5 comments about The Dark Horse Years 1976-1992.

1. George Harrison had probably one of the most disappointing Beatle solo careers, especially when you consider just how FABULOUS and AWESOME his debut 3 record set All things Must Pass was.
   
   This compilation unfortunately highlights more of the blandness and flaws of George's solo career by leaving off the Living in the Material World and Extra Texture stuff entirely and starting with the music on his Dark Horse label/era.
   
   Overall there are some very good songs spread throughout all (but Gone Troppo which along with George's Dark Horse LP (not in this set) are one of the worst records in the history of rock and roll). Many of these albums have a few decent songs whose impact gets hidden with all the blandness and repetiiveness that surrounds them.....they just don't have the punch and certainly don't live up to his debut, Brainwashed, his work with the Traveling Wilburies.
   
   I think a proper boxed set should be created. See below for more details. Of the albums here, only Cloud Nine has any merit as a full record (it's actually a very decent album, not great, but still in many ways excellent). His self titled album is decent, but horribly bland, even if the songwriting is a bit back to form, and it's horribly produced. The rest easily have cherry pick 1 or 2 song moments....
   
   Ultimately I'd like to see a 4 disc George Set that removed a lot of the filler (allow the completists to buy everything, George and really all the solo Beatles aren't worthy of this complete album boxed set treatment--even sadly John--and I'm a freak fan that owns all of his solo stuff sans Unfinished no 3--.
   
   
   MUCH OF THE first part of the BELOW was copied from my own post on a comment to the Best of George Harrison (the best of that is mostly Beatle tunes). I felt why not include a full review here though.
   
   
   
   I'd like a 4 disc set from George that had the highlights of his career and includes his great Spector demos from before the All Things Sessions.....This set should be sold both in the all 4 disc format, and there should also be a best of the "also" years set that allows fans to buy the best of his post All Things career--but unfortunately forces megafans to buy the entire set in order to get the Spector Demos disc (although many mega fans--me included--already have the bootlegged copy. It could also include the "dvd" this set came with, but hopefully this time with a bit more concert meat....and/or a short documentary that focuses more on his solo career, 1974 tour, and "lost period" struggles instead of Shanghai surprise.
   
   For this I'd package a 4 disc set: First disc takes the entire first record of ATMP, adds I Dig Love, Hear Me Lord and maybe the 2nd version of Isn't it a Pity (although that's very similar to v1, so only if time allows).
   
   Then I'd have key tracks from his other records fill up the next 2 cd's maybe with a nice demo or two: Give Me Love, Don't Let Me Wait too Long, Try Some Buy Some, Living in the Material World, That is All, Dark Horse, You, This Guitar (Can't Keep From Crying), Here Comes the Moon, The Answers at the End, Can't Stop Thinking About You, Oooh Baby (You KNow I Love You)--A song I'd love to see get covered by a soul artist, Beautiful Girl, Not Guilty, Blow Away, Dark Sweet Lady, All THose Years Ago, When We Was Fab, Cloud 9, Got my Mind Set On You, Crackerbox Palace, Cheer Down, Any Road, Pisces Fish, Marwa Blues--just since it won a grammy and all, Stuck Inside a Cloud, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, Never Get Over You, Traveling Wilburies--Handle With Care, End of the Line, Last Night....
   
   Then I'd fill the 4th disc with the Phil Spector Demos (at least the best of them from All Things Must Pass sessions (I'd also love to hear a less produced version of the great YOU that I don't have) and a series of the best live songs from George's portion of Bangladesh, 1974 tour and live in Japan....
   
   I would leave all of the Beatles stuff off (beside's George's solo live recordings of Beatles songs) because anyone who bought this set would undoubtably have much if not all the Beatles stuff....
   
   But why oh why did we have to get that Dark Horse Year's boxed set a few year's back that pretty much anthologized and pooled all of the really weak era George?....why too isn't the song Cheer Down and album Extra Texture at least available on iTunes? Extra Texture actually is probably his 3rd best record besides ATMP and Brainwashed....Living in the Material World has its share of very good songs but is just so damn preachy and over the course of the album gets a bit bland even with its individual song highs....the rest of his albums are mostly a bore, but have a few gems amidst them.
   
   A True COMPILATION of George is more than necessary....sell as a full set and also sell the 2 middle discs as an individual set (allowing fans to either buy all in to get the Spector demos) or buy the best of the worst for the Post All Things stuff.
   
   Then after a good boxed set comes out with his mostly released work, let's get a 1-2 cd anthology type of set that focuses more on the songs he recorded that didn't see the light of day....he supposedly has a nice vault of this stuff that I've never seen/heard in bootlegged form.
   
   The songs listed above paint a great picture of George's solo career, one that might make his solo career appear much more substantial than it actually was, and might give George more merit to stand next to Lennon as the best solo Beatle--John had some fabulous songs, and overall made much better, more consistent solo records, but George also had his share of great tunes, unfortunately hidden amongst a series of bland (1-2 star records). By removing the blandness and focusing on the highs, one can see George's true talents shine. George is the one Beatle who really should have formed a band after the breakup, he really had a knack for making a great 2-3 songs on each album..... His albums tend to be so weak that they completely dillute his solo accomplishments (besides the debut and the denouement that is)...
   
   Just my thoughts....I further wouldn't buy this set (I have all the individual albums and I have seen the DVD by renting it at our library) (besides the fact that it'll be a disappointment for all but the mega huge fan) because it's so freaking pricey and there is so little extra material. At least they could have added 6-7 bonus tracks to each record (instead of the token 1) and made a longer, more detailed DVD.....
   
   I would hardly recommend this as it's presented today.
   
   Quick Individual Album reviews included in this set:
   33 & 1/3: 2 stars. Not bad, not terribly memorable and unlike some of the others doesn't have many really good gems amidst the bore. This one just doesn't have the low's of the other records, so it maintains a steady below avg mark.
   
