Bob Lind is a name that is probably not familiar to anyone except hard core 60’s music fans. However, his one big hit, the self-penned “Elusive Butterfly” is one of the most outstanding singles of that decade. In late 1965, the pop world was captivated by the opening strains of “You might wake up some morning to the sound of something moving past your window in the wind.” The song is filled with one evocative phrase after another, and still sounds as fresh today as it did back then.

Generally speaking, one hit wonders do not usually release albums with any particular merit. “Don’t Be Concerned” is a complete exception to that rule. Mr. Lind not only has the soul of a poet, but also a strong melodic sense that serves each of the selections well. Aside from the throwaway “The World Is Just a B-Movie”, there’s not a weak cut among the other eleven.

Excellent production and arrangement by Jack Nitzsche.

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Seems fitting to watch this on Friday 13th

A true cult classic. A no-budget horror film. Terrible acting. Cheap 'special' effects. Lousy script.

BUT... Amazing lo-fi synth soundtrack which makes it all worthwhile.

Interestingly this film features heavily in Adjust Your Tracking as it's one of the most collectable VHS tapes in the USA and they interview the maniac who paid $700 for a copy!

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Not a bad film, very atmospheric. Talky rather than all-action.

Segal manages to get where he needs to go and meet the people he needs to meet rather quickly but the film has a finite running time so I suppose that's fair.

Lovely John Barry score, as you'd expect, with a relatively unknown Matt Monro theme song only heard once, briefly and distorted, in the background.

60s Berlin by night and day makes an excellent backdrop and, as mentioned in IMDB, needed little enhancement, with bomb damage still evident.

:happy:

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

I have five Graham Nash solo albums, and this is his best in my opinion. There are some very well crafted songs on this album. In fact they are all good songs with 'Prison Song' the stand out track for me. And so it goes and grave concern run it a close second. I still give this a spin every now and then. I've made some compilation CDs and MP3s for the car and most of the songs here appear somewhere on them.

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Class Of 1984 has a notorious reputation. In the UK it was banned for its cinema release and later heavily cut for VHS, fortunately it was released uncut on DVD. Some theaters in USA refused to show it and it had MPAA cuts for an R rating.

Mark L. Lester is undoubtedly a B-Movie director, but he hit paydirt with Commando thanks to Arnie being one of the biggest actors of the late 80s\early 90s and it's a genuinely good film. Class of 1984 is also fondly remembered garnering cult status on VHS.

Class of 1984 does a number of thing rights. It is basically a "home invasion" movie set in a school. It adds slasher elements towards the end with some truly nasty death scenes and good special-effects. Mark L. Lester can undoubtedly craft good action sequences.

A big deal has been made about Michael J. Fox being in this film. Ignore it, he is very young and unrecognisable. Instead focus on Timothy Van Patten as the intimidating and intelligent bully and gang leader Stegman. Roddy McDowall also puts in a scene stealing performance as the broken science teacher. Perry King is very good as the idealist, turned vigilante music teacher, but he doesn't half chew the scenery. That said he was already a veteran of sleazy B-movies by the time this film came out.

Class of 1984 is a violent and scary trip of a film. I think it is love it or hate it, but it delivers on white knuckle thrills and it's a darn site more entertaining than the dull box office smash "Dangerous Minds".

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Back in the day a few of my friends had been to see Jubilee, and they were all in agreement that it was a bore. Being into punk like my friends, I just couldn't understand how a punk film could possibly be boring - until I saw it, that is. Maybe my friends and I weren't expecting such a theatrical approach, or maybe we were just not sophisticated or patient enough to 'get' it.. either way, the experience wasn't a good one. Dull in extremis, and pretentious to boot; matters were not helped by the fact that the projector broke down about halfway into the film, and the cinema manager came out to ask the audience for patience as it 'really is worth your time' (or so he said). Resigned to having travelled and paid to be there at this flea pit in Soho to see it, my girlfriend and I stayed put but all we got for our efforts were heavy eyelids and numb backsides. Three memorable moments however linger in my mind; the first is Adam Ant's inability to suppress his laughter during one scene - no doubt because he realised how daft the whole thing must look and he was amused by the concept of people parting with good money to watch this nonsense. The two others are musical ones - Adam And The Ants performing "Plastic Surgery", and Maneaters doing "Nine To Five", where an almost unrecognisable Toyah ends the song by spitting directly at the screen. I know exactly how she felt.

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

well worth a read: it's great fun, really silly in parts - not least, the whole idea in the first place - and interesting people are met, and places seen; their stories told at least in part; and not a few of the friendly folk convinced it's proof that all brits are cracked :-)); and interesting titbits introduced from time-to-time, too. . .

- but it's a ''once only'' read, for all that - what's there is all on the surface, what you (i) read the first time around: there's no depth beneath that; and i think there could have been.

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Saturday morning Granada kids TV programme which ran for one season (although it seemed much longer!) when Tiswas were on their 1979 summer holidays.

Featuring Duggie Brown (Lynne Perrie's brother) Uber-gag-meister Frank Carson and former Cavern Club DJ, professional scouser Billy Butler.

Set aboard a boat on The Mersey, featuring a dockside audience and guests interviewed out on deck, it became the only televison programme, apart from the cricket, to be regularly called off due to inclement weather.

ANNOUNCER: There will be no Mersey Pirate today because it's raining.
KIDS WATCHING AT HOME:Yesss!! ... Brilliant!!!

