Review added to CD Album by Charlie Chalk:
Various Artists - Dancing Down Orange Street (2017)

First time on CD for this hard to find album, originally issued by Trojan Records on their High Note subsidiary in early 1969. The album comprised twelve classic slices of late Rock Steady / early Reggae. The album is supplemented by thirteen tracks that were originally issued on High Note singles around the same time period. In total we have 25 classic and scarce tracks, all produced by female pioneer producer, the late Sonia Pottinger.

You'd need a pretty fat wallet to buy original copies of these on original vinyl. Excellent sound quality throughout. Great cover, and extensive notes in the inlay, but I can't really comment on them.

This is the fourth release on the reactivated Doctor Bird label, and this set certainly doesn't let the side down.

Superb.

Review added to CD Album by Juke Jules:
Miró [UK] - The Grain Of The Voice (1992)

Pleasant acoustic folky style with a philosophical approach to love songs

(YouTube Video)

Track 13, not shown on the rear cover, has 2 minutes of silence leading into a minute of violin and cello duet

Review added to Vinyl Album by Juke Jules:
The Great Scots - The Great Lost Great Scots Album!!! (1997)

I was reminded recently that "That's My Girl (Rotten To The Core)" has been on my 'wants' list since at least 1975 so when this album turned up I bought it assuming I'd get that track, but unfortunately it is not included.

What we get is several of the other singles tracks, and some more good material. In particular "Don't You Believe Them" backed by the Instrumental would have made another great single

Released on "Space Aged Colored Vinyl" my copy is dark translucent blue

Review added to Blu-ray by gregs78s:
Guardians Of The Galaxy - Vol.2 (2017)Rated 8/10

Although not normally a fan of sequels,this one's not bad,and although the plot is rather tenuous,it's made up for by the stunning visuals,which,have surely raised the bench-mark for any further sequels in this series,which director James Gunn alludes to there possibly being many more in "The Making Of....",unsurprising perhaps,as this had a working budget of $200,000,000 ,and has already grossed over $389,000,000 (to date)(according to IMDB),the merchandising opportunites seem to be endless,especially with the ultra-cute Groot (or "Twiglet" as i named him;),kids,and bigger kids alike,will snap it up.At least there is some tongue-in-cheek humour here,like in the first film,and it doesn't take itself to seriously,just sit back,and enjoy the ride :)
(PS Another good soundtrack btw,courtesy of an "Awesome Mix Vol.2" cassette left to Peter by his mum,the inspired opening sequence using ELO'S "Mr.Blue Sky" is worth the price of admission alone:)

Review added to CD Album by Quad5point1:
Soundtrack - Kevin Costner: Best Of (1992)

Apart from the fact that Kevin Costner appeared in all the films he has absolutely nothing more to do with this other than that very tenuous link. No artists are listed for the music and I'm not surprised, it is really really woeful. Very much in the style of a keyboard playing midi files from a floppy disc. One to avoid at all costs

Review added to Live Music by Dr Doom:
The 5th Clerkenwell Festival @ Spa Fields (2017)

A fun day out.

Great to see Ten Benson play for the first time in years delivering a bit of a greatest (should have been) hits set with original drummer Karl back in the fold too.

Almost as good was the Rock 'N' Roll Dog Show featuring rounds like 'Waggiest Tail'

Review added to DVD by Quad5point1:
Love Is All - BFI (2015)Rated 10/10

LOVE IS ALL (DVD)
A film by Kim Longinotto, with music by Richard Hawley

A hundred years of love and courtship on the silver screen, from the acclaimed filmmaker Kim Longinotto with music by celebrated singer-songwriter-producer Richard Hawley

Love is All takes us on an exquisite journey through the twentieth century, exploring love and courtship in all of its shapes and sizes on the silver screen across decades of unprecedented social upheaval. From the first kisses caught on film, through the disruptions of war and on the birth of youth culture, free love and gay liberation we follow courting couples as they flirt at tea dances, kiss in the back row, shack up together and fight for their right to love whoever they choose.

This celluloid love letter is directed by Kim Longinotto (Divorce Iranian Style) and edited by Ollie Huddleston (From the Sea to the Land Beyond) using a selection of spellbinding footage from British archives, including the BFI National Archive and the Yorkshire Film Archive, all set to Richard Hawley's stunning soundtrack.

Review added to Cinema by zabadak:
Basic Instinct 2 (2006)Rated 7/10

At the end, the credits list the characters in order of appearance - even knowing who was in it, it was still a surprise to see the first name was one... Stan Collymore! :shocked:

Anyway - not a great film but enjoyable mush... :happy:

Review added to CD Album by Magic Marmalade:
Tangerine Dream - Rubycon

Hmmm... Tastes like chicken.

