It's a strange strange world we live in...

Os Four Jacks And A Jill foram um grupo Sul-Africano de folk/rock, originalmente formado em 1964, sem a "Jill" e sob um nome diferente. Mais tarde adicionaram a vocalista Glenys Lynne e o grupo mudou de nome. A banda incluía Clive Harding (baixo), Till Hanamann (guitarra), Bruce Barks (guitarra) e Tony Hughes (bateria). Na África do Sul tiveram várias canções de grande sucesso, entre elas, "Timothy". Em 1968, conseguiram alcançar os tops americanos com a música "Master Jack", atingindo na Billboard Hot 100 a posição 18 e o nº 3 no Adult Contemporary Chart . A canção também chegou ao nº 5 em Cashbox e foi nº 1 na África do Sul, Canadá, Austrália, Moçambique (LM Radio), Nova Zelândia, Malásia e Rodésia (actual Zimbabwe). O single seguinte, "Mr. Nico", alcançou a posição n º. 98 nos Estados Unidos. Esse foi o seu último hit nos EUA, mas o grupo continuou a ter sucessos no seu país natal. Eles gravaram e produziram ainda álbuns para uma série de canções acompanhadas por livros de histórias educacionais para várias instituições de caridade sul-africanas. Esta dupla colectânea, com 63 temas, é bastante representativa do universo muito especial dos Four Jacks And A Jill.

RATO'S MUSIC ~ VOLUME 115

ROXY MUSIC: "Avalon"

Original released on LP EG, Polydor EGHP 50.2302.116

(UK, 28 May 1982)

"Flesh + Blood" suggested that Roxy Music were at the end of the line, but they regrouped and recorded this lovely "Avalon", one of their finest albums. Certainly, the lush, elegant soundscapes of "Avalon" are far removed from the edgy avant-pop of their early records, yet it represents another landmark in their career. With its stylish, romantic washes of synthesizers and Bryan Ferry's elegant, seductive croon, "Avalon" simultaneously functioned as sophisticated make-out music for yuppies and as the maturation of synth pop. Ferry was never this romantic or seductive, either with Roxy or as a solo artist, and "Avalon" shimmers with elegance in both its music and its lyrics. "More Than This," "Take a Chance with Me," "While My Heart Is Still Beating," and the title track are immaculately crafted and subtle songs, where the shifting synthesizers and murmured vocals gradually reveal the melodies. It's a rich, textured album and a graceful way to end the band's career. (Stephen Erlewine in AllMusic)

RATO'S MUSIC ~ VOLUME 114

NOTE: I think this particular CD is a magnificent and powerful collection of tracks. 

Even one of the best CDs I ever recorded in my life. Hope you love it too.

GRATEFUL DEAD: "American Beauty"

Original released as Warner Bros LP WS 1893
(US 1970, November 1)

A1. Box Of Rain (Hunter/Lesh) 5:18
A2. Friend Of The Devil (Dawson/Garcia/Hunter) 3:24
A3. Sugar Magnolia (Hunter/Weir) 3:19
A4. Operator (McKernan) 2:25
A5. Candyman (Garcia/Hunter) 6:13
B1. Ripple (Garcia/Hunter) 4:09
B2. Brokedown Palace (Garcia/Hunter) 4:09
B3. Till The Morning Comes (Garcia/Hunter) 3:09
B4. Attics Of My Life (Garcia/Hunter) 5:14
B5. Truckin’ (Garcia/Hunter/Lesh/Weir) 5:17

Produced by The Grateful Dead and Robin Hurley
Co-producer: Audio – Steve Barncard
Art Direction: Kelly (Mouse Studios)
Rear photo: George Conger
Recorded at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco, CA (9/70)


They recorded just three studio albums in their final 15 years, but back in 1970 the Grateful Dead somehow managed to assemble their two best works all within the space of five months: "Workingman’s Dead" and this one, their trully masterpiece. With a new producer (the 20-year old Steve Barncard, who’d recorded Garcia’s famous pedal-steel overdub for the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young hit “Teach Your Children” some months earlier) the band set up in Heider’s upper-level Studio C, birthplace of classic recordings by the likes of Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jefferson Airplane, and CSN&Y. Even with drummer Bill Kreutzmann perched just a few feet away, Barncard insisted on cutting the band’s acoustic guitars live. «That was so important – especially when there would be any interplay between the two acoustic guitars,» Barncard recalls. «The reason those rhythm tracks are so tight is because they were set up really close together, just sitting in these plastic chairs facing each other, with very little obstruction. I may have had a few small baffles around the drums, but that was it. When they were recording, they liked to be able to look at each other’s fingers, pick up on accents, and do forth. The interplay was a very big part of those sessions.»



