-million-dollar Malibu home overlooking the Pacific ocean in his linen strides – and sighs – where did it all go wrong???

Some people think it started here…because some folks have asked how this film even got made. Reactions to “Flashbacks Of A Fool” have been very mixed – some calling it utter tosh - while others have been deeply moved by it and awarded it 5 stars. Personally I enjoyed the movie immensely – not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination - but there was an awful lot in “Flashbacks Of A Fool” to enjoy and nice to see a varied troupe of young and more experienced actors given real meat to work with – and rising to it – all are uniformly excellent.

Freed of the acting constraints of Bond, Craig is a revelation - fantastically different as the fading Joe Scott. All twitchy, needy and in his late 40’s, Joe is a one-time famous movie star who has lived his life to excess at all times and is now growing ever more dependent on his bored black maid and packets of powder from visiting white ‘friends’. Joe Scott is all egomania and awash in the nasty distant side of himself that goes with addiction and endlessly appeased self-praise.

Then he receives some news from his ageing mum (Olivia Williams) by long distance phonecall. His young adolescent past – especially his relationship with a compliant mate called Boots (understatedly played by Max Deacon) are now coming back to haunt him. As well as Boots - whom he left in the dust so that young Joe Scott (played by a superb and visually similar Harry Eden - pictured with Craig below) could seek fame and fortune in the USA - there are also intense feelings for his first true love - Ruth Davies - played by the lovely Felicity Jones - and how he eventually treated Ruth…


Other actors include Mark Strong who has a great piece as Joe’s now impatient Hollywood agent - and the actress Eve who plays her character Ophelia Franklin, Joe’s ever-supportive but wary maid convincingly well. Jodhi May is also superb as Evelyn, a friend to Joe’s mum who is always in the Scott family kitchen with her lustful married eye on the sexually naïve, but handsome and lithe young Joe.

There’s also a particularly brilliant sequence - which many have already commented on – where young Ruth and Young Joe are dancing to Roxy Music’s “If There Is Something” from the band’s 1972 debut album “Roxy Music” (lyrics above). As young Ruth places the needle into track three of Side One, we see the pink-rim palm-tree Island label of an original vinyl LP pressing…and off she goes. She sings the words and mimes the movements of Bryan Ferry. Young Joe follows suit - falling hopelessly in love - under her magic spell - and loosing him self to a moment that will haunt him for the rest of his makeup bound life. Although its just them dancing to a Seventies song - the lyrics and the music make it intensely moving - and nostalgic too – and all of it imbibed with men’s inexplicable love for Bowie and Roxy Music and Mott The Hoople and T.Rex and…well, any music from that magical period really (Felicity Jones as Ruth and her older self played by Claire Forlani are pictured below).


The story then goes on to teenage lust, family squabbling and a terrible tragedy that wasn’t avoided by a busy-body old neighbour who’s shouting wasn’t heard (played to perfection by Miriam Karlin)…

Although the ‘flashback” sequence is very long – I thought it was brilliantly realised – especially young Joe’s awakening to the effect he has on the opposite sex – which of course is carried on into his film star years as Daniel Craig character. And although he’s a bit of an obnoxious git really and therefore difficult to like – Craig to his credit plays his character true all he way – whether he grows or not. There’s also a very satisfactory reconciliation scene with an emotionally blocked, but still very beautiful Claire Forlani…the grown-up Ruth.

Written and Directed by Baillie Walsh, the cinematography also features lovely South Australian locations dubbing as Summertime coastal Britain and original music by Richard Hartley in between the 70’s tunes.

'Growing up' has been done before so many times, so it’s hard to get a new or even fresh angle on it, but it was cleverly realised and brilliantly acted in “Flashbacks Of A Fool”. And while some have complained that Craig is only on screen for 30 minutes – man what a great half hour it is – a lot better than the half-assed crap that was the last Bond outing where I felt his heart wasn’t in it at all. Well on this film his acting is. And as the brilliant and evocative “It Ain’t Easy” by David Bowie played out the credits, I was compelled, moved and grinning from ear to ear.

Put “Flashbacks Of A Fool” high on your rental/to buy list – highly recommended.

