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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Time to eat humble pie. Last years "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by the Simon Felice led vehicle the Duke and the King was in this reviewers reactionary opinion about as wet as the Ryder cup at a Welsh golf course during an area of low pressure in October. Its Crosby, Stills and Nash style harmonies seemed purely derivative and the song "If I ever get famous" should have been used to stop gangly youths and street urchins in hoodies congregating on corners. What a wonderful surprise therefore to find that the second outing from the band is a much more joyous affair with songs full of big choruses and harmonies to match. Add to this a nice dollop of blue eyed soul and this is a very good album indeed.
Any prospective listener heads first for the excellent "Shaky" not named after our great Canadian hero Neil Young but with more than a passing nod to the hurdy gurdy man Donovan and which manages to reference the Jackson 5 in the process. Its a lovely funky outing and a great single from the album. "Hudson River" delves deeper into the type of old soul that the Temptations seemed to have a copyright on and is a glorious Motown inspired song. Juxtaposed with this is the old style classic country work of "No easy way out" which will echo across radio's in America's flyover states.
Indeed what is noticeable about "Long live the Duke and the King" is that the whole record is much more of a collective band effort and moves away from the over reliance of Felice's tender ballads, although those hankering for the themes of the first album album will find in songs like the gently rolling "Gloria" enough James Taylor inspired balladry to satisfy there appetite. "Long live the Duke and the King" was recorded in the bands own studio deep in their home woods of Bearsville, New York, and it sounds throughout that they were having a splendid time even though Felice had endured heart surgery and all kinds of health scares prior to its recording. Such an event will make you philosophical and in "Shine On" one of the albums stand out tracks the band have recorded a Dylan like song which has a lovely groove underpinned by harmonica and interspersed with some nice guitar work which seems to address the human condition. Its not all great. "Children of the Sun" is one of those horrible songs full of old hippie platitudes that should have been given a decent burial in nearby Woodstock but missteps are generally avoided and in "Long live the Duke and the King" there is now a tangible band to speak of who have crafted some of the best country soul songs since Kurt Wagner put the finishing touches to Lambchop's epic album "Nixon". Listen to "Have you seen it" and you can't fail to be impressed by this fine brew of sounds. So apologies then for hating their first album so much since "Long live the Duke and the King" is a lovely confection of sounds and well worth a punt.
Any prospective listener heads first for the excellent "Shaky" not named after our great Canadian hero Neil Young but with more than a passing nod to the hurdy gurdy man Donovan and which manages to reference the Jackson 5 in the process. Its a lovely funky outing and a great single from the album. "Hudson River" delves deeper into the type of old soul that the Temptations seemed to have a copyright on and is a glorious Motown inspired song. Juxtaposed with this is the old style classic country work of "No easy way out" which will echo across radio's in America's flyover states.
Indeed what is noticeable about "Long live the Duke and the King" is that the whole record is much more of a collective band effort and moves away from the over reliance of Felice's tender ballads, although those hankering for the themes of the first album album will find in songs like the gently rolling "Gloria" enough James Taylor inspired balladry to satisfy there appetite. "Long live the Duke and the King" was recorded in the bands own studio deep in their home woods of Bearsville, New York, and it sounds throughout that they were having a splendid time even though Felice had endured heart surgery and all kinds of health scares prior to its recording. Such an event will make you philosophical and in "Shine On" one of the albums stand out tracks the band have recorded a Dylan like song which has a lovely groove underpinned by harmonica and interspersed with some nice guitar work which seems to address the human condition. Its not all great. "Children of the Sun" is one of those horrible songs full of old hippie platitudes that should have been given a decent burial in nearby Woodstock but missteps are generally avoided and in "Long live the Duke and the King" there is now a tangible band to speak of who have crafted some of the best country soul songs since Kurt Wagner put the finishing touches to Lambchop's epic album "Nixon". Listen to "Have you seen it" and you can't fail to be impressed by this fine brew of sounds. So apologies then for hating their first album so much since "Long live the Duke and the King" is a lovely confection of sounds and well worth a punt.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I was first recommended to listen to Nothing Gold Can Stay (the bands first album) about a year ago, and was immediately hooked. Having since seen their lead singer Simone Felice do some small solo gigs, and the band play in the Spring their songs are rarely not playing on my iPod or in the car. So for me there was a lot riding on their difficult second album.
Long Live has met with much critical acclaim and deservedly so.
Recorded once again "Deep in the woods in Bearsville", the album opens softly enough with 'Gloria', a melodic country ballad with Felice on vocals accompanied by layered four voice harmonies that are a trade mark of the bands recorded and live performances. As an opener it's good, but the album soon moves up several gears.
With some sumptuously fuzzy guitar riffs and subtle harmonica 'Shine On You' washes over you like warm summer rain. Simi Stone's harmonised backing vocals beautifully counter the darker reflections of the lyrics and the rich soulful voice of Nowell "The Deacon" Haskins
Reminiscent of those anti Vietnam songs of the early 70's, 'Shaky' is steeped in cultural reference points of the era, from Superman to the Jackson 5 whilst Felice likens those days with more current day U.S. foreign policy..."Baghdad she's a mean old town, I get the feeling she don't want me around." all capped off with some funky horns as we are ironically asked to "Come and shake your Country ass." The tune once it enters your head is definately difficult to shake.
'Hudson River' one of the albums highlights is more soul than country and again pairs the rich and dark soulful voice of Haskins with the sweet backing vocals of Stone. This is amazing to see performed live - their perfect harmonies send shivers down the spine. Simi's beautiful voice and virtuoso electric violin take over on the jilted lover's tale of woe on 'No Easy Way Out' and 'You & I' is a mellow love song featuring moody acoustic guitar topped with more floating 4 part harmonies.
'Children Of The Sun' has a very 60's vibe "Hello Children of the Sun, how does it feel to hold a gun?" with Mamas and Papas style soundscapes, and more than a little influence from early Donavan too. The pen ultimate track, 'Have You Seen It' is another beautiful 60's infused throwback featuring Bobbie Bird's lead vocals infused with sumptuous harmonies from the rest of the band which give it a feel reminiscent of Matthews Southern Comforts 'Woodstock', and America's 'Horse with No Name'. The final track features some crashing guitars and Felice's haunted voice proclaiming "Don't take that plane tonight, the wind ain't right". Drug infused paranoia anyone? I can't make it out, but who cares, it is a top album. Highly recommended. For a good insight into the solo work of Simone Felice, buy Live from a Lonely Place too. You won't regret it!
And see them live - they're even better in the flesh.
Long Live has met with much critical acclaim and deservedly so.
Recorded once again "Deep in the woods in Bearsville", the album opens softly enough with 'Gloria', a melodic country ballad with Felice on vocals accompanied by layered four voice harmonies that are a trade mark of the bands recorded and live performances. As an opener it's good, but the album soon moves up several gears.
With some sumptuously fuzzy guitar riffs and subtle harmonica 'Shine On You' washes over you like warm summer rain. Simi Stone's harmonised backing vocals beautifully counter the darker reflections of the lyrics and the rich soulful voice of Nowell "The Deacon" Haskins
Reminiscent of those anti Vietnam songs of the early 70's, 'Shaky' is steeped in cultural reference points of the era, from Superman to the Jackson 5 whilst Felice likens those days with more current day U.S. foreign policy..."Baghdad she's a mean old town, I get the feeling she don't want me around." all capped off with some funky horns as we are ironically asked to "Come and shake your Country ass." The tune once it enters your head is definately difficult to shake.
'Hudson River' one of the albums highlights is more soul than country and again pairs the rich and dark soulful voice of Haskins with the sweet backing vocals of Stone. This is amazing to see performed live - their perfect harmonies send shivers down the spine. Simi's beautiful voice and virtuoso electric violin take over on the jilted lover's tale of woe on 'No Easy Way Out' and 'You & I' is a mellow love song featuring moody acoustic guitar topped with more floating 4 part harmonies.
'Children Of The Sun' has a very 60's vibe "Hello Children of the Sun, how does it feel to hold a gun?" with Mamas and Papas style soundscapes, and more than a little influence from early Donavan too. The pen ultimate track, 'Have You Seen It' is another beautiful 60's infused throwback featuring Bobbie Bird's lead vocals infused with sumptuous harmonies from the rest of the band which give it a feel reminiscent of Matthews Southern Comforts 'Woodstock', and America's 'Horse with No Name'. The final track features some crashing guitars and Felice's haunted voice proclaiming "Don't take that plane tonight, the wind ain't right". Drug infused paranoia anyone? I can't make it out, but who cares, it is a top album. Highly recommended. For a good insight into the solo work of Simone Felice, buy Live from a Lonely Place too. You won't regret it!
And see them live - they're even better in the flesh.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
What makes The Duke And The King such a distinctive band, and in my view a far superior one to the ramshackle Felice Brothers from whence they came, is Simone Felice's wonderful voice that sounds so lovely when counterpoised in harmony with the voices of others - harmonies that Messrs C, S and N might give their ageing eye-teeth for these days. Some of the new songs on this album like 'Have You Seen It' are achingly lovely, and this is a much more joyful and upbeat collection than last year's debut. In the main, the blue-eyed soul works well as a background to Felice's voice, the musicianship is spot on, and the production crystal clear and restrained.
If Long Live The Duke And The King has any fault, it is that it occasionally tries a little too hard to wear its soul music credentials on its sleeve. Things start promisingly enough with 'O'Gloria' which sounds like it could have fitted comfortably on last year's wonderfully languid and harmony-drenched debut. By the time the album reaches its mid-point with overtly soulful tracks like 'Hudson River' and 'No Easy Way Out' however, the band's signature sound is lost. Lovely as these songs are, they could have been put together by any competent soulful combo and things start to sound a little too eclectic for their own good.
For those wanting more of Simone Felice, do yourselves a favour and get hold of Live From A Lonely Place, a live and stripped down collection of the songs on Nothing Gold Can Stay and earlier Felice Brothers albums. Available on CD exclusively from Simone Felice's website, and recorded only months after he had life-saving open heart surgery, it is a raw and thoughtful collection of songs, many of which sound better than the originals. Like the current offering it is testament to the fact that The Duke And The King are rapidly becoming one of the best bands around at the moment. Long Live The Duke & The King is also one of the most uplifting albums likely to be released this year. Recommmended.
If Long Live The Duke And The King has any fault, it is that it occasionally tries a little too hard to wear its soul music credentials on its sleeve. Things start promisingly enough with 'O'Gloria' which sounds like it could have fitted comfortably on last year's wonderfully languid and harmony-drenched debut. By the time the album reaches its mid-point with overtly soulful tracks like 'Hudson River' and 'No Easy Way Out' however, the band's signature sound is lost. Lovely as these songs are, they could have been put together by any competent soulful combo and things start to sound a little too eclectic for their own good.
For those wanting more of Simone Felice, do yourselves a favour and get hold of Live From A Lonely Place, a live and stripped down collection of the songs on Nothing Gold Can Stay and earlier Felice Brothers albums. Available on CD exclusively from Simone Felice's website, and recorded only months after he had life-saving open heart surgery, it is a raw and thoughtful collection of songs, many of which sound better than the originals. Like the current offering it is testament to the fact that The Duke And The King are rapidly becoming one of the best bands around at the moment. Long Live The Duke & The King is also one of the most uplifting albums likely to be released this year. Recommmended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
simply Awsome
Everything I ever wanted Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young to be but they never quite were. This album mixes Americana with vintage R&B perfectly. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Big Daz
Long Live the Duke and the King!
I recently attended a Duke and the King gig in Cambridge UK, and was blown away by their unique style and funky sounds. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Miss Rachel L Scoltock
Wonderful stuff!
I was worried: I absolutely loved 'Nothing Gold Can Stay'; They were brilliant live in the summer, but didn't play any 'new' songs (basically NGCS + 3 or 4 Felice Brothers songs),... Read more
Published 18 months ago by DarkPoet
Quiet, soulful offering
This LP leads us into a voyage into a whole spectre of American music, from quiet neilyoungisms to a dash of americana, while giving us one of the best 'country soul' oeuvre of... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Stan FREDO
WHAT CAN I SAY....
ON THE ONE HAND I,VE SEEN THIS BAND LIVE IN APRIL 2010 AND LOOKIN FORWARD TO SEEING THEM AGAIN IN A COUPLE OF DAYS AT THE DEAF INSTITUTE ,MANCHESTER.... Read more
Published 19 months ago by andrew simpson
Luke warm duke!
After looking forward to this for months, and after seeing them live (they were tremendous) I was somewhat underwhelmed by the new album. Read more
Published 19 months ago by J. D. Coleman
Long Live the Duke & the King
Enjoyed this album - but not as much as their previous one.
Went to see them playing live in Belfast. They were superb - great live act.
Went to see them playing live in Belfast. They were superb - great live act.
Published 19 months ago by William Jones
Decent Second From Interesting Band
I felt compelled to review this album after reading the one-star and two-star reviews...
Sure, it's not gonna change your life (or even your socks) but it's still full... Read more
Sure, it's not gonna change your life (or even your socks) but it's still full... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Zorba the Agnostic
...turgid country rock...
Was that it? Surely not even Whispering Bob Harris could get excited about it? And I speak as someone with a somewhat disturbing love of seventies country rock. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Mr. H
Bland, pointless and embarrassing. Avoid to avoid disappointment
I can't believe all these good reviews! This album does indeed have some fine singing - simone should leave it to the rest of the band as the two best tracks are those without him. Read more
Published 20 months ago by R. Jenkins
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