"Elvis Country - Legacy Edition" by ELVIS PRESLEY. A Review Of The January 2012 2CD Reissue.

"…How's Your New Love?

Big glasses, big hair, big cape, big ego, big productions - 1970 and 1971 are years that divide Presley fans. Some see it as a renewal period that followed on from the '68 comeback special - while others see these dates as the beginning of the end - a slide into the horrible decline of the Vegas years. This new 'Legacy' issue of two albums from that time frame is of course both good and bad. But here are the issue details first...

Released Monday 2 January 2012 in the UK (3 Jan 2012 in the USA) - "Elvis Country" is on RCA/Legacy 88691 90439 2 and contains 2 whole albums with 6 bonus sides. Its 29 STEREO tracks break down as follows:

Disc 1 (46:17 minutes):
Tracks 1 to 12 are the US LP "I'm 10,000 Years Old - Elvis Country" - released 2 January 1971 on RCA Victor LSP-4460
Track 13 is "I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago" which first appeared on the "Elvis Now" LP in February 1972 (see paragraphs below)
Track 14 is "A Hundred Years From Now (Studio Jam)" is an outtake which first appeared on the 5LP/5CD Box Set "Walk A Mile In My Shoes: The Essential 70's Masters" in October 1995
Track 15 is "Where Did They Go, Lord" which first appeared on the LP "He Walks Beside Me" in February 1976

Disc 2 (41:49 minutes):
Tracks 1 to 11 are the US LP "Love Letters From Elvis" - released June 1971 on RCA Victor LSP-4530
Track 12 is "The Sound Of Your Cry" - a US 7" single released 21 September 1971
Track 13 is "Sylvia" which first appeared on the "Elvis Now" LP in February 1972
Track 14 is "Rags To Riches" - a US 7" single released 23 February 1971

Both albums came out of sessions recorded at RCA's Studio B in Nashville during June and September 1970. But the really big news in 2012 is a new VIC ANESINI remaster with truly BEAUTIFUL sound quality. Anesini is not new to Elvis reissues; he mastered the 2CD 'Legacy Editions' of "Elvis Presley", "Elvis Is Back", "From Elvis In Memphis" as well as the 4CD set "The Complete '68 Comeback Special" - with unanimous praise heaped on all four.

The packaging is now standard for these Legacy sets. A 3-way card digipak features the famous Elvis aged 2 photo artwork on the front with the "Love Letters From Elvis" LP artwork on the inside flap. The CDs are yellow to reflect the original LP colours while the 24-page booklet has new colour photos, pictures of the US 7" singles for "Life", I'm Leavin'" and "Where Did They Go, Lord" and liner notes by STUART COLMAN. There are full discography details of the sessions and vinyl releases on the last few pages. It's well laid out and lovely to look at.

First up is the layout of the main album "Elvis Country" - as each track ends (and even as some begin) 'segments' of a song called "I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago" segue in and out - whether you like it or not. This happens on 'every' tune and while it probably seemed cool at the time, it's irritating and gimmicky now (the full version of the song is Track 13, one of the bonus cuts). Colman's liner notes rather craftily don't mention the 'segments' at all - or that they ruin good songs both at the beginning and end of play. In fact you can't cue up any song on this album because of it. But for me the worst part of this 'Legacy' issue is that RCA didn't go the full hog and finally offer fans just the 'music' - the songs stripped away of this intrusive crap and allowed to be heard on their own. Now that would have been something truly special - but alas - not to be...

To the music - despite its 'Country' title, the main album is in fact top heavy with ballads. Freed of Colonel Parker's cruddy and ill-advised choices, Elvis picked tunes that both suited and highlighted his deepened voice - Hank Cochran's string-filled "Make The World Go Away" is a typically good choice and there's a truly lovely version of Willie Nelson's "Funny How Time Slips Away" filled with Dobro licks and churchy organ - really nice (lyrics above). The Southern Funk vibe of "The Fool" is a highlight too with James Burton on choppy guitar and Charlie McCoy on Organ and Harmonica. It rocks out a bit on Bob Willis' "Faded Love", but I find the pseudo version of Jerry Lee's "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" less convincing.