“1000 Volts Of Holt” by JOHN HOLT. A 26 January 2009 2CD DELUXE EDITION Reissue Of The 1973 UK Classic LP On Trojan Records.

“Take The Ribbon From Your Hair…Shake It Loose…And Let It Fall…”

If you already own the 2002 46-track “Expanded Version” of this iconic UK reggae album - then you’ll want to know if this January 2009 2CD DELUXE EDITION with its meagre 39 tracks is worth buying – yet again! And yes and no is the typically infuriating answer…

There’s a lot on here, do let’s break it down first…

Disc 1 is entitled 1000 VOLTS…PLUS! (67:31 minutes):
1. Never, Never, Never [Shirley Bassey cover]
2. Morning of My Life [Bee Gees cover]
3. Stoned Out Of My Mind [Chi-Lites cover]
4. Baby I’m-A-Want You [Bread cover]
5. Help Me Make It Through The Night [Kris Kristofferson cover]
6. Mr. Bojangles [Jerry Jeff Walker/Nitty Gritty Dirt Band cover]
7. I’d Love You To Want Me [Lobo cover] (End Of Side 1)
8. Killing Me Softly With Her Song [Roberta Flack cover]
9. You Baby [Ronettes cover]
10. Too Much Love [Bread cover]
11. Girl From Ipanema [Astrid Gilberto cover]
12. Which Way You Going Baby [Susan & Terry Jacks of The Poppy Family cover] (End of Side 2)
Tracks 1 to 12 are the November 1973 UK LP “1000 Volts Of Holt” on Trojan Records TRLS 75 (it finally charted in early 1975)

13. Morning Of My Life
14. Stoned Out Of My Mind
15. Baby I’m-A-Want You
16. Help Me Make It Through The Night
17. Mr. Bojangles
18. Too Much Love
19. Girl From Ipanema
20. Which Way You Going Baby
Tracks 13 to 20 are Bonus Tracks (Jamaican Mixes). Only 2 of the Jamaican Mixes are previously unreleased - “Morning of My Life” and “Too Much Love”. The version of “Too Much Love” on the 2002 set is an extended mix at 4:21 minutes while this DELUXE EDITION cut is an edit at 2:40 minutes. Although the other 6 tracks were on the 2002 set, it should be noted that like the album, they’re all in VASTLY IMPROVED SOUND on this DELUXE EDITION.

Disc 2 is entitled 4000 VOLTS OF HOLT - RARE & UNRELEASED MASTERS
(60:30 minutes)
1. I Don’t Want To Be Lonely
2. It’s Just Because
3. My Eyes
4. Love And Affection (aka Sweet Vibrations)
5. Here Today (Gone Tomorrow)
6. If I Could Hear Her (aka Blue Dawn)
7. I Could Dance All Night
8. Maybe Some Day
9. I Played The Fool [writer unknown]
10. Got My Head On Straight
11. Come Dance With Me
12. Good Morning Sun
13. Room Full Of Tears
14. Only You
15. Lonely Times
16. Sweet Malinda
17. Love So Right [Mac Davis cover]
18. Baby Don’t Get Hooked On Me [Mac Davis cover]
19. Just The Way You Are [Billy Joel cover]
All songs on Disc 2 are written by John Holt - except where noted.
Tracks 16 and 19 are from 1979 - while 17 and 18 are from 1980.
The other 15 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED (most from an aborted album in 1975).

The 20-page booklet has photos, singles pictured, trade adverts and a detailed track-by-track breakdown of the album by LAURENCE CANE-HONEYSETT (he co-wrote the superb book “Young, Gifted & Black; The Story Of Trojan Records” - see separate review).
The 4-way digipak is the same as the “Tighten Up” DELUXE EDITION of 2008, the flaps have photos from the period, the see-through trays that hold the CDs have the album details underneath - and the orange and white coloured CD labels mimic the original UK 1973 Trojan vinyl LP. All of it very nicely laid out.

SOUND:
Remastered by TIM DEBNEY at Fluid Mastering, the sound quality is really fantastic and a vast improvement on the now dull-sounding 2002 issue – I’d say the tracks are now twice as loud – and not loud for the sake of it - but clear – the bass and percussion in particular, so sweet now. The improvement of sound thankfully also extends to tracks 13 to 20 (the Bonus Jamaican Mixes), which are so much more ‘reggae’ than the released soft soul versions – more edgy and genuinely excellent bonus tracks. Considering how rough most Reggae can sound - a really great job done has been done here.

While you could say that Disc 1 is a triumph (especially soundwise), I’m not so sure about the rather weedy poppy tracks on Disc 2 – they’re the sorts of lightweight pop-soul-reggae tunes that many fans and purists hate. The sound quality is excellent though. Highlights for me include “Too Much Love”, “My Love” and “It’s Just Because”. Lyrics from the huge international hit "Help Me Make It Through The Night" are the title of this review.

I saw this in a certain Megastore on Oxford Street the week of release for two coins above a twenty spot, which is a ridiculous rip off. If you can lay your hands on it at a good price - between £12 and £14 - then I’d say the DELUXE EDITION is a good buy.

Four out of five stars then.

PS: see also reviews for the DELUXE EDITIONS of the Various Artists compilation “Tighten Up” and Symarip's “Skinhead Moonstomp” (pictured below).

PPS: Dear compiler boffins at Universal - now please do "Tighten Up Vol.2" and 3 and 4 and 5 and...

“Married Life” – The Movie. A Review of the 2008 Film on BLU RAY.

“Did We Build Our Happiness On The Unhappiness of Others…?”

Name-checking the top grade cast in "Married Life" - a sort of 40's/50's film noir tale of marital shenanigans - will be enough to draw most movie lovers in. And while Patricia Clarkson and Rachel McAdams are typically lovely, deep and believable in their roles, it's the two men - Pierce Brosnan and Chris Cooper - who really get to shine.

Its directed by IRA SACHS (pictured below) and adapted by him and ORAN MOVERMAN from the 1953 book by JOHN BINGHAM called "Five Roundabouts To Heaven".
Narrated by Richard (Brosnan's character), you just know you're going to enjoy this story when you hear him casually say, "I always thought marriage was a mild kind of illness...like the Flu or Chicken Pox...to which I was safely immune". Brosnan's tone throughout the narration changes - at first it's sly and laidback and suave - so you're not sure if he's the good guy or the bad guy - or both - and nor do you want to know - because in this clever and beautifully revealing film, the finding out is half the fun...

And who out there in movie land doesn't want to see a film with Chris Cooper in it? Harry (Cooper's character) is in a stagnating but not entirely loveless marriage to Pat (Clarkson). Then along comes the young, alive and beautiful Kay (McAdams) who stirs Harry's very soul - but alas also grabs the loins of the caddish Richard (Brosnan) - his lifetime buddy and pal. Friendships are tested, plots are formed and everyone drinks loads of scotch and smokes acres of cigarettes and acts as if nothing is wrong...

The boys as you can imagine - given meaty material - are great. Warm, cold, up, down - Cooper layers his performance - and he slyly fools you too by doing so. Brosnan is still great eye-candy and effortlessly charming - caddish one moment - genuine the next - he plays his character both ways - and does it very, very well. McAdams is enough to make most grown men weak at the knees and Patricia Clarkson - who probably has the least likeable of roles - makes you empathize with here character as a real person - a great performance from a genuine class act. In fact, you can just 'feel' how all the actors are rising to the slyness in the story - and you suspect they thoroughly enjoyed both working off each other and making this intelligently written little gem.

Visually it's period Americana - were in MAD MEN territory here - it's gorgeous to look at - and very "Shawshank" in places on the outdoor scenes - an absolute blast to view on Blu Ray.

The real unexpected pleasure, however, comes in 3 fully realised Alternate Endings that are almost as enjoyable as the entire movie - and without spoiling it - they take the story to other places - and brilliantly too. Brosnan - in particular - is exceptionally good.

There's a commentary by director and co-script writer Ira Sachs, but it's a damn shame there isn't an on-set segment - because here's actors and a movie you admire - and that would have been just great to get the writer and director's perspective too outside of hearing the entire film commentary

Not a masterpiece for sure, but a great little watch nonetheless and one that deserves your attention.

