Customer Reviews

It's only a movie

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This is the one Family recording that strikes the listener as "light." Apparently the fellows decided to do something quite different from their mainstay musical forays and different it is. Once they knew the gig was up, I'm guessing they decided to have fun with such songs as the title track "It's Only a Movie," "Leroy," and "Sweet Desiree." Their is an aching sadness to "Buffet Tea for Two," a paean to starting over (which is exactly what Chapman and Whitney were about to do with the dissolution of Family) featuring a great, typically underplayed solo by Charlie Whitney. The jaunty keyboards of the late Tony Ashton give this recording a real tilt toward the R&B fold, and Chappo's vocals, as always, prove to have the right touch. Jim Cregan's vocals, second guitar, and bass fill in the edges nicely, and Rob Townsend shows his deft touch once more on drums. The last song on the recording, "Check Out" really rocks and as it ends, you cannot help but be both amused and sad that the greatest band of its time closed out its recording career with such an aptly named song. (Note: there are two bonus tracks not on the LP version tacked on here.)
Though I would not recommend this CD as an introduction to Family, I do think it is a fitting conclusion.

Alas, the last Family album. At the end of an incredible run of creativity and intensity, they turned out their loosest, funkiest effort. Most Family devotees would not consider it their favorite, but this is nonetheless an outstanding album.
These guys were not exactly known for R&B roots, but along with a significant change in the band's personnel, several tracks displayed a surprisingly funky side ("Boots 'n' Roots," "Banger," "Sweet Desiree," & maybe even "Suspicion."). The trend continued into Chapman & Whitney's subsequent band, Streetwalkers.

The title track is a stunner, given Family's taut, intent past. The lead vocals are casual, offhand, conversational and not even by Roger Chapman. Chapman added to his rougues gallery of [...]-as-protagonists with "Boom Bang," with Chappo front & center as a flasher. As usual for his weirdo stories, the tempo is unusual, the pace is aggressive, the lyrics are amusing & Roger howls at the moon.

The album ends (fittingly?) with "Check Out," a song about a prison break. Check out they did, with a straightahead (for these guys) guitar and organ workout. I still miss them.

In contrast to most of Family's material, they chose more of a rollicking, good-time mood here: from the good-guy cowboy out to do right (title track), to an escaped convict ('Check-Out'), and the boy who uses a rich girl to get a cool car ('Leroy') in-between, the group is always celebratory. Even when the singer is leaving his girl ('Tea For Two'), he looks at the bright side: 'New start, new city....' While I have always found this album enjoyable since I bought it on vinyl in 1974, I would warn anyone looking for straightforward rock 'n' roll to consider that Roger Chapman's haggard voice and the band's nonderivative performance is pretty offputting for the uninitiated; however, after a few plays, they will be happy to join the fun.

This is the final recording of the best of all those bands that hever really made it. All of the 9 tracks are interesting, the title track, "Sweet Desire" and "Check out" are outstanding, and they illustrate the impressive ability of this band to adopt different styles and forge them into their own. The title song with its simple guitar riff, vaudeville-like melody and extensive use of various film soundtracks is a tour de force into the musical creativeness and enthusiasm of the eraly seventies, before the self indulgence and pompousness of bands like Genesis took over. Their mix of musicality, ingenuity and sheer power places them second to none of their era, including better known acts like Led Zeppelin or Jethro Tull. Also recommended are the records Fearless, Bandstand and Music from a dolls house.

I accidentally bought the vinyl record on a flea-market in 1975. it has been one of my most cherished albums since. Today, I accidentally discovered on Amazon there is a remastered CD-version available, which I find very reassuring although my vinyl album is still sounding OK. 'It's only a movie' is just perfect: from the opening title track (with excellent far-west bar piano by Tony Ashton and a 'far out' clarinet solo) to the steaming Check Out (which reminds me of the Spencer Davis Group at their best). In between there are wonderful intimistic tracks like Leroy and Boots'n'Roots, the slightly jazzy Buffet Tea For Two which has a very original guitar riff, the short crazy instrumental Banger and the very soulful Desiree (in her negligee!). And I just don't know how to describe Boom Bang: intense, haunting... The lyrics are little gems, Roger Chapmans' singing impressive (if you like bullfrogs).And I haven't mentioned the superb guitar work yet by the 'de luxe' musicians Cregan and Whitney and the excellent and original drumming by Rob Townsend. If you ever see a chance: listen to this great album, the last but certainly the best of Family.