The second LP "Love Letters From Elvis" continues on the slow songs tip opening with a deep-throated version of Ketty Lester's "Love Letters". "Life" was released as a single on 27 April 1971 in advance of the album with "Only Believe" as its B-side (RCA 47-9985). But while the sound quality is GORGEOUS - material like "Heart Of Rome" and "This Is Our Dance" feel like second-rate lounge music - and provide a very real reason as to why Presley was ridiculed as well as revered at this time. The syrupy nature of the material simply lets the side down - and it very much feels like RCA milking it again - put out anything by the man - who cares...

To sum up - with the best will in the world, you could not describe these LPs as 'classic' Elvis. "Elvis Country" is the best of the two offerings undoubtedly and is an album that deserves rediscovery - yet it's presentation here is lazy and the follow up LP only highlights how cheesy both he and his music had become. On the upside - for those prepared to give this much-maligned period a chance - there are rewards, especially in the ballads. It also boasts a fabulous new remaster, nice packaging and at mid-price isn't going to break your bank balance.

Finally - I wish I could say that I enjoyed this Legacy issue as much as I have all the others I've bought and reviewed, but I can't. I want to remember the King in a better light than this. I know it's a matter of personal taste, but I just wish RCA had given us the "Elvis Country" songs 'unadorned' so we could actually listen to them for the first time and properly hear the great man's 'legacy'.

For me this release is only good then - when it could have been great - even groundbreaking...

PS: Elvis Presley titles in this 'Legacy' Series so far are:
1. "Elvis Presley" (his "Elvis Presley" debut and follow up album "Elvis" both from 1956 with extra single sides)
2. "Elvis Is Back" (the "Elvis Is Back" LP from 1960 with the "Something For Everybody" follow-up album from 1961 and extra single sides)
3. "Elvis Country" - as above
4. "From Elvis In Memphis" (the "From Elvis In Memphis" 1969 LP with the "Back In Memphis" follow-up album from 1970 with extra single singles and other recordings from the 1969 sessions)
5. "On Stage" - (the 1970 live album with its "Elvis In Person" follow up and 8 extra sides)
6. " The Complete '68 Comeback Special" - 4CD Mini Box Set

PPS: for other Vic Anesini Remasters - see my reviews for "Be What You Want..." the 4CD Box Set by HALL & OATES, the Legacy Edition of "Couldn't Stand The Weather" by STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN and the Legacy Edition of "Tomorrow The Green Grass" by THE JAYHAWKS. He has also done the much-praised Columbia issues of Simon And Garfunkel's back catalogue and the stunning Roy Orbison album "Lonely And Blue"

"Four Lions". A Review Of The 2010 UK Film Now On A 2011 BLU RAY.

"…You Can't Do A Jihadi Video With A Box On Your Head!"

Five twenty-something lads from Sheffield wanting to be Afghan terrorists on British soil is not exactly an easy sell for a film - even for the most liberal minded of viewers. This is the kind of material that walks a thin line between black humour and the need to tell the truth - no matter how offensive or uncomfortable it may be.
But "Four Lions" 'so' works. Written and Directed by CHRIS MORRIS - his debut is an edgy risk-taking movie - and absolutely chockers full of laugh-out loud moments - and for all the right reasons...

It goes like this - the constantly babbling, but worldly naïve Waj is easily influenced by the disillusioned but far more radical Omar (Kayvan Novak and Riz Ahmed). Both 'brothers' want to do 'God's will' - which they believe is to become Mujahideen soldiers and start their own Islamic Jihad somewhere in affluent materialistic England. They essentially want to blow something up. Helping them away from Chicken McNuggets to a place of religious nirvana is Barry (a fantastically funny turn by a scene-stealing Nigel Lindsay). Barry rabbits on about ‘surveillance protocols’, eats SIM cards and once planted a ‘twin towers’ cake in a local mosque to incite the faithful. Rolling under garage doors like an SAS commando and sidling up to people's porches likes he's Jason Bourne - Barry is convinced that a passing mother and child is a cop and the American Feds are watching him on satellites in space. Barry is the worst and most boorish of the five. A converted white man and bearded radical, he is full of nice things to say about open-mindedness like "...we've got women talking back bruv! We've got people playing stringed instruments!"
Barry orders silver nitrate from Amazon and wants to "Boom! Fast track to final days! Proper war!"

