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Elly Roberts reviews
Gut Records
- Cat.no: GACD02
- Format: 2-disc CD
- Released: September 2006
- Rating: 10/10+
Presented by Classic Rock magazine,this outstanding 2-CD set is about to set rock fans into air-guitar frenzy.
The mouth-watering 37 vintage tracks over 2 ½ hours, not only includes theusual bona fide hits, but lesser well known and equally impressive archivecuts. Appropriately leading the onslaught is rocks first Super GroupCream (Clapton-Bruce-Baker), with the power-blues of their third single fromthe summer of 67, Strange Brew.
Staying in the ’60s, track 2, disc 1 is one of the greatest ballads of thegenre, with Fleetwood Macs Peter Green doing a masterclass on the spine-tinglingMan Of The World. Another guitar great, Carlos Santana, covers GreensBlack Magic Woman, full of Latin rhythms and dazzling solos lifted fromSantanas Abraxas album.
Then comes the master Paul Kossoff with the short-lived Free, on anotheralbum track Im A Mover. This sexy-rocker cemented their reputation,with Kossoff doing some mind-blowing solos, which I witnessed at first handin 1971 at Liverpools Boxing Arena.
Elsewhere, underrated Glasgow axemanFrankie Miller does a rasping rendition of Be Good To Yourself, provinghe was one of the most distinctive singers ever. A big fan of Little Richardsflamboyant aggression, Miller says on his website, “The music was alive,exciting, I loved it. I realised later that I could get my own aggressionout through music.”
French born Alexis Korners cover of the Stones Get Off My Cloud, isa refreshing interpretation, more bluesy than the original ever was.
Canadian/American power rockers Mountain, led by raw vocalist Lesley Westhit the scene with the legendary Nantucket Sleighride in 1971: here weget Mississippi Queen, equally as impressive. Original Queen of theBlues, Pearl aka Janis Joplin, fronts her band (which is still going strong)Big Brother, covering the standard Piece Of My Heart. Her blues shouterstyle, perfectly showcased here, made her the darling of the press and fansalike.
Seventies classic Radar Love by Dutch band Golden Earring, who arestill recording, is one of the few hit singles to explore the full dynamicsof blues at the commercial edge: the mid-section drum solo is as primitiveas you get, supplemented by horn blasts, and the resulting wiry guitar solomade it a real classic.
Alternative blues rockers The Groundhogs, whose album Split made them afearsome outfit, was fronted by guitar maestro Tony T.S.McPhee.
Groundhog Blues is a brilliant (live) example of their pioneering repertoire.
Theres also a scintillating full-length version of Black Betty.
CD 2 goes straight for trio ZZ Top, famous for twin beards and low-slungguitars, ensuring they would be the last act in record racks by using ZZ.La Grange wasnt a single, but a superb album track that showed theywere equal to their peers. Chord wonders Status Quo reveal another side oftheir head-banging hits on Roadhouse Blues, without losing the Quo fever.
Amongst the sweat and thunder are some quieter gems. Thin Lizzy turn down thedecibels for the sublime ballad Still In Love With You.
Back on familiar territory, Dr.Feelgood provide their signature tuneMilk And Alcohol, a Top Ten from 79. Three years earlier, SteveMiller lit up the charts with his anthemic Rock n Me.
Amongst othermemorable hits, Out Of Time, Id Rather Go Blind, theres one of myall time favourites Taj Mahal, who I saw perform Statesboro Blueslast year in Manchester.
No collection of this type would be complete without Joe Walshs stellarbottle-neck rocker Rocky Mountain Way and the seismicB..B..B..B..B Bad to The Bone, by guitar busting George Thorogood.Closing an impressive roster of its exponents, on a mellower note, The Bandfrom 68, signs off with their hippyfied masterpiece The Weight.
Phew!
For a full list of tracks, check out the Amazon link above.
Weblinks:Classic Rock Presents.com /Gut Records.com
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.