"Southwest /Sandman" by HERB PEDERSEN (June 2014 Beat Goes On Reissue - 2LPs Remastered Onto 1CD) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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SOMETHING'S HAPPENING HERE Volume 2

1960s and 1970s MUSIC ON CD 
Exceptional CD Reissues and Remasters

As well as 1960s and 1970s Rock and Pop - It Also Focuses On

Folk, Folk Rock, Country Rock, Reggae, Punk and New Wave

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"…If I Can Sing A Song…"

In Country Rock - Herb Pedersen - is not exactly a legendary name – one that rolls off the tongue of every aficionado. I can just about remember seeing a Banjo credit to him on The Doobie Brothers "Minute By Minute" album from 1978 as I scoured the inner sleeve for sessionmen I knew – and nothing else. 

Yet he’s turned up on Linda Ronstadt albums from back in the day and even contributes to CDs by supremo guitarist Sonny Landreth in the Naughties. Quietly in the background you might say...

Which brings us to this beautifully remastered 2014 Beat Goes On CD that makes available two obscure albums by Pedersen for the first time since their US release in the Seventies (1976 and 1977). Here are the plucky fingerpicking details…

UK released June 2014 – "Southwest /Sandman" by HERB PEDERSEN on Beat Goes On BGOCD 1151 (Barcode 5017261 211514) offers 2LPs from 1976 and 1977 Remastered onto 1CD and breaks down as follows (63:17 minutes):

1. Paperback Writer

2. Rock And Roll Cajun

3. If I can Sing A Song

4. Our Baby’s Gone

5. Harvest Home

6. The Hey Boys

7. Jesus Once Again

8. Younger Days

9. Can’t You Hear Me Callin’

10. Wait A Minute

Tracks 1 to 10 are the album “Southwest” – released in 1976 in the USA on Epic Records PE 34225

11. Sandman

12. When She Makes Love To Me

13. Cara Is Gone

14. Is That Any Way To Love

15. Fair And Tender Ladies

16. Tennessee Sal

17. About Love Again

18. Bring Back The Smile

19. My Little Man

20. If I Lose

Tracks 11 to 20 are the album “Sandman” – released 1977 in the USA on Epic Records PE 34933

The CD is housed in a pretty card slipcase and the 24-page booklet is packed with info, photos, lyrics and in-depth liner notes by noted writer JOHN TOBLER. The Audio is a gorgeous ANDREW THOMPSON Remaster in High Def from real tapes.

The musical style is solo Ozark Mountain Daredevils (Randy Chowning or Steve Cash)  - fiddles, banjos, country themes and melodies. Some of it works – a lot of it is terribly dated and seriously cheesy. However if you are a fan – the sound quality is truly gorgeous – remastered to perfection.

“Rock & Roll Cajun” rocks it out but his cover of The Beatles classic “Paperback Writer” is not a wise choice. Both Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt provide lovely backing vocals on the mid tempo “Our Baby’s Gone” while “The Hey Boys” is a faithful Dillards cover. Larry Carlton and Mike (Hill Street Blues) Post add guitars and keyboards to “Jesus Once Again” and “Younger Days”. The ballads work best – “Is That Any Way To Love You” and “My Little Man” (about his kids).

Another quality reissue from Beat Goes On with superb presentation and genuinely gorgeous sound...

"BLU RAY: Keepers And Sleepers - 100 Films You Probably Don't Own But Should - Volume 1 (A to G) - A New Book by MARK BARRY Now Available To Buy On AMAZON Kindle

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Over 100 Films You Probably Don't Own But Should
Volume 1 - A to G..."

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Nearly 450 E-Pages
All Details and In-Depth Reviews From Discs

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Making movie suggestions is a precarious business – one man’s Hilton is another man’s Doghouse. And looking at the 100 choices listed below – you could easily holler where’s Blade Runner or Close Encounters Of The Third Kind or Gladiator (and other obvious stuff like that). But I figure any true film buff will already own these.

Volume 1 in this series mixes in the familiar with the off-the-beaten track and covers the letters A to G (with two more clusters of 100 to follow). All time frames are touched upon (1930 to 2013) - with quality restorations you may have missed highlighted too. I hope to have provided you with enough information to tempt - but not enough to spoil it. And I also make no bones about preferring a movie that lifts the spirits up - even if you have to get a bit bloodied en route.

Each four/five star review is based on the UK BLU RAY release (Region B) – and if the film is only available elsewhere – I’ve incorporated US and EURO versions where their Region Coding will allow play on our machines.

Technical info also includes – Aspect Ratio, Audio Settings, Languages, Subtitles and Extras etc.

The download book can be bought for £2.47 at the above link.

Hope you enjoy it…

MARK BARRY (July 2014)

INDEX:

1.    21 Grams ****

2.    360 *****

3.    (500) Days Of Summer *****

4.    About Time ****

5.    Across The Universe *****

6.    The Adjustment Bureau ****

7.    Adventureland ****

8.    The Adventures Of Robin Hood [1938] *****

9.    The African Queen *****

10. The Air I Breathe ****

11. All About Eve *****

12. All Quiet On The Western Front *****

13. Almost Famous - Extended ****

14. Amelie *****

15. American Violet *****

16. Angel-A ****

17. Anonymous ****

18. Anuvahood ****

19. The Apartment *****

20. As Good As It Gets *****

21. Babel *****

22. Babette’s Feast *****

23. Barney’s Version *****

24. Beautiful Girls *****

25. Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead ****

26. The Big Picture ****

27. The Birdcage *****

28. Blackthorn ****

29. Blazing Saddles *****

30. The Blind Side *****

31. Blow *****

32. The Blues Brothers *****

33. Brassed Off *****

34. The Bridges Of Madison County *****

35. Brief Encounter *****

36. Bright Star *****

37. Bubba Ho-Tep *****

38. The Bucket List *****

39. Cadillac Records *****

40. Captain Phillips *****

41. Caramel *****

42. Centurion ****

43. Charlie Wilson’s War ****

44. Chocolat *****

45. The Cider House Rules ****

46. Cinema Paradiso [25^th Anniversary Edition] *****

47. City Of Angels ****

48. Cloud Atlas ****

49. Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs *****

50. The Company Men ****

51. Cool Hand Luke *****

52. Copland [15th Anniversary Edition] *****

53. Corman’s World *****

54. Crash *****

55. Crazy Heart *****

56. A Dangerous Method ****

57. Dante’s Peak ****

58. Dead Fish ****

59. Dean Spanley ****

60. Deception ****

61. Deep Blue Sea ****

62. Definitely, Maybe ****

63. Deja Vu ****

64. Delicacy *****

65. Die Hard 4.0 ****

66. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels *****

67. Duets ****

68. Easy A ****

69. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind *****

70. The Extraordinary Adventures Of Adele Blanc-Sec ****

71. Fargo [2014 Remaster] *****

72. Fast & Furious 5 and 6 *****

73. The Fighter *****

74. Filth *****

75. Fly Away Home *****

76. Flypaper ****

77. Four Lions *****

78. Fracture ****

79. Frankie Go Boom *****

80. Frequency ****

81. Frida *****

82. The Front Page (Extrablatt on GERMAN BLU RAY) ****

83. Frost/Nixon *****

84. The Full Monty *****

85. Garden State ****

86. Get Shorty ****

87. The Ghost ****

88. The Giant Mechanical Man [aka “Love In Detroit”] *****

89. Girl Most Likely ****

90. Glory (Mastered In 4K) *****

91. Going The Distance ****

92. Goldfinger *****

93. Gone Baby Gone ****

94. Good Vibrations ****

95. Good Will Hunting [15th Anniversary Edition] *****

96. Gran Torino *****

97. The Grey ****

98. Grosse Pointe Blank *****

99. Groundhog Day *****

100.      The Guard ****

"The Spice Of Life" by MARLENA SHAW (2005 Universal/Cadet CD Remaster - Her 1969 Cadet Records LP) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...All You've Got To Do Is Believe It..."

Released on vinyl in late 1969 in the USA on Cadet LPS-833 - Marlena Shaw's 10-track LP "The Spice Of Life" contains the monster rare groove hit "Woman Of The Ghetto" (the opening track on Side 1) and from there on in - it just doesn't let up. 

"The Spice Of Life" by MARLENA SHAW is one of those fantastic Soul LPs you don't know anything about and should - so Sixties - Funky, Bluesy, Soulful and righteous in its message. It ticks all the right boxes.

This hip little Universal CD reissue (released in the UK and Europe July 2005) on Verve/Universal 0602498818695 comes in an aesthetically cool-looking card digipak with a foldout inlay that repros the black rear sleeve and Louis McGlohan's original liner notes. The lovely BOB CRAWFORD photograph and silver feel to the front album cover art is there too (the vinyl repro of it is gorgeous to look at).

1. Woman Of The Ghetto

2. (They Call It) Stormy Monday

3. Where Can I Go

4. I’m Satisfied

5. I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel To Be Free)

6. Liberation Conversation

7. California Soul

8. Go Away Little Boy

9. Looking Thru' The Eyes Of Love

10. Anyone Can Move A Mountain

The remaster (31:32 minutes) was carried out by BOB IRWIN and JAYNE PIERUZZI at Sundazed Studios in the States and is fabulous throughout - clear, full of power, great presence - just a joy to listen to. All of the tracks were recorded at the famous Chess/Cadet 'Tel-Mar Studios' in Chicago between 1968 and 1969 with "Liberation Conversation" actually dating back to September 1966.

The big names involved here are RICHARD EVANS and a personal cult hero of mine - CHARLES STEPNEY - arrangers, songwriters and musicians. Stepney was involved in a lot of the Cadet label output - Rotary Connection, Terry Callier and The Dells and was sort of a Burt Bacharach of Soul - bringing beautiful string arrangements and cool brass fills to many songs.

Shaw's cover of T-Bone Walker's "Call It Stormy Monday" is wicked while her version of the song made famous by Nina Simone "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To be Free" ends Side 1 in real style. Ashford And Simpson provide the other huge Rare Groove hit "California Soul" - while "Go Away, Little Boy" is a Goffin-King track made famous by Steve Lawrence in 1962.

Marlena co-wrote the huge hitter "Woman Of The Ghetto" with soul heroes Bobby Miller and Richard Evans ("Liberation Conversation" is also a co-write with Bobby Miller) and it's impossible not to be moved by its funkiness and 'trying to survive' lyrics. Mellow and lovely like Dionne Warwick on a Soul tip - "Looking Through The Eyes Of Love" is a Mann-Weil song with that Gene Pitney melodrama built in. It also has staggering backing vocals with that glass-breaking sky high pitch Minnie Riperton used to get for Rotary Connection. The liner notes don't provide full musician credits - so I wonder is it her - its got to be? It ends on the anthem gospel groove to "Anyone Can Move A Mountain" written by Johnny Marks (lyrics above).

A stunner - a peach - enrich your Soul world with this little beauty...

PS: see also reviews for TERRY CALLIER - Occasional Rain, What Color Is Love and I Just Can't Stand It, Rotary Connection and Songs/Hey, Love (2LPs on 1CD) by ROTARY CONNECTION and Standing Ovation by THE DELLS (all of which have Charles Stepney connections)...