It was rubbish to be honest, despite the inclusion of Carson. It felt as if the producers and crew were trying to manufacture a Tiswas-like anarchic madness within the staid confines of a format which wasn't that far off from resembling BBC's Multi-Coloured Swap Shop.

Then again almost anything having to stand in for Chris Tarrant and Sally James would have seemed pale at the time.

The format was repeated by Granada the following summer (sans Duggie B and shipping vessel) with the Billy Boyle fronted 'Fun Factory' (verification needed .. especially on the 'fun'.)
This effort not only introduced us to idiot cockney DJ Gary Crowley, but was the first ever television show to feature the artistic talents of a young Jeremy Beadle.

Enough said I think.

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

A tall glass of milk never tasted sweeter, nor more healing. All the hits are here exept for "Silver Threads and Golden Needles", as well as several non-hits you've probably never heard before, but should have. This CD edition adds two more tracks, "Poor Baby" and "Hair", both essential and exemplary. That said, with the two bonus tracks, we're looking at a mere 42 minutes. There's at least six more A-sides from the MGM period that could have been included with free space to spare. So if you can find this at a good price, it's a perfect listening experience, but you're better off with a more comprehensive collection which will be very much worth the extra cash.

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

I am not a fan of Troma films for a number of reasons. "Creep Van" is a Detroit-based low-budget Troma wannabe, but it manages to capture all the contrived, unfunny magic of its influences. (Lloyd Kaufman even makes a cameo!) Attempts at humor miss 99% of the time, while the weak cast and their attempts at acting are campy at best and cringe-inducing at worst. The weakest link is the half-baked screenplay which, among other sins, never explains why any of this carnage is happening, instead relying on inconsistencies, plot holes and meandering dialogue. And there are three credited writers! The gorehounds will appreciate the creative kills which are more reminiscent of 80s slashers rather than modern day torture porn and found footage rubbish, but that doesn't forgive the tepid filler that ties it all together. And it's never scary, tension and suspense never make so much as a cameo.

Good movie? Not a chance. Loads of gore (no CGI!) with some nudity and mildly twisted sex? Check. I believe Scott McKinlay may have a good film in him one day, but he needs to at least start with a professional script, followed by actual acting talent. "Creep Van" is better than most of those direct-to-video cheapies found on those gutter trash compilations, but that doesn't make it a thumbs up.

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Mixed bag all round. Some incredible tracks like Tilt - Libel from their excellent debut album with Cinder Block's booming vocals sounding amazing against heavy guitars. NOFX's cover of Don McLean's Vincent which should be awful, but it's solid. Fat Mike has never been the best vocalist, but he sounds good on this over dreamy guitars. Germany's Wizo's raum der zeit has Husker Du style vocals albeit in German and jittery guitars and is catchy. Frenzal Rhomb's run is a fun intro to the band with a cheeky riff stolen from The Banana Splits theme song. Underrated band Diesel Boy put out a nice track with funny teen angst vocals that's good fun. Two good slices of Lagwagon who were a great signing for the label. The album finishes with Country Roads while not a patch on the original with Spike's vocals nowhere near as good as Jon Denver's (but whose are?) the hammer off guitar riffs make it a smile inducing bookmark.

For me the two Snuff tracks are on the mediocre side. Don't get me wrong I love Snuff, but for me these aren't their best. An OK track by Hi-Standard covering California Dreamin' - I get it, it starts with a cover and ends with a cover and while not horrible, it's just OK for me. Wait For The Sun by them I also find a bit meh. Mother Superior by Good Riddance also not their best work by a mile. Nation States by Propagandhi I love Chris's quickfire vocals, but it does nothing for me beyond that. They later went onto perfect their sound along with Strung Out (Rotten Apple's not their best) with incredibly difficult to play riffs and more emotional impactful lyrics.

The album is an early one, but it's not recorded that well. Sounds like it's been recorded through cotton wool. I've got similar albums from this era on other labels including Therapy's Infernal Love and they all suffer from quiet recording levels so it's no reflection on Fat Wreck, and to be fair this album does sound a lot better than their first compilation.

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Although the film is notionally a biography of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and associates, it is derived from a work of fiction by novelist Pierre La Mure, which means the true facts, dates, and events are mostly dispensed with in order make way for an entertaining but somewhat different story.

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Jeez, where to begin! Made at the tail end of Al Adamson's freaky career, Carnival Magic was never released and was only discovered after his death when police searched his residence (another freaky situation on its own.) From the opening credits, you know you're in for sloppy incompetence. It's the only film I've seen where the final credit is not the director, but the producer, which may be a quibble, but it's just not done. After the end credits are superimposed over a local parade, the screen turns black and text appears announcing that next summer will be a sequel, More Carnival Magic (!) as a vocal music number begins, only to drop out and fade away a few seconds later. Huh?

Mind you, I'm not sharing any of the ineptitude from the actual movie itself, mainly because it's boring -- and sometimes wildly inappropriate, especially for what appears to have been aimed at an audience of tykes?!? As it all unfolded (slowly), I kept thinking how hokey it all was, like the many local films produced in the area where I live. Lo and behold, it actually was shot in my backyard, which explains plenty. Coupling that with the already questionable skills of Sir Adamson and the end result is one of Al's more bumbling efforts.

It's been several years since I watched this and my biggest memory is just hating the damn thing. How I awarded it a whopping 4 stars is as much a mystery as the film itself.

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

This another of my favourite albums, yes I do have a penchant for Organ music. On this LP you truly have a battle of the Organs with Grove and George on Guitar on the left speaker and Jimmy and Bernard on Guitar on the right speaker giving you a full Stereo experience.
There's some wonderful funky Jazz tracks with great Guitar, Drums and Conga backing.
Also a great sleeve especially on the rear with Jimmy and Groove looking Superfly.
Unbelievably you can still pick this LP up for under a tenner so what are you waiting for !

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Oh no... a sequel to Trainspotting!

...I thought, on discovering this follow up to the quintessential mid nineties brit-pop era brit-flick defining movie masterpiece, but now having seen it (there was nothing else on telly), I am very very pleasantly surprised.

While there are of course, allusions to the original, it is a clear progression of that story, and feels just like a continuation of it, while having many of of it's own original elements, to make it work on it's own (not just relive old glories).

Mark Renton's life has hit the buffers since running away with the cash he stole from his friends last time we saw him, and has returned home to face the music.

Finding his old friends either having grown up and moved on... or refused to do so in some cases!

Begbie is in prison, but not for long if he has anything to do with it, and he's after Mark with a genuine vengeance.

So it's a reckoning for the events of the original, just as it is set in the context of melancholic nostalgia for the past, and being psychologically stuck there... while trying to move on.

(I'm sure nobody on this site recognises those themes! :)

Danny Boyle brings his fresh, snappy, and innovative directing style to the mix, to make a worthy Part II.

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Gordon Welchman was one of the original elite codebreakers crucial to the allies defeating the Nazis in World War II. He is the forgotten genius of Bletchley Park.

Filmed extensively at Bletchley Park, the centre for codebreaking operations during World War II, this documentary features the abandoned buildings where thousands of people worked tirelessly trying to crack the codes; Hut 6, where Welchman pioneered his groundbreaking work; and the machines that Welchman helped design.

Post-war, Welchman moved to the United States to be at the nerve centre of the computer revolution. He was employed by the Mitre Corporation, a US defence contractor, and engaged in top secret work. Recently released top secret documents reveal that the case of Gordon Welchman reached the desk of the British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, which then led to questions being asked in the House of Commons after Welchman's death.

Welchman's legacy continues to this day as Professor John Naughton and former CIA analyst Cynthia Storer reveal how Welchman's pioneering work in the field of traffic analysis led directly to the modern secret surveillance state, and particularly the use of metadata - as revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden.

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

The hopeless romantic in me wanted to love this almost paint-by-numbers comedy-drama. I knew the critics were unimpressed, but I don't mind the monotony that the intelligentsia so loathe. I even looked forward to swimming upstream of their jaded dismissals of life, love and the human condition. I stayed true to this defiance for the majority of Elizabethtown, but as the final act wrapped up the loose ends, I found myself in that crucial aha! moment. Everything I loved about the film was tossed away into the miasmic stench of sentimental denouement. I felt as if I was in a relationship, each day filled with discovery and fulfillment until the facade revealed itself just when I'm ready to commit. Love gone spoiled sour.

I'll dispense with the storyline and characters since I don't want to give the impression of recommending this affair. Anyway, those details are easily attainable, so instead, a brief plus & minus bit:

Strengths:
· charming Southern quirks in small town USA
· humorous side characters that don't overplay their hand
Weaknesses:
· being pummeled with greeting card philosophies
· a soundtrack that feels like a playlist from a smug Rolling Stone magazine list-maker

The road trip home caused my grade to start its descent, ultimately flipping from 8 stars to 5 by the time Drew is baptized by the history of Memphis -- a sequence so hackneyed that I had to turn away from the sacrificial (and predictable) lessons.

Better stick with the Hallmark rom-coms, at least they have the courtesy to wallow in their banality instead of springing it on you like a jack-in-the-box.

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

My worst suspicions confirmed...

... It's taken me twenty some odd years to get around to listening to this, but found it in a charity shop last year, and it has only confirmed the reason I gave it a miss on it's original release:

It's too 'manufactured' and 'plastic' sounding Garbage, trying to be hip and with it and all techno pop confection, rather than the original concept of the band, as found in their excellent debut, which was centred around an image, and a sound and attitude of being slightly sleazy and disreputable, slack and grimy.... you know.... Garbage.

Of course, it's commendable that the band tried not to simply make the same album twice (they're not Coldplay, after all! :), but this seems the polar aopposite of what they set the band to be... they lost their selling point.

I think there may be some good tunes in here somewhere, but I can't hear them for the most part through all the directionless, frenetic, and relentless synth drums and techno-squiqgly bits which drown out the songs, and make the whole thing quite flat and tedious...

(contrary, ironaically, to what they put all that nonsense in there to achieve)

...Or it could simply be they layered all that crap on there to hide the fact that the songs underneath were not altogether great, and maybe a little rushed, or just ran out of ideas.

There's a couple of tracks worthy of their former selves which do manage to make themselves known, and punch through the fog, those being the opening two tracks: Temptation Waits, and the well known: I think I'm Paranoid, as well as the last track, which is a good one, but overall, it does kind of explain why I, like many after their debut, just said... "Meh"

...Being as this isn't what we signed up for, or bought into in the original Garbage concept. I know the original was essentially, a contrivance anyway, but it was true to the idea, and did it well, but this is pretty dull.