   George Harrison: 2.5 stars. Seems like a masterpiece compared to the other tracks on here....but is so shoddilly produced and bland that a lot of its gems get lost. 4-5 great tunes though (See above) the rest is pretty much a bore, but I do kind of like the almost Todd Rundgren esque Love Comes to Everyone (which I may reconsider including in the above). Still this one is too slick and George's voice isn't stellar enough for the slick backgrounds. He probably spent 2 weeks making this one (instead of 2 days like many of the others).
   
   Somewhere in England. 1.5 stars "All Those Years Ago" is really the song giving this the extra .5 stars (one of the best George solo songs). Hardly memorable.
   
   Gone Troppo: 0.25 stars. Quite simply the worst Beatle solo record--even beating all those unfinished music musings from John, dated 80's Paul, and RINGO's crud if you can believe that. THis is dated music to be sure, but there's hardly a good song on here (unless you oddly like Gone Troppo or this sheen version of Circles...I don't and I hate the record). This guy even beat George's Dark Horse album for his worst record--Dark Horse had a tune or two on it but remains the worst produced record of his life and the one that really highlights how bad George's voice was during the mid 70s....
   
   Cloud Nine: 4 stars....might be the best Beatle record of the 1980s (although Double Fantasy was quite good). This one is pretty solid throughout, and Jeff Lynne tinkers but hardly ruins, he actually finds ways to make George seem like a good singer again, which is nice. Refreshing the album also showed a critical rebirth for George (who would really keep this up with the Wilbury's and Brainwashed, even if he only recorded sporadically thereafter).
   
   Live in Japan: 1.5 stars....on paper this seems like a gem, George and Eric Clapton on the road in Japan with a fabulous track listing....unfortunately all it sounds like is extra slick versions of Beatle songs and solo songs.....extremely disappointing, they seem to go through the motions. Might have been better to have been there, but this is a terribly unexciting live record (and therefore a failure, since excitment is what people like to hear in live recordings).
   
   The DVD is ok, too short, and not too memorable, but it's at least an extra.



2. First of all, I really appreciate George Harrison. By all accounts, he was always trying to live, do and be right. His music is a testimony to this. Few other real rock stars are singing songs about life in God (or god...he sings about both).
   
   The Dark Horse Years is a great way to find out who George was within his music. Honestly, much of this music is plagued with an 80's sound...but that doesn't, for me at least, negate the songs lyrically or musically. In spite the 80's sound, George Harrison's rarely acknowleged talent comes bursting through on every song. "Gone Troppo" is my favorite of the albums within this set. George sounds like he feels good on this album. You can hear it. All other albums in this set are very enjoyable. The videos are good,too, and you get to hear George discuss how some of his songs came about.
   
   
   The "Live in Japan" cd is excellent and fresh. Eric Clapton and George Harrison are a truly powerful duo. You also get to witness some of this on the video.
   
   If you are a die-hard Beatle fan, The Dark Horse Years is for you. Ringo is on many songs, too.
   
   One of the best things about this set of music is that it is the actual albums for these years. Songs are presented on each album in the order they were originally meant to be heard or in the order we are used to hearing them. Why aren't more artist compilations like this?
   
   2 other albums that are essential to round out the George Harrison collection: "All Things Must Pass" and "Living In a Material World."



3. This is a 5 star (and more)investment. A must for fans of Harrison and all fans of music....everywhere
   
   It seems as if nothing else in the world can bind 7 continents of peeps, except music, and so Mr. Harrison actually lives, lives on through his music, most of which I actually heard for the first time.
   
   In 1974, I walked away from Harrison's music. I didn't get it. Now I do, and the only thing wrong with Harrison (tongue in cheek) is that he was way to old when he was so young. Perhaps we have all caught up with him now, and so now we have Amazon to provide us with Harrison's treasure chest of gems, spanning the years of his musical journey. This collection is a jewel in the crown of a musician who unfortunately left us too soon. With the Dark Horse Years collection, every time we play the music, George is very much here with us....
   
   
   RIP, Our Sweet George.
   
   From the Blonde Rocker.



4. George Harrison intended Dark Horse Records to be part of Herb Alpert's A&M Records family. He produced at least two records, on the Dark Horse label, and through A&M, they were: Splinter and Ravi Shankar Family and Friends. George was a prominent musician on both works, as well as producer. He took all the musicians who appeared on Family and Friends, and toured the US. It was promoted as the Dark Horse tour. After about three or four performances, George's voice was thrashed. He came down with jaundice. The tour was in two parts: first an Indian music program, and then rock and roll. It was panned generally. I believe at one point George actually admonished his audience: "I don't know about you, but you seem pretty dead from up here." There is a picture of George posing with President Gerald Ford, his son Jack, and Ravi Shankar, at the White House. ALso, according to George's autobiography, he got into drinking heavily, his marriage broke up, he met Olivia, had a son, got married again.
   The last George Harrison album to be produced by EMI was Extra Texture. The first George harrison album to be produced on Dark Horse was Thirty Three and a Third, which has, like the Beatle's Revolver, multi-meanings: George's age was 33, an LP plays at 33 and 1/3 RPMs. The difference, musically, spiritually, is most significant. Extra Texture had songs that were like a funeral. Dark, life at its ebb. Suicidal. Thirty Three and a Third bursts with life from the first track. And so on until Cloud Nine. George would announce he had "retired" between each Dark Horse record. His reasoning for doing "George Harrison", for example, was that racing car drivers had asked him if he was still recording. SO he wrote "Faster" for them, and a fine, beautiful LP along with it. Love songs, old Beatle songs. It is a wonderful record.
   Even Gone Troppo has a sense of lazy, sun on your face, I'm lying here on the beach of Hawaii and now let's go into the studio and do a song, eh chaps? He was doing things at HIS pace. When He wanted. Not when MR. RECORD COMPANY EXECUTIVE WANTED. Actually George had a very good relation with the president of Warner Brothers Records, who originally released all of George's Dark Horse works. He even convinced him to use recycled paper for LP covers, etc.
   And it is interesting to note that, for all his complaining about The Beatles era, of all the solo Beatle record releases, George's sound most like the traditional "Beatle sound". It has to do with his guitar playing. That was the heart and soul of the "Beatle sound." Try as they may, none of the other Beatles were ever able to get a lead guitarist who could come close to measuring up to George. SO, this is what you get from The Dark Horse Years: George, doing his music, as he wanted to, without any pressure, and when he was pressured, he wrote songs like "Blood From A Clone". It is a unique set of pop music, and singularly personal.



