Very Best Of Little Richard, The - Little Richard

Advantages: Songs well up to standard
Disadvantages: Unadventurous instrumentation

...This double album, one half electric ('voltage enhanced') and one half acoustic ('nude'), is a return to the more downbeat, brooding mood that characterised "Shoot Out The Lights", the last album Richard made with his soon to be ex-wife Linda 14 years earlier. The songs are as good as you'd expect from one of our most underrated geniuses, like the slightly reggaeish "Razor Dance" (which he obviously loved so much as he does a different version on both discs), and the rockabilly "Am I Wasting My Time On You". Of the more sombre songs, the chilling "The Ghost Of You Walks" and the introspective "Burns Night" come out the best, and lyrically "Woods of Darney", a song about a soldier's love affair in France during World War I, is a gem. Musically, though, I found this album a little disappointing. While I can't fault the songs, I... Read review

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Advantages: mature, inventive, beautiful and emotional
Disadvantages: really can't think of any!

...Richard Butler is best known as the charismatic rasping voiced singer in the Psychedelic Furs. After 25 years fronting the band this is his first solo album, and those expecting simply inferior Furs tracks are in for a wonderful surprise. All the songs are co-written with Jon Carin (often a member of Pink Floyd over the past 20 years or so) and all, without exception, are beautifully constructed, grown up, mature songs. Smooth keyboards and rythmn tracks slightly disguise extremely clever songwriting and some devastatingly heartbreaking lyrics. Both men lost their fathers during the prolonged making of this album and a sense of personal loss and longing permeates the album. But there is also hope and light at the end of the tunnel and despite the occasional depressing lyric this is not a doomy album in any way. Every song leaves... Read review

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Advantages: Hard Hitting, Playful, Raunchy Indie Rock.
Disadvantages: Too Raw A Sound For Some Tastes (But Not Mine!)

...and seems to sometimes just talk over the tracks, while te other has a rich, sometimes sickly voice which screeches and moans as well as sings. But don;t let the discription fool you, this is no heavy rock or metal band, this is simply very infectious and very dancable indie rock. The best track on the album is "Illegal Tender", with a hand clapped rhythm as well as the drums, and a sort of vocal duel as the two signers take verses and sometimes even lines in turn. The rousing chorus reminds me of some of the songs from The Rocky Horror show, with strange harmonies on the vocals which give the track an edgy feel. The lyrics of the chorus ("I need a lover, I need a lover, I need a lover who will love me like no other") are prehaps not the best, but they work well to maintain a heavy beat and will keep you tapping your feet even on repeat... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful