"The Ry Cooder Anthology: The UFO Has Landed" by RY COODER - Studio Album and Movie Soundtrack Themes from October 1970 to June 2008 (November 2008 UK Warner Brothers/Rhino 2CD Compilation with Handpicked Tracks by The Artist and New Bernie Grundman Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…Why Don't You Try Me Tonight?"

I wanted to point out something about this 2CD retro that many seem to be ignoring - or not mentioning at all - the TRULY STUNNING SOUND QUALITY.

Fans of the wonderful Ry Cooder will know that apart from an occasional CD here and there and an 8-album campaign in Japan in 2007 - there have been NO remasters of his huge catalogue anywhere. Nearly 40 years of recording and no decent reissues to speak of (Tom Waits and Prince are 2 others that jump to mind on that front). The Japanese versions are just that - Japan only - and are costly as imports. There is the "Ry Cooder 1970-1987" 11CD Box Set from November 2014 (which I've reviewed) but not everything on that is remastered either.

Which brings me to Rhino/Warner Brothers 8122-79891-9 (Barcode 081227989194) released November 2008. "The Ry Cooder Anthology: The UFO Has Landed" by RY COODER is a superlative 34-track 2CD reissue that covers his entire Warner Brothers and Reprise career - as well as his soundtrack work in the last 3 decades. It plays outs as follows:

Disc 1 (63:58 minutes):

1. Get Rhythm

2. Low Commotion

3. Available Space

4. On A Monday

5. Do Re MI

6. Which Came First

7. The Very Thing That Makes You Rich [Makes Me Poor]

8. Down In Hollywood

9. Smells Like Money

10. Let's Work Together *

11. I Got Mine

12. Cherry Ball Blues

13. Jesus On The Mainline

14. Tattler

15. Teardrops Will Fall

16. Maria Elena

17. Jesse James

Tracks 3 and 5 from "Ry Cooder" (October 1970)

Tracks 4 and 15 from "Into The Purple Valley" (February 1972)

Tracks 12 and 16 from "Boomer's Story" (November 1972)

Tracks 13 and 14 from "Paradise And Lunch" (April 1974)

Track 11 from "Chicken Skin Music" (August 1976)

Tracks 7 and 8 from "Bop Till You Drop" (July 1979)

Track 17 from "The Long Riders O.S.T." (April 1980)

Track 6 from "The Slide Area" (April 1982)

Tracks 1 and 2 from "Get Rhythm" (November 1987)

Track 9 from "Johnny Handsome O.S.T." (October 1989)

Track 10 is Previously Unreleased *

Disc 2 (70:41 minutes):

1. Paris, Texas

2. Theme From Southern Comfort

3. Tap 'Em Up Solid

4. Billy The Kid

5. Crazy 'Bout An Automobile (Every Woman I Know)

6. Drive Like I've Never Been Hurt

7. Feelin' Bad Blues

8. Boomer's Story

9. How Can You Keep Moving (Unless You Migrate Too)

10. Alimony

11. Always Life Him Up/Kanaka Wai Wai

12. Theme From Alamo Bay

13. Dark End Of The Street

14. Why Don't You Try Me

15. Poor Man's Shangri-La

16. Going Back To Okinawa

17. Little Sister

Tracks 4 and 9 from "Into The Purple Valley" (February 1972)

Tracks 8 and 13 from "Boomer's Story" (November 1972)

Track 3 from "Paradise And Lunch" (April 1974)

Track 11 from "Chicken Skin Music" (August 1976)

Track 17 from "Bop Till You Drop" (July 1979)

Tracks 5 and 14 from "Borderline" (October 1980)

Track 2 from "Southern Comfort" (September 1981) - first issued on "Music From Ry Cooder" 2CD set August 1995, the track then Previously Unreleased on CD)

Track 1 from "Paris, Texas O.S.T." (February 1985)

Track 12 from "Music From Alamo Bay O.S.T." (August 1985)

Track 7 from "Crossroads O.S.T." (July 1986)

Track 16 from "Get Rhythm" (November 1987)

Track 15 is from "Chavez Ravine" (June 2005)

Track 6 from "I, Flathead" (June 2008)

The award-winning sound engineer BERNIE GRUNDMAN has mastered "The UFO Has Landed" from the original tapes and he's done a beautiful job - especially given the differing recording dates (the Seventies stuff in particular sounds incredible). The 2nd point is the alignment of the songs themselves; chosen by Ry and his son, they're not in release date order, but as you can see from the track lists above mixed up so that one decade seamlessly flows into the next and back again. A nice idea - but in reality hard to get right - and they have. As a listen it really works. It opens with 1987's "Get Rhythm", then tracks from "Ry Cooder" from 1970 - skip to 1979's "Bop Till You Drop" - skips back to 1974's "Paradise And Lunch" on to 1985's "Paris, Texas" and so on. It gives the play list a fresh feel - and as the remaster quality hammers you, it's like hearing his material anew.

Speaking of sound quality - there's one particular example on here I'd recommend. Many fans will know that 1972's "Boomer Story" is one of those album gems few know anything about - but should. It's a criminally forgotten beauty and luckily its featured on here with 4 tracks - "Cherry Ball Blues", "Boomer's Story", the cover of the James Carr hit "Dark End Of The Street" and the truly beautiful instrumental "Maria Elena". If you've never heard this gorgeous Mexican-style soulful instrumental (sounding like it was recorded in 2006 and not 1972), then go to iTunes and download it for 80p - fabulous stuff.

The DDD recording of "Bop Till You Drop" has always been somehow dull and subdued on CD - but here at least it has more subtle muscle - even if you have to crank "The Very Thing That Makes You Rich (Makes Me Poor)" a little too much (lyrics above). There's also that terrible hiss on "Paris, Texas" - but the remaster has also accentuated just how brilliantly menacing the slide guitar work is - it's all 'feel'... very, very cool. Another lovely track is the theme to "Alamo Bay" and the huge slide sound on "Feelin' Bad Blues" from the 1986 "Crossroads" soundtrack. And on it goes...

Niggles - they've called it after the quirky "UFO Has Landed In The Ghetto" track from 1982's "The Slide Area" and haven't included the track, there's soundtrack stuff aplenty on here when there was the much-praised "Music From Ry Cooder" double CD compilation of 1995 for that - and the liner notes in the 40-page booklet by Ry on each track are often short, cryptic and generally useless. Worse - as you can see from the rather lax playing times on both discs above - there was room for plenty more. We could have had goodies like "All Shook Up", "Teardrops Will Fall", "Ditty Wah Ditty", "Fool For A Cigarette/Feelin' Good" and "I Think It's Going To Work Out Fine". The previously unreleased cover of Wilbert Harrison's "Let's Work Together" is good rather than great.

Having said all of that - I've played this double to death - it's brilliant in so many ways. And every time I feature "Maria Elena" in the shop shuffle it brings a customer to the counter asking after it. They know its Ry Cooder - they just don't know which track it is. I can see it in their faces - making a mental note - forgot how much I loved this guy - I must buy this. You should too.

Recommended like a shoeshine boy getting’ some badly needed rhythm...

“Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong For Lovers” by ELLA FITZGERALD and LOUIS ARMSTRONG (2005 and 2010 Verve CD Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…As Far As I’m Concerned… It’s A Lovely Day…"

The 11-tracks on "For Lovers" by ELLA FITZGERALD and LOUIS ARMSTRONG (Verve 0602498807989) weigh in at a surprising 53:38 minutes and the sound quality is BEAUTIFUL.

Originally released on CD in June 2005 - this budget-priced August 2010 reissue features all Fifties Mono recordings remastered to perfection by one of Universal's top engineers - ELLEN FITTON.

I've raved about her work before in many reviews - the 14 volumes of "The Complete Motown Singles" - The Marvelettes "Forever" 3CD set -"This Is The Story…" 3CD Box set by The Supremes etc - and her remastering here is right up to those standards.

The 8-page foldout inlay gives full recording credits with a short set of liner notes and the band on several tracks featured such luminaries as OSCAR PETERSON (Piano), HERB ELLIS (Guitar), RAY BROWN (Bass) and LOUIE BELLSON and BUDDY RICH (Drums). Most of the tracks were recorded in August 1956 (some in 1950, 1951 and 1957) and it makes for a lovely listen – the two jazz giants playing off each other’s vocal styles.

The sonic delight of “The Nearness Of You” open proceedings very nicely and “Isn’t This A Lovely Day” is as pretty as they’re combined talents produced (lyrics above). The songs are all smoochy in that ‘dinner suit and cocktails’ kind of a way - and I suppose you could argue that the disc could have been filled out more, but the compilers have gone for an ‘album’ feel – and they were right - it works precisely because less-is-more.

A lovely disc and a very sweet listen indeed – recommended.

“Pride & Prejudice” – A Review Of The 2005 Film Now Reissued On A 2010 BLU RAY.

"…So This Is Your Opinion Of Me…"

In order to have this movie in High Definition, I’ve had the HD-DVD format of it for a few years now – but it’s an America issue and has the awful US ending. Now at last it arrives on BLU RAY in the UK (May 2010) and it’s just as gorgeous a transfer. It uses exactly the same elements that the HD-DVD did – even the same menus – and the extras from the DVD are all intact also (with the US ending tagged on as an Alternate).

The improvement in picture quality is immense over the rather blurred DVD experience. As it opens with a misty dawn and the twitter of birds, we see the young and feisty Elizabeth Bennet (played with a magical touch and staggering assurance by Kiera Knightly) walking with a book. But it’s not until she crosses the courtyard of her home that the real quality kicks in – and it’s a wow. The picture takes you aback – it wasn’t this good in the cinema I can tell you…

It isn’t perfect throughout by any means though. Because they were going for authenticity, a lot of the early evening and dark night sequences are shot in candlelit rooms (as they would have lived), so you get fuzziness in the definition… But once you get out into the countryside or inside one of the great halls of stately homes – where proper lighting prevailed - the picture quality is beautiful. There is one famous dream sequence where only Kiera’s closed eyes fill the screen – she is dreaming of standing on the cliff edge - the clarity is gobsmacking. You also notice the weave of the clothing, the dirt on the hemlines, the ever so slightly unkempt hair – the attention to detail is great.

Directed by Joe Wright and released in late 2005, the film version was living in the shadow of the legendary 6-part BBC production from 1995 – so the movie had a lot on its shoulders and admirably rose to the task. Another trump card was Dario Marianelli’s lush piano score (Oscar nominated) swirling around the scenes like a graceful swan.

In the cinema, it was a delight to look and experience - but sitting at home and watching it in real definition is a far more rewarding and illuminating experience. The acting chops on display is right across the board and apart from a slightly jarring ending, it had the hallmarks of a shoot that was fun and supremely confident in its delivery. I know others will cite the BBC production as definitive – but I think there’s more than enough room on my shelf for both.

Matthew MacFadyen, Brenda Blethyn, Rosamund Pike, Carey Mulligan, Judy Dench, Tom Hollander – they were a cleverly chosen cast – and Rupert Friend won the heart of the lovely Kiera (which might explain the ethereal beauty of her performance). But it’s the stunning adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel by DEBORAH MOGGACH that is the real hero of the day. There is a sequence when Elizabeth and Darcy finally face off against each other in the rain – the dialogue is to die for – and should have been Oscar rewarded. As a dabbler in screenplays myself, I can’t stress enough just how good the work here is – dazzling stuff.

It’s under a tenner, the DVD extras are all intact, the picture quality is much improved and in some cases unbelievably so – and its eminently re-watchable. To sum up - if you’re a fan of the film or Austen, then you must own “Pride & Prejudice” on this format.

A Blu Ray gem and highly recommended.

“Cry Tough” by NILS LOFGREN. A Review Of His 1976 Album Now Remastered & Reissued On A 2009 Hip-O Select CD.

