Record Reviews

BEATLES ~ LIVE AT THE BBC – THE COLLECTION CAPITOL 602537584475 (Barcode: 602537584475) ~ UK ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1963 - 1966 Released: 2013 This Box Set includes some of the numerous recordings the BeatlesFind albums by this artist made for the BBC during their early days, mostly recorded in 1963 and 1964. The material includes songs as well as studio chatter (speech tracks) and interviews. The latest material, which comprises of four individual interviews, was taped in late 1965 and early 1966. Most of the material included here was never previously released in any form and is of course invaluable to the hordes of Beatle-maniacs, who fifty years later seem to be as zealous to hear and own every piece Beatle-related material, as they were in real time. In retrospect this material is a fabulous trip down the nostalgia lane, which should make even the most hardened cynics smile here and there. More importantly, however, it shows the Beatles "naked", as they really were without walls of production trickery, studio gadgetry and the omnipresent influence of George MartinFind albums by this artist, who made the Beatles albums into what they eventually became – gems of Pop history. Live the Beatles were actually pretty embarrassing, which becomes apparent immediately when the music starts. Their instrumental skills are nonexistent; the guitar solos are awkward and primitive, and so on. The only thing that actually works on these recordings are of course the vocal parts and vocal harmonies, which are not bad, but than again myriads of other vocalists at the time were at least as good, many being infinitely better. And even those show false notes here and there, are off key and in wrong tempi; in short anything but perfection. The material is not that great either; most of it consists of covers of rock classics by contemporary artists and the few self-penned hits are pretty nice, but not extraordinary. In short if anybody wanted a piece of solid evidence to prove that the Beatles were just a pretty "average" group, at least in the early days, needs to look no further. On the other hand this is a monumental piece of Pop history and another peek at the seemingly endless source of musical material owned by the BBC. God bless the Queen and the BBC for being there and having enough storage capacity to keep it all for posterity.

Updated: 26/01/2019Posted:

CD 4 Mini-Sleeve Slipcase Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

CILLA BLACK ~ ORIGINAL ALBUM SERIES PARLOPHONE 825646014200 (Barcode: 825646014200) ~ UK ~ Classic Pop Recorded: 1965 - 1970 Released: 2015 This Box Set collects the first five albums by the great British singer Cilla BlackFind albums by this artist, released between 1965 and 1970. They are: "CillaFind albums with this title" from 1965, "Cilla Sings A RainbowFind albums with this title" from 1966, "Sher-oo!Find albums with this title" from 1968, "Surround Yourself With CillaFind albums with this title" from 1969 and "Sweet InspirationFind albums with this title" from 1970. Black shared many things with her contemporaries and friends, The BeatlesFind albums by this artist: she came from Liverpool, she was managed by Brian EpsteinFind albums by this artist, her albums were produced by George MartinFind albums by this artist and some of her songs were written especially for her by John LennonFind albums by this artist and Paul McCartneyFind albums by this artist. Her meteoric rise to the top of the British Pop scene was therefore hardly a surprise but it should be said that she earned her status fair and square simply using her natural talent and iron determination. These albums are classics of the era and show Black´s versatility as a singer, while she moves between Jazz, Soul and Pop oriented material with flare and elegance. Her strong and pleasant voice was unique and she managed to become one of the early white singers, who successfully interpreted Soul music, making it their own. Black, who sadly died in 2015, was active for over five decades and proudly created a very impressive legacy, which has but a few equals. These early albums, which have been unavailable for ages, are a must to every British 1960s Pop connoisseur. A must I say! Side Note The "Original Album SeriesFind albums with this title" by Warner Bros.Find albums on this label, the "Original Album ClassicsFind albums with this title" by SonyFind albums on this label, the "5 Original AlbumsFind albums with this title" by UniversalFind albums on this label, the Box Sets by RhinoFind albums on this label and other similar releases are an archetypal example of how good intentions turn sour. Although these new editions often bring back to life some of the best music ever made on this planet, which in many cases has been lost in the tides of time and was unavailable on the market for ages, they suffer from an unforgivable disregard for the essence of cultural values and general sloppiness, contrary to human decency, which requires as to treat our Cultural Legacy with respect and loyalty. The Box Sets produced under these monikers have no discographical information whatsoever about the lineups, musician names, composers, lyricists, dates and places of recording, original release data and even basic copyright data (the last is strictly illegal BTW). Although the original LP sleeves are reproduced, they are often edited and information (which would be in most cases too small to be readable) is removed. Most importantly these Box Sets don't include any booklet offering a historical background and perspective about the Artists and the Music, which are extremely important and vital to the preservation of our Culture and passing the knowledge to the next generations. In short the fact that these Box Sets are meant to be inexpensive, does not mean that they have to be cheap. Considering the fact how many times this music has been sold over and over again by the labels, this is a crying shame!

Updated: 05/04/2024Posted: 09/01/2016

CD 5 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

NICK INGMAN ~ TERMINATOR VOCALION 8423 (Barcode: 765387842321) ~ UK ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1976 Released: 2006 Keyboardist / composer / arranger Nick IngmanFind albums by this artist was one of the most important arrangers on the UK music market in the 1970s. As part of the Production Company run by ex-EMIFind albums on this label stuff producers George MartinFind albums by this artist and Norrie ParamorFind albums by this artist, he arranged albums for some of Britain’s most famous Pop and Rock stars. In parallel he released albums with his own compositions, which had a strong Jazz influence. Ingman studied with bassist / composer Graham CollierFind albums by this artist, who deeply influenced his approach to music, as well as at the Berklee School of Music in Boston. This is the last of the seven solo albums Ingman recorded and is the most Jazz influenced of them all. It’s a masterpiece of arrangement, which employs a large Big Band / Orchestra and a group of first rate session musicians and Jazz soloist. Ingman composed six of the eleven tracks on this album. Beautifully recorded and performed, this is a prime example of instrumental music, which is extremely difficult to categorize. The closest I can come up with is orchestral Jazz-Rock Fusion. Great stuff!

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend