"Fatal Mistakes" by DEL AMITRI (28 May 2021 UK Cooking Vinyl CD and LP Released) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Lonely I Have Been So Long..."

I've always loved Del Amitri's particular brand of Faces-like Rock and Slim Chance boozy-Folk tunes (used to play them to death in Reckless on the staff play much to the annoyance of some and religiously collected their CD singles with all those tasty unreleased B-sides).

But like many fans that have waited too much time for this album, my immediate reaction is that "Fatal Mistakes" is only good in places when it really should have been storming all over. Here's a brief breakdown of the details...

1. You Can't Go Back 

2. All Hail Blind Love 

3. Musicians And Beer 

4. Close Your Eyes And Think Of England 

5. Losing The Will To Die

6. Otherwise 

7. It's Feelings 

8. I'm So Scared 

9. Mockingbird Copy Me Now 

10. Missing Person 

11. Second Staircase 

12. Lonely

13. Nation Of Caners 

The CD for "Fatal Mistakes" by DEL AMITRI was UK released Friday, 28 May 2021 on Cooking Vinyl COOKCD780 (Barcode 711297528022) with a gatefold card sleeve and foldout lyric/photos insert (45:54 minutes total playing time). There is also a 13-Track VINYL LP variant on COOKLP780 (Barcode 711297528015) released on the same day that comes with a download code to acquire the music digitally. 

Produced and Mixed by Dan Austin

Recorded March 2020 at Vada Studio

Mastered by Paul McGeechan 

DEL AMITRI is:

ANDY ALSTON

JUSTIN CURRIE 

KRIS DOLLIMORE

IAIN HARVIE

ASH SOAN 

Tracks 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10,11 and 13 written by Justin Currie

Tracks 2, 7 and 9 written by Justin Currie and Iain Harvie

Track 12 written by Justin Currie and Kris Dollimore 

We all know Justin Currie needs to get out more, his lyrics dark as black holes from which no light escapes - so tracks like "Losing The Will To Live" and "All Hail Blind Love" are hard to take let alone fix yourself to listen too again on purpose. The thudding and teeny-bit-tedious lyric-marathon "Nation Of Caners" also ends the record on a strangely sour note.

But then you get brilliance like "I'm So Scared Of Dying" that has a fabulous drunk-with-hurt feel to it, even if it fades out too soon. The same goes for the burning-through-my-mind "Second Staircase" and the acoustic mocking of the moon in "Lonely". Both the catchy "You Can't Go Back" followed by "It's Feelings" are the obvious Radio-friendly singles but again - they needed to be ace when they're just somehow lacking that killer edge of old.

Nice to hear them again for damn sure – but even after a good few spins now, I just wish I wanted to play this latest load of misery guts more rather than just endure it. And I dare say that will go for so many...

"Juicy Lucy/Lie Back And Enjoy It/Get A Whiff A This" by JUICY LUCY – September 1969, October 1970 and August 1971 UK Albums on Vertigo and Bronze Records (June 2021 UK Beat Goes On Compilation – 3LPs Plus Two Bonus Tracks Remastered Onto 2CDs – Andrew Thompson Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Returning To Zelda's Plums..."

In many respects, this is a clever and smart reissue from England's Beat Goes On.

Juicy Lucy's first three studio albums have been CD-reissued before – first by Castle of the UK and Repertoire of Germany in the Nineties and then by Cherry Red's UK label Esoteric Recordings in October 2010 (first two) and April 2013 (for the third) - but they're all deleted now and have been picking up nasty secondhand price tags for years. Their fourth LP "Pieces" from 1972 on Polydor Records issued before they disbanded is not included in this BGO compilation and is also hard to find on CD.

Both the debut "Juicy Lucy" and their second "Lie Back And Enjoy It" were originally issued on the now famous Vertigo label - the first in September 1969 (UK charted April 1970 on the strength of the February 1970 "Who Do You Love" single - a fantastic slashing slide-guitar cover of the Bo Diddley classic) - whilst "Lie Back And Enjoy It" was rush-released for October 1970 – only to chart for one week and clock-up disappointing sales. By the third platter and its cheesy farting/drugs artwork, Juicy Lucy weren't shifting zip let alone doing zippy licks and would bother the charts no more.

So what do you get this time around? This April 2021 UK compilation lumps together the first three albums of their catalogue with two quality non-album B-sides as Bonuses onto two CDs, remasters the lot, puts on a nice-looking (if not suitably garish like their original artwork) card slipcase on the outside and adds a chunky 24-page booklet inside - the whole shebang for under eleven quid new in most digital depots.