5. george the creative genius who made two classic album in 1971 "all things must pass" and 1973 "living in the material world" then in the late 70's i think george set up his own record label "dark horse" with the great artwork george really set himself up..
   this boxset being a wonderful edition for fans and die hard completists yeah you may have them..but i would just buy it just for the box itself..well i didn't i got it last christmas and i have no of the albums so it was a real treasure to discover some of george's high's that i'd never known about..
   featuring his smash comeback album "cloud 9" which features guitar blues god eric clapton
   my other favorite album is "gone troppo" i was shocked to hear this has been voted george's worst album by the critics it's a fantastic entertaining album that's one of his best and the demo version of mystical one" were you hear the rain fall is beautiful while he tries to gather paper to write the song
   
   my other favorite album is "thirty three and a third" featuring the classic single "crackerbox palace"
   "somewhere in england" and "george harrison" aren't my favorite albums but that's not to say there bad..just not my favorite but someone might love them it's just my opipion
   
   all in all a fantastic box..from a legendary genius who's solo efforts are out-shined by the big MACCA shame really because george's done far better things than macca could ever think of,
   
   oh yeah the dvd is excellent too with all his video's great little humourus interview comments and some great live performances
   god bless you george harrison we miss you..
   "all things must pass away"
   the love you give is the love you make

No comments about The Look of Love: The Burt Bacharach Collection.

No comments about The Beatles, CD box set with wood case.

3 comments about Roots Remain.

1. If you like great Southern fried music, pick this one up. Here, you have a sampling of every CDB album on Epic Records. I will caution you, though, that this music is addictive. This won't be the last CDB music you'll ever buy. I am a fanatic, so I have to have almost everything that Charlie ever recorded. This began when I seriously started to absorb this set. It's definitely worth the money. This also makes for a great autograph item, if you ever get a chance to meet Charlie. He's a good guy!



2. Charlie Daniels is first and always a musician. Early in his career he was one of the top session musicians in Nashville playing on numerous albums, including Dylan's "Nashville Skyline". Starting with his quirky hit "Uneasy Rider" he began to play and sing his own music. One thing I always liked about Daniels is he never sold out his music. He played what he wanted to play, and if he received awards, great. If not, oh well.

   This boxed set includes a wide range of music, from Southern Rock to country, from pop to rock. One of my favorite two albums of his, "Fire on the Mountain" and "Saddle Tramp" are well represented here. The absolutely BEST song here is "No place to go" a live song from the first Volenteer Jam. This piece is about 12 minutes long and includes some of the best guitar work I've ever heard. Some of his hits that are included here are "The South's Going to do it Again", "Still in Saigon", and of course "The Devil went down to Georgia". But don't just listen to the hits. There is so much more here. "Saddle Tramp" is a wonderful 10 minute piece that has a great jam session on it, "Billy the Kid" is another first class rocker that gives the band a chance to let it loose, and "In America" recorded in the late 70's, is a great call for America to return to greatness. Disc 3 is probably my least favorite disc, and the reason I don't give this set a 5 star rating, but it does include a very interesting version of Clapton's "Layla"

   Overall, this is a great collection. If you want the definitive Charlie Daniels "Greatest Hits" collection then go no further than this box set. If your looking for just the hits then I recommend the earlier greatest hits package "A Decade of Hits"




3. Country-rock giant (physically and musically) Charlie Daniels' career output defies easy categorization. Beginning as a straight ahead rocker, who produced blues guitarist Roy Buchanan's debut album and the Youngblood's "Get Together" Daniels did not find solo success until 1973's hippy mini-saga "Uneasy Rider," the tale of a long hair who has a flat tire outside a redneck bar in Jackson, Mississippi. Daniels' next flirtation with fame was the country-rock anthem "The South's Gonna Do It Again." His follow-up, however, was the seemingly contradictory, "Long Haired Country Boy" about a long haired redneck who enjoyed "getting drunk in the morning and high in the afternoon." Not exactly your typical country Top 40, especially in 1974. These hit singles and the mega-hit album "Fire On The Mountain" also from 1974, put CDB (Charlie Daniels Band) on both the pop and country musical maps, and set the tone for their output of the next 20 years. Mixing country ethos with rock-style playing, Daniels and co. became favorites of hippies and rednecks alike, and while he has moved further and further to the right politically, he has never isolated himself from the fun-loving long-haired crowd. "The Roots Remain" encapsulates CDB's recorded output from 1973-1992 when they departed Epic Records. The 45 tracks and more than 3 hours of music contained in the set include all his big hits as well as essential album tracks. Daniels' political leanings have always been evident, especially in works such as "The South's Gonna Do It Again," "In America," "Still In Saigon," and the American Farmer." Mixing country fiddle with rock guitar, CDB epics such as the 11:27 version of "No Place To Go" and the 10:53 version of "Saddle Tramp" display ample evidence of the band's instrumental prowess. While the Charlie and band may be immune to musical pigeonholing, they certainly know how to have a good time and to share that good time with the listener. "The Roots Remain" is a wonderful distillation of the first 20 years of the Charlie Daniels Band, and as such belongs in the collection of country-rock, rock, and country music fans alike, right next to fellow Southern rock artists such as the Allman Brothers and the Marshall Tucker Band.

3 comments about Instant Live: The Fox Box.

1. Having recently read "Skydog", the late Duane Allman new highly informative biograpy, i was compelled to go back and taste some of the Allman Brothers old standbys. "The Fillmore Concerts" and "Eat a peach" immediatley came to mind, particularly since Duane still burns live on them. But even an old goat who's been glued to the Allmans since the late 60's, can reach a point in which he predicts the next bottle slide on Duane's Gibson and Dickey Betts response riff. it doesn't get boring necessarily. it gets predictable. Which is one roadmark on the way to classic rock's funeral.
   
   Browsing through ABB's category on AMAZON, I cam across "Instant Live: The Fox Box". Nine (count them!) discs of two performances in Atlanta, Georgia. The price, 90$, seemed a bit steep, but i was quick to do the math: 10$ a disc. Call me crazy. Call me the Breeze. But i'm the lunatic who'd pay 10 dollars to hear Gregg Allman singing the "Band"'s "The Night they Drove Old Dixie Down". Not only for removing the confedracy's flag from four Canadians and one American who gave it to us. But to hear the Allmans - in Atlanta of all places - make it their own. God bless Levon Helm and his sweet soulful voice, but the mature, sober and gravelly Allman, gives "Dixie" a brand new dimension. With the great Warren Haynes wailing on the right track while gallantly making way for Derek Trucks sliding on the left, the Allmans tear through most of their own repertoire, even manhandling Betts' "Blue Sky", which means war.
   
   But the greatness of this particular exciting box-set is what the Allmans do to old "Derek & the Dominos" numbers, where Eric Clapton And Duane founded the twin guitars solidarity movement. Since I was Ipoding the Allmans, I couldn't halp switching back and forth between the Allmans and the Dominos versions of "Key To The Highway". No one in his right mind will detract from the greatness Clapton/Allman acheived in 1970, but Haynes/Trucks take this blues standard to a new plateau. And "Layla". I've recently saw Clapton and Truck in New York, and it's hard to watch Clapton prepping himself to give "Layla" one more twirl after 36 years. The Allmans tear it to pieces.
   Nine discs and many hours later, totally ragged, shattered and torn, the
   "Fox Box" leave you panting for more. wishing somebody had the sense to run video with this show, and spring a triple DVD on us, sometimes when we're the least ready.



2. There will come a time when the current Allman Brothers Band line-up-- originals Gregg Allman (keys/vox), Jaimoe (dms), Butch Trucks (dms), plus Derek Trucks (gtr), Warren Haynes (gtr/vox), Oteil Burbridge (bass/sometimes vox), and Marc Quinones (perc/backing vox)-- will be universally hailed as the second classic line-up of this band. Haynes and Trucks are two of the greatest, hottest guitar players of our time, and it is hard to fathom that there is enough room in one band for both of them to shine. Haynes began his second stint in the band in March 2001, the last piece to the puzzle of this configuration, and within 2 years they had begun to alight into a realm of improvisational, smoldering jazzy blues that is truly magical.
   
   Of course the best way to appreciate this band is live, and in September 2004 they touched down in Atlanta for a 3-night run at the beautiful Fox Theater. Thanks to the Instant Live program, these three shows were captured for posterity. It was a fantastic run-- I was at all 3 shows-- and if you have the bandwidth and appetite to consume a live 9-disc set, this will charm and delight and surprise you for years to come.
   
   Over the course of these three nights, the band repeats only one song: "Dreams," which was played each show. But as Warren Haynes pointed out after the third show, "even those are all different"-- because a different player each night takes the extended and lyrical guitar solo that creates the drama and tension of the piece. The first night it is guest and former band member Jackie Pearson; the second night it is Derek Trucks; and the final night, Haynes steps out and shovels coal on the fire. And indeed, each player tells the musical story of the song in a different way.
   
   The middle show (9/25) is the real keeper. The setlist was amazing, and it was the first rendition of "Blue Sky" since the song's author, Dickey Betts, had left the band (Allman handles the vocals; the song is back in its original key.) The opening of the show features a taste of the overture that begins "Les Brers in A Minor," and then deep into the second set they return and play the song, in stirring fashion, picking up precisely where the opening overture had left off. (Four days later the band would record a live rendition of their classic Eat a Peach album for XM radio; this gig was essentially a dress rehearsal of both "Blue Sky" and "Les Brers," which are both on that record.)
   
   But all three shows are outstanding, and taken as a whole-- a movement in three nights, as it were-- the set is astounding. A skeptic might think 3 drummers is jamband excess, but listen to the intricate web they weave together, the elder Trucks driving the train, Jaimoe anchoring and accenting the rhythm (they play like one man with 4 hands), and Quinones splashing color over the top. You can hear Quinones to good affect on "Elizabeth Reed," in the way he helps create the Latin vibe at the song's outset. And the guitars are like liquid fire and ice for your ears.
   
   If any of these 3 shows had been released alone and given a big record company push, you'd probably know it by reputation as one of the best live albums of the past 25 years. As it is, hear it like one of those grand Miles Davis quintet or Coltrane quartet live boxes-- a feast of group improvisational playing, quintessentially American (and southern) music.
   
   If you're wondering about the sound quality, the Instant Lives are to my ears better than traditional live albums because they blend the fidelity of the soundboard recording with the ambiance of strategically placed audience mics. They sound great.
   
   -------------
   
   A previous reviewer notes that this is not the Fox Box. Indeed, it is in fact the Fox Box. There is (as of this writing) an incorrect listing on this page which describes the "West's Best" set as opposed to the "Fox Box" set. But the cover art and the track listings make clear that this product is indeed the Fox Box, and that it is the product description that is in error.



3. The Fox Box is a 3 night run at The Fox Theatre in Atlanta Georgia, on Sept. 24, 25 & 26th, 2004. The shows listed hear are all great shows, and it is a good price. If jam band music is your thing, ABB is as good as it gets!

5 comments about Singles Collection: The London Years.

1. THE ROLLING STONES SINGLES COLLECTION * THE LONDON YEARS consists of three CDs packed in the LP-sized box that was in vogue 10 or 15 years ago-- in hindsight, a wastefully expensive package. The included 72-page giant book is of recycled-quality paper. It's pages are dyed several starkly annoying colors, and all graphics are in low-grade B&W. Two pages of text in front, and two in back bookend the spread out song lyrics and lousy-looking photos. A hack job, design-wise.
   
   The music is little better, sonically. There's a persistent dullness to a lot of these tracks. Andrew Oldham is credited with oversight of this project, so it's surprising that the transfers aren't more vibrant. This great material has been badly served. Recommended only for serious fans or completists. A middling rating for a mediocre product.
   
