Cilla's World - Cilla Black

Advantages: Value of money, something different!
Disadvantages: Not for everyone!

...“Gentleman, withdraw your guns from your holsters!” “Ankle or shoulder?” “Surprise me…” – Fat Tony and his goons, The Simpsons. (Ainsley Harriott mode) We all like bit of a surprise don’t we ladies and gentlemen? We do don’t’ we, eh? I SAY WE DO DON’T WE? (slips out of Ainsley) Whew, smelled of paella in there. Yes, Ainsley, we all like a surprise, unless it involves Cilla Black in the altogether. One of my favourite surprises involves this very two CD (“too seedy” – now d’you get it?) set. Indulge me as I drift into a very long opinion (YOU WERE WARNED!) and a lovely relaxing flashback… (cue wibbly screen) ***BEN’S DISCOVERY*** HMV. A day – probably weekend. Doesn’t matter. I always look up and down the ROCK aisle in HMV hoping to find something that doesn’t cost £16.99 – or at the very least something that costs £16... Read review

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Advantages: All the hits on one Album, Easy Listening, Value for Money
Disadvantages: Addictive

...) 13. MADE I PARIS - TRINI LOPEZ (1966) 14. ALFIE -CILLA BLACK (1966) * 15. WISHIN' AND HOPPIN' - DUSTY SPRINGFIELD (1964) * 16. THIS (GIRL'S) IN LOVE WITH YOU - PETULA CLARK (1968) 17. LIVING TOGETHER, GROWING TOGETHER - THE 5TH DIMENSION (1972) 18. ODD AND ENDS -DIONNE WARWICK (1969) 19. I WAKE UP CRYING - CHUCK JACKSON (1961) 20. TO WAIT FOR LOVE - TONY ORLANDO -1964 21. IT'S LOVE THAT REALLY COUNTS (IN THE LONG RUN) - THE SHIRELLES (1962) 22. ARTHUR'S THEME (THE BEST THAT YOU CAN DO) - CHRISTOPHER CROSS (1981) * 23. THE WINDOW OF THE WORLD - THE PRETENDERS (1988) 24. THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR. -DIONNE WARWICK & FRIENDS (FEATURING ELTON JOHN, GLADYS KNIGHT & STEVIE WONDER) (1985) * 25. GOD GIVE ME STRENGTH - BURT BACHARACH & ELVIS COSTELLO (1996) This is a great album. Before I bought this CD, I... Read review

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Advantages: Michael Jackson - black and proud. An ace soul/funk/R&B album
Disadvantages: Weak, sappy ballads

...the way the quick, insanely buoyant guitars mix up the soul/funk/pop sensibilities that lie at the heart of everything Jackson does as a performer. iTunes, damn them, describes the song as 'delirious', which is exactly how I wanted to describe it. It is one of the best, most defining opening songs that any musician has ever put together, ever. On top of everything, Thriller is an album of songs which are a little mashed together at times, but features so many songs of such feverish intensity and brilliance that you don't notice this jarring effect too much. Thriller fully deserves all the praise it gets, and Jackson's career (which shortly afterwards turned him white, and less interesting as a performer - white people make for crappy soul singers, Cilla Black aside) was rightly boosted into the stratosphere. This is perhaps the best record... Read review

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