"The United Artists Collection" by GORDON LIGHTFOOT (1993 USA EMI - 4LPs Remastered Onto 2CDs) - A Review by Mark Barry...

                                                                   

                                  "…A Long Way From Home…Miss My Loved Ones So…"

Canada’s Gordon Lightfoot has always seemed to ‘bubble’ under – never given the credit he’s due as a tunesmith. While he scored big in the early Seventies when he signed to Reprise Records – this set concentrates on the first part of his career in the Sixties with America’s United Artists. And like Nilsson on RCA or even Neil Diamond on Uni Records – there are truly superb nuggets to be had here - too often thrown into that much-maligned category-horror called ‘easy listening’. 

In fact this stunning 2CD retrospective containing 4 full album’s worth hardly entices with its barely passable artwork (front or rear). But it nails a damn good argument on two fronts that matter – songs and great remastering of them. Here are the early mornings, the way he feels and the names she didn’t mention:

Released October 1993 in the USA - "The United Artists Collection" by GORDON LIGHTFOOT on EMI Records USA E2-27015 (Barcode 724382701521) offers 4 x 60ts STEREO LPs Remastered onto 2CDs and breaks down as follows:

Disc 1 (77:32 minutes):

1. Rich Man’s Spiritual

2. Long River

3. The Way I Feel (Version 1)

4. For Lovin’ Me

5. The First Time Ever I Saw Her Face

6. Changes

7. Early Mornin’ Rain

8. Steel Rail Blues

9. Sixteen Miles (To Seven Lakes)

10. I’m Not Sayin’

11. Pride Of Man

12. Ribbon Of Darkness

13. Oh, Linda

14. Peaceful Waters

Tracks 1 to 14 are his debut LP "Lightfoot!" - released March 1966 in the USA on United Artists UAL-3487 [Mono] and UAS-6487 [Stereo]

15. Walls

16. If You Got It

17. Softly

18. Crossroads

19. A Minor Ballad

20. Go-Go Round

21. Rosanna

22. Home From The Forest

23. I’ll Be Alright

24. Song For A Winter’s Night

25. Canadian Railroad Trilogy

26. The Way I Feel (Version 2 – Re-Record of Version 1)

Tracks 15 to 26 are his 2nd LP "The Way I Feel" - released April 1967 in the USA on United Artists UAL-3587 [Mono] and UAS-6587 [Stereo]

Stereo used in both cases

Disc 2 (73:53 minutes):

1. Wherefor And Why

2. The Last Time I Saw Her

3. Black Day In July

4. May I

5. Magnificent Outpouring

6. Does Your Mother Know

7. The Mountain And Maryann

8. Pussywillows, Cat-Tails

9. I Want To Hear It From You

10. Something Very Special

11. Boss Man

12. Did She Mention My Name?

Tracks 1 to 12 are his 3rd LP "Did She Mention My Name?" – released January 1968 in the USA on United Artists UAL-3649 [Mono] and UAS-6649 [Stereo]

13. Long Way Back Home

14. Unsettled Ways

15. Long Thin Dawn

16. Bitter Green

17. The Circle Is Small (I Can See It In Your Eyes)

18. Marie Christine

19. Cool Hands From New York

20. Affair On 8th Avenue

21. Don’t Beat Me Down

22. The Gypsy

23. If I Could

Tracks 13 to 23 are his 4th LP "Back Here On Earth" – released November 1968 in the USA on United Artists UAS-6672 [Stereo Only]

KEVIN REEVES carried out the remastering (Stereo used in all cases) and his work here is gorgeous. There’s a truly lovely sound on these discs – particularly on the first two albums. I’ve reviewed his excellent work several times before and watch out for any reissues he’s put a hand to. The 12-page booklet is a foldout inlay and has knowledgeable and informative liner notes by noted musicologist COLIN ESCOTT.