   TOTAL RUNNING TIMES --
   DISC ONE -- 66:41
   DISC TWO -- 68:27
   DISC THREE -- 49:39



2. stones at thier best
   the londen years proves that early stones are the best



3. A comprehensive collection of single releases from 1963-71 which is far more than it proclaims in it's title. This is the most complete collection of Rolling Stones singles and b-sides available on CD format. From their first in June of 1963 (Come On b/w I Want to Be Loved), you will find almost every aspect of the Stones singles material represented, including British flip-sides and Decca/London singles released after 1971. This 3CD (4LP) set overlaps thirty-five (35) songs from the Hot Rocks collections (4CDs), but offers an additional twenty-three (23) selections. Remaining true to the singles, songs such as Sympathy For the Devil, You Can't Always Get What You Want, and Dandelion are heard as they were in their original edited (or extended) "single" form for this album. note-though it would have been a great highlight, this collection does not contain Street Fighting Man as it is heard in it's initial 7" form, that version remains otherwise unavailable on any official CD or LP. When the song Wild Horses was released as a single, it's b-side Sway was found in alternate form as well; that recording was not owned by Decca/London, and thus was not included in this collection.



4. What a great idea! While their most noteworthy contemporaries, the Beatles, were one of the first bands to explore the possibilities of creating great albums, by and large the Stones remained a band that created listenable, danceable, rockable hit singles. (There were some exceptional albums, however, such as Aftermath and Beggars Banquet.) So, their original record company has a great idea: Why not gather together ALL the Stones singles (the ones released on the London label from the years 1963-1976) with their flip sides (both US and UK) and release them in one great big beautiful box! Brilliant, huh??? Actually, it is an excellent concept and, for the most part, well executed. It is true that many of the Stones great singles are here: "Satisfaction," "Get Off of My Cloud," "Brown Sugar," "Let's Spend the Night Together," etc. It is also true that many of their lesser known singles and fabulous flips (B-sides) are here as well. Many other bands would feel very lucky to have just one song as good as "The Spider and the Fly," "The Under-assistant West Cost Promotion Man," "Play With Fire," "Little Red Rooster," and "Ruby Tuesday". So, that means it's a perfect compilation, right? Well, not quite. For one thing, both hits and flips include a lot of clunkers, such as "Sad Day", "Memo from Turner," "The Singer Not the Song" and "Surprise, Surprise." Also included are some of the mid-sixties demos later gathered on the album Metamorphosis, such as "I Don't Know Why" and "Jiving Sister Fanny." They are interesting ideas, but obviously unfinished. Finally, since this is a singles collection, that means we get the cut version of "You Can't Always Get What You Want." Most listeners will no doubt want the full version that contains the choral section at the beginning, found on the Let It Bleed album. Still, over 3/4 of the cuts are worthwhile, and many are classics not easy to find in one place. So, grab your boxers, put on this box, and rock this town!!!



5. This is the only Rolling Stones album I have, and I must say that it is quite exceptional. When I first got the album I was amazed by how many songs I had heard and enjoyed, and yet how many more great quality songs were available to learn. Now I can't imagine a time when I didn't know these songs, they are so good. I have listened to this collection many many times, and yes, the Stones are definitely as good as you've heard. Since I (haven't had the chance to) have not followed their career throughout time, I feel inadequate to say too much about the Stones except to say that I REALLY enjoy this set and highly recommend it to others. The new remastered set would be good, except it hasn't nearly the same amount of music and alot of redundancy to this set. I also don't know how much the improvement of remastering will do, these songs sound great as presented here. Since the Stones have much more blues sound than the beatles or other sixties contemporaries, I really like their sound. My favorite highlights: Come On (Chuck Berry did it, but this one really cooks,) Little Red Rooster (almost better than Howlin' Wolf's version,) Get Off My Cloud, Mother's Little Helper, Paint it Black, Sympathy for the Devil, etc. etc. etc. Don't miss out on this legendary rock band and this great set.

No comments about 60s Rock n' Roll.

5 comments about Collector's Gold.

1. As one reviewer points out, this is one of the Elvis compilations you don't see too often anymore - either in stores or through on-line services. One reason it might be hard to find here is the sub-title spelling of "Collector's Gold." In fact, there is no apostrophe and when I searched under Collectors Gold - which is the way it's written on the cover - I failed to get a return.
   
   Anyway, I found it and now I'd like to tell those of you who don't yet have a copy that it is just one more "essential" ingredient for your Elvis collection. The three discs are subtitled Hollywood - Nashville - and Live In Las Vegas, and each contains a mixture of material readily available on numerous other compilations along with some tracks you just don't see outside of the expensive multi-disc box sets.
   
   On disc 1 these would include Big Boots, the lullaby he sung to a baby in 1950's G. I. Blues, Beyond the Bend, a bouncy tune from It Happened At The World's Fair in 1962, and A Whistling Tune, penned by Hal David and Sherman Edwards for the film Kid Galahad in 1961.
   
   In that category on disc two are I Want You With Me, a 12-bar rocker with drums and an energy that harkens back to the late 1950s - but first released on the LP Something For Everybody in 1961. And the Doc Pomus - Mort Schuman tune Night Rider, released on the 1962 LP Pot Luck, is an uptempo swinger that shows Elvis at his full energy. The Las Vegas disc is, as one reviewer has already pointed out, almost worth the price alone.
   
   Topping off the package are the 12 pages of liner notes written in 1991 by Christopher Niccoli, a discography of the contents, and photos of Elvis with the likes of the Colonel, Pat Boone and Juliet Prowse, Ann-Margret, and Ol' Blue Eyes himself, the immortal Frank Sinatra.
   
   This should be both prominently displayed early on in the Elvis listings AND re-released as soon as possible.



2. This was one of the earliest collections of rare Elvis material ever released. It features 50 (mostly) unreleased tracks from the 1960s. The set is broken up into three discs: Hollywood, Nashville and Live in Las Vegas. People often criticize the Hollywood (soundtrack) material from the '60s, and rightly so, but the songs here are well chosen and entertaining. They are alternate takes which are sometimes better than the takes that actually got used way back when. A lot of good material was recorded in Nashville in the '60s, so it's no surprise that this collection of alternate takes is very good. The Live in Las Vegas disc features songs recorded in August of 1969 at the International. Very good material, including the infamous "laughing" version of "Are You Lonesome Tonight". This collection really is "gold" for Elvis collectors.



3. With 47 previously unreleased performances this really is essential Elvis Presley from beginning to end. The only live version of 'Rubberneckin' is here, along with other gems such as 'This Is The Story,' 'Inherit The Wind' & 'Reconsider Baby.' The hard-to-find 'Are You Lonesome Tonight (laughing version)' is also here and sounds great within the context of such a dynamite live show. Elvis even sings "Happy Birthday" to James Burton. - shopelvis australia
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   'Collector's Gold' was the first time that Ernst & Co had scoured the Elvis vaults to compile a set of undiscovered gems for a mainstream release.
   
   All the CDs were themed (which is why 'Elvis : Close Up' works so well) and, after the few & far between outtakes we had been getting over the years, 'Collector's Gold' really was a treasure chest of Elvis goodies.
   
   The 'Hollywood' CD stuns, from the first very different version of 'G.I Blues' to the rare 'How Can You Lose What You Never Had.' The longer 'movie' version of 'One Broken Heart For Sale' was released here for the first time and the Elvis solo version of 'Lonely Man' is astounding. The brilliant 'So Close Yet So Far' take 4, is still unavailable anywhere else, even on the new 'Harum Scarum' extended FTD.
   
   The 'Nashville' CD is one of the best selections ever released, featuring eight "first takes" and showing Elvis at his 60's creative best. The dynamite blues of the unreleased take of 'Give Me The Right' is worth the price of admission alone but tracks like 'Like A Baby,' 'Memphis Tennessee' (Jungle 1963 version) & 'Love Letters' are also revelations. All these help demonstrate how Elvis was producing some astounding material while The Colonel pushed the lackluster movie soundtracks.
   
   However it is the 'Las Vegas' 1969 CD that is the real stunner featuring a collection of fabulous rarities. The only live version of 'Rubberneckin'' is here, along with other gems such as 'This Is The Story,' 'Inherit The Wind' & 'Reconsider Baby.' Elvis introduces Del Shannon (who is in the audience) during his performance of Del's 'Runaway.' While 'TTWII' captured Elvis at his 'professional' best, this Las Vegas CD shows the power of Elvis, unleashed and ready to re-conquer the world!
   
   Disappointingly, this set has been deleted by BMG. Grab it if you get a chance. - Daveyboy



4. This is an essential 3 CD set for any serious Elvis collector.
   For some reason, it seems to be out of print, but can of course can be found online. It contains rare outtakes from his movies and a great concert that features his famous "laughing version" of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" that cracks me up every time and is actually one of my favorite Elvis moments. He does "Runaway" in his concert and then introduces Del Shannon in the audience. He does a lot of songs he never usually did live like "Mystery Train", "Rubberneckin", "Aint it Funny How Time Slips Away" and "Inherit the Wind". His duet with Ann Margaret "You're The Boss" was a famous deleted track from their "Viva Las Vegas" movie and can usually only be found on big expensive box sets. Needless to say, there is nothing here for the casual listener, this one is strictly for the hardcore Elvis completionist fan.



5. This now hard to find Presley collection is absolutely true to it's title. "Collector's Gold," is a goldmine of rare material for the serious Elvis collector. I can't say enough about Disc Three, which includes highlights from his 1969 run at the International Hotel in Vegas. Not only does it include the infamous laughing version of, "Are You Lonesome Tonight?," but also, cuts you simply would never find on another Vegas release (Rubber Neckin', Inherit The Wind, and This is the Story...I rest my case). Mix this disc with the original '69 Vegas release, and you've got one helluva comp. As far as the other two discs, they include alternate takes of Elvis' 60s material (Hollywood on Disc One and Nashville on Disc Two). The one complaint I do have about the set is that there's only an average of about 45 minutes on each disc. However, they weren't loading discs with 76 minutes of stuff back when this was released in 1991. Other than that minor quibble, I believe, "Collector's Gold," to be an exemplary set.

4 comments about Trunk of Funk.

1. First off, Grand Funk is my all time favorite US garage band, if not US band period. I was stoked to hear of the COMPLETE Capitol catolog re-release's. Secondly, I am happy with the CD's themselves, although I thought the idea of buying the trunk (Box set)was to get ALL of the CD's at once. My first dissappointment however was the lack of thought (coolness!) and 5 cent budget put into the trunk (cardboard box covered with colored paper & filled with 2 measly little useless trinkets in a special smaller box.) Remember the age group this band came from! If you are short of money, then I suggest "Thirty Years of Funk" box set, as a much better value. My second & biggest dissappointment is that no where in the 12 album (CD) reissue is the number one album of all time! Mark, Don & Mel 1969-1971 ! This is the ONLY CD REISSUE most of us even want. I played this album, 8-track, & cassette to death. Fortunately I still have an LP to burn a CD from.



2. This album is a great buy considering the four CD's and other knick knacks which are included.

   Grand Funk Railroad's first album, On Time was recorded on 8-Track in June of 1969, just one month before their performance at the Atlanta Pop Festival. Capitol records signed them on the spot after the show and the On Time album was officially released in Sept of 1969. The album includes standards such as Are you ready, T.N.U.C, Into the sun and Heartbreaker, which are songs that Grand Funk played many times live during their career. Other classic GFR tunes are Anybody's Answer, Time Machine, High on a horse, Call yourself a man, Can't be too long and Ups and downs. This was a great debut album for the power trio from Flint, Mi and it sounds much better now since it's been re-mastered.

