Beneath The Rhythm And Sound - Ocean Blue

Advantages: Great variety-differen side of Jools
Disadvantages: some people may think it's too different?

...Hey there Ciao! I'm going to review a CD of one of my favourite artists, the great Jools Holland. I'm sure all of you have heard of him somehow, as he has got himself everywhere at all times of the year; Later with Jools Holland, the Hootenanny at New Year, he was in the band Squeeze, and he did radio work, and countless gigs with his band, The Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. And it's the CD he did with them that I'm going to review! And it costs £11.99 if you're buying it new from www.amazon.co.uk, but you can get it for as little for £4 second hand! It's called Hop The Wag, and was released about 5 years ago. Now the first thing you notice is the slightly hippy themed front cover. It's basically Jools sitting in a slightly odd chair, in his usual nonchalant pose, and over the photo, the most crazy, most psychedelic, most funky drawing... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Hard hitting, fast, fun, and loud music.
Disadvantages: 50 Foot Wave is not music that everyone will dig.

...will get under your skin and have you bobbing your head long after the tracks have ended. The record is high energy from start to finish. Like a Ramones album, the songs are short and to the point. The punk sound is loud and can make for muddled annunciations with momentary moments of clarity followed quickly by another barrage from the guitars and drums. Ahlers plays the drums like he is smashing bugs and swatting flys. Hersh rakes the guitar like it owes her money and belts vocals with harsh and raspy tones. Georges bounces the bass right along with the chaos to give you a rhythm to bob your head to. It reads like a train wreck but sounds amazing. The songs that make up Golden Ocean have that same nuclear edginess but sound individually distinct. Many albums of this cut of genre sound like run on sentences with very few distinctive songs... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Some decent rhythm and blues
Disadvantages: Film dialogue in the wrong places

...of the Blues Brothers, as Elwood Blues sings part of "Cheaper to Keep Her". It's an upbeat rhythm and blues number with some of the hallmarks of the Blues Brothers usual sound, with a horn section and a better use of the harmonica than the previous track. Whilst the earlier tracks weren't bad, as a fan of the music as well as the films, this is more like I expected from the soundtrack. Even more so, as I remember this song from the film, whereas I can't place the previous three tracks in that context. There's also a little dialogue at each end of the track, although the end part seems to be a lead in to the following song, which I don't like, especially if you're playing the album on a shuffle sequence as so many music players allow these days. That following song is another Blues Brothers classic, as I believe it featured in both films... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful