Showing posts with label Vinyl LP Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vinyl LP Reviews. Show all posts

6/23/2020

Various Artists Review-Rolling Stone: Life And Death Of Brian Jones Soundtrack

Release Date: June 12, 2020
Label: MVD


The story of Brian Jones, famous for originating the band The Rolling Stones, is a compelling real-life account. I had the opportunity to view the DVD and listen to the red vinyl LP of Rolling Stone: Life And Death Of Brian Jones Soundtrack. It is a Dudeski/Chip Baker production directed by Danny Garcia. I watched the Rolling Stone: Life And Death Of Brian Jones DVD first to learn about the story of his life and untimely death. The DVD would tie in well with the soundtrack and make more sense to me.

I, like many others, assumed that Jones died because of drugs and alcohol. This revealing movie shows evidence that contradicts those basic beliefs. Yes, he did his share of mind-altering substances however when he was found dead at the bottom of his pool it is believed, based on evidence and a 600-page document unearthed by Scott Jones, that he was murdered. Jones had been arguing with a man named Frank Thorogood all day and each time the arguments became more heated and the last altercation being a physical struggle in the pool with the larger and stronger Thorogood that ended Jones’s life. The truth about his death was covered up by law enforcement and was under a 75-year rule established by that very institution.

Jones was a brilliant multi-instrumentalist and referred to as genius in the film. I would not dispute that statement with what I know and have listened to the Stones most of my life. What I found so interesting and shocking was how Jones was treated by his mother, band members, and friends. I understand that he was temperamental and had issues but that does not explain the way he was treated and at times very unfairly. He was a very sick man that never got the help he needed but I know it was not desired by the flamboyant musician. He was the leader of the Stones and eventually, the songwriting went to Jagger and Richards and that was the beginning of the end for Jones.

The beginning of the film starts with footage of Brian in his youth and his rise to fame with the Stones. One scene shows the band at a party getting in a cake fight, which I thought was very light-hearted. Too bad things did not stay that way for the band and Jones. By the time Jones was 19 he had three illegitimate children and at the time of his death, he left behind six children. Interesting how if this story was about a woman how she would have been looked upon as a whore but because it was a man he got labeled as a lost rock star a lower class of society by the establishment. And actually, the establishment of that period was doing everything they could do to split up the group including planting drugs and arresting them.

The bonuses of the DVD include nearly an hour of Deleted Scenes, Behind The Scenes, and Muddy Waters: The Scott Jones Files. All of which reveal more stories about Brian Jones, The Rolling Stones, and his mysterious death and cover-up. Rolling Stone: Life And Death Of Brian Jones is a fascinating film and it brings forth so many stories and facts about the famed artist and how he died that I certainly never knew. I am now well-informed thanks to this eye-opening DVD.

Now on to the music...Rolling Stone: Life And Death Of Brian Jones Soundtrack is a special Red Vinyl LP. If you remember the early Stones music when Brian was involved there were strong blues influences and many classic blues covers. Jones loved Elmore James and Alex Korner etc. This soundtrack will satisfy all Stones fans and blues lovers.

Side one opens with “1969,” echoing that fateful year for Jones. The music is very much retro sounding like it was recorded then. “Ain't Nothing Here to Change My Mind” is a real ear catcher and the first thing that you notice is that the lead singer sounds like Jagger. How appropriate for this record to have vocals like that. Dick Taylor & The Red Squirls (the first bass guitar player for the Stones who left to form The Pretty Things as their lead guitar), who is interviewed on the DVD, has his contributions on the LP as well with “Edith” an instrumental, which certainly did remind me of Dick’s band The Pretty Things. And another instrumental on side two titled “14a Chestnut St,” which is real rockin’ blues boogie. “Dusted” is a slow-burning simmering hot blues track with cuts like a knife slide guitar (a nod goes to Brian for his memorable slide playing). “Riding The Dog” is classic blues with a fine six-string workout towards the end of the track. Then the “The Path of the Meeting” closes out the first side with an atmospheric instrumental perfectly suited for a soundtrack.

After side one I was quite pleased with what I heard, all of it was very good and I expected it would continue on side two, which it did. After the kick start of side two “14a Chestnut St” then “Tighten It Rough” keeps the momentum going and then “Brian” follows which features some nice acoustic guitar picking and some killer slide work. Next up is “(I’ll Never Be) Satisfied” which immediately brings to mind one the most famous Stones hits “Satisfaction.” All the tracks are purposeful and fitting and that is a fact.

Following that wake-up call, fans and historians are sent a reminder of the fact that Brian was the originator and first leader of the Stones with “Brian Jones (The Real True Leader of The Rolling Stones),” which is a peppy pop-rock tune, suitable for cutting a rug. The one track that seemed out of place but was a good one was “Glitter Girl.” It sounded like a band from the 80’s straight out of England, complete with the accent. I am sure it was dedicated to Anita Pallenberg, one of Brian’s more famous glamorous movie star girlfriends (that ended up with Keith Richards). The album closes out most appropriately with a short instrumental soundtrack outro that was just perfect.

So, this music lover and Stones fans got a double shot of Rolling Stones and Brian Jones's history and music. I have a different view of some of the members of the band now and what Jones was like and how he died. It was a sad tragic end and Jones is a member of the “27’ club that includes luminaries like Hendrix and Joplin. Most impressive was the soundtrack music, I did not hear one throwaway track and it is the kind of music I will want to hear often. Watching the DVD first made a big difference in how I heard and interpreted each track and I would recommend doing it that way.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-TFOV Founder
June 21, 2020

Track List:
Side A:
01. 1969 by The Proper Ornaments
02. Ain't Nothing Here to Change My Mind by Greg ‘Stackhouse’ Prevost
03. 3Edith Groove by Dick Taylor & The Red Squirls
04. Dusted by Ray 'Sonic' Hanson’s Whores of Babylon
05. Riding the Dog by Deadbeat Poets
06. The Path of the Meeting by J.M. Baule

Side B:   
07. 14a Chestnut St. by Dick Taylor & The Red Squirls
08. Tighten It Rough by Steve Hooker
09. Brian by John Perry
10 .(I’ll Never Be) Satisfied by Alabama 3
11. Brian Jones (The Real True Leader of The Rolling Stones) by The Bermondsey Joyriders
12. Glitter Girl by The Primadonna Reeds
13. Muddy Waters by John Roome



10/31/2019

THE FINAL ON VINYL PODCAST: INTERVIEW WITH TODD WULFERS


Ted Wulfers has a new album and it is a diverse mix of rock, blues, jazz, pop, well, you name it and he does it. Check out my interesting interview now on my Podcast and you can read my review here if you are interested  https://www.thefinalonvinyl.com/article.html?id=123.

THE FINAL ON VINYL PODCAST: INTERVIEW WITH TODD WULFERS


Ted Wulfers has a new album and it is a diverse mix of rock, blues, jazz, pop, well, you name it and he does it. Check out my interesting interview now on my Podcast and you can read my review here if you are interested  https://www.thefinalonvinyl.com/article.html?id=123.


8/15/2019

VINYL LP REVIEW: Phil Lanzon-48 Seconds

Release Date: August 9, 2019

Label: Phil Lanzon Ditties



 
Phil Lanzon has quite the musical resume. He has been the rock steady keyboard player for Uriah Heep since 1986. Before that, he was in many other groups and has been playing the ivory keys since his childhood. Phil is also a very talented artist with his work displayed on his website.

48 Seconds is his second proper solo album. The eye-catching artwork on the album sleeves is an indicator of what the album’s title is about. The 1906 catastrophic earthquake in San Francisco took 3,000 lives in 48 Seconds! Hard to believe but true. This is how fragile our lives are. In the end, Mother Nature always makes the final decision, as it so appropriately says at the close of this terrific album.

The two-LP set comes housed in a gatefold format with two blue/green swirl 180-gram LPs. It looks mighty pretty spinning around on a turntable and oh yes, this music is great! I have been quite aware of Phil’s work since he joined Uriah Heep and very appreciative of the talents he brought to that legendary band. To have the opportunity to hear such a finely crafted and the well-presented solo album is the cherry on top of the mountain of ice cream. Speaking for myself, of course, I did not know what to expect and was very pleased with all four sides of vinyl presented.

As you can see by the list of contributors Mr. Lanzon had some help in making this project a success. His vocals and playing are incredibly strong and the support players elevate his efforts to a very high level of competency from start to finish.

48 Seconds is like a rock opera if you will that touches upon the past and present day. As the two intersect it makes you wish that there was a time machine you could step into to go back to a simpler time when all the computers, the internet, and cell phones did not exist. This point is well taken in the track “Face To Face.” The words hit home with lines like “Bring it back, real communication.” Instead of a nation of zombies in front of a screen we can once again become a communicating society, in person, not in real-time on the laptop or streaming, just being present in the physical world with all those digital distractions non-existent, even if it’s only for an hour, 10 minutes, a few minutes! Our humanity could be realized again and we can stop living in a George Orwell novel. This is one song of many that I enjoyed.

“Rock n Roll Children” was my pick to add to The Final on Vinyl Spotify Playlist. The combination of rock, pop, and prog in these songs are irresistibly driven with strong rhythm and a no-nonsense rock approach. “Blue Mountain” and “You Can Make A Living” were a few others that hit my sweet spot for straight-ahead toe-tapping rock that I would want to hear more than once.