Truth and time has told us that the albums are all patchy - especially the spent-force third outing "Get A Whiff A This" from August 1971 originally on Bronze Records. But I've always loved them – had a soft spot for a band that were nailed down by one storming 45 that the mother albums never matched (Ashton, Gardner & Dyke were the same). Juicy Lucy were a band that could have been huge, but fell apart with ever increasing personnel changes and shifts away from the original musical vision.

So with Zelda Plum's modesty covered up by squished apples, pears and (ahem) humungous melons, let's return to the Blues Rock, Country Rock, Gilded Splinters and Bo Diddley Guitar Mania of JUICY LUCY. Here are fruity details...

UK released April 2021 - "Juicy Lucy/Lie Back And Enjoy It/Get A Whiff A This" by JUICY LUCY on Beat Goes On BGOCD1441 (Barcode 5017261214416) offers 3LPs Remastered onto 2CDs with Two Non-Album B-sides as Bonus Tracks and plays out as follows:

CD1 (41:09 minutes):

1. Mississippi Woman

2. Who Do You Love?

3. She’s Mine, She’s Yours

4. Just One Time

5. Chicago North-Western

6. Train

7. Nadine

8. Are You Satisfied

Tracks 1 to 8 are the debut album "Juicy Lucy" - released September 1969 in the UK on Vertigo VO 2 (874 901 VTY) and March 1970 in the USA on Atco SD 33-325. Band was Ray Owens on Lead Vocals, Glenn Ross Campbell on Steel Guitar, Mandolin, Marimbas and Vocals, Neil Hubbard on Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Chris Mercer on Saxophone and Keyboards, Keith Ellis on Bass and Vocals with Pete Dobson on Drums.

BONUS TRACK:

9. Walking Down The Highway - non-album B-side to their debut 7" 45-single "Who Do You Love" (Track 2 on Side 1). It was released 6 February 1970 in the UK on Vertigo V 1 and entered the UK singles chart in late March 1970 at number 28 - eventually rising to Number 14 in mid April. On the strength of that popular rocker the album also belatedly charted in the UK in April 1970 - rising to Number 41.

CD2 (74:07 minutes):

1. Thinking Of My Life [Side 1]

2. Built For Comfort

3. Pretty Woman

4. Whisky In My Jar

5. Hello L.A. Bye Bye Birmingham [Side 2]

6. Changed My Mind, Changed My Sign

7. That Woman’s Got Something

8 and 9. Willie The Pimp/Lie Back And Enjoy It Medley

Tracks 1 to 9 are the album "Lie Back And Enjoy It" released October 1970 in the UK on Vertigo 6360 014 and November 1970 in the USA on Atco SD 33-345. The album charted at number 53 on the UK LP charts for one week in November 1970. Band was Paul Williams on Lead Vocals, Piano and Congas, Glenn Ross Campbell on Steel Guitar and Mandolin, Micky Moody on Lead Guitar (later with Snafu and Whitesnake), Chris Mercer on Saxophone and Keyboards, Keith Ellis on Bass with Rod Coombes on Drums.

BONUS TRACK:

10. I'm A Thief (Mono) - Non-album B-side to their second UK 7" 45-single "Pretty Woman" (Track 3 on Side 1). It was released September 1970 in the UK on Vertigo 6059 015 (also on the Spiral label) and peaked at No. 44.

11. Mr. Skin [Side 1]

12. Midnight Sun

13. Midnight Rider

14. Harvest

15. Mr. A. Jones

16. Sunday Morning [Side 2]

17. Big Lil

18. Jessica

19. Future Days

Tracks 11 to 19 are their third studio album "Get A Whiff A This" - released August 1971 in the UK on Bronze Records ILPS 9157 and September 1971 in the USA on Atco Records SD 33-367. Produced by NIGEL THOMAS and JUICY LUCY – it didn't chart in either country. Band was same as the second LP except with Jim Leverton (ex Noel Redding's Fat Mattress) replaces Keith Ellis on Bass.

Although the players changed across all three albums, the JUICY JUCY line-ups had impressive chops from the get go - Paul Williams had been with Zoot Money's Big Band, Chris Mercer with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and late comer Micky Moody was with Tramline, The Mike Cotton Sound and would later grace Snafu, Whitesnake and do duet work with Paul Williams on Blues Rock in the 90s. Ace axemen Glenn Ross Campbell had been with the much-loved Misunderstood while Neil Hubbard fretted for Graham Bond and Bluesology - only inexperienced but enthusiastic first album lead singer Ray Owens was new out of the box.

ROGER DOPSON gives us the new liner notes that include the latest recollections and 'changed' slants from founder member Glenn Ross Campbell - up to an including hard-hitting opinions on why they ultimately failed to capitalise on that "Who Do You Love" momentum and even the dodgy artwork for LP number three (fonder recollections on John Peel who discovered him wowing the crowds in The Misunderstood). Zelda Plum holds sway on the centre pages - the controversial but fun gatefold sleeve lady for "Juicy Lucy" - while most of the six-leaf foldout sleeve of the second LP is repro'd in the booklet too. There are trade reviews and magazine adverts in-between the text - it's a really decent stab at their recorded legacy. To the choons...

