5 comments about The Live at the Boston Tea Party, Pt. 1-3 Box.

1. Fleetwood Mac's "Live in Boston" (also known as "Live at the Boston Tea Party") is a three-disc set, limited edition release (10,000 numbered copies--mine is number 92) recorded in Boston during February 1970. At this time the name Fleetwood Mac conjured up British blues rock. At this point, the band featured the stalwart rhythm section of Mick Fleetwood and John McVie and the triple-guitars of Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer, and Danny Kirwan. For my money, there was never a finer line-up assembled under the name Fleetwood Mac.
   
   This box set documents a sprawling, raucous performance that captures the essence of blues rock in extended, unfettered jams. Yes, there are a few sub par tracks, but those are not what you will remember. Hard core rockers of all stripe and manner should try to grab a copy of this box set while it's still around.
   
   On the other hand, folks who loved the mid-70s watered down versions of Fleetwood Mac should run the other way, quickly.
   
   Please crank the volume when you listen. This endeavor is not about subtlety. And thumbs up to all the excellent reviews of this CD already here.



2. B B King and Santana called Peter Green the greatest British blues guitarist. Listen to this 3 CD set and you will be tempted to agree.
   
   Staples like Rattlesnake Shake and Black Magic Woman sizzle as extended work outs. And on Green Manalishi the band really cooks and shows that on their day the could match the other great live acts of the day - The Dead, Cream, Hendrix, Sly



3. Fleetwood Mac was professionally-recorded on three consecutive nights at The Tea Party in Boston (Feb 5-7, 1970) for a projected live album. Sadly that album never came out, due to Peter Green's sudden decision a few weeks later to quit the band -- and for a long while, music altogether.
   
   Parts of the tapes WERE released several times over the years (semi-legitimately AND bootlegged), but rarely in good quality and certainly never complete. This was a crying shame because the band was at the absolute peak of their powers and played their collective ashes off.
   
   Luckily, this boxed set (or volumes 1-3 separately) go a long ways toward righting that wrong. The tracks have been digitally remixed and cleaned up (going back to the original 8-channel masters!) and resequenced into something CLOSER to the original running order. The exact track sequence of course would have entailed some duplication, as well as sound problems encountered early in the residence. Add to that the fact that Mac's setlist during this timeframe included an "intermission" during which Jeremy Spencer came out and sang a pastiche of cheesy lounge-singer ballads -- complete with a gold lamé suit and slicked-back hair -- billed as "Earl Vince and the Valiants."
   
   Happily the compiler of these CDs, Roger Dopson, elected to include very little of the latter (mostly confined to disc 3). What IS here is the best blues band in the world, led by the best blues guitarist ever, captured in glorious sound quality at the peak of their powers. What more could you ask?



4. I have a 2cd set with all the good stuff on it,(I got it on Amazon) and there used also be a single cd with most of good stuff..they seem to have disappeared, with a 3 cd 159 dollar set taking their place???



