CD Albums - Reviews by 23skidoo

CD Albums - Reviews by 23skidoo

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Member	Item		Review/Comment
23skidoo 18th Jul 2022		CD Album Glen Campbell - Glen Campbell Sings For The King (2018)	Review Glen Campbell was one of a number of artists who, aside from their solo work, also recorded demo recordings on behalf of various songwriters to present to Elvis for consideration for use on future albums or movie soundtracks. Campbell, who actually played for Elvis on the Viva Las Vegas soundtrack, was recruited by the Weisman-Wayne songwriting team to do some of their demos that were at the time almost exclusively intended for film soundtracks as Elvis pretty much was only focusing on that kind of work in the mid-60s. This album is a revelation. It may be a hot take to say this, but most of Campbell's versions are far superior to what Elvis ended up recording. That's not necessarily a knock on Elvis, but it does show that clearly something happened between, for example, Campbell recording "Clambake" which has extra verses and a completely different "middle eight" than what Elvis pretty much sleepwalked through on the Clambake soundtrack. "Easy Come, Easy Go" is a very strong rocker with surprisingly risque lyrics for the time and amazing guitar work by Campbell; none of this is reflected in what Elvis recorded (he is famously quoted as referring to the ECEG soundtrack music as "s*it"). Even the infamous "Do the Clam" from Girl Happy (described by some biographers as the nadir of his career) comes off much the better in the demo version. (Trivia note: although the CD spells her name wrong, "Do the Clam" was one of several songs Weisman and Wayne wrote with Dolores Fuller who is also remembered as the girlfriend of director Edward D. Wood Jr and appeared in several of his infamous films such as Plan 9 from Outer Space). The strongest tracks on the album are the Bobbie Gentry-influenced "All I Needed Was the Rain" (it has the same feel as Gentry's "Nicky Hoeky" from around the same time) and a remix of what appears to have been the only non-movie-intended demo of the bunch, the spiritual "We Call on Him" which was recorded by Elvis for a single as he started to pull out of just doing the soundtracks, and the CD effectively combines his vocals with Campbell's demo to make an effective duet (though I do wish they'd included the unedited Campbell demo for comparison). The CD also lets listeners play a game of "what if" as several songs that were rejected by Elvis (or the filmmakers) are also included. Some of them are quite good (and on a few of them Campbell really does sound like Elvis) and it's fun to guess what movies the unused songs were intended for (for example, "Magic Fire" sounds like it might have been intended for Harum Scarum). Campbell, of course, wasn't the only talented performer to record demos for Elvis (others include PJ Proby, as well as the songwriters themselves in a few cases). It would be interesting to see more such releases compiling these demos. 1 person found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
23skidoo 28th Jun 2021		CD Album Los Straitjackets And Deke Dickerson - Deke Dickerson Sings The Great Instrumental Hits (2014)	Review This CD does what it says on the tin - versions of famous instrumentals with lyrics added. While a few are clearly tongue-in-cheek, others are played straight and work really well. Not all the songs here have had lyrics written specifically for this album - You Can Count on Me is a cover of Sammy Davis Jr.'s vocal version of the Hawaii 5-0 Theme from the early 1970s and I have heard a version of Popcorn with lyrics before. Many of these work really well: Magic Star is "Telstar" but manages to recapture the magic of the original space-race instrumental. Apache becomes a love song. Walk Don't Run gives a rationale for the title. But the best track on the CD is Honky Tonk. I have no idea if there were lyrics ever written for the original, or if these were written for Dickerson but the fact I can't tell shows how well they fit the Bill Doggett classic. Be warned, though, if you think Popcorn sticks in your head now, just wait till you hear it with lyrics! 1 person found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
23skidoo 27th Jan 2020		CD Album Johnny Cash - A Concert Behind Prison Walls (2003)	Review During his long career, Johnny Cash performed many concerts for inmates at prisons around the world. Two live albums from such events - At Folsom Prison and At San Quentin - pretty much saved his career in the late 1960s. A third album recorded at a prison in Europe is lesser known because it wasn't issued in North America initially. Then, in 1976, Cash put on another concert at a Tennessee Prison, but this one was recorded for syndicated TV release. A far more formal affair, this differed from the other concerts as Cash shared the stage with three guest artists: Linda Ronstadt, whose career was heading to its peak; Roy Clark, the affable and incredibly skilled guitarist who was at the time the co-host of the popular Hee Haw series; and Foster Brooks, a popular comedian whose recurring gimmick was pretending to be drunk (often followed by a straight song delivered in an incredible singing voice). It's difficult to rate this as a Johnny Cash album. Released coincidentally either right before or right after his death, it's a disappointment. Not because it's a poor performance - indeed, he delivers some of his strongest live renditions of Sunday Morning Coming Down and Orange Blossom Special, as well as the chilling (and still very timely) Jacob Green, a condemnation of how a teenager was driven to suicide after his arrest for drug possession. The problem is, there is so little of him in both the original special and album. He appears to do a few songs at the start, and then the next half of the show are the guest stars, before Cash returns to perform a show-closing medley and his biggest hit, A Boy Named Sue. For those wanting a more substantial concert recording by him, this ain't it. But when he leaves the stage, he hands it over to Linda Ronstadt, here at the height of her powers. Her version of You're No Good is amazing, as are her other songs, including what some have called her best live recording of Silver Threads and Golden Needles. There are two editions of this release: one by itself and one with a DVD of the actual special, and you can see how Ronstadt commands the audience. Roy Clark brings the jokes and the light-hearted songs and the amazing guitar and banjo playing. Foster Brooks feels like odd man out; even in 1976 his drunk act felt dated, and while his ballad singing is impeccable, it really doesn't seem to fit. The main problem I have with this release is that it is literally the soundtrack - something that is obvious if you get the CD/DVD combo. Everything is presented the same as the TV special, even including the overdubbed introductions. Clearly, the songs were taken from a longer performance, probably with Ronstadt and Clark and Brooks doing separate sets before Cash closed the show. I would have liked the set to have included performances edited out of the original. Surely Cash did more than just a few songs, and it's probable that at least Ronstadt and Clark's set were longer (Brooks probably is presented in his entirety). Plus, the presence of rockabilly legend Carl Perkins as part of Cash's band means he probably got a chance to put on the Blue Suede Shoes for a couple of numbers, too. But that aside, this release is still worth getting. Ronstadt in particular dominates and shows how far she'd come in the five or so years since she appeared on The Johnny Cash Show - this is very much worth seeking out for those who perhaps have been introduced (or reintroduced) to her music due to the recent documentary about her. And what little Johnny Cash is included here is quality, and while there is a preponderance of live recordings by Cash, I wouldn't have minded hearing more of what he gave the prisoners in Tennessee. Maybe, just as we've seen extended versions of the Folsom, San Quentin and Pa Osteraker albums released, there's an extended Concert Behind Prison Walls in our future. 5 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?