"Black And Blue" by THE ROLLING STONES – April 1976 UK and US Album on Rolling Stones Records featuring Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts with Guests Harvey Mandel and Wayne Perkins on Guitars, Billy Preston and Nicky Hopkins on Keyboards and Backing Vocals with Ian Stewart with Ollie Brown on Percussion (June 1994 UK Virgin CD Remaster by Bob Ludwig vs. May 2009 Polydor CD Remaster by Stephen Marcussen) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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If it weren't for the abomination that is their cover version of Eric Donaldson's Reggae song "Cherry Oh Baby" on Side 1 (a serious pet hate for me in the entirety of their formidable catalogue) - I would actually consider April 1976's "Black And Blue" to be as close to perfect a Rolling Stones 70ts album as you can get. 

For sure it's not the mighty "Let It Bleed", "Sticky Fingers" or "Exile On Main St." - but then what is. But "Black And Blue" is an album that had taken the Funk and Soul influences that had crept into 1973's "Goats Head Soup" and even elements of 1974's "It's Only Rock 'N Roll" and given it full flourish. Stuff like "Hey Negrita" and "Hot Stuff" were a revelation to me when I heard them first - the Stones smartly catching the Funk, Soul and Jazz Funk vibes of the time and stretching their sound out to accommodate them. And "Melody" had a sass and sway about it too. But white boys doing Reggae never did quite work for me outside of say the Ska rhythms of Two Tone that would come at the end of that fantastic decade. 

Plus the non-crammed vinyl record sounded 'brilliant' - produced like a kicking mule - which is not something you could ever have accused "Goat's Head Soup" of. And I thought the ballad "Fool To Cry" to be magical (and still do). But what CD variant of this 8-track genre-melt do you buy? 

1. Hot Stuff [Side 1]
2. Hand Of Fate 
3. Cherry Oh Baby 
4. Memory Hotel
5. Hey Negrita [Side 2]
6. Melody 
7. Fool To Cry
8. Crazy Mama 
Tracks 1 to 8 are their album "Black And Blue" – released 20 April 1976 in the UK and USA on Rolling Stones Records COC 59106 and COC 79104 respectively. Produced by The Glimmer Twins – it peaked at No. 1 in the USA and No. 2 in the UK. 

Rolling Stones - Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts - were joined by Guests included guitarists Harvey Mandel and Wayne Perkins with Keyboardist and Vocalist Billy Preston, Keyboardist Nicky Hopkins and Ian Stewart with Ollie Brown on Percussion.

There are maybe four or even five remasters in total, but two I think worth it and easy to access. The first is the 1999 Virgin issue and the second – he more commonly available 2009 Polydor variant. 

June 1994 saw two reissues using the UK original master tapes – the Standard CD Edition on Virgin CDV 2736 (Barcode 724383952021) and a Collector’s Edition on Virgin CDVX 2736 (Barcode 724383949922) issued in a stickered outer plastic slipcase with Original Album Packaging repro’d in Mini LP form on the inside – the 1976 gatefold and its track-by-track credits inner sleeve (41:25 minutes). Renowned Audio Engineer BOB LUDWIG carried out the Remaster at Gateway Mastering using the UV22 Super CD Encoding Process (created by Apogee Electronics in California). 

The second came with the May 2009 Remaster on Polydor/Rolling Stones Records 0602527015613 (Barcode 602527015613) housed in a Super Jewel Case with a CD booklet. Part of The Rolling Stones Remasters Series (all done by STEPHEN MARCUSSEN), it plays to 41:21 minutes, has a Lips Sticker on the case and there is no Collector’s Edition. 

The Virgin issues are both deleted and not surprisingly the Collector’s Edition garnishes a cost – none too unreasonable though as it regularly sells for somewhere between twelve and sixteen UK pounds. The Polydor issues (part of The Rolling Stones Remasters Series) have sold for as little as a fiver or somewhere below seven quid and are easily available. Japan has weighed in with SACD issues, Flat Transfer SHM-CD and Platinum SHM-CDs in presentation boxes and on it goes (I hated the Platinum variant of Sticky Fingers that used a flat transfer so I avoided the rest). 

