Free At Last - FREE***

Catch A Train/Soldier Boy/Magic Ship/Sail On/Travellin' Man/Little Bit Of Love/Guardian Of The Universe/Child/Goodbye

After a brief split blues rockers Free reunited to produce the disappointing Free At Last. The blander sound reflects the kind of material they would later deliver when re-branded as Bad Company. Includes the UK top twenty hit Little Bit Of Love. (US:69 UK: 9)

“Free's weakest studio effort, but that doesn't mean it's bad, as they never released a sub standard album. They were far too talented a group of musicians for that. The songs here aren't quite as good as on previous efforts, but still they're plenty good enough.”

“Apart from nicely atmospheric and highly melancholy Guardian Of The Universe very little of this sticks. A nice-sounding record but it's clearly Free-by-numbers and not very inspiring.”

“With Free At Last, it feels to me as though the plans for the upcoming transformation into Bad Company were already underway and it affected the quality of this release terribly. It remains the Free studio album with the least to offer.”

“At times it resembles the majestic cry of a dying beast. It is drenched in emotion, melancholy and darkness far more than any other Free album yet it also shows shafts of light and a hint at what could have been.”

“Musically these tracks were instantly recognizable as a Free product. The bad news was that with the exception of Catch A Train and Little Bit Of Love the reunited band didn't sound all that enthused. Mid-tempo rockers like Soldier Boy and Magic Ship sounded like they were going through the motions, while stockpiling their top shelf material for future endeavours.”

“Free At Last isn't that good. By this point in their career and following a brief split Free had totally established their sound and saw no reason to fix what wasn't broken. As a result this is the most obvious Free album, the one which sounds like it could have been recorded by a competent sound-alike band. It's not terrible, it just lacks the punch of their other albums. Ultimately though Free At Last fails to excite like the very best Free albums do.”

Obscured By Clouds - PINK FLOYD***

Obscured By Clouds/When You're In/Burning Bridges/The Gold Its In The../Wots.. Uh The Deal/Mudmen/ Childhood's End/Free Four/Stay/Absolutely Curtains

Obscured By Clouds was the soundtrack to a now largely forgotten film and is mainly instrumental. Unfortunately Pink Floyd albums during this period were very uneven although this problem would be spectacularly rectified with their next release. (US:46 UK: 6)

“Yes it's another soundtrack, but much more structured into proper songs. It's as straight forward rock as you are likely to get with the Floyd.” “Obscured By Clouds is one of Pink Floyd's lesser known albums, and being a soundtrack to an obscure film, that's rather understandable. However it must also be said that it's just simply one of their weaker efforts. Musically it sounds a lot like the albums it was released between, with some rootsy elements of Meddle, as well as some of the spacey rock that made Dark Side Of The Moon so popular. At the same time, it sounds more like a collection of outtakes and jams than a proper album. A good portion is instrumental, which is natural being a soundtrack, and while these songs are good, particularly Mudmen, they seem a little unfinished.”

“Does it's job as a film soundtrack, but as an album it's tedious, long, pretentious and above all boring. It was a huge chore to sit through all of this; absolutely nothing stands out, and this is coming from someone who likes most of Pink Floyd's work.”

“This is one of the band's more consistent albums. Both the instrumentals and the ‘normal’ songs are well-crafted and the album flows nicely from beginning to end, without a song really feeling out of place.”

“One of the things I love about Pink Floyd is their unpredictability and experimentation. Obscured By Clouds goes against both of these traits and comes out as a bland product. Many of the songs are simply repeats of the one before, and the synthesizers are tedious. The album just doesn't go anywhere to retain interest.”

“This is a pretty decent but bland Pink Floyd album. Some of the tracks are reasonably good like Mudmen which is an amazing instrumental, Free Four is a darkly funny track, the haunting Childhood's End, and the tribal ambient like Absolutely Curtains. But besides these songs the album is pretty bland and boring.”

Demons & Wizards - URIAH HEEP****

The Wizard/Traveller In Time/Easy Livin'/Poet's Justice/Circle Of Hands/Rainbow Demon/All My Life/Paradise-The Spell

Demons & Wizards continued the creative streak of the progressive band Uriah Heep, inexplicably denigrated by some music critics of the time. The first two comments make the valid point that the tracks on many albums of this period contained songs with a distinct individuality. (US:23 UK:20)

“When so much music sounds so alike, it's refreshing to go back to a time and find an album where the tracks all sound different. There's a trademark sound going on, mainly thanks to the big organ, which is almost cathedral-like at times, but all instruments can be clearly heard in the mix along with some great harmonies.”

