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Content by Norcs
Reviewer Rank: 421,624
Helpful Votes:
36
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Reviews Written by
Norcs "Prince of verdant fecundity!!" (Floating in the ether!!)
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1 of 91 people found the following review helpful:
The beatless - C-rock Band!!, 2 Dec 2009
Fun:
This product should be banned under trade descriptions laws. For a start the beatless never were and never have been a rock band. They're a pop / boy band who went "off the rails".
Their mind-numbing tracks would be very easy to play on a normal guitar, never mind this dumbed-down version.
Their "fans" make the bold assumption that the beatless are basically the root of all "rock" music ever, and that if they had never existed, "rock" would still sound like Elvis. But when you say that The Beatles are the be all and end all of "rock" music today, you're an idiot. Rock and Roll existed before the beatless, and it would probably have existed and done fine without them.
Look at Led Zeppelin. They basically evolved from the Yardbirds, who formed around 1962, roughly the same time as the beatless. Lets assume the beatless never existed (if only). The Yardbirds probably would have gotten just as big, having Clapton, Page, and Beck all joining the band, and Page turning the band into Led Zeppelin, maybe sounding slightly different that the Led Zeppelin we know today.
On top of that, bands and performers such as Chuck Berry, The Yardbirds, and The Kinks would have had a larger influence on true rock 'n' roll. And of course, we can't forget Les Paul, who not only made great advances in recording technology, but also helped greatly in the popularisation of the electric guitar, an essential element of virtually all rock, country, funk, metal, prog, punk, and much avant-garde.
During the publicity campaign for Rock Band and the remastered CDs, Old Wobbly Thumbs made the the surprise claim that it was he who was responsible for the besuited look which launched the band's commercial career.
In a recent interview he told how, while on holiday with his family at a Butlin's holiday camp in the mid 50s, he experienced an epiphany; four young men walked past the swimming pool dressed in exactly the same clothes. That night it became apparent they were a band, who appeared on stage in the ballroom wearing suits of the same smart cut. Funny how his tale does not accord with any previous accounts, including that of their late tailor Dougie Millings.
In Brian Epstein's 1964 autobiography A Cellarful Of Noise (How apt!!) their manager describes in detail how he had to address their "scruffy" early leather-clad rocker look. Epstein's assistant Alistair Taylor recalled in his own book that on December 14 1961 - the day after the beatless signed their management contract - the foursome were marched to Birkenhead tailor Beno Dorn (a friend of Epstein's) for fittings for matching made-to-measure dark blue suits. They also had their hair neatened at Liverpool's top-notch barber Horne Brothers.
And if that's not record company marketing, then what is?
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4 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
The beatless - C-rock Band!!, 30 Nov 2009
Fun:
This product should be banned under trade descriptions laws. For a start the beatless never were and never have been a rock band. They're a pop / boy band who went "off the rails".
Their mind-numbing tracks would be very easy to play on a normal guitar, never mind this dumbed-down version.
Their "fans" make the bold assumption that the beatless are basically the root of all "rock" music ever, and that if they had never existed, "rock" would still sound like Elvis. But when you say that The Beatles are the be all and end all of "rock" music today, you're an idiot. Rock and Roll existed before the beatless, and it would probably have existed and done fine without them.
Look at Led Zeppelin. They basically evolved from the Yardbirds, who formed around 1962, roughly the same time as the beatless. Lets assume the beatless never existed (if only). The Yardbirds probably would have gotten just as big, having Clapton, Page, and Beck all joining the band, and Page turning the band into Led Zeppelin, maybe sounding slightly different that the Led Zeppelin we know today.
On top of that, bands and performers such as Chuck Berry, The Yardbirds, and The Kinks would have had a larger influence on true rock 'n' roll. And of course, we can't forget Les Paul, who not only made great advances in recording technology, but also helped greatly in the popularisation of the electric guitar, an essential element of virtually all rock, country, funk, metal, prog, punk, and much avant-garde.
During the publicity campaign for Rock Band and the remastered CDs, Thumbs mcfartney made the the surprise claim that it was he who was responsible for the besuited look which launched the band's commercial career.
In a recent interview he told how, while on holiday with his family at a Butlin's holiday camp in the mid 50s, he experienced an epiphany; four young men walked past the swimming pool dressed in exactly the same clothes. That night it became apparent they were a band, who appeared on stage in the ballroom wearing suits of the same smart cut. Mcfartney's tale does not accord with any previous accounts, including that of their late tailor Dougie Millings.
In Brian Epstein's 1964 autobiography A Cellarful Of Noise (How apt!!) their manager describes in detail how he had to address their "scruffy" early leather-clad rocker look. Epstein's assistant Alistair Taylor recalled in his own book that on December 14 1961 - the day after the beatles signed their management contract - the foursome were marched to Birkenhead tailor Beno Dorn (a friend of Epstein's) for fittings for matching made-to-measure dark blue suits. They also had their hair neatened at Liverpool's top-notch barber Horne Brothers.
And if that's not record company marketing, then what is?
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2 of 87 people found the following review helpful:
Done!!!, 14 Sep 2009
That's what you have been if you choose to buy this boxset. Or the new one. Or the other one. In fact any Beatless to be honest. It's all a load of old tripe and should be destroyed. Along with Get in My Car by David Hasselhoff.
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1 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Did someone miss an s from the end of their name?, 14 Sep 2009
Don't see why I have to give them a star, it's tawdry re-packaged bleed them dry rubbish.
Yes they may have improved the sound quality (to the trained ear), but all you have here is just ANOTHER release to get you to part with your hard earned cash. This is WAY too expensive for what it is and to be honest is nothing more than a blatant rip-off.
You have been warned!
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3 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
More gold from the archives!!, 17 Dec 2008
First of all please note that this version of "Live at The Matrix" is not the same as the bootleg version that has been knocking around for a few years now on a German label. This is an official release on Bright Midnight Records and comes straight from the master tapes used to record the shows (It even tells you in the sleeve notes what hardware and software was used to restore the sound quality)
For any discerning Doors fan, this is a must buy. You get 24 tracks from two shows and not the crumby 7 and a half that you get on the bootleg. You get a full version of The End and not the half version on the bootleg. You get extensive sleeve notes and not the single sleeve in the bootleg.
The notes include bits about the restoration process, about a journey up to San Francisco from LA, about what 1967 San Francisco was like. You can put the headphones on, lie back, read the notes, then close your eyes and immerse yourself in a show that was recorded before they'd even released Light My Fire.
When you think back to the furore that surrounded The Doors in the late 60's and early 70's, this live recording is as valuable to any Doors fan as The Doors In Concert. Whilst pretty seamlessly put together (albeit from 3 or 4 separate gigs), In Concert is for me, the pinnacle of a Doors gig at the height of their fame. The crowd respond to Jim's every syllable, every grunt, every scream. You can listen to each instrument separately and lose yourself in it's pattern, only to slowly come back into the song and then digress again from Densmore's drums to the Manzarek's keyboard, to Krieger's screaming guitar riffs and then back to the wild vocals of Jim.
And this is why this cd is right up there. This is the earliest official recording of The Doors and whilst still learning their stage craft, you can tell that they'd practiced enough to be playing bigger venues than the Matrix which held about 100 people. Different versions of songs, different poetry, different vibe but altogether the same result.
A classic Doors gig recorded for all fans to wish that they were there for.
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Electric Arguments
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| Price: £8.98 |
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| Availability: Not in stock; order now and we'll deliver when available |
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6 of 84 people found the following review helpful:
Fireman Sam would have done a better job!!!, 27 Nov 2008
Hmmmmmmmmmm?? Why do I have to give it 1 star?? It's one too many!!
A brave album that doesn't work I'm afraid.
He's got some guy called Youth working with him, and with Smug Mccartney being "down with the kids" I presume that this is whom the album is intended? However, anyone below 35 won't buy this as they won't have heard of His Smugness.
There's more chords on a Status Quo album than there is on here!! It's not catchy enough to work in the clubs, not folky enough for the hippies and not Beatles enough for those poor misguided fools few who still listen to them.
Paul, please do us a favour and retire. Or at least go mad like Ringo so we can laugh at you instead of empathise. Your music applies more to Saga members than it does Boyz N The Hood. Stop trying so hard to be cool, you never will be, you've had your time. You're rubbish.
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2 of 112 people found the following review helpful:
All White? Not really, no!!!, 27 Nov 2008
This album is rubbish!! It's a shame I have to give it even one star.
There's not one reference to snow, paper, colombian marching powder or anything else white including Xmas!!!
Nope, it's all over the show, no structure to the album at all, songs all jumbled up. I think The Beatles must have still been on drugs when they put this album together. Oh Bla Di, Oh Bla Da????? Oh Bloody Hell more like.
Brian Epstein died just before this album was released, and personally, I think he had some insider knowledge as to how this album sounded. This album also coincides with Oh-no making an appearance. Something which must have put them all off their stride, judging by the sounds of it!!
They even had to rope in Eric Clapton to try and make it sound better, but that failed miserably.
Nope, this is a rubbish album by a rubbish band. The Monkees were the original boy band, were far better and produced better songs too.
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0 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Utter Filth!!, 17 Oct 2008
Well, whilst I don't think this is the best of the three recordings made of Derek & Clive, it still deserves five stars. It also contains the best sketch, The Critics!!
As everyone else has said, this isn't for the faint hearted. It's vile at time, cringeworthy, totally un-pc and such a refreshing change from todays stadium comedians.
Not to be listened to within earshot of anyone with heart condition as they either have a heart attack from the content or die laughing. Not for kids, conservatives, prudes or you nan.
Nonetheless, Derek & Clive are pure punk comedy gold. God rest their soles and our soles!!
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