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Rob Zombie is about as cutting edge as an episode of "Joanie Loves Chachi".

As usual, we get a "thriller" bereft of any original ideas and bankrupt of any vocabulary shy of the f-word. I keep hoping each of his films will be his last. I keep watching them in the futile hope that Zombie will come up with any idea of his own, which may release him from the obligation of reviving the careers of oldschool actors (hey - great idea, Rob! You should try to get a Sweathog in one of your films!...and be sure to populate it with a smart, edgy soundtrack replete with a mix of classic rock and obscure oldies...how about a disc jockey thrown in for no good reason.)

Ultimately, we are left with enough misdirection to completely distract from the emaciated excuse for a storyline and from there, a withered leaflet of brutal kills.

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

The fourth entry into the spectacularly nasty Men Behind The Sun series of films, based on war atrocities. In this case the Japanese invasion of Nanjing in 1937. I'm not a history buff and I'm not that familiar with what was dubbed the "Rape of Nanking". What I do know is a good trashy exploitation film when I see it and unfortunately this isn't one.

The film was rated Category III (Cat III) in Hong Kong the equivalent of 18+ or NC-17. Other films to be rated with this certificate are the excellent The Naked Killer and a few other rape and revenge films, as well as some Triad films. Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre has gained notoriety in the internet age as one of the film's most memorable scenes: a soldier cutting a bloody foetus out of a pregnant woman and holding it up, was used as an internet GIF. There's also scenes of gory decapitation and a few fights and some scenes of corpses being set on fire. These scenes are fairly rare and the bulk of the film is dialogue heavy and unfortunately it has a rather dry script, presumably for educational purposes.

To put it simply Black Sun is no more a serious historical document highlighting the horrors of war than Goodbye Uncle Tom is a serious critique of racism or Antichrist is a feminist study. They are all tacky, sleazy films that are designed to get bums on seats by showing extreme scenes. However, they have their place in the vast pantheon of cinema. Goodbye Uncle Tom has a stunning soundtrack and some incredible fantasy sequences. Antichrist is powerful and bold with convincing acting. Black Sun has an OK soundtrack, cheap-ish production values; bearing in mind this film was made in 1995 and comes across as cheaper than earlier Cat III shocker Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky (1991). The few gore scenes there are are good and that's it raison d'être. There's something about it I like, but it manages to be dull which is worse than being offensive.

The DVD from Unearthed Films has a nice print with some slight archive damage and only 2.0 sound. Probably as good as it gets unless a BR or HD broadcast does the rounds. The discontinued UK DVD on Tartan Grindhouse (Tartan DVD\Films spin-off) is hen's teeth. I've never seen a copy in the wild and importing the US is cheaper.

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Finally got around to watching this today and what a surprise. Watching it I started to feel like I had seen this before but in actual fact I had never seen it. I felt like I had just been watching an episode of The Avengers so I looked through all the names involved in it's production and found six people who had all been involved with the television series.
John Krish (Director)
Julian Wintle (Producer)
Albert Fennell (Producer)
Harry Pottle (Art Director)
Geoffrey Haine (Production Director)
Frank Hollands (Assistant Director)
Just shows how things evolve and develop over time. The movie itself was very enjoyable, there's worse things to watch. All in all I would recommend it, especially if you're a fan of the sometimes weird plots and storylines of The Avengers

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

10-12 superb tracks, with excellent vocals by bobby whitlock, superb and sometimes call-and-response matching, sometimes soloing, and occasionally harmonising lead guitars with duane allman arguably pulling some of eric clapton's finest and extended virtuoso performances out of him for a long time to come, all built upon a good, reliable rhythm & bass from jim gordon and ginger baker, who was relatively constrained, not often able to seize the spotlight with flashy drum solos, but still worth listening to for all that.

a classic album, and one of the very few double lps without a single duff track.

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

A Welsh schoolteacher (Harry Secombe) moves to smalltown Australia and tries to train the local kids to become a prize winning choir. A sweet, understated and warm hearted film. It's not a cinema great but it's a pleasantly cosy way to spend a dark Autumn afternoon. Any film that includes someone being called a Drongo and a man crying over his lost beers is alright by me.

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

in which, inspired by the visit of h. g. wells' time traveller, morlocks journey back in time to his victorian london, to be generally morlocky and obnoxious to uncomprehending victorian englishmen and women in every possible way; and challenging the incursion requires the aid of heroic english stereotypical myths from british (and roman) history...

one of the first wave of ''steampunk'' novels, which term jeter coined to encapsulate such victorian era-set & tech sf written by himself and his friends, james blaylock, q.v., and tim powers, q.v.. (cf. prior coinage of the term, ''cyberpunk''.)

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Review from Amazon:

Reviewed by Charlie in the United Kingdom on 4 April 2018.

Hated this book. I stuck with it, fascinated by it's awfulness, hoping it would improve but it went from bad to worse. Don't let the word Beatles in the title fool you, this is not in any way a book about The Beatles.

A real hatchet job on Bob Wooler who, in spite of all the nonsense spouted by the author, really was the driving force behind the Liverpool group scene in the early Sixties. How do I know? because I was one of the hundreds of young guys playing in groups in Liverpool at the time.

Too much is made of Wooler's homosexuality, the inference being that his interest in the group scene was mainly one of a predator of young boys.

Absolute nonsense!!!

