"How Come The Sun (1971) + Tom Paxton EP (1967)" by TOM PAXTON (November 2018 Beat Goes On 'Expanded' CD Reissue - Andrew Thompson Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Little Lost Child..."

Having punched out no less than seven albums (a debut in 1962 Gaslight Records and six on Elektra) - "How Come The Sun" was the US Folkie's first set of studio recordings for his new signing Reprise Records - capitalising on the popular double-album "The Compleat Tom Paxton: Recorded Live" issued in March of 1971 that preceded it.

Strangely for such a high profile singer-songwriter - July 1971's "How Come The Sun" is only now seeing the CD light of day (47 years after the event) and this time by England's Beat Goes On (BGO) who have chucked the 4-track EP "Tom Paxton" [aka "The Marvellous Toy EP"] from 1967 on Elektra Records onto the end as a Bonus Item (a UK-only release at the time). This forgotten LP has been a firm fan want for decades and while I don't think it's the lost masterpiece some say it is - there's much to love here and BGO have once again done its subject matter the reissue the business. Let's get to radiant details...

UK released 23 November 2018 (30 November 2018 in the USA) - "How Come The Sun + Tom Paxton EP" by TOM PAXTON on Beat Goes On BGOCD 1364 (Barcode 5017261213648) offers the 9-Track 1971 LP and a Bonus 4-Track 1967 EP (issued only in the UK) that plays out as follows (44:07 minutes):

1. I Had To Shoot That Rabbit [Side 1]

2. Icarus

3. Little Lost Child

4. General Custer

5. She's Far Away

6. Prayin' For Snow [Side 2]

7. Louise

8. A Sailor's Life

9. How Come The Sun

Tracks 1 to 9 are his 8th studio album "How Come The Sun" - released July 1971 in the USA on Reprise RS 6443 and July 1971 in the UK on Reprise K 44129. Produced by TOM PAXTON and DAVID HOROWITZ - Tracks 2, 8 and 9 are co-writes between Paxton and Horowitz (all others are TP originals) and the album peaked on the US LP chart in August 1971 at No. 120 (didn't chart UK).

10. The Marvellous Toy [Side 1]

11. Beau John

12. Deep Fork River [Side 2]

13. My Dog's Better Than Your Dog

Tracks 10 to 13 are the UK-only 4-Track 7" single EP "Tom Paxton" [aka "The Marvellous Toy" EP] released 1967 on Elektra Records EPK-802

The outer card slipcase always lends these BGO reissues a classy look and the new 16-page JOHN O'REGAN liner notes illuminate much of Paxton's hugely productive career to his 80th birthday in 2017 (a total of 63 albums) - but its the ANDREW THOMPSON Remasters that will be the big draw here. The LP had a cast of six or seven musicians so it feels like a Folk-Rock record more than just a straight-up Acoustic picker - this Remaster picking out the lovely playing and better melodies like the gorgeous "She's Far Away" that ends Side 1 or the aching-melodica lament that is "A Sailor's Life" over on Side 2. The EP is stark (I'd swear its Mono) - straight up Acoustic renditions and although I can understand that its on here as a UK-only release - its sound and (childish) themes seem a world away from the 1971 album. Still it all sounds great. Other LP highlights are "Little Lost Child" and the Fred Neil timbre of "Deep Folk River" on Side 2 of the EP.

After a mid July 1971 release, by the very end of that month the "How Come The Sun" LP was bubbling under at No. 213 on the US Billboard Album charts. Come 14 August 1971 his LP had pushed up to No. 120, stayed there another week and then sank out of the listings rather quickly. Paxton would go on to "Peace Will Come" in 1972 and "New Songs For Old Friends" in 1973 - completing his Reprise run of studio albums - two more rarities that remain firmly off the digital radar some four and a half decades after release. 

For sure Tom Paxton's voice was never the strongest and admittedly some of the 1971 material may be dated in 2019 - but having waited so many decades, fans will adore this reissue (especially the quality presentation) and the curious will learn why he's held in such esteem...

It's SOUND! "A QUIET PLACE" the 2018 Movie - A Review by Mark Barry...

"It's SOUND!" 

"A Quiet Place" Is Good Old Fashioned 

By-The-Seat-Of-Your-Soiled-Pants Movie Entertainment

And Easily One of 2018's Best Films...

"A Quiet Place" is top-notch entertainment!

OK - for sure there are event holes in the plot galore (as some have gone to pains to point out) - but I say Blubber my Bum to that. Because I have not seen a movie deliver so much with so little in such a long time.

