ENGLISH GARDEN [Original recording]

Bruce Woolley & The Camera Club, Bruce Woolley, Bruce Woolley And the Camera Club | Format: Vinyl

Product Details

• Vinyl
• Original Release Date: 1979
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording
• Label: EPIC
• ASIN: B0018XR8WQ
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

Editorial Reviews

SONGS: 1- ENGLISH GARDEN, 2- VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR, 3- DANCING WITH THE SPORTING BOYS, 4- JOHNNY, 5- NO SURRENDER, 6- FLYING MAN, 7- YOU GOT CLASS, 8- W.W9. INSTRUMENTAL, 9- CLEAN/CLEAN, 10- GET AWAY WILLIAM, 11- GOODBYE TO YESTERDAY, 12- GOODBYE TO YESTERDAY- REPRISE, 13- YOU'RE THE CIRCUS(I'M THE CLOWN).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars CD killed the vinyl star, May 18, 2004

By 

gpdecuir (Denton, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: English Garden (Audio CD)

That English Garden contains the MTV anthem "Video Killed the Radio Star" is most certainly the reason why this obscure gem has found its way onto CD. And yes, Thomas Dolby plays keys here and he does it quite well, but he was just another band member back then and MTV didn't yet exist.

Mr. Woolley is the real star on this one. His vocal style runs from strong belting to sweet falsetto and takes the already driving power pop/new wave tunes over the top. Tracks Flying Man and You Got Class are energetic and outstanding. In fact, class is what sets Bruce Woolley apart from similar acts of the time. When Woolley sings "Learning how to control myself, do the waltz and not rock and roll", you realize that, like Roxy Music, The Camera Club's vision of the future is well-steeped in the past (as implied by the original (American?) album cover). As a result, the album resonates with a melancholic longing that surfaces even amidst the uptempo numbers, but is especially evident in tracks such as "Dancing with the Sporting Boys" and "Get Away William".

Too bad the CD version chops the initial vocoded "I heard you on the wireless back in '52..." from the beginning of
"VKTRS". This, and the CD's substitution of a disco version of the once rocking "Goodbye to Yesterday" make the vinyl worth holding onto (The vinyl gets all 5 stars). If you were ever into The Cars or The Buggles, this CD may do it for you.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A worthy artifact., October 17, 2003

By 

Tim Brough "author and music buff" (Springfield, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: English Garden (Audio CD)

This nifty little record slipped under the radar in 1979. It is composed of tightly wound, keyboard driven new wave and an edgy sounding vocalist, just the kind of thing that everyone expected of the period's next charge of the British invasion. What set "Bruce Woolley and The Camera Club" (the US version of this album) apart was the pedigree. Woolley was a founder of the Buggles and a co-writer of two of their best known songs. The band also included a little known but inventive keyboardist named Tom Dolby.

Most of the songs here are pretty good, and Woolley takes those two signature songs and works them out in a way that suggest why he split from Horn and Downes...he rocks them instead of machinates them. With the exception of "You Are The Circus," the songs are a cut above most of drivel that was being released as "new wave" about as fast as companies could sign them. Unfortunately, Woolley didn't catch on, the band broke up, Dolby discovered science, and this record fell into the ranks of cult classics.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars this is a must have CD, August 31, 2000

By 

lupslex "lupslex" (The East, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: English Garden (Audio CD)

Bruce Woolley really out does himself on this one. Every tune on this lively CD is a favorite. From the legendary "Video Killed the Radio Star" to the quiet "Get Away William" this CD will keep you totally entertained evertime you play it. I have been a Bruce Woolley fan for over 20 years and I still love his timeless style.