48 Seconds is the portrait of a veteran rock musician spreading his wings and using all the tools at his disposal to create a great recording that any fan of rock music would genuinely appreciate. Having great artwork never hurts and putting it out on colorful collectible vinyl is the last thing that closes the deal for this listener.

Phil Lanzon has released a superb story set to music that is yet one more feather in a cap that is starting to look like a full headdress. 48 Seconds is a testament to history, music, and one talented focused man that was ready to go in another direction and give it his all. It worked out very well Phil, and I look forward to hearing you more with Uriah Heep and your next solo adventure.




Recording lineup:

* Phil Lanzon - Keys and lead vocals

* John Mitchell - Lead vocals

* Andy Makin - Lead vocals

* Richard Cottle - Additional keys, Saxes

* Neal Wilkinson - Drums

* Adam Goldsmith - Guitar

* Mick O'Donohue - Guitar

* Miriam Grey - Lead vocals, background vocals

* Phoebe Street, Andy Caine, Andy Playfoot - Background vocals

* Tom Walsh - Trumpets

* Clare Mcinerney - Saxes

* Neil Sidwell - Trombones

* Chris Haigh - Violin solo

* Richard Harwood - Cello solo

* Levine Andrade - Viola solo

* London Telefilmonic Orchestra - Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Double Bass



Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-TFOV Founder

August 14, 2019


Founder of:










Review Provided By The Final on Vinyl

TRACKS:

Side A:
01. Azura's Theme (Instrumental) 
02. In The Rain 
03. Forty Line  

Side B:
04. Rock N Roll Children  
05. Blue Mountain

Side C:
06. Look At The Time 
07. Road To London 
08. You Can Make A Living

Side D:
09. Face To Face 
10. 48 Seconds



11/24/2016

Holiday Vinyl LP Review: Elvis Presley-Merry Christmas Baby - RSD Exclusive

Genre:  Holiday/Blues
Release Date: November 25, 2016
Label: RCA/Legacy

With the Holidays upon us once again we have an opportunity to hear some new music and old standards. And some artists should never give it a thought to release an album of Christmas songs. It reminds me of the year the Metal God Rob Halford released one just because he always wanted to. The results were horrific, it probably should have been released as a Halloween joke to all metal heads. At this point I regress... 

Well there are artists, or legends I should say, that have some great recordings that they have released over their long and productive careers, and in this case, we are talking about the iconic Elvis Presley.

RCA/Legacy dug into the archives to release a special Record Store Day limited edition of Merry Christmas Baby in random red and green vinyl. Mine came in green and it is beautiful vinyl with fantastic music and select tracks from the king.

Vinyl is growing exponentially, and along with that, record players have come into vogue once again. Also, stores like Newbury Comics who used to carry thousands of CDs, has pulled them out of their stores and replaced them with vinyl and other swag and memorabilia. I was shocked to see this happen but it makes sense on a business level - you must stock what sells. If I want a CD I get it on eBay, it’s as simple as that.

So, the state of music today has many variables however availability for special issue vinyl LPs and the demand for them has soared. I am thankful for that. What I have found interesting is that all along I thought the sound of CDs was as good as it would ever get, I was wrong. I hear things on vinyl now I never would have noticed before on a CD. 

You get 17 tracks, which is a handful for a standard LP and each one stands on its own as Elvis at his best. The best thing about this release besides the color and format is the fact that the king covers some holiday classics infused with some heavy blues influence. It’s not the sugar and spice and everything nice kiddy stuff that you hear blaring at Wal Mart this time of year, oh no.  This is flat out rockin’ blues based music adapted to Christmas classics. At one point Elvis hollers out “Play it Scotty,” calling out his guitar man Scotty Moore to cut loose. 

I don’t think music fans or Elvis fans could ask for more this Holiday season. You get the King getting down and dirty with a crackerjack band and his voice is full of emotion and grit. I enjoyed this LP immensely and plan to make it a yearly spin this time of year from this day forward.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: ALL

Featured Tracks:

Disc: 1

1. Santa Claus Is Back In Town
2. Blue Christmas
3. Winter Wonderland
4. White Christmas
5. I'll Be Home for Christmas
6. Holly Leaves and Christmas Trees
7. Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)
8. It Won't Seem Like Christmas (Without You)
9. O Come, All Ye Faithful
10. Silent Night


Disc: 2

1. Merry Christmas Baby
2. If Every Day Was Like Christmas
3. Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me)
4. O Little Town of Bethlehem
5. The Wonderful World of Christmas
6. On a Snowy Christmas Night
7. I'll Be Home On Christmas
Day
 
Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck
November 24, 2016
Founder of:

Review Provided By Write A Music Reviews