"Beyond Nothingness And Eternity/Visions Of The Emerald Beyond" by MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA – Albums from 1973, 1974 and 1975 on Columbia Records (USA) and CBS Records (UK) - Featuring John McLaughlin, Jan Hammer, Jerry Goodman, Rick Laird, Billy Cobham and Narada Michael Walden (September 2014 UK Beat Goes On Records (BGO) Compilation – 2LPs onto 2CDs - Andrew Thompson Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review Along With 354 Others Is Available In My

SOUNDS GOOD E-Book on all Amazon sites

CADENCE / CASCADE 

PROG ROCK, PSYCH, AVANT GARDE...
And Others Genres Thereabouts
Exceptional CD Remasters

Covering 1967 to 1977 - It Also Focuses On

Fusion Rock, Acid Folk, Art Rock and Underground 

Just Click Below To Purchase

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

(No Cut and Paste Crap)

"…Now And Zen Will Do…"

Back in the day I can remember being fascinated by the Eastern mysticism of Mediation Guru SRI CHINMOY whose name began to appear with almost Godlike reverence on Santana, Robert Flack and Mahavishnu Orchestra albums around about 1972 and 1973 (with his followers having a penchant for dressing in heavenly white). Rock-Jazz-Fusion had been gaining ground on CTI, Atlantic, Douglas and Columbia/CBS since 1970 and instrumental in this was England's fusion guitar sensation JOHN McLAUGHLIN and his band THE MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA (Maha the Creator - Vishnu the Preserver).

Beat Goes On put out these albums in the Eighties, Sony's own Legacy CD reissues then turned up in 1991 and there's been others since. Well along comes BGO again to whet your appetite once more with a brand new 2014 remaster by ANDREW THOMPSON - and stompingly good it is too. Here's the Devadip inner oneness direct from the fountain of babbling knobosity...

UK released September 2014 - "Between Nothing & Eternity/Visions Of The Emerald Beyond" by THE MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA on Beat Goes On BGOCD 1161 (Barcode 5017261211613) gives us two straightforward albums remastered onto 2CDs and plays out as follows:

Disc 1 (42:07 minutes):

1. Trilogy: The Sunlit Path, La Mere De La Mer, Tomorrow’s Story Not The Same

2. Sister Andrea [Side 2]

3. Dream

Tracks 1 to 3 are their 3rd album "Beyond Nothingness And Eternity" - released December 1973 in the USA on Columbia Records KC 32766 and January 1974 in the UK on CBS Records S 69046 (42:07 minutes). The LP was recorded 'live' in August 1973 in New York's Central Park and featured JOHN McLAUGHLIN on Lead Guitar, JAN HAMMER on Piano and Moog, JERRY GOODMAN on Violin, RICK LAIRD on Bass with BILLY COBHAM on Drums. It rose to Number 43 on the American album charts.

Disc 2 (40:17 minutes):

1. Eternity’s Breath Part 1

2. Eternity’s Breath Part 2

3. Lila’s Dance

4. Can’t Stand Your Funk

5. Pastoral

6. Faith

7. Cosmic Strut

8. If I Could See

9. Be Happy

10. Earth Ship

11. Pegasus

12. Opus

13. On The Way Home To earth

Tracks 1 to 13 are their 5^th album "Visions Of The Emerald Beyond" - released January 1975 in the USA on Columbia PC 33411 and CBS Records 69108 in the UK. It made Number 68 in the US Albums chart. Many more musicians supplemented the band - namely JEAN-LUC PONTY- who brought his electric violin to the proceedings. All songs on Disc 1 and 2 written by JOHN McLAUGHLIN except “Cosmic Strut” by NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN

There's a classy card wrap/slipcase on the outside and equally superb liner notes by noted Jazz writer CHARLES WARING (Mojo, Record Collector) in the substantial 20-page booklet. ANDREW THOMPSON did the new 2014 Remasters and they’re typically clear and full of presence – the dense instrumental passages now breathing anew...

Taking its name from the last lines in a 1972 Sri Chinmoy poem called "My Flute" - the live "Between Nothingness & Eternity" LP was amazingly consistent despite the crazy the length of the three tracks (one taking up a whole side). The opener "Trilogy" (The Sunlit Path/La Mere De La Mere/Tomorrow's Story Not The Same) has beautiful guitar passages - a melodic trippy opening seguing into Fusion and back again. "Sister Andrea" is the same while the sidelong "Dream" sees McLaughlin trade licks and keys with Hammer in a wonderfully musical dance of virtuoso playing. Even now its impressive stuff and given the venue - so well recorded by Engineer TIM GEELAN.

By the time they reached album number five "Visions Of The Emerald Beyond" in mid 1975 - JEAN-LUC PONTY (ex Zappa's Mothers) brought his distinctive electric violin playing to the cosmic stew. The opening duo of Parts 1 and 2 of "Eternal Breath" are amazing Jazz Rock with Keyboardist GAYLE MORAN and Violinist CAROL SHRIVE adding suitably wailing backing vocals. You're also hit once again with the gorgeous production values - the swirling guitar treatments of "Lila's Dance" and the Jeff Beck "Blow By Blow" choppy rhythms in "Can't Stand Your Funk". Thompson is to be praised for a really fantastic sounding remaster. It all gets a bit hippy-dip with the vocal on "If I Could See" but comes back strong with the mellow keyboard and flute vibe of "Earth Ship". Again Jeff Beck's nasty Rock Funk is in evidence on the stabbing rhythms of "Cosmic Strut" - the only non John McLaughlin song on the album  - penned by the then 22-year old drummer Michael Walden (soon to become funk's Narada on Atlantic Records).

It's been decades since I played these albums and while you could do without the metaphysical waffling - the playing is still striking, innovative and at times downright extraordinary. A superb little CD Reissue and recommended...

"So Many Roads: An Anthology 1964-1974" by JOHN MAYALL including tracks from the albums "John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers" (1965), "Blues Breakers" (1966), "Raw Blues", "A Hard Road" and "Crusade" (1967), "Bare Wires" and "Blues From Laurel Canyon" (1968), "The Turning Point" (1969), "Empty Rooms" and "USA Union" (1970), "Back To The Roots" (1971 2LP set) and more - featuring Mick Taylor, Jack Bruce, Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood, Steve Winwood, Keef Hartley, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Freddie Robinson, Charles Owens, Blue Mitchell and more (July 2010 Universal/Decca 4CD Book Set – Paschal Byrne Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

This Review and Over 384 More Like It

Are Available In My E-Book 

 

GIMME SHELTER!

CLASSIC 1960s ROCK ON CD 

And Other Genres Thereabouts 

 

Your All-Genres Guide To 

Exceptional Reissues and Remasters 

All Reviews From The Discs 

No Need To be Nervous!

(No Cut and Paste Crap)

<iframe style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=mabasreofcdbl-21&language=en_GB&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=B013TDUC2K&asins=B013TDUC2K&linkId=573f2e449223d6ca3608be4714bc08db&show_border=

"…Walking On Sunset…Never Reach The End…"

"So Many Roads: An Anthology 1964-1974" is a long overdue 4CD 75-Track Book Set for England's Blues Rock maverick JOHN MAYALL. There's a huge trawl of great stuff on here so let's get to the blues breakers and shakers right away...

UK released July 2010 - "So Many Roads: An Anthology 1964-1974" by JOHN MAYALL on Universal/Decca 532 764-2 (Barcode 600753276426) plays out as follows...

Disc 1 (78:11 minutes):

1. Crawling Up A Hill

2. Mr. James (1 and 2 are A & B-sides of a May 1964 UK 7" single on Decca F 11900)

3. When I'm Gone

4. R&B Time

5. Runaway

6. What's The Matter With You (3 to 6 from the March 1965 UK LP "John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers" on Decca LK 4680)

7. Crocodile Walk

8. Blues City Shake Down (7 and 8 are A&B-sides of an April 1965 UK 7" single on Decca F 12120)

9. I'm Your Witchdoctor

10. Telephone Blues (9 and 10 are the A&B-sides of an October 1965 UK 7" single on Immediate IM012)

11. On Top Of The World (first appeared on the December 1967 UK LP compilation "Blues Anytime Vol.2" on Immediate IMCP 105)

12. They Call It Stormy Monday (part of the 1969 UK compilation LP "Looking Back" on Decca SKL 5010)

13. Have You Ever Loved A Woman (part of the 1977 "Primal Solos" UK compilation LP on London LC 50003)

14. All Your Love

15. Double Crossing Time

16. Steppin' Out

17. What'd I Say

18. Key To Love

19. Parchman Farm (14 to 19 are from the July 1966 UK LP "Blues Breakers" - John Mayall with Eric Clapton on Decca LK 4804)

20. Looking back

21. So Many Roads (20 and 21 are the A&B-sides of an October 1966 UK 7" single on Decca F 12506)

22. Long Night (from the January 1967 UK LP "Raw Blues" on Ace Of Clubs SCL 1220)

23. Dust My Blues

24. The Stumble (23 and 24 are from the February 1967 UK LP "A Hard Road" on Decca SKL 4853)

[Notes: 1 to 11, 14 to 21 are in MONO - all others are STEREO; CD1 also has an uncredited Track 25 which is simply called "Title 25"]

Disc 2 (76:44 minutes):

1. You Don't Love Me

2. It's Over

3. The Super-Natural (1 to 3 are from the February 1967 UK LP "A Hard Road" on Decca SKL 4853)

4. Sittin' In The Rain (A-side to a January 1967 UK 7" single on Decca F 12545)

5. Ridin' On The L&N

6. All My Life (5 and 6 are from a January 1967 UK EP "John Mayall Bluesbreakers with Paul Butterfield" on Decca DFE 8673)

7. Double Trouble (A-side of a June 1967 UK 7" single on Decca F 12621)

8. Suspicions (Part One) (A-side of an October 1967 UK 7" single on Decca F 12684)

9. Oh Pretty Woman

10. Snowy Wood

11. Checkin' Up On My Baby (9 to 11 are from the September 1967 UK LP "Crusade" by John Mayall's Bluesbreakers)

12. No More Tears

13. Brand New Start (12 and 13 are from the November 1967 UK LP "The Blues Alone" on Ace Of Clubs SCL 1243)

14. Picture On The Wall (A-side of a February 1968 UK 7" single on Decca F 12732)

15. Look In The Mirror

16. No Reply

17. Hartley Quits (15 to 17 are from the June 1968 UK LP "Bare Wires" on Decca SKL 4945)

18. 2401 (A-side of a November 1968 UK 7" single on Decca F 12846)

19. Walking On Sunset

20. Medicine Man

21. Miss James

22. Fly Tomorrow (19 to 22 are from the November 1968 UK LP "Blues From Laurel canyon" on Decca SKL 4972)

[Notes: 4 to 8, 12 to 14 and 18 are MONO - all others are STEREO]

Disc 3 (75:38 minutes):

1. The Laws Must Change

2. California

3. Room To Move (1 to 3 are from the November 1969 UK LP "The Turning Point" on Polydor 583 571)

4. Sleeping By Her Side (recorded at the Fillmore East 12 July 1969 - Previously Unreleased)

5. Don't Waste My Time

6. Something New

7. Waiting For The Right Time

8. Counting The Days (5 to 8 are from the April 1970 UK LP "Empty Rooms" on Polydor 583 580)

9. Off The Road

10. Crying

11. Nature's Disappearing (9 to 11 are from the November 1970 UK LP "USA Union" on Polydor 2425 020)

12. Accidental Suicide

13. Prisons On The Road

14. Unanswered Questions (12 to 14 are from the June 1971 UK 2LP Set "Back To The Roots" on Polydor 2657 005)

Disc 4 (77:04 minutes):

1. Television Eye (from the June 1971 UK 2LP Set "Back To The Roots" on Polydor 2657 005)

2. Memories

3. Nobody Cares (2 and 3 are from the 1971 UK album "Memories" on Polydor 2425 085)

4. Good Time Boogie

5. Got To Be This Way

6. Mess Around

7. Country Road (4 to 7 are `live' from the 1972 UK LP "Jazz Blues Fusion" on Polydor 2425 103)

8. Moving On

9. Things Go Wrong

10. High Pressure Living (8 to 10 are from the 1973 UK LP "Moving On" on Polydor 2391 047)

11. Driving `Til The Break Of Day

12. Burning Sun (11 and 12 are from the 1973 UK LP "Ten Years Are Gone" on Polydor 2683 036)

13. Little Kitten

14. Gasoline Blues (13 and 14 are from the 1974 UK LP "The Latest Edition" on Polydor 2391 141)

The attached 38-page colour booklet is a treasure of great photos (many unpublished until now), album sleeves, concert posters, trade adverts for singles on Decca and brilliant liner-notes by MARK POWELL (has contributed to major Universal box set projects and Esoteric CD reissues). All the big musician names that travelled through the Mayall catalyst camp are in here too - Eric Clapton, Peter Green, John McVie, Mick Taylor, Paul Butterfield, Jack Bruce, Aynsley Dunbar, Hughie Flint, Keef Hartley, Don "Sugarcane" Harris, Johnny Almond, Roger Dean and a whole plethora of other luminaries too numerous to mention.

But for me the big news is the fabulous PASCHAL BYRNE remasters carried out at The Audio Archiving Company in London from original master tapes. I've got most of the important Sixties albums on great Decca remasters ("Blues Breakers", "Bare Wires" and the mighty "Blues From Laurel Canyon") - but what a blast to hear Disc 3 and 4 where it stretches into uncharted remasters - the Seventies. I love the weary piano misery of "Nobody Cares" (from 1971's "Memories") and the live slinky Blues of "Country Road" with a band that's cooking in front of an appreciative crowd (dig Clifford Soloman on Sax). And Laurel Canyon's 9-minute "Fly Tomorrow" is trippy genius - featuring superb Mick Taylor guitar work (later with The Stones) while Colin Allen gives it some California Tabla and cool vibes. It also sounds glorious. You get a little Jazz Blues on "High Pressure Living" and it ends on the funky "Gasoline Blues" bemoaning the foreign oil crisis ("I'm stuck out here in the Hollywood hills...waiting in line `til your engine croaks...").

"I'll be way up in the sky...", John Mayall sings on "Fly Tomorrow". If you want to start your journey - then I'd advise you begin your trip with him to the many varieties of The Blues right here...

"Ain't No Saint: 40 Years Of..." by JOHN MARTYN Including Tracks from the Albums "London Conversation" (1967), "The Tumbler" (1968), "Stormbringer!" and "The Road To Ruin" (1970), "Solid Air" (1973), "Sunday’s Child" (1975), "One World" (1977) and more - featuring Members of Free and Led Zeppelin (September 2008 Universal/Island 4CD Box Set – Paschal Byrne Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

This Reviews And Others Like It Can Be Found In My AMAZON E-Book
1970 - ALL THINGS MUST PASS
Your All-Genres Guide To The Best 
CD Reissues and Remasters

"…It's All For The Love Of You…"

September 2008's "Ain't No Saint..." 4CD box set offers up 61 tracks across a 40-year career (over 30 are previously unreleased). The 36-page booklet is a bit slapdash with regard to exacting details - so I've deciphered all the info contained within and without - and can now provide the following detailed breakdown for Universal-Island 530 798-7 (Barcode 600753079874):

Disc 1 (75:51 minutes):