Highlights include the wonderful "Early Morning Rain" (lyrics above) – the kind of 60’s tune that never dates (like say Nilsson's "Everybody’s Talkin'"). Paul Weller covered it on his excellent "Studio 150" album in 2004. "Go-Go Round" from his 2nd album is a winner too – a jaunty little number about a nightclub 'go-go' dancer who falls for a punter. It was issued as the A-side of a 45 in the USA in November 1966 and showed both his lyrical brilliance as well as his way with a hooky melody. "Ribbon Of Darkness" from the 1st LP is another nugget too - Bruce Cockburn did a superbly sparse cover version of it on the Gordon Lightfoot tribute CD album “Beautiful - A Tribute To…” in 2003.

There are two versions of "The Way I Feel" – the first on "Lightfoot!" is commonly known as Version 1 – the one on "The Way I Feel" LP is a remake with more instruments and is known as Version 2 (I much prefer the prettier Version 1). It was this second attempt at the track that was issued as a 45 in the USA on United Artists UA 50152 in March 1967 (with “Peaceful Waters” as its B-side). Two other peaches are "I'm Not Sayin'" and the truly lovely "Softly" – the latter belatedly put out as a B-side to "If I Could" in February 1971 (his last 45 for UA) even though it was a 1967 track. Some of the stuff on the 3rd and 4th LPs show him struggling to maintain the excellence of the first two records - but mostly at 49-tracks - the whole 2CD set is an embarrassment of riches.

Omissions – the first 3 albums were issued in both MONO and STEREO – not surprisingly the MONO mixes are a no-show here and as far as I know are not available on CD anywhere. There was also another album – a live set called "Sunday Concert" on United Artists UAS-6714 [Stereo] released in October 1969 in the USA - not on here no doubt due to space restrictions. Two 7” singles are missing as well – "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" on United Artists UA 929 from August 1965 and "Spin, Spin" on United Artists UA 50055 from July 1966 – both these early A-sides were non-album at the time and it’s a shame they weren’t added onto Disc 2 – especially when there was room…

He went on of course to have huge success with “If You Could Read My Mind” and "Sundown” - even garnishing the ultimate tribute - a compilation of CD covers attributed to him in 2003 called “Beautiful” (a track on his "Don Quixote" album from 1972) featuring a crew of contemporary Americana fans like Cowboy Junkies, Ron Sexsmith and Bruce Cockburn. His Seventies stuff on Reprise is equally sweet material too but this set is where that craft started. There’s a lot on here that’s lovely and you can hear why Bob Dylan name-checked him in the liner notes to his own "Biograph" retrospective in 1985.

Less than six-quid online - it's a bargain at twice the price. Big time recommended... 

"The Best Of" by ASHTON, GARDNER & DYKE (featuring Eric Clapton, George Harrison and Stan Webb of Chicken Shack). A Review Of The 1999 Repertoire CD Compilation - Reissued In 2010...

(2010 Reissue CD Sleeve Above)

(1999 Original CD Sleeve)

"…Advocating Love….But You Don’t Know Why…"

In 1964 THE REMO FOUR managed two UK 7" singles on the Pye offshoot label Piccadilly and a further attempt at stardom in 1967 on Fontana - each are sought after 45's now. The band included Keyboard Player and Lead Vocalist TONY ASHTON and Drummer ROY DYKE. Not getting anywhere for 4 years (they never got an album out) - in 1968 the duo then teamed up with Bass Player KIM GARDNER of THE CREATION and formed - ASHTON, GARDNER & DYKE. And that's where this rather cool little CD compilation comes in…

Originally released in 1999 on Repertoire 4835-WG (Barcode 4009910483527) - this is a March 2010 CD Reissue of “The Best Of Ashton, Gardner & Dyke” on Repertoire REP 5141 (Barcode 4009910514122). It comes with different ‘band and a gramophone’ artwork (the original had a red side-profile photo - see above) and breaks down as follows (75:52 minutes):

1. The Resurrection Shuffle

2. Ballad Of The Remo Four

3. Let It Roll

4. Billy And His Piano With...

5. I'm Your Spiritual Breadman

6. Hymn To Everyone

7. Maiden Voyage

8. Why Did You Go

9. New York Mining Disaster

10. The Falling Song

11. Oh Mathilda

12. Momma's Getting Married

13. What A Bloody Long Day It's Been

14. Rolling Home

15. Can You Get It

16. I'm Dying For You

17. Paper Head, Paper Mind

18. You, Me And A Friend Of Mine

19. It's Gonna Be High Tonight

20. Picture Sliding Down The Wall

Track 1 is "The Resurrection Shuffle" - their 2nd UK single and their most famous hit. It's a non-album track and was released on Capitol CL 15665 in January 1971. Its B-side is Track 6 - "Hymn To Everyone" from "The Worst Of" album.

Tracks 2, 13 and 19 are from their 3rd album "What A Bloody Long Day It's Been" - released February 1972 in the UK on Capitol Records EA-ST 22862. 

Tracks 3, 5, 6, 12 and 17 are from their 2nd album "The Worst Of" - released February 1971 in the UK on Capitol Records E-ST 563. Produced in part by JON LORD of Deep Purple. Track 5 “I’m Your Spiritual Breadman” features both ERIC CLAPTON and GEORGE HARRISON under pseudonyms. 

Tracks 4, 8, 9, 10, 14 and 20 are from their debut album "Ashton, Gardner & Dyke" - released 1969 in the UK on Polydor Records 583 081.

Track 7 is "Maiden Voyage (Single Version)", their debut 7" single released 1969 in the UK on Polydor 56306 (it's B-side "The Sun In My Eyes" is not included on here). It's a genuine rarity on vinyl and currently listed at £80+ in value.

Tracks 11, 16 and 18 are from their 4th and last album "The Last Rebel", a soundtrack released on Capitol Records 1C 062-80964 in Holland in 1973. Tracks 18 and 16 were also the A&B sides of a Dutch 7" single on Capitol Records 1C 006-81012.

Track 15 is "Can You Get It" - a non-album track issued as the A-side of a UK 7" single on Capitol CL 15684 in May 1971 (failed to chart). Its B-side was "Delirium" (not included here either).

The problem with A, G & D was "The Resurrection Shuffle" (lyrics above) - an absolutely storming upbeat pop single that peaked at Number 3 in the UK charts in early 1971 after huge radio-play. To say it was popular at the time is an understatement. Like Thunderclap Newman's "Something In The Air" in 1969 - it was beloved - an instant classic that's remembered with huge affection even to this day (Clarence Clemons - Springsteen's sadly passed saxophonist - did a fab cover of it on his "Rescue" album in 1983). But it had the effect of obliterating everything else in its path because all after that seemed like a disappointment - especially the lame follow-up "Can You Get It" which was essentially a poor man's rethread of RS. Worse - in common practice with the times Shuffle was a non-album track - so even if you went out and bought the "The Worst Of" LP that surrounded the single - it wasn't on there. Throw in the fact that nothing on the LP matched it or even sounded similar - then it's easy to see why the group failed to capitalize on that initial firestorm. The end result for A, G & D is that are now remembered as a one-hit wonder - yet they managed 4 albums - most of which are very hard to find - and more than deserve a bit of a reappraisal. A big (uncredited) draw for fans of the album track “I’m Your Spiritual Breadman” from “The Worst Of” LP (used as the B-side to the American 45 of “Resurrection Shuffle on Capitol 3060) was the twin guitars by Sir Cedric Clayton and George O’Hara Smith – ERIC CLAPTON and GEORGE HARRISON under pseudonyms. 

