Customer Reviews

The Return

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I saw VF last month at the Paramont in Denver with Mountain. Did they ever put on a show! This release revisits some of their classics as well as putting on a VF spin on newer numbers. The result is a fresh, hot Rock & Roll experience. From their takes on "You keep me hanging on", "Season of the Witch" ( which rocked in Concert) to "People get Ready", and "Tearing up my Heart" there is plenty of excellent copy here. Tim and Carmen still are the best at the bottom end. This CD clocks in at over 71 minutes of classic rock and roll with a sound that is pure heaven for you early hard rock junkies. Highly recommended-great sound-all around. If you get a chance to see them live -do it!

The band does a fantastic job redoing some of their standards and they also do several great cover versions of some more recent hits originally done by other performers. And I must say, I like the way V-Fudge does them much better. If you are a V-Fudge fan or a fan of good, "for real" heavy rock done well this CD is for you. Drumming, guitar, bass, keyboards (real Hammond organ) and vocals are all outstanding. These guys play and sound better than ever. Truly a fun CD! Now, if they would just put out a CD with excerpts from their recent live tour too!.

I have been a fan of the Fudge since their first LP. I hadn't bought anything of theirs recently and decided to try this CD. I figured it was just a rehash, boy was I wrong. The tunes are redone, some new stuff as well. Very well done. These guys sure(still) can play. You won't be disappointed. BUY it.

Wow, I wasn't even born before the Vanilla Fudge disbanded back in the early 70's. I mainly purchased this CD because I am a big Carmine Appice fan. Anything he is involved in I pick up.
This CD is just a breath of fresh air in a day like today for rock and roll. A Hammond B-3 organ has never ever sounded better than I does hear! Even Jon Lond of ex-Deep Purple fame would be proud!!!! Anyway, old fudge fans will definitely want to get this. The last song, Do You Think Im Sexy (which is the Rod Stewart song Carmine co-wrote with him) is off the hook!!!
It is so funky fresh that when TM Stevens does his rap towards the end, that is the feather in the cap for the song as well as the entire album. This CD is a real treat, and even the Backstreet Boys get covered on this CD with their song I Want It That Way. It is absolutely the best song on the album!!!! You will be surprised how the Fudge pulled it off. My final thoughts, fans of rock and roll should not overlook this 21st century gem!!!! It is a classic of classic rock.

In 2001, three members of the VANILLA FUDGE got together and proved they can still rock & roll-- these guys sound terrific! THE RETURN features reworkings of eight of their classics-- all are excellent. "Season Of The Witch," for example, is vastly improved by the loss of Mark Stein's odd poetry break midway through ("Here we sit emerged in a liquid sea of love..." etc.), as well as a truncation of the intro. The new studio version of "Shotgun" is white-hot and most welcome.

Carmine Appice is still amazing-- the man hasn't lost a beat. Vocals on "Need Love" soar high, while the Fudge's jamming surpasses their original track. The four new songs on this set are quite good, too. This album's a joy-- if you're a Vanilla Fudge fan, you're gonna love it!

TOTAL RUNNING TIME -- 75:17

I just picked up this album the other day and I can't say enough good things about it. First the modern...The production is very thick and heavy with all of the instruments just jumping out of the speakers. the guitar tone is a little heavier giving the tunes a slightly harder edge. Now the classic...the Hammond B3 is front and center as it should be. The songs our full of VF's vintage instrumental explorations that extend almost every song to beyond six or seven minutes. the vocals are crisp and powerful with some nice harmonies in the classic VF style. In short, they have maintained all of their classic traits while fitting them into a more modern production that accentuates thos traits, rather than detracting from them by being over-produced. And, as if all of that wasn't enough, the disc clocks in at over 74 minutes so you will definitely get your money's worth out of this one. buy it! Buy it! BUY IT!

All songs are outstanding. My only question is why is this CD virtually similar to "Then and Now"?

Vanilla Fudge is back with a KILLER record. The musicianship is super and it's a cool mix of Vanilla Fudge's big hits like "Keep Me Hangin ON" and "Shotgun" in all new recordings... plus some very unusual and shocking new cover versions. It's THE FUDGE of yesteryear only BETTER!!! If you love Rock & Roll this new Fudge album is a MUST HAVE! This album ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The original recording of these songs (self-entitled, "Vanilla Fudge" album) is crisper and cleaner than the present, more recent recording entitled, THE RETURN. This means that in the original recording, it is easy to distinguish one instrument from another. In contrast, the sound on the album being reviewed (THE RETURN) is somewhat muddy and indistinct.

The voices on the original album have a sharper quality, whereas the voices on THE RETURN are somewhat fuzzy, due to changes in voice quality with aging.

The original Vanilla Fudge version of Keep Me Hanging On, especially, when combined with Take Me For A Little While, is one of the most perfect creations in the history of rock'n'roll. The original version simply cannot be equaled or improved upon. The original version is perfect. The more recent recording, which is being reviewed cannot equal or improve upon the original recording. Nobody could be expected to make a better recording than the Vanilla Fudge's original recording of Keep Me Hanging On, in combination with Take Me For A Little While.

But note that there are plenty of good things about THE RETURN. First of all, the same solarized girl is back on the cover. Also, the album is a powerhouse of hard rock. Moreover, the album includes some extra songs that you might not have heard before. Finally, in recording the new album, Vanilla Fudge refrained from including the bombastic qualities found here and there on the original Fudge album.

Amazing traditional "heavy-duty" sound!

Is it possible that they are even better than on the 60's, 70's?

New "you keep me hanging on" is fine, also other tracks.

Booklet looks quite fine,could be more informative.