3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An absolute Hoot, August 31, 2007
This is a compilatiojn of the best bits of Jools New Year shows on the BBC. Its fabulous, there are 34 tracks, amounting to just over 2 hours of great music. OK not all of them are going to be to everyones taste, but most are so good you can't really complain.
I love Paul Weller doing the late Billy Prestons "Will It Go Round In Circles" in 1997. I didn't know it was a Billy Preston song until long after I first saw this Paul Weller Performance. Immediately following this is Sharleen Spiteri belting out a fantastic version of "Surrender" in 1999. Again I've never heard this song before, and I don't know anything by Texas but this is great. She puts everything into this performance and you can't ask more of an artist than that.
My absolute favourite is Gary Brooker doing A Whiter Shade of Pale. I remember watching this in 2001 and thinking will it be even remotely like the classic record from 1967? Well this brought tears to my eyes. Gary Brookers voice is still as good, if not better than it was in 1967, bluesy, and in fact very close to being like Ray Charles. I never tire of watching this track.
Of course not everything is perfect, John Cale (who I'm a big fan of) seems out of place singing an old Sinatra number, and there are a few others I could mention, but this is mostly down to personal taste more than anything.
Of course a lot of credit must go to Jools and the Rhythm and Blues Orchestra for providing wonderful backing to this assortment of great talent.
Have a glass of wine, play loud and enjoy.
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