The Virgin issue has extraordinary vitality – the rhythms and flicks and vocals shouts leaping out of your speakers. As guest guitarist Harvey Mandel takes the sole Lead Guitar on the Side 1 opener "Hot Stuff" (a young virtuoso, he had played slide with Blues artists like Canned Heat and Charlie Musselwhite before starting a solo career in 1968) – the power is undeniably huge. He flicks sexy rhythms as a back beat then overlaying that with funky Jeff Beck Blow By Blow moments. Jagger sings he can't get enough and neither can I. Back to proper Stones fare with the superb "Hand Of Fate" - Keith back at the guitar reins with help from Manassas whizz-kid Wayne Perkins on the solo (a stunner). I love this kind of Stones swagger (watched him die, watch out boy) - they seem to make something out of nothing and it somehow comes up peaches and cream. 

Long-time sessionman Nicky Hopkins provides the keyboards for "Cherry Oh Baby" but I quickly skip to the oddly touching "Memory Hotel" - it's seven-minutes and ten seconds feeling epic in all the best Stones way. Billy Preston plays String Synthesizer; Wayne Perkins plays Acoustic with Harvey Mandel on Electric - while Billy, Keith, Ronnie Wood and Mick all provide backing vocals. Sang a song to me - Jagger remembers - stuck right in my brain. I also love that 'she got a mind of her own and she uses it well...' off the cuff line from Keith as a counter melody. The audio is superb. Used to mean so much to me – it still does. 

The sloppy Joe signature sound of Ronnie Wood combined with Keef gives the fantastic "Hey Negrita" (apparently a nickname for Jagger's wife) - Billy Preston dropping in those off-the-cuff piano fills that just so work. Stevie Wonder's percussionist Ollie Brown is in their too shuffling with Charlie Watts. But its Wood who slots in like a glove - catching the groove - as Jagger hollers just a momentita - one last dollar - then we go - fantastic stuff. Mick Jagger is credited with 'foot stomp' on the jazzy New Orleans sleaze that is the Saturday Night of "Melody" - Arif Mardin arranging a genius horn section towards the finish while Billy Preston slips in superb second vocals. 

We race to the finish with a double-whammy of greatness that puts the album up there for me - the poor-me tear-fest "Fool To Cry" and the boozy riffage of "Crazy Mama". Even today, I can still recall the chills that went up my arms when I first heard "Fool To Cry" - the Nicky Hopkins and Mick Jagger synth and piano combo - its words nailing me to some lonesome mast or other - the Stones are like that. The ball and chain sawn-off shotgun pound of "Crazy Mama" is still a mule kicker and easily as good as say "Start Me Up" – just not as famous.

The 2009 Polydor Remaster (which I also own) is fantastically clear and fulsome, but somehow there's a softer naturality to the 1994 version that keeps bringing me back to it. But if you are on a budget, either will do in truth. 

"Black And Blue" is a great Seventies Stones album for me. "It makes me wonder why...daddy you're a fool to cry..." Well, I don't care if I do look like a nit after all these decades of Glimmer Twins & Co worship, because this is one I want to cry about...

"From Beginning To End..." by THE END [Produced by Bill Wyman of The Rolling Stones] – Including Their Debut and Only Album "Introspection" from November 1969 on Decca Records in Stereo along with Earlier Tracks from 1964 through to 1969 and 1970 alongside Singles, Outtakes from Their Unreleased 1969 Second Album and more – featuring Dave Brown, Nicky Graham, Colin Griffin, Terry Taylor, Hugh Attwooll and John Horton with guests Nicky Hopkins, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts and Ian Stewart of The Rolling Stones, Chris Spedding, Ken Leeman and Jim Henderson (December 2015 UK Edsel 4CD Clamshell Box Set – Phil Kinrade Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

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"...In My Dreamworld..."

So many could-have been/should-have been artists and bands litter the 60ts and 70ts. Championed by none other than The Rolling Stones' Bassist Bill Wyman (arguably at the height of their fame with "Let It Bleed") and as evidenced by this superbly assembled 4CD vaults-trawl – the five fiercely hairy men of THE END would have had legitimate cause to be more pissed than most at Joe Public's lack of take up.

This British Psych/Rock group had experienced players who stretched back to 1964 (including a half decent vocalist) and a Rolling Stone producing their album alongside legendary Audio Engineer Glyn Johns (the Production values are excellent). But more importantly - they had tunes to match the talent. But as always, bad timing, clumsy decisions and the sheer pace of change when 1968 quickly became 1969 - THE END did indeed live up to their name and their lone LP arrived a year too late and looking well past its December 1969 end-of-decade sell-by-date (they would eventually morph into Tucky Buzzard – see my review for "The Complete Tucky Buzzard" from July 2016, a 5CD Box Set also on Edsel).

Which is where "From Beginning To End..." featuring input from the band and Bill Wyman, comes a lollygagging in. Here are the retrospective introspective details...

UK released 4 December 2015 - "From Beginning To End..." by THE END on Edsel EDSB 4028 (Barcode 740155402839) is a 4CD 61-Track Clamshell Box Set covering 1964 to 1970 and plays out as follows:

CD1 "In The Beginning: 1964-1967" (44:40 minutes):

1. I Can't Get Any Joy

2. Hey Little Girl

3. I Want You Around

4. I Can't Believe It

5. Lost Without You

6. Baby Stay Like You Are

7. It Won't Be Long

8. She Believed Me

9. I Got Wise

10. You're So Right

11. You Better Believe It Baby

12. Please Do Something

13. Why

14. Yo-Yo

15. Searching For My Baby

16. Daddy Loves Baby

17. We've Got it Made (July 1967 Mix)

18. Shades Of Orange (November 1967 Mix)

NOTES:

Tracks 1 and 2 are the A&B-sides of a 22 October 1965 UK 45-single on Philips BF 1444

Tracks 11 and 12 are the A&B-sides of a January 1967 SPANISH 45-single on Sonoplay SN 20.002

Tracks 13 and 14 are the A&B-sides of a March 1967 SPANISH 45-single on Sonoplay SN 20.014

Tracks 3 and 4 recorded 18 November 1964, unissued until 1996

Tracks 5 to 10 recorded March and April 1965, unissued until 1996

Tracks 15, 16, 17 and 18 recorded August 1965, autumn 1967 (Tracks 15 and 16) and November 1967 - unissued until 1996 on the "In The Beginning...The End" UK LP on Tenth Planet TP025 (1000 copies only)

Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones plays tabla on "Shades Of Orange" 

CD2 "Introspection: 1968-1969" (40:16 minutes):

1. Dreamworld [Side 1]

2. Under The Rainbow

3. Shades Of Orange [Album Version]

4. Bromley Common [Vocals by George Kenset]

5. Cardboard Watch

6. Introspection (Pt. 1)

7. What Does It Feel Like [Side 2]

8. Linen Draper [Vocals by George Kenset]

9. Don't Take Me

10. Loving, Sacred Loving [Album Version]

11. She Said Yeah

12. Jacobs Bladder

13. Introspection (Pt. 2)

Tracks 1 to 13 are their debut and lone album "Introspection" - released August 1969 in the USA on London PS 560 (Stereo only) and November 1969 in the UK on Decca LK-R 5015 (Mono) and Decca SLK-R 5015 (Stereo) - the STEREO MIX is used for this CD. GUESTS: George Kensit does the Voice on the spoken-word tracks "Bromley Common", "Linen Draper" and "Jacob's Bladder", Nicky Hopkins plays Harpsichord on "Loving, Sacred Loving", Ken Leeman plays Saxophone on "She Said Yeah", Jim Henderson adds Harmony Vocals to "She Said Yeah" and Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones plays Tabla on "Shades Of Orange" 

BONUS TRACKS:

14. Shades Of Orange (Mono Single Version)

15. Loving, Sacred Loving (Mono Single Version)

Tracks 14 and 15 are the A&B-sides of a 8 March 1968 UK 45-single on Decca F 22750

Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones plays Tabla on "Shades Of Orange" 

CD3 "Retrospection: 1968-1969" (52:54 minutes):

1. Loving, Sacred Loving (February 1968 Remix)

2. Building Up A Dream

3. Little Annie

4. Morning Dew

5. Tears Will Be The Only Answer

6. Today Tomorrow

7. Lady Under The Lamp

8. Black Is Black [Side 2]

9. Mister Man

10. Call Me

11. Shades Of Orange (June 1968 Remix)

12. Mirror

13. We've Got It Made (Mellotron Mix)

14. Bypass The By-Pass

Tracks 1 to 14 first issued 1997 on the UK LP "Retrospection" on Tenth Planet TP033 - Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones plays Tabla on "Shades Of Orange"

BONUS TRACKS:

15. Mister Man (Instrumental Version)

16. The Fly

17. Sometimes I Wish I Were Dead

18. Stones In My Banana

CD4 "The Last Word: 1969-1970" (37:37 minutes):

1. Son Of Lightning

2. Second Glance

3. Mistress Bean

4. For Eleanor

5. So Free

6. North Thames Gas Board

7. Do Right Woman Do Right Man

8. Turn On Waterstone

9. Smartypants

10. My Friend

Tracks 1 to 10 (excluding Track 9 which is exclusive to this box) are the UK LP "The Last Word" issued 2000 on Tenth Planet TP047. Chris Spedding plays Guitar on "Mistress Bean" while Ian Stewart (of Rolling Stones fame) plays Piano on "North Thames Gas Board".

As you can see from the photos provided, the four singular card sleeves inside the glossy clamshell box look cool and mimc those vinyl-only Tenth Planet reissue compilation LPs of 1996 (Disc 1), 1997 (Disc 3) and 1999 (Disc 4) whilst the 32-page colour booklet provides a feast of period photos, trade adverts, foreign picture sleeves and of course photos of our five heroes looking suitably psyched. DAVID WELLS of Grapefruit Records fame penned the detailed and affectionate liner notes with contributions from band-members and Wyman of the Stones. The track-by-track annotation is superb, recording dates, release dates, personnel etc. It's a great job done as you can imagine. PHIL KINRADE - long-standing Audio Engineer for Edsel - did the Mastering at Alchemy and although you could argue that they really should included the British Mono variant of the "Introspection" LP on Disc 2 - the STEREO Mix is kicking - so all is good.

It opens with a very Hollies Pop 45 in the shape of "I Can't Get Any Joy" but its fairly dismissible stuff. Of the unreleased stuff "It Won't Be Long" could easily be a Monkees outtake but far edgier is "I Got Wise" and the baby-I-want-ya Kinks-dense riffage of "You Better Believe It Baby" (albeit that the first is a bit rough around the recording perimeters). The very Georgie Fame-beat vibe to "Why" (produced by Wyman) and its "Yo Yo" B-side had the chart chops for sure as had Wyman's writing contribution to the band "Shades Of Orange" which ends a patchy CD1 on a high.

On Disc 2 you're immediately hit with the swirling "Dreamworld", the "Introspection" album's opening tune and along with the poppy (and excellent) "Under The Rainbow" - you have to think that in December 1969 this was old hat already - so very 1967 and 1968. At least the audio is superb. The three George Kenset talking track interludes feature a 'sleeping it off' man bemoaning British Bobbies and their heavy-handed tactics in dealing with a hobo. Groovy tunes like "Cardboard Watch" and the fantastic fuzzed-up guitar hip-shaker "Introspection Pt. 1" are so 1967 Small Faces - it's frightening - and in a good way.  Side 2's "What Does It Feel Like?" (Yesterday I was a child) and the funky licks of "Don't Take Me" (you make fiction better) are excellent - but my fave is "Loving, Sacred Loving" - Nicky Hopkins' Harpsichord and their wickedly good vocal arrangements all enhancing a supremely musical tune. The whole shebang comes to another geetar ending with 'Pt. 2' of "Introspection" - the Jeff Beck-type axe-playing allowed to solo and you're left wondering why this album wasn't issued in 1968 where it would have caused a stir and not a yawn in December 1969? Disc 3 and 4 simply offer more of the same...

The band THE END is a forgotten musical footnote in British Pop History - but that Decca debut album (especially in sexy Stereo) should not be. Think Afghan Coats, think Small Faces and Kinks, think great Harmonies and clever mid-tune changes – in order words revisit these hep cats of old and think again...

PS: The entire Box Set is available on iTunes for under a fiver.

"The Singles 1965-1967" [Box 2 of 3] by THE ROLLING STONES – Eleven 60ts UK and US 7" Singles in Repro Picture Sleeves – Three of Which Have 3 Tracks Reflecting The Different B-sides in the UK and USA. Featuring Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts with Guests Ian Stewart, Nicky Hopkins and Jack Nitzsche (Keyboards), John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin (String Arrangements) and Steve Marriott of Small Faces and later Humble Pie on Backing Vocals (January 2004 UK/EU ABKCO Records 11CD Clamshell Box Set – Steve Rosenthal, Teri Landi and Bob Ludwig Transfers, Audio Restoration and Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

"…We Love You…"

Ah the glorious bad boys of Rock – The Rolling Stones. The kind of trouser-snake seductive ne'er-do-well pert-bottomed reprobates a concerned mother warned you about (when she wasn't shovelling tranquillisers down her gullet).  We're we (or they) ever so young or indeed so naughty! Hell yes!

This is the second box set in a series of three covering their Satanic Majesties entire 45s output on Decca (UK) and London Records (USA) – this fab little sucker covering their first primo period of non-stop 60ts hipsville - and what a humdinger it is too. There is a mountain of info to wade through, so once more my lysergic listeners unto the nervous breakdowns and girly rainbows…

UK/Europe released 1 January 2004 – "The Singles 1965-1967" by THE ROLLING STONES on Abkco 0602498209851 (Barcode 602498209851) is the Second of Three Box Sets covering their entire Decca/London Records UK and US output on 45s. The Clamshell Box contains 11CDs in Picture Repro Sleeves featuring artwork from many different countries (10 singles by The Rolling Stones and one solo outing by Bassist Bill Wyman), Three Art Cards featuring photos from 1965, 1966 and 1967, a foldout double-sided poster (the Lady Jane single advert with Mick Jagger's face on one side with a band photo on the other) and a 28-Page Fact-Filled Booklet outlined details on each release, reissue credits etc. Its 25-tracks covering eleven 7" singles breaks down as follows…

CD1 "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" - 10:29 minutes, 3 tracks:

US 45, 5 June 1965 on London 45-9766

A. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction b/w The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man

UK 45, 20 August 1965 on Decca F 12220

A. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction b/w The Spider And The Fly

CD2: "Get Off Of My Cloud" - 7:41 minutes, 3 tracks:

US 45, 24 September 1965 on London 45-9792

A. Get Off Of My Cloud b/w I'm Free

UK 45, 22 October 1965 on Decca F 12263

A. Get Off Of My Cloud b/w The Singer Not The Song

CD3: "As Tears Go By" - 4:52 minutes, 2 tracks:

US 45, 18 December 1965 on London 45-9808

A. As Tears Go By b/w Gotta Get Away

UK 45, 4 February 1966 on Decca F 12331 (with different A-side, US A-side relegated to the B)

A. 19th Nervous Breakdown By b/w As Tears Go By

CD4: "19th Nervous Breakdown" - 7:00 minutes, 2 tracks:

UK 45, 4 February 1966 on Decca F 12331 (see Disc 3 for B-side)

A. 19th Nervous Breakdown b/w As Tears Go By

US 45, 12 February 1966 on London 45-9823

A. 19th Nervous Breakdown b/w Sad Day

CD5: "Paint It Black" - 9:44 minutes, 3 tracks:

US 45, 6 May 1966 on London 45-901

A. Paint It Black b/w Stupid Girl

UK 45, 13 May 1966 on Decca F 12395

A. Paint It Black b/w Long Long While

CD6: "Mother's Little Helper" - 5:57 minutes, 2 tracks:

US 45, 2 July 1966 on London 45-902 (Note: no UK issue)

A. Mother's Little Helper b/w Lady Jane

CD7: "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadows?" - 5:49 minutes, 2 tracks:

US 45, 23 September 1966 on London 45-903

UK 45, 23 September 1966 on Decca F 12497

A. Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in The Shadow? b/w Who's Driving Your Plane?

