"Play Me: The Complete Uni Studio Recordings...Plus!" by NEIL DIAMOND (March 2002 US MCA/Universal 3CD Anthology from 1968 to 1972 with Erick Labson Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

 

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"...Dig!"

Including 6 whole LPs issued between 1968 and 1972, a rare B-side and 7 live cuts relevant to the time period – there's a ton of stuff on the Neil Diamond retrospective "Play Me: The Complete Uni Studio Recordings..." 

And despite the 24-page booklet talking of some transfers being ever so slightly compromised because of the condition of the original tape sources – the Erick Labson 24-bit Remasters are just gorgeous across all of it – a beautiful sounding set if ever there was one – and if digital restoration has taken place – then one helluva job has been done.

 

In order to get a grip on this Universal 3CD motherlode – I've broken it down into disc-by-disc details. Here goes...

USA and UK released May 2003 - "Play Me: The Complete Uni Studio Recordings…Plus!" by NEIL DIAMOND on MCA/Universal 088 112 824 2 (Barcode 008811282424) plays out as follows (all songs written by Diamond unless otherwise noted):

Disc 1 (79:56 minutes):

His first Uni Records LP "Velvet Gloves And Spit" was released in two versions at two different times - so I've shown how to sequence either variant (7/1 = Track 7, Disc 1 etc): 

"Velvet Gloves And Spit" – released October 1968 LP in the USA on Uni Records 73030

1. Sunday Sun (7/1)

2. A Modern Day Version Of Love (2/1)

3. Honey-Drippin' Times (3/1)

4. The Pot Smoker's Song (4/1)

5. Brooklyn Roads (5/1)

6. Two-Bit Manchild (1/1)

7. Holiday Inn Blues (8/1)

8. Practically Newborn (9/1)

9. Knackelflerg (10/1)

10. Merry-Go-Round (11/1)

"Velvet Gloves And Spit" – the May 1970 US reissue LP on Uni Records 73030 (Different Sleeve with repositioned tracks including an additional re-recording of “Shilo”)

1. Two-Bit Manchild (1/1)

2. A Modern Day Version Of Love (2/1)

3. Honey-Drippin’ Times (3/1)

4. The Pot Smoker’s Song (4/1)

5. Brooklyn Roads (5/1)

6. Shilo (6/1)

7. Sunday Sun (7/1)

8. Holiday Inn Blues (8/1)

9. Practically Newborn (9/1)

10. Knackelflerg (10/1)

11. Merry-Go-Round (11/1)

12. Bread Old Woman (6 A.M. Insanity) – non-album B-side to the 1968 US 45 for "Two-Bit Manchild" on Uni 55075

13. Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show

14. Dig In

15. River Runs, New Grown Plums

16. Juliet

17. Long Gone

18. And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind

19. Glory Road

20. Deep In The Morning

21. If I Knew Your Name

22. Memphis Streets

23. You're So Sweet Houseflies Keep Hangin' 'Round Your Face

24. Hurtin' You Don't Come Easy

Tracks 13 to 24 on Disc 1 are the first pressing of the album "Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show" – May 1969 LP on Uni Records 73047. However, it was reissued in September 1969 with the hit "Sweet Caroline" added on as the last track on Side 2 (the album also renamed and re-sleeved as "Sweet Caroline"). 

25. Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good)

Track 25 is the A-side of a USA 7" single on Uni Records 55136 ("Dig In" was its B-side). Also on the "Sweet Caroline" LP – see Tracks 13 to 24 above

26. Everybody's Talkin'

Track 26 is the opening song on Side One of the "Touching You Touching Me" LP – released December 1969 in the USA on Uni Records 7307. Track 26 is a Fred Neil cover version. 

Disc 2 (77:26 minutes):

1. Mr. Bojangles [Jerry Jeff Walker cover]

2. Smokey Lady

3. Holly Holy

4. Both Sides Now [Joni Mitchell cover]

5. And The Singer Sings His Song

6. Ain't No Way

7. New York Boy

8. Until It's Time For You To Go [Buffy Sainte-Marie cover]

Tracks 1 to 8 on Disc 2 make up the remainder of the US LP "Touching You Touching Me" (Note: "Sweet Caroline" (25/1) was an additional track on the UK LP)

9. Cracklin' Rosie

10. Free Life

11. Coldwater Morning

12. Done Too Soon

13. He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother [Bob Russell, Bobby Scott song – Hollies cover]

14. Childsong

15. I Am The Lion

16. Madrigal

17. Soolaimon

18. Missa

19. African Suite

20. Childsong (Reprise)

Tracks 9 to 20 are the whole album of "Tap Root Manuscript" – November 1970 US LP on Uni Records 73092

21. I Am…I Said

22. The Last Thing On My Mind [Tom Paxton cover]

23. Husbands And Wives [Roger Miller cover]

24. Chelsea Morning [Joni Mitchell cover]

Tracks 21 to 24 are Side 1 of the album "Stones" – November 1971 US LP on Uni Records 93106

Disc 3 (77:27 minutes):

1. Crunchy Granola Suite

2. Stones

3. If You Go Away [Jacques Brel – Rod McKuen cover]

4. Suzanne [Leonard Cohen cover]

5. I Think It's Gonna Rain Today [Randy Newman cover]

6. I Am…I Said (Reprise)

Tracks 1 to 6 are Side 2 of the "Stones" LP - November 1971 US LP on Uni Records 93106

7. Song Sung Blue

8. Porcupine Pie

9. High Rolling Man

10. Canta Libre

11. Captain Sunshine

12. Play Me

13. Gitchy Goomy

14. Walk On Water

15. Theme

16. Prelude I E Major

17. Morningside

Tracks 7 to 17 are the whole album "Moods" – July 1972 US LP on Uni Records 93136

LIVE BONUS TRACKS:

18. Lordy (Live)

19. Kentucky Woman (Live)

20. Thank The Lord For The Night Time (Live)

Tracks 18, 19 and 20 are live bonus songs from the "Neil Diamond/Gold" album of August 1970

21. Solitary Man (Live)

22. Cherry, Cherry (Live)

23. Red, Red Wine (Live)

24. Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon (live)

Tracks 21, 22, 23 and 24 are from the December 1972 live double "Hot August Night"

The 24-page booklet has full Discography info including mini pictures of the album artwork and incisive liner notes by Robyn Flans (of People Magazine). But the big news is the 96K/24bit remasters by ERICK LABSON of Universal – a man who has over 1200 restoration credits to his name including most of the Chess Label.

The sound quality here is awesome and adds huge power to the "Stones" and "Moods" albums in particular. "Cracklin' Rose", "Shiloh", "I Am…I Said", "Song Sung Blue" – they're all here. But for me the best here is the double-winner of "Stones" backed up by the funky "Crunchy Granola Suite" – a genius 7" single from 1972.

Even when he's tackling cover versions like Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing On My Mind" or the gorgeous Midnight Cowboy song "Everybody's Talkin'" – Diamond manages to respect the original while adding his own slice of Neil to it somehow. The earlier albums too are all but forgotten now and yet there's blindingly good stuff on them like the plaintive "Brooklyn Roads", the Spanish Guitar Walker Brothers melodrama of "A Modern Day Version Of Love" or the very Fred Neil warmth of "Hurting You Don't Come Easy" (issued as a 45 B-side to "Holly Holy" in the UK and USA in November 1969). Jumping forward to 1972's "Moods" LP and both "Gitchy Goomy" (fun) and the hurting "Morningside" sound gorgeous too (superb audio quality). And on it goes...

"...L.A.'s fine…the sun shines most the time…and the feeling's laid back…"

The 3CD haul of "Play Me: The Complete Uni Studio Recordings...Plus!" is probably more Big D than most can handle (a single disc "Best Of" would probably suffice). But if you're prepared to dig a bit deeper and embrace your inner Neil - the good stuff is great – and that audio quality will blow you away…

For other superb Erick Labson remasters see my reviews for...

 

1. Gold by STEPPENWOLF (2CD Set)

2. The Complete Hit Singles by THREE DOG NIGHT

3. The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions by HOWLIN' WOLF featuring ERIC CLAPTON and members of the ROLLING STONES (2CD Deluxe Edition)

4. Not Fade Away - The Complete Studio Recordings And More by BUDDY HOLLY (6CD Book Set)

5. Greatest Hits Volume 2 - The ABC/Dunhill/MCA Years by BOBBY BLAND

6. Real Folk Blues/More Real Folk Blues by MUDDY WATERS 

“Marquee Moon” by TELEVISION (2003 Rhino 'Expanded Edition' CD - Greg Calbi Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry…

"…Talk To The Mountain…"

When you think of the staggering influence America's TELEVISION has exerted over so many budding bands and songwriters - it's strange now in the glaring hindsight of 2014 to know that in the eye of the Punk and New Wave hurricane they were largely a British phenomenon. The New York band's 1977 debut LP barely scraped the lower 200 in the USA album charts but stood proudly at 28 in the UK. Both singles off the album - "Marquee Moon" (March 1977 on K 12251) and "Prove It" (July 1977 on K 12262) charted well in Blighty too (30 and 25). Their 2nd album "Adventure" from 1978 even went to No. 7.  But none of it seemed to mean zip in the no-chart action States...

