As the proud owner of 99.6 % of all Shadows / Hank Marvin material plus 92% of Cliff, I was always going to try and attend the 2009 Concert, and obviously, as an act of faith in their abilities, buy the CD beforehand and book myself for the forthcoming DVD in November. As it is, I shall be at the Wembley Arena on 22nd of October. To whet my appetite, I have today received the CD which was despatched yesterday...no, I do not live in UK, I live in Gibraltar, so well done Amazon.
No sooner were the tracks coming alive when I was transported to the more mature Cliff + Shadows era of the early 80s. Gone was the twangy nasal voice that accompanied the pout and poured out rock in the early days. Cliff had matured by then, and his voice had gotten more polished as well as defined. The Shadows had also mastered the harmonic chorus and they all sang as one voice. On this occasion they have done this and more...they added a supplementary chorus to further enhance some of the songs. If we realise that these lads are all pushing against being nearly 70 yrs old, then there has to be the ultimate recognition of their prowess. In line with their length of time on the scene, it was always going to be alright to spruce up the songs to give them, as Bruce says, a greater depth plus a more modern outlook without diluting the roots. I thoroughly enjoyed the new treatment and it certainly had me jiving and miming and playing my air guitar!
The selection offers a nice mix, but importantly traces the more popular songs, which in turn describes the singer and group that revolutionised pop in UK and elsewhere. Curiously, they all went and did their own thing, and only got together for concerts / shows or recordings, but had success as individuals. Cliff, Hank, Bruce,and Brian... take a bow!
If there is one minor point against, and I accept the development of guitars, amps and effects, is the slight departure from the true Shadows (or Hank Marvin inimitable style and sound), with a more treble lead guitar. However, the riffs and licks are true to the Bespectacled One, only better with the ease that he can play them . I can live with it because it complements the more modern and pleasing treatment of the songs in general.
In conclusion, old stuff with a fifty year leap forward, played even better and sung even better. Definitely the lads have been re-grouped and re-juvenated.