“Think About The Times: The Chrysalis Years 1969 to 1972” by TEN YEARS AFTER [featuring Alvin Lee] (2010 EMI 3CD Remasters) - A Review By Mark Barry...

"…Only Thing I Understand Is Living…”

Released 26 July 2010 as a 3CD set - "Think About The Times: The Chrysalis Years 1969 to 1972" by TEN YEARS AFTER on Chrysalis/EMI 5099964214726 takes its title from a track on their great 1970 album "Watt". Here are 50,000 miles of boogie details…

Disc 1 (76:53 minutes):

1. Bad Scene

2. Two Time Mama

3. Stoned Woman

4. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl

5. If You Should Love Me

6. I Don’t Know That You Don’t Know My Name

7. The Stomp

8. I Woke Up This Morning

Tracks 1 to 8 are the album "Ssssh" – released August 1969 in the UK on Deram SML 1052 and in the USA on Deram/London DES 18029

Track 9 is "If You Should Love Me" – the non-album 7" single B-side to the 'American' release of "Love Like A Man" issued in 1970 on Deram DEM 7529

10. Sugar The Road

11. Working On The Road

12. 50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain

13. Year 3000 Blues

14. Me And My Baby

15. Love Like A Man

16. Circles

17. As The Sun Still Burns

Tracks 10 to 17 are the album "Cricklewood Green" – released April 1970 in the UK on Deram SML 1065 and in the USA on Deram DES 18038

Disc 2 (79:17 minutes):

Track 1 is "Love Like A Man (Single Edit)" – a non-album version [A-side] issued May 1970 in the UK on Deram DM 299

2. I’m Coming On

3. My Baby Left Me

4. Thing About The Times

5. I Say Yeah

6. The Band With No Name

7. Gonna Run

8. She Lies In The Morning

Tracks 2 to 9 are the album "Watt" – released December 1970 in the UK on Deram SML 1078 and Deram XDES 18050

10. One Of These Days

11. Here They Come

12. I’d Love To Change The World

13. Over The Hill

14. Baby Won’t You Let Me Rock n Roll You

15. Once There Was A Time

16. Let The Sky Fall

17. Hard Monkeys

18. I’ve Been There Too

19. Uncle jam

Tracks 10 to 19 are the album "A Space In Time" – released August 1971 in the UK on Chrysalis CHR 1001 and in the USA on Columbia KC 30801

Disc 3 (60:16 minutes):

Track 1 is "I'd Love To Change The World (Single Edit)" – a non-album 7” single version [A-side] issued September 1971 in the USA on Columbia 4-45457

2. You Gave Me Loving

3. Convention Prevention

4. Turned Off TV Blues

5. Standing At The Station

6. You Can’t Win Them All

7. Religion

8. Choo Choo Mama

9. Tomorrow I’ll Be Out Of Town

10. Rock & Roll Music To The World

Tracks 2 to 10 are the album "Rock & Roll Music To The World" – released October 1972 in the UK on Chrysalis CHR 1009 and in the USA on Columbia KC 31779

Track 11 is "Choo Choo Mama (Single Edit)" – a non-album 7” single version [A-side] issued November 1972 in the USA on Columbia 4-45736

Track 12 is "Love Like A Man (Recorded Live At Bill Graham's Fillmore East)" – a non-album 7” single version [B-side to “Love Like A Man”] issued May 1970 in the UK on Deram DM 299

Housed in a double jewel-case with a fairly skimpy (but informative) 8-page booklet - EMI have released many multiple CD sets in this 'retro' series with the same generic packaging - Robin Trower, Frankie Miller, Barclay James Harvest, The Groundhogs, UFO and The Edgar Broughton Band among them. All are remastered and pitched at mid-price.

In this case (as is with most of the others) – the superb remastered sound comes courtesy of PETER MEW at Abbey Road. It should also be noted that "Ssssh", "Cricklewood Green" and "Watt" are different remasters to the 2002 versions done by PASCHAL BYRNE at Alchemy Audio in London. The other big draw here for TYA fans is the difficult to find and hugely popular albums "A Space In Time" and "Rock & Roll Music To The World" from 1971 and 1972 respectively – available remastered - and reasonably priced at last.

Musically – as one reviewer rightly says – some tracks are plodding and none are 'live' and therefore not really representative of the band at their best. But dealing with what we do have - there is so much on here to savour. "Working On The Road", "I'm Coming On" and "Choo Choo Mama" are great boogie tunes. I also love the acoustic vibe of "Circles", the Prog Rock keyboards of "Standing At The Station" and the string arrangements of "Over The Hill". There are even wise deliberations on beliefs on the trippy treated vocals of "Religion" (lyrics above). It isn't all genius - of course not. But there are 5 studio albums & five rare 7” single sides on here – and that's an awful lot of Classic Rock music for not a huge amount of wonga.

