I’ll Take Care Of Your Cares – FRANKIE LAINE***

I’ll Take Care Of Your Cares/I’m Free/Maybe/You’re Breaking My Heart/Heartless One/What Do You Do With An Old Song/Making Memories/Somewhere There’s Someone/The Moment Of Truth/If I Didn’t Care/I Wish You Were Jealous Of Me

I'll Take Care Of Your Cares provided the vehicle for a surprise return to the US album chart for vocalist Frankie Lane who was at the peak of his popularity a decade earlier. Title track dates from 1927 and is representative of the rather old time music on this album. (US:16)

"I love I’ll Take Care Of Your Cares and Making Memories. This is when music was music and had a real message of love."

"I took I'll Take Care Of Your Cares home in 1967 or 1968 and we played it all the time. Such great tunes by a master."

"This is from Frankie's years at ABC records and he had some great recordings there. Frankie probably sang better at an advanced age than anyone I can remember."

"Some people think Frankie was a western singer, but anyone who has followed him through the years knows this is not so. He had such a great voice."

"Frankie Laine was one of the old time greats. Having lived during that era I can only say that his rendition of Making Memories is memorable."

"I pity the people who didn't live through that period in our history. Then there were many music styles to choose from, now it all sounds the same."

I Never Loved A Man the Way I Love You – ARETHA FRANKLIN*****

Respect/Drown In My Tears/I Never Loved A Man(The Way I Loved You)/Soul Serenade/Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream/Baby Baby Baby/Dr Feelgood/Good Times/Do Right Woman Do Right Man/Save Me/A Change Is Gonna Come

I Never Loved A Man The Way I Loved You was the highly regarded debut album on the Atlantic label from the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin. The title track was a No. 9 US hit single. Also includes the classic soul number Respect, No. 1 in the US and No. 10 in the UK. (US:2 UK:36)

"In her prime, Aretha was something incredibly special. She still had a tendency to run on a little long flexing her vocal muscles, but there's not a duff track on this '67 Atlantic classic. The best song is not Respect but Do Right Woman Do Right Man where she shows her true vocal beauty in all its splendour. The song can make a grown man melt."

"A lot of people have called this the best soul album ever. That's selling it short. Certainly Aretha Franklin's voice and piano playing, along with those fat horns behind her, are the very definition of soul. But this album is so good that if you made a list of the best albums of all time in any genre this one would have to be on it."

"Anyone who likes soul music should like this album. Aretha Franklin is in top shape, and gives this album an original emotional and 'soulful' charm. Of course, it helps when the songwriting is amazing, in original tracks like the legendary Respect and the beautiful title track, but when even the interpretation of covers is as unique as in Ray Charles' Drown In My Own Tears and Sam Cooke's Change Is Gonna Come, then you know you are listening to perhaps the best singer in soul music history."

"Aretha Franklin made it big with this incredibly wonderful soul album, and every song still sounds wonderful. Aretha's voice is in excellent form here, and I love every minute of this album."

"Great album. I like all the songs, Aretha's vocals are great throughout, obviously. But what really makes the album is that the production, back up vocals, and instrumentation are all perfect and complement her voice wonderfully."

High Priestess Of Soul – NINA SIMONE***

Don’t You Pay Them No Mind/I’m Gonna Leave You/Brown Eyed Handsome Man/Keeper Of The Flame/The Gal From Joe’s/Take Me To The Water/I’m Going Back Home/I Hold No Grudge/Come Ye/He Ain’t Comin’ Home No More/Work Song/I Love My Baby

High Priestess Of Soul was Nine Simone’s final album on the Philips label. It highlighted how adept she was at performing in a wide range of styles and settings.

“When Simone sings Keeper Of The Flame, you know why the pyramids are still there and the sun still sets. Simply fabulous, even the string arrangements which are usually annoying or overdone work here. Nothing can undermine her voice and the beautiful selection of songs. If you have never heard Simone you could start here.”

“I can’t say enough about this great LP. Easy listening and smooth vibes. Just what I need to relax after a hard day at work.” “The song selection was not as pleasing or enjoyable as I personally like; I am more of a soulful, blues person and many of the songs were 'too bouncy' for me.”

