TRACKLIST:
Photographic Smile
Romeo
What Colour Is The Wind
Louisiana Street
Feel Like Calling Home
Goodbuy World
Vampire
Hold Me
Can We Live/Angel Of My Life
Easy
Artist : Mr. Big
Country : UK
Release : Mr. Big
Year : 1977
Genre : Rock
File Type : mp3 256
Info:
In 1976, Mr Big embarked on their own UK headline tour and supported
Sweet on their tour of Europe, performing on TV in Denmark, Holland and
the UK. Mr Big were also the first British band to be signed to Clive
Davis's Arista Records in America.[citation needed] They recorded their
second album, Mr Big, in Los Angeles, California, with Val Garay.
In
1977, the band toured the United States in February, March and April
with Tom Petty, Journey, Kansas and The Runaways. Meanwhile, the single,
"Romeo", reached No. 4 in the UK Singles Chart, despite a temporary
ban by the BBC. It also sold well in Japan, Australasia, the U.S. and
parts of Europe, and has since been covered by a band in South Africa.
The follow-up single "Feel Like Calling Home" failed to capitalise on
the success of the previous one, and only reached No. 35 in UK. The band
embarked on a UK headline tour with more television appearances in the
UK and Europe.
Queen clone band
But the album is very impressive.
Feel Like Calling Home is the stand out track on the album.
I flipped out when I saw this band was available again on CD.
It used to be one of the gems of my album collection.
Albums ( Remember Those ? )
Don't confuse this band with the 90's Billy Sheehan / Eric Martin band Mr.Big.Two totally seperate bands.
This earlier version of Mr.Big originates from either Germany or England.
mp3/256
Time Base
Wonderful Creation
Golden Lights
Uncle John 'B'
I Ain't Been A Man
Sweet Silence
Zambia
Enjoy It
Violet May
For The Fun To Find
Appeared A Shining Throne
Throne Second AmendmentArtist : Mr. Big Country : UK Release : Sweet Silence Year : 1975 Genre : Rock File Type : mp3 192 Info:
DICKEN - lead vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, harmonica, cow bell
PETER CROWTHER - bass & acoustic guitar
VINCE CHAULK - drums, percussion & backing vocals
JOHN BURNIP - drums, percussion
If
you remember Mr.Big at all it'll probably be because of their 1977
wimp-out chart hit 'Romeo'. "I am the morning, you are the light. You
make the morning such a beautiful thing" crooned vocal leader Dicken
with sickening sentimentallity, as if he was singing the verse of a
Valentines day card. It's icredible to think that two years earlier, in
the context of their debut album 'Sweet Silence', Mr.Big produced a
track that even today can stand up proudly alongside the likes of
'Paranoid', 'Smoke on The Water' and 'Whole Lotta Love' as an all time
heavy metal classic. You think I'm kidding? No way, Jose. If an HM DJ
with an eye for the bargain bins picked up this LP, he would discover a
real Soundhouse showstopper at the end of side one. It's the title track
and goes like this; 'Aaaagh you look so sweet - Gotta move into rock
'n' roll beat - Such a crazy honey blowin'' my mind - Sweet Silence all
MIIIINE!' Dicken, far from being the tender romantic balladeer, spitsout
the lyrics like a mouthful of broken teeth and the band, spurred on by
two drummers (Glitter Band style) create a racket so frantic, so crazed,
so thunderous behind him that they sound like the modern day
Plasmatics. And after he's sung the essential vocal lines, Dicken just
spits, slurps and farts into the microphone like some noisome,
ill-mannered spikey-hair. 'Sweet Silence' is a glorious momentin what
is, truthfully, overall an erratic and prettylacklustre LP. Songs like
'I Aint Bin A Man' hint at the disappointingly soft-hearted standpoint
that was to come. Such a shame, because Dicken had (still has in fact,
even with his current band Broken Home) one helluva rock 'n' roll voice,
a real Noddy Holder holler that'd be perfectly suited to metallic
material. So if you're reading this Dick, stuff the soppiness and just
SCREAM! That's my valueless advice.
The 70s Brit band rather than the
80s US outfit, this Mr Big were led by multi-talented
vocalist/guitarist/composer Jeff Dicken, who was backed by a solid trio
of musicians implementing his grandiose musical vision. In 1975's "Sweet
Silence", Dicken created a Styx-like fantasy concept album, running to
12 numbers, most of which are skewed pomp rock with hints of period pop
and vaudeville. The opening "Time base" romps along with whining guitar,
music hall vocals and radiophonic effects, before an airy acoustic
pop-rocker, "Wonderful Creation", in which Dicken sounds like a cross
between Noddy Holder gingerly crossing a barbed wire fence and Rod
Stewart on helium. The mad Jimmy Barnes-isms continue on the brass-edged
"Golden Lights" and "Uncle John B" includes a kazoo! But don't let that
put you off. The title track emulates SAHB by way of "Radar Love", with
highly amusing Brian Johnson-with-flu voclas, and other cuts are more
direct rockers, with "Zambia" a salsa-marinated Kula Shaker. "Throne
Second Amendment" rounds things off in mystical fashion with a chorale
that could come from 'Red Sonja'. An acquired taste, but well worth
sampling.
TRACKLIST:
1. Come And Dance
2. Georgia
3. Die In Love
4. Bitter Streets
5. Chance Intrigue
6. My Sweet Medicine
7. Baby Come Around
8. Sandy
9. God Save Me From The Blues
10. Why Wait For Love
11. I Am Here For You
12. Its Over
13. Something Special
14. Romeo
Soft
melodic rock doesn’t often get ticked in my music genre preferences.
But all that could soon change after listening to UK 70’s band, Mr Big’s
newest album release ‘Bitter Streets.’
Formed in the late 60’s
by lead vocalist, Dicken, and harpist Ed Carter; the band were at the
peak of their career in the early 70’s, with now classic single ‘Romeo’
reaching number 4 and bagging them an appearance on Top Of The Pops, but
disbanded in 1978.
I enjoy many different styles of music, and
Mr Big fall between the hybrid of soft rock and credible pop; a mash up
of The Kooks and Journey, which in my eyes can only be a good thing.
Even
though they have been off the music scene for quite some time; despite
the release of ‘Rainbow Bridge’ album in 1996, the melodic five piece
take 2011 in their stride and show that time out of the limelight has
certainly been well spent.
Stand out tracks include ‘Die In
Love’; perfect for driving down a country lane on a Summers evening, and
‘Why Wait For Love’, which reminds me of many tracks featured on The OC
to highlight another of Ryan and Marissa’s fallouts.
Single
‘Georgia’ is not a favourite of mine, and I feel the bad took an easy
option when releasing this; as if to please the mainstream rather than
taking a risk with something more stand out, such as ‘God Save Me From
The Blues’, which has a slight Jamiroquai feel and some killer synth
solos.
All in all a chilled out, yet meaningful album; I feel the
lyrics focus on a break up, whether it be friends or lovers, but not in
a way which makes you feel damn depressed; definitely an album to keep
in the car this summer. Here’s hoping the streets are anything but
bitter for Mr Big.
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+-+seppuku+1978.jpg)
I
find it unbelievable that EMI chose not to release this album first
time round (in 1978). It is to Angel Air's credit they have tracked down
the master tapes and finally released this album. It is not just a good
album, it is a great album that will appeal to anyone who likes
guitar-based rock. Essential.
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Friday, January 10, 2014