Niggles - packaging wise its workmanlike at best. I would have much preferred it if this entire series has gone down the road of Columbia's "Original Classic Albums" mini box sets – albums in repro card sleeves with the full session info available via download from Sony’s website. But alas…

Too often overlooked - TEN YEARS AFTER still hold huge swathes of fans in serious affection – and on re-hearing these remasters and Alvin Lee's terrific axework – it’s easy to know why. Rock & Roll Music To Us...

"Living In The Past" by JETHRO TULL (1997 US-Only Mobile Fidelity Ultradisc-2 Original Mastering Recording 2CD Remasters With Both US and UK LP Track Lists) - A Review By Mark Barry...

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"…And Above You…There's No Other…"

In 2015 fans of the 2LP compilation set “Living In The Past” find themselves sandwiched between a Ford Anglia and a Rolls Royce (no offence to Anglia owners). This double is still the one hole in Jethro Tull's catalogue from those classic years as yet untouched by the magical knob-twiddling genius of Steve Wilson. You can buy it in only two versions - a horrible truncated single-disc from way back in 1990 with yuck sound - or this - the uber-expensive but uber-desirable Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab 2CD remaster (now deleted and very costly). Some history is needed to explain…

The 2LP set "Living In The Past" was first issued in July 1972 in the UK on Chrysalis CJT 1 and October 1972 in the USA on Chrysalis 2CH 1035 - both originals sporting hardback book sleeves with 12 pages of colour shots inside. The set's title reflected what was within - a ragbag of previously released album tracks bolstered up with new live and studio songs, rare single sides and their non-album flips. This 2CD version pans out as follows...

Released Stateside in September 1997 on Mobile Fidelity UDCD 2708 (Barcode 015775470828) — this 'full' 2CD version is an audiophile issue - an ORIGINAL MASTER RECORDING housed in a card wrap with two gold ULTRADISC-2 CDs in two separate lift-lock CD cases inside. The detached oversized booklet slotted in beside the CDs replicates entirely the packaging and liner notes of the original double vinyl album - right down to the book texture feel of the front and rear sleeve. Nice touches it has to be said and the oversized nature of the booklet makes it a far better read that standard CD jewel case fare. However, the liner notes get some details wrong which need clarifying...

  

Disc 1 (42:55 minutes):

1. Song For Jeffrey [Side 1]

2. Love Story 

3. Christmas Song

4. Living In The Past 

5. Driving Song 

6. Bouree

7. Sweet Dream [Side 2]

8. Sing All Day 

9. Teacher 

10. Witch's Promise 

11. Inside 

12. Alive And Well And Living In 

13. Just Trying To Be 

Although the original double vinyl album had twelve songs on both sides of the pond - you will notice that Disc 1 has 13 tracks and not 12. The reason for the extra song is that, "Inside" (from the "Benefit" LP) appeared as track 5 on Side 2 of the original UK issue - but the US variant replaced that track with "Alive And Well And Living In" (another "Benefit" track in the UK and the B-side to the UK 7" single of "Inside"). Both have been included on this 2CD set for completeness. Tracks 1 to 11 and 13 make up the 12 tracks of Side 1 and 2 of the original UK double album using strict sequencing - the US variant is sequenced using Tracks 1 to 10 with 12 and 13.

Disc 2 (45:35 minutes):

1. By Kind Permission Of [Side 3 - Both 1 and 2 Are Live]

2. Dharma For One 

3. Wond'ring Aloud [Side 4]

4. Hymn 43

5. Locomotive Breath 

6. Life Is A Long Song 

7. Up The Pool 

8. Dr. Bogenbroom 

9. From Later 

10. Nursie 

Like Disc 1 - Disc 2 also has an extra track. Track 5 is "Locomotive Breath" from the "Aqualung" LP - it appeared as Track 2 on Side 4 of the original UK issue. However, the US variant replaced this with another cut from "Aqualung" - "Hymn 43" - again both tracks are included on the Mobile Fidelity issue for completeness. Tracks 1 to 3 and 5 to 10 make up the 9 tracks of Side 3 and 4 of the original UK double album using strict sequencing - Tracks 1 to 4 and 6 to 10 for the US variant.

To confuse matters further - the ok-sounding official 1990 EMI release of "Living In The Past" on CD is a truncated single disc...so this US-only Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab issue is the only way to get the full double in one place - and more importantly - with great sound.

Speaking of which - when I compare "Locomotive Breath" and "Hymn 43" on the 1996 "Aqualung" remaster to these MF versions - the difference couldn't be more marked. As every Tull fan knows the early "Aqualung" remaster was one of the worst and dullest of issues - these MF versions leap out of the speakers - although I’d have to say that Wilson's 2011 remaster now has the edge. As the recordings vary from 1968 to 1971, the sound does so too, but the Mobile issue still excels on them all - especially the beautiful acoustic turns "Just Trying To Be” and "Up The 'Pool". In fact - excepting the excessive two live tracks, which took up all of Side 3, it's amazing how well the whole set holds together - even to this day. I've always loved the way this double-album plays - it works. Lyrics from "Love Story" title this review…

If you're not bothered about owning the two Live cuts "By Kind Permission Of" and "Dharma For One" - then eagle-eyed fans will know that with the quality reissues of "Stand Up", "Benefit" and "Aqualung" - you can sequence Steve Wilson remasters of all the key studio tracks. But the bottom line is that if you want really great sound ‘and’ the full compliment - then this now deleted Mobile Fidelity 2CD set is the only place to get it. It’s just such a damn shame that in 2015 - it costs so bloody much. Time for a Super Deluxe Edition of "Living In The Past" methinks - and what a mouth-watering (and wallet-depleting) thought that is…

PS: see also my reviews for JETHRO TULL's "This Was: Collector's Edition" and "The 50th Anniversary Edition", "Benefit" and "Aqualung: 40th Anniversary Edition" in Original and Reissue Forms...

"That The Spirit Needs/Memphis Menu/Compartments" by JOSE FELICIANO (2015 Beat Goes On 2CD Reissue – Andrew Thompson Remasters) - A Review By Mark Barry...

"...Peace Of Mind..."

Puerto Rican Flamenco Guitarist and Singer JOSE FELICIANO (one of the first Latin American Superstars) had released a staggering 11 albums with RCA Victor before he decided in 1971 to largely ditch the cover-versions formula that had stood him so well - and try a few tunes of his own. And that's where this rather lovely 2CD set from England's Beat Goes On (BGO) comes in. It gathers together three rarely seen (and largely forgotten) albums from 1971, 1972 and 1973 where he made an unsuccessful dash for the singer-songwriter market dominated at the time by James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Elton John, Joni Mitchell and Carole King. "Musical Menu" didn't chart at all - with "That The Spirit Needs" and "Compartments" barely scraping Nos. 173 and 156 (respectively) on the American Billboard Rock LP charts. But that doesn't mean that there aren't goodies to be had here - there are (Steve Cropper and Bill Withers guest). Here are the dark glasses and the simple songs...

UK released April 2015 - "That The Spirit Needs/Memphis Menu/Compartments" on Beat Goes BGOCD 1179 (Barcode 5017261211798) is a 2CD set and breaks down as follows:

Disc 1 (69:34 minutes):

1. Come Down Jesus

2. The Spirit

3. Wild World

4. Border Song

5. Only One

6. Take Me To The Pilot

7. She Let Me Down [Side 2]

8. Daytime Dreams

9. My Last Farewell

10. Mellow Felling

11. Pay Day

Tracks 1 to 11 are the album "That The Spirit Needs" - released 1971 in the USA on RCA Victor LSP-4573 and in the UK on RCA Victor SF 8223. All tracks are Feliciano Originals except these cover versions "Wild World" (Cat Stevens), "Border Song" and "Take Me To The Pilot". Produced by Janna Merlyn and Jose Feliciano.

12. Magnolia

13. River Song

14. One More Mile

15. Never Leave You

16. Tale Of Maria

17. It Doesn't Matter [Side 2]

18. Good Times

19. Lay, Lady, Lay

20. Where Is My Woman

21. Movin'

Tracks 12 to 21 are the album "Memphis Menu" - released 1972 in the USA on RCA Victor LSP-4656 and in the UK on RCA Victor SF 8309. Side 1 is the "First Course" with Side 2 being the `Second Course". All tracks are Feliciano originals except these cover versions - "Magnolia" (J.J. Cale), "One More Time" (Mark James), "Good Times" (Marc Benno), "Lay, Lady, Lay" (Bob Dylan) and "Movin'" (Jackie DeShannon).

