Customer Reviews

Best Of..., Live

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Although this 1991 performance is credited to "Vanilla Fudge" the only original member on this recording is drummer Carmine Appice. The other musician that I can identify by ear, having known him since he was 14, is Derek St. Holmes. St. Holmes is the lead vocalist on this live recording and is likely handling most of the guitar work as well, having been Ted Nugent's lead singer/second guitarist during his rise to fame in the mid 70s. There's no arguing Appice's and St. Holmes' talent. And it isn't the first time they've collaborated. But neither of them sound like they care about the material. Let's face it. This is an unadulterated grab for your cash and the lack of musician credits proves it. Shame on you, Derek, for participating in such a blatant rip-off. Besides, when we we're in competing bands in high school you always hated our version of "You Keep Me Hangin' On."

WHY in the world is this fake VANILLA FUDGE album given a patina of legitimacy by a usually trustworthy label like RHINO records? This ain't the Fudge, folks-- it's Carmine Appice's attempts to drown out several poseurs with his heaviest percussion. Sadly, he doesn't succeed-- we can hear what's going on all too clearly, but after you've sprung for the album, it's a bit too late, isn't it?

Most surprising of all is NOWHERE within or without this package is the unwitting consumer given any information that would allow one to make an informed buying decision in advance. No personnel, recording dates, liner notes-- NADA. Clearly we were left in the dark intentionally, with quick-cash-in aforethought. For shame!

TOTAL RUNNING TIME -- 46:07

so Derek St.Holmes over dubs on the vocals, he was asked to do this so he did. He has to make money like everyone else. I did like his verions of the songs, he did a good job on it. It's not Derek's fault that the members of an old band was having a war w/ each other. Derek did what he had to do & at the time when the cd I think his wife was sick, so he needed this. And I think he did a good job as a singer, I had an opened mind to this cd when I bought it because i did enjoy Vanilla Fudge's music when I was growing up & also enjoy Derek St.Holmes vocals when he was singing For the Nuge. If anyone can get past that this is not the real singer, you might find that this cd isn't bad at all.

Everybody should know that these are *newer* recordings of VF "live" stuff. The arrangements are similar but not the same. The original VF did soul & rock songs excruciatingly slowly...but here, for example, "Shotgun" nearly has the frat-rock tempo it was born with. Get NEAR THE BEGINNING if you want it *real* live.

This is NOT Vanilla Fudge! Mark Stein, Vince Martell, Tim Bogert do not appear on this CD. It has got to be the worst sounding piece of junk on the market!

I have no idea who is on this CD, other than the always awesome Carmine Appice. Certainly not Vanilla Fudge. Rhino, a label which supposedly takes reissues seriously, provides zero information as to who performs on this disc. These guys aren't bad whoever they are. I'll bet they went to different schools together.