Fernando Perdomo & Denny Seiwell “Ram On: 50th Anniversary Tribute To Paul & Linda Mccartney’s Ram”
For the 50th anniversary of Ram by Paul & Linda McCartney, producer and multi-instrumentalist Fernando Perdomo joined with Denny Seiwell, the original drummer with Paul McCartney & Wings, who performed on the original Ram to create this stellar tribute. Joined by more original Ram players like David Spinozza (guitar) and Marvin Stamm (flugelhorn) they included Davey Johnstone (Elton John Band,) Will Lee (The Fab Faux,) and a collection of stellar singers.
From the opener “Too Many People” featuring Dan Rothchild you get a faithful adaption, but with all the sonic details in keeping with a modern recording. Each track is meticulously produced, each note lovingly, accurately re-created. My faves include; Pat Sansone (Wilco) on “Ram On,” Bebopalula on “Uncle Albert-Admiral Halsey,” Timmy Sean on “Monkberry Moon Delight,” Rob Bonfiglio and Carnie Wilson on “Long Haired Lady.” But there is no weak link among any tracks. This is everything you want in a tribute. Highly Recommended.
Ex Norwegian and Friends “Sing Jimmy Campbell”
You would be forgiven if you couldn’t recall Jimmy Campbell. A brilliant singer and songwriter for many Merseybeat bands; The Kirkbys, The 23rd Turnoff, and Rockin’ Horse, as well as solo material. Ex Norwegian and several other collaborators do a great job making Jimmy’s music less obscure. I was only familiar with The Rockin’ Horse, a great “lost” Beatlesque band, but the songs here speak for themselves.
Joe Kane (Dr. Cosmo’s Tape Lab) and Roger Houdaille (Ex-Norwegian) get the Rockin’ Horse single “Yes It Is” perfectly. Roger collaborates with a number of others and most of the tunes are not instantly recognizable (a good thing.) While not slavishly accurate to the originals, it makes for a great introduction to Jimmy’s songwriting genius. My faves include; Jim Camacho on “Don’t You Ever Think I Cry,” Edward Rogers on “You’ll Break My Heart In Two,” Mark Johnston on “Spending All My Money, and Arthur LaMonica on “Paris, You’re In Paris.” Highly Recommended.
Various Artists “Higher Than a Mountain: The Songs of Andy Gibb”
Curry Cuts is back with a new compilation, and as they often take the road less traveled, it leads us now to the lesser Bee Gee brother Andy Gibb. The late Andy Gibb was a rising star in 1977, rivaling his brothers with multiple top ten hits during that time. There are plenty of tributes to The Bee Gees, so this is a fresh look at Andy’s songwriting (with brother Barry’s help.) The tribute mostly removes the disco gloss from some of these songs, concentrating on the melodies.
The Pop 4 does a great job with the familiar “(Love Is) Thicker Than Water,” and the arrangements are tweaked just enough. Greg Pope keeps that great bassline for “I Just Want To Be Your Everything” and even though the falsetto is lacking, he effectively double-tracks the vocal. The most radicle interpretation is The Test Pressings which turn mellow “Why” into a Cheap Trick-styled arena rocker. In a few cases, it’s harder for artists to re-create those magic moments; Sparklejets cannot replace Olivia Newton-John on “I Can’t Help It.” However, most of these songs work fine and a few actually improve on the original, like The Armoires version of “Words and Music.” Highly Recommended.