"Rad Gumbo: The Complete Warner Bros. Years 1971 to 1990" by LITTLE FEAT (February 2014 UK Rhino/Warner Brothers 13CD Clamshell Box Set with Mini LP Repro Card Sleeve Artwork and Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…All That You Dream…"

Taking its title from a New Orleans bopper on 1990's "Representing The Mambo" LP - "Rad Gumbo: The Complete Warner Bros. Years 1971 to 1990" by LITTLE FEAT is a 13CD Mini Box Set that many fans will say has been a long-time coming. As usual it's a mixture of highs and lows (with way more ups than downs thankfully). Here's the weed, whites and wine...

UK released Monday 24 February 2014 (4 March 2014 in the USA) – "Rad Gumbo: The Complete Warner Bros. Years 1971 to 1990" by LITTLE FEAT on Rhino/Warner Brothers 8122796057 (Barcode 081227960575) is a 13CD Mini Box Set and breaks down as follows:

Disc 1 "Little Feat" – 1971 (33:16 minutes):

1. Snakes On Everything

2. Strawberry Flats

3. Truck Stop Girl

4. Brides Of Jesus

5. Willing

6. Hamburger Midnight

7. Forty-Four Blues/How Many More Years [Side 2]

8. Crack In Your Door

9. I’ve Been The One

10. Crazy Captain Gunboat Willie

Disc 2 "Sailin' Shoes" – 1972 (37:56 minutes):

1. Easy To Slip

2. Cold, Cold, Cold

3. Trouble

4. Tripe Face Boogie

5. Willin’

6. A Apolitcal Blues

7. Sailin' Shoes [Side 2]

8. Teenage Nervous Breakdown

9. Got No Shadow

10. Cat Fever

11. Texas Rose Café

Disc 3 "Dixie Chicken" – 1973 (36:46 minutes):

1. Dixie Chicken

2. Two Trains

3. Roll Um Easy

4. On Your Way Down

5. Kiss It Off

6. Fool Yourself [Side 2]

7. Walkin' All Night

8. Fat Man In The Bathtub

9. Juliette

10. Lafayette Railroad

Disc 4 "Feats Don't Fail Me Now" - 1974  (34:24 minutes):

1. Rock And Roll Doctor

2. Oh Atlanta

3. Skin It Back

4. Down The Road

5. Spanish Moon

6. Feats Don’t Fail Me Now [Side 2]

7. The Fan

8. Cold Cold Cold/Tripe Face Boogie (Medley)

Disc 5 "The Last Record Album" - 1975 (34:35 minutes):

1. Romance Dance

2. All That You Dream

3. Long Distance Love

4. Day Or Night

5. One Love Stand [Side 2]

6. Down Below The Borderline

7. Somebody's Leavin'

8. Mercenary Territory

Disc 6 "Time Loves A Hero" – 1977 (35:36 minutes):

1. Time Loves A Hero

2. Hi Roller

3. New Delhi Freight Train

4. Old Folks Boogie

5. Red Streamliner [Side 2]

6. Keepin' Up With The Joneses

7. Rocket In My Pocket

8. Missin' You

9. Day At The Dog Races

Discs 7 and 8 are the 1978 live double "Waiting For Columbus" (the 2CD Expanded Edition). Tracks 1 to 12 on Disc 1 and Tracks 1 to 5 on Disc 2 make up the original 2LP set – 6 to 12 are previously unreleased outtakes – 13 to 15 are outtakes first issued on the "Hoy Hoy" double album

Disc 1 (60:19 minutes):

1. Join The Band [Side 1]

2. Fat Man In The Bathtub

3. All That You Dream

4. Oh Atlanta

5. Old Folk’s Boogie

6. Dixie Chicken [Side 3]

7. Tripe Face Boogie

8. Rocket In My Pocket

9. Time Loves A Hero [Side 2]

10. Day Or Night

11. Mercenary Territory

12. Spanish Moon

Disc 2 (78:02 minutes):

THE ENCORE:

1. Willin' [Side 4]

2. Don't Bogart That Joint

3. A Apolitical Blues

4. Sailin' Shoes

5. Feats Don’t Fail Me Now

OUTTAKES

6. One Love Stand

7. Rock And Roll Doctor

8. Skin It Back

9. On Your Way Down

10. Walkin’ All Night

11. Cold, Cold, Cold

12. Day At The Dog Races

"HOY HOY" OUTTAKES

13. Skin It Back

14. Red Streamliner

15. Teenage Nervous Breakdown

Disc 9 "Down On The Farm" – 1979 (37:42 minutes):

1. Down On The Farm

2. Six Feet Of Snow

3. Perfect Imperfection

4. Kokomo

5. Be One Now

6. Straight From The Heart [Side 2]

7. Front Page News

8. Wake Up Dreaming

9. Feel The Groove

Disc 10 "Hoy-Hoy!" - 1981 2LP Outtakes Set on 1CD (69:45 minutes):

1. Rocket In My Pocket

2. Rock And Roll Doctor

3. Skin It Back

4. Easy To Slip

5. Red Streamliner

6. Lonesome Whistle [Side 2]

7. Front Page News

8. The Fan

9. Forty-Four Blues

10. Teenage Nervous Breakdown [Side 3]

11. Teenage Nervous Breakdown (Live)

12. Framed

13. Strawberry Flats

14. Gringo

15. Over The Edge [Side 4]

16. Two Trains

17. China White

18. All That You Dream

19. Feets Don’t Fail Me Now

Disc 11 "Let It Roll" – 1988 (50:16 minutes):

1. Hate To Lose Your Lovin’

2. One Clear Moment

3. Cajun Girl

4. Listen To Your Heart

5. Let It Roll [Side 2]

6. Long Time Till I Get Over You

7. Business As Usual

8. Changin' Luck

9. Voices On The Wind

Disc 12 "Representing The Mambo" – 1990 (50:59 minutes):

1. Texas Twister

2. Daily Grind

3. Representing The Mambo

4. Woman In Love

5. Rad Gumbo

6. Teenage Warrior

7. That’s Her, She’s Mine [Side 2]

8. Feelin’s All Gone

9. Those Feat’ll Steer Ya Wrong Sometimes

10. The Ingénue

11. Silver Screen

Disc 13 is a 24-Track BONUS DISC entitled "Outtakes From Hotcakes" which features all the previously unreleased versions from the much-loved and long deleted 4CD Rhino Box Set "Hotcakes & Outtakes..." issued in 2000 (78:29 minutes):

1. Jazz Thing In 10

2. Rat Faced Dog ("Little Feat" Outtake)

3. Doglines (as per 2)

4. Wait Till The S*** Hits The Fan (as per 2)

5. Easy To Fall (Easy To Slip) (Demo Made For The Doobie Brothers)

6. Texas Rose Café (as per 5)

7. Doriville ("Salin' Shoes" Outtake)

8. Boogie (became "Tripe Face Boogie") (as per 7)

9. Two Trains (Lowell George Demo)

10. Roto/Tone (as per 7)

11. Ace In The Hole (later became "Hi Roller") ("Dixie Chicken" Outtake)

12. Eldorado Slim (as per 11)

13. Feats Don't Fail Me Now ("Feat Don't Fail Me Now" Outtake)

14. Brickyard Blues (as per 13)

15. All That You Dream [Outtake featuring Linda Ronstadt]

16. Spanish Moon (7" Single Version)

17. Down Below The Borderline (Lowell George Demo)

18. Rockin' Shoes I & II (Lowell George Demo)

19. Front Page News ("The Last Record Album" Outtake)

20. High Roller (as per 19)

21. All That You Dream [with Linda Ronstadt] - 7" Single Version

22. Roll 'Em Easy ("Thanks I'll Eat It Here" Lowell George Solo LP Outtake)

23. Boogie Wigwam (Short Jazz Piece) ("PZM" Pressure Mic Demo)

24. Teenage Nervous Breakdown (Previously Unreleased Live Version)

SOUND:

Fans will know that the Expanded Edition of "Waiting For Columbus" and the "Hotcakes & Outtakes..." tracks are remasters from the 00's and the last two "Let It Roll" and "Representing The Mambo" were well recorded anyway. It's the Seventies output that has need upgrading for years and the Big News is that although there's no mention of mastering anywhere on the box or on the discs - some of these are REMASTERS and they sound glorious. Fans should also notice the subtle timing differences between these CDs and the ones in the disappointing "Original Album Classics" 5CD set from 2010 which simply repackaged crap Eighties sounding CDs. They're all different.

The first two albums are fantastic remasters - full of power and presence - every track filled with a muscle fans have waited years to hear. The remaster on "Cold, Cold, Cold" and "Trouble" from "Sailin' Shoes" for instance are absolutely incredible - wonderful clarity. If I were to be truthful - I'd say "Dixie Chicken" is a teensy weensy bit of a letdown. Don't get me wrong - it does sound clean and clear and all (the truly beautiful "Roll Um Easy" and the dainty piano lead into "Juliette" both sound lovely) - but again it just lacks that tiny bit of muscle that would have thrilled rather than pleased.

When you play the opening duo of "Rock 'n' Roll Doctor" and "Oh Atlanta" from "Feats Don't Fail Me Now" - you're back to the sonic power of the first two albums - wow! "The Last Record Album" sees the three live tracks tagged onto the Eighties CD removed at last but the same 'good' rather-than-great sound afflicts that album too. "Last..." is clean but lacks that remaster punch. Back to fabulous sonic wallop with both "Time Loves A Hero" and the posthumous Lowell George album "Down On The Farm" - sounds like Rhino have used the Edsel remaster I reviewed. And how good is it to hear "Hoy-Hoy!" rocking at last - I love that gatefold card repro (even if the booklet's not there). And for the uninitiated the mixed bag that is Disc 13 will be an eye-opener - even their outtakes had magic in them.

PACKAGING:

There's no booklet (mores the pity) and zero credits apart from the track listings on the rear of the box. The gatefold sleeves for "Sailin' Shoes", "Waiting For Columbus" and "Hoy-Hoy!" are all superbly reproduced as are the original Tan Warner Brothers labels for 1, 2 and 3 with Burbank Labels for 4 to 9, cream Warners for 10 and so on (a nice attention to detail that). It's also lovely to see Rhino use the original American Back covers (they changed across the years over here in Blighty with reissues). But a let down is that Inner Sleeves don't appear at all and "Hoy-Hoy!" hasn't got its gorgeous and info jam-packed 12-page booklet.

You could look at this box set in two ways - it's exploitive of fans who already have this stuff - and Rhino knows that once they hear that remasters are available of those beloved Seventies gems - they'll have to own it. And it's disappointing that both "Dixie Chicken" and "The Last Record Album" seem to be in some sort of permanent sonic limbo. But as a newcomer to the band - or someone who maybe only owns one or two of the older CDs - there's a truckload of goodies on here for not a lot of your greenbacks. And most of it sounds as enticing as a Dixie waitress with a great singing voice and a knack for marrying punters...

Overall I’m pleased. I say dig in people and enjoy. And God Bless you Lowell George wherever you are...

"Now Is Good" on BLU RAY - A Review Of The 2012 Film And Which Version To Buy ...

 "...There Has To Be Some Perks To Being Terminally Ill..."

Tessa Scott is a normal 17-year old girl living in the South of England in the coastal town of Brighton. Her slightly older pal - the gorgeous and effortlessly sexy Zoey has no problems with 'doing' her boyfriend Scott - she's just not so good at keeping what his young loins have deposited (nicely played by Kaya Scoldelario). Tessa hasn't been so naughty yet but she wants to be. She wants to have sex, swill beer, pop a few pills, hit a racist, ride a wave in Hawaii, ski down a mountain and on a boring weekday maybe even engage in a bit of shoplifting in the mall (breaking the law). The only problem with Tessa's 'bucket list' of moments is that she's running out of time because she has acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Worse Tessa couldn't stand the chemotherapy for such an aggressive cancer and has chosen to opt out - so now she desperately wants to fulfill her list ("as much as I can...as fast as I can...").

Her father and mother (a superlative combination of Paddy Considine and Olivia Williams) are separated and poles apart. Uber-responsible loving Dad cares too much - suffocating Tessa with his need to control every part of her life in a bid to protect her from pain - while flighty Mum can't even seem to turn up on time for a crucial hospital appointment. Her 9-year old younger brother Cal worries too in his own soppy way (Edgar Canham) "are you gonna haunt me..." But then hope arrives in the shape of a handsome and genuine English lad who literally moves in next door with his Mum (Jeremy Irvine generously giving the screen and movie to Fanning). Adam's father has died the year earlier and Tessa and Adam's initial meets are awkward and even reluctant (occasionally funny) but then the two slowly move towards each other despite their pasts and her lack of a future. And on it goes. This is a girl wanting love and finding it - wanting to matter - and realizing that she actually does...

Written and Directed by Ol Parker (adapted from Jenny Downham's book "Before I Die") - "Now Is Good" is a bit of a weepy for sure - but what makes it life-affirming and special are the beautifully realized performances by all of its lead actors (especially the phenomenal Dakota Fanning who never once lets that American accent slip and maintains a perfectly judged calmness throughout) and the depth in the script. As you can imagine material like this could be mawkish if handled badly - but "Now Is Good" never feels manipulative. The sentimentality is kept in check by candid and at times brutal exchanges between Tessa and her father and the new visiting home nurse Phillippa (superb work by Rayke Ayola).

"Now Is Good" is also that rare thing - tender and observant - full of great moments - seeing a daughter and mum at the front door of their home connect ("don't be afraid..."), sitting on a bench in the sunshine overlooking the White Cliffs of Dover, holding her first proper boyfriend on the bus home, fireworks at night in the garden with family, cooking breakfast for Dad ("who are you and what have you done with my daughter..."), Adam carving a snow angel in the ground, horses running free beside a set in railings in a park as they return home from Dover once more on a motorbike, Nurse Phillippa humanely describing to Tessa how the end will come...

Special mention should also go to the exceptional music by Dustin O'Halloran that fills so many scenes with emotion - fun and flighty one minute - aching and broken the next - an amazing piece of work.

A BLU RAY of "Now Is Good" is not available in the UK or USA. My copy is a German issue that I purchased on the GERMAN AMAZON SITE (use Barcode Number 887654313492 in their Search Bar). For some reason this reasonably priced version is not for sale on Amazon UK? When you do get your copy - as the movie starts - you will need to go to the Audio button on your remote and actually seek out the English 5.1 DTS-HD Audio track - or it'll play the film overdubbed in German.

Defaulted to 2.35:1 aspect ratio (bars on top and bottom) or even stretched to full screen - the picture quality is absolutely beautiful throughout and as already mentioned - the audio is warm, full and gorgeous.

The extras feature interviews with all the lead cast filmed in Hi Def (how they approached the roles and working with the other actors) and Director Ol Parker heaping praise on his cast (especially Dakota Fanning 'going for it'). There's also Deleted Scenes and a very long behind the cameras B-Roll segment with the actors and crew (shots of Brighton Beach and Town, White Cliffs Of Dover, Epping Forest, Leyton Ice Rink).

Like many - I came to this movie not expecting much and was more than surprised - I was moved. Using the parlance - "Now Is Good" is smart enough to keep it real - and by doing so - has captured in film and sound a loveliness that is rare. Well done to all involved.

"Girl Most Likely" – A Review Of The 2013 Film Now On A 2014 BLU RAY.

This Review and many more available in...

"…Lived A Life So Exciting…It Sounds Made Up…"

Thirtysomething modern-day New York lady Imogene Duncan (Kristen Wiig) has the lot - a well-to-do boyfriend who once stated they were Soul Mates (he'd say it again if only if he could stay off his mobile long enough to remember), an apartment in the right address with a unformed doorman (none of your riff raff here), society friends who wear Jimmy Choos and sip cocktails (their spitefulness makes the real housewives of Beverley Hills look positively saintly) and even a possible writing career outside of the magazine she works for (if she could only get that Play she was supposed to write 8 years back down on paper). What could possibly go wrong? Well, try everything...

And then the diced carrots really hit the fan when brash Zelda her bed-hopping gambling-addicted mother shows up from New Jersey in a stolen car...on loan from her new younger boyfriend who goes under the pseudonym George Bousche and claims to be an undercover CIA agent with possible Samurai consciousness tie-ins (hilarious turns by Annette Bening and Matt Dillon). Imogene rapidly loses her boyfriend, her job, her apartment and her fair-weather socialite pals - eventually ending up back in Ocean City in rental Hell in her "Friends" teeshirt instead of snazzy clothes.

