Beatles - A Hard Day' s Night - Review

Beatles - A Hard Day's Night - 1963

Songs: A Hard Day’s Night, I Should Have Known Better, If I Fell, I’m Happy Just To Dance With You, And I Love Her, Tell Me Why, Can’t Buy Me Love, Anytime At All, I’ll Cry Instead, Things We Said Today, When I Get Home, You Can’t Do That, I’ll Be Back. 

 

Type of Music: Early Sixties Pop Music.

Comments:

The Third Beatles Album and what a vast improvement over the first two!! The first seven songs are from the film but the rest isn’t just filler either. No Way!! And, also for the first time, all songs are written by John & Paul. The result is a Feel Good Album packed with excellent compositions and filled with memorable hooks. It’s difficult to point out highlights because A Hard Day’s Night, I Should Have Known Better, Can’t Buy Me Love, Anytime At All and the beautiful ballads If I Fell, And I Love Her, Things We Said Today and I’ll Be Back are all genuine Beatles Classics, at least in my book. Of course not all of the remaining songs are in that same league but they still aren’t bad!! A less brilliant Beatles song is still much better than most pop music around.     

Rating: ******** (8 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Who should buy this Record: An Excellent place to start your Beatles collection. Every Beatles Fan and every one else who enjoys good pop music should own this one. 

Fleetwood Mac - Rumours - Review

Fleetwood Mac - Rumours - 1977

Songs:  Second Hand News, Dreams, Never Going Back Again, Don´t Stop, Go Your Own Way, Songbird, The Chain, You Make Loving Fun, I Don´t Want to Know, Oh Daddy, Gold Dust Woman.

Type of Music: First Class Mid-Seventies Pop-Rock.

Comments: 

The Best Pop-Rock Album of All Times? Maybe. One of the best? For Sure!!

Amidst broken up relationships (Stevie and Lindsey), separations (Christine and John), tank loads of whisky and brandy (All) and truck loads of cocaine (Almost All if not All), the members of the Mac succeeded in writing and arranging a bunch of true pop-rock Classics.

The songs are almost evenly divided between Christine, Lindsey and Stevie. Most of these songs tell us most openly about the band´s problems at the time and have received constant airplay since 1977 but the majority of them still sound fresh today. And that tells you something about the quality of the Songs. The only song that I´ve heard enough by now is Bill Clinton´s favourite background music during his energetic meetings with Monica Lewinsky. I´m referring to Don´t Stop of course.

But I still love Go Your Own Way, You Made Loving Fun (Christine´s finest song so far) and Stevie´s Dreams. And let´s not forget the beautiful ballad Songbird that was the regular finale of all Live concerts until Christine left the band.

Really, there are no weak songs on Rumours. But two songs stand out for me and are two of my all time favourite Rock Songs. The first is Stevie´s mystical story of the Gold Dust Woman. And even better is the song that still opens each and every Mack Live Concert. And that´s The Chain, a song with at least three different hooks.

This Song rightly represents the story of the band. Despite all the problems, the Mac still exists, and, more importantly, still produces great music.

Rating: ********* (9 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Who should buy this Record:  What???? You don´t own it yet???

Bailie Nicol Jarvie Blended Scotch Whisky Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Bailie Nicol Jarvie

Bottled by Nicol Anderson & Co. Ltd., Leith

Type: Blended Whisky

Age: Unspecified but probably 8 Years Old

Alcohol: 40%

Date: 11-02-2012

Colour:  Golden Sunlight

Nose: Delicate. The first impressions are of Malt, Apples, Pears and a bit of Peat and Smoke. Some Speyside Heather follows and a light Nutty bitterness. There’s some Oak, Spices, Honey and Sherry. Hardly any sharp Alcohol, which is remarkable given its relative youth. There are some Floral tones as well but I find them hard to describe. Straw maybe. Nothing is really dominant here although the Oak wins territory after ten minutes or so. It’s not a nose you will remember for the rest of your life but it’s well balanced.

