Mikey C

Not all "disco years"!, 25 Feb 2013

Sheila reached sublime heights with "Spacer", which appears on this collection, along with most of the tracks from the Chic-produced "King of the World" album that originally featured it. This is one of the few songs I can listen to over and over, so it pains me to leave anything less than a five star review here. However, purchasers need to be aware that, despite the title "The Disco Years", nearly half this CD is NOT disco, but soft rock from Sheila's 1981 album "Little Darlin'". Also, classic euro-disco songs such as "Light My Fire" and "Hotel de la Plage" are missing.

If you're a Foreigner fan, Sheila's rock side might be just the thing to float your boat, but I find… Read more

Elvis as you will never want to hear him again., 14 Feb 2013

I only heard this album as it was sent to me by mistake in place of the "Viva Las Vegas" soundtrack and the seller understandably did not want it returned.

On playing it, my suspicions about its horridness were amply confirmed and exceeded. I could only make it so far as Track 4 ("Heartbreak Hotel" with power chords, anyone?) when I pulled the atrocity out of the machine and hurled it across the floor.

As much as Elvis' original recordings were "of their time", they are in no way improved by loud guitars, pathetic "scratching" sounds and the whole paraphenalia of a modern over-produced chunk of cookie-cutter blandness. Bleeuchh!

Who is this travesty aimed… Read more

Fat controller runs out of steam, 22 Dec 2012

Hammer films, the romance of travelling by steam train; what could possibly go wrong?

Well, quite a lot, it seems. Despite the framing device, in which an American screenwriter pitches it to Michael Carreras, "Hell Train"'s main story just doesn't seem anything like a Hammer film (although it does resemble "Horror Express" in places, which some people seem to think is a Hammer film). Considering the ending, it could be argued that this is part of the joke, but all it does in reality is make the Hammer link rather gratuitous. A cynical person might in fact view it as a blatant attempt to cash in on the reborn studio's resurgent popularity.

The story, taken by itself,… Read more