The first album sounds very Procol Harum circa "A Salty Dog" and their superb cover version of The Bee Gees' "New York Mining Disaster 1941" has echoes of "Everyday" by Yes - it's a very cool track in a trippy Sixties kind of way. The instrumental "Billy And His Piano With" rollicks along very nicely while the funky rock of "Let It Roll" is a very Juicy Lucy album track kind of listen. I also like the live "Momma's Getting Married" which bombs along with great vocals from the gruff-sounding Ashton. “Let It Roll” features STAN WEBB from Chicken Shack on Guest Guitar with Rolling Stones favourite Jim Price on Trumpets. “Paper Head, Paper Mind” features MICK LIBER (spelt Lieber on the cover) from Medicine Head and Third Army on Guitar with the hugely experienced CHRIS BARBER on Trumpets. JON LORD of Deep Purple fame produced the lovely string arrangements of “The Falling Song”. Lord (accompanied by The Royal Liverpool Symphony Orchestra) appears again as songwriting partner with Tony Ashton on “Oh Mathilda & The Pool Game (The Brothel)” and the instrumental “You, Me And A Friend Of Mine” from the rare “Last Rebel” soundtrack album (I’ve never seen the film starring Joe Namath in the title role). 

It doesn't say who remastered what, but the songs are licensed from Tony Ashton so we can presume he has his own masters - the sound quality is uniformly great and the playing time generous. The dull artwork does it no favours and the 3-way foldout 6-page inlay is basic to say the least, but it's the sound I'm after - and its real good. It's not all brilliant by any means, but there are goodies on here worth rediscovering. 

Tony Ashton spent time with Medicine Head and Family and then joined up with Jon Lord of Deep Purple and Ian Paice in the mid Seventies to some success on Polydor. Kim Gardner went into Badger while Ron Dyke recorded with several bands in Germany...

This is not a CD you see every day of the week, but I’d urge you to seek it out...

ASHTON, GARDNER & DYKE and bands like them are part of my e-Book:

"SOUNDS GOOD: Exceptional CD Remasters 1960s annd 1970s Volume 1" 

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:

                       

"American Graffiti". A Review Of The 1973 Film Now Reissued On A 2011 BLU RAY.

"…We’re Gonna Rock'n'Roll Ourselves To Death Baby!"

George Lucas' "American Graffiti" is remembered (and quite rightly so) with great affection - a five-star masterpiece that’s almost unique in its vision of growing up in 1962 America listening to music on the radio in your car, getting up to no good and generally enjoying the sheer blast of ‘boss’ Saturday night on the town. It also has one of the most atmospheric and brilliantly woven-in soundtracks 'ever' - an MCA 2LP set released with the movie in August 1973 that the public adored and kept on buying for decades after (it peaked at Number 10). It’s also forgotten now, but “American Graffiti” virtually kick-started the massive Rock'n'Roll revival of the early Seventies that saw every major label reissue R'n'B, Doo Wop and R'n'R LPs to beat the band – much to the delight of music fans. And who among us wouldn’t have wanted to spend the night in the company of the awesome Wolfman Jack (dialogue above).

I say all of this as a preamble, because I have no beef with the movie or what surrounds it. BUT - I have very real misgivings about the quality of the print on this 2011 BLU RAY reissue (hence the 2-star rating). It’s not great at all, and in places, it’s truly awful.

The opening Universal Logo looks ancient and scratched to bits, but as the movie credits begin to roll the picture-quality looks more promising if not a little blurry. You also see that we’re in the early part of an evening still bathed in fading daylight, but as the movie quickly progresses, every shot becomes a night time scene – and the blocking and terrible grain of the original print just gets worse and worse. It’s infuriating, because one moment the print quality is lovely – full of colour and depth – the next it’s like a bad videotape – grainy to a point where the fuzzy picture is ‘all’ you see. The real bad news is that as the movie progresses to the Harrison Ford/Paul Le Mat car race showdown – there are scenes where the print is appalling – as bad as “The French Connection” (and anyone who has bought that turkey of a Blu Ray will know what I mean).

This is how Lucas filmed it I know – but the point is that this BLU RAY affords you a better picture only in ‘certain’ places - but for the majority of the time it gives you an accentuated version of wildly haphazard cinematography – and it makes for a very disappointing watch indeed. The DVD was always ‘good’ rather than great, but this 2011 BLU RAY is not a ‘full on’ upgrade as some have suggested – nor does it have the beautifully cleaned-up and restored stills that are suddenly peppering the net at the time of release. Anybody claiming this is a GLORIOUS transfer is talking absolute knob.

Fans may be unable to resist replacing their DVD with this – fair enough – but anyone else considering buying it – I would advise a rental first to 'see' what I mean.

I hate doing negative reviews, but sometimes you need to. I wish someone had told me how bad this looked 'before' I wasted my money on it and had to sit through one of my favourite Seventies movies looking worse rather than better. What a disappointment…

Credits:
VIDEO: 1080p High Definition Widescreen, 2.35:1 Aspect
AUDIO: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, French, Italian, German, Spanish DTS 2.0 Mono, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese DTS 2.0 Stereo
SUBTITLES: English SDH, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Cantonese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Icelandic, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swedish and Traditional Mandarin

EXTRAS:
PIP Commentary with Director George Lucas
U-Control: The Music Of American Graffiti
Screen Tests
The Making Of American Graffiti
Theatrical Trailer

“My One And Only”. A Review of the 2009 Film Now Released On A 2011 BLU RAY.

"…In Every Pack…There’s A Leader…"

In some ways "My One And Only" is a real throwback to old-fashioned filmmaking. It's a story that deliberately takes its own sweet time to unfold - characters make big mistakes, recover begrudgingly, then grow some and move on. It's about a family that's close-knit but also in turmoil - and all of this is set against a backdrop of beautiful Fifties American small town/big city scenery and socially changing times…

Renee Zellweger plays Anne Devereaux - a glamorous New York mum who leaves her feckless bandleader husband George after one too many of his on-the-road affairs and the royalties to his National hit “My One And Only” have begun to wither (a hugely likeable and capable Kevin Bacon). With wildly out-of-place optimism, she cheerfully bundles her two teenage sons (Logan Lerman and Mark Rendall) into her ludicrously flashy Coupe De Ville car (which she’s just paid $2,500 for) and hits the road for Pittsburgh - and eventually - the bigger glam of Hollywood. But of course along the way, Anne only manages to flit from one relationship disaster to another – with just her beauty, class and innate belief in herself keeping her head above water and her restless kids out of poverty (and even jail).

One of the men she meets and woos is Chris Noth who plays a nice-at-first army-man who is lonely and quickly smitten. But as the relationship unfolds, Harlan increasingly becomes Mister Rules and Regulations – eventually turning into a very nasty piece of work indeed. It’s a real departure for Noth from his Mr. Big character in Sex & The City, but man is he good at it (dialogue above).

But the film firmly belongs to Zellweger who is absolutely superlative throughout in a way she hasn't been for a long time - ably assisted by a talented supporting cast who are given material that makes everyone shine. Zellweger gives her Anne a beating heart – fun one moment - destroyed the next - digging down deep to find that inner strength to go on. You root for her – bleed for her – and eventually smile at her sheer American tenacity. This movie sees Renee as a great actress rather than just a good one.

"My One And Only" is a proper journey movie - and because it's steeped in Fifties period architecture and clothing - it looks fantastic on BLU RAY. Scene after scene is filled with that old-world grit, glamour and gorgeous detail. And on it goes to a surprising twist at the end that you genuinely don't see coming.

A bit of a 2011 sleeper on the rental and purchase market, I liked "My One And Only" a great deal and would watch it again. I'd say give this little charmer a chance...I think you'll be more than pleasantly surprised.

“The Ballads Of Charlie Rich” by CHARLIE RICH. A Review Of The 2009 Bear Family CD Compilation.

