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To be finalised
Scroll down for reviews of
: - Diana Ross – Last Time I saw him
– Love City: Remastered [Original recording remastered] ~ Ronn Matlock ; Make It Good: Remastered &
Expanded [Original recording remastered]
~ Prince Phillip Mitchell; Paradise: Remastered
[Original recording remastered] ~ Leroy Hutson ; Top of the Line: Remastered
& Expanded [Original recording remastered] ~ Prince Phillip Mitchell ; Blue Magic: Remastered
& Expanded [Original recording remastered] -~ Blue Magic ; Right on Be Free: Remastered
& Expanded [Original recording remastered] ~ Voices Of East Harlem ; Come Back Charleston
Blue OST (Remastered & Expanded) [Soundtrack] ~ Donny Hathaway ; A Cellarful of Motown Vol.3
; Aretha Franklin: Rare and Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the
Queen of Soul ; Expanded Edition 2CD set; Kevin
Rowland Presents made to measure – a personal selection of Classic Motown
Cuts; The Wants List Volume 3
Aretha
Franklin: Rare and Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen of
Soul
ranklin
Wow what a
fantastic start – a demo recording of I’ve never loved a man,
sparse and raw
Disc: 1 1. I Never Loved A
Man (The Way I Love You) Listen
2. Dr Feelgood (Love Is A Serious Business) Listen 3. Sweet Bitter Love Listen 4. It Was You Listen 5. Letter Listen 6. So Soon Listen 7. Mr Big Listen 8. Talk To Me Talk To Me Listen 9. Fool On The Hill Listen 10. Pledging My Love/The
Clock Listen 11. You're Taking Up
Another Man's Place Listen 12. You Keep Me Hangin' On Listen 13. I'm Trying To
Overcome Listen 14. My Way Listen 15. My Cup Runneth Over Listen 16. You're All I Need To
Get By Listen 17. You're All I Need To
Get By Listen 18. Lean On Me Listen Disc: 2 1. Rock
Steady Listen 2. I Need A Strong Man Listen 3. Heavenly Father Listen 4. Sweetest Smile And The Funkiest
Style Listen 5. This Is Listen 6. Tree Of Life Listen 7. Do You Know Listen 8. Can You Love
Again Listen 9. I Want To Be With You Listen 10. Suzanne Listen
Listen
11. That's The Way I Feel About Cha Listen 12. Ain't But The One -
Franklin, Aretha & Ray Charles Listen 13. Happy Blues Listen 14. At Last Listen 15. Love Letters Listen 16. I'm In Love Listen 17. Are You Leaving Me Listen
A
Cellarful of Motown Vol.3
I’m sorry
but this is dreadful pretty much from start to finish, there are one or two
minor exceptions. The style of music is
predictable, unexciting and despite remastering it’s easy to see why
these were originally left in the can. It is so substandard that I can’t
help but think that these type of reissues are doing
irrepairable harm to the Motown Brand.
In a way
its good fun, trawling through the unreleased back catalogue, it has an
interest, but come on, surely its easy to see that
these do not compare.
Maybe you
could just about get away with half of these just to get a passable compilation
but after all the years of digging its pretty hard to find one decent unissued
track let alone 43!
Disc: 1 1. You're Walking Out
With My Heart - Holloway, Brenda 2. This Love Will Never Die - Miracles 3. Get
Ready -
Ronn Matlock’s only solo album from 1979, one that has always been
sought after by connoisseurs and one that did not reeive the recognition it
deserved on release. So it is great to have this release for old times sake but
more importantly, how does it sound now…..and I have to say it stands the
test ot time very well. I can’t forget about
sounds absolutelt fantastic as do the other mellow groove tracks like feeling Something.
Also the upbeat more dscoey tracks don’t sound too bad at all
unlike other albums from that time. You got the best of me is a dep voiced two
step anthem and possibly my pick track, although Working Man is a quality
ballad = but all round a fantastic release.
1.
Let Me Dance 2.
Make It
Good: Remastered & Expanded [Original recording remastered] ~ Prince Phillip Mitchell
From 1978 and containing one of the fantastic epic track Star in the
Ghetto – funky yet sweet, classy vocals, a true masterpiece, with the
vibe of that era and production to match… but don’t oeverlook the
ballads, especially falling from Heaven.
1.
Star In The Ghetto 2. You're All I Got In The World 3. One On One 4.
Falling From Heaven 5. You'll Throw Bricks At Him 6. Make
It Good 7. If I Can't Be Your Man 8. Only Smoke Remains 9. One On One 10. What Part Of Heaven Do You Come From
Well I have to say that this series of rereleases is simply outstanding
and none more so than this classic Leroy Hutson album. It all seems terribly short for these days
but it is outstanding all the way through whether it is the upbeat or funky
material, the silky smooth ballads. The instrumentation is a delight and the
production superb.
1.
Classy Lady 2. Nice And Easy 3. You Make It
Happen 4.
Top of the
Line: Remastered & Expanded [Original recording remastered] ~ Prince Phillip Mitchell
CD debut for this classic album from 1079
1. Top Of The Line 2. Use Your Body 3. Highlight Of
My Life 4. In Between Lovers 5. I'm So Happy 6. If It
Ain't Love It'll Go Away 7. Paying The Price 8. Let's
Get Wet 9. Take Me Away
Blue
Magic: Remastered & Expanded [Original recording remastered] -~ Blue Magic (
Hot on the
hals of the 3 tenors of soul album where in my opinion
Ted Mills was the only one who came out of that with a bit of credit, we see
this Blue Magic album reissue.