“I firmly believe that this is the ultimate Uriah Heep album. The songs are all great, highly memorable, very melodic and each sounds unique from one to the next. It is awesome when you dig out a 70s rock album, listen to it and every song sounds different. A lot of rock bands back then sounded different from each other, which you certainly can't really say about bands now.”

“David Byron is at his peak as a vocalist here and his smooth and powerful voice is a treat on every song. Ken Hensley's amazing organ playing overpowers everything in its path and Mick Box's guitar leads are just outstanding. And the songwriting is amazing. This was one of the first albums themed around magic, sorcery, and ancient British legends.”

“The album took me to the playground of the wizards and sages of old. The beautiful acoustic guitar work on the title cut still sends shivers through my spine. The depth of the music transcends the shallowness of today's music. It has the ability to not only place you on a magic carpet ride, but guide you along safely.”

“Somewhat more firmly metal-oriented than previous albums, but still mainly existing in the sphere of progressive rock, Demons & Wizards combines often-goofy lyrics with dynamic, emotionally powerful music that can't help but raise a grin despite the cheesiness on display. Many of the lyrics would be laughable were it not for the complete sincerity and overwhelming force of their delivery, whilst the musical ideas are the strongest and most diverse the band had attained to date, This is how Uriah Heep should be remembered; with heavy organ and songs about wizards.”

Exile On Main Street - THE ROLLING STONES****

Rocks Off/Rip This Joint/Shake Your Hips/Casino Boogie/Tumbling Dice/Sweet Virginia/Torn & Frayed/Sweet Black Angel/Loving Cup/Happy/Turd On The Run/Ventilator Blues/I Just Want To See His Face/Let It Loose/All Down The Line/Stop Breaking Down/Shine A Light/Soul Survivor

Exile On Main Street was the sole double studio album released by The Rolling Stones. With fewer pop touches than normal it is described as a hybrid of rock, blues, gospel and country all mixed up together. Includes the UK and US top ten hit Tumbling Dice. (US:1 UK:1)

“Exile doesn't exactly typify the band at a songwriting peak, because the songs are more centred around the stripped blues chant form - there's none of their more lyrical songs here. This stuff's more rooted in performance, how all that energy really sounds, than on any kind of strict aesthetic.”

“The Stones might have loved dirty blues from the beginning, but until Exile it was always mixed up with pop touches and sweet bits in the melodies. On the other hand this is gritty, raw, real and uncompromising. It's a still a hybrid of rock, blues, gospel and country all mixed up together, but this is not a commercial record by any measure.”

“It is here that the band seem to have the greatest mastery over the numerous influences. They do soulful numbers well, they do raunchy hard-edged rock well, the ballads are beautiful and heartfelt. If you don't love this album at first, persist with it.”

“Never before or since did the Stones manage to create such a consistent and compelling mood that lasts from the first song to the last. It is a very stark album, both musically and lyrically. The songs are grooves over which Mick and Keith simply testify as to what's rattling around their heads - encounters with women, thoughts on life as a rock and roller, spiritual, moral and political questions, from the sublime to the base. In its own way, this is a confessional album.”

“The Stones’ Exile On Main Street is a tricky album to grasp upon introduction. Through the years it has been hailed as the band’s defining record by countless critics and fans alike. Despite its critical mass, there still lives a relatively large group that believes this double sided monster is highly overrated.”

“It fuses every aspect of American roots rock and roll: gospel, blues, jazz, folk, and soul, and without a doubt it's their most innovative album.”

Honky Chateau - ELTON JOHN*****

Honky Cat/Mellow/I Think I'm Going To Kill Myself/Susie/Rocket Man/Salvation/Slave/Amy/Mona Lisas & Mad Hatters/Hercules

Honky Château heralds a series of albums in which showman Elton John conquers the rock and pop charts on both sides of the Atlantic. Includes the UK No. 2 hit Rocket Man and US No. 8 Honky Cat. (US:1 UK:2)

“Honky Chateau was the first album to finally contain an identifiable sound for Elton John. His previous albums meandered from country-rock to gospel to symphonic to hard-rock to pop, it was hard to tell just what type of music Elton was trying to sing. However, Honky Chateau defined a style that was definitely his own.”

“Elton's real commercial breakthrough into the pop mainstream came with this strong and varied set just about the time glam rock was taking off in Britain. With its concentration on commercialism and glitz, Elton certainly changed his game, moving away from singer-songwriter seriousness to the showman now writing sharp pop songs with big choruses aimed at the charts.”

“Gone is the piano balladeer and in its place was the rock artist. While he would continue to produce elegant and beautiful ballads, his up-tempo material would be more energetic than in the past and would have some musical bite.”

“This is the Elton John album where it all fits together perfectly. The hits, the ballads, the rockers, and the oddball songs roll out one after another, complimentary to one other to make it all click.”

