Customer Reviews

Argent

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Many years ago a friend played this new record for me. Before the first song (Like Honey) was done, I nearly left skid marks on his carpet, running to the record store to get my own copy. I didn't CARE what the rest of the album was like, I HAD to have that song! Of course, it turned out that Argent and Co. had produced a masterpiece of an album on their first try. The haunting, ominous guitar intro to "Like Honey" leads into vocals that are progressively multi-layered and powerful. The tension builds, ebbs, and is renewed again, then reaches heights of of emotion through vocal gymnastics that I'd not heard male voices do before. We've since heard this sort of virtuosity from time to time, (Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" comes to mind), but not often. Frequently, groups don't really hit their strides until their third or fourth recordings, when they've had time to mature together musically. "Argent" is that peak album, but it didn't get as much attention as it deserved, perhaps in part, because it was a DEBUT album. One of the reasons it was so good, may have been because Rod Argent, the group's namesake, was already maturing as an artist, after spending his earlier years driving the music of "The Zombies". There are so many good cuts here! The original (and better) version of "Liar", (later covered by the Three Dog Knight), "Schoolgirl", "Lonely, Hard Road", "Dance in the Smoke", and "Freefall". But if "Like Honey" doesn't give you chills, then you are a hard sell, indeed! This group influenced many, many others. Come hear the original!

Having been out of print for years, I'm surprised to see this CD available from Amazon, as it's almost impossible to find anywhere else. Sounding like a matured version of the Zombies, Argent's debut bristles with strong compositions and memorable performances. The highlight of the album, Russ Ballard's "Schoolgirl," is the best song the Zombies never performed. My copy of this CD (dated 1991) sounds terrible, and I'd be curious as to whether or not it has been recently remastered. Argent's second album, Ring of Hands, improved upon their debut, and is scheduled for release on November 9. Both are highly recommended.

ARGENT signed with CBS and released their debut album titled simply 'Argent' in 1969. The album's ten tracks are layered with rich minor key and haunting keyboard solos accompanied by Jim Rodford's vocals. Russ Ballard's ethereal voice and mesmerizing songs (e.g. "Schoolgirl" and "Liar") are a delight to listen to and showcase the band's talent and ability to take over the heart and mind of the listener. All the songs on the album and breathtaking and leave the listener in a mystical daze upon its completion! Get your copy as soon as you can. You will LOVE every minute of it!

Melodic rock with superb vocals underpinned by some staunch guitar playing and mesmerising keyboards.....what more could you want?. From the twangy guitar intro of the first track 'Like Honey' passing through some rock gems like 'LIAR' and 'Stepping Stone' and ascending to the heights with 'DANCE IN THE SMOKE' this cd is a must for all Rod Argent, Russ Ballard fans in fact any rock fans who appreciate talented musicians performing good music. Early rock and Beatle influences are discernable but from the first track onwards this CD send out its own unique enjoyable message to the listener. KEEP ON ROLLIN guys.

I have a hard time deciding if this is my favorite Argent album..or if its the All together now album.
Both of these are 10 on the scale...the rest of the Argent stuff is around 6.
I have this on on the double cd with..circus..
i wish i would of known the 5 cd thing was coming out..i would of went that route..

with the release of this album argent was poised to enter the coming decade at the top of the pop game.perhaps overlooked(somewhat)in the US it was nevertheless the logical culmination of what the zombies had been working toward over the past few years.especially noteworthy was the songwriting skill of mister ballard.forty years on this music still has a stunning and radiant quality.

Sony Japan has just released the entire Argent Epic Records seven-disc catalog ("Counterpoints" was on a different label) in remastered, mini-LP sleeve format.

The 2008 Sony DSD-processed remastering trumps all previous releases, including the BGO, Edsel, Koch & Acadia-label CD's, not to mention the pathetic-sounding Collectables and Wounded Bird discs.

It is wonderful to finally have the primary Argent repertoire in dynamically-matched sound, as all the different releases (from the plethora of labels mentioned above) had varying audio levels, not to mention quality.

And, as always, the `sleeves themselves are fabulous, all being faithful replicas of the original gatefold LP record covers (except for "Nexus", which was a single-pocket LP design).

Unfortunately, however, Sony did not include two non-album tracks, "Kingdom", and "Closer To Heaven", which appeared on the "All Together Now" 2001-Koch & 2007-Acadia releases.

Curiously, though, Koch & Acadia also included as "bonus" tracks, songs that originally belonged to other Argent albums. These all appear in their proper place on the 2008 Japan releases.

Here are the links to the 2008 `sleeves:

Argent
Ring Of Hands
All Together Now
In Deep
Nexus
Encore
Circus

WHAT IS A JAPAN "MINI-LP-SLEEVE" CD?

Have you ever lamented the loss of one of the 20th Century's great art forms, the 12" vinyl LP jacket? Then "mini-LP-sleeve" CD's may be for you.

Mini-sleeve CDs are manufactured in Japan under license. The disc is packaged inside a 135MM X 135MM cardboard precision-miniature replica of the original classic vinyl-LP album. Also, anything contained in the original LP, such as gatefolds, booklets, lyric sheets, posters, printed LP sleeves, stickers, embosses, special LP cover paper/inks/textures and/or die cuts, are precisely replicated and included. An English-language lyric sheet is always included, even if the original LP did not have printed lyrics.

Then, there's the sonic quality: Often (but not always), mini-sleeves have dedicated remastering (20-Bit, 24-Bit, DSD, K2/K2HD, and/or HDCD), and can often (but not always) be superior to the audio on the same title anywhere else in the world. There also may be bonus tracks unavailable elsewhere.

Each Japan mini-sleeve has an "obi" ("oh-bee"), a removable Japan-language promotional strip. The obi lists the Japan street date of that particular release, the catalog number, the mastering info, and often the original album's release date. Bonus tracks are only listed on the obi, maintaining the integrity of the original LP artwork. The obi's are collectable, and should not be discarded.

All mini-sleeve releases are limited edition, but re-pressings/re-issues are becoming more common (again, not always). The enthusiasm of mini-sleeve collecting must be tempered, however, with avoiding fake mini-sleeves manufactured in Russia and distributed throughout the world, primarily on eBay. They are inferior in quality, worthless in collectable value, a total waste of money, and should be avoided at all costs.

Sony Japan has just released the entire Argent Epic Records seven-disc catalog ("Counterpoints" was on a different label) in remastered, mini-LP sleeve format.

The 2008 Sony DSD-processed remastering trumps all previous releases, including the BGO, Edsel, Koch & Acadia-label CD's, not to mention the pathetic-sounding Collectables and Wounded Bird discs.

It is wonderful to finally have the primary Argent repertoire in dynamically-matched sound, as all the different releases (from the plethora of labels mentioned above) had varying audio levels, not to mention quality.

And, as always, the `sleeves themselves are fabulous, all being faithful replicas of the original gatefold LP record covers (except for "Nexus", which was a single-pocket LP design).

Unfortunately, however, Sony did not include two non-album tracks, "Kingdom", and "Closer To Heaven", which appeared on the "All Together Now" 2001-Koch & 2007-Acadia releases.

Curiously, though, Koch & Acadia also included as "bonus" tracks, songs that originally belonged to other Argent albums. These all appear in their proper place on the 2008 Japan releases.

Here are the links to the 2008 `sleeves:

Argent
Ring Of Hands
All Together Now
In Deep
Nexus
Encore
Circus

WHAT IS A JAPAN "MINI-LP-SLEEVE" CD?

Have you ever lamented the loss of one of the 20th Century's great art forms, the 12" vinyl LP jacket? Then "mini-LP-sleeve" CD's may be for you.

Mini-sleeve CDs are manufactured in Japan under license. The disc is packaged inside a 135MM X 135MM cardboard precision-miniature replica of the original classic vinyl-LP album. Also, anything contained in the original LP, such as gatefolds, booklets, lyric sheets, posters, printed LP sleeves, stickers, embosses, special LP cover paper/inks/textures and/or die cuts, are precisely replicated and included. An English-language lyric sheet is always included, even if the original LP did not have printed lyrics.

Then, there's the sonic quality: Often (but not always), mini-sleeves have dedicated remastering (20-Bit, 24-Bit, DSD, K2/K2HD, and/or HDCD), and can often (but not always) be superior to the audio on the same title anywhere else in the world. There also may be bonus tracks unavailable elsewhere.

Each Japan mini-sleeve has an "obi" ("oh-bee"), a removable Japan-language promotional strip. The obi lists the Japan street date of that particular release, the catalog number, the mastering info, and often the original album's release date. Bonus tracks are only listed on the obi, maintaining the integrity of the original LP artwork. The obi's are collectable, and should not be discarded.

All mini-sleeve releases are limited edition, but re-pressings/re-issues are becoming more common (again, not always). The enthusiasm of mini-sleeve collecting must be tempered, however, with avoiding fake mini-sleeves manufactured in Russia and distributed throughout the world, primarily on eBay. They are inferior in quality, worthless in collectable value, a total waste of money, and should be avoided at all costs.