1. Fairy Tale Lullaby (from "London Conversation", 1967)

2. Sing A Song Of Summer (from "The Tumbler", 1968)

3. Stormbringer (from "Stormbringer", 1970) John and Beverley Martyn

4. Tree Green (from "The Road To Ruin", 1970) John and Beverley Martyn

5. Head And Heart (from "Solid Air", 1973)

6. In The Evening (a "Solid Air outtake, also on the 2009 2CD DELUXE EDITION)

7. Solid Air (an Alternate version, also on the 2009 2CD DELUXE EDITION)

8. Keep On (a "Solid Air outtake, also on the 2009 2CD DELUXE EDITION)

9. The Glory Of Love (a "Solid Air outtake, also on the 2009 2CD DELUXE EDITION)

10. Go Down Easy (from "Solid Air", 1973)

11. Ain't No Saint (an "Inside Out" outtake, an instrumental)

12. Fine Lines (from "Inside Out", 1973)

13. Eight More Miles (a "Sunday's Child" outtake)

14. Call Me Crazy (from "Sunday's Child", 1975)

15. Black Man At The Shoulder (a "One World" outtake)

16. All For The Love Of You (a "One World" outtake)

17. Working It Out (a "One World" outtake)

18. Couldn't Love You More (from "One World", 1977)

6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15 to 17 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

Disc 2 (79:29 minutes):

1. Advertisement (30-second Radio Spot for the March 1977 'Best Of' Island Records compilation "So Far So Good")

2. Small Hours - Instrumental [originally known as "Space Peace"] (a 10:18 minutes Alternate version, also on the 2004 2CD DELUXE EDITION of "One World"]

3. In Search Of Anna [credited on the box as "Anna"] (a 1979 Australian-only 7" single on Island Records K7450. Theme to a movie of the same name)

4. Lookin' On (from "Grace And Danger", 1980)

5. Amsterdam (from "Glorious Fool", 1981)

6. Hung Up (from "Well Kept Secret", 1982)

7. Acid Rain (from "Sapphire", 1984)

8. Who Believes In Angels (from "Piece By Piece", 1986)

9. The Apprentice (from "The Apprentice", 1990)

10. Hole In The Rain (from "Cooltide", 1991)

11. One World (alternate version from the re-recordings compilation "Couldn't Love You More", 1992)

12. Sunday's Child (a 1992 re-recording, an Alternate version)

13. Carmine (from "And.", 1996)

14. The Sky Is Crying (an Elmore James cover from "The Church With One Bell", 1998)

15. So Sweet (from "Glasgow Walker", 2000)

16. Back To Marseilles (from "On The Cobbles", 2004)

1 to 3 and 12 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

Disc 3 (77:37 minutes):

1. Bless The Weather (Live at the Empire Theatre, Edinburgh, 22 August 1973)

2. Make No Mistake (Live at the Empire Theatre, Edinburgh, 22 August 1973)

3. So Much In Love With You (Live at Leeds University, 13 February 1975)

4. Spencer The Rover (Live at Leeds University, 13 February 1975)

5. My Baby Girl (Live at Leeds University, 13 February 1975)

6. You Can Deliver (Live at The Rainbow Theatre, London, 16 March 1975)

7. Solid Air (Live at The Rainbow Theatre, London, 16 March 1975)

8. I'd Rather Be The Devil (Devil Got My Woman) (a Skip James cover, Live at The Rainbow Theatre, London, 16 March 1975)

9. Outside In (Live at The Rainbow Theatre, London, 16 March 1975)

10. Advertisement (18-second Radio Spot for a Sunday Night concert in Birmingham)

11. Big Muff (Live at The Rainbow Theatre, London, 21 November 1977)

12. One Day Without You (Live at The Rainbow Theatre, London, 21 November 1977)

1 to 12 is PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

Disc 4 (79:44 minutes):