NILS LOFGREN is part of my Series "SOUNDS GOOD: Exceptional CD Remasters 1970s Rock And Pop" Download Book available to buy on Amazon to either your PC or Mac (it will download the Kindle software to read the book for free to your toolbar). Click on the link below to go my Author's Page for this and other related publications:

                       http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00LQKMC6I

"…Doctor Feelgood Said…Calm Your Soul…You Just Need Another Shot Of Rock'n'Roll…"

Nils Lofgren’s self-titled 1975 debut album on A&M Records made all the right noises for the ex Crazy Horse and Grin lead guitar player - but its 1976 follow up “Cry Tough” really made everyone sit up and take notice (especially for his astonishing fretwork on the title track). But what makes this release so exciting for fans who’ve waited decades for a decent version of the whole album on CD - is the massively improved sound. It’s a new ERICK LABSON REMASTER and is sparkling in its sound quality (has over 900 mastering and audio restoration credits to his name and is one of Universal’s top engineers).

“Cry Tough” was Lofgren’s 2nd album released April 1976 on A&M SP-4573 in the USA and A&M AMLH 64573 in the UK – and this CD is a straightforward 37:02 minute reissue of that LP (Hip-O Select B0013205-02). Released on their own site in September, it received a late October 2009 release date in the States (no UK release date as yet).

The original album had the musician and recording details on the back sleeve – here it’s wisely been taken off that unreadable 5” space and put into a 4-way fold out inlay where you can clearly work out who played what on where. Produced by AL KOOPER, the band featured Nils and his brother Tom Lofgren on Lead and Rhythm Guitar, Wornell Jones on Bass with the Drums shared by Jim Gordon and Aynsley Dunbar. “It’s Not A Crime” also featured some great backing singers – Immediate label soul singer P.P. ARNOLD, BUDDY MILES (of the Electric Flag) and CLAUDIA LENNEAR (who inspired “Brown Sugar” by The Rolling Stones).

The album opens on an absolute high – the speaker spanning keyboards of Al Kooper on the title track “Cry Tough” – a slinky, funky guitar-layered rock gem. To this day the guitar solo in the later part of the song is a truly awesome thing – building, building all the time - it hits you with these fabulous licks and pinging harmonics that literally make you double take. And best of all – it’s five minute duration now sounds just HUGE. Other highlights include the mean sounding acoustics of “Share A Little”, the opener of Side 2 and the drums and upright bass of Scott Ball on “Mud In Your Eye” – so clear. The warmest sounding track is the lovely “Can’t Get Closer (WCGC)” and the only moment of weakness is the crass lyrics of “Jailbait” which don’t sit well with anything. The remaster has also brought out the piano and drums on “Incidentally… It’s Over” and the only cover on the album – Ed Townsend’s “For Your Love” - now has that floating organ bit to the fore, the blistering guitars and galloping bass parts towards the end of the track all sound lucid too – but in a subtle way.

Downsides - it’s shame there isn’t more in the foldout inlay - which settles for what it can get away with - and there could have been some outtakes or even demos. But alas…

To sum up – this Hip-O Select version of “Cry Tough” doesn’t pretend to be anything other than a straightforward reproduction of the original album, but it’s big time recommended for the great new sound quality.

PS: I’ve also reviewed the 2007 Hip-O Select remaster of his solo debut “Nils Lofgren” (1975) and his 3rd album for the label “I Came To Dance”. There’s also a TAG above for both Erick Labson and Hip-O Select to see more of his work and their titles.

PPS: check out his sublime guitar-playing on “Shot At You” from 1992’s “Crooked Line” and “Driftin’ Man” on the double 2003 live set “Nils Lofgren Band Live” – blissful stuff

“Blowing The Fuse – 28 R&B Classics That Rocked The Jukebox In 1948” by VARIOUS ARTISTS. A Review Of The Award-Winning 2004 Bear Family CD Compilation by Mark Barry...

"…When You Were Here I Took You For A Square…

Now I’m Biting My Nails And Pulling Out My Hair…"

Bear Family's truly fabulous "Blowing The Fuse" series of CD compilations chronicles the transition of minority ghettoized Blues into national Rhythm 'n' Blues and stretches across 16 individual single-disc volumes that cover the years 1945 to 1960. Released across 2004 and 2005 –"Blowing The Fuse" was then followed in 2008 and 2009 by Bear’s equally magnificent "Sweet Soul Music" series of 15 sets from 1961 to 1975 - complimented in turn by their spiritual and musical partners - 15 volumes of Vocal Group sets called "Street Corner Symphonies" covering 1939 to 1963 (released 2012 and 2013). I suppose you could argue that I just say, "Buy the lot man!" in a very loud voice - but bluntly they're so good - each deserves a thorough review (and that’s what I’ve done). So here goes with Volume 4 of 16...

"Blowing The Fuse - 28 R&B Classics That Rocked The Jukebox In 1948" is on Bear Family BCD 16703 AS (Barcode 4000127167033) and was released November 2004 in Germany. Each US-based yearly compilation comes in a 3-way foldout card digipak sleeve. The left flap pictures an original record relevant to the year (1948 has "A Little Bird Told Me" by PAULA WATSON on Supreme 1507), the centre flap holds a 70 to 90 page oversized booklet that slips out so you can read it separately and the right flap a colour-themed CD that matches the outer packaging. As with the 15 volumes of "Sweet Soul Music" and "Street Corner Symphonies" - each of the "Blowing The Fuse" spines makes up a whole photo when placed alongside each other (a fantastic black & white shot of a crowd of hip dudes and their gals dancing at some Saturday night bar). As you can see from the cover photos of these compilations too, the theme of people dancing and artists enjoying themselves is repeated right across all of these wonderfully restored photographs (they're from The Showtime Music Archive in Toronto). Siding the text and black/white publicity photos are uber rare trade adverts and of course those equally scarce 78’s in their lovely label bags. This 1948 issue has 72-pages in its booklet and the CD runs to a jam-packed 79:54 minutes.

THE SOUND and TRACK CHOICES:
Sourcing the best disc available (or occasional tape) Bear’s Audio Engineer genius JURGEN CRASSER has mastered each cut with care. Depending on the condition of the disc – the audio varies wildly - and as you can imagine it’s a case of astonishingly clean transfer one moment and hiss & cackle-laden version the next. While 1945, 1946 and 1947 had their fair share of rough-transfer moments – 1948 sees master tapes on a lot more entries and the resulting audio difference is consequentionally better – spectacular in places - and of course all of it imbibed with huge musical and lyrical talent and the sense of an entire nation saying to "hell-with-it-all!" after the misery of WW II...let's party...

THE BOOKLET:
The booklet in each of these reissues is to die for. There's an intro on Page 4 with the text for the songs beginning on Page 5 and ending on Page 70, so there's almost no wasted space. Each artist is pictured using quality publicity shots, and every now and then, a beautiful page plate of lesser-seen trade adverts, or a rare 78” in its label bag (long ago American Record labels like King, Columbia, Specialty, RCA Victor  and Exclusive). What’s noticeable about the 1947 and 1948 Volumes (over 1945 and 1946) is that there’s more advert repros which are  massively evocative of the time period (a Billboard 3rd Annual Poll proves that "Miracle Records set the pace" for Sonny Thompson on Page 37). Each song then has an essay on its history by noted writer COLIN ESCOTT and because the booklet allows him to spread out on each song, the details come thick and fast - it's a fabulously entertaining and informative read.

THE SONGS:
Volume 4 of 16 opens with Rock 'n' Roll history – "Write Me A Letter" by The Ravens - sung by the fabulous deep-as-the-Pacific bass vocals of the legendary Jimmy Ricks. It was the theme song of Memphis DJ Dewey Philips who began his radio show in 1949. By 1954 he was the first to pioneer Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and anyone else that pumped out Blues, Jump, R 'n' B and the new fangled sensaation of the age Rock 'n' Roll music (coloured or no). Like that other airwaves pioneer Alan Freed, Tennessee-born Philips adored Black musicians and what they played – broadcasting with wild on-the-air abandon to a segregated audience who longed for something better than the old ways. Smut isn't far from the menu with Julia Lee's wonderful "King Size Papa" where she assures us that her man has "...four foot shoulders...and that ain't all..." Furthermost she says he’ll "...last until 1992..." (I'll have a bowl of whatever he's eating says you). The Blues slow things down with the classic "Call It Stormy Monday" from the guitar of T-Bone Walker resplendent here with great Audio (the pictured 78" on Page 12 shows its full title which I've used in the track list below). The shuffling honky-tonk instrumental "Thirty-Five Thirty" by Paul Williams was an unlikely hit in 1949 - while the piano boogie-woogie of "Move Your Hand, Baby" features the hysterical vocals of Crown Prince Waterford (but what you really notice is Big Joe Turner's sideman Pete Johnson ripping up and down the piano like playing boogie-woogie was literally hotwired into his very DNA).