Taste: Light Body with Malt, Lemon and Pepper. Slightly salted Almonds. Somewhat bitter. Very faint hint of smoke.

Finish: Medium Long with bitter sweet Grains, Nuts and Citrus.

When adding three drops of water you get extra Malt and Citrus on the nose. On the palate the Pepper gets weaker. I prefer it straight but you can play with a couple of drops.

Rating:   82(out of a 100)

Nose 21,5– Taste 20,5– Finish 19,5– Overall 20,5

General Remarks: Bailie Nicol Jarvie whisky is named after a character in one of Sir Walter Scott’s books named Rob Roy. The first BNJ blend was created in the 1890’s. The current blend contains 60% Malt whiskies from Speyside, Highlands and Islay and was launched in 1994. Where other blenders use 20-40 Single Malts in their blends, the BNJ only contains 8, including Glenmorangie (where the blend is produced) and Glen Moray. The Girvan Distillery, home of Grant’s Blended Whisky, produces the Grain whiskies.

The Glenmorangie Distillery

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: This is not an expensive blend at around USD 30, -. It differs from other inexpensive blends because of its high- and more concentrated Malt content. As a result you won’t find too much sharp Alcohol and Sugared Cornflakes. The Bailie Nicol Jarvie is light and well balanced. The key components are Malt, Lemon and Pepper. This combination provides you with a nice appetiser before your dinner. It’s certainly better than most of its peers. On the minus side I would like to mention the bitterness that I find so often in cheaper whiskies. Other than that it’s a good alternative if you’re looking for a good blend for a reasonable price!

Jan van den Ende                                                                   February 2012

David Crosby - If I Could Only Remember My Name- Review

David Crosby - If I Could Only Remember My Name - 1971

Songs: Music is Love, Cowboy Movie, Tamalpais High (At about 3), Laughing, What are their Names, Traction in the Rain, Song with no Words, Orleans, I´d swear there was somebody there. 

Comments:

Listening to this album is like taking a trip. And you only have to listen. David already took his medicine when recording this album. And before it. And after it. And ….

This trip takes us out of the sixties and into the seventies. And we´re not travelling alone.

You will hear Graham Nash, Neil Young, Paul Kantner, Jerry Garcia,Jack Casady,Jorma Kaukonen, Grace Slick, Joni Mitchell and many others. All of those heroes of the sixties joint (LOL)  David on his personal trip that followed right after the recording sessions of Déjà Vu.

David is not a writer of songs like Neil Young. He creates an atmosphere and his excellent voice does the rest.

Take the opener Music is Love. It´s really a chant but it works just fine. And he doesn´t need words as well to create atmosphere. Just verify Song with no Words and his awakening from nightmare or bad trip in I´d swear there was somebody here. There are two slightly more up-tempo songs. Cowboy Movie is a bit overlong and barely manages to hold the attention. And Neil Young and Grateful Dead front man Jerry Garcia jam with David on What are their names, a rather strong protest song that hasn´t lost a lot of its power today.  

But the real highlights must be Laughing and Orleans, a song whose words are formed by naming famous French Cathedrals. Both songs are stunningly beautiful.

Tamalpais High (At about 3) is a nice instrumental. It has no words but tells the story of David´s life nevertheless. Finally, drug abuse would  destroy and almost kill him. He was saved just in time and is still touring  with Stills and Nash.

If I could only remember my name is not your average album and you´re not gonna listen to it every week. It´s an experience and a nice one for that. Just relax,pour yourself a GlenDronach Allardice 18 Years, turn out the light and let yourself be carried away from time to time. 

Rating: ******** (8 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Who should buy this Record: Anyone who misses the sixties and finds Celine Dion somewhat boring!