Thrown into this pool of misguided idiots is the slow and permanently bewildered Faisal (Adeel Akhtar) - a hapless bomb-maker who stashes thousands of bottles of hair peroxide in his lock-up. Fassal wants to attach detonator devices to crows and fly them into Government buildings (hence the poster). Last but not least is Hassan (Arsher Ali) - an on-the-fence believer who wants to go 'proper' Afghan. Hassan talks the lingo about 'a new purpose in life' but Omar suspects that maybe he doesn't have the balls to actually do the dirty deed. None of them do. It's all a big game to the other four and Omar will need to make it 'real' this time. Plots are hatched in the bedsit above the men's shop Bolby Tailoring, rocket launchers go off backwards and Omar's microwave oven gets sacrificed in the name of the ‘cause'. And on the mayhem goes to the London Marathon of 2010 where they're dressed as chickens with something more than lean cuisine beneath their feathers. But of course it stops being funny very, very fast when the consequences and repercussions of what they're doing becomes all too real...and they get more than hurt...

How do you deal with extremism - humour is one weapon - Chaplin knew this. But part of this script's genius is to go deeper into the monster's psyche - to show us how 'religion' seriously screws with a person's moral compass - especially if that belief system has an 'our way is the only way' core mentality. There is also the lure of power - the power of a gun - how it gets you noticed - even respected. And of course that's amplified if you're prepared to have a bomb strapped to you and seek martyrdom.

The danger in all this is that despite the film's best intentions Muslims are tarred with a terrorist brush - but the writing is smart enough to address this - and even deal with racism among their own ranks by slagging both off with real skill. Subtle touches include Omar receiving an e-mail at work (he's a security guard) telling that his trip to the Pakistan is in 2 days time (spy talk for a training camp). He tells his boss he's attending a 'shotgun wedding' and if you look real close you'll see that the e-mail address is hilaryclinton055.

Housed in a fetching book package, the BLU RAY picture quality varies from very good on the indoor sequences (bedrooms, cafes and sheds) to crystal clear and superlative on the outdoors shots (Afghanistan hills, London streets). As the dialogue is all Sheffield in Northern England and comes at you fast and furious, the lone ENGLISH SUBTITLE will probably be more than handy for overseas viewers.
The extras include DELETED SCENES and 2 featurettes. The deleted scenes are short, but wickedly funny, while the 2 featurettes are unrelated to the film itself, but act as background to the project. First is a real-life documentary called "Lost Boys" which follows 4 Pakistani lads in a car as they drive around their hometown of Nelson in Lancashire. They talk of fights, racism and persecution - nothing to do every night. You can just see how they're ripe for recruitment. The 2nd is even stranger - an interview with Ahmad who is a white lad accused of Muslim extremism and arrested under the Terrorist Act. He shows paintings that express what he feels about Islam (deeply loves it). Neither feature makes judgements - but they do give you insights into why stuff happens...

To sum up - with our media and politicians locked into a sort of sickening and stifling political-correctness of late - material like "Four Lions" is refreshing to say the least - and even a bit brave.
And the fact that you're laughing so much for three quarters of the movie, but hurting with sadness at the end - is testament to its heart. It elevates "Four Lions" above clever froth into the realm of something that stays with you - and makes you think - and reassess...

I loved this film. And Film 4, Wild Bunch and Optimum Releasing - and all associated with "Four Lions" - are to be praised to the nines for it.