The Audio drops a serious notch with the rough transfer of "I Love You, Yes I Do" by Lucky Millinder's Saxophonist Bull Moose Jackson where he croons with great results (King Records took this song into litigation about songwriting credits and lost). Fun returns in the shapely audio guise of one of my fave lady singers – Nellie Lutcher – who sings the praise of her man's physique "...I wanna scream...because I've never seen...such a fine brown frame..." (steady girl). Gatemouth Moore boasts "...got a great big car and a pocketful of dough..." but still he's miserable because when he goes home Mary has left him for an even fancier suitor. I love the Clovers-smooch of "You Sure Look Good To Me" – a very cool shuffler from the Big Three Trio featuring the wit of Leonard Caston and future Chess superstar Willie Dixon.

Things then jump straight into the realms of music legend – twice. We get a cultural double-whammy - "I Can't Be Satisfied" by Muddy Waters and "Good Rockin' Tonight" by Wynonie Harris. Muddy's musical atomic bomb changed so much (and not just for Chess Records) while the  Wynonie Harris cover of Roy Brown's song is said to be the one a 13-year old Elvis Presley heard – and nothing has ever been the same since. As if sensing its importance, the King Records 78" is pictured alongside an early shot of Harris on Pages 30 and 31.

Genius choices go to "Cadillac Boogie" by Jimmy Liggins with slick Chuck Berry type lyrics like "...air foam cushions and a modern design...that cat's purring...got eight kittens crying..." Another gem piano player is Camille Howard (was with Roy Milton’s band) who gives us the boogie-woogie instrumental of "X Temperaneous Blues" – a fantastic listen that will you tapping your fingers on the table top uncontrollably. Then there’s a pistol in the shape of Mabel Scott on "Elevator Baby". She's pictured on Page 45 and man what a firecracker she was - the kind of woman who would even excite her gay husband Charles Brown – she literally exuded sexy sophisticated Forties Rhythm 'n' Blues.

But my absolute favourite is the lonesome-pine guitar of "Tomorrow Night" by Laurie Johnson – it’s so good. "Tomorrow Night" would be a huge R 'n' B hit for LaVern Baker in 1955 on Atlantic Records and again for Joe Turner in 1959. Elvis also covered its quiet hurting vibe at Sun Records. 59-year old Laurie Johnson and his rare King 78" are pictured on Pages 26 and 27. "Pretty Mama Blues" by Ivory Joe Hunter is a rough transfer but doesn't stop it from being a pretty R 'n' B pleader that is so appealing (..."let me call you up some night...I'll make everything alright...") And 1948 ends with a great double shot – a Louis Jordan duet with Martha Davis on the shuffling "Daddy-O" while Amos Milburn brings down the house down with his famous "Chicken Shack Boogie". Brill...and then some...

To sum up - even though they were initially expensive as imports - as the years have gone by they've gone down in price (some online retailers via Amazon or eBay are selling them for about £8.50. But I can't help thinking that once long-time collectors actually get their hands on even one of these compilations (no matter what the date) - they'll be irresistibly hooked and need to own the lot.

For the casual buyer just looking for a great one-stop account of R&B Music for a given year - "1948" is 'the' place to start. I've collected and reviewed the whole set (16 titles)...and they're amongst my favourite reissues...