My own experience of Bob Wooler, and those of my contemporaries, was of a man who was full of enthusiasm for the whole scene and gave even the least talented wannabes loads of encouragement. He almost single handedly promoted The Beatles in Liverpool in the early sixties, along with loads of publicity by Bill Harry and his Mersey Beat Magazine. If not for these two people, Brian Epstein would never have heard of the Beatles and the rest would have been a very different history.

The bulk of this tedious tome consists of accounts of the ramblings of Beryl Adams, one time secretary to Brian Epstein with a history of alcohol abuse and suicide attempts, who not long after the interviews with the author, succumbed to a terrifying brain disease that surely at this point must have been affecting her thoughts and memories and Bob Wooler, by this time a very sick and sad old man whose once razor sharp brain was now addled by the effects of alcohol abuse and ill health.

The impression given by the author of the Mersey Beat scene is of a sordid world, inhabited by sexual predators, ruthless fantasists and alcoholics. Nothing could be further from the truth. A truly exciting time for all involved and for the most part, good innocent fun!

In short, a pointless and depressing book by an author who obviously has no knowledge whatsoever of the Mersey Beat era and the real events surrounding it.

A truly awful book which doesn't deserve the one star but I am not allowed to give it less!!!!

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

What's not to love about this under-appreciated genre classic? It's from AIP, Fred Williamson and Pam Grier top the cast in full campy glory, Thalamus Rasulala shines as the corrupt Chicago heavy, and wonderful support roles from Bernie Hamilton, Tierre Turner and Art Lund. Carl (Rocky) Weathers is also on hand as a thug, along with the charismatically sinister Tony King, and Jim Bohan ("Phantom of the Paradise" and "American Graffiti" bit player) as one of the evil honky bullies. Johnny Pate's soundtrack is also a bonus. Probably my fav blaxploitation flick.

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

I came into this album with low expectations. I had just listened to "Sing-Along Party" and "Freddie & His Dreaming Knights" back-to-back, so I had almost given up on the idea that there were any lost gems hidden in the grooves of the albums from this often forgotten era of the band. I was shocked to then find that this album is middlingly enjoyable, albeit in moderation.
"The Ugly Bug Ball" kicks this album off, and I'm surprised with how much life they kick into this one, it almost sounds like a real rock song. Mind you, I've never heard the original, so take this with a grain of salt.
"When You Wish Upon A Star" shows just how good of a singer Freddie could be. He may be overly-reliant on his mediocre falsetto, but he hits every note perfectly. The arrangement is also phenomenal, albeit nearly identical to the original.
"When I See An Elephant Fly" is a wonderful song with great lyrics, although that credit should go (begrudgingly) to Disney. I must say, I can easily see why Mr. Garrity went on to be a children's T.V. host, as his voice suits a song like this perfectly. The ending sounds somewhat ominous though, which is perfectly out of place on a song like this. Wonderful!
"Winnie The Pooh" is not the best Disney song IMO, but they do it alright, I guess.
"Chim Chim Cheree" If I had a nickel for every time that I've heard this song, I would have about $1.95, although it feels like I'd be a millionaire. To say that I'm sick of this song is an overstatement, but this version is nothing new.
"Heigh Ho" is the only song on this album that I had heard before, and it's easily the best thing on here. The off-key intro is brilliant, the harmonies are wonderful, the strings are beautiful, the horns are triumphant, and it's one of only two times on the album that we get any backing vocals (the other time being the final track) and I actually prefer this version to the original.
"The Unbirthday Song" is another song that I've never heard before, but I wish that I had. I do think that Freddie could've done with a few more takes, as he's a bit off in spots.
"The Siamese Cat Song" ignoring any outdated factors there are in this song, this just isn't very good to begin with. But I mean, come on! That accent? That won't fly under my roof. I expect better from you, Freddie, although at this point, I'm not sure why.
"Whistle While You Work" is one of the best songs every featured in a Disney movie, and is a perfect choice for this album. It's not as good as I want it to be, but it makes me think of simpler times, and I'm very young, so that's impressive. If you want a better version of this song, I highly recommend NRBQ's version.
"Give A Little Whistle" I used to think that this and the last song were the same song, and it's easy to see why. I may actually prefer this song to "Whistle While You Work", both with Disney, and with Freddie.
"The Ballad Of Dick Turpin" Never heard this one either, but I'm going to have to seek out the original. The arrangement is again wonderful, and for once, the guitar is given more of a chance to shine. It almost sounds like a real band at some points.
"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" We all know how brilliant this song is, and so does Freddie. He delivers it perfectly, and so does everybody else on it. For once, Freddie's manic personality actually adds something to the song. It's energetic, fun, and makes a good finale.

Overall, this is a pretty good album, although there are very few instances where it sounds like the work of a Rock group. But comparing it to the band's other albums around this time, this a masterpiece, and yes, I'm aware of how ridiculous that may sound. And yes, it isn't actually that good. But seriously, those other albums are awful.

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

I've always liked this band - very poppy but hey, that's not necessarily a bad thing. They have good harmonies and I think they do their parents proud. Having said that, they all have decent voices that blend together well, on record. Live, they're not quite as good but then again, this is a studio album, and has been well produced.

It's good to hear fresh takes on some old songs, their rendition of California Dreamin' and Monday Monday are very good but for me, God Only Knows is the outstanding track on the album with Good Vibrations being a brave choice as not only is it a cover of The Beach Boys' best known (and probably best loved) track, but it's also an A Capella cover to boot.