Hibiki 17 Years Review

Country: Japan

Brand: Suntory Hibiki

Type: Blended Whisky

Age:  17 Years

Alcohol: 43%

Colour: Old Gold

Nose: Malty at first. This blend needs lots of time in the glass to open up. After 40 minutes or so some fruit is noticeable. Could be Bananas, Plums or Apricots. Cocoa for sure. There’s also Oak, Caramel, Hazelnuts or Almonds and Resin. Light Floral notes in the back. Bit of alcohol there despite its 17 years.

Taste: Sufficiently strong delivery thanks to the 43% with Bee-Wax, Lemon Peel, Cherries, Ginger, Hazelnut, Sherry and White Pepper.

Finish: A Bit Disappointing. Dry, slightly bitter with Citrus (Orange and Lemon), Light Spices, Cocoa, Custard and Oak. Could have been longer.

You may add some water that will enhance the floral tones in the nose. However,be careful because the palate does not accept more than a few little drops.

Rating:  84,5 

Nose: 21,5 – Taste: 21,5 - Finish: 20,5 – Overall: 21

General Remarks: Normally I don’t pay too much attention to the packaging but it needs to be said that the bottle used for the Hibiki 17 is a very nice one. It's almost like a decanter. 

Hibiki is a blend of grain – and malt whiskies prepared with whiskies from Suntory’s three distilleries. But contrary to the cheaper Scottish blends, the Grain influence is less noticeable. You could easily be fooled in a blind tasting session and identify the Hibiki as a possible Single Malt. The malts used for the blend have been matured in Sherry Casks. 

The blend was introduced in 1989 to celebrate Suntory’s 90^th Anniversary. It’s expensive at around a USD 100,- but you should compare it price wise  to Single Malts or High End Blends.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good.

Conclusion: This Blend is much acclaimed all over the world, so naturally I was really curious if it would live up to expectations.  The Word Hibiki in Japanese has a lot of meanings. The two I thought most linked to the idea behind this blend were " Collection of Reflecting Sounds" and " Harmony".

Because in the end, that’s what every serious blender would want to achieve. To create or marry a collection of reflecting flavors that, once brought together, form a unique harmonious combination while maintaining or even enhancing the strengths of the individual components. I don’t want to start complaining again about the large number of indifferent blends that unfortunately exist but these bottom shelf products certainly can’t be called Hibiki.

So does the Suntory 17 years I’m reviewing today truly deserve that name?

Yes when I consider that sufficient reflecting flavors (sounds) have been brought together. Every time you will smell and taste the Hibiki you might find something new. There are floral tones and fruits and nuts and vanilla. There’s bee-wax and polish and spices. Still, I also find that there are elements that disturb the harmony of this blend. There’s a wee bit too much burnt sugar for my liking and the Bourbon like bee-wax or glue tones do not combine well with the sherry and the fruits. And there’s that slight bitterness in the finish that I’m not too fond of. Finally, it’s too expensive. So, while it’s a good blend I believe more Harmony is needed to really deserve the name Hibiki.

Jan van den Ende                                                                 February 9, 2012

Beatles - Beatles For Sale - Review

Beatles - Beatles For Sale - 1964

Songs: No Reply, I’m a Loser, Baby’s in Black, Rock and Roll Music, I’ll follow the Sun, Mr. Moonlight, Medley: Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey, Eight Days a Week, Words of Love, Honey don’t, Every Little Thing, I don’t want to Spoil the Party, What You’re Doing, Everybody’s Trying to be my Baby. 

Comments:

Beatles for Sale!! They even look sad at the Front Cover. I’m sure this Album was released under commercial pressure back in 1964. Lennon & McCartney did not have the time to write all the material and therefore the covers are back. There are six of them out of the total of 14 songs on the Album. And with the exception of Chuck Berry’s Rock and Roll Music they are a bore. The songs written by John & Paul are generally Okay with Eight Days a Week shining out. Songs like No reply, I’m a Loser, and Baby’s in Black are quite different from the happy sound on the earlier albums and point in a new direction. They are quite good though. As a whole, Beatles for Sale is not a balanced album and has too many weak spots. Mind you though that in 1964, the weak spots of the Beatles were infinitely better than most music that appeared on the market.     