Whatever way chart-history judges them - I stare at this LP's rather dull artwork now and still get a sheer tingle of excitement. I've loved this record for nearly 40 years and it still sounds so ludicrously fresh to me when so many others have gone by the wayside. And dare I use that most clichéd of words - this album and their sound as a band is as influential now as The Clash, The Jam and even The Sex Pistols. So it's cool to see this superb expanded and remastered CD do that legacy proud. Here are the green-coloured vinyl details...

Released October 2003 on Rhino R2 73920 (Barcode 081227392024) - "Marquee Moon" by TELEVISION comes in a card digipak with an extra flap and this 'Extended Edition' CD pans out as follows (77:27 minutes):

1. See No Evil

2. Venus

3. Friction

4. Marquee Moon

5. Elevation

6. Guiding Light

7. Prove It

8. Torn Curtain

Tracks 1 to 8 are their debut album "Marquee Moon" - released February 1977 in the USA on Elektra Records 7E-1098 and K 52046 in the UK.

Tracks 9 to 13 are BONUSES new to CD:

Track 9 is "Little Johnny Jewel (Part 1 & 2)" - the A&B sides of their rare debut 7" single in the USA only on Ork Records 81975.

Tracks 10, 11 and 12 are 'Alternate' Versions of album tracks "See No Evil", "Friction" and "Marquee Moon"

Track 13 is called "Untitled Instrumental"

The 20-page colour booklet has liner notes by noted New York writer ALAN LICHT (even picturing that Ork Records 45 on Page 18) with snaps of Tom Verlaine, Richard Lloyd, Fred Smith and Billy Ficca and the CBGB's nightclub. The CD repros the Butterfly label of the original Elektra records America LP while the quality-remaster has been carried out by one of my favourite tape engineers GREG CALBI (assisted by Lee Hulko). For more of Calbi's fabulous work see reviews for Supertramp's "Breakfast In America" and Paul Simon's "Graceland". He's also done Bob Dylan (the SACD remasters), John Mayer, Paul McCartney and hundreds more. The audio is fabulous - full of muscle and presence without ever being overdone.

Neither Rock nor Punk - TELEVISION (like Talking Heads) were the very epitome of NEW WAVE and that jagged Yank edge they had seemed exotic to me then and still does. It some respects it's a perfect album - 8 great tracks that all work. It opens with the killer "See No Evil" (lyrics above) emblazoning that Television sound and melody into your heart. "Friction" still has that angry edge while the near eleven-minutes of "Marquee Moon" is stunning. The album finisher "Torn Curtain" has a melodrama that reminds me of Patti Smith's "Easter".

I had though the extras would be filler - but no. The alternate of "Friction" has more guitar work but it's sloppy and not as tight as the finished article - and you can hear why it was dropped for the more polished version. Fans will know that the title track was put out on 7" and especially 12" single in the UK on Elektra K 12252 with a MONO variant of "Marquee Moon" on the B-side (the STEREO album version is on the A). But it's not on here. Rhino have obviously decided to exclude that in favour of the Previously Unreleased Alternate Version (and a good choice it is too). The "Untitled Instrumental" would have made a great B-side - especially if some lyrics had been drummed up for it. Their next platter "Adventure" was good too but just lacked that edge of greatness the debut had.

So there you have it - what a band and what an album.

"...Face to face with a world so alive..." - Verlaine sings on "Venus". 

Get this slice of New Wave Americana in your life pronto...

"Cado Belle" by CADO BELLE - 1976 Debut Album on Anchor Records featuring Maggie Reilly (2014 UK Big Break Records (BBR) 'Expanded Edition' CD Reissue and Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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1976

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"…I'm Rocked To Stony Silence…"

Cado Belle made only two official releases in the UK - their highly revered self-titled debut album in late 1976 and a hard-to-find 4-track 12” Single EP in late 1977 (see below). Across the years there have been two attempts to my knowledge at CD reissue (2004 and 2008) - both of which are hard-to-find and for years have pulled extortionate prices on the Net. Well at last in 2014 - Big Break Records of the UK have gotten hold of the master tapes and interviewed members of the band for this superb expanded CD remaster that gives us their entire recorded output and a bit little more thrown in. Here are the wee Scottish Soul details…

