Post by Ken on Apr 15, 2004 4:12:42 GMT -5
Today's pick is by a group I know quite a few here are familiar with. From both their TV show and their records.
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www.harrynilsson.com/images/sostar.jpg[/IMG]
Released - 1995
Label - Varese Sarabande
Compilation produced by - Cary E Mansfield and Cathleen Murphy
Compiled By - The Hudson Brothers
All songs were written by The Hudsons
Like I mentioned above many of us here remember them from their 70's Saturday Morning TV Show -Razzle Dazzle (they also had a prime time show as well if I remember correctly) and for the beatlesque song So You Are a Star which peaked at #21 in late '74 . They did manage to have two other charted hits later in 1975 .
I had two of their albums as a kid( I still have them
Hollywood Situation which contained "Star" and Totally Out Of Control which was produced by Elton's songwriting partner and Hudson friend Bernie Taupin. I also have a couple of 45's. Yes I was a fan.
I was totally blown away when I read a review of this disc in Goldmine back in ' 95 and it recieved a very good review. I could not believe somebody had released a whole CD of their material - wow!! . I picked up a copy right away. It contains 3 songs that were recorded just for this collection and contains something from most of the albums . Overall it's very good with only a couple of exceptions.
# - Ba Fa - 1975
* - Hollywood Situation- 1974
+ - Totally Out Of Control - 1974
@ - Damn Those Kids -1980
** - TV's Hudson Brothers - 1978
## - 1994 recording
#Spinning The Wheel - This is a great piece of power pop and should have been a hit . Gorgeous harmonies , great hammond organ etc.
*So You Are a Star - I loved this so much when I was kid (still do)and recieved the 45 along with my first record player for Christmas of '74 . Mark's vocal is superb. Great drumming from Craig Krampf.
+If You Really Need Me - This according to the CD liner notes was released as a single. This was one of my absolute faves from The Totally Out Control album and like many of the songs , still holds up extremly well . Great acoustic strumming throughout.
+With Somebody Else - Very nice string arrangment on this track and some very fine electric guitar. The song contains a very strong melody.
*Hollywood Situation - During '74 - '75 - the brothers got to meet and hang out with many celebs like Elton John , Beach Boy Bruce Johnston , John Lennon and Bill's future wife Goldie Hawn . This song is loosely based on the goings on at a big L.A. party they attended. The song is a real great rocker with some cool wah wah guitar.
# Oh Gabriel - This opens with some gorgeous Beach Boy type harmonies. A very nice piano ballad.
## Do 4 Me - The first of the new recordings . A very good rock tune with some fierce lead guitar.
@ Annie - I guess this could be classed as their disco tune , this having been released in 1980. It's Ok.
+Be a Man - Back to the good stuff. Another fave from the Totally Out . . . LP. A great mid tempo number - Mark can really sing.
+ Medley:These Things We Do , Home , Out Of The Rainbow , Find Me a Woman , Little Brown Box , One in The Same . This is very reminiscent of The Abbey Road medley . it is an excellent collection of tunes pieced together . Find Me a Woman especially is an awesome rocker.
#Rendevous - This was a hit in '75 reaching # 26. It was co written with Bruce Johnston from the Beach Boys . The guys were sitting around talking with Bruce , Elton , Bill Wyman and John Lennon . They were discussing how nobody wrote great summer records anymore so they came up with the idea for this song!
##Pretty Baby - Another new (well for '94) track . A great rockabilly type song that moves along nicely.
*Cry Cry Cry - I was so happy this was chosen for this collection . I used to listen to this constantly as a kid , great bass fab drumming and those signature background harmonies.Terrific song
@afraid To Love - This is a duet with Linda Ronstadt who Brett Hudson was supposed to have been romantically involved with at the time (1980). It ok - don't get me wrong Linda does a fine job it's just the tune sounds very dated.
##Sweet Cindy - The last of the "new" recordings . Another fairly strong track although Mark's vocals sound a bit strained at times.
+Straight Up and Tall - Another highlight from The Out Of Control album. It has a reall driving rhythm to it and comes complete with little guitar, bass and drum solo's.
A cool track.
Joni (unreleased version - recorded in '75) A great little ballad featuring Mark's vocal , piano and a string quartet.
**Mr Kirby -A tune originally released in 1967 on Scepter records and include on the 1978 album TV's Hudson Brothers .This was from their first band - The New Yorkers. A not bad IMO garage band nugget complete with fuzz guitar.
#Lonely School Year - The trio's last charted hit reaching #57 -Written with Bernie Taupin and Michael Parker. Mixing an R+B type feel with their great pop sensibilities . It works quite well actually.
#Bernie Was a Friend of Ours / My Heart Can't Take it - A neat little tune that not only closes this collection but also the Ba Fa album . Opens with simple piano and vocal , more string quartet is heard and has a real Beach Boys feel to much of it.
The guys were very talented and were respected by John Lennon-he used to call them " The Kings Of Saturday Mornings ", Elton and Steven Tyler from Aerosmith (whom Mark later co wrote many songs with). He has for the past few years played and worked with Ringo Starr.