1. Dealer (Live at The Rainbow Theatre, London, 21 November 1977)

2. Smiling Stranger (Live at The Rainbow Theatre, London, 21 November 1977)

3. Johnny Too Bad (Live at BBC Bristol for "A Little Night Music" Television Show, 12 August 1981)

4. Hurt In Your Heart (Live at BBC Bristol for "A Little Night Music" Television Show, 12 August 1981)

5. John Wayne (Live at The Montreaux Jazz Festival, 18 July 1986)

6. Angeline (Live at The Montreaux Jazz Festival, 18 July 1986)

7. Mad Dog Days (Live at The Montreaux Jazz Festival, 18 July 1986)

8. The Moment (Live at The Town & Country Club, London, 12 November 1986)

9. Fisherman's Dream (Live at The Town & Country Club, London, 12 November 1986)

10. Sweet Little Mystery (Live at BBC Television Show "Later With Jools Holland", 5 November 1992)

11. May You Never  (Live at the BBC Television Show "Later With Jools Holland", 5 November 1992)

12. Step It Up (Live at the BBC Television Show "Later With Jools Holland", 1 June 1996)

13. Sunshine's Better (Live at the "Andy Kershaw Show" for BBC Radio 1, 12 August 1996)

14. On For The Road (Live at BBC Television Show "Later With Jools Holland", 14 May 2004)

15. Over The Hill (Live at the BBC's "Radio 2 Folk Awards" Show, 6 February 2008)

1 to 15 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED; 15 features JOHN PAUL JONES of LED ZEPPELIN on Mandolin

The first 2 CDs provide a career retrospective of at least one song from all 22 of his studio albums (1967 to 2004) while Discs 3 and 4 are entirely made up of live and unreleased performances (1973 to 2008). The whole set has been remastered by PASCHAL BYRNE who did such a beautiful job on 2009's DELUXE EDITION of "Solid Air" (see separate review) - and the audio quality here is equal to that gem - especially on the earlier more folky tunes - warm and airy - just a gorgeous listen.

JOHN HILLARBY, long-time archivist and friend of Martyn has written the liner notes and cherry-picked the tracks. And while some of the choices are inspired (the rarely heard "Hung Up" from Well Kept Secret), others left me cold - even baffled. Why the ordinary "Back To Marseilles" from 2004's "On The Cobbles" when you could have ended disc 2 with "Goodnight Irene" with Mavis Staples. And do we need yet another 1992 alternate take of "Solid Air" (even if it is previously unreleased) when the live version of it on 1981's "Philanthropy" trashes it so completely. And why not decent tracks off "Piece By Piece" like "Lonely Love" or the title track or even a remaster of "Tight Connection To My Heart" - a rare non-album Dylan cover version on the "Angeline" CD single from 1986? Box sets are made for these sorts of things.

But there are gobsmacking gems on here to entice even the most weary listener; the ultra-rare and excellent "In Search Of Anna" - an Australian-only 7" single from 1979 finally gets a CD release - while "In The Evening" and "All For The Love Of You" (lyrics above) represent truly beautiful outtakes from "Solid Air" and "One World" respectively. And I never tire of "Hole In The Rain", "Carmine" or "So Sweet". His Nineties and 2000's stuff is superlative and never given enough room to shine.

Disc 3 and 4 are a mixed bag of the lovely (deliciously delicate versions of "Angeline" and "Sunshine's Better") running alongside the indulgent (13 minutes of "Inside Out") and the manic, but strangely powerful "John Wayne". And these live tracks also show a side to Martyn that needed serious acknowledgment - his ability with a full band to morph his older folk-acoustic songs into full-on modernized soulful versions which were often just as good as the originals - just updated in a fashion. It ends with John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin joining him on Mandolin on "Over The Hill" at the BBC's Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2008 - you can feel the audience's affection.

So there you have it - although "Ain't No Saint" is sometimes sloppy and disappointing in places - it's utterly captivating and life affirming too. And with his sad passing in early 2009 - you'll be glad you invested in it and left with a poignant feeling of true greatness lost...