Well done, I'm glad I bought this and will give it many a listen.

8 people found this review helpful.   ✔︎ Helpful Review?

R.I.P.Julian Bream,you`re one of my favourite guitarists,especially working with John Williams,Peter Pears,etc.I do remember this series very well,when first transmitted for Channel Four in 1985 on Sunday Nights,when screened at 8:00 p.m.There are 8 episodes in total,not only he presented the show,but he devises the TV programme,and travels to Spain,and also performs with his guitar,and also he`s a great lutenist performing like the 17th century such as Bach,Sanz amongst others.The final episode-we hear the complete performance of Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquin Rodrigo [the most popular guitar concerto of the 20th century as well as Fantasia Para un Gentilhombre],performed with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner.Also in 1985,RCA Red Seal released Guitarra!-The Guitar In Spain as a Double Album,Double Cassette and a Double CD to cash on the TV series.But I will treasure the series on DVD,as well as his guitar playing,in which I`ve Got on CD,and I still remember him so much.

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I remember this TV series,when first screened for LWT on Sunday nights,which it ran for 6 series [52 episodes in total],and good comedy acting from Tim Brooke-Taylor [sadly passed away on Easter Sunday 2020 at the age of 79],Richard O`Sullivan and Joanne Ridley.The series created by John Kane and Keith Leonard.The intro and the outro theme song is written and performed by Peter Skellern,and the opening sequence was actually filmed at Three Cliffs Bay,Gower,and I hope they`ll bring back the series broadcast again as a fitting tribute to Tim Broke-Taylor,and I still love the series so much and brings me memories of Sunday Night TV.

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It was Easter Sunday 1982 when they played the Liverpool Empire. They weren’t that well known over here but had released several albums two of which were very good. One of these was the 1981 release “Marauder” which was absolutely brilliant in my opinion and would still get into my top ten albums of all time. On the night they were something else. I had been to loads of gigs over the years and have never seen a group that could generate such atmosphere. I still haven’t seen anything like it and the only one that came close was DIO at the Manchester Apollo in 1983.
Rickey Medlocke and Charlie Hargrett were big guys, dressed in long denim coats swapping off on lead guitars were quite awesome to look at and the quality of the sound was excellent. Their setlist was superb, playing everyone’s favourites.
My elder brother was with me. He’s not been very well of late having had several strokes and heart surgery but he loves to talk about this night in 1982.
Probably the most memorable gig I’ve been to. I saw a “Version” of Blackfoot at the Hard Rock Hell a few years ago – no original members. Absolute crap by comparison. Ricky Medlocke is now in Lynyrd Skynyrd, who he was in for a spell in their early days around 1971

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Jonathan Coe, one the best English authors of recent times, portrays with respect and human feeling the life of James Stewart, the actor that played the everyday straight American man.
A character with whom the audience could identify.
Dramatic roles, western style, thrillers, comedies. romances, he has interpreted any kind of human being always with deep performance.

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I've got a single disc *eco-pak of this I'll have to dig out...

(*eco-pak: reformed / recycled card sleeve, about the same quality as an egg box)

You really see that although only seemingly slightly regarded as an artist compared with other contemporaries, Donna Summer was actually quite innovative, as well as diverse in what she did, and should probably be taken more seriously... Certainly, when you pull all of her most well known tunes together like this, you realise just what her contribution was.

Great songs... a pleasure, but I sure ain't guilty about it!

Just take a look online for who she managed to get together as the backing choir on this cover of a Jon & Vangelis tune!:

[YouTube Video]

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One of the worst movies I've ever sat through. Saw it in its original release and hated it then, but over the years, many of my film buddies have insisted that I missed the train, that it was a satire rather than horror film, insisting that I re-evaluate and give it the cult movie cred it deserves.

Tobe Hopper himself defended the film (and its comedic tone), stating that the original had black comedy which the audience was too shocked to acknowledge. I have always been aware of the sick humor from the characters in the first film, which indeed kept the viewers stunned. But this sequel, arriving way past its sell date, isn't marinated with black comedy, it's smothered in cartoon-ish, un-funny nonsense from start to finish. Bill Moseley's character, Chop-Top, is so over-played and annoying that any sense of menace is mangled away. And yet even that low-brow performance is eclipsed by one of the worst pieces of acting imaginable: Caroline Williams, whose agonizing screaming and hackneyed delivery is as unbearable as the goofy screenplay. Even the music soundtrack comprised of all artists from IRS Records feels contrived, filling the soundscape with artists / songs simply to promote that label's roster.

So anyway, I decided to put my opinion of the film on hold until I gave it another spin; perhaps I did misjudge it and after all these years, I can make a better assessment through the prism of 30+ more years of film-going under my belt. And my opinion HAS changed...I hate it even more than I did in 1986.

At the end of the long, miserable day, no part of this film works, it's just blobs of spoiled meat smelling up the place.

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Value for money... Bang for Buck... More sauce in Your Spoon!

(I've no idea what that last one means either, I just said it because it sounds nice :)

...But this is a disc that has a lot to be said about it, makes it well worth owning.

Firstly, It's another landmark in the Decca catalogue, as it's Cat number shows, the first of the 6000 series, and although the labels here are of the small boxed logo variety (as is mine), there is / was a wide band grooved label copy from very early on - that one will set you back over £100 a time (maybe more), but the boxed logos are plentiful and cheap (usually under £10)...