Hope you enjoyed reading this review
www.harrynilsson.com/images/sostar.jpg[/IMG]
Released - 1995
Label - Varese Sarabande
Compilation produced by - Cary E Mansfield and Cathleen Murphy
Compiled By - The Hudson Brothers
All songs were written by The Hudsons
Like I mentioned above many of us here remember them from their 70's Saturday Morning TV Show -Razzle Dazzle (they also had a prime time show as well if I remember correctly) and for the beatlesque song So You Are a Star which peaked at #21 in late '74 . They did manage to have two other charted hits later in 1975 .
I had two of their albums as a kid( I still have them
Hollywood Situation which contained "Star" and Totally Out Of Control which was produced by Elton's songwriting partner and Hudson friend Bernie Taupin. I also have a couple of 45's. Yes I was a fan.I was totally blown away when I read a review of this disc in Goldmine back in ' 95 and it recieved a very good review. I could not believe somebody had released a whole CD of their material - wow!! . I picked up a copy right away. It contains 3 songs that were recorded just for this collection and contains something from most of the albums . Overall it's very good with only a couple of exceptions.
# - Ba Fa - 1975
* - Hollywood Situation- 1974
+ - Totally Out Of Control - 1974
@ - Damn Those Kids -1980
** - TV's Hudson Brothers - 1978
## - 1994 recording
#Spinning The Wheel - This is a great piece of power pop and should have been a hit . Gorgeous harmonies , great hammond organ etc.
*So You Are a Star - I loved this so much when I was kid (still do)and recieved the 45 along with my first record player for Christmas of '74 . Mark's vocal is superb. Great drumming from Craig Krampf.
+If You Really Need Me - This according to the CD liner notes was released as a single. This was one of my absolute faves from The Totally Out Control album and like many of the songs , still holds up extremly well . Great acoustic strumming throughout.
+With Somebody Else - Very nice string arrangment on this track and some very fine electric guitar. The song contains a very strong melody.
*Hollywood Situation - During '74 - '75 - the brothers got to meet and hang out with many celebs like Elton John , Beach Boy Bruce Johnston , John Lennon and Bill's future wife Goldie Hawn . This song is loosely based on the goings on at a big L.A. party they attended. The song is a real great rocker with some cool wah wah guitar.
# Oh Gabriel - This opens with some gorgeous Beach Boy type harmonies. A very nice piano ballad.
## Do 4 Me - The first of the new recordings . A very good rock tune with some fierce lead guitar.
@ Annie - I guess this could be classed as their disco tune , this having been released in 1980. It's Ok.
+Be a Man - Back to the good stuff. Another fave from the Totally Out . . . LP. A great mid tempo number - Mark can really sing.
+ Medley:These Things We Do , Home , Out Of The Rainbow , Find Me a Woman , Little Brown Box , One in The Same . This is very reminiscent of The Abbey Road medley . it is an excellent collection of tunes pieced together . Find Me a Woman especially is an awesome rocker.
#Rendevous - This was a hit in '75 reaching # 26. It was co written with Bruce Johnston from the Beach Boys . The guys were sitting around talking with Bruce , Elton , Bill Wyman and John Lennon . They were discussing how nobody wrote great summer records anymore so they came up with the idea for this song!
##Pretty Baby - Another new (well for '94) track . A great rockabilly type song that moves along nicely.
*Cry Cry Cry - I was so happy this was chosen for this collection . I used to listen to this constantly as a kid , great bass fab drumming and those signature background harmonies.Terrific song
@afraid To Love - This is a duet with Linda Ronstadt who Brett Hudson was supposed to have been romantically involved with at the time (1980). It ok - don't get me wrong Linda does a fine job it's just the tune sounds very dated.
##Sweet Cindy - The last of the "new" recordings . Another fairly strong track although Mark's vocals sound a bit strained at times.
+Straight Up and Tall - Another highlight from The Out Of Control album. It has a reall driving rhythm to it and comes complete with little guitar, bass and drum solo's.
A cool track.
Joni (unreleased version - recorded in '75) A great little ballad featuring Mark's vocal , piano and a string quartet.
**Mr Kirby -A tune originally released in 1967 on Scepter records and include on the 1978 album TV's Hudson Brothers .This was from their first band - The New Yorkers. A not bad IMO garage band nugget complete with fuzz guitar.
#Lonely School Year - The trio's last charted hit reaching #57 -Written with Bernie Taupin and Michael Parker. Mixing an R+B type feel with their great pop sensibilities . It works quite well actually.
#Bernie Was a Friend of Ours / My Heart Can't Take it - A neat little tune that not only closes this collection but also the Ba Fa album . Opens with simple piano and vocal , more string quartet is heard and has a real Beach Boys feel to much of it.
The guys were very talented and were respected by John Lennon-he used to call them " The Kings Of Saturday Mornings ", Elton and Steven Tyler from Aerosmith (whom Mark later co wrote many songs with). He has for the past few years played and worked with Ringo Starr.
Hope you enjoyed reading this review