Only now her old room has been let out by gambler Mom to a complete stranger who doesn't change the sheets that often (a handsome turn by Darren Criss) and Imogene has also to live and deal with Ralph - her almost mentally challenged younger brother who won't go any further than the boardwalk and whose fixated on crabs and the invention of a human shield like the outer crusts of molluscs (a part that could so easily have been awful superlatively played by Christopher Fitzgerald). Then it gets worse. Only now does Imogene learn that Mum's hopeless parenting might even extend to lies about her supposedly dead father. Maybe he's a genius author right now - very much alive and well and living like a millionaire in a plush townhouse back in the New York area she just lost...

Co-Directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini and written by Michelle Morgan from her own experiences - "Girl Most Likely" as you can imagine is a bit all over the place story-wise - but it's undeniably witty and at times very touching - a hard combo to get right. And it has superb roles for women - hitting a lot of those mid-life crisis points along its convoluted but merry way. A lot of the fun credit has to go the two superlative women leads  - Kristen Wiig and Annette Bening whose scenes together are electric - Bening getting the look, the swagger and the god-awful garish clothes of Zelda absolutely spot on. But they're not to be outdone by the men in what was obviously a 'nice' movie to work on - good material made by good people.

The BLU RAY picture quality is beautiful throughout and stretched to the full screen. But don't watch the 'making of' extra first - it rather stupidly gives away too many key scenes - especially those featured towards the end of the movie.

Not a masterpiece by any stretch of the cinematic imagination - but this little film has heart and laughs and is a lot better than most. Luckily you won't get crabs off "Girl Most Likely" - but you'll be glad after you watched it that you addled up to it's plentiful charms in the first place...

"Almost Famous – Extended Edition" – A Review Of The 2000 Cameron Crowe Movie On BLU RAY.

"…One Day…You'll Be Cool…"

Californian William Miller is 11 and naked in the school shower when his classmates rip into him about his lack of pubes. He quickly discovers two things  – he needs to grow up fast - and he has a gift for getting out of jams by convoluting the truth (like all the best writers do). And this is before he has to deal with his overbearing potty mother who seems obsessed with him not doing anything - let alone having promiscuous sex and copious amounts of hallucinogenic drugs (what a meanie).

Then one afternoon in hair-curlers and to the backdrop of Simon & Garfunkel’s “America” his older sister Anita has finally had enough of 'no' Mum and exits the nest leaving young William a parting gift that will shape his whole life – a carry bag full of vinyl albums under his bed (dialogue above). Inside is – Crosby, Stills & Nash’s self-titled debut from 1969 on Atlantic, The Rolling Stones "Get Your Ya Ya's Out" (1970), Led Zeppelin's "II" (1969), Joni Mitchell's "Blue" (1971) and The Who’s double "Tommy". Lighting a candle as instructed by sis (an early part for the gorgeous Zooey Deschanel) - William puts the needle down on the original 1969 US Decca vinyl of The Who and is transformed…

Written and Directed by Cameron Crowe – “Almost Famous" (2000) is his homage to Rock and a touchstone for suckers like me. I know all the references – all the feelings – all the inexplicably gorgeous women way out of your desert-boots reach. Why – because like so many of my generation – I lived it. And like many of us Crowe also seems to feel that something changed between 1973 and 1975 – Rock 'n' Roll somehow died and got replaced with pomposity and drugs and dumb Rock Stars as Gods who had no answers anymore – corrupted by a hard in their pants and an itch in their arms…