CD8: "Let's Spend The Night Together" - 6:40 minutes, 2 tracks:

UK 45, 13 January 1967 on Decca F 12546

US 45, 13 January 1967 on London 45-904

A. Let's Spend The Night Together b/w Ruby Tuesday

CD9: "We Love You" - 8:26 minutes, 2 tracks:

UK 45, 18 August 1967 on Decca F 12654

US 45, 2 September 1967 on London 45-905
A. We Love You b/w Dandelion

CD10: "She's A Rainbow" - 8:57 minutes, 2 tracks:

US 45, 23 December 1967 on London 45-906

A. She's A Rainbow b/w 2000 Light Years From Home (Note: no UK issue)

CD11: "In Another Land" by BILL WYMAN/The Lantern by THE ROLLING STONES  - 7:19 minutes, 2 tracks:

US 45, 2 December 1967 on London 45-907

A. In Another Land (by BILL WYMAN) b/w The Lantern (by THE ROLLING STONES) (Note: no UK issue)

The Audio is done to a team of three – STEVE ROSENTHAL for Sound Restoration and Archive Coordination, TERI LANDI for Analogue to Digital Transfers and Tape Archive Research and BOB LUDWIG for Mastering. For instance you can really hear the contributions made by NICKY HOPKINS (Piano) and future Led Zeppelin Bassist JOHN PAUL JONES (who arranged the stings) on one of the better tracks from "Their Satanic Majesties…" LP - "She's A Rainbow". Clearer too is Brian Jones pressing down those Mellotron keys on the swirling hippy-dippy soundscape that is "2000 Light Years From Home".

I must admit that I haven't played the Wyman-penned US-only track "In Another Land" in probably four an half decades, but its now nice to hear (once again) the Remaster bring forth Nicky Hopkins lending his piano while Small Faces giant STEVE MARRIOTT taps those distinctive lungs of his for backing vocals. And 'allegedly' none other than Paul McCartney and John Lennon of The Beatles and poet Allen Ginsberg can be heard giving backing vocals to "We Love You" – a tribute to fans who supported the band during those difficult busted months (Nicky Hopkins also contributed piano).

Fans will not surprisingly adore the sheer wallop that comes of the decidedly fruity "Let's Spend The Night Together" – a song apparently written about the first time Mick and Marianne Faithfull hooked up for something we're reliably informed wasn't a fish supper. Unsung hero Jack Nitzsche plays Keyboards on both "Let's Spend The Night Together” and the Bluesy Harmonica driven B-side "Who's Driving Your Plane?" - whilst also contributing distinctive-sounding Harpsichord to the baroque elegance of "Lady Jane". Nitzsche also plays piano on a true digital obscurity – the US B-side "Sad Day” which only appeared on CD in 1989 on the triple "Singles Collection" set. And although its lyrics are now terribly dated and not the most enlightened on the planet, I've always had a thing for the Aftermath song "Stupid Girl" – way more than the rooster strut of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" - a ball-breaker of a song whose fuzzed up guitars and driving rhythm changed the music world forever.

There is of course so much more here, but what you can't deny is the 'on fire' feel to it all. Like The Beatles, The Stones just hit this run of magic that would culminate in Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed and of course on into Stick Fingers and beyond.

Songs about drugs, sex, record company chaperones and grown men dressed in drag for the picture sleeves. Ah the glory. Remember them this way…

"Walls And Bridges" by JOHN LENNON (November 2005 EMI/Apple 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Whatever Gets You Through The Night..."

I remember a review I read a few years ago that rubbished practically all of John Lennon's solo catalogue. The guy was pretty adamant and compared McCartney's prolific output to Lennon and especially the chart success and public affection that seemed to come so easy to Macca in the Seventies.

