CD Albums - Reviews by HelBic

CD Albums - Reviews by HelBic

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Member	Item		Review/Comment
HelBic 19th Nov 2020		CD Album Queen - 40 Limited Edition Collector's Box Set 2 (2011)	Review I have bought this set as a big Queen fan. I already have all the albums on CD but wanted the completeness (if that's a word) of the 40 Anniversary edition and plan on getting the other 2 boxes in the set. No surprises on the actual CDs themselves, I'm not an audiophile so can't really hear the difference in the digitally remastered versions from the original 'pressings'. Even more interesting (to me) is that I bought the 40th Anniversary edition of 'News of the World' which has the same pressing of that album - so I guess that means I now have 3 CD versions of this album. The Bonus CDs are where this scores for me as there are tracks and versions on there which I have never heard or have never previously been released including a couple of B sides from the original 45s. So, if you're a Queen fan or just someone who wants to get the entire Queen library at cut down prices then at roughly 36 quid for 5 CDs (and don't forget that they have bonus EPs also) it's good value for money. 6 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
HelBic 30th Sep 2020		CD Album James Taylor - Covers (2009)	Review I bought this recently after I'd seen James singing Witchita Lineman as a tribute to Glen Campbell after his death. James' guitar playing has maintained a high standard even into his (now) old age but like so many, his voice isn't what it used to be, which is a shame. This however, is a review of the record, not the live performance which was probably a decade after releasing this album. James' voice is still good here, although his selection of tracks may be considered doubtful by some. I bought it primarily for the above named track as I wanted to hear him do it justice, which he does. Not quite as good as the original, but then again few seldom are, James does add his own touch and makes the song his own. You can hear that he loves each and every track and he does the vast majority proud. Overall a good addition to my collection and well worth the very low cost from Music Magpie. One last comment though is that like so many other artists, his output in latter years has not been a patch on the early recordings, like Sweet Baby James or Mud Slide Slim. 7 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
HelBic 30th Sep 2020		CD Album Wilson Phillips - Dedicated (2012)	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?
HelBic 21st Jul 2020		CD Album Queen - Live Killers (1991)	Review I bought this album on Vinyl when it first came out. It is a very raw recording with no overdubs. What you get is straight from the (presumably) mixing desk, so when Freddie hits a bum note or fails to reach the same note he did during the studio session, you hear it. [YouTube Video] I have just bought it again on CD, from my favourite online supplier (no names, but they are named after a South American river!) and what arrived was this version, which appears to be the USA version! Anyway, on listening again I felt the electricty I had felt when I had seen the band over the years. My first Queen gig was at the Liverpool Empire where they were what they billed as 'The Crazy Tour' as they were by this time used to playing *much* larger venues. Copy of the typical set list on this tour can be seen here: Crazy Tour Typical Set List So, back to the CD - what can I say except, it's Queen - the best live band ever! 5 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
HelBic 24th Jun 2020		CD Album Queen - A Night At The Odeon (2015)	Review One of my favourite albums and bands of all time. For those of you who never caught the band live, I can assure you that I have never seen another band to come close to them live. When you consider the vocal range required to sing some of these songs, it's no wonder that occasionally Freddie either doesn't quite hit the note, or alters the pitch. Particularly when you think about the amount of time they were on stage. The great thing about Queen live albums, is they are rarely overdubbed. I bought Live Killers on Vinyl when it first came out and noted there were quite a few bum notes on it. Regardless, Queen liked to put their live material out as it was on the night - how many other bands would have the chutzpah to do that?? For any Queen admirer, I would strongly recommend ANY of their live albums to get a feel for how good they were - bearing in mind of course that when you are there, every band sounds better as you are caught up in the moment and the excitement of the gig. A masterpiece. 5 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