...but it's not like you could possibly be losing anything in terms of sound quality by going for the cheap option as this really does sound great, and well worth it's inclusion on the notorious TAS list... big, broad, and natural sounding, and with more than one truly great tune to showcase those qualities.

For the second thing to say is that this is concealing three little treats for the casual classical music fan in search of "that elusive tune" you know, but can't put a name to...

...As has been said here, the first track of Spartacus, on side one, was used for the theme tune to The Onedin Line TV programme... But also on side two - for theme seekers who have overlooked that side having found what they are Onedin of (:)) on side one - is to be found two noteworthy tunes in Gayaneh:

The First - Sabre Dance will instantly make you smile with recognition, and make you imagine you are in a comedy movie chase - which is always fun, and something I like to do regularly.

... And then, there's the sublime, and haunting Gayaneh's Adagio, which has been used in the Alien movie franchise, as well as 2001: A Space Odyssey (quite some movie credentials there I'd say!)

And of course...

...It's a Decca.

All round, a Classical vinyl essential that can be had at entry level price.

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I’m not going to pretend I understand all of Frank’s music because I don’t. There are entire LP/CD’s that are totally over my head but then, if you have read any of my previous reviews, that might not be difficult to believe. “Freak Out” is, for the most part, quite understandable. If you like music that is off the wall, iconoclastic and different, this might be the ticket. But there's something much more than humor, parody and the unconventional to this record. Zappa rails against something much more sinister and specific. “Hungry Freaks Daddy”, the opening track, is a call to arms to every underdog in America. What Frank Zappa is saying probably needed to be said but it’s the way he says it that is so alarming. There are other tracks that are much lighter in tone, like the humorous 1950’s doo-wop parodies such as “Go Cry On Somebody Else’s Shoulder”, “How Could I Be Such A Fool” and “Wowie Zowie”. A favorite of mine is “Who Are The Brain Police?” whose verses sound sweet and lightweight but the chorus is harsh and ominous. “Trouble Comin’ Every Day”, a Zappa rap over a bluesy backdrop is truly powerful and an unusual recording for 1966. Sometimes Frank’s humor works but often, for me anyway, he is far too angry to be really funny. Frank’s rage and frustration with conventional American life is an underlying theme in much of his music I have heard. Let’s hope that this mastermind and madman has finally found peace and contentment.

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Compellingly dreadful

A ludicrous plot involving two ex-public school boys who meet by chance in Menorca and agree upon a rogue's deal involving a thousand cases of aphrodisiac wine.

I know 'things were different' in the seventies but this is at best ridiculous and at worst offensive (The gay photographer Juan is 'cured' upon drinking the wine)

I've always hated the term 'guilty pleasure' but seen as I actually quite enjoyed this stinking turd of a film I think this fits the bill!

hee hee

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Signature harmonies, the ‘70s rock scene, and Americana themes combine for a solid nine-song offering with virtually no assistance from Brian, thanks in part to the new addition of singer-guitarist Blondie Chapin and multi-instrumentalist Ricky Fataar. Frankly, long-time group members Carl Wilson (‘The Trader’) and Mike Love (‘California Saga’) have rarely been better. Highlights: “Sail on Sailor” “California Saga (Big Sur/Beaks of Eagles/California),” and “The Trader”

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What an album! I'm too young to remember how this album was received by the music press at the time of its original release. I first heard it in the 1980s myself.
Listening to the album again some 30 years later it has certainly stood the test of time well. A flawless collection of Townsend originals plus John Entwhistle's Boris The Spider and Whiskey Man plus a rare Roger Daltrey penned number, See My Way plus the Keith Moon numbers of course.
The album ends with the Pete Townshend epic, A Quick One While He's Away, an example of what was to follow with Tommy.
We mustn't forget the sole cover version of Holland-Dozier-Holland's Heatwave, a very faithful treatment I reckon is as good as the covers on The Beatles' Please Please Me album.
People say The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds was the album of 1966. I'd be the first to agree, but this album comes a joint second with The Beatles' Revolver in my view.

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From Paal's Record:

The Sydney Morning Herald printed this review on May 23, 1931:

"One of the most important novelties is the introduction of the double-track Regal records, the first of which was released during this week. The "double-track" record consists of two different versions of the same number on each side. On the outer edge of each side of the record the letters "A" and "B" will be noticed, which indicate the starting point of the sound grooves of the dual recordings. Thus, for instance, by placing the needle on the "A", we shall hear "Elizabeth" from the musical production "Wonder Bar", played as a fox trot by the Rhythmic Troubadours. If the needle is placed on the mark "B", the same melody is heard as a vocal number, sung by Lawrence Allen. The same applies to the reverse side. "A" is the orchestral version of "Love is Like a Song", the theme song from "What a Widow", and "B" is the vocal arrangement sung by Lawrence Allen.
Recorded in London, January 31, 1931.
The Rhythmic Troubadours: Stan Greening - bj - g dir. probably: Bert Heath - Charles Mead - t / Ted Heath - tb / Nat Star (definite) - Tom Gregory - cl - as / Jack Pearce - cl - ts / Joe Kosky - vn / Fred Coocke - p - a / Jack Merrett - bb / Wag Abbey - d - x - chimes / Joe Sargent - v.

