Tuesday 27 October 2009

BO DIDDLEY - WHERE IT ALL BEGAN (CHESS 1972) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve




Nasty nasty funk from the great Bo Diddley -- one of his rare funky 70s classics for Chess -- produced by Johnny Otis with a really tripped-out groove! The album's got an edge that seems to go even farther than some of Bo's other Chess work at the time -- and picks up the full-on Otis funky mode by leaning hard on the drums, pulling up the bass, and bringing in a trio of female lovelies to back up Bo on vocals! Gloria Scott's one of the vocalists on the album, and Shuggie Otis even joins in on the funky party with some sweet guitar! But even with all this help, Bo's still the star of the story -- and his massive chugging approach to guitar is moving full steam ahead on the set -- really ripping a groove through a great batch of original tracks that include "Take It All Off", "I've Had It Hard", "Good Thing", "Bad Trip", "Infatuation", "Bo Diddley-Itis", "Woman", and "Look At Grandma".
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Wednesday 14 October 2009

ROSEMARY CLOONEY WITH THE BUDDY COLE TRIO - SWING AROUND ROSIE (CORAL 1958) cardboard sleeve limited reissue




Swing Around Rosie is a wonderful Rosemary Clooney LP.The sound quality is excellent and the artwork reflects good judgment. The Buddy Cole Trio plays magnificently, too.
The album starts off with Rosemary singing "'Deed I Do." "'Deed I Do" is a bouncy little tune that celebrates the joys of being in love. The Buddy Cole Trio throws in some mighty fine organ playing for the musical arrangement; and it all holds its own very well. "'Deed I Do" makes a strong start for this album. "You Took Advantage Of Me" features Rosemary singing this with a slower tempo than I'm used to--but she delivers this so well it's really very pretty. Rosemary's excellent timing enhances her performance, too.
"Blue Moon" is a classic love song that Rosemary aces so easily; her somewhat more mature voice sounds great and The Buddy Cole Trio supplies an excellent arrangement to accompany Rosemary as she sings. "A Touch Of The Blues" features Rosemary squarely in the spotlight--right where she belongs!...
"Goody, Goody" is a cover song that Rosemary makes all her own with her timing and diction; The Buddy Cole Trio play the organ and more to make this number truly stand out as one of the highlights of this album. Listen also for "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me." This is yet another classic ballad featuring some great percussion while Rosemary sings this with all her heart and soul. How wonderful!
"I Wish I Were In Love Again" gets the royal treatment from Rosemary as she bats this right out of the ballpark. Rosemary's voice is again in excellent form and The Buddy Cole Trio plays beautiful music to make "I Wish I Were In Love Again" a very appealing number.
"Sunday In Savannah" is another charming ballad Rosemary Clooney fans are sure to enjoy; and the album ends well with Rosemary performing "This Can't Be Love." Rosemary sings this with plenty of enthusiasm and all her heart--excellent! "This Can't Be Love" really makes a fine, upbeat ending for this LP.
Rosemary Clooney fans will want this for their collections; it's absolutely wonderful. People who enjoy classic 40's-50's pop will love this too....
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