5. I have heard all of the early Fleetwood Mac's studio recordings and after a while you get to thinking that the studio doesn't doesn't bear all the greatness of the original Mac.However this 3 CD live set showcases all the raw energy of Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer, Danny Kirwan, John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood. These three cd's are Fleetwood Mac's most powerful and forceful recordings, with each track played with high energy. It also represents everything that was the early Fleetwood Mac from blues to progressive jams (products of Peter Green and Danny Kirwan)to 50's parodies (products of Jeremy Spencer) to pop rock (products of Danny Kirwan), making the set varied in the highest sense of the word. Disc One is dominated by blues and rock originals by Green and Kirwan (Black Magic Woman, Jumping at Shadows, Like It This Way, and Only You well.) There are also long dueling guitar jams (Rattlesnake Shake, Green Manalishi) plus the slide guitar Elmore James parodies of Jeremy Spencer (I Can't Hold Out, Got to Move). Though the sound is poor, this is the best of the three discs. Disc Two has more variety starting with the pop instrumental of World in Harmony (later the b-side to The Green Manalishi) and then the legendary fast guitar blues of Oh Well that was the original Mac's most famous accomplishment. Then comes another rendition of Rattlesnake Shake, which was another dueling guitar jam that takes many twists and turns. Then Jeremy Spencer comes to the mic to perform Elmore James covers(Stranger Blues, Red Hot Mama) and some 50's parodies (Teenage Darling, Keep-A-Knocking, Jenny Jenny). Disc Two ends with a encore jam featuring Joe Walsh and Eric Clapton. Weakest of the three cds though still great. Disc Three follows the same trend with another cover of Jumping at Shadows and the Green original (which sounds like another 50's parody) Sandy Mary and then pure B.B. King blues in If You Let Me Love You. Then Danny Kirwan steps to the mic for the first time since Disc One to play the blues rock of Loving Kind, Coming Your Way. Jeremy Spencer dominates the rest of the disc with his trademark Elmore James (Madison Blues, Got to Move, The Sun is Shining, Oh Baby) and 50's covers (Tiger, Great Balls of Fire, Tutti Frutti). The three nights in Boston come to an end with a fantastic encore jam. In conclusion this is just a great live set. It features everything that was the original Fleetwood mac. Though the sound of the recording is uneven the performance overides all the problems. It is always exciting and energetic, and never boring. Get it now! Or get the three cd's separately. You're still getting the same great product.

1 comments about The Sun Records Story.

1. This fabulous 4-CD box set with an 84-page booklet on Charly Records is a great summary of the wide-reaching influence that Sun Records cast on future generations of musicians and fans alike. It is thematically compiled on each disc, with the first disc devoted to the blues, the second to country, the third to rockabilly and the last to the hits of Sun. Elvis is not on this box set, but his Sun recordings are easily available on numerous compilations.
   All in all, a great history lesson on the beginnings of Rock n Roll.

4 comments about The Bill Broonzy Story.

1. A stellar collection by one of the giants of traditional accoustic blues. Recorded a year before his death, this 3-disk collection of Bill Broonzy's favorite blues songs showcases the great blues musician with a clear and modern recording and a great blues artist still at the height of his abilities. Each of Broonzy's selections is introduced by the artist himself in a studio conversation with interviewers Bill Randle and Studs Terkel. Broonzy's intoductions add a history and depth to the recordings, to the history of the blues, and American roots music and African American history in general. I can't rate it high enough.



2. At least, that's what the original LP liner notes by producer Bill Randle proclaimed when "The Bill Bronzy Story" was issued as a 5-LP box set 42 years ago, in 1960.
   This is a very charming and interesting mixture of songs, performed solo by Big Bill Broonzy on July 12 and 13 1957, and Big Bill's conversation with Bill Randle. The sound is amazingly good, and in spite of the illness which took his life not long after, Broonzy's voice and his intricate, elegant guitar playing are terrific.

   "The Bill Broonzy Story" is a low-key, sometimes melancholy affair. The kind, charming and witty Big Bill Broonzy willingly retells anecdotes from a long and often hard life (he was born in the summer of 1893 in Mississippi, and would sometimes joke that he had "written" this or that song even though he had never actually been able to write anything, not even his own name).
   He plays blues standarts such as "See See Rider" (AKA "C.C. Rider"), "It Hurts Me Too", "Frankie and Johnny" and "John Henry", as well as his own "Key to the Highway", and folk songs and spirituals such as "Ananaïs", "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" and "This Train".

   Unlike some very early blues singers, Bronzy's manner of singing is melodious, his diction is clear, and his guitar playing is sophisticated yet rhytmic.

   This is an important insight into the history of the only truly original American art form still available to us, the blues, and into the world that Big Bill Broonzy grew up in. And the songs and the voice are great.




3. It IS that GREAT! I have heard about the legend of Big Bill ,however, the only Cds I have heard were poorly produced an obscured his powerful playing. This package collection which serves as Bills legacy ...is chilling. Listening to him describe his friend Big Maceo Merriweather, lament his passing and then mention that his song "Worried Life Blues" will probably live forever...and THEN playing/singing a version which WILL give you goosebumbs...one can understand why Eric Clapton wasn't interested in pursuing POP music when the Yardbirds chose that direction. This is a rare combination of Historical signifigance...which is also VERY listenable..in other words..this medicine tastes GOOOOD...If you want to learn about real Folk/Blues music and its origins..and hear one of the true GIANTS play/sing/ and speak about the music from FIRST HAND PLEEEEEEEZ buy this set. By the way..the sound quality is amazing! This is simply time-capsule quality material...



4. I have been a collector of Big Bill's earlier recordings. He was usually accompanied by several other musicians, and it was difficult to hear his guitar work at times. This 1957 recording is Bill, his guitar, and his stories. His voice is cutting, his guitar playing is amazing, and his stories will make you cry. He even talks about these "new" fellas: Elvis and some other guy whos name escapes him. I will treasure this collection forever...Thanks Verve for re-releasing it for my generation to enjoy.

No comments about New York Blues and R&B 1947-1955.

5 comments about Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues: The Worlds of Charley Patton.

1. WOW!!! 5***** The best of the BEST...Cannot say enough about this..but u cannot go wrong in this purchase!!! WOW!!!



2. I love this set, but for the price, I think it's more for those who, like me, fell off into the deep end. For the money, I would recommend the JSP set, it's $25 and has all of Patton's recordings.
   The JSP definetly has more noise reduction, which can be a plus to newbies,(but I prefer the more original sound of the recordings, no matter what. They are history after all.) That said, you get a copy of Fahey's long out of print book,( Which goes for more then $200) plus an amazing packaging by Revenant. There is much material hear to study.



3. This is the musical equivalent of a family Bible. You will pass it down from children to grandchildren. It cannot be likened to any other boxed set I have ever seen - not even the lavish and fantastic Bear Family country and rockabilly sets from Germany. The Folkways reissue of the Anthology of American Folk Music comes close in look and feel, but it's still 100 miles behind.

   There are three points that I would make to a potential purchaser that may not be totally obvious:

   1. These recordings sound really, really good for those on the old Paramount label - where the recordings were done poorly, no metal parts exist, and all extant CDs are dubbed from 78 RPM shellac pressings, some of which are in pretty bad shape (at one point the only existing copy of Willie Brown's "Future Blues" was broken in half!). I have not heard JSP's Patton boxed set, which would seem to be a great substitute at $25 for somebody who does not want to pay $150. However, I do have JSP's "Legends of the Country Blues," which has the 1930 Son House Paramount recordings that are on disc 4 of this set. This sounds much better. The JSP sounds more No-Noised to me, while this sounds more alive on the high end. I say that as someone who has bought a lot of the JSP sets, and who would have no hesitation recommending their work generally.

   2. This is not 7 CDs of just Charley Patton. This is a really good introduction to pre-Robert Johnson Delta blues. You get all the Paramount recordings of Son House, Willie Brown and Louise Johnson, two of whom were seminal figures, and the last of whom was just fun. (Somebody ought to make a movie about the roadtrip Patton, House, Brown and Johnson took to Wisconsin to record these tracks. They could get Charles Dutton to play the guy from the Delta Big Four who drove them.) You get a CD of some pretty essential stuff by various artists, including Tommy Johnson. You get the Delta Big Four, Son Sims and some others. You get a CD of interviews.

   3. It's bittersweet to say, but this set may get overtaken by future discoveries. It's criminally ironic that a full-body, first-generation photo of Charley Patton finally surfaced a year after this box came out. Also, it's known that there are other Patton recordings for which 78s have yet to be found; they may turn up if they haven't already.

   You KNOW you want to buy it. Don't you?




4. The previous reviews make some valid points about this stunning box set-it is really special, and like thing that are incremntally finer, it is geometrically more [money]- and i take my blues pretty seriously...
   it is, as mentioned, like a fine rare book-and the essential music (the first 5 cds ) are available ... in the Complete Works of Charley Patton (the five cd set in a slip case-limited liner notes) also listed here, and affordable for 'us bluesmen'.

   I am writing this to let all know that, aside from two additional cds, one containing interviews by others about Patton, and one of other artists who performed his work (thus the "worlds of CP" ), and some very cool posters and stickers and lovely packaging and other toys and eye candy, the essence is available for a fraction of the cost-same stuff from "masked marvel productions" the orignator of this lovely tome -made in the UK. Unless you really love CP and will listen to this lots, I recommend the [shorter] set-it is still the stirring blues of this great, complete.