   The second album by GFR was simply called Grand Funk. It's red cover with live pics of Mark, Don and Mel became known as the Grand Funk (Red Album) by their fans. This album was a better recording then On Time and featured Grand Funk in their most raw state. Their hard grinding blues resonated a feeling that was very down to earth and realistic. The band spent a total of three days to record this album and did little overdubbing on it. Many of the songs on the Red Album can be considered as vehicles for their concerts, because after all Grand Funk was best known as a live band. Songs such as In Need, Paranoid and GFR's version of Inside looking out were concert favorites. The album starts off on a bang with, Got this thing on the move. A great jam tune that features Mark's fuzz tone Messenger guitar right in your face, along with Don's hard driving drumming and Mel's great bass work, all working together in unison. The album also includes the songs, Please don't worry, High Falootin woman, Mr. Limousine driver and Winter and my soul. There are also two bonus tracks which include and early version of, Nothing is the same and an alternate track of Mr. Limousine drive. The best way to listen to this CD is just crank it up, then lay back and feel it. It's the ultimate garage band album.

   Closer to home is the Grand Funk album that put them over the top. When GFR released the album in June of 1970, they rented a giant billboard in New York's Time Square to help promote it. This did help the band, because along with Grand Funk's constant touring, the album broke the top ten list and went on to sell over three million copies. This was Grand Funk's best album musically up to this point in their career and it also featured their spellbinding song, I'm your captain. A song which touched millions and gave hope and peace to many of our military men and women in Viet Nam. This album was more R&B in feel and also showed some gospel roots as well. The Closer to home re-master also includes unreleased tracks of Mean Mistreater, also live versions of Heartbreaker, In Need and Mean Mistreater as well. Mark, Don & Mel played great together on this album and were very harmonious as well. Closer to home is a true rock anthem. This is without doubt the most explosive album ever released and the sound GFR get's on this CD is both awsome and sensual. The hard driving rhythm and blues that Grand Funk played is best captured on this album, without any overdubbing of any kind. It is wild, fun and can easly drive you into a frenzy. This is another album that you just have to crank up and feel the great vibes that are coming out at full force. The album erupts with Are you ready. A song which features Don Brewer on lead vocals and Mark Farner's screaming guitar work, while Mel Schacher keeps the rhythm going with his superb bass play. Paranoid kicks in with raw energy and sustain, then GFR goes into thier song In Need. A great live song which features a wild and searing guitar solo by Mark. Heartbreaker and Mean Mistreater then take the band into a more solemn tone and then they break into their awsome jam tune called, Mark say's alright. T.N.U.C is a song that features Don Brewer's fantastic drum work, because of the great drum solo by Donnie B. It's also a hard driving tune that's full of excitement and energy. It's the ultamate free form rock song and one of their best known live tunes. They always had the fans in the palms of their hands with this song too. Grand Funk then finishes off with Into the sun. A great song with a melody and feel that takes you on a trip of rapture and leaves the fans craving for more. It is the ultimate live album by the best concert band of all time.




3. I first heard Grand Funk in the back seat of a '57 Chevy goin' up M-24 in late September of '69...."PARANOID" was the first tune to hit my ears (and made them BLEED), and I've been a DIEHARD GrandFunkFanatic ever since that day. I've heard about every GFR tune ever done, own every CD there is, 8 track, cassette, LP, you name it- I've either had it or own it presently and play the hell out of it, still.

   Well, my FunkChildren, it's time to put the old records/CDs/tapes away; seal 'em up and save 'em for posterity; there's plenty of reason to do that, and it starts with the brand-new TRUNK OF FUNK, and the first four CDs of the NEWLY REMASTERED (in 24 BIT, no less) GRAND FUNK RAILROAD CATALOG!!

   "ON TIME", "GRAND FUNK", "CLOSER TO HOME" and "LIVE ALBUM" are all there in the best sense of every note, phrase, lick, lyric, kick drum, bass run up the scales and cymbal crash- OH, BABY- if you're a diehard GFR fan, like me (and a few dozen other of my pals from around the world), your ears are gonna MELT and BLEED before you're done with these CDs.

   You'll smile ear to ear all the while, too.

   "ON TIME", the first release from GFR in '69, is just AWESOME from start to finish; the separation of the individual instruments, the definition, clarity and the BASS WHOMP!! that Mel Schacher hit us all with that got the world's attention is all there, PLUS sonic enhancements- you'll swear that this may be the first time you ever listened to this album like this, you can't help it....it ROCKS. This may be one of the greatest BLUES/ROCK albums ever made, but because of Terry ("I'm not a producer") Knight's incompetency behind a mixer, nobody ever knew it before now....take a listen and you'll hear what I mean. It's soooooo good, soooooo smooth and groovin', even Todd is smilin' ear to ear and he had nothin' to do with GFR (yet....).

   "GRAND FUNK" was THE DEFINITIVE 'heavy metal' album that hooked us all. THAT BASS- whoa, baby- POWER CHORDS- rippin' vocals- and Mr. A$$KICKER lettin' it go on the drums made EVERYONE sit up and take notice that this was THE BAND to pay attention to. You ain't gonna believe what this sounds like, unless you sit and roll a big, ol' fattie up and crack a Schlitz with the headphones on. Do it....and you can thank me later. OUT-FUNKIN'-STANDING. Four bongs!!

   "CLOSER TO HOME"....for many of my brothers and myself, CTH was THE GFR album that got us back to "The World", mentally and emotionally, let alone physically. It did me. There's a special place that no other record will ever be able to hold in my heart that this one has securely all by itself.

   My God, I stood in the middle of the room when I played this, with tears in my eyes. This is timeless, historical, reverent and incredible music, my friends. It sounds as if you're hearing it for the very first time, it's soooooo good. This album should be mandatory listening for EVERYONE on this world. It's fabulous. If this doesn't grab you, you're already dead. Wonderful from opening note to final fadeout. AND, those "bonus cuts" are hot as hell, too!

