Customer Reviews

First Taste of Sin

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ok, besides Lydia there was only two other ladies that could work a horn section with kick ass quality. Yeah one was Janis Joplin and the other was the New York great Genya Ravan with Ten Wheel Drive. Lydia Pense and Cold Blood were one of the premier acts that Uncle Bill Grahm loved to use at the Fillmore. The best of ColdBlood cd is my favorite but if your like me you want all the individual albums on Cd. No Matter what the line up of the band was it was a kickin band, Lydia is still out there with a new version of Cold Blood and do check out her web page because she still sounds as tight as ever.

A Great Recording. Every cut is precious, good arranging, fabulous vocals.

This has been one of my favorite albums since back in the day. I was happy to find it on CD finally. Cold Blood has been somewhat forgotten but they were a find horn band with a kickass singer, very West Coast sound. If Tower of Power had Janis Joplin... you get the idea. I think this is their best album, smooth, good production by Donny Hathaway.

HIP OLD... S - - - ! GOOD things.

If Cold Blood put horns down and made an album of themselves chewing, I would buy it.

Well they haven't; but what they have done on First Taste Of Sin is trade the blues rock of the first album and the heavyness of the second, found as a twofer on Cold Blood/Sisyphus.

In return, they have gotten a more complex horn rock. This music has the chord changes of very well writen R&B, and if the music is not funk in the strict sense, it certianly has the ruggad bounce of funk.

Lots of stops and unexpected detours in these songs--a latin break when your not listening makes you turn and "wow!" But this is all structured and perfectly planned. Not of a lot of jamming here as with other San Fransisco bands.

I love Lydia Pense's voice--it deserves every ounce of praise she gets. But people don't talk enough about what a crack band she had behind her. These guys are as tight, and loose, as any horn band of the early 70s. If you put Cold Blood, the band, against Chicago and BS&T in an old fashioned playing compotition, it would be close, but...............

Over all a very good disc. Give it a listen and you will agree. Cold Blood is still touring on the west coast! How about that.

I can only say that I have looked for this CD for years, just had a hint of a melody running thru my head and knew the name of the group, I was so excited to find the Licks website, I have been trying to fill holes in my music collection for years and I filled most of them in one sitting! Thanks, PFM

Superlative! Once again Lydia Pense is at her best. Her individual style continues to blossom on Cold Blood's third album. Despite some personnel changes, The band continues to mature with their rockin' soul stye. This CD is a must for the ardent fan.

In 2006, the first five CB titles were issued in Japan in LP-replica mini-sleeve CD format on the Bomba label:

COLD BLOOD - BOMBA BOM24086
SISYPHUS - BOMBA BOM24087
FIRST TASTE OF SIN - BOMBA BOM24088
THRILLER - BOMBA BOM24091
LYDIA - BOMBA BOM24092

The audio mastering on those discs are all superior to their Collectables/domestic counterparts.

If you really love these CB albums, get the Japanese releases before they are sold out, as all mini-sleeve CD's are limited edition.

They are certainly more expensive than the domestic CB titles, but are definitely worth the price.

Link to the Japanese remaster.

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.