"…Time And Again…I Get Lonely…"

1. School Days (undubbed)
2. My Heart Cries For You (undubbed)
3. Apple Blossom Time
4. Time And Again
5. Who Will The Next Fool Be
6. Stay
7. It's Too Late (undubbed)
8. Now Everybody Knows
9. Unchained Melody
10. Sittin' And Thinkin'
11. Juanita (undubbed)
12. Ain't It A Shame
13. I’m Making Plans
14. I Said Baby
15. How Blue Can You Be
16. There Won't Be Anymore
17. Every Day
18. The Loneliest Days (vocal/piano only)
19. I Need Your Love
20. Don't Put No Headstone On My Grave
21. Stay
22. We Belong To Each Other
23. It Hurt Me So
24. Cloud Nine
25. River, Stay Away From My Door
26. Tomorrow Night
27. Let Me Go My Merry Way
28. Why, Oh Why
29. I Don't See Me In Your Eyes Anymore
30. Share Your Love With Me
31. A Field Of Yellow Daisies
32. No Home
33. The Best Years

Charlie Rich was always going to be a contender for this clever Bear Family series of compilations. He not only equalled Elvis Presley when he wrapped his superb voice around a smoocher, Charlie also penned his own tunes. Besides - rocker or ballad - if ever an artist deserved serious reappraisal, then Arkansas’ “Silver Fox” is the number one contender...

But I would have to admit that even as a rabid fan of Charlie Rich and this great reissue label, "Ballads" on Bear Family BCD 16516 AR (85:40 minutes) disappointed me ever so slightly. Don't get me wrong - if you're new to the great man then there's going to be stuff on here that will make you tingle and wonder how you lived without it, but I personally found the track selections too 'ordinary' and too many made me want to reach for the fast-forward button. Why is this...

A whopping 18 of these 33 cuts come from Bear Family's own 1998 3CD box set "The Sun Years 1958 - 1962" - all 18 of which were Previously Unreleased studio outtakes at the time. This is both good and bad news. One or two are masterful - genius even - like the stunning "Time And Again" (lyrics above) - but too many are ordinary in comparison and it's easy to see why they were left in the can.

On the plus side - "Who Will The Next Fool Be" which was a 1961 7" single on Phillips International 3566 is a balladeer's gem. There's also three goodies from the 1964 Stereo LP "Charlie Rich" on Groove Records GMS 1000 (miscredited in the booklet as GMS 1001) - "River, Stay Away From My Door", "Let Me Go My Merry Way" and "Why, Oh Why". The Lonnie Johnson/LaVern Baker/Big Joe Turner hit "Tomorrow Night" is one of 2 tracks from the "That's Rich" Stereo LP from 1965 on RCA Victor LSP 3352 - the second track is "I Don't See Me In Your Eyes Anymore". Not surprisingly there's also three tracks from his lethal duo of Smash Records albums in the mid Sixties - "The Many New Faces Of..." from 1965 (track is "A Field Of Yellow Daisies") and "The Best Years" from 1966 (tracks are "The Best Years" and "No Home"). There are also rarities - a long-forgotten album track called "Share Your Love With Me" from a 1974 LP called "She Called Me Baby" on RCA Victor APL1 0686 (actually a 1965 recording) and two Previously Unissued outtakes "Juanita (Undubbed)" and "We Belong To Each Other" - both of which are exclusive to this set.

The 39-page booklet is the usual classy affair with liner notes by HANK DAVIS - the remastering is by MARCUS HEUMANN and the audio quality varies from session to session - the Sun outtakes are often just Piano & Vocal and sound good rather than great - while the Groove and Smash tracks sound incredible - full band with a full sound.

Niggles - you really have to say that a compilation called "Ballads" by Charlie Rich which does not include his two huge hits "Behind Closed Doors" and "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World" (no matter how overplayed they may be) is somehow lacking.