"In The Wind/Are You Ready For This?/New Magic/What The World Needs Now Is Love" by JACKIE DeSHANNON – Albums from 1965, 1966, 1967 and 1968 on Imperial Records in Stereo (with some tracks in Mono) (March 2015 Beat Goes On Reissue – 4LPs onto 2CDs – Andrew Thompson Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

TThis Review and Over 384 More Like It

Are Available In My E-Book 

 

GIMME SHELTER!

CLASSIC 1960s ROCK ON CD 

And Other Genres Thereabouts 

 

Your All-Genres Guide To 

Exceptional Reissues and Remasters 

All Reviews From The Discs 

No Need To be Nervous!

(No Cut and Paste Crap)

<iframe style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=mabasreofcdbl-21&language=en_GB&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=B013TDUC2K&asins=B013TDUC2K&linkId=573f2e449223d6ca3608be4714bc08db&show_border=

"...Top Of That Hill..."

Beat Goes On of the UK (BGO) touched on Jackie DeShannon's fab Sixties output back in August 2005 when they combined her "Don't Turn Your Back On Me" album (1964 on Liberty Records) with her 3^rd LP "This Is Jackie DeShannon" (1965 on Imperial Records) plonking both onto 1 CD (Beat Goes On BGOCD 684).

This complimentary 2015 two-disc set gives us four STEREO albums on Imperial put onto 2CDs and all of it in their customary tasty reissue style (card wrap, extensive booklet, quality remasters of Stereo and Mono mixes). Here are the details and the love what the world needs right now…

UK released March 2015 – "In The Wind/Are You Ready For This?/New Magic/What The World Needs Now Is Love" by JACKIE DeSHANNON on Beat Goes On BGOCD 1176 (Barcode 5017261211767) offers 4LP Remastered onto 2CDs and breaks down as follows:

Disc 1 (62:03 minutes):

1. Blowin’ In The Wind

2. Walkin’ Down The Line

3. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

4. If I Had A Hammer

5. Jailer Bring Me Water

6. Baby, Let Me Follow You Down

7. Needles And Pins [Side 2]

8. Little Yellow Roses

9. 500 Miles

10. Oh Sweet Chariot (Mono)

11. Puff (The Magic Dragon)

12. Don’t Turn Your Back On Me

Tracks 1 to 12 are her 4^th album "In The Wind" – released 1965 in the USA on Imperial LP-9296 (Mono) and LP-12296 (Stereo). The Stereo mix is used except for track 10 "Oh Sweet Chariot"

13. I Can Make It With You

14. Music And Memories

15. Will You Love Me Tomorrow (Mono)

16. Are You Ready For This

17. To Be Myself (Mono)

18. Love Is Leading Me

19. Windows And Doors (Mono) [Side 2]

20. You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me

21. So Long Johnny

22. To Wait For Love (Is To Waste Your Life Away)

23. Call Me

24. Find Me Love

Tracks 13 to 24 are her 5^th album "Are You Ready For This?" – released 1966 in the USA on Imperial LP-9328 (Mono) and LP-12328 (Stereo). The Stereo mix is used except for tracks 15, 17 and 19 - which are Mono.

Disc 2 (68:05 minutes):

1. Come On Down (From The Top Of That Hill)

2. The Carnival Is Closed Today

3. I'll Be Seeing You

4. A Sunday Kind Of Love

5. The Wishing Well (from the motion picture Hawaii) (Mono)

6. Night And Day

7. I Haven't Got Anything Better To Do

8. Time

9. A Proper Girl

10. Where Does The Sun Go?

11. That's The Name Of The Game

12. Poor Someone

Tracks 1 to 12 are her 6^th album "New Image" – released 1967 in the USA on Imperial LP-9344 (Mono) and LP-12344 (Stereo). The Stereo mix is used except for track 5 - which is Mono.

13. What The World Needs Now Is Love

14. You Don't Have To Say You Love Me (Lo Che Non Vivo)

15. It's All In The Game

16. So Long Johnny

17. Changin' My Mind

18. Windows And Doors (Mono)

19. A Lifetime Of Loneliness

20. Everything Under The Sun

21. To Wait For Love

22. Where Does The Sun Go?

23. Little Yellow Roses

24. Call Me

Tracks 13 to 24 are her 7^th album "What The World Needs Now Is Love" – released 1968 in the USA on Imperial LP-12404 (Stereo only) except for Track 18 – which is Mono.