Even though you can't help thinking that at heart they really wanted to be a Blues Boogie band like say early ZZ Top - the first album is battling genres - several of their original songs flitting around Country Rock, New Orleans gumbo and even acoustic moments of Rock beauty (the ANDREW THOMPSON Remaster gorgeous for "Just One Time"). As well as their incendiary take on "Who Do You Love" made famous by Bo Diddley and subsequently by Ronnie Hawkins and The Hawks (that version featured a young Robbie Robertson of The Band on guitar while it was Campbell the slide genius on the Juicy Lucy revival), other covers include their good-time boozy R&B version of "Nadine" by Chuck Berry and a near six-minute fuzzed-up guitar stab at the Buddy Miles song "Train" from his 1968 debut album "Expressway To Your Skull" on Mercury Records.

The debut LP also opens strongly with the menace boogie and Beefheart growl of "Mississippi Woman" (dig that geetar) and I have had a five-decades long love affair with the Dr. John Night Tripper voodoo vibe permeating all of the finisher "Are You Satisfied" (beautifully clear Bass and Mandolin). "Walking Down The Highway" is a very cool B-side too – in fact the only thing you could say against the opening salvo album and single is Ray Owens, whose vocals feel strained and not convincing enough.

The Paul Williams penned "Pretty Woman" was released as the second album's only single and you can instantly hear why – catchy as a cold in Margate. The cover of the Willie Dixon song he gave to Howlin' Wolf "Built For Comfort" is less successful as is the awful version of Zappa's "Willy The Pimp", although it redeems itself at about 5 minutes 34 seconds in as it fades out and suddenly turns into a lovely 2-minute long piano instrumental - not surprisingly called "Lie Back And Enjoy It". But the track I dig the most is "This Woman's Got Something" which was co-written by Moody, Campbell and Williams - it's a bluesy builder with great axe work and has graced more than a few 70's FEST CDs I've made up.

"Get A Whiff A This" is the kind of difficult third album that's long forgotten - and unfortunately it's very easy to hear why. To start with it's stylistically all over the place. Steve Ellis had just left the line up to join Boxer - replaced by Jim Leverton on Bass from Noel Redding's Fat Mattress. Lead singer Paul Williams was on his 2nd Juicy Lucy LP ("Lie Back And Enjoy It" was his first) – and the presence of ace-axeman Glenn Ross Campbell who did the stunning "Who Do You Love" took a Pedal Steel backseat to the Lead Guitar of Micky Moody – later of course with Snafu and Whitesnake. Moody's playing has always been a thing of wonder and he's sessioned with huge numbers of artists - Roger Chapman of Family, Mike Oldfield, Graham Bonnet, Alan Squire of Lindisfarne, played Acoustic on Gerry Rafferty's "City To City" and in the 90s and 00's with Tony Ashton, David Coverdale, Walter Trout, Uriah Heep, Gary Fletcher, Bernie Marsden and many more. His playing throughout "Get A Whiff A This" is one of the reasons to keep listening - slide licks and zippy flicks. And on it goes...

In hindsight it is easy to hear why Juicy Lucy are a footnote in the annals of 60ts and 70ts Rock. And yet despite their output dips and directional shortcomings - I return to this underrated British band with an affection that refuses to listen to reason. Dated or no, Juicy Lucy were fun and for an old-fart like me, that'll do nicely.

2021's BGOCD1441 is a great twofer-CD compilation and blindingly good value for money into the bargain, making available again Classic Rock Album rarities that would otherwise cost you a pretty bitcoin, something Beat Goes On has become rather good at of late.

In short - all hail Zelda and her ample offerings because this is one Reissue I won't be getting whiffy about...

"ERA 1: 1978-1984 – As, Bs, Rarities" by CHRIS REA (November 2020 UK Magnet Records/Warner Music Group 3CD 51-Track Digipak Compilation with Alex Tomlin and Nick Watson Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Love's Strange Ways... "

Back in the savage and wild blue yonder of August 2007, I reviewed what was then the only half-decent Chris Rea compilation of Remasters worth having - "The Works" on Rhino – a UK-issued 3CD retrospective of 54-Tracks stretching from his 1979 LP "Deltics" through to the "King Of The Beach" set in 2000. It had half decent audio and was part of a series Rhino did for artists like The Corrs, Bread, Everything But The Girl, The Pogues, The Monkees and others. But it had woefully basic annotation, got deleted quickly and for years accrued a rather nasty price tag. Since then – zip really. Until now...

At last - and following on from the five Chris Rea double-CD sets of the 'Expanded And Remastered Series' issued October 2019 (Shamrock Diaries, On The Beach, Dancing With Strangers, The Road To Hell and Auberge) – we finally get the mop up we loony CR fans have been craving – equal only to the same longing that people have for wanting to remake Season 8 of "Game Of Thrones" (perhaps worse).

Compiled by TIM CHACKSFIELD - you get 51-Tracks spread across 3CDs housed inside a chunky digipak - and best of all, we finally get properly upgraded Remastered Audio from NICK WATSON at Fluid Mastering – a very experienced Audio Engineer whose name has turned up on many a praised-reissue. ERA 1 sounds and looks great. So much to discuss, so with swords and hankies at the ready, time to detail this first of his ERA retrospectives...

UK released 20 Nov 2020 (delayed from 6 Nov 2020) - "ERA 1: 1978-1984 – As, Bs, Rarities" by CHRIS REA on Magnet Records/Warner Music Group 0190295306052 (Barcode same) offers 51 Remastered Tracks across 3CDs in a Card Digipak that plays out as follows:

CD1 (64:13 minutes): 

1. Fool (If You Think It's Over) - 17 March 1978 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 111, A-side

2. Midnight Love - 17 March 1978 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 111, Non-Album B-side 

3. Voy A Volverme Loco (Fool If You Think It's Over, Spanish Language Version) - 1978 Spanish 45 on Magnet MO 1972

4. Whatever Happened To Benny Santini? - 16 June 1978 UK 45-single Magnet MAG 121, A-side 

5. Three Angels - 16 June 1978 UK 45-single Magnet MAG 121, Non-Album B-side 

6. Diamonds (Single Edit, 3:49 minutes) - 23 March 1979 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 144, A-side 

7. Cleveland Calling - 23 March 1979 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 144, Non-Album B-side

8. Raincoat And A Rose - 29 June 1979 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 151, A-side 

9. No Qualifications - 29 June 1979 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 151, B-side

10. Tennis (Edited and Remixed Version from the February 1980 UK LP "Tennis" on Magnet MAGL 5032) - also 7 March 1980 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 163, A-side

11. If You Really Love Me - 7 March 1980 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 163, Non-Album B-side

12. Dancing Girls - from the February 1980 UK LP "Tennis" on Magnet MAGL 5032 and 23 May 1980 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 176, A-side 

13. Friends Across The Water - from the February 1980 UK LP "Tennis" on Magnet MAGL 5032 and 23 May 1980 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 176, B-side

14. Ya No Te Veo Nunca Mas (Since I Don't See You Anymore. Spanish Language Version) - 1980 Spanish 45-single on Magnet MO 2054, A-side 

15. Loving You - from the March 1982 UK LP "Chris Rea" on Magnet MAGL 5040 and 5 February 1982 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 215, A-side

16. Let Me Be The One  - 5 February 1982 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 215, Non-Album B-side 

17. Diamonds (12" Version, 4:53 minutes) - 23 March 1979 UK 12" Single on Magnet 12 MAG 144, A-side, Non-Album Version 

CD2 (75:22 minutes):

1. Do You Still Dream?

2. Loving You - Tracks 1 and 2 first appeared on the March 1982 UK LP "Chris Rea" on Magnet MAGL 5040, re-recorded for the October 2019 LP and CD compilation "One Fine Day" on Magnet 0190295498856-CD - 1000 only copies

3. One Fine Day - 1981 recording first issued January 1993 as one of the four tracks on the UK CD Single for "Soft Top, Hard Shoulder" on East West YZ710CDX

4. One Sweet And Tender Touch - 1981 recording first issued January 1988 as one of the four tracks on the UK CD Single for "Que Sera" on Magnet CDMAG 318 

5. If I Ever Break Free - Previously Unreleased 1981 song that first appeared on the "One Fine Day" compilation in October 2019 (see 1)

6. Sierra Sierra (4:13 minutes) - originally issued as the Non-Album B-side to the February 1983 UK 12" single for "Let It Loose" on Magnet 12 MAG 233 - first issued on the October 2019 "One Fine Day" compilation 

7. Members Only - Previously Unreleased 1981 song that first appeared on the "One Fine Day" compilation in October 2019 (see 1)

8. Let Me Be The One - originally issued as the Non-Album B-side to the February 1982 UK 12" single for "Loving You" on Magnet 12 MAG 215 - first issued on the October 2019 "One Fine Day" compilation

9. One Night With You - Previously Unreleased 1981 song that first appeared on the "One Fine Day" compilation in October 2019 (see 1)

