The Wondrous World Of – SONNY & CHER***

Summertime/Tell Him/I’m Leaving It All Up To You/But You’re Mine/Bring It On Home To Me/Set Me Free/What Now My Love/Leave Me Be/I Look For You/Laugh At Me/Turn Around/So Fine

Wondrous World, the second album from American pop duo Sonny & Cher, was rather less successful than their debut. Includes the top twenty single But You're Mine, plus the top ten Sonny solo release Laugh At Me. (US:34 UK:15)

"For their second album, Sonny and Cher largely dropped both the overt Spectorisms and derivative folk-rock of their debut. 1966's Wondrous World instead refines the two into an utterly unique blend. There were few protest songs as dazzlingly arranged as Laugh At Me, originally released as a Sonny solo single. Much of the album consists of covers, all given the inimitable Sonny and Cher treatment. Even this early in her career, Cher seems certain that attitude counts for more than innate talent."

"Sonny & Cher did some great singles, but outside of the three hit singles and a few original Sonny penned songs, it's all cover versions. They're okay, but not the calibre of songs that Sonny actually wrote that were their biggest hits."

"This second Atco 1966 LP is filled with great pop tunes. Set Me Free has the Sonny and Cher harmonies in good stead. They make that Kinks tune their own. What Now My Love is the most poignant version with Sonny and Cher acting the song with conviction. The Spectoresque production builds with honest emotion, and the duo sound like a unified act. Sonny's anthem Laugh At Me is a plaintiff force."

"Wondrous World pales next to their first LP. It's fun and sincere in tone, but it makes no artistic breakthrough, and strangely there are few original Bono song compositions. It does include a Sonny and Cher classic in What Now My Love. The image of Sonny and Cher is here in music form, in their many duets about love. Of their three Atco original LPs this is the weakest, but it is still good pop music and worth a listen."

"Listening to this album today, it struck me how well Sonny & Cher's voices blended when they harmonized. I found myself thinking that they were perfect together, for their moment in time. I love the selection of songs."

Sweet Things – GEORGIE FAME****

Sweet Thing/See Saw/Ride Your Pony/Funny How Time Slips Away/Sitting In The Park/Dr Kitch/My Girl/Music Talk/The In Crowd/The World Is Round/The Whole World’s Shaking/Last Night

Georgie Fame's versatile musical talents straddled pop, soul, jazz and R & B. Sweet Thing, his most successful album, contains the No. 12 UK hit single Sitting In The Park. (UK:6)

"I can't believe my ears. This is really a staggering cover of Sweet Thing. I usually shy away from covers but this one has the distinction of being every bit as good (and even better in points) than the original - and believe me, I am a die-hard Motown fanatic, so I say that with the intent of paying the highest compliment to Georgie Fame."

"Sweet Thing is my all time favourite Georgie track. Great memories of being 18 and dancing to this on those East End Saturday nights. Very cool, Georgie is still so underrated and was the ultimate in hip when he played the Flamingo all those years ago."

"As for Georgie Fame, you gotta love him. He has never been at the very top but he has always been around. Supergroups, boy bands, metal - they all come and go but Georgie Fame just goes on forever. Why? Cos, there is something extra special about him. If he didn't invent 'cool' he was sure present when someone else did."

"Probably the best (and most underrated) vocalists to ever emerge from the UK. It's not often you can say that a white fella from Bristol has bettered Detroit's finest."

"Sitting In The Park is just beautiful. What a superb voice. Nothing else left to say."

"This aims squarely at the Mod audience with classics such as In-Crowd and Last Night."

"Georgie's impressive keyboard work and funky, down-home vocal approach is more than adequately showcased here, this is R & B, jazz and blues at it's least compromised and sounds irrepressibly fresh."

The Soul Album – OTIS REDDING****

Just One More Day/Its Growing/Cigarettes & Coffee/Chain Gang/Nobody Knows You (When Your Down & Out)/Good To Me/Scratch My Back/Treat Her Right/Everybody Makes A Mistake/Any Ole Way/634-5789

The Soul Album was the fourth LP from Southern soul giant Otis Redding. Like previous releases it is a combination of original compositions, covers and stompers. (US:54 UK:22)

"Like its predecessor, the legendary Soul Album makes for another half hour of prime cut Southern soul. A hugely consistent LP bringing together originals and covers, slow grinding wailers and gutbucket stompers."