Real-life husband and wife team John Krasinski and Emily Blunt show once again they are both individual and collective class acts in "A Quiet Place" – Evelyn and Lee Abbott silently clutching their petrified family as they run from empty towns. Eventually after horrible losses – they end up as a small but still naked and vulnerable unit – surviving a year later on a wheat farm in a world invaded by ravenous beasties (Dad's long list of unanswered SOS signals show that few others seem to have been so resilient or creative in staying alive).

Newcomers Millicent Simmonds and Noah Lupe play the Abbott kids - Reagan a deaf girl watching over her younger more able-bodied brother Marcus (who is even more scared of the oversized gremlins than his older sister). Mum and Dad principal leads Krasinski and Blunt needed quality here and man did they luck out. Both young actors are revelations - each having to convincingly show amped up naked terror without the use of words or for that matter any kind of sound. To make matters worse - mummy's tummy is expanding and that innocent one's newborn noises will draw those pincer-like gnashers and blood frenzy if they're not minute-by-minute careful and uber prepared.

The slimy but fast-vicious creatures wow - cleverly introduced bit-by-bit to maximise their impact. They're similar in creepy slimeball horror to that other-worldly ugly bug in Netflix's fabulous TV Show "Stranger Things" – now a cult programme that has thrilled millions across two Seasons and made most of its young leads global stars.

For sure the arrival, wherefore and purpose of the aliens is perhaps left a little too sketchy – but this is a film that stands on the family's survival alone and I thought that was all "A Quiet Place" needed (keep to the point – pure and simple). Many also expressed disappointment in the ending, but I thought it was economical and shotgun brilliant. And kudos should also go to Marco Beltrami for his staggeringly effective score (jump baby jump) and to Scott Beck who co-wrote the script with Krasinski and Bryan Woods. 

After "A Quiet Place" and its expertly strangulating-your-jugular primal tension (delivered for a mere $18 million dollars when others costing ten times that don't deliver at all) - Hollywood will be sitting up and taking notice of John Krasinski, throwing scripts at the tall American by the post Brexit dozen (he also Directed the movie and IMO should be nominated for his work).

Fab and then some...and well done to all involved...

"Five-A-Side + Bonus Track/Time For Another/No Strings" by ACE featuring Paul Carrack, Bam King and Phil Harris (October 2018 UK Beat Goes On Compilation - 3LPs onto 2CDs Plus A Bonus Track - Andrew Thompson Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Time For Another..."

England’s ACE made three respected albums for Anchor Records in the Seventies (1974, 1975 and 1977) before principal songwriter, front man and lead singer Paul Carrack jumped ship to session with the mighty Frankie Miller, did work with Roxy Music before a short lived spot in England’s Squeeze – one of the great bands of the Punk and New Wave era.

Carrack's debut solo album "Groove Approved" finally appeared in 1979 on Chrysalis Records. Thereafter he moved on to a huge career and Number 1 chart greatness with Mike Rutherford of Genesis and his Mike & The Mechanics band and from there onto a steady 10 to 15 album solo career that sees him gigging still and doing shows and a UK tour in 2019. If anything, with social media outlets like YouTube, Facebook and the downloading giant Spotify – Paul Carrack's light has never been higher – a truly wonderful British Rock singer with a Soulful voice and a knack for penning a fab tune – the kind of quality artist people keep rediscovering and passing on the good news (Carrack has rabid fans who go to see him gig everywhere he touches down).

Let's get to the band ACE. CD reissues for our hero pub-rockers have been a very mixed bag. But after years of crap sounding budget compilations (deleted and ludicrously expensive into the bargain) - along came Cherry Red Records of the UK in June 2011 finally reissuing the three platters by ACE in proper style – all with unreleased BBC sessions and the occasional outtake. But they in turn have been deleted and again have started to procure high prices. Which brings us to this timely 2018 reminder of the much-loved band and Carrack’s songwriting beginnings. Time For Another indeed – here are the details…

UK released Friday, 26 October 2018 - "Five-A-Side + Bonus Track/Time For Another/No Strings" by ACE on Beat Goes On Records BGOCD 1360 (Barcode 5017261213600) offers 3LPs and a Bonus Track Remastered onto 2CDs and plays out as follows:

Disc 1 (60:56 minutes):

1. Sniffin' About [Side 1]

2. Rock And Roll Runaway

3. How Long

4. The Real Feeling

5. 24 Hours

6. Why [Side 2]

7. Time Ain't Long

8. Know How It Feels

9. Satellite

10. So Sorry Baby

Tracks 1 to 10 are the band's debut album "Five-A-Side" - originally issued November 1974 in the UK on Anchor ANCL 2001 and March 1975 in the USA using the same catalogue number but entitled "An Ace Album" (peaked at No. 11 in the US LP charts). Despite the front sleeve title "An Ace Album", the first US LPs actually have the title "Five-A-Side" on their labels.