10. Every Beat Of Your Heart - first appeared on the March 1982 UK LP "Chris Rea" on Magnet MAGL 5040 - also 7 May 1982 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 225, A-side

11. Don't Look Back - 7 May 1982 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 225, Non-Album B-side

12. Let It Loose (3:37 minutes) - from the Motion Picture "Cross Country" and the June 1983 UK LP "Water Sign" on Magnet MAGL 5048 - also February 1983 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 233, A-side

13. Urban Samurai - February 1983 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 233, Non-Album B-side 

14. Let It Loose (Special Extended Remix, 5:45 minutes) - February 1983 UK 12" Single on Magnet 12 MAG 233, A-side

15. Sierra Sierra (5:38 minutes) - February 1983 UK 12" Single on Magnet 12 MAG 233, Non-Album Longer Version B-side - see also Track 6

16. I Can Hear Your Heartbeat (3:28 minutes) - from the June 1983 UK LP "Water Sign" on Magnet MAGL 5048 - also April 1983 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 244, A-side

17. From Love To Love - April 1983 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 244, Non-Album B-side 

18. I Can Hear Your Heartbeat (Special Extended Mix, 5:46 minutes) - April 1983 UK 12" Single on Magnet 12 MAG 244, A-side

CD3 (73:52 minutes):

1. Love's Strange Ways - from the June 1983 UK LP "Water Sign" on Magnet MAGL 5048 - also July 1983 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 245, A-side

2. Smile - July 1983 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 245, Non-Album B-side 

3. I Don't Know What It Is But I Love It (3:40 minutes) - from the April 1984 UK LP "Wired To The Moon" on Magnet MAGL 5057 - also February 1984 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 255, A-side 

4. Mystery Man - February 1984 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 255, Non-Album B-side 

5. I Don't Know What It Is But I Love It (12" Extended Version, 5:25 minutes) - February 1984 UK 12" Single on Magnet 12 MAG 255, A-side 

6. Bambollini (6:10 minutes) - from the April 1984 UK LP "Wired To The Moon" on Magnet MAGL 5057 - also May 1984 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 259, A-side 

7. True Love - May 1984 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 259, Non-Album B-side

8. Touché D'Amour (Special Remix, 3:20 minutes) - July 1984 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 269, A-side (original version on the "Wired To The Moon" LP) - see also Track 13 for B-side

9. Ace Of Hearts (Special Remix, 3:49 minutes) - September 1984 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 269, A-side 

10. Excerpts from 'I Can Hear Your Heartbeat' recorded live at Montreaux Jazz Festival (7:00 minutes) - September 1984 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 269, Non-Album B-side 

11. Auf Immer Und Ewig (4:41 minutes) - unissued 1984 UK white label A-side to Magnet MAG 269

12. Bitter Sweet (1:08 minutes) - unissued 1984 UK white label B-side to Magnet MAG 269X

13. Touché D'Amour (Instrumental, 3:40 minutes) - July 1984 UK 45-single on Magnet MAG 269, Non-Album B-side (original version on the "Wired To The Moon" LP) - see also Track 8 for A-side

14. Touché D'Amour (Special Extended Remix, 6:07 minutes) - July 1984 UK 12" Single on Magnet MAGT 269, A-side (original version on the "Wired To The Moon" LP) - see also Track 8 for the A-side and 13 for another B-side

15. Ace Of Hearts (Special Remix, 6:32 minutes) - September 1984 UK 12" Single on Magnet MAG 269T, A-side  

16. Let It Loose/I Can Hear Your Heartbeat/I Don't Know What It Is But I Love It (Special Edition 12" Medley, 7:25 minutes) - July 1984 UK 12" Single on Magnet MAGT 260M

The 24-page booklet inside the three-way foldout digipak is a pleasingly pictorial affair – every 45, twelve-inch and CD single pictured along the track details. A nice touch is that three of the digipak flaps also feature colour shots of those forgotten picture sleeves while each CD sports well-packed playing times. In October 2019 Magnet UK issued the "One Fine Day" compilation both on LP and CD with each format offering 14 Tracks. A limited edition of only 1,000 copies - "One Fine Day" featured rare vinyl-only Non-LP B-sides, previously unreleased songs (most from 1981) and re-recordings of old ones. Seven of its period-relevant cuts from 1978-1984 are reissued here and fans will also welcome that big time. 

Although there is no context-text to accompany the 51 track-by-track credits and photos (shame that) and that May 1974 UK debut 45 of "So Much in Love" b/w "Born to Lose" on Magnet MAG 10 is AWOL at the maker's insistence – what you do get is a huge hoard of first-time-on-CD rarities – especially all those melodic B-sides.