The gist of his argument was that apart from some great stand-alone singles and a few choice album tracks - you could barely fill one CD full of decent songs by Dr. Winston O'Boogie. Ludicrously harsh I thought. But if I'm completely truthful and like most lifetime fans filled with affection for the greatly missed Liverpudlian - I know from painful album-by-album purchase-experience just where this guy's constant disappointment in JL is coming from.

Before we get to "John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band" in 1970 and "Imagine" in 1971 - I found most of the preceding stuff unlistenable cack – and still do. And as I was also trying to give the largely dreadful double-album "Some Time In New York City" from 1972 another chance when I was reading his critique article (apart from maybe "John Sinclair" and "Angela" - the rest of it is ponderous and drab - and don't start me on that rubbish live disc) - my heart sank. Maybe the guy's got a point.

But then you come to 1973's strangely overlooked "Mind Games" and 1974's upbeat and deeply accessible "Walls And Bridges" – and things improve immeasurably. "Walls And Bridges" especially has some fantastic Lennon tracks on it – ably abetted by the talent of Guitarist Jesse Ed Davis, Klaus Voorman on Bass, Jim Keltner on Drums, Bobby Keys on Sax and famous pals Elton John and Nilsson on Piano and Backing Vocals. But as fans our woes don't end there. Since his horrible loss in December 1980 – we've had to deal with his stuff reissued several times on CD and I personally thought the 2005 reissues did a superb job. So enough was enough already...

But now along comes Yoko Ono in 2010 and once again with her endless meddling in his legacy - what does she do - she strips away the 2005 Bonus Tracks and great sound and gives us the albums bare. They're housed in glossy gatefold card sleeves that look nice but are functionally useless and even downright irritating. There's a new booklet for sure but not much else of worth. But the bottom line is that these have ended up feeling like new versions that offer us less and not more or better. 

So I decided to ditch the admittedly pretty-looking October 2010 'John Lennon Signature Collection' version (EMI/Apple 5099990650826 - Barcode is the same) and go back to that November 2005 EMI issue because frankly I prefer its sound and the extras are something I want to keep and not lose. In fact I'd going to argue that in this case - the version you need is already out there. Here are the number nine dreams...

UK released November 2005 - "Walls And Bridges" by JOHN LENNON on EMI/Apple 340 9712 (Barcode 0094634097123) is an 'Expanded Edition' with Three Bonus Tracks that plays out as follows (59:26 minutes):

1. Going Down On Love [Side 1]
2. Whatever Gets You Through The Night
3. Old Dirt Road
4. What You Got
5. Bless You
6. Scared
7. No. 9 Dream [Side 2]
8. Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird Of Paradox)
9. Steel And Glass
10. Beef Jerky
11. Nobody Loves You (When You're Down And Out)
12. Ya Ya
Tracks 1 to 12 are his studio album "Walls And Bridges" - released October 1974 in the UK on Apple PCTC 253 and in the USA on Apple SW-3416. Produced by JOHN LENNON - it peaked at No. 6 in the UK and No. 1 in the USA.

BONUS TRACKS:
13. Whatever Gets You Through The Night (Live)
14. Nobody Loves You (When You're Down And Out) (Alternate Version)
15. John Interview (Conducted by Bob Mercer in 1974)
Track 13 first appeared in March 1981 in the UK on DJM Records DJS 10965 on the 3-track 2 x 7” EP "28th November 1974" credited to ELTON JOHN featuring JOHN LENNON and The Muscle Shoals Horns. Recorded live at Madison Square Garden in New York, 28 November 1974
Tracks 14 and 15 are PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED

The 12-page booklet makes an admittedly ham-fisted effort as reproducing the beautiful 'flaps' artwork of the original 1974 LP. We get the Lennon and glasses photos (looking the best he ever did) - the early drawings of his teachers and pupils he did at school - the lyrics and the Lennon surname discussed that was on the inner sleeve and the usual musician credits and reissue details. There's a picture CD with the 'Listen To This Disc/Record' banner that they used advertising the LP all those decades ago. But there's no new liner notes or history/legacy of the American No. 1 album, which is disappointing.

However - I'm loving the new Audio. All of the titles have been newly remixed in 2005 except Tracks 3, 5, 6 and 11 - newly remastered in 2005. A team of experts associated with The Beatles catalogue has handled the Audio transfers at Abbey Road Studios - Remix Engineer PETER COBBIN, Assistant Engineer MIREK STILES, Mastering Engineer STEVE ROOKE with further input from ALLAN ROUSE and PAUL HICKS. The album sounds fab. To the music...

In his typically cryptic and witty manner - JL credits himself as no less than nine different musicians across 12 tracks - Dr. Winston O'Ghurkin playing guitar alongside Jesse Ed Davis on the cool opener "Going Down On Love" - Rev. Thumbs Ghurkin playing piano with Nicky Hopkins on "Old Dirt Road" - Kaptain Kundalini playing lead guitar n "What You Got" while Rev. Fred Ghurkin and Dr. Dream play acoustic guitar on "Bless You" and "No. 9 Dream". Other notable contributions comes from Harry Nilsson who sings backing vocals on the lovely "Old Dirt Road" while Elton John mucks in with backing vocals on two - "Whatever Gets You Through The Night" and "Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird Of Paradox)". The house band consisted of long-standing sessionmen - Jim Keltner on Drums with Arthur Jenkins on Percussion, Klaus Voorman on Bass, Nicky Hopkins on Piano and the real heroes of the album - ace guitarists Jesse Ed Davis (Taj Mahal and the Bangladesh concert) and Eddie Mottau throughout. Bobby Keyes of Stones fame and other horn players feature also. His son Julian Lennon even gets a look on the short and frankly dismissible cover of Lloyd Price's "Ya Ya" that ends the LP on two-minutes on piano self-indulgence.

In order to promote the lavishly packaged album - Apple launched the frantic bop of "Whatever Gets You Through The Night" with the throwaway instrumental "Beef Jerky" on its B-side as a 45 on both sides of the pond in September 1974. It worked - the single went all the way to No. 1 on the US Pop charts (Apple 1874) whilst hitting a more sedated No. 36 in the UK (Apple R 5998). I have to say that the whole of Side 1 works for me - it's all coherent and good. The beautiful "Old Dirt Road" (a co-write with Harry Nilsson) feels almost like a George Harrison song in its construction (could have been a killer alternate single to "No. 9 Dream") - while the funky Rock of "What You Got" has a wicked backbeat and tremendous rasping lead vocals. The floating Paul Simon soundscapes of "Bless You" feel like "Still Crazy After All These Years" one year before PS's album - while "Scared" is lead in by a wolf howling at the moon before an incessant beat drums home the message of emotional fear that seemed to dominate every day of his existence (lovely Sax solo too from Howard Johnson).

"No. 9 Dream" with its strings and "Across The Universe" foreign language chorus was the obvious second single from the LP - Apple R 6003 peaking at No. 23 in the UK and Apple 1878 making No. 9 in the USA in January 1975. Personally I prefer the brassy and upbeat "Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird Of Paradox)" and the truly brilliant "Nobody Loves You (When You're Down And Out)" is the best track on the album for me. The New York tan and talk of "Steel And Glass" feels almost like a Pink Floyd "Wish You Were Here" ballad - great string arrangements as the big production values hammer home those acidic lyrics. "Beef Jerky" is pure filler and the quirky piano duet between him and Julian ends the album on a strangely throwaway moment. But then we get some seriously great Bonus Tracks – least not of all is a fantastic stripped-down Acoustic take of "Nobody Loves You (When You’re Down And Out)" – Lennon sounding truly bare and raw. It’s beautifully reproduced too. The interview is fun – Lennon talking about the green card issues – name-checking his musicians on the album – urging Capitol in his own jokey way to get behind the album (they did).

"Walls And Bridges" is a great John Lennon album and those extras are actually worth owning.

"...Was magic in the air?" – he asked on "No. 9 Dream". Yes it was and we still miss you for it...