5. From the reviews I know this is worth the money there is allot of rare stuff on here especially the Willie Brown song "Pallet on the Floor" this is my main reason for wanting to get this box set so bad. This is the only place you can get that Willie Brown song according to Yazoo2002 "Masters of the Delta Blues, Friends of Charlie Patton" he only recorded two songs in his life time "M&O blues" and "Jinx Blues" one of the most awesome Delta blues songs I have heard (Jinx Blues). Oh yeah one more thing I would have given this 5 stars but where in the world is the Ishmon Bracey recording I mean he was one of Charlie Patton's worlds also (lol) wasn't he not to mention one of the best Delta Bluesmen to strum a guitar it just seems incomplete to have Kid Bailey, Son House, Willie Brown, Tommy Johnson, Bertha Lee and no Ishmon Bracey .... The poor guy is probally squirming in his grave right now leaving him out like that yall otta be ashamed of yourselves (Yazoo would have never done a thing like that). Just for that I'm giving this 3.5 stars now (but I'm still gonna save the money to buy this) p.s how in the hell is a Bluesman suppose to afford this boxset....

2 comments about Richer Tradition: Country Blues and String Band Music 1923-1942.

1. As a budding Paramount Records Man, I have to somewhat agree with the previous review....But that being said, you have to take 'Pre War' Recordings with a grain of salt to begin with. And if your already in that frame of mind, then John Stedman and JSP has once again given us on helluva box set at a great price to listen to! What we have here, and again, if your into the "Paramount Records" thing then you know what I'm talking about, is a bunch of "one off" or "Two Off" country and rural Blues that, unless you were in a 20 mile radius of the artist, you never heard these 78's before. No!, their NOT Charlie Patton or Blind Blake or Blind Lemmon Jefferson, these were the guys and gals that were way below that scale of success, but that's the beauty of these sides....these get even more 'real' than the more popular pre-war artists! I could imagine sitting in someones livingroom listening to these songs while they were playing them! It's THAT intimate! And once again JSP comes up with a collection that is definitely NOT boring. Again, is it Charlie Or Blind Blake...NO...But these folks are real, pretty damned good at their playing and again, this is like being invited to a down home fish fry on a Sunday afternoon in Chicago, or Indiana or any Southern small town back in the pre war days...... I suggest you compare this collection with anything on the Document label, which does a very good job at 'Documenting' Old 78 artists, but for the most part makes for a very boring 'Listen', unless your a scholar. On the other hand, these are real people like you and me who, at least were worthy enough for someone to make a record of them, and JSP deserves Kudo's for putting together a 4 cd set that is both listenable (considering the rarity of the 78's involved) and enjoyable! So, when your ready to go beyond the 'Stars' of Pre-War Blues and Country/Rural music, take the plunge on this set, both the remastering and 'coolness' of this music hopefully will bring you much pleasure!
   Gerard Masters



2. This collection is not for the weak-hearted and includes a hundred sides on 4 CDs and there are few (literally and figuratively very few) real gems among them. Undoubtedly, you will find some sweet songs among the pile, any lover of the genre will find enough to be satisfied. However, more than fifty years into the blues revival one can say that most "good" stuff from this genre had made earlier reissues and this collection, sadly, features leftovers, rejects and material nobody chose to include in the past. What's left is not always cream of the crop material, and indeed, this collection seems like they scraped the deep bottom of the barrel to find these rarities. Unless you are an ethnomusicologist or folklorist interested in historical preservation for its own sake, much of this material will sound rough hewn, if not outright unlistenable, not only from an expectedly primitive recording standpoint but from basic musical skills. It seems like they pulled together anyone and anything, regardless of fundamental quality. Even the biggest aficionados of old-time deep-roots & blues, such as me, will find the bulk of this material a stretch. If you are looking for entertainment value with that old music, stick to the mainstay of the genre.

2 comments about Stardust: The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959.