Rating: ******* (7 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Who should buy this Record:  Not an Essential Beatles Album. But I’m sure all Beatles Fans own it anyway!

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Green River - Review

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Green River - 1969

Songs:  Green River, Commotion, Tombstone Shadow, Wrote a Song for Everyone, Bad Moon Rising, Lodi, Cross-Tie Walker, Sinister Purpose, The Night Time is the Right Time. 

Comments:

The third Creedence release in 1969. And a good one again! Way too short though with only 30 minutes of music. It helps to understand how they could manage those three albums within such a short time!

No long jams on this one as well. All short and to the point 3 minute Swampy Rock songs. Some are Great. Some are not.

We have four real classics here with great hooks. I like Lodi most but Green River, Bad Moon Rising and the fast and furious Commotion are equally good.

But, and that´s the problem of all three CCR albums so far, the rest of the songs are a lot less impressive. I guess that the bluesy Tombstone Shadow and the somewhat monotonous ballad Wrote a Song for Everyone are still okay, although this last song reminds me a bit too much of The Weight, that song made famous by The Band.

And I would prefer to hear someone like Gary Moore perform the pure blues The Night Time is the Right Time. And hear, say the Stray Cats perform the Rockabilly Cross-Tie Walker. And CCR would do a better creepy song in the future (Run through the Jungle) than Sinister Purpose that sounds almost silly to me.    

So, we are not quite there yet. However, Green River is certainly another step closer towards CCR´s Finest Hour.

Rating: ******** (8 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

 

Who should buy this Record:  Everybody who loves John Fogerty´s Swamp Rock and wants to look (and hear) beyond a Greatest Hits Album.  

Whyte and Mackay Special Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Whyte & Mackay Special

Type: Blended Whisky

Age: Unspecified but probably between 4 and 8 Years

Alcohol: 40%

Colour: Copper

Nose: Initial wafts of young Alcohol force you to have a little patience. After 20 minutes or so the first impressions start to develop. I find Grain and Malt, Oak and Citrus, mostly Orange. I don’t find the nose overly sweet though. There’s some fruit here but the alcohol makes it difficult to get there. Peach or Apricot I would think. With a bit of Honey sprinkled over it. The nose is not bad but the Alcohol spoils some of the fun.

Taste: Spicy delivery! Some Honey, Toffee and burnt Sugar. Slightly bitter but within reason.

Finish: Short. Bit of Malt. Sugar and Spice!

When you add a bit of water you get a bit of extra Malt on the nose but the palate gets too watery. Drink this blend straight or, if you like it, with an ice cube or two.

Rating: 75,5

Nose: 19,5 – Taste: 19 – Finish: 18 – Overall: 19

General Remarks: Allan & Poynter started as a warehouse in 1843 in Glasgow, gradually starting to store whiskies as well. It changed hands various times before it was sold to Whyte & Mackay. Soon afterwards these two partners started to blend whisky. Between 1900 and 1950 the company survived despite the World Wars and the recession. In the sixties things became better. After a large number of take-overs, United Breweries from India took control in 2007.

The blend is made following the Double Marriage process. First 35 Single Malts are married and stored in Sherry Casks for about six months. Then this vatted mixture is blended with 6 Grain Whiskies and stored for another couple of months in sherry casks.

Drinking Experience Neat: Average/Good. 

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Average.

Conclusion: It’s slightly better than the blends I’ve been testing recently as you will notice by looking at the Complete Rankings of Reviewed Whiskies. But not by much. The nose is not bad but suffers from the wafts of alcohol. On the palate the Searchers sing Sugar and Spice but not in an unpleasant way. The finish is on the short side. This blend is known as the Whyte & Mackay Special. That, it’s not, but it’s not too bad either.

