The Very Best Of Joe Brown: 50th Anniversary)

Elly Roberts reviews

The Very Best Of Joe Brown: 50th Anniversary)Distributed by
Universal Music TV

• February 2008
• Rating: 10/10

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1962/1963 voted Top UK Vocal Performer (MNE) – now he’s back with his 50th Anniversary CD release.

Joe Brown was the first pop star I saw live. He was part of a pantomimein Birmingham back in the early ’60s that included Sid James and Dick Emery,so this collection brings back many happy memories.

At one time, The Beatles supported Joe Brown.

It was, apparently, the idea of the Fab Four’s manager Brian Epstein to getbigger exposure for the band. So who better to latch onto than crew-cut Joe Brownan established UK act, regarded as Britain’s first guitar hero.

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Joseph Roger Brown (born May 13, 1941) began his career with his band The Spacemenin 1956 (later rechristened The Bruvvers) and went on to record as a solo artistand with his band in the 60s, becoming a household name and a highly respectedguitarist.

He effectively followed Lonnie Donnegan’s skiffle genre and broadenedits appeal, with his recent performance of I’ll See You In My Dreams onLater… with Jools Holland (Friday 8 Feb) and also performed at theGeorge Harrison Tribute Concert which brought the house down, confirming hisenduring popularity.Because of his versatility, able to play fiddle, acoustic electric guitars,ukulele, mandolin he was much in demand, guesting for Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincentand Johnnie Cash.

This collection mixes original songs with 2008 recordings. It’s not a singlescollection as such, because of his 11 charted releases only 7 make the cut here.After signing with Decca records he released a unique cover version of SheltonBrooks’ Darktown Strutters Ball in 1960. Unique, as it was originally a Jazzstandard inspired by the 1915 Pacific-Panama Exposition in San Francisco.

In 1961 he briefly went to Pye for one single, Shine, done here as a 2008reworking, followed by a run of seven singles on Piccadilly from early ’62 September1963.

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This collection opens with the introductory pomp of his third single What A Crazy A Crazy World (We’re Livin’ In)by Alan Klein, sounding more like The King of Skiffle (Donegan) himself. Brownhit the big-time with the Mersey Beat-sounding Picture Of You, peaking at2 and 19 weeks on chart. It sounds just as great today. Klein provided Brownwith his penultimate 60’s chart success with the folk-pop minor hit Sally Ann in ’63, which has a definite Beatles styling.

On I’m Henry The Eighth I Am, a 1910 music hall song by Murray and Weston,Brown has some fun, perfectly suiting his Cockney lilt. Hava Nagila (Let Us Rejoice) a Hebrew folk song suits Brown’s sense of guitar adventurewhereas That’s What Love Will Do shows his rockabilly influences. As anexample of his virtuosity, check the sublime mandolin workout of instrumentalSouvenir D’Alvito and I’ll See You In My Dreams for his ukulele skills.

His daughter Sam joins him on a delightful cover of Tin Pan Alley hit Lazy Boneswritten by Johnnie Mercer and Hoagy Carmichael written in 1933. He also does abetter version of McGuiness Flint’s 1971 hit. Buddy Holly’s Well Allrightis done as a casual acoustic jaunt, lacking the original’s fervour, thoughBlack Betty is a subtle blast of the traditional Afro-American work-songpopularised by Leadbelly in 1939 and later Ram Jam in 1977. A cover of Bob Dylan’sWell Well Well is awesome.

File under: Must have compilation.

For a complete list of the 25 tracks on this album, check out the Amazonlink above.

Weblinks:joebrown.co.uk /myspace.com/joebrownuk

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