Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A must for guitar players and lovers of guitar music!, 30 Jan 2001
By A Customer
The sleeve notes by Pete Townsend (The Who) echo my early guitar-playing, formative years completely. The major difference is, I never made it "famous"! However, along with thousands the world over, I was inspired by The Shadows to 'have a go', bought Apache, something with strings akin to a guitar and Bert Weedon's "Play in a day" book. Forty years on I am still inspired by all styles of guitar playing and music and this CD is no exception.Ritchie Blackmore's opening rendition of Apache set's the mood of the album from the opening chords, easily followed by Brian May's oustanding version of FBI. I hadn't heard of Tony Iommi or Steve Stevens, but their respective interpretations of Wonderful Land and Savage do not disappoint. Surprisingly, there is a live version of 'Flingel Bunt' by Hank on his own tribute album (?), accompanied by his son Ben. In my opinion it lends nothing to the spirit of album. Peter Green's Midnight is "nice", pleasant even, but you expect a bit of Albatross magic to creep in somewhere. Just when you think it might happen, it ends. Neil Young, Mark Knopfler, Peter Frampton, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers all contribute excellent tracks too, but just to finish off, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones playing The Stranger doesn't quite measure up to the album's concept either. Notable exclusions are Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana and EC himself, Jimmy Page even - now that WOULD have made this album special! This CD is clearly, an excellent buy and I have been trying to buy it ever since I read Knopfler mention he'd recorded a track for it in 1996. So, I cannot understand why it has never been released in the UK.
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A must for all lovers of guitars, guitar music, and Hank!, 31 Jan 2001
Everything Pete Townsend, of The Who, says in his sleeve notes, about the impact Apache and The Shadows had on impressionable teenagers, echos my own tentative steps towards becoming a guitarist. Except I never made it to become famous and am thus John Clark, of the what.....?Like countless others, I bought the record, a stringed thing I thought was a guitar and Bert Weedon's "Play in a Day" manual, and I was away. Except I wasn't, and transferred my allegiance to Jet after a few months. This CD is as good as I thought it would be, given that it has taken me four years to trace it. I read an article on Mark Knopfler who mentioned he'd recorded a track for it, but until recently had failed find it anywhere and can only assume it is an American concept. Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple) sets the tone for most tracks with a blistering version of that tune Apache and this is followed in excellent style by Brian May (Queen) playing FBI. Two guitarists I hadn't heard before, Tony Iommi and Steve Stevens, continue the mood with Wonderful Land and The Savage respectively. Strangely, on a tribute album to Hank Marvin, we get a live version of "Flingel Bunt" by Hank himself, accompnied by his son, Ben. And not a great one either, in my view. Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac) plays a nice, even pleasant, version of Midnight, but it doesn't quite reach the exciting level he achieved with Albatross. Neil Young, Mark Knopfler, Peter Frampton et al all keep the excitement going, but the last track, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones playing The Stranger, doesn't quite round the whole concept off for me. Nevertheless, I am not disappointed, it's a great addition to any album collection, but if Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, Jimmy Page and that man Eric Clapton, were also included, this CD WOULD have been special!
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