"Bright Star" on BLU RAY - A Review Of The 2009 Jane Campion Movie Now Issued On A European BLU RAY - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…A Thing Of Beauty…"

*** THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE DVD and BLU RAY VERSIONS ***

"Bright Star" opens with a close-up of a thread being needled, but the pull and placing of the wool is not methodical nor part of some daily Nineteenth Century drudgery, it's being done carefully - almost as if there's tenderness being sown into each cross-stitch. We then see that the seamstress is a 20-year old lady sat by a window in the early hours of the morning in her bonnet and ribbons - she is Fanny Brawne (played by Abbie Cornish). Her younger sister Toots (Edie Martin) then wakes up in the bed nearby and sighs at Fanny - Toots may only be 6, but she knows exactly who all the 'just so' work is for...

Jane Campion's 2009 re-telling of the mercurial love affair between the struggling English romantic poet John Keats and Fanny Browne has been accused by historians and purists as being historically inaccurate and frankly hogwash. But I feel this is to miss the point. This is a movie - and some artistic allowance is to be expected. But more importantly, Campion absolutely makes it work - and for the whole journey too. You care about these idealistic people - you are enthralled by their short but oh so sweet shot at happiness - and Fanny's destruction at her soulmate's loss is one of the most powerful scenes committed to celluloid in decades.

The setting is Hampstead Village, London in 1818 - and Greig Fraser's Cinematography puts huge amounts of detail on screen. This is a world of Inky Quills, Scullery Maids and Pantaloons - where men smoke cigars, gulp brandy and sing chummy Acapella songs for the gathered Ladies and Gentlemen at society parties. A triple-pleated mushroom collar is a clothing advance and a man who is dying of consumption (Keats' brother) is described as 'diminished'.

Words are all in this society and Campion's script revels in it. Keats' poems "Endymion", "Bright Star" and "When I Have Fears That I May Cease To Be" are all quoted - and the dialogue inbetween is just as elegant and insightful. But of course the movie lives and dies on the dance of love between Cornish and Whishaw - and that courtship and deepening of feeling features so many great moments... a look she gives Keats in the woods as they walk and exchange ideas, her reaction to Tom's death - create something of beauty to remember him by - an embroidered pillow case that she sat up all night making - her feet curling on a bed as she devours one of Keats love letters - her tender kisses on the paper as she posts her reply... It could all have been so terribly corny, but both the actors and the script give it life and a genuine beating heart. Mark Bradshaw's music is also used sparingly and with great effect - and when it isn't there - the silence engenders a terrible feeling of foreboding (sickness, death).

Special mention should also go to Paul Schneider who is exceptional as the arrogant and obsessive Mr. Brown - supposed friend and fellow accomplice in poetry with Keats. Brown does everything to thwart the burgeoning romance between Keats and Brawne - feeling her a distraction from their lofty writing and a danger to his talent - even coveting her as his own. His vehemence forces Keats to step up to the plate and Fanny is well able for him. The core 3 actors here are fabulous together. Special mention should also go to Kerry Fox as Fanny's practical mother and Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Liam Neeson's son in "Love Actually") as her younger brother Samuel - also quietly superb.

The extras include (a) Working With Jane Campion Documentary (b) Behind The Scenes Featurette (c) Deleted Scenes (d) Photo Gallery and (e) Trailer
The lone subtitle is 'English For The Hearing Impaired'. My only real gripe is that it's not on BLU RAY - a format that would surely make this beauty shine like a diamond (due in 2011 apparently).

Campion and her exceptionally talented cast are to be congratulated - "Bright Star" is a literate, sensual, beautifully staged and gushingly romantic tale - and proud of it.

They did a great job and I for one was deeply moved...

PS: the BLU RAY Issue…

As you can see from the photo provided by Amazon – this appears to be a GERMAN issue on BLU RAY – but the copy I received this morning (Dec 2011) is in fact a FRENCH Pathe issue with that language used for all cover artwork.

There are 2 audio tracks – both FRENCH and ENGLISH DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. It is obviously defaulted to play in French when you start the disc, but a simple flick of the audio button brings in the English version. The extras on the DVD (including the "Working With…" making of) are all intact - but there are also some totally unrelated Australian Black & White shorts tagged on (God knows why).

