A's & B's Scrap Book - Zoot Money

Advantages: Great British Pop Soul
Disadvantages: Criminally Overlooked

...Paul Weller loves them and Phil Collins wanted to join them, but The Action remain one of the hidden gems of the 60's Mod scene. In fact, they were the REAL Mod favourites. Their choice of soul covers and well produced originals had Mods flocking from far and wide to see them. At the time, real mods were heading to clubs like The Flamingo to listen to authentic blues and R&B, played by authentic blues and R&B players. A small contingent of British acts were learning their craft from the originals, and combining the American sound with the sound of swining London. Georgie Fame, Zoot Money, The Animals, Them and Chris Farlowe all had their share of the limelight. Listening to this album, it's difficult to understand why they weren't huge! in Reggie King, they had a singer to rival the pure soul power of Steve Marriott, and they were... Read review

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Advantages: Amazing musicians with tongues well in cheeks
Disadvantages: You may have to think...

...It's may come as a strong statement, but I would rate disc one of YCDTOSA Vol 3 as the best hour amonst Frank's huge output - just the right mix of musicianship and comedy, and a guest appearance by Dweezil to boot! From the intracacies of 'Drowning Witch' to the humour of 'Bobby Brown goes Down' and 'Ride my face to Chicago'; the album throws up great quotes both musically and lyrically. Anyone who fails to catch the groove of 'Chana in de Bushwap' and 'Joe's Garage' has no timing anyway. As with the rest of the series, the editing together and flow of the selections adds to the whole package. The second disc of the album show much more deep musicality, but would be carried on the strength of 'King Kong' and Terry Bozzio's amazing 'Hands with a Hammer' alone. And the stunning 'Zoot Allures' and 'Cosmic Debris' and you have a quality... Read review

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Advantages: Beautiful and original arrangements
Disadvantages: Can seem pretentious

...1967 was a first for many things... concept albums, lyrics on the sleeve, new and exciting production techniques, and of course, the first symphonic rock album. After a line-up change from their original RnB band, The Moody Blues were commissioned to record a rock version of Dvorak's New World Symphony. Quite understandably, they scrapped the idea and commenced with one on a scale just as grand: Days Of Future Passed. A concept album about a day, from dawn through to dusk, Days Of Future Passed's most noteable feature is the presence of the London Festival Orchestra, which wasn't scrapped with the Dvorak idea. The eight songs on the album are joined together by orchestral sections, arranged and conducted by Peter Knight. Some of the sections are entirely new, but many of them reprise melodies from the band's songs on the album, giving... Read review

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