Customer Reviews

New City

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

 

 

I disagree with the previous critic who thought that Blood, Sweat and Tears had found a a good direction and that David Clayton Thomas' return marked the downfall of the band. New City did not sell well, but neither did the albums prior to Thomas' return. The material is quite good on this album. However, beware of the issues from Wounded Bird records on CD. The remastering is poor. You might get better quality if you can find it on an LP, process it yourself, and then dump it to CD.

I bought this to replace a damaged vinyl copy and I am semi-satisfied. I personally really like the tracks on this album but to be fair, I am a trumpet player and big BS&T fan. This is not their best but it is a fun album. The playing is excellent as usual. The BS&T version of Ride Captain Ride is the cat's pajamas.

I am no audiophile BUT like other reviewers mentioned, the quality of the this CD issue leaves much to be desired. If you have the equipment (or a kind friend) then rip it from the original vinyl onto your computer. I can still rock out to this CD, but the vinyl on this one is noticeably better and I was disappointed in this reissue.

4 stars for the original recording and 2 stars for the CD for an average of 3.

I would give this a 5 star rating, but I agree, the remastering was subpar. I have both the stereo and quad LP's and had both burned to cd. Nonetheless, this is a quality work by the band. It is a departure from the earlier DC-T albums but still stands on it's own. I like "I Was a Witness to a War" and "Ride Captain Ride". Compare this to the other dribble released in 1975.

"Got to get you into my life" and "Ride Captain Ride" make great singles, but even they sound terrible on this pathetic "remixing."

I understand why so many people hate the deceitful and greedy recording industry when they pawn trash like this.

This album has David Clayton Thomas returning to BS&T, and not for the better. No Sweat and New Blood demonstrated an evolution towards a jazz-rock fusion that was a brilliant direction, with infusion from the North Texas State alums who joined the lineup for those albums. DCT's return pushed the band in a rock direction that was neither polished nor successful, and the band never recovered from it, even it did continue to deliver a few more albums and tour.

New City is for those who are dedicated fans, which I am, but this album marked the beginning of the end for what I saw as one of the big rock groups of the seventies.