But the big news is the picture improvement - which at times is simply breathtaking. The outdoor Hampstead scenes, Fanny sewing her garments in her home, Keats lying on top of a tree with its flowering buds beneath him, Fanny walking through a field of bluebells, the child Toots and the cat Topper in her room full of butterflies, the intricate costumes – so many things and scenes are improved - and beautifully so.

A gorgeous film made better by BLU RAY. Seek it out in this form.

"Chuck Berry Rocks" aka "Rocks" by CHUCK BERRY - Chess Records US 45-Singles from July 1955 to March 1965 Plus One LP Track - Features Mono and Stereo Original Tapes (November 2011 GERMAN Bear Family CD Compilation Of Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review Along With 235 Others Is Available in my

SOUNDS GOOD E-Book on all Amazon sites

MANNISH BOY

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

Just Click Below To Purchase for £3.95 (2026 Version)

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

(No Cut and Paste Crap)

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

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

Released November 2011 - "Chuck Berry Rocks" by CHUCK BERRY (aka "Rocks") on Bear Family BCD 17139 AR (Barcode 4000127171399) is a 32-Track Mono and Stereo CD-only compilation that stretches to a chunky 80:01 minutes. 

All tracks bar one are American (US) Chess 7" 45-singles (most are A-sides except where noted below) - from his legendary first release "Maybellene" on Chess 1604 in July 1955 to "Dear Dad" on Chess 1926 in March 1965. The only exception here is "Betty Jean" which featured on the 1960 LP "Rockin' At The Hops". Most of the Fifties recordings are MONO while the Sixties stuff is in STEREO (neither the booklet nor the outer card wrap indicates which is which). A few of Chuck Berry's Chess 45s were so good ("Sweet Little Sixteen", "Johnny B. Goode", "Back In The U.S.A.", Tennessee" and "Little Queenie"), Bear Family has included their flipsides too. In fact in 1958, Chuck Berry was doing a James Brown (over on King) - practically issuing a hit a month and most rarely went up to three-minutes playing time. Get in, do the business and leave (hear them bells indeed). Here are the details...

1. Maybellene - July 1955, Chess 1604, A-side (2:20 minutes)

2. Thirty Days (To Come Back Home) - October 1955, Chess 1610, A-side (2:23 minutes)

3. You Can't Catch Me - November 1956, Chess 1645, A-side (2:43 minutes)

4. No Money Down - January 1956, Chess 1615, A-side (2:57 minutes)

5. Brown Eyed Handsome Man - September 1956, Chess 1635, B-side of "Too Much Money Business" - see Track 7 for A-side (2:16 minutes)

6. Roll Over Beethoven - May 1956, Chess 1626, A-side (2:24 minutes)

7. Too Much Money Business - see Track 5 for B-side

8. School Day (Ring! Ring! Goes The Bell) - March 1957, Chess 1653, A-side (2:42 minutes)

9. Rock And Roll Music - October 1957, Chess 1671, A-side (2:32 minutes)

10. Oh Baby Doll - June 1957, Chess 1664, A-side (2:36 minutes)

11. Sweet Little Sixteen - January 1958, Chess 1683, A-side (3:03 minutes)

12. Reelin' And Rocking - January 1958, Chess 1683, B-side (3:16 minutes)

13. Johnny B. Goode - April 1958, Chess 1691, A-side (2:39 minutes)

14. Around & Around - April 1958, Chess 1691, B-side (2:39 minutes)

15. Beautiful Delilah - July 1958, Chess 1697, A-side (2:08 minutes)

16. Carol - August 1958, Chess 1700, A-side (2:47 minutes)

17. Memphis, Tennessee - May 1959, Chess 1729, B-side of "Back In The U.S.A." (2:14 mins)

18. Sweet Little Rock And Roller - October 1958, Chess 1709, A-side (2:21 minutes)

19. Run Rudolph Run - November 1958, Chess 1714, B-side of "Merry Christmas Baby" (2:43)

20. Little Queenie - March 1959, Chess 1722, A-side (2:41 minutes)

21. Almost Grown - March 1959, Chess 1722, B-side (2:21 minutes)

22. Back In The U.S.A. - May 1959, Chess 1729, A-side - for B-side see Track 17 (2:28 mins)

23. Betty Jean (from the 1960 US LP "Rockin' At The Hops" on Chess LP 1448 in Mono)

24. Let It Rock - January 1960, Chess 1747, A-side (1:45 minutes)

25. Bye Bye Johnny - May 1960, Chess 1754, A-side (2:04 minutes)

26. Jaguar And Thunderbird - October 1767, Chess 1767, A-side (1:50 minutes)

27. Go-Go-Go - September 1961, Chess 1799, B-side of "Come On" (2:33 minutes)

28. Nadine (Is That You?) - February 1964, Chess 1883, A-side (2:33 minutes)

29. You Never Can Tell - July 1964, Chess 1906, A-side (2:42 minutes)

30. Promised Land - November 1964, Chess 1916, A-side (2:23 minutes)

31. No Particular Place To Go - May 1964, Chess 1898, A-side (2:43 minutes)

32. Dear Dad - March 1965, Chess 1926, A-side (2:36 minutes)

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

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

I've raved about JURGEN CRASSER and his mastering work before (see my TAG for him and reviews for the astonishing "Blowing The Fuse" series (16 compilations, individual years from 1945 to 1960) and the "Sweet Soul Music" series (15 discs, individual years from 1960 to 1975). The best way to describe the sound here is 'clean' – Berry’s Chess recordings are for the most part notoriously 'lo-fi' – but here there is very little hiss on any of the tracks. The recordings are still suitably ramshackle and even crude, but there’s a power in them now that 'just' pips the otherwise superlative remasters Erick Labson did for those 3 Hip-O Select tomes (and Universal's "Gold" double CD set).

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

Highlights – I loved rehearing the lesser-heard "Dear Dad", "Let It Rock" and "Sweet Little Rock And Roll" (lyrics above) which Rod Stewart covered so well on his underrated "Smiler" album in 1973. The B-sides too like "Go-Go-Go" and "Memphis, Tennessee" (covered by the Faces on their third album from November 1971 "A Nod's As Good As A Blind Horse..." 

And the STEREO takes are particularly alive too – the Leroy Davis and James Robinson brass with Johnnie Johnson piano on "You Never Can Tell" - the wonderful "No Particular Place To Go" which still sounds so totally kicking ("…stole a kiss at the turn of a mile…") His second renaissance in 1964 is represented here in these fabulous Stereo sides and is it any wonder that people still rave about them in their Pop perfection. And on that point – the lyrics – witty, smart, full of cool Americanisms – Chuck Berry really did chronicle the teenage experience (and thankfully no dire "Ding A Ling" from 1972 (a horrible No.1) to pollute the proceedings).

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

PS: The "Rocks" Series CD-Only Compilations (released 2002 to 2026) by Bear Family Records of Germany features the following artists (alphabetical order):

1. Hank Ballard (Bear Family BCD 17580)

2. Chuck Berry (BCD 17139 AR) [see REVIEW]

3. Eddie Bond (BCD 17726)

4. Pat Boone (BCD 16933 AR)

5. Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown (BCD 17537)

6. James Brown (BCD 17775)

7. Roy Brown (BCD 17749)

8. Sonny Burgess (BCD 17629)

9. Johnny Burnette (BCD 16992 AR) [see REVIEW]

10. The Cadillacs (BCD 16281 AR)

11. Jimmy Cavallo (BCD 17648)

12. Sanford Clark (BCD 17664)

13. The Coasters (BCD 17526)

14. Eddie Cochran (BCD 17136 AR)

15. Jackie Lee Cochran (BCD 17785)

16. James Cotton (BCD 17651)

17. Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (BCD 17555 AR)