"Did We Build Our Happiness On The Unhappiness of Others...?" Brosnan asks towards the end of his voice over - watch this 'classy' little noir thriller to find out...

“Daisy-Fresh From Hawthorne, California (Best Of The Dunhill Years)” by EMITT RHODES. A REVIEW of the 1998 UK-only CD Compilation on Edsel EDCD 569

EMITT RHODES 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

"I Was Dying Inside...I Was Hoping You'd Come Along..."

In truth, there was a time when you couldn’t give away Emitt Rhodes albums here in the UK, but something of a rediscovery of his music has taken place in the last two decades that has brought his LPs out of the bargain bins and into the eBay lists. A quick scan of the alarmingly high CD prices on his reissues will also quickly confirm this.

Hailing from Hawthorne (a suburb in Los Angeles), Rhodes first came to prominence with the US sixties group “The Merry-Go-Round” who made one album for A&M in 1967, their self-titled debut “The Merry-Go-Round”. Around the album, they issued a wad of singles, but neither bothered the charts. These releases are quite sought after now. Even this July 1998 UK-only CD compilation on Edsel EDCD 569 is now quite rare.

Vocally Rhodes is a cross between Nilsson on “Nilsson Schmilsson”, Todd Rundgren on “Something/Anything?” and Ron Mael of Sparks on “Kimono My House”. But there is also the Beach Boys and Dennis Wilson vibe too. With all these cool influences bounding around, his songs and their arrangements have aroused a lot of interest in those who like their Seventies tunes melodic and layered. His first album is probably his most popular and fans will be glad to see it represented here in its entirety. Impressively, all 22 songs on here are written, played and arranged by Emitt Rhodes.

The 12-page booklet has informative liner notes by ALAN ROBINSON, but there is no mention of mastering or remastering - and unfortunately the sound varies wildly – I’d say most of it is ok rather than great. A lot of the tracks are hissy, but they’re also punchy enough to be acceptable.

While I like the 1st LP, for me the song writing improved immeasurably on “Mirror”. I especially love “Better Side Of Life” and “Really Wanted You” (lyrics above) – very Dennis Wilson – and in a really good way.

There was an album called “The American Dream” issued in the USA in April 1971, but it contained the Merry-Go-Round tracks and other unreleased stuff from 1967 to 1968. It is not represented on this comp…


Here’s a detailed breakdown of the tracks that are (65:01 minutes):
1. With My Face On The Floor
2. Somebody Made For Me
3. She’s Such A Beauty
4. Long Time No See
5. Lullaby
6. Fresh As A Daisy
7. Live Till You Die
8. Promises I’ve Made
9. You Take The Dark Out Of The Night
10. You Should Be Ashamed
11. Ever Find Yourself Running
12. You Must Have
Tracks 1 to 12 are the entire debut album “Emitt Rhodes” first issued December 1970 in the USA on ABC/Dunhill DS 50089 and then on Probe Records SPBA 6256 in the UK in February 1971

13. Birthday Lady
14. Better Side Of Life
15. Mirror
16. Really Wanted You
17. Golden Child Of God
Tracks 13 to 17 are 5 of the 10 tracks on his 2nd album “Mirror” issued on ABC/Dunhill DSX 50111 in the USA in November 1971 and on Probe Records SPBA 6262 in the UK in December 1971

18. Warm Self Sacrifice
19. Blue Horizon
20. Shoot The Moon
21. Only Lovers Decide
Tracks 18 to 21 are 4 of the 12 tracks on his 3rd album “Farewell To Paradise” issued September 1972 on Probe Records SPBA 6266 and ABC/Dunhill DSX 50122 in the USA.

22. Tame The Lion
Track 22 is a non-album A-side. In the UK it was on Probe Records PRO 565 and in the USA on A&M 4315, both issued in 1972. “Golden Child Of God” - an album track off “Mirror” - is its B-side in both countries.

“Daisy-Fresh…” is a good compilation – if you can find it.

Recommended – even at a cost.

PS: Dear Universal - surely an extensive Hip-O Select box set is in the making here?