“A much more upbeat record from Simone than we're used to, although a more upbeat Nina Simone is still a fairly calm, reserved figure. Some of the jumped-up moments are pretty excellent - the Ray Charles-esque I'm Gonna Leave You, the cover of Brown Eyed Handsome Man. However, the record peaks on its two most spectral moments, the spiritual and minimal Come Ye and the portentous and insidious Keeper Of The Flame. The latter must be considered a career highlight for her, it's incredible.”

“With a ten-year career behind her, High Priestess Of Soul finds Nina Simone comfortable in a range of styles, from pop to R & B and soul to blues to gospel. As ever, as an album it is not especially consistent, but the diversity and high-quality performances and arrangements make up for some of the unevenness.”

“It is a fitting end to a seven album run for the Philips label in which Simone recorded a number of her most iconic songs. The variety of songs and the singing in itself remind me more of a melting pot than of a consistent whole.”

Happy Together – THE TURTLES****

Makin’ My Mind Up/Guide For The Married Man/Think I’ll Run Away/The Walking Song/Me About You/Happy Together/She’d Rather Be With Me/Too Young To Be One/Person Without A Care/Like The Seasons/Rugs Of Woods & Flowers

Happy Together was the first major album chart success for the US melodic pop group The Turtles, with a similar sound to The Lovin' Spoonful but not as consistent. The Grammy winning title track was a US No. 1 and She'd Rather Be With Me a top five hit single. (US:25 UK:18)

"After The Turtles song Happy Together became a number one hit, their record company released an album with the same title. That's the way they did things back then. Along with the title track, the follow up smash hit She'd Rather Be With Me was also included. The rest of the album is basically made up of a random collection of songs from the same time period. They vary in quality, but most of them are good. The great Me About You is probably the best of these songs."

"The Turtles were known for their exceptional harmonies and chord progressions and each song on this LP is definitely worth treating oneself to again and again. The songs in general tend to be upbeat, cheerful and just plain feel good."

"The Turtles third original album was also their most rewarding, filled with mostly first rate songs beautifully executed. The hits singles helped propel the LP's sales, but there was a cornucopia of superb music surrounding them."

"If you know what Happy Together sounds like and you like it, you'll like these songs. An almost perfect collection with just the odd song that's ever so slightly under par."

"This is the best Turtles album one can get, short of a greatest hits album. By far my two favourite Turtles songs are Happy Together and She's My Girl, both with extraordinary vocal harmonies and great chord progressions. All songs on this LP are decent at worst, great at best."

"A band in development. Overall a bit of a disappointment considering the excellent tracks the band have made. I guess you don't have to make a thorough album when you release a mega-forever-smash-hit such as Happy Together, hence overall this album is not a success despite some great songs."

Greatest Hits – THE YARDBIRDS****

Shapes Of Things/Still I’m Sad/New York City Blues/For Your Love/Over Under Sideways Down/I’m A Man/ Happenings Ten Years Time Ago/Heart Full Of Soul/Smokestack Lightning/I’m Not Talking

Greatest Hits was a US only compilation from the British blues based group The Yardbirds, which provided the launch pad for some of world's most acclaimed guitarists. (US:28)

"This here is their original and first Greatest Hits album, and it's also a fine piece of work. And it was a great album, one I played constantly for years. It still holds up - every track is good and most of them are even great."

"This LP chronicles the most important years in the short, but sparkling, career of a hugely exciting and influential band. When you consider that this music was recorded over 40 years ago it's easy to understand that, at the time, it was as revolutionary as the arrival of Hendrix. More remarkable still, the music sounds as great today as when it was released, full of edge, authority and bite."

"This LP is a nice mix of the two threads in The Yardbirds' music: a reverence for the R & B standards they perfected, with a desire to branch out commercially."

"Any library of rock and roll without this album is incomplete. The Yardbirds are iconic and anyone with a passion for British Invasion groups should have this collection of their songs. These are the guys that saw the rough side of the blues and kicked it up about ten notches with rock and roll. These musicians and their songs influenced generations of musicians to come."

