Advantages: Excellent backing tracks, competent vocals, a couple of strong pop hits Disadvantages: Not much in the way of soul, some dull tracks, all rather dated now
mind that in 1972 "The Black & White Minstrel Show" was still one of the top rated TV shows, which tells you something about the era.
The Pearls were signed to the Bell label ? which had some hugely popular acts on their roster including the Bay City Rollers, Barry Blue, David Cassidy and Gary Glitter. The UK arm of the label focused mainly on commercial pop and the Pearls fitted into this perfectly. Interestingly the US arm tended to focus more on soul music.
A String of Pearls
Going back to my dad?s old Sanyo radio cassette recorder there was a song which was oft played by myself back in 1974 called ?Guilty?. Performed by the Pearls I loved it and have vague recollections of a Top of the Pops performance which incorporated judges? wigs. I have hunted high and low for this clip on the internet and sadly can only conclude it was ...
Advantages: The writing, the setting, the music Disadvantages: The characters are not sow ell defined or likable
I bought this book, An Equal Music by Vikram Seth, for the grand sum of one penny on the basis of a review written by Floon. I was enchanted by his description of the storyline and the author?s writing style. I was not disappointed.
The author, Vikram Seth states, in an author?s note located on the last page of the book, that, ?Music to me is dearer even than speech?. To convey this, he focuses his novel on the world of music and its performance.
The central character, Michael Holme, is the second violinist in a London-based stringquartet. His life has settled somewhat into a rut. He plays his violin; teaches the violin; makes love to one of his students, Virginie; rings his father; all as a matter of routine.
His comfortable lifestyle is suddenly disturbed by a series of events each connected and occurring in parallel ...
Advantages: Music of astonishing perfection; performances that are breathtaking and up to the task. Disadvantages: Cheesy cover art.
Certain compositions stand out in history as the quintessence, the ne plus ultra of their form. Think: Bach?s ?Goldberg Variations,? ?Mass in B Minor,? and ?Art of Fugue,? Mozart?s ?Requiem,? and Beethoven?s Ninth Symphony and Piano Sonatas, Opus 109-111. Among this company, Beethoven?s late stringquartets, two of which are featured on this Philips archival reissue, easily join the ranks of some of the loftiest creations of mankind. There is a touch of absurdity in ?rating? such works; they have been universally acknowledged as among the greatest in the Western canon. They are absolutely essential listening for any classical music devotee, and for anyone and all with a yen for discovering greatness in human achievements. The rating (I must remind myself) is for the recording and performances. Happily, these are also the ne plus ultra ...