"Any of Otis Redding recordings are lessons of soul music and this one is no different. The versions of Sam Cooke's Chain Gang and the bluesy Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out are highlights in an excellent album."

"Otis Redding's The Soul Album is remarkably consistent, with every single song creating a foothold in your Southern soul collection. Otis is equally convincing on his originals as he is on his trademark re-works of soul and rock classics. My personal favourite tracks are the beautiful Good To Me, the red-eyed 2 am plea of Cigarettes & Coffee and the bluesy and bouncy Scratch My Back."

"The Soul Album gets stronger and stronger as the album plays on, and the second side of this album just may be one of the strongest sides of any Otis album, which is saying a lot."

"Otis Redding albums are hard to review. How many times can I use the words 'brilliant', 'one-of-a-kind', 'amazing', etc, until they lose all meaning? The Soul Album is an absolute gem in the Otis Redding collection, and I'll leave it at that."

"The Soul Album is often overlooked when examining Redding's output. No singles were culled from its content, but this does not diminish the quality of the excellent songs it contains. The original material reveals the strength of the singer's partnership with guitarist Steve Cropper, and the cover versions show Redding's gift for reinterpretation. Sam Cooke, The Temptations and Wilson Pickett are each acknowledged in turn, while Otis also takes shots at two contemporary hits, Roy Head's Treat Her Right and Slim Harpo's Scratch My Back. The Soul Album is as strong as any other records issued by the singer during his short lifetime."

Soul & Inspiration – THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS****

Soul & Inspiration/He Will Break Your Heart/Stand By/In The Midnight Hour/He/I’m Leaving It Up To You/Turn On Your Love Lights/Hey Girl/Mine All Mine/Change Is Goin’ To Come/Bring It On Home/Rat Race

After leaving Spector's Philles Records in late 1965, citing personal difficulties with the producer, The Righteous Brothers moved to the Verve label and teamed up with noted songwriters Mann and Weil. Their first release on the new label was Soul & Inspiration featuring the US No. 1 title track. (US:7)

"Soul & Inspiration is yet another lush ballad that works very well. The Righteous Brothers sing this with all their heart and soul, which impresses me greatly."

"The inspirational song He, in which Bill Medley's and Bobby Hatfield's voices at first sound like they wouldn't sound good together, but they do."

"With Verve, The Righteous Brothers started well, scoring an American number one hit (it also made the UK top twenty) with You're My Soul & Inspiration, but soon ran out of hits."

"Songs like Soul & Inspiration will never be forgotten. So sad that the songs out there today are more about violence and sex than love."

"This music will never be replaced by any of the music today. There is no comparison with the music made over 40 years ago - more class then."

"This is one great duo. They made some great music. Music today lacks the feeling and emotions of the kind found here. It is something that a couple could fall in love to."

"I love Soul & Inspiration so much. Every time I hear this song it makes me cry. The songs today will never be able to compare with the songs from the 60s. That was the best generation ever. I enjoy listening to all of the love songs from this era. These songs are very inspirational, and I love listening to them over and over again."

"He is not just one or the other but The Righteous Brothers truly singing and performing as a duet....magnificent."

The Sonny Side Of – CHER***

Bang Bang/Elusive Butterfly/Where Do You Go/Our Day Will Come/The Girl From Ipanema/Its Not Unusual/Like A Rolling Stone/Time/Come To Your Window/Old Man River/Milord/A Young Girl

The second solo Cher album, The Sonny Side Of Cher, like her first, was produced by her then husband and singing partner, Sonny Bono. Bang Bang was a top three hit in both the US and UK. Cher would have to wait another 23 years for her next British top twenty album. (US:26 UK:11)

"Sonny Side is by-and-large a covers album that contains two songs written by Bono. It is doomed by lack of heart and inability to rise above the formulaic."

"Cher sounds game but uncommitted, the arrangements are over the top, and it just doesn't work. The only track that has any real zest is the Bono written novelty Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down), the kind of dramatic song Cher could knock out in her sleep, but also a song with no real heart. That lack of heart and sense of novelty is what dooms the album."

"The Sonny Side Of Cher was the best of her early solo albums. Sonny Bono really knew what kind of a singer he was working with. Sonny utilized the talents of musicians that were top notch, incredible musicians where the rhythm section 'smoked'."

"I don't know how or if any contemporary artist could manage an album like this, male or female. No record company would ever OK an album that had this kind of range of songs. I'm not sure what that says about this album and the current state of music, but I know I will treasure this for what it is."