The joy of a set like this is the tunes you'd forgotten. I can't be the only Rea fan who doesn't think that the "Water Sign" and "Wired To The Moon" albums were wee 80ts masterpieces - so how good is it to hear "Love's Strange Ways", "Let It Loose" and "Bambollini" sound so spiffy. "Ace Of Hearts" too is a typically gorgeous and hooky Rea melody and those "Smile" and "Mystery Man" non-LP B-sides could easily have been on someone else's lesser album.  And I suppose those 1988 re-recordings of "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" and "I Can Hear Your Heartbeat" he did for the "New Light Through Old Windows" compilation will turn up on ERA 2 - a nice thought. 

I'm Irish (from Dublin originally) and along with David Gray, Josh Ritter and The Blue Nile (to name but a few songsmiths) - Chris Rea has always been huge there. A man with a tune and a melody that's gonna get to you. Look no further for evidence. A top reissue compilation for 2020 without doubt...

"Where My Heart Is/Pure Love/A Legend In My Time/Night Things" by RONNIE MILSAP – US Studio Albums from September 1973 (Where My Heart Is), April 1974 (Pure Love), February 1975 (A Legend In My Time) and November 1975 (Night Things) all on RCA Victor Records – featuring The Jordanaires and The Nashville Edition on Vocals with Guitarists Chip and Reggie Young, Harmonica by Charlie McCoy and Keyboardist Bobby Wood of The Memphis Boys (November 2019 UK Beat Goes On Compilation – 4LPs Remastered onto 2CDs – Andrew Thompson Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Comin' Down With Love... "

You might forgive a blind-from-birth North Carolina lad an ego-tripping-out moment in 1975 by issuing an album actually entitled "A Legend In My Time". But although (truth be told) Milsap means little in Rock circles - Robbinsville’s finest actually is a legend in others – namely Country Music. 

Ronnie Milsap has clocked up an astonishing 35 No. 1 hits on the US Country Billboard charts and the multi-instrument playing prodigy has also placed as many as 18 of his 28 albums to date. Four are presented here from 1973, 1974 and 1975 when he was signed to RCA Victor, two of which crossed over into the Rock arena. There's a ton of stuff to wade through, so let's sing some overdue praises...

UK released 29 November 2019 - "Where My Heart Is/Pure Love/A Legend In My Time/Night Things" by RONNIE MILSAP on Beat Goes on Records BGOCD 1402 (Barcode 5017261214027) offers Four Albums On Two Discs from 1973, 1974 and 1975 all originally on RCA Victor Records and plays out as follows: 

CD1 (56:34 minutes): 

1. That Girl Who Waits On Tables [Side 1]

2. I Hate You 

3. You're Stronger Than Me

4. Branded Man 

5. Where Love Goes When It Dies 

6. Brothers, Strangers And Friends [Side 2]

7. (All Together Now) Let's Fall Apart 

8. Comin' Down With Love 

9. Pass Me By 

10. You're Drivin' Me Out Of Your Mind 

Tracks 1 to 10 are his second studio album "Where My Heart Is" – released September 1973 in the USA on RCA Victor Records APL1-0338 and January 1974 in the UK on RCA Victor Records APL1-0338. Produced by JACK D. JOHNSON and TOM COLLINS – it peaked at No. 5 on the US Country LP charts (didn't chart UK). Guest Vocalists were The Jordanaires and The Nashville Edition.

11. My Love Is Deep, My Love Is Wide [Side 1]

12. Amazing Love 

13. Pure Love 

14. Four Walls 

15. Streets Of Gold 

16. Love The Second Time Around [Side 2]

17. Please Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends 

18. All The Roads (Lead Back To You) 

19. Behind Closed Doors 

20. Blue Ridge Mountains Turnin' Green 

Tracks 11 to 20 are his third studio album "Pure Love" – released April 1974 in the USA on RCA Victor APL1-0500 and June 1974 in the UK on RCA Victor APL1-0500. Produced by JACK D. JOHNSON and TOM COLLINS – it peaked at No. 8 on the US Country LP charts (didn't chart UK). Guest Vocalists were The Jordanaires and The Nashville Edition.

CD2 (59:40 minutes):

1. The Busiest Memory In Town [Side 1]

2. Too Late To Worry, Too Blue To Cry 

3. (I'd be) A Legend In My Time

4. The Biggest Lie 

5. Cookin' Country 

6. She Came Here For The Change [Side 2]

7. I'll Leave This World Loving You 

8. I'm Still Not Over You 

9. I Honestly Love You 

10. Clap Your Hands 

Tracks 1 to 10 are his fourth studio album "A Legend In My Time" - released February 1975 in the USA on RCA Victor Records APL1-0846 and April 1975 in the UK on RCA Victor Records LSA 3209. Produced by JACK D. JOHNSON and TOM COLLINS - it peaked at No. 4 on US Country LP charts (peaked No. 138 on the Rock LP charts) - didn't chart UK. Guest Vocals were by The Nashville Edition.

