Record Reviews

SPOOKY TOOTH ~ IT`S ALL ABOUT REPERTOIRE 1074 (Barcode: 4009910107423) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1968 Released: 2005 1st album by superb British Rock band Spooky ToothFind albums by this artist, which comprised of four British musicians: vocalist / pianist Mike HarrisonFind albums by this artist, guitarist Luther GrosvenorFind albums by this artist, bassist Greg RidleyFind albums by this artist and drummer Mike KellieFind albums by this artist and American vocalist / organist Gary WrightFind albums by this artist, who lived in UK at the time. Together they possessed an incredible amount of talent, which turned then instantly into one of the best Rock acts on the British Isles at the end of the 1960s. Their material, mostly written by Wright, was a mixture of Rock, Blues and proto-Prog with Psychedelic influences, performed with a dense heavy sound dominated by Wright´s organ, somewhere between Procol HarumFind albums by this artist and Led ZeppelinFind albums by this artist. Grosvenor played some fantastic guitar licks and the rhythm section was second to none with Ridley´s heavy but virtuosic pulsations and Kellie´s spectacular pyrotechnics. Together with Harrison´s incredible vocal abilities, which combined the forces of everything from Robert PlantFind albums by this artist, via Rod StewartFind albums by this artist to Roger ChapmanFind albums by this artist, the band had the ability to outshine any if its contemporaries, and they certainly did a fantastic job on their debut album, which is an incredible blast of energy and ingenuity, turning it into an instant classic. Although slightly patchy stylistically, since the band was still searching for its own unique approach, the variety of styles works well here and adds to the album´s appeal. This is definitely one of the strongest debut albums of Classic Rock and a diamond in any serious record collection. Essential listening experience!

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

SPOOKY TOOTH ~ SPOOKY TWO REPERTOIRE 1061 (Barcode: 4009910106129) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1969 Released: 2005 2nd album by superb British Rock band Spooky ToothFind albums by this artist, which comprised of four British musicians: vocalist / pianist Mike HarrisonFind albums by this artist, guitarist Luther GrosvenorFind albums by this artist, bassist Greg RidleyFind albums by this artist and drummer Mike KellieFind albums by this artist and American vocalist / organist Gary WrightFind albums by this artist, who lived in UK at the time. By the time they recorded this album, the band was at the peak of its powers, following extensive touring and polishing of their act. The experience, combined with the incredible amount of talent the band members possessed turned their second recording session into a magical ride, which produced one the greatest Rock albums of all times. The material, mostly written by Wright, is wonderfully consistent and the heavy sound of whaling organ and screaming guitar behind Harrison´s incredible vocal excursions is absolutely stunning. Although rarely mentioned in Rock encyclopedias and other sources, this album epitomizes everything that was great and unique in British Rock at the time – complete artistic freedom, unlimited talent, great production and that sound, which unfortunately is now lost forever. There is not a dull moment anywhere on this album, with one exciting peak chasing another, a complete roller-coaster of musical rush. Sadly enough, this monumental achievement was not to be repeated again, although the remaining future output of the band is incredibly solid right to the very end. It´s unimaginable for any true Classic Rock fan to miss this masterpiece in their collection. Absolutely essential!

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

SPOOKY TOOTH ~ THE ISLAND YEARS (AN ANTHOLOGY) 1967-1974 ISLAND 602547053114 (Barcode: 602547053114) ~ UK ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1967 - 1974 Released: 2015 This magnificent Box Set collects all the recordings by the seminal British Rock band Spooky ToothFind albums by this artist, perhaps the most underrated of all British bands active at the late 1960s / early 1970s. It includes all seven albums recorded by the various Spooky Tooth lineups for Island records, before they disbanded, as well as the only album by the band Art, which was in fact an early version of Spooky Tooth and finally a previously unreleased live album by the band. Spooky Tooth formed when the four members of Art: vocalist / keyboardist Mike HarrisonFind albums by this artist, guitarist Luther GrosvenorFind albums by this artist, bassist Greg RidleyFind albums by this artist and drummer Mike KellieFind albums by this artist, were joined by the American (resident in UK at the time) vocalist / keyboardist Gary WrightFind albums by this artist, who was also a superb songwriter. The double lead vocals / double keyboards effect created a potent and incredibly spacious sound, which was completely unique among the bands active at a time, and combined with truly outstanding songwriting abilities by the band members simply placed them way at the top of the British scene as far as ambitious and original Rock is concerned. As all British Rock bands at the time, also Spooky Tooth owed a lot to the Blues revival, which swept the Isles a decade earlier. The Blues motifs are clearly evident in their music, but they are more subtle than in similar groups like FreeFind albums by this artist or Ten Years AfterFind albums by this artist. Therefore Spooky Tooth did not enter the Blues-Rock niche per se, as did many of their contemporaries, staying closer to the path set by melodic Hard Rock pioneers. It is obvious that Spooky Tooth paved the way for other British bands, like Humble PieFind albums by this artist, which included Greg Ridley as a founding member when he left Spooky Tooth to join Humble Pie. Spooky Tooth and Humble Pie have many similarities in their musical approach, which is based on solid melodic themes, great riffs, Bluesy vocals and extended instrumental soloing. The set includes the highly controversial album the band recorded with French Avant-Garde electronic music composer Pierre Henry, which is one of very few such experiments. The fact that the group recorded such daring projects and many of their other qualities firmly places Spooky Tooth as proto-Prog pioneers and to say the truth they had more Progressive tendencies than most other Prog groups at the time, although they were never credited and recognized as part of the Prog movement. This beautifully researched and lavishly packaged Box Set is a long overdue tribute to one of the best British Rock bands, including a plethora of bonus tracks, a well written booklet by the producer / researcher Mark PowellFind albums by this artist, who is well known for his love and total dedication to the subject. I can´t imagine a serious music collection without this box being a part of it. Truly essential piece of music history!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 9 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

