Music Book

This is a fantastic career overview of one of Britain's most under-rated songwriters, Roy Wood. I understand the tracks and their running order were selected by Roy himself, and they cover the whole of his career, from the early days of The Move in the 1960s, right up to his most recent work with his Rock & Roll Big Band, and a recent re-working of old favourite "Blackberry Way".

Many of the tracks have been re-mastered over the past few years, and the sound is, in the main, as clear as you could expect, allowing for Roy's everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach to production. Most of the obvious choices are here, and it's good to have them all on one album. My one gripe is that, rather than including "I Can Hear The Grass Grow" and "Flowers In the Rain" by The Move, Roy has decided to include interesting, but inferior cover versions by Status Quo and Nancy Sinatra respectively. Also, the versions of "California Man", "Fire Brigade", and "Blackberry Way" are not the hit versions, so you may be disappointed if you are simply looking for the hits. There are a couple of decent unreleased cuts, "Aerial Pictures" and "New York City" to tempt completists wondering whether they really need this set.

As a fan of Roy and everything he has been involved with musically, I love this set - there's a good mix of favourites, new versions, and surprises. However, anyone new to his work, or who doesn't already own much of his material, may be disappointed that it is not simply a run-through of the hits (although, to be fair, it doesn't claim to be this).

Many of these song are included in his live shows. The first track California Man (Live with Rock & Roll "Big Band") is worth the price of this double CD. Some of the great songs from this days in the Move and Wizzard are here. Roy Wood must be one off the most underated British musicans of all time. Many of these songs sound as good as the day they were released. Something here for everyone. It's great he has been given the opportunity to have a choice on what is include in this selection. Was hoping "Kiss me Good Night Boadicea" and the IRISH (We Love You) Jig from Boulders would be included. There so many songs that could have been included in this double CD ...every "Woody" fan will have his/her favourite. When you play this double CD you will understand why this quiet master of so many styles of music was recently awarded "The Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Collection". The great late John Lennon was reported to have said Roy Wood was his favourite song writer. Anyway Happy Birthday Roy and get to work on a DVD "Best of Collection". Some great photos in the sleave notes.

When an artist compiles his own career-spanning "best of" collection, inevitably the artist's view of what constitutes his best tracks differs substantially from what the fans(or sales charts) would select....and so it is with "Music Book". Most of the big hits are here, along with obscure album tracks, and a number of non-hit singles. The good news here, is that for the first time since 1987,Roy Wood has released some new recordings, even if 3 of the 6 songs are re-makes of older hits.

Many of Roy's mid-1970's recordings had an intentionally low-fidelity sound(to imitate 1950's rock n'roll records), and, though it may prove controversial, these tracks have been given a radically brightened mastering designed to make these tracks sound more detailed and Hifi. Also,most of "Disc One" has been mastered quite loud, and though audiophiles(who have frequently criticized Abbey Road Studios mastering engineer Peter Mew) will be quick to blame Mew for these loud masterings, i once communicated with Mr.Mew via e-mail, and he indicated that he is opposed to increasing loudness via compression. Ultimately, though, Mew has to do what the client or record company wants, and apparently, this is what Roy Wood wanted(the compiling was done at Wood's home studio and the re-E.Q.ing may have been done there)

Roy Wood obviously wants to give prominence to his early 1980's non-L.P. singles, though few people would consider them amongst his best works. Most of the record companies that Wood has recorded for have cooperated and licensed material for this set. Though Onwards Music/Cube Records(owner of the 1967-71 Move material) has licensed some Move recordings, Wood has made the bizarre, unsatisfactory decision to represent two of The Move's most beloved early hits("I Can Hear The Grass Grow" & "Flowers in The Rain") by cover versions(by Status Quo & Nancy Sinatra). Wood produced the Status Quo track, but had no involvement in the Nancy Sinatra tracks. These recordings don't belong here.

The new 2011 recordings show that Roy is still in fine voice. His 25 year hiatus from recording was a waste of talent. Roy's new "Big Band" version of "California Man" is a powerful live concert recording, and his remake of "Fire Brigade"(apparently an overdubbed one man band effort) is adequate,though Roy is not as good a drummer as The Move's Bev Bevan. The attempt to overdub a 2011 orchestral arrangement onto the 1968 recording of "Blackberry Way" is less successful:the song's multitrack tape has never been found, so Wood overdubs onto the original 1968 mono mix, making a sonically awkward result. The three new songs are O.K., though "New York City" is heavily derivative of Little Richard.

As a long time customer of Amazon.co.uk, I am distressed to report that Amazon.co.uk's website is now equipped to detect if customers are viewing the site from outside the UK, and they have unilaterally restricted the sale of certain CD's(including selected titles by Roy Wood, Queen,Hollies & Big Country) refusing to sell them to non-UK customers.Underneath the price, it will say "we are unable to supply this item to your default address". (As I now know),If the customer ordered or preordered a CD before Amazon.co.uk added it to the restricted list, Amazon.co.uk will honor the order and supply the disc to the customer. My advice to non-Uk customers is to preorder before release. Though I had ordered this disc after release(but before Amazon added it to the restricted sales list), I was worried that they might refuse to supply it, so I deleted this CD from an order of (mostly) forthcoming releases, and I looked at the 3rd party "Marketplace" merchants on Amazon's British & American websites, and ordered from a 3rd party merchant on Amazon's American website. Ironically, that 3rd party merchant on Amazon's American website shipped the CD to me from the UK. What does Amazon.co.uk hope to achieve? Amazon.co.uk's "marketplace" merchants will cheerfully sell these CD's to people all over the world, as will Amazon's American & Canadian websites and THEIR marketplace merchants. Amazon.co.uk ultimately failed in stopping me obtaining this CD.