18. Bobby Darin (BCD 16310 AR)

19. Bo Diddley (BCD 17751)

20. Fats Domino (BCD 16825 AR)

21. The Drifters (BCD 17278 AR)

22. Champion Jack Dupree (BCD 17536)

23. Duane Eddy (BCD 17249 AR)

24. The Everly Brothers (BCD 17321 AR)

25. Charlie Feathers (BCD 17688)

26. Narvel Felts (BCD 17594)

27. The "5" Royales (BCD 17522)

28. Connie Francis (BCD 16318 AR)

29. Don Gibson (BCD 16991 AR)

30. Glen Glenn (BCD 16671 AR)

31. Big John Greer (BCD 17743)

32. Bill Haley (BCD 16807 AR)

33. Roy Hall (BCD 16747 AR)

34. Wynonie Harris (BCD 17746)

35. Dale Hawkins (BCD 16826 AR)

36. Ronnie Hawkins (BCD 16873 AR)

37. Screamin' Jay Hawkins (BCD 16687 AR)

38. Wanda Jackson (BCD 16631 AR) [see REVIEW]

39. Etta James (BCD 17750)

40. Sonny James (BCD 16679 AR)

41. Benny Joy (BCD 17645)

42. Buddy Knox & Jimmy Bowen with the Rhythm Orchids (BCD 16872 AR)

43. Sleepy LaBeef (BCD 15981 AR)

44. Brenda Lee (BCD 16886 AR)

45. Jerry Lee Lewis (BCD 16396 AR)

46. Smiley Lewis (BCD 16676 AR) [see REVIEW]

47. Little Richard (BCD 17138 AR)

48. Bob Luman (BCD 16985 AR)

49. Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers (BCD 16545 AR)

50. Mac Curtis (BCD 17719)

51. Carl Mann (BCD 16684 AR)

52. Jimmy McCracklin (BCD 17552)

53. Scotty McKay (BCD 17519)

54. Clyde McPhatter (BCD 17614)

55. Memphis Slim (BCD 17687)

56. Amos Milburn (BCD 16926 AR) [see REVIEW]

57. Roy Milton (BCD 17712)

58. Ella Mae Morse (BCD 16672 AR) [see REVIEW]

59. Ricky Nelson (BCD 16856 AR)

60. Roy Orbison (BCD 15916 AR)

61. Little Junior Parker (BCD 17535)

62. Carl Perkins (BCD 16752 AR)

63. The Platters (BCD 17558 AR)

64. Lloyd Price (BCD 16999 AR)

65. Piano Red (aka Dr. Feelgood) (BCD 16639 AR) [see REVIEW]

66. Jimmy Reed (BCD 17572)

67. Louis Prima (BCD 17318 AR)

68. Charlie Rich (BCD 16513 AR) [see REVIEW]

69. Billy Lee Riley (BCD 17597)

70. Marty Robbins (BCD 17245 AR)

71. Jack Scott (BCD 16841 AR)

72. Ronnie Self (BCD 17656)

73. Shirley & Lee (BCD 15785 AR)

74. Slim Harpo (BCD 17129 AR)

75. The Treniers (BCD 16164 AR)

76. Ike Turner (BCD 17679)

77. Big Joe Turner (BCD 17215 AR) [see REVIEW]

78. Conway Twitty (BCD 16670 AR)

79. Ritchie Valens (BCD 17525)

80. Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps (BCD 17134 AR)

81. Johnny Guitar Watson (BCD 17764)

82. Link Wray (BCD 17600)

83. Rusty York (BCD 16543 AR) [see REVIEW]

Series Sampler Compilations from 2024 and 2025

84. Bear Family Records Rocks, Vol. 1 (BCD 17734) 

85. Bear Family Records Rocks, Vol. 2 (BCD 17735) 

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

1. Johnny Horton

2. Marvin Rainwater

3. Marty Robbins Vol.1

4. Marty Robbins Vol.2

5. Marty Robbins Vol.3

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

"…Let's Walk This World Together…"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Recommended.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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