Sweet soul
of the highest quality and a joy to listen to again, complete with theree bonus
tracks including a Tom Moulton remix of Look Me Up
1.
Sideshow 2. Look Me Up 3. What's Come Over Me 4.
Just Don't Want To Be Lonely 5. Stop To Start 6. Welcome To The
Club 7. Spell 8. Answer To My Prayer 9. Tear It Down 10. Guess Who 11. Where Have
You Been 12. Look Me Up
Right on
Be Free: Remastered & Expanded [Original recording remastered] ~ Voices Of East Harlem
Rousing gospelly social commentary coming out of early seventies troubles
in
1.
Right On Be Free 2. Simple Song Of
Freedom 3. Proud Mary 4. Music In The Air 5. Oh Yeah
6. For What It's Worth 7. Let It Be Me 8. No No No 9.
Gotta Be A Change 10. Shaker Life 11.
Come Back
In the
main an ‘in character with the move’ type of soundtrack, all very
nice and very Cotton Club, but the standout and worthwhile cut from any era is
Donny Hathaway’s Little Ghetto Boy, with three versions on this album, a
superb track, making the album worthwhile for that track alone.
1.
Main Theme 2. Basie 3. String Segue 4. Vegetable Wagon 5.
The Wants List Volume 3 http://www.soulbrother.co.uk/various_artists_wants_list_3.html
“Another
17 classic two step, rare groove and modern soul gems from the 70’s.Inc
Archie Bell ‘Harder And Harder’, William Bell ‘Man In The
Street’, Michelle Wiley ‘Feels Good’,Gloria Scott’s non
album track Just As Long As We Are Together’, Betty Wright
‘Smoother Me With Your Love’, Ernie Hines ‘Electrified
Love’, Vernon Burch ‘Lovely Lady’, Ken Williams ‘Soft
Music Sweet Lights and You’ , Charles Drain ‘Is This Really
Love’, Carl Davis ‘Show Me The Way To Love’,Betty Everett
‘Wandering’, Fatback band ‘Feed Me Your Love’, C B
Overton ‘If I Cant Stop’ , Modulations ‘It’s Rough out
Here’ and Arnold Blair’s classic ‘Trying To Get To You.
Brilliant.”
In my view
the best of the series with a non stop selection of good tracks and several
falling into the essential category, and not many are also rans (though I am
tiring of Arnold Blair it has to be said!).
A storming funky start with the
Modulations superb Its Rough out here. The other absolutely top notch track for me
is the wondrful Ernie Hines.
Those coming close to the heights of those two are Vernon Burch’s
laid back funky stuff Lovely Lady. Several rarities included including CB
Overton’s wondeful If I can’t stop you.
Michelle Wiley is simple feelgood music.
Gloria Scott and the McCrae’s I can pretty much do without but
otherwise an essential compilation.
1. It's Rough Out Here - Modulations (1) 2. Lovely
Lady - Burch,
Diana Ross – Last Time I saw him – Expanded Edition
2CD set
A classic Diana Ross album making its
debut on CD, released originally in 1973 and follow up
toTouch me in the morning. This set
presents the original album remastered, a rare Japanes Quadrophonic release,
ten previously unreleased tracks, and an unedited version of the title track.
Its an OK album and probably one of
Diana’s better ones, aimed pretty much or at leaset programmed in and for
the Adult Contemporary marketplace.
Can’t quite see the merit of releasing a quad version in stereo
– seems simply duplication here, although it does sound kind of
different,
For me the unreleased has most interest
and include a couple of covers the best being a version of the Skyliners Since
I don’t have you. I’ll be
here is very nice., an early version of Where did we
go wrong.. Most interest will be
garnered around I wanna go back there again.
Disc: 1 1. Last Time I Saw
Him 2. No One's Gonna Be A Fool Forever 3. Love Me 4. Sleepin'
5. You 6. Turn Around 7. When Will I Come Home To You 8. I Heard A Love Song (But You Never
Made A Sound) 9. Stone
Kevin Rowland Presents made to measure – a personal
selection of Classic Motown Cuts
I’ve
said this before but I don’t get this series, simply marketing and
repackaging really. Tracks are well
known and faultless, classic, available in many other different compilations,
nothing surprising or innovative.
1. Just My
Imagination (Running Away With Me) - Temptations (1) 2. My
Girl - Temptations (1) 3. Walk Away Renee - Four Tops 4. You Can't Hurry
Love - Supremes (1) 5. Abraham Martin And John - Gaye,
Marvin 6. Signed Sealed Delivered (I'm Yours) -
Wonder, Stevie 7. Look Of Love - Knight, Gladys &
The Pips 8. Let's Get It On - Gaye, Marvin 9. I'll Say Forever My Love -
Ruffin, Jimmy 10. It's All In The Game - Four Tops 11. I Was Made To Love Her -
Wonder, Stevie 12. I'll Be There - Jackson Five 13. I Guess I'll Always Love
You - Isley Brothers 14. What Does It Take (To Win Your Love) - Walker, Junior
& The All Stars 15. Heaven Must Have Sent You - Elgins 16. Just A Little Understanding - Contours 17. Bad Weather - Supremes (1) 18. If I Should
Die Tonight - Gaye, Marvin 19. Someday We'll Be Together - Ross, Diana
& The Supremes 20. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever - Four Tops
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