SPOOKY TOOTH ~ THE LAST PUFF REPERTOIRE 1073 (Barcode: 4009910107324) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1970 Released: 2005 4th album by superb British Rock band Spooky ToothFind albums by this artist, led by vocalist / pianist Mike HarrisonFind albums by this artist, which was the last recording by the original lineup of the band, soon to be disbanded. Following the recording of the band´s previous album, the bold and ground-breaking "CeremonyFind albums with this title", a Rock Mass recorded with French Electronic Music composer Pierre HenryFind albums by this artist, which turned out to be a source of major controversy among the band´s members, the original superb lineup of the band started to break up, with bassist Greg RidleyFind albums by this artist leaving to join another epic British band Humble PieFind albums by this artist and vocalist / organist Gary WrightFind albums by this artist (who was the band´s main songwriter) leaving to start a solo career. Harrison brought aboard three excellent British musicians, who were previously the core of Joe CockerFind albums by this artist´s support band The Grease BandFind albums by this artist: multi-instrumentalist Chris StaintonFind albums by this artist, guitarist Henry McCulloughFind albums by this artist and bassist Alan SpencerFind albums by this artist in order to expand the lineup, and these musicians participated in the recording sessions that resulted in this release. Since there was no resident songwriter aboard, Harrison decided to record a series of arrangements / adaptations of existing Rock repertoire. His choice of material is impeccable and the bands interpretations truly inspired, resulting in an excellent piece of music, different from the original incarnation of Spooky Tooth, but nevertheless highly satisfactory and worth listening to. The overall sound is quite similar to the band´s previous incarnation and any Spooky Tooth fan will find this album most enjoyable. Warmly recommended!

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

SPOOKY TOOTH ~ WITNESS REPERTOIRE 1060 (Barcode: 4009910106020) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1973 Released: 2004 This is th sixths album by superb British Rock band Spooky ToothFind albums by this artist, which is also the second recording by the re-united lineup of the group, now including the original drummer Mike KellieFind albums by this artist, who rejoined the group by that time. This is another strong effort by the band, with another set of great composition by Gary WrightFind albums by this artist, superb vocals by leader Mike HarrisonFind albums by this artist and excellent instrumental work. Early Spooky Tooth fans will find this album in par to their earlier work and this is definitely great Classic Rock, which lost nothing of its luster over the years. After this album was released, Harrison left the band again, this time for good. The remaining band members managed to record one more album, called "The MirrorFind albums with this title", on which another great British musician Mike PattoFind albums by this artist replaced Harrison on lead vocals, after which the band gave up and disbanded, leaving behind a great legacy of Classic British Rock recordings of the highest quality and merit. Although mostly underappreciated, Spooky Tooth earned their place in the Pantheon of Rock with honors. Warmly recommended!

Updated: 02/08/2019Posted:

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

SPOOKY TOOTH ~ YOU BROKE MY HEART SO I BUSTED YOUR JAW REPERTOIRE 1059 (Barcode: 4009910105924) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1972 Released: 2004 5th album by superb British Rock band Spooky ToothFind albums by this artist, recorded by the second re-united lineup of the group, after the split two years earlier. Vocalist / keyboardist Mike HarrisonFind albums by this artist and vocalist / keyboardist Gary WrightFind albums by this artist re-vamped the group, adding guitarist Mick JonesFind albums by this artist, bassist Chris StewartFind albums by this artist and drummer Bryson GrahamFind albums by this artist, creating another extremely tight musical unit. With renewed enthusiasm and Wright´s exceptional songwriting back in the band, they had no trouble to create another strong album, full of great performances, excellent melodies and highly proficient instrumental work. Harrison´s vocals are in top form and the overall result is top notch. Unfortunately by that time the band´s fame and success were already behind them, and they never recaptured the attention of the audiences, in spite of the fact that they still were one of the best bands around. Early Spooky Tooth fans will find this album in par to their earlier work and this is definitely great Classic Rock, which lost nothing of its luster over the years. Warmly recommended!

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