The 16-page booklet has superb liner notes by noted writer and musicologist JOHN TOBLER as well as album credits, black and white publicity photos and original LP liner notes where available. Between it and the card wrap – you get a very classy feel to this reissue. But the real goodies come with the Stereo mixes of the albums which sound utterly brill thanks to quality remasters from BGO’s resident go-to Engineer ANDREW THOMPSON. I’ve sung this guy's praises before and he's done the business by these records. There are (as you can see from above) some instances where the Mono take is replaced by the Stereo version and the audio definitely takes a dip for the worse – but these Universal licenced tapes are clearly in great shape.

With the winds of change and social upheaval going through American society like a dose of salts – it’s clear that like so many others - the wallop of Bob Dylan's albums and his thought-provoking consciousness hit out Jackie hard. She opens "In The Wind" with no less than three Dylan covers in a row sounding like she means every word – then taps into Pete Seeger's "If I Had A Hammer" and Eric Von Schmidt's "Baby, Let Me Follow You Down" (another Dylan favorite complete with harmonica fills that ape BD's style). Even Bobby Darin's "Jailer Bring Me Water" is made to sound like a Folky anthem. I could probably live without her saccharine cover of Peter, Paul and Mary's "Puff (The Magic Dragon)" and the Mono cut of the Traditional "Oh Sweet Chariot" doesn’t do much for me either. Better is her lone composition on the album "Don't Turn Your Back On Me" – an excellent and hooky Pop hit that would give Goffin and King a run for their Brill Building money. Vanguard Records folky Hedy West provides the lonesome and lovely "500 Miles" - another highlight on a very strong album.

Returning to the melodrama of Phil Spector strings and girls – the “Are You Ready For This?” LP opens strongly with the Dusty Springfield sounding “I Can Make It With You” (another winner penned by Chip Taylor). But the album sees DeShannon’s songwriting talent start to shine through big time. The title track “Are You Ready For This?” is the first of four self-penned songs to kick in (“To Be Myself”, “Love Is Leading Me” and “Find Me Love” are the other three) which combined with “Windows And Doors”, “So Long Johnny” and “To Wait For Love” by Bacharach and David – give the album a strong edge by virtue of such strong material. “To Be Myself” and “Love Is Leading Me” give a musical nod towards the girl group sound of Motown and are so catchy – she even gives it a brassy stab at Tony Hatch’s “Call Me” - a huge hit in the UK for Petula Clark.

Things take a more decidedly Pop turn with the “New Image” album – very upbeat and cheery in that Summer Of Love kind of a way – epitomised by the opener “Come On Down (From The Top Of That Hill)”. The audio quality on “The Carnival Is Closed Today” is truly fabulous. Things getting decidedly soppy with “A Sunday Kind Of Love” but “The Wishing Doll” is dreadful film dross (made worse by dreary Mono). Things pick up with her chipper version of Cole Porter’s “Night And Day”. Both “Time” and “Poor Someone” are great upbeat/mid-tempo Sixties Pop but even better are her own two contributions – “Where Does The Sun Go?” and “That’s The Name Of The Game”.

Probably her most famous and beloved song – Bacharach & Davids "What The World Needs Now Is Love" still has that eternally optimistic Sixties magic about it. Another B&D winner comes in the shape of "So Long Johnny" while her own "Where Does The Sun Go?" gets another version that is so Bobbie Gentry in its delivery. "Little Yellow Roses" (with surprisingly deep lyrics) and Hatch's "Call Me" end it in style.

It's not all genius of course but for lovers of Jackie DeShannon and her Sixties Sound this is yet another great reissue from BGO. Fans should dig in right away and enjoy – especially given the superb audio and presentation…