Disc 2 (41:19 minutes):

1. Simple Song [Feliciano song]

2. Me And Bobby Jane [Leon Russell cover]

3. Don't Fail [Seal and Crofts cover]

4. Find Somebody [co-write with Carl Marsh and Steve Cropper]

5. Hey Look At The Sun [Nelson Angelo cover]

6. Peace Of Mind [Loggins and Messina cover]

7. Sea Cruise [Huey "Piano" Smith cover] [Side 2]

8. Compartments [Jose Feliciano/Bill Withers song]

9. Yes We Can Can [Allen Toussaint song, Pointer Sisters cover]

10. I'm Leavin' [Feliciano song]

11. Things Are Changing [Donald Paschal cover]

Tracks 1 to 11 are the album "Compartments" - released May 1973 in the USA and UK on RCA Victor APD1 0141

It comes in the now customary card wrap (which lends the reissue a classy feel) and a jam-packed 24-page booklet with thoroughly comprehensive liner notes from noted writer JOHN O'REGAN. It provides lyrics to the first two albums on Disc 1 (but not "Compartments") - and as eagle-eyed collectors will notice - uses the reissue artwork for "That The Spirit Needs" which initially came in an untitled elaborate gatefold sleeve. The booklet is well done and extends it reach right up to 2014 on Feliciano's career. ANDREW THOMPSON did the expertly transferred remasters at Sound Mastering In London and they sound beautiful.

Most of the tracks on "Spirit" have the Acoustic Guitar to the fore accompanied on occasion by orchestral arrangements (from George Tipton) or guitar overdubs with Feliciano playing a wide range of instruments including Bass, Congas and Organ. Jim Horn putts in Flute on "Wild World" and "Mellow Feeling" with Buddy Emmons playing Steel Guitar on "My Last Farewell". The opening duo of "Come Down Jesus" and "The Spirit" are good rather than great while his fast-tempo take of Cat Stevens' "Wild World" doesn't really do anything for a lovely song. Things improve on "Border Song" where his voice is similar to that of 1971 Elton John. Other pretty entries include his "Daytime Dreams" and "Mellow Feeling".

He opens the "Memphis Menu" album with a great cover of J.J. Cale's wonderful "Magnolia" (from his "Naturally" album) and you immediately notice the improvement in Production Values (co-produced by Steve Cropper of Booker T. & The MG's.). Feliciano's own "It Doesn't Matter" is lovely feeling a little like a cross between Don McLean and Gilbert O'Sullivan. Mark James provides "One More Mile" (he wrote "Suspicious Minds" brought to Number 1 by Elvis Presley) and Marc Benno's "Good Times" is probably the best cut on the album.

But the best album of the three is "Compartments" which features some stellar guest contributions that genuinely up the game of almost every song (with the whole album again co-produced by Steve Cropper and Jose Feliciano). Leon Russell lends his distinctive piano style to "Me And Baby Jane" - a hurting tale about a first love in school who then later loses herself to drugs. Jim Seals and Dan Crofts play Guitars, Mandolin and sing Backing Vocals on their own "Don't Fail" (very hall & Oates kind of tune) while Loggins & Messina provide Background Vocals on two - "Simple Song" and "Peace Of Mind" (Messina also does a Guitar Solo on "Peace Of Mind"). His keyboard player J.A. Spell gets very Leon Russell meets Fats Domino on Jose's cover of Huey Smith's wonderful "Sea Cruise". None other than Soul Maestro Bill Withers co-writes "Compartments" with Feliciano and also plays Rhythm Guitar. Claudia Lennear (of "Brown Sugar" fame), Jessie Smith and Robbie Montgomery contribute Backing Vocals to the ballad "Find Somebody", the Soulful groove of "Hey Look At The Sun", the cool Funk of "Yes We Can Can" and finally the brassy pop hit "Things Are Changing". This is probably the best sounding of the two CDs.

These albums represent the lesser-heard sides of Jose "Light My Fire" Feliciano's cannon of work - and well done to all at BGO UK for getting them out there...

PS: Beat Goes On have also released "Alive Alive-O" (a double album) on BGOCD 794, "10 to 23/Fireworks" on BGOCD 795 and "A Bag Full Of Soul/Fantastic Feliciano" on BGOCD 817...

"California Nights with Bonus Tracks" by LESLEY GORE (May 2015 Ace CD Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Treat Me Like A Lady..."

What you get here is Lesley Gore’s much-acclaimed upbeat pop album "California Nights" from 1967 (a 10-track LP in Stereo) – along with a generous 15 bonus tracks. Amongst the fifteen are 10 cuts from the 12-track 1965 LP “All About Love” that preceded “California Nights” – two cuts from the November 1965 LP “My Town, My Guy & Me” - and finally 3 unreleased rarities from the 1995 Bear Family 5CD Box Set “It’s My Party”. There’s a lot of smooching and crooning to get through – so once more unto the party dresses...