1. I usually think folks go overboard when they give a product 5 stars, but in this case, it deserves every one! The mastering of the CDs is excellent (I'm guessing, but CDs 1-4 appear to be all mono and CDs 5-11 are a mix of mono and binaural). However, in this time period, mono recording was at its peak and most people wouldn't even know that they aren't binaural recordings unless you brought it to their attention.
   
   Nat was a world-wide singer/performer, unlike some of his peers who only had a fan base in the United States and/or Europe. There's quite a bit of Spanish language material in this set which gives the box an "international" flavor.
   
   The large, thick book that comes with the set is well-written and has many, many excellent color and b&w photos of Nat from the period.
   
   According to the publisher, many of the tracks are presented for the first time without the overdubbing on the original releases. Regardless, Nat's voice is pure and sweet and he knows how to play that piano!
   
   Expensive? A bit, but if you are going to ever treat yourself to an extravagance, this is it. If you have the means, I highly suggest you procure this set! By the way, this appears to be the first of a two-box set collection. I can't wait for the second!



2. I just got this yesterday, and since it's an 11 cd set with a more than 200 page coffee-table sized book, I've only just begun to enjoy it. So, this is a very preliminary review, which I'll perhaps update later.
   
   So far, however, I'm glad I spent the money on this set, and I think any Nat King Cole fan out there would feel the same way. It's a lot of money, true, but a lot of the albums and songs on this set are out of print, including such classic albums as St. Louis Blues, where Nat King Cole and the legendary Nelson Riddle recorded what--for me--are some of the definitive versions of these songs. There are 290 songs on this set, among them some of the greatest Nat King Cole ever recorded, including Autumn Leaves, Let's Fall in Love, Just You Just Me, Caravan, Stardust, and on and on. His voice and piano playing are worth this kind of deluxe treatment.
   
   And the book by Will Friedwald is lavishly illustrated and beautifully written.
   
   The sound quality on the first disc is outstanding, and I'm sure the other discs will be the same.
   
   As I said, I just got it, but so far it's nothing short of fantastic for a Nat King Cole fan.
   
   
   
   PS A quick update from early 2008...
   
   I've now owned this set for almost two years and I love it. It has excellent sound quality throughout. The hardcover coffee table book is a treasure. It's so huge that I'm still exploring it and finding new favorite songs. Really expensive, but well worth it for any Nat King Cole fan!

5 comments about Little Games Sessions & More.

1. All those extras that are packaged with this mediocre recording. I did like the acoustic version of White Summer, but by this point in time, The Yardbirds are dead.



2. "Little Games", originally released in 1967, was the last Yardbirds studio album. It was recorded after Jeff Beck and Paul Samwell-Smith had left the band to be replaced by Jimmy Page. At this time the band's popularity was on the decline, and their time as chart-toppers seemed to be over. Even though their previous single-release "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" had both been adventurous and catchy it had only reached no. 30 in the charts. "Happenings . " had featured both Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page and it is in my opinion one of their strongest.
   
   Their next single release ( without Beck ) was the almost equally strong recording "Little Games". This song was more immediately catchy, but with a great guitar playing from Page, showing that they were still a band with ambitions to be more than a hit-singles band. I remember it being played regularly on Danish radio in the summer of 1967, and it's hard to understand how it could fare even worse in the charts than "Happenings".
   
   Consequently the group was allowed only days in the studio to record an accompanying album. The album, also called "Little Games" was originally only released in the US, and though it contains many great songs, some of it may sound somewhat rushed.
   
   The original version contained 10 songs ( later reissues up till 16 ). The songs vary quite a lot a style.
   
   Fine blues rockers like "Smile on Me Baby" and "Drinking Muddy Water" are much in the same vein as the "Roger the Engineer" 1966 album.
   
   More commercial songs had been part of the Yardbirds' repertoire since the departure of Eric Clapton, and I always enjoyed this side of the band too.
   
   "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier", Sailor", "No Excess Baggage" and "Little Soldier Boy" are all great examples of this.
   
   "Little Soldier Boy" has often been criticized for been an under par recording. And I can agree that a little more time in the studio probably would not have harmed the song, but still it's one of my personal Yardbirds songs.
   
   There are also a couple of instrumentals on the album. "White Summer" is very reminiscent of "Black Mountain Side" on the first Zeppelin album, and "Glipmses" is a relatively long experimental track featuring strange sounds and voices, and a choir much like the one they did on "Still I'm Sad"
   
   Keith Relf's "Only the Black Rose" is an acoustic song, showing that Relf at this time probably already was seeking softer grounds.
   
   
   "Puzzles", which was the B-side of the "Little Games" single, was oddly not included on the first versions of the album. It is a great up-beat band composition, featuring a terrific guitar solo from Page. The song was recorded during the "Little Games" sessions, so it ought to have been included in the first place
   
   Of the other songs that were included on later versions of the album "Think About It" and "Goodnight Sweet Josephine" are great additions.
   
   These two very different recordings were the A and B side of the final Yardbirds single released in spring 1968.
   
   "Goodnight Sweet Josephine" is a very catchy commercial tune written by hitmaker Tony Hazzard ( "Fox on the Run", "Listen to Me" etc, ), and had it been released a year or two earlier, I'm sure it could have made it to the top of the singles charts. I prefer the version on CD 2 which I actually took for the original version.
   
   "Think About It" is another experimental track, clearly pointing in the direction of what was to come with "Led Zeppelin"
   
   
   "Ten Little Indians" is another fine but unsuccesful single from late 1967.
   
   CD 2 contains outtakes, alternate versions and 4 songs from Keith Relf and Jim McCarthy's "Together" project.
   
   Most alternate versions are great and as strong as the original album versions.
   
   Of the outtakes the instrumental "De Lane Lea Lee" could have easily been included on the original album, it's song in the same vein as "Glimpses"; most likely it was decided that two songs of that kind would be too much.
   
   "Never Mind" and "You Stole My Love" could also have been great additions, but both obviously are lacking vocals.
   
   "LSD" and the "Great Shakes" commercial are nice to have but nothing special.
   
   The "Together" tracks seem totally out of place here. I would have preferred the 4 songs that were recorded with both Page and Beck.
   
   The "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" / "Psycho Daisies" single, "Stroll On" and "Beck's Bolero" would have been logical choices.
   
   Still I consider this an essential release for any fan of progressive 1960's music.
   
   By the way, it deserves being noted that this 2 CD release contains a great 28 pages booklet with detailed band history, extensive discography, rare photos and notes to each track on the CD's.



3. First of all if you are reading this review then it is pressumed that you are either a Yardbirds fan of some degree or a fan of the mighty LZ and are looking for roots of Jimmy Page.

   You cannot just bulk all of their work together in a lump sum and praise or berate as a whole, every incarnation of this band stood alone according to the guitarist of the day. An example is the EC material in comparison to the Beck era material or even the Page era material, all must be listened to as seperate bodies of work or entities, as their guitarists were and are.

   This is the only available album of the Jimmy Page line up which at this time was a quartet of Page/Relf/McCarty/Dreja and is as much a real enjoyment as the other albums by this band, so many hints of the future direction of rock is apparent but not necessarily on first listen. That and the fact that this collection is amended with one or two missing classic tracks like 'LSD' or 'You stole my love', and a whole load of crap, from the commercial jingle, to the band "Together" songs,to the last singles this band ever recorded for release 'Good night sweet Josephine', 'Ha Ha said the clown', which are really light-hearted almost second rate Pop/schlock, to the one off cut of 'I remember the night', I still wonder why it was included.

   Apart from the fact that Mickie Most was the producer, which is an unfortunate oversight, the fact that many of the singles included to flesh out the package are also an oversight, this band could still rock and rock HARD. Listen to 'Think about it', 'You stole my love', 'No excess baggage', or even 'Tinker, tailor, soldier...,

   Evidence of things to come can be heard in the song 'Tinker, tailor.., when you hear the first recorded use of the violin bow during the middle break, or the interesting acoustic workout that is titled 'White Summer' which would reappear on the first LZ as 'Black Mountain Side'.

   Its a shame that this album doesn't get better reviews or reactions from the music industry then or now, one interesting fact is that All Music Guide (wether in their book or on their web site) rate this album higher than the studio album with Eric Clapton. As an added aside if you are interseted in this time period than any reader MUST have the latest disc release about this period called "Cumular Limit" which has several songs from this time which were never released or fully developed as songs, a rare find indeed.




4. This record got slammed when it was released. Producer Mickie Most knew nothing about rock n roll until he heard Jimmy Page blazing away on his Day-glo Telecaster with notes bent to the point of the neck falling apart (listen to "Smile on Me" again). Most basically had his ace session man John Paul Jones pop in on this one, so we get a glimpse of interplay with he and Page on the title track as well as "Tinker Tailor". Unfortunately, some really good material was trashed here and no one ever did a good version of "Little Soldier Boy". Fortunately, some incendiary bits have been gathered including a snarling instrumental version of The Mockingbird's "You Stole My Love" and the phased version of "Goodnight Sweet Josephine" featuring a Zep-style solo from Page. We also get the bowed guitar technique that Page may have nicked from The Creation's Eddie Phillips. Where Phillips scraped away with the violin bow, Page puts delicacy into the mix and we get more of a eerie atmosphere throughout("Puzzles, "Tinker Tailor" "Glimpses"). Even when some dopey pop travesties rear their silly heads every now and then (Ha Ha said the what????), it's still interesting to hear that they're trying something so odd for them. They actually add to the power of the stronger tracks.
   No evaluation of this extraordinary Yardbird-Pre-Zep collector's wet dream can be complete without dishing props to "Think About It". Ever wondered where the climatic rev-up after the bowed segment of Led Zeppelin's version of Jake Holmes'"Dazed and Confused" came from need look no further..here is the Psolo of solos..note for note in its original (albeit mono) glory. Page definetly earned his chops with this stuff and for any Yardbird fan, this comprhensive double decker easily serves up the most interesting Yardbird material just because of it's numerous glimpses to the future when a Zeppelin would rule the next era in rock n roll!



5. An appreciation of this odds and sods album of these late-period (1967-68) Yardbirds recordings probably depends on one's affection for either the band or Jimmy Page. The LITTLE GAMES era was the most erratic of this band's manic career, alternating between sheer genius (the volcanic fury of "Think About It", the hypnotic sound collage of "Glimpses") and the flat-out awful ("Ha, Ha Said the Clown," "Goodnight Sweet Josephine") with the occasional hidden nugget in between. Hackmeister Mickie Most apparently confused this heavy ensemble with his agonisingly winsome hitmakers Herman's Hermits as he rushed the Yardbirds through two days of haphazard, half-baked recording sessions that were the norm for bucktoothed Peter Noone and co. The group's creativity was still evident, although the songs are even sketchier than those on ROGER THE ENGINEER. Page fantatics will be thrilled to hear his acoustic opus "White Summer" (shamelessly ripped off from "She Moves Through the Fair") while "Glimpses" is Keith Relf reciting a bizarre poem through a wah-wah pedal as Page weaves chaos around him. A masterpiece. The giddy take on the jugband standard "Stealing Stealing" is likeably goofy (love the kazoo and Keith's harp!), although it sounds more like a demo than a complete song. "Little Soldier Boy" is a wrongheaded attempt to wed the willful naivety of Donovan with Vietnam-era anti-war politicking---a gag-inducing cocktail (see Eric Burdon). It also sounds incomplete - note Jim McCarty's riotous vocal impersonation of a trumpet. "No Excess Baggage" is spiffy power pop with some fine John Paul Jones bass bursts (Chris Dreja seems to have been shunted to the background on this LP), though the tune seems more appropriate for the 1965 Animals (FYI: the song's writers also penned "It's My Life"). "Smile On Me" sounds like another rehearsal take, but it still kicks, thanks to Page's greasy guitar riffs. "Tinker Tailor..." is famous for Page's bowed guitar solo, but Relf delivers McCarty's playfully yearning lyrics with brooding grace, and overall, it has a real driving Mod feel. Love McCarty's snap beats on the tom-toms that kick off the second verse. "Little Games" has an infectious rhythm, and Page's guitar artfully blends with John Paul Jones's cello, but the corny coming-of-age lyric ("gold fish and jam jars...?") is stupid. "Drinking Muddy Water" is a driving knockoff of "Rollin' and Tumblin'" dominated by Page and Relf's guitar-harp trade offs. Enhanced with backward percussion and a ghostly vocal, "Only the Black Rose" is Keith Relf's medieval folk-pop acme. Harry Nilsson's weird hip-kiddie lament "Ten Little Indians" is an acquired taste, but it did grow on me. Relf's whispered countdown from 10 to 1 is backed by an army of Page overdubs and horns arranged by the ubiquitous Jones. "Think About It" is the Yardies' proto-Zep attempt at heavy metal, and it is a killer track. Relf's ghostly voice guides listeners into Page's blazing solo, backed by Dreja's finest recorded bass work (no Jones here) and McCarty's fluid around-the-kit drum rolls. "Ha Ha Said the Clown" and "Goodnight Sweet Josephine" are dreadful attempts at Manfred Mann-style Swinging London pop. The alternate takes that take up the rest of the CDs are listenable (the mono version of "Little Games" outstrips the stereo), and "De Lane Lea Lee" is trippy enough, though Page's narrative is annoyingly buried in the mix. The "Great Shakes" jingle (aping "Over Under Sideways Down") is a cute addition too. The Together tracks are more in the Incredible String Band mode than the Yardbirds, as Keith Relf and Jim McCarty warm up for their formation of Renaissance. LITTLE GAMES has its pleasures, but its slapdash feel will not appeal to everyone. If you're a Yardbirds fan, pick it up (Greg Russo's liner notes are definitive, and he did a masterful job re-mastering the recordings), but casual fans will likely be put off by the horridly camp and poppy material like "..Clown."

1 comments about Chess Rhythm & Roll.

1. This is one impresssive box set, four discs and an excellent 64-page booklet.
   "Chess Rhythm & Roll" brings together excactly 99 Chess singles recorded between 1947 and 1967, and while Chess records is better known as the home of men like Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, the Chess brothers also had many of the earliest (and best) rock n' rollers in their stable. This is rock n' roll, R&B, and a bit of soul, pop, blues and doo-wop as well, and this lavish collection far exceeds your average "oldies" package.
   
   The sound is every bit as good as you can expect from material dating back to the 40s and 50s. Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley are here, of course, two of the label's biggest stars, but it's the attention given to lesser-known artists and "one hit wonders" which makes "Chess Rhythm & Roll" so remarkable.
   We all know "See You Later Alligator", "At Last", "Johnny B. Goode" and "Suzie Q", but how about "Goin' To The River" by Bill & Will, "Country Girl" by the Four Tops, Paul Gayten's driving instrumental "Nervous Boogie", or Clarence 'Frogman' Henry's swinging "Lady With The Hat Box"?
   Some of these tunes are probably more familiar to all you Americans than to a thirty-something European like me...but there are numerous songs here (39 in all) which are not just rarities, they have never been available in LP format before, and in many cases have not seen release at all until this collection came out in '94.
   
   Not everything is top-notch, obviously, but very few of these 99 songs are anything less than good. "Chess Rhythm & Roll" is a find for anyone with an interest in "proto-rock n' roll", an exceptionally handsome and well-made box set, and a terrific companion volume to Chess' other big box set, "Chess Blues".
   Pick up "Chess Rhythm & Roll", and you'll be surprised at the overall quality of the material assembled here.

1 comments about Shake That Thing: East Coast Blues 1935-1953.

1. JSP Records has assembled a nice collection of early blues [1935 and on]from three super musicians, Gabriel Brown, Dan Pickett and Ralph Willis. Great guitar playing and super slide work along with some really fine vocals. Recording transfers are very good to the CD format and remastering brings the sound out quite well. This set is a good addition to real blues collections from the period of mid-1900's. Also check out 'Big Joe Williams and the Stars of the Mississippi Blues', 'Texas Blues', and 'Broke, Black and Blue' collections. This stuff is the real deal. No "white-boy" blues fooling around here, just real down to earth, raw and real music from the heart and soul.