Customer Reviews

House That Jack Built: Complete 60's Sessions

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This album was a real discovery -- I knew many tracks on it beforehand, but the "minor" stuff, mostly straight instrumentals, covers, and BBC live recordings, reveal the superb musicianship of this band that Alan Price put together after leaving the Animals. It's an incredibly tight and focused ensemble, and even though Alan Price was known as a brilliant organist/pianist he went for arrangements that allowed his bandmates to shine equally well -- no long show-offy solos, just loads of swinging group work. His singing is especially rich and soulful and thrilling -- no doubt he was bent on proving that in the Animals he should have shared vocals with Eric Burdon all along (the track of "Dont Let Me Be Misunderstood" is all you need hear to know that Price was Burdon's equal). Considering the dreck that the Animals put out after Price left, I think this album proves who the real talent in the band was. Even if it isn't as blue-purist as the Animals started out to be -- well, the Animals got off track themselves along the way, and there's no rule that says you can't have a horn section without betraying the r&b spirit. The Alan Price Set also sounds a good deal more jazzy than the Animals ever did, which was part of Price's original concept for the Newcastle band that later morphed into the Animals. A lot of this music is just irresistible, and I'm sorry that more of it didn't get played in the US at the time -- our loss. No excuse for missing it any more, with this 2-disc set available.

Only Alan Price knows exactly why he quit the Animals (it seems that he needed a break), but this compilation shows that Alan was a successful recording artist without them. Alan took a much-needed break after leaving the Animals but eventually formed the Alan Price Set. Here you can find all of Alan's recordings with the Alan Price Set including several major UK hits as well as some BBC recordings.

While the Animals were an R+B group, Alan broadened his musical base after he left them. The R+B sounds have largely (but not entirely) been replaced by mainstream pop sounds. The group's first single (Any day now) was a great mainstream pop song but failed to chart. Perhaps the public still wanted Alan to do R+B as the follow-up single (I put a spell on you) made the UK top ten - it was the kind of song that Alan could have recorded with the Animals. Actually, the Animals (without Alan) recorded it at around the same time, their version first appearing on their album, Animalisms.

After making the UK top ten, Alan moved away from R+B. The next single (Hi-lili hi-lo) just missed the UK top ten but another old standard (Willow weep for me) missed the charts. The group's debut album (The price to play) consisted entirely of covers, mixing R+B songs with mainstream pop songs. In keeping with the habits of the sixties, no singles were released from the album. The current practice of using singles to promote albums only began in the seventies.

Around this time, Alan discovered Randy Newman, a hugely talented singer-songwriter. Alan recorded many of Randy's songs, thus helping to establish Randy's reputation. The Alan Price Set released a single (Simon Smith and his amazing dancing bear) that made the UK top five, both sides being written by Randy Newman.

Inspired by Randy Newman, Alan got into songwriting seriously. He wrote the group's next single (The house that Jack built) that also made the UK top five. The group's second album (A price on his head) also contained several Randy Newman songs as well as some of Alan's own compositions. Next came a minor UK hit (Shame) and a UK top twenty hit (Don't stop the carnival). After the group's next intended single (When I was a cowboy) didn't get a UK release, the group disbanded. This compilation also includes Alan's first solo single (Trimdon Grange explosion), which failed to chart.

The final ten tracks are from BBC recordings. In those days, it was common practice for the BBC to make their own recordings of pop singers and groups because (I think) of performance rights issues. Such recordings were invariably covers of songs that didn't appear on singles or albums by the artists involved. Sometimes (as here) they featured spoken introductions by the artists concerned.

This is an excellent collection of late sixties pop music. If you want Alan's earlier music with the Animals, go for Complete Animals, which is only complete for the first part of their career, but that's the period when Alan was with the group.

Alan Price is one of the most interesting UK artists during the 1960's. Uninfluenced by the scene around him, he proceeded to make his own music....R&B influenced with a big band sound. He discovered Randy Newman really early on and featured Newman's songs on his second LP (included here in its entirety). He also discovered his song writing voice during that second LP, and his own songs ("The House That Jack Built" and "Grim Fairy Tale") are especially fine.

Here's my beef; the single "Falling In Love Again" was issued in the UK with "Trimdon Grange Explosion" on the B side (it's here). What ISN'T included is the B side on US Cotillion...."SLY SADIE", a really terrific fast tune with plenty of phasing. It's one of my favorite songs he did and it's NEVER been reissued anywhere in the whole wide world.

Frustrating.....for everyone else, get this essential CD.