Jan van den Ende                                                          January, 25 2012

Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour - Review

Songs:  Magical Mystery Tour, The Fool on the Hill, Flying, Blue Jay Way, Your Mother should Know, I am the Walrus, Hello Goodbye, Strawberry Fields Forever, Penny Lane, Baby You´re a Rich Man, All you need is love.

Type of Music: Mid Sixties Quality Pop with Psychedelic Influences.

Comments:

Sure, the first six songs on the Album form the Sound Track of the film of the same name. But actually this record sounds more like another Beatles Greatest Hits collection with some accidental filler in the form of the Psycho instrumental Flying or the Psycho George contribution Blue Jay Way. These two songs do nothing for me.

But the other songs,  all written by John and Paul are at least memorable and at best excellent.

Personally I would consider Scott McKenzie´s San Francisco, but to a lot of people All You Need is Love is the anthem of that famous Summer of Love. Psychedelics are certainly an important ingredient of the Magical Mystery Pie and I am the Walrus and above all Strawberry Fields Forever are among John´s finest work in this specific field.

And Paul is not far behind with the spooky Fool on the Hill and Penny Lane, a song Ray Davies would have loved to have written.

Actually Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane were written for Sgt. Pepper but were rejected because they would not fit in the context of that album.

So here it is, another Beatles album. Not very coherent but with some great songs.

 Rating: ******* (7 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Who should buy this Record:  Actually you can find most of the relevant songs on this album on one of the various Beatles Compilation Albums. Therefore Magical Mystery Tour is for Collectors Only.

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Willy & the Poor Boys - Review

Creedence Clearwater Revival Willy and the Poor Boys (1969)  

Songs:  Down on the Corner, It Came out of the Sky, Cotton Fields, Poorboy Shuffle, Feelin´ Blue, Fortunate Son, Don´t Look Now, The Midnight Special, Side o´ the Road, Effigy.

Type of Music: Late Sixties Blues (Swamp) Rock.

Comments: 

CCR´s fourth album was released at the end of 1969 and was another huge commercial success. It tells the story of the imaginary blues/rock band Willy and the Poor Boys, four guys from California showing the world they can play Southern Music as well as anybody else.

And indeed, they took two American originals (Cotton Fields and Midnight Special) and made them sound as if they were written for CCR in the first place. And that says something about their qualities. Nevertheless, I never liked Cotton Fields as a song despite the nice harmony vocals and I assure you that I´ve heard a lot of versions through the years from artists ranging between Udo Jürgens and the Beach Boys.

No, I prefer the rockers on the Album. For sure Fortunate Son is one of the great Anti Vietnam-War Songs and John sounds really upset here. And let´s not forget It came out of the Sky, for me the best song on the album. It´s a great rocker in Chuck Berry style. Try it out in your car with the speakers as loud as you can stand!

Everybody of course knows Down on the Corner. You probably heard it on the radio today and yesterday and the day before yesterday and…..

Less known is the instrumental Side o´ the Road. In fact it´s John´s guitar solo set on a Booker T & the MG´s kind of groove.

The Blues shuffle Feelin´ Blue is a nice enough song but I took away half a point as it´s just a tiny bit too long. And if you´re curious if CCR could come up with their version of Jimi´s Hey Joe, listen carefully to Effigy.

Some filler here as well. I fail to see the relevance of the Poorboy Shuffle and Don´t look Now is an inferior re-write of Bad Moon Rising.

So what do I tell you. It´s not a bad album but it does not quite convince me. I consider it to be a step back when compared to Green River.      

Rating: ******* (7 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Who should buy this Record:  It´s not the first CCR Album you would want to buy. But Give it a Chance if you find it remastered and cheap!

Bruce Springsteen - The Wild The Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle Review

Bruce Springsteen  : The Wild, The Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (1973)                  

Songs: The E Street Shuffle, 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy), Kitty´s Back, Wild Billy´s Circus Story, Incident on 57th Street, Rosalita (Come Out Tonight), New York City Serenade.   