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For me this had to be the worst album McCartney ever committed to tape. I couldn't find any redeeming factors about it at all bar the title song Press which is at best mediocre. I know McCartney went through a phase of bringing in other established stars to work alongside and I truly thought the partnership with Eric Stewart would've been a good one based on his work with 10cc but this album just left me cold and wondering where McCartney's head was at when he recorded it. To this day it has remained on the shelf unplayed and unloved for 33 years. For me there is only one thing good about it and that was the cover picture for the sleeve. The album covers photograph was taken by George Hurrell, using the same box camera that he used in Hollywood in the 1930's and the 1940's. Hurrell was renowned for his photographs of movie stars of the 1930's and 1940's like Clark Gable and Greta Garbo, to which the album's cover was meant to pay homage and for me it was only thing that worked. Other than that it's definitely one you're not missing if you don't have it and I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to buy it.

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I'm getting really tired of this LP constantly being hammered by the critics. Yet I agree, it certainly isn't his masterpiece. Most of George's solo records, even LP’s like “Living In The Material World” and “Thirty Three And A Third”, are very uneven. But it’s not absolutely terrible either, there are redeeming qualities.The single "You" is a good song, very commercial, but totally over produced in a “Phil Spector/All Things Must Pass” type of way. Was “You” recorded at another session? It sure sounds like it. I really like "The Answer's At The End", "His Name Is Legs", "Grey Cloudy Lies" and in particular Leon Russell's piano passage in "Tired Of Midnight Blue". On the other hand "Can't Stop Thinking About You" is not much to write home about. It's too repetitious and long. Oh, and the track "This Guitar (Can’t Keep From Crying)" is yet another good listen. George isn’t really a great singer and that becomes evident in several places on “Extra Texture” and many of his other LP’s. But I think this record was as good as George could possibly do at that time. To say that this was a throwaway and his contractual obligation is a very misleading, if not an outright lie. When he was in that previous band he got a lot of help from his friends and he was so much better because he only had to write one or two songs per album. Now he’s standing naked for all of us to see. We knew what his talents were as a player but it wasn’t until his solo career began that we really got a much better look at George’s abilities as a music creator.

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This was the night night I was introduced to Stackridge and what an introduction. My friend and I hadn't even heard of the band but went along out of curiosity and were blown away. Songs like Syracuse and Lummy Days left us so impressed I was at the local record store the following day buying Friendliness and asking what else they could order in for me. What a great band. Never got the recognition they deserved.

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My no. 1 guilty pleasure a great collection of disco/euro pop tunes. Yes Sir, I Can Boogie and Sorry, I'm A Lady are the two stand out tracks not surprising considering they were the mega hits.
But the others are worthy of a listen and show more Spanish influence.

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This recording has seldom been given its due because of constantly being in the shadow of "Astral Weeks" and "Moondance". Unlike the previous LP's mentioned, this one produced two big hits "Domino" and "Blue Money" and it doesn't end there. Check out "Crazy Face" and try to imagine Elvis belting out "Give Me A Kiss". This is one fine recording by a fiercely dedicated artist who ranks right up there with the best.

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The story is based on a ex-soldier now employed as part of the Royalty and Specialist Protection Branch of London's Metropolitan Police Service. Issues stemming from his Afghanistan service are affecting both his private and work life as the officer assigned to protect the Home Secretary.

The whole series moves at a very fast pace with a well written story-line that has many twists and turns to keep you guessing up to the last episode.

This one lives up to its hype, I highly recommend watching this series.

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Set in the underbelly of Florida within the shadows of a Disney World that seems more of a fantasy land than ever. This is a story of people doing whatever they need to do to get by, a day at a time.

The film focuses on a group of urchin children who live and play around a seedy motel. The kids are somewhat feral but loveable underneath their foul mouthed bluster. The child actors are excellent and at first the film is as close to a feel good comedy as you can imagine given the poverty involved.

Slowly though, the underlying hardship and desperation comes to the surface and you are left with an uneasy feeling of dread, waiting for something terrible to happen. Without giving too much away it's fair to say that it does and it doesn't and the last quarter of the film is pretty heavy going unless you have no human empathy.



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Real Gone Music scores again with the first-ever CD issue of the mono versions of Laura Nyro's first two albums. More Than a New Discovery appears in the dedicated mono mix and original running order. Eli and the Thirteenth Confession appears in the fold-down mix only released in the US as a promo. As bonus tracks, we get the "alternate" single version of "Stoney End" (actually recorded before the LP version), the single edit of "Eli's Comin'," and the uptempo Bones Howe-produced single version of "Save the Country." Very good sound. Highly recommended.

[YouTube Video]

[YouTube Video]

[YouTube Video]

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Gary Rossington and Allen Collins got this band together to carry on the spirit of Lynyrd Skynyrd allbeit with a female vocalist in the form of Dale Krantz. There are some excellent tracks on here, in fact there isn't a poor track on the album. The pick of the bunch are probably "Misery Loves Company" "Getaway" and "One Good Man" Dale Krantz is a fine singer for this type of stuff and there is some very nifty guitar work in the "Suvvern" vein. Well worth a listen 37 years on. Dale Krantz is now Dale Krantz-Rossington and tours with the modern day Lynyrd Skynyrd as a backing singer in the band.

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I saw this band a couple of times back in the day where they played songs from this and their only other album "Branching In" Both records were quite good with some nice singing and good songs. I've since got a CD with both albums on it "2 on 1" and it has not travelled well through time. It's very much of it's time and sounds very dated these days. Sadly the girl singer / songwriter, Krysia, is no longer with us.

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