TRACK LIST for "Blowing The Fuse - 1948" (79:54 minutes)

Volume 4 of 16

Song Title, ARTIST (Record Label and US 78" Catalogue Number, A-Side or B-Side)

1. Write Me A Letter – THE RAVENS (National 9038, A)
2. King Size Papa – JULIA LEE and her Boyfriends (Capitol 40082, A)
3. Call It Stormy Monday But Tuesday Is Just As Bad – T-BONE WALKER and his Guitar (Black & White 122, A)
4. Thirty-Five Thirty – PAUL WILLIAMS SEXTET (Savoy 661, A)
5. Move You Hand, Baby – CROWN PRINCE WATERFORD (Capitol 40074, A)
6. I Love You, Yes I Do – BULL MOOSE JACKSON and his Buffalo Bearcats (King 4181, A)
7. Fine Brown Frame – NELLIE LUTCHER and her Rhythm (Capitol 15032, A)
8. Hey Mr. Gatemouth – GATEMOUTH MOORE (King 4211, A)
9. Tomorrow Night – LONNIE JOHNSON (King 4201, A)
10. X-Temperaneous Blues – CAMILLE HOWARD and her Trio (Specialty 307, A)
11. Good Rockin' Tonight – WYNONIE HARRIS (King 4210, A)
12. You Sure Look Good To Me – BIG THREE TRIO (Columbia 30110, A)
13. Long Gone – SONNY THOMPSON with The Sharps and The Flats (Miracle 126, A)
14. Cadillac Boogie – JIMMY LIGGINS and his Drops Of Joy (Specialty 521, A)
15. Pretty Mama Blues – IVORY JOE HUNTER and his Band (Pacific 637, A)
16. Run Joe – LOUIS JORDAN and his Tympany Five (Decca 24 448, A)
17. Elevator Baby – MABEL SCOTT (Exclusive 35, A)
18. We're Gonna Rock – BILL MOORE (featuring Paul Williams on Baritone Sax) (Savoy 666, A)
19. My Heart Belongs To You – ARBEE STIDHAM (RCA Victor 20-2572, A)
20. I Can't Be Satisfied – MUDDY WATERS with Rhythm Accompaniment (Aristocrat 1305, A)
21. Corn Bread – HAL SINGER SEXTETTE (Savoy 671, A)
22. It's Too Soon To Know – THE ORIOLES (Natural 5000, A)
23. Hop, Skip, And Jump – ROY MILTON And His Solid Senders (Specialty SP 314, B-side of “Everything I Do Is Wrong”)
24. That's Your Last Boogie – JOE SWIFT with Jonny Otis and his Orchestra (Exclusive 51, A)
25. A Little Bird Told Me – PAULA WATSON (Supreme 1507, A)
26. Long About Midnight – ROY BROWN and his Mighty, Mighty Men (DeLuxe 3154, A)
27. Daddy-O – LOUIS JORDAN and his Tympany Five (Decca 24 502. A)
28. Chicken-Shack Boogie – AMOS MILBURN (Aladdin 3014, A)

"The Solo Albums: Volume 2 - A Quiet Storm and Smokey's Family Robinson" by SMOKEY ROBINSON (2010 Hip-O Select/Motown CD Reissue and Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review Along With 100s Of Others Is Available in my

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"…A Power Source Of Tender Force…"

Number 2 is a series of 6 - Volume Two chronicles Smokey Robinson’s 3rd and 4th albums for Motown in 1975 and 1976 with a non-album single side thrown in as a bonus. It’s not all undiscovered solid gold for sure but the good stuff is great - and the improved audio quality is an absolute treat. Here are the Quiet Storms and Castles Made Of Sand…

Released November 2010 – "The Solo Albums: Volume 2 – A Quiet Storm and Smokey’s Family Robinson" by SMOKEY ROBINSON on Hip-O Select/Motown B0014571-02 (Barcode 602527450704) offers 2 LPs Remastered onto 1 CD Plus One Bonus Track and pans out as follows (72:53 minutes):

1. Quiet Storm (7:48 minutes)

2. The Agony And The Ecstasy (4:49 minutes)

3. Baby That's Backatcha  (3:48 minutes)

4. Wedding Song (3:37 minutes)

5. Happy (Love Theme From "Lady Sings The Blues") (7:07 minutes)

6. Love Letters (4:16 minutes)

7. Coincidentally (5:10 minutes)

Tracks 1 to 7 are his 3rd solo album "A Quiet Storm" - released March 1975 in the USA on Tamla T6-337S1 and in June 1975 in the UK on Tamla Motown STML 11288

