Record Reviews

ROY WOOD ~ ORIGINAL ALBUM SERIES PARLOPHONE 825646213290 (Barcode: 825646213290) ~ UK ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1971 - 1979 Released: 2014 This Box Set collects five albums involving British multi-instrumentalist / composer / bandleader Roy WoodFind albums by this artist, one of the most colorful characters of the Rock scene in the 1960s / 1970s. They include the last album by the seminal group The MoveFind albums by this artist, the first album by the group Electric Light OrchestraFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. ELOFind albums by this artist), which coexisted simultaneously with The Move in a "split personality" havoc with the same band members (Wood, Jeff LynneFind albums by this artist and Bev BevanFind albums by this artist) being in both groups, two solo albums by Wood and one album by Wood´s next group WizzardFind albums by this artist, spanning the period between 1971 and 1979. This selection is quite bizarre and misses the point by a mile, with the Move and ELO albums completely out of place in this Box Set. Wood recorded four solo albums, three albums with Wizzard and one with the Wizzo BandFind albums by this artist; some of these could have easily fit the bill to be included here replacing the Move and ELO albums. One we ignore the actual albums selection, the music included here is truly superb and pays tribute to one of British Rock´s greatest talents. Wood had a completely unique approach to Rock, which displayed elements of drama, theatrical expressiveness, satire and cabaret like presentation, all of which was eons ahead of its time. Forty years after it was recorded this music still sounds wonderfully weird and completely different from anything else. Wood´s ability to play almost every instrument he could lay his hands on is also pretty amazing. Overall this Box Set is a great opportunity to revisit some great music, for those of us who lived while it was happening and to discover it by those born too late to enjoy it in real time. Hopefully another Box Set will complete the Wood legacy properly. In the meantime enjoy this iconic zany / brilliant piece of Rock history. Highly recommended! Side Note: The "Original Album SeriesFind albums with this title" by Warner Bros.Find albums on this label and the "Original Album ClassicsFind albums with this title" by SonyFind albums on this label 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 have been lost in the tides of time and was unavailable on the market for ages, they suffer from an unforgivable disregard to 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. 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: 26/01/2019Posted:

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