Everything in this album it is a joy to listen to: rich in acoustic instrumentation, well-rounded backing vocals, and a subtle electric presence. "American Beauty" established the group as more than a house band for its charismatic stoner leader, Jerry Garcia (there is not a single Garcia guitar solo on the whole record). For the first time, the Dead seemed a cohesive unit with a battery of accomplished singer-songwriters, including Phil Lesh and Bob Weir. There is no “jamming” on the album, it’s all about the songs, and the perfomances serve them beautifully. Expertly played, with some gorgeous harmony singing, this is an intricate album. Its influence has resonated in successive generations of musicians but back in 1970 "American Beauty" proved to be a good career move. It ended with the existing dichotomy between those that worshiped or simply hated the Grateful Dead. Since then, there was no more reasons to extreme feelings: the band’s fans becomed united in the love for the Dead. Fifty five years later, "American Beauty" remains as one of the absolute masterpieces of the pop/rock universe.

THE SONGS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD ~ VOL. 5

RATO'S MUSIC ~ VOLUME 113

THE SONGS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD ~ VOL. 4

JOHN LENNON: "Gimme Some Truth"

Original released on Delux Box Set Edition CD/DVD 

Universal 0602435002088

(US 2020, October 9)

The definitive new Best of John Lennon – 36 tracks completely remixed from the original master tapes, giving these classic songs a new life for generations to come and sounding better than ever before. Box contains 2 CD’s and 1 Blu-ray which features all 36 tracks in hi-res stereo 96/24 PCM, new 5.1 surround mixes and Dolby Atmos for the ultimate immersive experience. Also contains an incredible 124 page book with rare photos and extensive notes from John and Yoko and others who were there at the time. Additionally contains fold-out 2 sided poster, 2x postcards and GIMME SOME TRUTH bumper sticker.

Eighty five years! John Lennon would have been eighty five years old. I still find it hard to believe that he’s been gone for half that time, an event that still shocks many people, and now we can only be grateful for what he left us with. Released in five editions, this is the deluxe version. Missing just one A-side, half the tracks here were issued as singles (and he only ever released 11 in his lifetime), with three more that were B-sides, and the rest being good selections from his albums, this is, for all intent and purposes, a ‘greatest hits’ compilation, though I doubt it will be promoted as such. Many might say “So what?” Well, everything has been remixed to delight our aural senses. As with most remixes, you get to hear previously buried sounds and has you thinking it was all recorded last week. It makes "Instant Karma" and "Power To The People" sound more powerful than you previously imagined. "Cold Turkey" has you feeling his pain of withdrawal, but I don’t think live versions mix well with studio songs, so "Come Together" does seem a bit out of place. 

The 5.1 surround and Dolby Atmos mixes sound even better, though, truth be told, if you don’t have the equipment for those, you will be paying for something you can’t benefit from. In addition to the discs is a sumptuous 124 page book that details all the songs in the words of John and Yoko and others who were there, with an abundance of photos of lyric sheets, tape boxes and plenty of bits and pieces, many of which have not been seen. Oh, you also get a bumper sticker, two postcards and a poster in this deluxe edition. I do think the title could have been different, as there was a four CD set with the same title released back in 2010. Be that as it may, if you’re a committed Lennon fan, even though you’ll have everything here (unless you have "Imagine – The Ultimate Collection", not in this remixed form), you know it will end up as part of your collection. If you’re merely dipping your toe in to his solo work, in which case where have you been for the last five decades, there is no better place to start than this. (in Amazon)