UK released May 2015 (June 2015 in the USA) – “California Nights with Bonus Tracks” by LESLEY GORE on Ace CDCHD 1439 (Barcode 029667071826) pans out as follows (59:58 minutes):

1. California Nights

2. Treat Me Like A Lady

3. Bad

4. I’m Going Out (The Same Way I Came In)

5. Maybe Now

6. Love Goes on Forever [Side 2]

7. Off And Running

8. Lilacs And Violets

9. The Bubble Broke

10. Cry Like A Baby

Tracks 1 to 10 are the album “California Nights” – released May 1967 in the USA on Mercury Records MG 21120 (Mono) and Mercury SR 61120 (Stereo) – the Stereo Mix is used

BONUS TRACKS:

11. My Town, My Guy And Me

12. Let Me Dream

Tracks 11 and 12 from the November 1965 USA LP “My Town, My Guy & Me” on Mercury Records MG 21042 (Mono) and Mercury SR 61042 (Stereo) – the Stereo Mixes are used

13. Start The Party Again

14. I Won’t Love You Anymore (Sorry)

15. I Just Can’t Get Enough Of You

16. To Know Him Is To Love Him

17. Will You Love Me Tomorrow

18. Only Last Night

19. With Any Other Girl

20. I Can Tell

21. We Know We’re In Love

Tracks 13 to 21 and 23 are 10 cuts from the 12-track album “All About Love” – released 1965 in the USA on Mercury MG 21066 (Mono) and Mercury SR 61066 (Stereo) – the Stereo Mixes are used. The two missing songs are “Young Love” and “Too Young” (from Side 1)

22. Yeh, Yeh, Yeh (That Boy Of Mine) (1965 recording that first turned up in 1995 on the 5CD Leslie Gore Box Set “It’s My Party” on Bear Family BCD 15742)

23. That’s What I’ll Do (as per 13 to 21)

24. Happiness is Just Around The Corner (as per 22)

25. Hold Me Tight (as per 22)

Ace is renowned as a reissue label of some 40 years repute for decent booklets - but you have to say that the 16-page fan-fest presented here is exceptional (even by their high standards). Every page is beautifully done – those US and British 45s on Mercury Records, the rare American picture sleeves for “My Town, My Guy And Me” and “I Won’t Love You Anymore (Sorry)”, pictures of Lesley in the studio with her songwriting brother Michael and Producer Bob Crewe (Quincy Jones handled tracks 7, 8 and 10), Billboard trade adverts from 1966, publicity snaps in colour and black and white – there’s even an advert for her performance of “California Nights” with Cat Woman on the Batman Show on the 19 January 1967 on ABC-TV (nice). MALCOLM BAUMGART gives an overview of her career and a very tasty track-by-track breakdown of what’s what. It’s properly gorgeous and informative. NICK ROBBINS – long-standing Remaster Engineer for Ace and countless others – does the honours on the tapes and the audio is amazing – wads of lovely Stereo – strings and girly vocals clobbering your ears in a sort of uncluttered non Phil Spector way.

The album was preceded by two cracking 45s - the very Monkees-esque “Treat Me Like A Lady” b/w “Maybe Now” in September 1966 on Mercury 72611 – a chart winner if ever there was one. It was followed in January 1967 by “California Nights” b/w “I’m Going Out (The Same Way I Came In)” on Mercury 72649. It seems odd now that the truly lovely “Treat Me Like A Lady” failed to dent the Top 50 – at least the title track climbed to 16 in March 1967 – a good prep for the LP that followed shortly after. Along with “Treat Me Like A Lady” Bob Crewe provided co-writes on “Bad”, “I’m Going Out (The Same Way I Came In)”, “Love Goes On Forever” and “The Bubble Broke”. Carole Bayer gave Lesley Gore “Off And Running” while another brilliant songwriting lady Valerie Simpson stumped up “Cry Like A Baby” with her partner Nicky Ashford. The style is very much girl-group melodrama – but with an American slant on Dusty Springfield’s street savvy. Lesley showed swooning skill herself by penning the pretty “Maybe Now” with her brother Michael (“painfully he left his mark on me...”).

I have to admit that by the time you’ve waded through the “California Nights” album another fifteen breezy string-laden productions about guys, parties and other girls with ideas on your man – can all be a bit much. However her version of Spector’s “To Know Him Is To Love Him” and the Carole King/Gerry Goffin Shirelles hit “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” both stand out as does the unreleased Van McCoy tune “Happiness is Just Around The Corner” (one of three from the massive Bear Family Box Set of 1995).

Ace have also issued “Magic Colors: The Lost Album” (Ace CDCHD 1307) and “Girl Talk” (Ace CDCHD 1383) for Gore fans to slaver over – and this beautifully presented audio winner is a proud addition...