UK released 23 June 2014 on CD (July 2014 in the USA) – "Cado Belle" by CADO BELLE on Big Break Records CDBBR 0268 (Barcode 5013939056831) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster and plays out as follows (58:32 minutes):

1. All Too Familiar

2. Infamous Mister

3. Rocked To Stony Silence

4. I Name This Ship Survival

5. Paper In The Rain

6. That Kind Of Fool [Side 2]

7. Airport Shutdown

8. Rough Diamonds

9. Got To Love

10. Stones Throw From Nowhere

Tracks 1 to 10 are their sole album “Cado Belle” - released October 1976 on Anchor Records ANCL 2015 in the UK and Anchor Records AN 2015 in the USA

BONUS TRACKS:

11. It’s Over

12. September

13. Play It Once For Me

14. Gimme Little Sign

Tracks 11 to 14 are "The Cado Belle E.P." - released November 1977 as a 4-track 12” single in an album picture sleeve in the UK on Anchor Records AN 1

Track 15 is new - an Ashley Beedle re-edit of "I Name This Ship Survival" - it remixes and lengthens the album track from 4:33 minutes to 5:11 minutes

The band arose out of the ashes of two obscure Scottish groups - Stuart MacKillop’s pop combo called “Joe Cool” and a jazz-fusion unit called “Up”. They signed to the then little known Anchor Records Label in the UK (Anchor was home to Paul Carrack’s ACE who had a huge hit with “How Long” from their wonderful “Five-A-Side” album). Their sound was a rock-group with soul/funk leanings – a sort of lighter version of the Average White Band with a Van Morrison feel to the tunes - fronted by a classy female singer. I remember seeing them live in Dublin with my sister several times (they were hugely popular there) and was duly blown away.

CADO BELLE was:

MAGGIE REILLY Lead Vocals

STUART MacKILLOP on Keyboards

ALAN DARBY on Guitar

COLIN TULLY on Saxophone

GAVIN HODGSON on Bass

DAVID ROY on Drums

The 12-page inlay pictures the gorgeous vaudeville artwork of the Cado Belle E.P. as well as the two 7" singles lifted off the album - "Got To Love" b/w "Paper In The Rain" on Anchor ANC 1033 (released October 1976) and "Stones Throw To Nowhere" b/w "Airport Shutdown" on Anchor ANC 1038 (January 1977). A bit of a slip up is not producing the inner sleeve of the LP that had the lyrics to each song on either side. But balancing that is new interviews with Lead Singer Maggie Reilly and Saxophonist Colin Tully recalling the album's history, gigs, lack of chart action and eventual breakup in 1978 when the Anchor label folded leaving them high and dry. But the big news for fans is the fabulous audio quality - really beautiful stuff - gorgeous throughout - especially on one of my all-time faves - the Alan Darby penned "September". It's the second track on Side 1 of the E.P. and comes on like Gary Moore’s "Parisienne Walkways" from 1978 - all Soulful guitar and aching lyrics. It’s also nice to hear their covers of “It’s Over” by Boz Scaggs (a co-write with David Paich of Toto - it’s from the 1976 “Silk Degrees” LP) and the 1967 Soul classic “Gimme Little Sign” by Brenton Wood. For many fans - the album cuts “Stones Throw From Nowhere” and “Rocked To Stony Silence” in this beautiful audio quality will thrill - but there's also the superb Stuart MacKillop tune “Play It Once For Me” on Side 2 of the E.P. - what gems the lot of them.

Contributing to their Soulful Rock vibe is the fantastic Glasgow-born Scottish singer MAGGIE REILLY (not to be confused with Maggie Bell from Stone The Crows). She was similar vocally to Maria Muldaur in ways, even a touch of Chaka Khan circa Rufus. Maggie later had duet hits with Mike Oldfield on three occasions "Five Miles Out" in 1982, "Moonlight Shadow" in 1983 and "To France" in 1984. Since 1976 she’s sessioned as a vocalist on albums by Jack Bruce, George Harrison, Nick Mason of Pink Floyd, Sisters Of Mercy and Mike Oldfield. Maggie has her own website now and a few dedicated to her. Maggie's latest album "Rowan" was released in 2006 and has received huge praise from all quarters (especially her lovely cover version of "Wild Mountain Thyme").

So why didn't CADO BELLE make it? As others have noted - I guess they lacked that one killer hit that would have made people and the charts sit up and take notice - perhaps if they'd released the epic "Stones Throw From Nowhere" first - things might have been different. 

Still - it's a sign that Cado Belle are still remembered with such affection today - closing in on 50 years after the event. A stunning BBR (Big Break Records) CD reissue - well done to all involved…