HelBic 14th Aug 2018		CD Album Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy - Live (2018)	Review I found this review in September '18's Record Collector, written by Ian Abrahams. I agree with most of it, particularly the comments about how awful the sound was when Palmer was speaking, I had to crank the volume up just to hear it, then lower it back down again for the music. Review A Fanfare For The Uncommon Man In his notes to this set, comprising a DVD filmed in Florida in June 2016 - the year we lost a swathe of notable musicians including Keith Emerson and Greg Lake - and a CD from November 2014 that contains a very different set list, Carl Palmer describes how his legacy tribute to ELP uses current technology to "re-create the feel and familiar earmarkings of ELP's signature sound." So the emphasis is on legacy rather than pushing the boundaries and fresh horizons, but Palmer wears that with a highly emotional sense of pride, evidenced on the film of his current trio, plus special guests including Steve Hackett, captured at the Olympia Theater, Miami, and billed as Pictures At An Exhibition - A Tribute To Keith Emerson. Aside from the special guests - Mark Stein and David Frangioli also appear - there's a filmed background projection, dance, and the Ida Choir Ensemble, whose vocals on Jerusalem are a powerful adjunct to the band's robust take on Hubert Parry's seminal music. However, RC (Record Collector) played the film on a couple of screens, and found the sound levels to Palmer's song introductions, rising from behind the kit each time, rather muted compared to the band's playing and we had to strain to hear his narrative. Perhaps that's what made this feel unexpectedly flat and rather stop/start. It's an interesting watch rather than one as engrossing as the concept suggests. Still, the prog interpretations of classical standards live up to the promise of Palmer's comments on bottling the ELP sound. 5 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
HelBic 12th Aug 2018		CD Album Enigma - MCMXC A.D "The Limited Edition" (1991)	Review I loved this album from the moment I heard it. I first encountered Enigma and Principles of Lust when I was having a massage (and that's ALL I was having!). I found their music oddly relaxing, which was probably the intention of the masseur at the time. I still listen to it now, haing owned it for the better part of 25 years. 5 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
HelBic 10th Aug 2018		CD Album Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy - Live (2018)	Review I bought this on a whim as I'd loved some of ELPs music, especially in the 70s. Keith Emerson's keyboard sound was recognisable anywhere. This seemed good value for money to me, CD and DVD with the DVD having many more tracks than the audio CD and as a tribute to the recently (when recorded) death of Emerson. So, I sat down to watch and listen. Decent sound quality but as for the rest. No. For some reason Carl Palmer has decided to change the lineup to a 3 piece centring on the guitar, not keyboards, well technically I guess it centres on the drums, which is no real surprise as that's Carl's role in the band. So, to me, disappointing but it did encourage me to put on my copy of the original ELP album and have an evening of some classics. 7 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
HelBic 13th Apr 2018		CD Album Pink Floyd - A Momentary Lapse Of Reason (2016)	Review Classic Floyd album with a few standout tracks - Leaning To Fly and Dogs Of War to single out a couple of them. 3 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
HelBic 23rd Oct 2017		CD Album Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten (2004)	Review I always liked 'Tasha's voice so when I saw this going for a song at a charity shop I had to buy it. Well worth the money and of course the stand out tracks are the singles. I really dunno where she's been since releasing this but she seems to have fallen off the earth. Shame, she brightened the place up with her singing. 5 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
HelBic 8th Dec 2016		CD Album Queen - The Game (2012)	Review One of Queens best albums in that there are very few filler tracks on this CD as well as some of their best singles. 3 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
HelBic 7th Dec 2016		CD Album Paul Rodgers - Paul Rodgers Live (1997)	Review This was a really good gig which I remember watching on satellite TV when it was recorded. My only criticism (of the gig, not the recording which is excellent) is that Geoff Whitehorn on lead guitar, although a superb guitarist, fills all the spaces left by Kossoff on the original recordings. Too busy being an guitar hero rather than letting the piece speak for itself. Apart from that, wonderful and Rodgers voice is superb. 4 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?