To sum up - I wanted to love this CD so much and even though its total playing time is extraordinary, I'm afraid I'd dock it a star for too many dullards (quality guys, not quantity).
But even with that said, I keep going back to the good tracks - and man when he was good - he was the best…

PS: I've also reviewed "Rocks" and "It Ain't Gonna Be That Way - The Complete Smash Sessions" by Charlie Rich - see separate reviews.

PPS: as of August 2011, artists in the "Ballads" series include:
1. JOHHNY BURNETTE, Bear Family BCD 17211 AR (30 Tracks)
2. JOHNNNY HORTON, Bear Family BCD 16384 AR (25 Tracks)
3. WANDA JACKSON, Bear Family BCD 16848 AR (30 Tracks)
4. CHARLIE RICH, Bear Family BCD 16516 AR (33 Tracks)
5. JACK SCOTT, Bear Family BCD 16847 AR (25 Tracks)
6. CONWAY TWITTY, Bear Family BCD 15982 AR (33 Tracks)
7. GENE VINCENT, Bear Family BCD (28 Tracks)

“Love Actually”. A Review of the 2003 Film Now Reissued on BLU RAY in 2009.

"…I’m On Shag Highway…Heading West!"

Like many people who have probably seen Richard Curtis’ "Love Actually" one-to-many times, the idea of buying it yet again on another fangled format is enough to make you yawn and turn away. But have you actually seen it on BLU RAY?
Because if you haven't, you need to...

Having reviewed so many 'oldies' transferred to Blu Ray and been elevated fifty-per-cent of the time/disappointed the other half - it's a real delight to report that here is a genuine upgrade from every previous version. Suddenly, the film feels all grown up - the print is incredibly clear - and it adds so much to your enjoyment of the movie. There isn’t a part of this rather lovely little gem that ‘doesn’t’ seem improved to me.

The extras are the same as the 2003 DVD – Deleted Scenes and Music Of (with introductions from Richard Curtis), Kelly Clarkson and Billy Mack Videos (Billy Mack is Bill Nighy’s character), a Feature Length Commentary with Director and Writer Richard Curtis and actors Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy and Thomas Sangster (Neeson’s son in the movie). The picture quality for these clips is old actually and hardly high-def, but they are informative and hugely entertaining (especially when the galaxy of stars are talking – Liam Neeson and Laura Linney so enjoying themselves).

The subtitles and other Audio specs are:
VIDEO: 1080p High-Definition Widescreen 2.35:1 aspect
AUDIO: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and French, Italian, German, Spanish and Latin American Spanish DTS-Surround 5.1
SUBTITLES: English SDH, French, Canadian French, Italian, German, Spanish, Latin American Spanish and Dutch.

Apart from being wonderful to look at, you also forget what a great film it is – a huge upbeat pick-me-up of a thing – and hopeful in a way that seems to elude Hollywood stories so much these days. And it’s so funny too – Martin Freeman and Joanna Page (both naked) as the rehearse making out for a porn movie (…”Judy this is a real pleasure. It’s lovely to find someone I can actually chat to…”), Bill Nighy on the Ant & Dec show “…here’s an important message from your Uncle Bill. Don’t buy drugs. Become a pop star and they give you them for free!” and the ever-hopeful Colin as he embarks for the States to meet girls who will all helplessly fall for his Englishman’s accent (title above).

Great actors, clever intertwining stories, witty dialogue, genuinely funny and touching moments – even sadness and a bit of heartbreak - “Love Actually” is a bit of a British gem frankly. And on BLU RAY it’s a winner. And cheap too.

Recommended like a night in with a saucy minx in Number 10...

"Hard Candy/Prone" by NED DOHENY - 1976 and 1979 Albums on Columbia USA and CBS/Sony Japan (July 2011 UK SuperBird Records Compilation - 2LPs Remastered onto 1CD) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review Along With 145 Others Is Available In My

SOUNDS GOOD E-Book on all Amazon sites

MORE THAN A FEELING 

1976

Your All-Genres Guide To 

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"…Get It Up For Love…"

Ned Doheny is a virtual unknown outside of certain circles – and hopefully this release with change that.

Musically think Boz Scaggs circa "Lowdown", Steely Dan doing "FM (No Static At All)" or Robbie Dupree giving it his best Michael McDonald songwriting impression on "Steal Away" – and you get the picture. The radio-friendly tunes and arrangements are very West Coast Funky-Rock-Soul and its easy to hear why tracks like "Get It Up For Love" and "To Prove My Love" have been gracing slick Seventies compilations for years now.

In fact, 2009 saw the release of these albums on CD – but in Japan only – and even they have gathered cult status and price tags stretching into three figures. So this reissue on one of Cherry Red’s subsidiary labels (SuperBird) will be welcome new to fans that never thought they’d see this stuff reissued at a reasonable price…

Released in the UK on 25 July 2011 - "Hard Candy/Prone" by NED DOHENY on SuperBird SBIRD 0048 (Barcode 5013929884823) is a Compilation that offers 2LPs Remastered onto 1CD and breaks down as follows (72:21 minutes):

1. Get It Up For Love
2. If You Should Fall
3. Each Time You Pray
4. When Love Hangs In The Balance
5. A Love Of Your Own
6. I've Got Your Number
7. On The Swing Shift
8. Sing To Me
9. Valentine
Tracks 1 to 9 are the album "Hard Candy" issued in October 1976 in the USA on Columbia PC 34259

10. To Prove My Love
11. Think Like A Lover
12. Labor Of Love
13. Thinking With My Heart
14. Guess Who's Looking For Love Again
15. The Devil In You
16. Funky Love
17. If You Only Knew
18. Sweet Friction
Tracks 10 to 18 are the album "Prone" issued in 1979 in Japan on CBS/Sony 25AP 1359

The list of contributing musicians on each album reads like a virtual who's who of the hip Rock scene in the mid Seventies – Linda Ronstadt, J.D. Souther, Don Henley and Glen Frey (on Vocals), David Foster, Graig Doerge and David Garland (on Keyboards), Tom Scott, Jim Horn, Chuck Findley and the Tower Of Power Horns (on Brass), Dennis Parker (on Bass), Gary Mallaber, John Guerin and Jeff Porcaro (on Drums), Victor Feldman and Steve Forman (on Percussion) with String and Horn Arrangements by Jimmie Haskell (on "Prone"). The remaster has been done by ROGER LOMAS at Ro-Lo Studios and the sound is superb – clear and warm. The 12-page booklet has album credits and a brief history of the man and his albums by MALCOLM DOME – it's neatly done.

The opening track "Get It Up For Love" is genius – a fantastically catchy tune that regularly has customers coming to the counter asking after it when I place it on a "70's Fest" compilation. Hamish Stuart (of the Average White Band) co-wrote and sang on the lovely "A Love Of Your Own". If the title seems familiar it’s because it was a hit for the AWB in their own right (Stuart and Doheny also went on to wrote "Whatcha Gonna Do For Me" – a big hit for Chaka Khan). Bonnie Raitt sings backing vocals with Rosemary Butler on the very popular "To Prove My Love", Steve Perry adds vocals to the funky "Sweet Friction" - while both of the albums benefited from the high production values of Steve Cropper from Booker T. & The MG's (he also played and sang on many tracks).

I wish I could say it's all as good as "Get It Up For Love" but as you can imagine it falls into the schlocky lurve song too many times – still – "Each Time You Play" and "Guess Who's Looking For Love" are excellent and remind me of the melodious Stephen Bishop at his best.

Doheny went on to make sporadic albums in the Eighties and Nineties, but his cult reputation falls on these two rare and pricey albums – and it’s nice to finally seem them get a domestic issue at a reasonable price. A very clever reissue indeed.

Recommended like a Babylon Sister shaking it...