"From the second LP I particularly liked The Girl From Ipanema, Elusive Butterfly, Where Do You Go, and of course the classic Bang Bang which was Cher's biggest solo hit of the 60s."

"In my opinion, Cher's best work was that which she did with Sonny in the sixties."

The Shadow Of Your Smile – ANDY WILLIAMS****

The Shadow Of Your Smile/That Old Feeling/Meditation/Try To Remember/Michelle/Somewhere/The Summer Of Our Love/Peg O’ My Heart/How Insensitive/Yesterday/Bye Bye Blues/A Taste Of Honey

The Shadow Of Your Smile maintained relaxed easy listening vocalist Andy Williams's run of hit albums during the sixties. A mixed bag it includes two Beatles compositions. (US:6 UK:24)

"This LP shows off Andy Williams as a brilliantly versatile performer. His ability to handle music of varying styles is one reason why he has endeared himself to millions for decades. A tropic samba suits Williams as he buffers his belting for a soft and sultry rendition of How Insensitive. He puts his touch on The Beatles' hit Yesterday and, as is his knack, gets to the emotional core of this oft-covered song."

"This release allows Mr. Williams to demonstrate his extraordinary range. He can at once touch your heart with a tear in The Summer Of Our Love or Try To Remember or with a smile in Somewhere. Close your eyes and allow his works to carry you to a distant place with soft smiles, flickering candlelight, sweet wine and serene melodies."

"The Shadow Of Your Smile finds Andy experimenting with songs of The Beatles, including Michelle, in which the lilting, lush orchestration is well-suited to Andy's cool reading of the song's French lyrics. In contrast is a hot, swinging cover of A Taste Of Honey. Williams' guest on this album is bossa nova godfather Antonio Carlos Jobim, who sits in on guitar on two of his compositions, Meditation and How Insensitive."

"The twelve tracks from The Shadow Of Your Smile, give us some stunning highlights well worth mentioning. Andy delivers the title track to perfection with an elegant arrangement for the piano. That Old Feeling sports a tremendous arrangement for the strings, and Try To Remember gets the royal treatment as he croons this with all the passion he could ever muster."

"Andy Williams has been, is, and always will be my favourite singer. His soft, caressing voice is one of the most beloved in the world. As usual he is perfect in this rendition of many old favourites, great for relaxing or just listening pleasure."

"From low, the middle to high, Andy's voice is as clear as they come. Beautiful music throughout - one after another. This is one fine LP."

The Seeds – THE SEEDS**

Can’t Seem To Make You Mine/No Escape/Lose Your Mind/Evil Hoodoo/Girl I Want You/Pushin’ Too Hard/Try To Understand/Nobody Spoil My Fun/Its A Hard Life/You Can’t Be Trusted/Excuse Excuse/Fall In Love

The self titled debut album from the Los Angeles band The Seeds who enjoyed cult status in the mid sixties with their brand of raw garage rock, mixed with some psychedelic elements. (US:132)

“The Seeds self-titled debut is a really nice package of garage rock which is spiced up with psychedelic elements. I really like how some of these songs are so raw and melodic at the same time. That cool, a bit echoing guitar, and those keyboards are also big boosts to make the band sound very unique.”

“A nice garage album but it suffers from all of it sounding somewhat the same. I realize great dynamics and a wide palette were not The Seeds strength. A fun listen, though not quiet essential.”

“The Seeds have a unique sound. They were different to most garage bands of the time. Sure every song has two chords but, Saxon's nasal voice and Hooper's cheesy organ give them a zany trademark style. Most of the tunes on this record are not great, although quite often humorous. In some ways they are an over the top parody of The Stones.”

“The Seeds were seminal garage punk for the teenagers that danced and sang to the pounding beat and lyrics that were angry, anxious and eager.” “The Seeds have one great song. That's it. Everything else is a variation of it. Also, Sky Saxon is perhaps the most undistinguished vocalist coming out of the garage.”

“It is obvious that the musicianship was marginal at best but for this type of music, who cares? Despite this, they worked well as a team and came out with some crude gems that are still enjoyable today.”

“You rarely hear them mentioned anymore, but these guys were way ahead of their time. There music is timeless in that it sounds both ancient and futuristic at the same time. It hooks you in and holds your head underwater until you wake up in another world of haunting landscapes, filled with shattered hearts and brains throbbing with psychic pain.”