   "LIVE ALBUM"....HOLY BACK-DRAFT, BATMAN, can this band - R O C K - or what??? You may THINK you've heard "live albums" before that melt the tweeters and shred the woofers- but man, you ain't heard THIS ONE like this ever before!!!!!! Brace yourself, grab onto the chair- THIS was the record that the Memorex ad with the guy sitting in the easy chair being blown away facing the speaker was representing!! Even Terry (I'm STILL not a producer) Knight's awful mix can't take away what happens in this album right from the first chords of "ARE YOU READY?" (and you damn well better be, too) till it's OVER. Finally, the PROPER ORDER of the show is revealed, too. This one is gonna rock yer (eye)balls off. Guaranteed to start a WHOLE NEW GENERATION of ROCK FANS to want MORE of this band (who, by the way, is reformed and out on tour NOW [minus Mark Farner, solo performer]- replaced by KISS veteran Bruce Kulick on guitar, .38 Special's MAX CARL on lead vocals, and The Silver Bullet Band's keyboardist Tim Cashion with, OF COURSE, Don "Mr. A$$KICKER" Brewer and Mel "The GOD of THUNDER" Schacher, the heart, rhythm and backbone of GFR from the start)!!

   I can't WAIT to get my hands on the next four remasters!! DAVID TEDDS & Co. has done yet ANOTHER incredible job (see "GRAND FUNK RAILROAD LIVE- The 1971 TOUR"). THANK GOD Capitol Records put Grand Funk Railroad's remasters in the capable hands of such DEDICATED GRAND FUNK FANS as DAVID TEDDS and EVREN GOKNAR!!

   GET THE TRUNK OF FUNK. GET THE REMASTERED CDs. GET READY TO ROCK LIKE YOU WERE 15 ONE MORE TIME.

   You're welcome!!




4. The Trunk Of Funk look's like an old leather trunk and includes the first 4 reissues ON TIME, GRAND FUNK (what we FUNKnatics Call RED ALBUM), CLOSER TO HOME and LIVE ALBUM-all 24 Bit Digitally Remasterred with Bonus tracks and new Liner notes-already inside and space to hold another 8 classic GFR reissues that are to be released over the 7 or 8 months. Each box is a LIMITED EDITION and each is individually numbered 10,000 copies will be manufactured worldwide. Each box also includes a sticker, a pic and some Shinin On 3D glasses. This is a must have for any BIG Grand Funk Fan.

   This box set inclde GFRs first 4 album's from their power trio days. All four of these CDs are 24 bit digitially remasterred and are masterpiece's of rock n roll from cover to cover. Capitol Hired David Tedds (A Huge GFR Fan) to head the project and he did a wonderful job. The remastering is wonderful the (Bong Rattling) bass of Mel Schacher is right in your face the whole set, Mark Farner's Guitar is crisp and clean Don Brewer's (competent) drums are clear as a bell and the (wild shirtless) Vocals of Mark and Don are all clear and fantastic. (Parentheses from Homer Simpson).

   ON TIME is a Great debut Album and ranks out there with the greats of the 70s. The songs are; Are you ready, Anybody's Answer, Time Machine, High On A Horse, T.N.U.C., Into The Sun, Heartbreaker, Call Yourself A Man, Can't Be Too Long, Ups and Downs all rock and this CD includes new liner notes and Photo's as well as bonus tracks. The Bonus tracks are The original versions of Heartbreaker and High On A Horse, both are very cool.

   RED ALBUM Like On Time its a sledge hammer album, but even heavier with the smash songs that GFR used live such as In Need, Inside Looking Out and Paranoid as well as the radio friendly songs Mr. Limousine Driver, Please Don't worry, and High Falottin Women; and the Sledge hammer rocker Got This Thing On The Move. The Bonus tracks are a demo version of Nothing is the same, which I absolutely LOVE, and an extended version of Mr. Limousine Driver which is very cool.

   CLOSER TO HOME; singled a change for GFR. Now this "heavy Metal Band" is showing the ability to change and showing versatility and more sophisticated lyrics. A more blues based album It also contains GFR magus Opus, I'm Your Captain. Its wonderful song and singer Songwriter Mark Farner said it came to him in a dream and that he believe God gave him this song to be meaningful to people. It has been meaningful to me for over 30 years now and to millions of others as well. The song is just a beautiful blend of melodic Guitar chords (Mark Farner) a great lead bass line
   (Mel Schacher) and wonderful drumming along (Don Brewer) with great lead
   vocals by Mark and wonderful Harmonies between Mark and Don, take all that
   and include a great orchestra blended and you have an all time rock classic. This CD is great from start to finish. Sin's a Good Man's Brother is a hard rocker with an infectious groove. Aimless Lady a cool Bluesy rocker. Nothing is the same showed more sophistication in lyric writing for the young band and it rocks as well. Mean Mistreater and is slow down for the band a bluesy song crying out for lost love. Get it together is a fun (mostly) instrumental a nice grove provided by the rhythm section and some nice guitar chops at the end. Hooked On Love has that Gospel feel that influences much rock n roll from the 60s and early 70s, a typical we got to have Love song and a very good one.. The Bonus tracks are an Alternate mix of Mean Mistreater. And three excellent Live Rockers, In Need, Heartbreaker and Mean Misterater all from the power trios prime performances.

   LIVE ALBUM is pure energy; its GFR in all its Live bombastic, Spinal tap, Power Trio Glory. This is the Greatest Live Album of all time (or second Best behind Grand Funk Railroad Live The 1971 Tour, Its a toss up), there are no overdubs only a few tweaks with the audience noise (the sound on these blows away all the imports). Mark and Don together were just the pack, but when they stole Mel from ? and the Mysterians the magic happened and the Pack became Grand Funk Railroad. This album captured millions of fans for GFR who still
   reminisce about it to this day. It sounds fantastic, its nice and bass heavy, like GFR was, in there power trio days. This edition of LIVE ALBUM is a 24 Bit Remasterred Masterpiece, of hard rock n roll from cover to cover. The tracks are; Introduction, Are you Ready, Paranoid, In Need, Heartbreaker, Words Of Wisdom, Mean Mistreater. Mark Say's Alright, T.N.U.C., Inside Looking Out, and Into the Sun. This is a MUST HAVE LIVE ALBUM from the 70s. for Every fan of Hard Rock.

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