BONUS TRACK:

11. Tastes Like A Fish – A "Five-A-Side" album outtake (instrumental) which first appeared on the June 2011 UK 2CD reissue of "Five-A-Side" on Cherry Red CDBRED 493 (Barcode 5013929149328)

12. I Think It's Gonna Last

13. I'm A Man

14. Tongue Tied

15. Does It Hurt You

15. Message To You

Tracks 12 to 16 are Side 1 of their second studio album "Time For Another" - released November 1975 in the UK on Anchor Records ANCL 2013 and December 1975 in the USA with the same catalogue number (it peaked at No. 153 in the USA, didn't chart UK).

Disc 2 (61:09 minutes):

1. No Future In Your Eyes

2. This Is What You Find

3. You Can't Lose

4. Sail On My Brother

5. Ain't Gonna Stand For This No More

Tracks 1 to 5 are Side 2 of their second album "Time For Another" (for details see Disc 1)

6. Rock And Roll Singer [Side 1]

7. You're All That I Need

8. Crazy World

9. I'm Not Takin' It Out On You

10. Movin'

11. Gleaming In The Gloom [Side 2]

12. Let's Hang On

13. Why Did You Leave Me

14. Found Out The Hard Way

15. C'est La Vie

Tracks 6 to 16 are their third and final studio album "No Strings" - released January 1977 in the UK on Anchor Records ANCL 2020 and February 1977 in the USA with the same catalogue number (peaked at No. 170 on the US LP charts, didn't chart UK)

The band retained the same line-up through the three releases - Paul Carrack on Lead Vocals and Keyboards (ex Warm Dust), Phil Harris on Lead Guitar (ex The Action, formed the band as Ace Flash and the Dynamos), Alan 'Bam' King on Rhythm Guitar (ex The Action, Mighty Baby and B.B. Blunder), Terry 'Tex' Comer on Bass (ex Warm Dust) with Dubliner Fran Byrne on Drums (ex Bees Make Honey). American Guitarist Jon Woodhead joined the band for the "No Strings" LP replacing Phil Harris.

The card slipcase for these BGO reissues lends the release a classy feel whilst the new August 2018 liner notes from JOHN TOBLER acknowledges input from Michael Heatley who did the wordy-deed for the 2011 Cherry Red issues. The inner 'football cards' artwork from "Five-A-Side" is here as are the lyrics for the "How Long" album (neither of the other two original LPs came with lyrics so unfortunately they're not here) and other photos of our boys looking suitably pub-rocking, standing dodgy by a dartboard with a pint of Ale in hand and a ciggie hanging out of their working-class gobs. But what most will love is the new AUDIO by BGO's longstanding Engineer ANDREW THOMPSON - Fabulous stuff that equals if not betters the 2011 issues. 

Musically this is a London white boy's Rock band with a Soulful twist - not unlike Cado Belle who would join Anchor in 1976. There's a lovely J.J. Cale lilt to the rhythms too and Carrack's voice has always been one of the band's strong points (not to mention his quality songwriting). The only British single off the album was of course the fabulous Carrack original "How Long" - UK issued as a 45 in October 1974 on Anchor ANC 1002 with "Sniffin' About" on the flip. It hit a respectable peak of 20 in the British single charts in November (just as the album came out).

But its US equivalent issued in March 1975 on Anchor ANC-21000 went Top 5 eventually gaining Number 3. The 45 "How Long" was a huge radio hit Stateside and saw the LP (known as "An Ace Album" over there) push its way up to Number 11 in March 1975 (it didn't even dent the top 50 in the UK). Despite the warmth given "How Long" in good old Blighty - oddly the newly established Anchor Records didn't release a follow up single that surely cost the album momentum. Anchor America did try "Rock & Roll Runaway" b/w "Know How It Feels" in the USA on Anchor ANC-21002 - but it stalled at Number 71. A further 7" came out March 1975 in the UK ahead of the second album "Time For Another" - it was "I Ain't Gonna Stand For This No More' with Five-A-Side's "Rock And Roll Runaway" as it's B-side (Anchor ANC 1014) - but again despite a strong A - it went nowhere. Let's get to the album...

Produced so sweetly by JOHN ANTHONY (of Queen, Genesis, Rare Bird and Van Der Graaf Generator fame) - "Five-A-Side" opens with the catchy "Sniffin' About" and gets even better with the piano funky jaunt of "Rock & Roll Runaway". But then you're hit with absolute magic - the standout "How Long". To this day it sends me and to hear it sound this good is a proper blast. We're back to Katy Lied Steely Dan keyboard Funk with "The Real Feeling" (nice guitar too) and the superb "24 Hours" (both Carrack tunes).

Side 2 opens with what should have been the 2nd single - the killer groove of "Why?" - sounding like the Average White Band on a Rock tip. "Time Ain't Long" is about family, parents and their passing - and to this day its lyrics don't seem to sit comfortably with the upbeat soulful melody. Things slow down and get better with the Soulful "Know How It Feels". The TV song "Satellite" gets piano funky again while the finisher "So Sorry, Baby" could also have been a great single (a Paul Harris original). The good news is that the lone outtake "Tastes Like A Fish" is a wee gem - the bad news is that it's minus an obvious vocal - so what you get is a Funky Instrumental of about 3 minutes.

Compared to the perk of the debut - the other two albums felt ever so slightly ordinary - mediocre single sleeve artwork for both platters not helping their profile either. By the time the 1977 final studio album came around and even with a new producer of repute – Punk was making ACE seem like a sideshow with the Rock-Soul fun of 1974 and 1975 a distant memory. Anchor UK released singles like "I Ain't Gonna Stand For It" in April 1975 (Anchor ANC 1014 with "Rock & Roll Runaway" from the debut on the flipside) and "No Future In Your Eyes" in November 1975 (Anchor ANC 1024 with the LP’s "I’m A Man" on the B) to try to sell the second LP "Time For Another" - but neither was successful. They tried two more for the "No Strings" LP too - "You’re All I Need" in February 1977 (Anchor ANC 1036 with "Crazy World" on the other side) and "Found Out The Hard Way" in May 1977 (Anchor ANC 1040 with "Why Did You Leave Me?" on the flip) – but few were listening and their initial "How Come" fame and fortune was spent. The band split soon after...

You wouldn’t call these three albums by ACE masterpieces by any stretch of the imagination – but there is still a lot to love here. And with quality presentation combined with great new audio - if you’ve been on the Pub Rock fence with a tepid beer lollygagging sadly in your aging arthritic hand thinking it is indeed "Time For Another" – then dig in - before this 2018 2CD Trio on BGOCD1360 gets deleted too…

MIss Sloane on BLU RAY - A Review of the 2017 Film starring Jessica Chastain, John Lithgow, Michael Stuhlbarg and Sam Waterson - A Review by Mark Barry...

Fantastic Film with a Huge And Varied Cast 

Working With Ballsy and Clever Writing...

Who doesn't love a whodunit and especially one with brains built in and a ballsy leading lady gouging your viewer eyeballs out every time she’s on screen?

After many crafty plot twists about devious and dubious lobbying techniques puppet-handled by unaccountable power and the self-serving righteous vermin behind guns – the movie ends up in a courtroom with a conscious choice for our sought-after piece-of-work fixer Elizabeth Sloane - you either fight the beast or you sell your soul (like you may have done in the past) and capitulate to it.

All of this lofty yet highly entertaining subject matter is expertly handled by a long line of quality lead actors and actresses including Michael Stuhlbarg (the scientist in "The Shape Of Water" and Edward G. Robinson in "Trumbo"), John Lithgow (Winston Churchill in "The Crown"), Sam Waterson (boss Charlie Skinner in Aaron Sorkin's "The Newsroom"), Mark Strong and stunning ladies like Jessica Chastain, Alison Pill and Gugu Mbatha-Raw (all with too many great films to mention).

I thought "Miss Sloane" was brilliant – bristling with fabulous talent and actors drawn to the piece no doubt by seriously great writing from Jonathan Perera. As the cold hand of evil behind all that is calibre ammunition, lucrative velocities and even the right to bear arms - for sure some of the hijinks towards the finale may reek of a 'too clever clever' plot device for its own clogs. But by that time you're enjoying it all so much, it's a miniscule niggle in a very big and tasty pot of political gumbo. This is a script that makes you think, that informs and appalls spent bullet by spent bullet and yet still manages to shed light on the deliberately murky world of gun procurement, their easy-peasy sale and the devastating outcome of their encouraged use. And that's to be applauded.

My only feeling is that the movie "Miss Sloane" and its finely cut edges might have denied it credibility at the time of release precisely because it was so damn entertaining, thereby blocking what I feel would and should have been thoroughly deserved Oscar nominations. The Academy makes another mistake (won't be the first time folks).

In the meantime check out this sleeper on BLU RAY that so many seem to have missed. And to Director John Madden - well done sir, and more please right soon…