www.musicweek.com PRODUCTREISSUES JIM CAPALDI • BLUE • THE ASSOCIATION • LENNY KRAVITZ


JIM CAPALDI: The Sweet Smell Of Success / Let The Thunder Cry (Esoteric ECLEC 2328 / ECLEC 2329)


A founding member of Traffic, multi- instrumentalist Jim Capaldi went


on to enjoy a successful solo career, particularly in the US. At the time these albums were originally released (Smell in 1980, Thunder in 1981) he was signed to French label Carrere, and seemed to enjoy something of a renaissance though, in truth, these albums probably rank somewhere in the middle of his canon. Nevertheless, it is a pleasure to have them restored to availability in expanded, remastered editions with extensive liner notes some seven years after his death. The best of the two is The Sweet Smell Of Success, on which Hold On To Your Love and Take Me How You


Find Me Girl are uplifting disco tracks, while Every Man Must March To The Beat Of His Own Drum is a more soulful, slower song. However, the album’s outstanding track is a remake of the title cut from Traffic’s 1971 album, The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys, which Capaldi wrote with Steve Winwood. The original is a prog rock marathon running nearly 12 minutes; Capaldi’s solo interpretation cuts the track’s time in half and unfolds beautifully, with his strong but lilting vocal accompanied by acoustic guitar and synths, further embellished by flute as it resolves.


BLUE: Ultimate Blue (Music Club Deluxe MCDLX 161)


Barely able to put a foot wrong between 2001 when they opened


their account with All Rise, and 2004, when the aptly-titled Curtain Falls signalled their disintegration, Blue were an enormously popular boy band, and racked up 11 Top 10 hits, all of which are included on this mid-priced, 30-song double disc set. Featuring their three No.1 hits – If You Come Back, Too Close and Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word, a collaboration with the song’s writer Elton John – it bristles with pop sensibilities, combining catchy songs and competent vocals. A midpriced set offering more music per pound than their 2004 Best Of – which has thus far sold more than 500,000 copies – it should do very well.


THE ASSOCIATION: The Complete Warner Bros. & Valiant Singles Collection (Rhino/Now Sounds CRNOW 35D)


A slick sunshine pop/folk rock band which had a great deal of


success in its native America in the second half of the 1960s, The Association


are given the deluxe, double digipack treatment by Now Sounds on a delightful release compiled and curated by St. Etienne’s Bob Stanley. Accompanied by a 24-page booklet full of quotes and annotations, it’s uplifting, melodic and punctuated by hit songs include the marijuana anthem Along Comes Mary, Cherish, Never My Love, Windy, Time For Livin’ and the fresh but quirky film theme Goodbye Columbus. All sound superb, in bright, crisp mono mixes – as are all but three of the 37 songs on offer. Standards are remarkably high throughout, with the only slight disappointment being a slightly lacklustre version of Jimmy Webb’s masterpiece | PF Sloan.


LENNY KRAVITZ: Mama Said (Virgin CDVUSX 31)


Digitally remastered to mark the 21st anniversary of its original release,


Lenny Kravitz’s 1991 breakthrough album is also massively expanded across two CDs, with 21 bonus tracks, 15 of them previously unreleased. The sweet mid-tempo and somewhat retro soul cut It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over is the album’s main draw, although two lesser hit singles – Always On The Run and Stand By My Woman – have also withstood the ageing process well, as have continental hits Fields Of Joy, Stand By My Woman and What The F*** Are We Saying – in fact, there’s hardly a weak track on a collection that veers between psychedelic rock and old school R&B. Bonus tracks include 12- inch mixes, home demos and a plethora of live recordings.


08.06.12 MusicWeek 33


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