11. (After Sweet Memories) Play Born To Lose Again [Side 1]

12. Who'll Turn Out The Lights (in Your World Tonight)

13. Daydreams About Night Things 

14. I'm No Good At Goodbyes 

15. Just In Case 

16. Remember To Remind Me (I'm Leaving) [Side 2]

17. Borrowed Angel 

18. Love Takes A Long Time To Die

19. (Lying Here With) Linda On My Mind

20. I'll Be There (If You Ever Want Me) 

Tracks 11 to 20 are his sixth studio album "Night Things" - released November 1975 in the USA on RCA Victor Records APL1-1223 and March 1976 in the UK on RCA Victor Records LSA 3261. Produced by JACK D. JOHNSON and TOM COLLINS – it peaked at No. 2 on the US Country LP Charts (No. 191 on the Rock LP charts) - didn't chart UK. Guests included Guitarists Chip and Reggie Young, Harmonica by Charlie McCoy and Keyboardist Bobby Wood of The Memphis Boys. 

Beats Goes On Records of the UK have been doing Folk, Folk Rock, Country and Country Rock reissues like this for many years now and they have it down to a fine art. The outer card slipcase lends the presentation a classy edge, whilst the 20-page booklet repro's the original LP credits and trumps up new liner notes from veteran writer JOHN O'REGAN that fills out Milsap's entire career and not just the Seventies LPs offered here. He also notes Internet Sources. 

Then of course, there's the sheer value for money - four big-charting LPs from his primo period in the 70ts Remastered onto 2CDs by ANDREW THOMPSON (BGO's resident and much experienced Audio Engineer) - all of it sounding pucker and lickety-split. These were RCA Victor albums and so had very high production values in the first place and the Remaster has only brought this out. To the music...

By the time this 2CD set starts (April 1973) - Milsap had already been with Scepter Records since 1963 and Warner Brothers in the early Seventies - an old-hand on the Country scene in other words. RCA issued his first 45 in May 1973 - two sauntering cuts off the "Where My Heart Is" LP - "(All Together Now) Let's Fall Apart" b/w "I Hate You". Songs like "You're Drivin' Me Out Of Your Mind" and "Brothers, Strangers And Friends" are dripping in pedal steel guitar - heartaches, make-ups and kissing all the wrong girls thereafter are grist for the mill here. 

Themes of worthiness fill "Amazing Love" with pathos even if the slightly cheesy piano fills threaten to schmaltz things up just a little too much. His prettiness with a melody shows in "Please Don't Tell How The Story Ends" where RM sounds not unlike Charlie Rich's younger brother (he covers "Behind Closed Doors"). More pedal steel, more toasts to her next-in-line broken-heart fill "The Busiest Memory In Town" while the popular ballad "I'll Leave This World Loving You" ratchets up the strings. And on it goes...

For sure there are many (especially in Rock circles) who will feel that much of this is cheesy music that hasn't worn the years well (it is like that in places). But if you're a fan, and you like Country tunes that weep and wail but eventually feel better - then once again England's BGO have done the business by his legacy - great presentation and above all great audio...

"Déjà vu" by CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG – March 1970 Second Studio Album on Atlantic Records and First As A Four-Piece featuring Added Players Dallas Taylor and Greg Reeves – Guests Included Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead, John Sebastian of The Lovin' Spoonful and Jack Nitzsche with Joni Mitchell Guesting On One Track In The Bonus Material (May 2021 UK Rhino '50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition' 5-Disc LP-Sized Hardback Book Presentation (4CDs and 1 VINYL LP) with Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review and 315 More Like It 

Are Available in my e-Book...

ALL THINGS MUST PASS
1970

Your All-Genres Guide To

Exceptional CD Reissues and Remasters 

Over 2,300 E-Pages of Reviews from the discs themselves...

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"...Never Mind The Déjà vu - Dig The Déjà now..."

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's highly-anticipated second album "Déjà vu" (it had advance orders of 2-million copies - a huge number for the day) hit US shops in early March 1970 on Atlantic Records (the 11th to be exact).

So this '50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition' 5-Disc of "Déjà vu" by CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG celebration of 4CDs and 1 VINYL LP on Atlantic/Rhino R2 625238 - Barcode 60349784027 (UK released Friday, 14 May 2021) is technically a whole year and a bit late to the nostalgia party - delayed of course by COVID-19.

But first out of the cardboard container carton and it's an impressive LP-Sized beast indeed. The gold-sticker on the shrink-wrap doesn't have anywhere to go once you open it, nor does the attached details page on the rear which is impractical to say the least – so I put them carefully on the inside and I suggest you do the same.

What’s new? Of the 38 tracks outside the album across CDs 2, 3 and 4 - 29 versions are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED with the remaining 9 having been on preceding compilations and reissues.

CD1: 36:21 minutes (Remastered Album, 10 Tracks)

CD2: 70:36 minutes (Demos, 18 Tracks) – All Tracks Unreleased except 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 16 which were previously made available on compilations issued between 1991 and 2018

CD3: 43:00 minutes (Outtakes, 11 Tracks) – All Tracks Unreleased except 5

CD4: 41:26 minutes (Alternates, 9 Tracks) - All Tracks Unreleased except 4

VINYL LP (Housed Inside The Book Flap, 10 Tracks)

Artwork - those of us that were there (and not square as we used to say) will remember with huge affection that fantastic pimpled hardback book-cover sleeve with its pasted-on photo. Word was that a single album cover cost Atlantic Records something like 79c in 1970 and 89c for a the undiluted luxury of a gatefold. But this elaborate baby put them back just under two dollars - hence there is a note from Atlantic Records reproduced in the 20-page booklet that tells retailers this LP will sell for $5.99 RRP which was way pricey for the time.

But is this 4CD/1LP version worth £65.00? Yes and no. The 20-page booklet is a lovely thing to look at - but at only 20-pages and despite Cameron Crowe's cool new liner notes (with photos from Band Archivist Joel Bernstein) - feels a tad slight after such a long wait for this classic album. Many of the 1969 photos are of a six-piece group - Bassist Dallas Taylor and Drummer Greg Reeves of course making up band-members five and six and quite rightly credited as such on the front cover (albeit in lower case). The ace in the hole lies in the new mastering.

The AUDIO Remaster by CHRIS BELLMAN at Bernie Grundman Mastering is stupendous - so much clearer and warmer for the album proper, but unbelievably, just the same for 'most' of the demos on Disc 2. They are not all clear - the first two have remained unreleased for obvious hissy reasons and the much-vaulted duet on "Our House" with Graham Nash and Joni Mitchell is rubbish sounding - a cute time-capsule moment you will listen to once and quickly forget. But there are loads of others that are simply stunning. If anything - I found Disc 2 just as good a listen (albeit more unplugged acoustic) as the main event. That almost studio-quality demo of the title track "Déjà vu" is hair-raisingly good and so sophisticated too.

So why only four-stars and not a stonking five? Disc 3 offers ten 'Outtakes' - or a possible third album (the one that never appeared). But man does it let the side down. Much of it is wholly uninspired and so disappointing - ending in an abomination called "Right On Rock 'n' Roll". The better tracks like "Ivory Tower" and "Bluebird Revisited" are stuff we already have albeit here in different form. The versions of Crosby's brilliant "Laughing" and "The Lee Shore" with the 1969 Vocal rather than the one re-recorded for the 1991 CSN box are good too. But the six others are iffy to my ears and kind of ruin their mystique (if that makes sense). But then – yet again - and as you are just about to write-off the set of a could-have-been a barnstormer - Disc 4 up and whomps you in the aural gonads with alternatives that are fabulous too – that Harmonica Version of "Helpless" being particularly brill. Guests on the main album including Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead playing Steel Guitar on "Teach The Children", John Sebastian of The Lovin' Spoonful playing Harmonica on "Déjà vu" and Jack Nitzsche giving it some Electric Piano on "Country Girl".

What of the nine that have been issued before? Clearly marked as such, these alternates turned up mostly on Solo Career retrospectives across the years (Stills' "Carry On", Nash's "Reflections", Crosby's "Voyager" and of course Neil Young's Archive Series) - so you're buying them twice effectively if like me you've diligently collected anything CSNY. In fact there is a noticeable withholding of ace material - Neil Young fans will notice only one - a demo of "Birds". But I can tell you, it's bloody gorgeous and again unbelievable that something this good stayed in the can all these decades. And those already-issued nine were used on previous CD sets for a 'reason' - they're damn good and came with ace almost immaculate audio - so anyone coming to this project fresh-faced will be amazed by them too. 

To sum up - the 5-Disc '50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition' of "Déjà vu" is overly expensive for what you get. But is it worth the spondulicks? Ab-so-bloody-lutely! The presentation feels and oozes class, the CD audio is gorgeous and the Previously Unreleased stuff contains actual bonuses worthy of the name.

Even on an off day - CSNY's noodling of half a century ago feels like genuine magic in 2021 - and that happened every time they opened their mouths or picked up a guitar. I can't believe that it's taken over 50 years for the many gems on this belated celebration to see the light of day. Bottom-line - never mind the Déjà vu, dig the Déjà now...