...Well, that's what people tend to say when presented with some new mystery meat that has no real distinguishing taste of it's own, and asked what it tastes like...

And this is essentially ambient musical chicken.

It could be anyone (Brian Eno?), probably everyone (possessed of a synthesiser or two), but it's most definitely someone!

Attempting to review this, or anything on it is difficult as there's nothing really to latch on to... it's great swells and washes of synths that sometimes build to a kind of punctuation, sometimes just drift, and sometimes seem to dissipate altogether.

But that's not to say I don't like this kind of thing, in fact, it's just the ticket if you want to tune out for half an hour or descend into a dribbling trance like state with some musical wallpaper.. - which I frequently do - ... it's just kind of.......... there. really.

But that would lead me to my only criticism.... it's not really long enough.

If you want to get that way, you want to stay in that space for a good long while, but the limitations of he vinyl of the day probably kept this at this length.

Great stuff... but need more!

Review added to CD Album by Charlie Chalk:
Lee 'Scratch' Perry And The Upsetters - The Trojan Albums Collection (1971-1973) (2017)

Double CD featuring four classic LPs by Lee Perry and The Upsetters (and friends), issued between 1971 and 1973. 'Rhythm Shower' was originally issued in Jamaica in a limited press, and in the UK on Trojan as a white label promo only. The other three albums were issued in the UK by Trojan Records.

The set comprises mostly tracks by Perry's house band, The Upsetters, although there are some vocal and DJ tracks along the way, by legendary Reggae performers including Delroy Wilson, Junior Byles, Little Roy, Stranger Cole, Dave Barker, U Roy, I Roy, Dillinger and Sir Lord Comic.

If you like your vintage Reggae a little on the eclectic side, then this CD is for you.

Review added to Multi-Format by Quad5point1:
I Am Belfast - BFI (2016)Rated 3/10

I had great hopes for this documentary whenever I read about it, I have to say I was bitterly disappointed with it. I had hoped it would've been in the same vein as "From Scotland With Love", "Faces Of Scotland" or "From The Sea To The Land Beyond" but it wasn't even close. I found it to be a load of pretentious nonsense, some of it was actually embarrassing. The creator makes great play of the symbiotic relationship between the music and the footage and all I can say is he hasn't watched enough documentaries such as another BFI disc I have called "Love Is All" which has a soundtrack by Richard Hawley and the aforementioned "From Scotland With Love". I was surprised to read in the booklet that this film has been deposited in the BFI. Maybe I missed something (I don't think so) but I'll maybe give it another go sometime and see if I change my mind, but after the first viewing my inclination is to deposit it in the bin

Review added to CD Album by Magic Marmalade:
Television - Marquee Moon (1989)

Another one on my "To be investigated" list...

... In that it's one (band too) that I'd always been aware of, and seen the cover and heard the reputation of the band and this album over the years, but never got around to hearing.

I think the impression I had that it was "punk" tended to push it down my list of priorities, but I think that the term doesn't really apply that much, as this is much better than that.

More subtle, understated, tuneful, and melodic... more thoughtfully constructed too, this actually sounds less dated, fresher, and free from it's time than anything else of it's era... In fact it sounds like it could have been released almost anytime in the last ten to twenty years, which may be a signal of it's accumulated influence on modern music, and that many more recent bands have been influenced by this than other bands of the time, in reality; Albeit they get more credit.

The drums which open the one of these tracks bears more than a passing resemblance to the those which open "Stupid Girl", by Garbage... and the vocal style must surely have influenced the lead singer of Clap You Hands, Say Yeah!

If you like indie or rock from these last ten and twenty years, chances are, you'll love this.

One you'll want to spend more time with than just a passing listen.

Review added to Vinyl Album by Scratchy45:
The Passions [UK] - Thirty Thousand Feet Over China (1981)

A favourite band of mine at the time, and great to see live. With a single as well received, remembered and frequently covered as the album opener, why weren't the Passions more successful? Why wasn't that song itself more successful at the time?

Some answers may be found on the biography page of the band's web presence, specifically the second page.

Review added to DVD by Quad5point1:
Germany Awake! - AG PlateRated 1/10

Completely unwatchable. I must be more vigilant when buying DVD's as I have been caught once before with a disc that was equally as bad as this one. I don't know who this company AG Plate are but they definitely produce some of the worst quality DVD's ever. This particular one got precisely 10 seconds before it was ejected and shredded. Complete and utter rubbish