“John's strength is in producing songs that are easily accessible, yet have an underlying musical complexity that rewards repeated listens. He was at the forefront of re-introducing the piano at a time when rock music was dominated solely by guitar work. If there is anyone left that hasn't been introduced to Elton John, Honky Chateau is arguably the best place to start.”

“Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin were reaching the top of their game, but were still willing to stretch that little further here and there to make a song truly special. This willingness to go beyond the call of duty is evident in two genuinely effecting numbers, Rocket Man and the pretty Mona Lisas & Mad Hatters. Both songs are absolute stunners and worthy of the price of the album alone.”

High Low & In Between - TOWNES VAN ZANDT***

Two Hands/You Are Not Needed Now/Greensboro Woman/Highway Kind/Standin'/No Deal/To Live Is To Fly/When He Offers His Hand/Mr Gold & Mr Mud/Blue Ridge Mountains/High Low & In Between

Country singer songwriter Townes Van Zandt enjoys a cult following but achieved minimal commercial success during his lifetime. High Low & In Between features elements of country, gospel, folk and rockabilly.

“As is the case with all the Van Zandt albums I've heard High Low & In Between is full of drifters and dreamers, losers and triers, and lyrically it's difficult to find fault. Musically though the album just fails to engage.”

“This album features a variety of music from the comical No Deal, to the religious Two Hands, and then on to what I have come to expect from this great man, heartfelt music and lyrics of a supremely talented songwriter.”

“Less country sounding than many of his albums, this one has a little more of a singer/songwriter folk sound to it. Of course the spectacular songwriting is still in place and that's what really matters in a Townes Van Zandt record.”

“Townes hits gospel, country, folk (both piano and acoustic guitar), and rockabilly notes on High Low & In Between, with each song backed with his trademark songwriting prowess. This album is a Townes Van Zandt kaleidoscope and, although it's not my favourite, it's a good way to introduce yourself to the artist.”

“Van Zandt is usually accompanied by some subtle acoustic guitar, often combined with some bass, or even bigger band arrangements. He certainly has a skill for melancholy songs like You Are Not Needed Now and the title track that really get under your skin with simple melodies and some occasionally chilling lyrics. He does include a few upbeat numbers, though, like the great and humorous No Deal and the groovy Standin’. There are a few weaker tracks, most notably the gospel tunes which lack the personality that Van Zandt is so capable of injecting into a great song. Overall, though, there are some great highlights.”

Golden Hour Of - SANDIE SHAW*****

Puppet On A String/Message Understood/Nothing Comes Easy/Had A Dream Last Night/Long Live Love/Stop Feeling Sorry For Yourself/Hide All Emotion/Tomorrow/You Won't Forget Me/Keep In Touch/I'll Stop At Nothing/ (There's) Always Something There To Remind Me/Tell The Boys/I'd Be Far Better Off Without You/No Moon/Girl Don't Come/Think Sometimes About Me/Long Walk Home/Don't You Count On It/I Don't Think You Want Me Anymore/Stop Before You Start/How Can You Tell/If You Ever Need Me

Sandie Shaw was one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the mid 1960s. However, she was probably promoted more for her image than her vocal talents. Nevertheless she was an appropriate vehicle for many excellent songs by Chris Andrews which were collected together for the first time on this budget release.

“Everything you ever need to hear from 1960s pop princess, famous for her looks and style but to be honest, as a singer she was below average. That she ended up often lumped up with Dusty Springfield and other 1960s girls is funny because Shaw was actually not a singer at all, she was more like a model who somehow got pulled into showbiz and managed to achieve some level of celebrity with her TV appearances and hit singles.”

“She doesn't possess a great voice but it has an attractive homespun quality which coyly insinuates greater depths. If you're on the lookout for a Sandie Shaw collection then I can't see this compilation being beaten.”

“Iconic British pop vocalist. Sandie Shaw's endearing and instantly recognizable voice and girl next door appeal, married to the suburban sixties through the songs of Chris Andrews, made her a huge star with a golden run of hits.”

“The best thing her manager did for Sandie was to make Chris Andrews her songwriter. Though her first hit was a Bacharach composition, she couldn’t depend on getting more of his songs. Andrews wrote almost all of Sandie’s hits and had a real sense of both what suited her voice and what the British public wanted to hear. She had the perfect voice for his songs.”

“I found the material consistently compelling for three reasons - strong songwriting, excellent production and evocative vocals. If you have an appreciation for 60s British female vocalists, Sandie Shaw stands with the best of them.”

“Sandie was best suited to up-tempo material and that is clearly reflected in this collection. Chris Andrews wrote most of Sandie's hits. This compilation contains everything that most people will ever want of Sandie's music.”