Last of the Rock Stars [Import]

Ronnie Spector | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 8, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: HIGH COIN
• ASIN: B000E8R9UM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #289,855 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

2006 studio album from the former vocalist with recent Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame inductees The Ronettes. She sang the lead vocals on Brian Wilson's favorite song ever (''Be My Baby''), she endured a tempestuous marriage to one of the greatest producers (and eccentrics) in pop music, and her voice, whilst maybe not the finest there is, has enough character for many to claim her as their favorite pop vocalist. She has inspired not just musicians of the '60s, but also key bands of the '70s such as Blondie, The Ramones and Patti Smith. To prove her legendary status, this record is crammed full of amazing guest stars, many of whom have showed a big influence of her in their own work: Keith Richards, Patti Smith, Nick Zinner (of The Yeah Yeah Yeah's), the late Joey Ramone (on a great cover of the Johnny Thunders classic `You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory'), The Raveonettes and The Greenhornes. 11 tracks. Laughing Outlaw.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars its good but also sad, September 14, 2006

By 

Scott B. Saul "opinionated, yet truthful, mu... (COOPER CITY, FL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Last of the Rock Stars (Audio CD)

If you are here, you are probably a big Ronnie Spector fan. 40 years past her prime will not attract a general audience. While I find this cd enjoyable I also must recognize that her voice is not even close to what it used to be.

Perfect example "You can't put your arms around a memory" is not new, its off the Joey Ramone produced "She Talks to Rainbows" from 8 years ago. For some reason, its also on this disc. The 8 year old voice is dramatically different from the more recent songs here. "Memory" is in a different league from these songs!

Rather than a knock on Ronnie Spector, its a testament to Johnny Ramone. With only 5 songs, he truly brought the best out of Ronnie Spector.

My spin is this...The Ronnettes were great. Her work with that group is superior to anything else. When she sings today, we (the eccentric Ronnie fans) want to hear something that echos "Be My Baby". We want to hear the trademark vibrato in her voice and classic drum intro. When you hear it on another song, it brings a nostalgic twinkle to your eye.

On Springsteen's/Joel's "Say Goodbye to Hollywood", Money's "Take Me Home Tonight" and Southside Johnny's "You mean so much to me baby" isn't that what they were looking for to give the song its gleam?

Johnny Ramone recognized that and incorporated the Ronnettes' cliches into his 5 song EP. He also knew to not allow any instrumentation to compete with her voice. He knew what to do with her voice.

On this latest cd, it is a hodepodge of many different songs. Any song that rocks out, with loud distorted guitars, does not do Ronnie justice. The first song on this cd does that and fails.

You would think that her version of the Ramones' "Here today, gone tommorow" would be a good choice, but this song fails too. Guitar solos, Ramones song, Ronnie's vibrato...its not a winning mixture.

The best songs are the ones with a familiar 1960s feel to it. It is a more natural vehicle for her voice. "Hey Sah Lo Neh". "Work out fine" and "There is an end" are the best songs.

I saw Ronnie Spector live during the winter of 2006. Her band was made up of, like, teenagers. They were not impressive musicians but, they injected youth, vitality and coolness into her work. Their versions of the classic Ronnettes songs gave them new life. Forget about the guest musicians here (they bring nothing to the cd. You would not even know they were there if they were not on the liner notes) Ronnie should be playing with musicians that are not all nostalgic.

An ideal cd would be a live cd, performing her classic songs, in an intimate setting, with her right-out-of high school bandmates. This is inferior to "She talks to Rainbows" but much better than her 1970s 1980s tacky dance songs.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WORTH THE WAIT, July 26, 2006

By 

Sammy Spammy "Sammy" (Miami Beach) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Last of the Rock Stars (Audio CD)

Ronnie Spector kept announcing that this CD would be released "soon", but "soon" turned into eight years! Fortunately it was worth the wait. Her voice is magical (one UK review described it as a "delicious thrill"), with that distinctive vibrato still intact. One minor complaint is the song "Girl From the Ghetto", which comes across as mean spirited and spiteful. It's obvious that she's singing about ex-husband Phil Spector. It comes across as being two steps backward intead of a step forward in her life. For somebody who claims that she wants to move on with her life and forget the past, the song has no place on this CD. An upbeat, cheerful pop tune would have been much better to include instead of something nasty. "Won't Stop Saying Goodbye" is a delight, sounding like a cross between an early-70s Cass Elliot tune mixed with The Partridge Family (the backing vocals of "baaa-baaa-baaa, baaa-baaa-baaa" sound very Partridge Family-like.) My personal favorites are "Out In the Cold Again", with Ronnie's soaring vocals; and "Ode To LA", something like a Ronettes throwback with a modern sound. Overall an excellent CD! I look forward to a future release in the next few years, not another eight years!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rock & Roll Lives!, May 9, 2006

By 

ralph (Woodbridge, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Last of the Rock Stars (Audio CD)

This is quite a surprise! One of those addicitng CD's that I have HAD TO listen to every day since I bought it. Great fun, not a bad track. Ronnie is a one of a kind legend who always manages to get the best supporting musicians and guests (in this case Keith Richards, Raveonettes, Patti Smith, Greenhornes & the late Joey Ramone). After a series of great and overlooked EP's over the last 10 years, Ronnie has finally graced us with a full length CD that rocks. She chose the songs herself and even had a hand in producing and she is rightly proud of this - the SHINING MOMENT of her solo career (so far!) Try it and see for yourself.