8. When You Came (5:24 minutes)

9. Get Out Of Town (4:48 minutes)

10. Do Like I Do (4:42 minutes)   

11. Open (3:50 minutes)

12. So In Love (4:42 minutes)   

13. Like Nobody Can (4:12 minutes)

14. Castles Made Of Sand (4:49 minutes)

Tracks 8 to 14 are his 4th solo album "Smokey's Family Robinson" - released February 1976 in the USA on Tamla T6-341S1 and April 1976 in the UK on Tamla Motown STML 12021

15. An Old Fashioned Man (3:28 minutes)

Track 15 is a 7” single-only release - “An Old-Fashioned Man” was released October 1976 in the USA on Tamla T-54276F and was taken from the MGM movie “Norman, Is That You?”

The gatefold card-digipak houses a 20-page colour booklet containing entertaining and knowledgeable liner notes by PETER DOGGETT (formerly of Record Collector magazine and author of the book “There's A Riot Going On"). Like the excellent Volume 1 – 2 also reproduces the American artwork front and rear for each album, has 4 new full-page colour photos of Smokey from the period and detailed recording and release credits. But the big news for fans is the fabulous remasters Audio…

Remastered by KEVIN REEVES from the original Stereo tapes - the sound quality is truly fantastic - beautifully done (Ellen Fitton did an equally great job on Volume 1). There’s amazing warmth now to these recordings and the bass is just so sweet. I've reviewed CDs remastered by Reeves before - he's one of Universal's top engineers (others are Erick Labson, Suha Gur, Gavin Lurssen, Gary Moore and Ellen Fitton). He mastered “Pass The Plate” and “Images” by The Crusaders, “What Color Is Love” by Terry Callier and “I’ve Got So Much To Give” by Barry White (see reviews for all of them).

To the album itself - having lived with the 3:49 minute single edit of “Quiet Storm” for so many years now, it feels odd to hear the full 7:49 minute album version – but it’s just as slinky - and even at that length doesn’t overstay its welcome (lyrics above). Also – as the liner notes explain – “Quiet Storm” was the name given to a radio program for Soul Music that year by WHUR in DC – and hundreds of radio stations have adopted the title ever since. The album literally started a ‘smooth soul’ revolution on the airwaves that’s been going on ever since – no mean achievement.

Other highlights include two superbly funky winners in “Baby That’s Backatcha” (first single off the album in the States) and the lesser-heard “Coincidentally” (tremendous sound on both). “When You Came” opens the “Smokey’s Family Robinson” album with a decidedly disco beat that sounds dated now - while the only US single off the album was a wise choice – the well-funky “Open” – a sort of hybrid AWB, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and Labelle mishmash. It’s a long forgotten gem that deserves rediscovery. The album ends with the plaintive “Castles Made Of Sand” which features a slickly produced acoustic guitar throughout. The bonus track “An Old Fashioned Man” and the overly long "Happy" are the kind of forgettable movie pap that featured in so many Seventies films.  

What’s missing? Like Volume 1 – time restrictions have excluded tasty bonus tracks. The two LPs produced four singles Stateside and a couple in the UK - most had edited versions of their longer album versions while USA promos often came with a promo-only MONO mix – all AWOL unfortunately.

But again at less than a fiver per album this is great value for money (and often cheaper from certain online retailers). It may not all be full-on Biblical in terms of rediscovery – but like his first two albums “Smokey” (1973) and “Pure Smokey” (1974) on Volume 1 – these two slices of mid seventies Soul have stood the test of time. And now with their superb new audio quality…this is one Quiet Storm that deserves another go around…

PS: I've also created a TAG called "Kevin Reeves Remasters" in 'Amazon.co.uk' - which when clicked will give you a pictorial display of titles he's been involved in. There's also the same for Erick Labson, Suha Gur and Ellen Fitton - if their names are in the mastering/transfer credits, I find it to be a sign of great sound quality