Customer Reviews

Jack the Toad

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have been looking for this CD for years without any success and I was ecstatic when I found it here. The same goes for Lion's Share. I had all of Savoy Brown's collection except these 2 and now I finally have them. I also enjoyed the bonus tracks included on the CD. There are some very good live performances on this CD. I highly recommend this CD to all old school ROCKERS, it is really great!!!

Wow, how do you give this classic album a bad review? Yes, the amazing Dave Walker had just left the band after Lion's Share, and Kim hit the road with yet another line up. But oh my, the classics. With Jack(ie) Lynton leading vocals, Paul Raymond on drums, Dave Bidwell on drums and Andy Pyle holding down the basslines, Savoy turned out a haunting concept album of sorts.
"Coming Down Your Way" starts off the album with a good Jackie Lynton. Kim takes the vocal lead on "Ride On Babe" and you feel like you're on the mechanical horse on the album cover. The next song is the real blues gem, "Hold Your Fire". It's one of my favorite Savoy Brown songs of all time.
Paul Raymond borrowed a mellotron from the Moody Blues. The boys covered "Endless Sleep" from Jody Reynolds and made it their own... Lynton's raspy British vocals were perfect. The second half of the short release (46 minutes) has more laidback blues & smooth vocals from Kim Simmonds, including "Just Cos' You Got the Blues Don't Mean You Gotta Sing", a nearly 6 minute jam worth the price of the album alone.

And of course, there's the title song, "Jack the Toad" that they should have combined with the Red Rider's "Panama Red" (and the Beatle's Rocky Raccoon) and made into a movie. It's as magical as David Anstey's gatefold album cover, which folds down to give a full length cosmic cowboy with futurist guns and a mechanical horse in the background. I had a local artist make me a poster of this, and had Kim sign it after a concert in Colorado Springs. Kim invited me backstage to meet the band, and I have the utmost respect for the guy.

The tour premiered in the US before selling out most of Europe (with ZZ Top and Status Quo along the way). Not long afterwards, Dave Bidwell lost his battle with the bottle, and Kim got bored and disbanded the band. Another era lost. Another one started.

Jack the Toad is an essential piece of the Kim Simmond's catalog. If you're lucky enough to be a fan of his music, go on ebay and find a copy of the original 1973 LP, on London's Parrot label. You'll love it!

An epic of the Wild West....a dusty street....two lusty gunfighters fight it out to the finish....and the singer is....British??? That's "Jack the Toad," the title track from the most fun album Savoy Brown ever recorded. Imagine Phil Collins singing the blues, and you've got Jackie Lynton, who is veddy, veddy, veddy British. How British is he? Well, mate, he's just the sort of chap who'd fancy a coupla pints (not "just the one," doncher know!) and a game of darts over a plate of bangers and mash (or fish and chips) down to the local pub. In fact, "Comin' Down Your Way" sounds like it's coming straight from the corner bar, with Paul Raymond's tinkling saloon piano and Lynton's bouncing, goodtime vocals. "Ride on Babe" features a rare (for the time period), early Kim Simmonds vocal, and finds the guitar master blowing a mean harp as well. Well, I'll be blowed!! Other highlights include the tricky wordplay of "Casting My Spell," Kim's fantastic (guitar) soloing on "Just Cos' You Got the Blues Don't Mean You Gotta Sing," and "Some People," and, best of all, Jackie's wonderful vocal melodramatics on the title song, the best Western epic sung by a Brit since "Theme From an Imaginary Western," sung with great feeling by Felix Pappalardi on Mountain's Mountain Climbing LP. Great!! Yes, I know this album is very, very difficult to find (I got my copy from Russia, of all places!), but do search diligently; the pub-rocking, good-time wonders which await are well worth it, or I'll be Blowed!!!!

I remember this album, unfortunately my ex-wife got them all. If this was available today I'd buy it again. Just saw Savoy Brown live in a small club, Kim Simmonds still has all his chops! Miss that music.

This record makes me feel good. And I have been in to several recordshop's in London and Stockholm and I can't find it.So there must be millions of people which still doesn't have heard this masterpiece of music.You have to pressure new albums so I can get a copy before I get crazy. There is so much money to be earned by relesing this album again and so much joy for all of us who loves this album.Please hurry.This album will bee played generation after generation and become one of the most longliving albums in our time.You can compare it with Mozart,Bach,Brahms which is todays classic music.This album will become the future classic music and be played long after we are dead.Living should be fun and this album is one of the items which make your day sunnier in bad and good times.If there is anyone who know's where I can buy this record send a mail to markjappinen@hotmail.com And please you who own the rights to this album make new copys now.There are many fans to Savoy Brown in Sweden and in the rest of the world so make our day better and release it at once.

This is probably the best of my collection of Savoy Brown. By the way selecting only one of all of Savoy Brown is very difficult to say the least because more than half of what they put down on vinyl/CD is outstanding but if I had to pick just one , this would be it. I have a request: I want on CD format (1)Wildfire , (2)Savage Return .Dreams do come true , please re-issue these classics.

One of my favorite albums of all time. From the opening track, Coming Down Your Way, to the title track, this is one of the greatest feel good party albums of all time. I sincerly hope this one is restocked soon!

SAVOY BROWN KICKS A**! WAY BEFORE THEIR TIME! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Please re-issue this album--I have to have it!!!

RECENTLY ORDERED IN CD FORM..IN THE SEVENTIES MY PARENTS HAD IT ON ALBUM(VINYLE).
GREW UP HEARING AND SINGING ALONG AS A CHILD GROWING UP...LOVE "EVERY SONG" AS AN ADULT!!!!