"This LP is very appealing in terms of content, originality, and style. The Yardbirds boasted three of thee greatest guitarists in the world; Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. Their blues inspired wailings make this group stand out from others of the same era. The music is gritty and raw. If you're looking to improve your music collection you really can't go wrong with this little gem."

"The Yardbirds were one of the top bands of the British Invasion, best known for their lead guitar players. They were a blues based rock band, but most of their hits leaned more towards 'pop' rock."

"Great roots of hard rock. Gotta love that fuzz guitar and dark atmosphere."

Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim – FRANK SINATRA*****

The Girl From Ipanema/Dindi/Change Partners/Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars/Meditation/If You Never Come To Me/How Insensitive/I Concentrate On You/Baubles Bangles & Beads/Once I Loved

Frank Sinatra teamed up with Latin guitarist Antonio Carlos Jobim to produce this acclaimed bossa nova album. The champion of timing rose to the challenge of performing in this unfamiliar style. (US:19)

"It is without hesitation that I declare this to be the most sophisticated and classy album I've ever heard. As the Summer of Love drew near and the rest of the western world began stocking up on acid, these gentlemen created an absolute landmark in casual elegance that will likely never be equalled."

"The legendary 'Ol' Blue Eyes' sings the bossa nova icon's compositions and does more than justice to his songs. His interpretations are awesomely beautiful and incredibly enchanting. He covers these songs with utmost confidence considering that they are not his normal repertoire. In my opinion, this is one of the finest albums Sinatra ever recorded."

"Sinatra's relaxed, swinging style turned out to be a natural fit for Jobim's slinky, harmonically sophisticated compositions. Jobim's conductor of choice Claus Ogerman and percussionist Dom-Um Romao are able to find a natural groove with the singer's unique, jazzy phrasing."

"Rare piece of perfection. Frankie at his smoothest. He and Antonio complement one another so well. This is Sinatra singing perhaps more softly than he ever did, resulting in a superb collection of soft bossa nova songs with fantastic arranging and musicianship. This collection of songs leaves you wanting more olives for your glass."

"I have been a Sinatra fan forever and thought he was done mastering new challenges, until this. There isn't one song on this album that he hasn't treated with more meaning and feeling than any other artist I've heard. The champion of timing showed himself to be the master of subtle nuances in every piece."

"This is very much a new Sinatra, at his most seductive and entrancing."

Feelin’ Groovy – HARPERS BIZARRE***

Come To The Sunshine/Happy Talk/Come Love/Raspberry Rug/The59th Bridge Street Song (Feelin’ Groovy)/ The Debutante’s Ball/Happyland/Peter & The Wolf/I Can Hear The Darkness/Simon Smith & The Amazing Dancing Bear

Feelin’ Groovy was the debut album from the Californian sunshine pop group Harpers Bizarre. The Paul Simon title track single reached No. 13 in the US and featured arrangements by Leon Russell. (US:108)

“For an album that is completely lacking energy in every way, it's actually mostly tolerable. The choir vocal style is a bit much to chew and it's so stunningly corporate and unoriginal. Despite these monstrosities, it's fairly good.”

“The songs are airy, typically sixties in their sunny mood, vocal harmonies and subtle, elegantly unpredictable melodies. The arrangements are sober and imaginative: wind and brass instruments play an important role, and I suppose this is the element which makes me appreciate the album so much.”

“Welcome to Harpers Bizarre wonderland where it is never ending summer and sunshine, flowers talk, houses are made of cookies, candies are hanging down from the trees and everything is in pastels.”

“Yes, this is sunshine pop, purest of the pure and has one of the finest productions in those days. There is not really any rubbish material included and only a couple of songs fail to make any impression on me.”

“If any group and song was the prototype for sunshine pop, it would be Harpers Bizarre and their hit version of Feelin' Groovy. Their high range choir boy harmonies, positive themed material, and sophisticated arrangements were all part of the genre's model.”

“Regardless of style, each song is structured around the Harpers Bizarre voices singing soft and high; lush background harmonies weaving in and out of orchestration with strings, flutes, oboes, horns; and drumming with brushes to tie it all together. If you like happy, feel-good music then you will enjoy this LP. Happy, tunes from a simpler, more carefree time. Take some time with these tunes and dream a little.”