Type of Music: Early Seventies Rock/ R&B Influences.

Comments:

Bruce´s second album is his own West Side Story, telling us Dylan like tales about the big city street life. With lots of Latin American influences both in words and in music. Living in a big city is like living in a great big Melting Pot. Lots of different cultures and influences. The same goes for the music on this Album.

Sometimes you will recognise bits and pieces of Dylan, Lou Reed, James Brown, Mink Deville or even Tom Waits. But all the songs have two common denominators: Balls and Soul!!

It is inevitable that one day all of this energy will lead to Born to Run.

It´s a very coherent album as well. Not really a bad song in sight although some songs are a bit overlong. I´m not too enthusiastic about the sound quality. Sounds a bit muddy.

The rhythms seem very odd from time to time during the songs but in the end it always just seem to work out fine. And that says something about the quality of the band although the drummer Vini Lopez is not always convincing.

On the other hand I really admire the organ and piano parts played by David Sancious. What a pity he left the band to start a career in jazz music. Absolute high point for me is his playing in Kitty´s Back, my choice for best song here. His playing reminds me of Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Also very good is his piano part on New York City Serenade.

Like Greetings from Asbury Park NJ, I find it difficult to listen to the whole album in one time without losing interest after about 25 minutes. I suppose it is because of Bruce´s somewhat monotonous voice. However, on an individual basis the songs are all okay.  

It´s a pity that Bruce would abandon these story like songs later in his career and would concentrate on short and to the point musical statements. But I´m looking in the future. Let´s end this little story by concluding that The Wild, The Innocent & the E Street Shuffle certainly is one of the best efforts by The Boss.        

Rating: ******** (8 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Peat Smoke and Spirit

Today I would like to draw your attention to a book that I received as a Christmas gift. The book is called Peat Smoke and Spirit and was written in 2004 by Andrew Jefford. Its about Islay, Scotland's most important whisky island. It tells the story of the island, its inhabitants and, of course, its distilleries. But the book also deals with the landscape, the wildlife and the weather. A very handy guide if you really want to explore Islay. And it reads like a novel. 


Jan 

William Lawson's Blended Scotch Review

Country: Scotland
Brand: William Lawson’s
Type: Blended Whisky
Age: Unspecified but probably between 3 and 8 Years

ABV: 40%

Colour: Light Gold

Nose: Very similar to the Cutty Sark Blended Scotch that I’ve tasted recently. There is a hint of apple-pie with raisins but it disappears quickly. Other than that the same Breakfast Cereals, though maybe slightly less sugared, Young Oak, Alcohol, Citrus and Malt. And even the Morning Sickness is revived in my mind. Pity that!

Palate: Sweet, Toasted Grains, Toffee, Young Oak, slightly bitter Almonds, A Bit of Nutmeg.

Finish: The Sugar sticks to the palate for a while. Bit of oak and almonds.

I would not add water to this blend. Sure ,it kills down the sugar a bit but on the palate you get a plate of lightly sugared corn flakes mixed with water instead of milk.

Rating: 75,5

Nose : 19 – Taste: 19 – Finish: 18,5 – Overall: 19

General Remarks: William Lawson first created This Blend in 1849. The Glen Deveron Single Malt lies at the heart of this blend together with another 30 or so Malt – and Grain Whiskies. The Glen Deveron is produced at the MacDuff Distillery close to Banff. Current owner is the Bacardi Group.

Drinking Experience Neat: Average/Good

Conclusion: It’s not really a bad whisky and it’s drinkable but why would you spend money on blends like this? They are basically plates of sugar-coated cornflakes with a bit of nuts thrown in for flavor. It might work for mixing which would explain its popularity in Southern Europe. But to drink a dram of good whisky should give you pleasure and satisfaction. This is just plain boring!

Jan van den Ende                                                                 January 21, 2012