Sporting a fantastically cast ensemble group of actors - soppy-faced Patrick Fugit (as William) does well to keep up with Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup, Jason Lee, Noah Taylor, Anna Paquin, Fairuza Balk and Frances McDormand. But you also forget just how good Philip Seymour Hoffman was (even then). He plays Rock Critic Lester Bangs with a relish and character accuracy that is astonishing. As he eyes with horrified insider knowledge the naivety of the now 15-year old William hustling for a career in Rock journalism – Lester correctly surmises that the icons William loves so much will eat him up and spit him out a truly sullied being. But the kid is just so damn earnest…so Lester tells him "to be honest and unmerciful…" and hopes he'll survive a tour with rising rock band Stillwater who are supporting Black Sabbath on a US tour. Cue tour bus rides with paperbacks of Ray Bradbury, Circle magazine, sexy girls with long flowing hair boogieing to The Allman Brothers and the most fantastic use of an Elton John song in any movie – ever ("Tiny Dancer" from 1971's "Madman Across The Water"). There follows spaced-out DJs, dodgy promoters, electrified mike stands, trashed hotel rooms, Rolling Stone magazine deadlines, band squabbles and his ever-present mother phoning about drugs every ten minutes (and she’d be right too). There’s even an early but memorable cameo from Modern Family's Eric Stonestreet as Sheldon The Hotel Desk Clerk (he gets about 4 lines)…

The BLU RAY picture quality is lovely (if not unremarkable) throughout and at 1.85:1 aspect ratio – fills the entire screen. Audio is English TrueHD 5.1 while Subtitles include Arabic, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, English For The Hard Of Hearing, English, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Korean, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish (Latin American), Thai and Turkish. But the two extras are a major let down – "Love Comes And Goes" features the cast goofing about on sets without any dialogue to camera which is awkward and uninformative (although Nancy Wilson's demo of the rock song "Love Comes And Goes" is great) - while the "Lester Bangs Interview" features the real Creem Magazine writer in archive footage bitching about the vacuous nature of Bryan Ferry and ELP (it's good but last mere minutes - not enough of it).

It should also be noted that this BLU RAY features only the half-hour more 'Extended Cut' of the film (2000 DVD has the original film at 122 minutes). It would have been better to include both versions - but at least the longer 'Director's Cut' does feature material that expands the fictional band’s relationship with their fans and more of William's coming-of-age – and it genuinely adds rather than detracts.

True – the album date lines are a bit screwed about with and careful scrutiny will reveal continuity problems – but none of that stops “Almost Famous” being magical to someone like me. And as you sit there - marvelling at just how truly gorgeous Led Zeppelin’s acoustic “That’s The Way” from “III” is – you’re transported to a time when music could change the world and expand your horizons and record shops were places you stood in shaking with excitement at what new thrill you would find… 

"Now's the time to look again…" Robert Plant sings on that lovely song (Track 3 on Side 2). 
Turns out that even in 1970 - one of Blighty’s best ever singers was right…

PS: Crowe went on to make the equally wonderful music-laden “Elizabethtown” in 2005.

"Moondance" by VAN MORRISON (2013 Warner Brothers 2CD 'Extended Edition' Reissue And Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review Along With 300+ Others Is Available In My

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CLASSIC ROCK & POP 1970 to 1974 - Exceptional CD Remasters  

Just Click Below To Purchase for £3.95

Thousands of E-Pages - All Details and In-Depth Reviews From Discs 
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"…Let Your Soul And Spirit Fly…Into The Mystic…"

First things first – the reissued album "Moondance" by VAN MORRISON is presented in two versions. The other is a 'Deluxe Edition 4CD/1BLU RAY' set in a book that has received derision for its packaging faults. 

This review is for the October 2013 'Expanded Edition' 2CD version of "Moondance" in a three-way foldout card digipak on Warner Brothers R2 536561 (Barcode 081227963842).  I love the way this reissue looks, feels and sounds. Here are the fantabulous details…

1. And It Stoned Me [Side 1]

2. Moondance

3. Crazy Love

4. Caravan

5. Into The Mystic

6. Come Running [Side 2]

7. These Dreams Of You

8. Brand New Day

9. Everyone

10. Glad Tidings

Disc 1 has the 10-track album "Moondance" in 2013 remastered form (38:56 minutes). The original self-produced vinyl LP was released March 1970 on Warner Brothers WS 1835 in the USA and UK.

1. Caravan (Take 4)

2. Nobody Knows You When You’re Done And Out (Outtake)

3. Into The Mystic (Take 11)

4. Brand New Day (Take 3)

5. Glad Tidings (Alternate Version)

6. Come Running (Take 2)

7. Crazy Love (Mono Mix)

8. These Dreams Of You (Alternate Version)

9. Moondance (Take 22)

10. I Shall Sing (Take 7)

11. I’ve Been Working (Early Version, Take 5)

Disc 2 (52:12 minutes) is an 11-track Bonus CD with Sessions, Alternates & Outtakes. The three-way card digipak houses CD1 in the left flap with pictures of the master tape boxes beneath – the 24-page sepia-effect booklet sits in a centred lip pouch with a photo of Van out walking amongst Autumn trees and Disc 2 is on the right – again with tapes boxes beneath the see-through tray. The booklet also features Janet Planet’s original notes, a new essay by Alan Light, photo outtakes from the cover session and notes on the recording and master tapes.  But then you get to the real meat and potatoes – the huge overhaul in sound...

The original tape engineer ELLIOT SCHEINER has been recalled for the remaster and he gives 3 pages of warm and detailed explanation. The album was recorded in Mono in two gulps - September and November 1969 - and then mastered into Stereo on the latest equipment of the day - an 8-track. There is faintly detectable hiss on some of the songs inherent to the original tapes - but the clarity on his vocals and the individual instruments is now truly fantastic – warm, sweet and allowed to breath. I don’t detect any compression here - nor is it over trebled for effect – it’s just beautifully handled and allowed to simply be.

While "And It Stoned Me" is a good sonic opener – the remaster really kicks in with "Moondance" and "Crazy Love" where John Kleinberg’s bass and Jeff Labes’ Piano are suddenly alive - while the fabulous threesome of backing singers Emily Houston, Judy Clay and Jackie Verdell add so much Soul to these renditions. Then you're hit with "Caravan" and everyone's Soul igniter – "Into The Mystic". And wow is the only appropriate response. Like so many fans I've waited too long to hear these joyous songs sound this good. And when he launches into that abandoned vocal during "Into The Mystic" ("…I Wanna Rock Your Gypsy Soul…Just Like Way Back In The Days Of Old…") – I'm blubbing like a teenager confronted by Ryan Gosling…. 

I hadn't expected the bonus to be so brilliant. It hits you on many fronts - the intimacy - sound engineers talking in the takes - classics in beautiful full-studio sound quality. Take 3 of "Brand New Day" is shockingly gorgeous and he may have lost something in the final translation. As if to reinforce that Take 2 of "Come Running" is even better – the band and song fresh – a truly lovely outtake (I'll re-play this cut more than the album version). Even the finger-clicked in "Crazy Love" which is Mono is lovely (possibly the mix used for the 7" single B-side to "Come Running"). The only one that sounds slightly off is the out-of-whack piano and vocal to Take 22 of "Moondance" – a jazz-based rock track he seemed to struggle with feel-wise.

Listening to Take 11 of "Into The Mystic" is as spine-tingling as the finished track and while the Jimmie Cox cover version "Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out" is a bit of a let down – the new song "I Shall Sing" is properly fabulous stuff and only hammers home the huge contribution the horn section of Jack Schroer (Alto and Tenor Sax) and Collin Tilton (Trombone and Flute) made to the album. In fact it sounds like The Mavericks only 30 years before their time. The last entry is a genuinely unexpected high - the band fully rocking it out on Take 5 of "I've Been Working" which goes a little Beefheart in its quirky guitar parts. Its ten-plus minutes is cooking ("I've been working for Jesse James…") and ends Disc 2 with a feeling that you’ve been treated to something very special indeed. In fact in some respects I prefer the single disc of alternate versions and outtakes rather than the overload of the 5-disc version that for me actually spoils the magic of the original album.

In truth Van Morrison fans have been waiting more than 40 years to hear one of their favourite albums sound this good and finally be presented with a degree of packaging dignity its always deserved at least in the 2-disc version). The only real mystery is why it wasn’t combined with a series of releases – one of which would be the masterpiece that preceded it – "Astral Weeks"? But that's another man's licensing headache.

"Switch on your electric light" Van sings on "Caravan". Well after all this time - "Moondance" is burning brighter than ever. Don't hesitate - buy this beautiful reissue...

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