Customer Reviews

Rich Man

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For my money, this is the last good CBB album (well, unless you count the live album of old tunes). It has all the elements that made CCBB, Plays On, A Lot of Bottle and Tightly Knit so great, with just a hint of the 'Hollywood' excesses which would soon swamp them. There are some great songs here ("You Make Me Sick," "All The Time in the World") with no crappy filler in between. Colin's singing and Peter's playing are in peak form, for possibly the last time.

Essential for any British blues fan.

I was looking high and low for an affordable CD of this great album for several years.
"Rich Man" is one of my favorite albums from the 70's and is the best album that the group turned out.
The music is fantastic, my favorite songs being "All The Time In The World" and "Standing by A River".
There's an informative liner notes sheet included with info on the band.
This re-release has 3 enjoyable bonus tracks:
"Like Uncle Charley" (stereo)
"Mole On The Dole" (mono)
"Like Uncle Charley" (mono)
Be aware that this CD comes in a cheap cardboard sleeve and not a jewel case.

It could be me, but if I could only have just one album, this would be it. Not even any of my Led Zeppelin or Rolling Stones albums would make the cut. I have an original LP record of this album that I bought in 1976. I have been looking for it on CD since CDs usurped LPs as the primary media format in the eighties.
I don't do or advocate mind altering substance use, but the song "You Make Me Sick" with the sax and guitar solos were mesmerizing! There would be something wrong with you if you didn't at least tap your foot to "If You Wanna Know", a 50s style song done with period guitar work and rythyms. "Shake Your Love" is my favorite song on the disc. It's British "skiffle" done with a metal edge. "Mole On The Dole" is a slower, melodic song that counter acts the wild punch of "Rich Man". "Standing By A River" has catchy lyrics and great instrumentals. "All The time In The World" starts slow but builds to an impressive crescendo. It should be a classic, but the powers that be in radio decided that we should only hear "Couldn't Get It Right" from "Gold Plated", an OK but not great album. "Grinnin' In Your Face" is a slow, bluesy song that nails the fickleness of people perfectly.
As I said, it could just be me. But in my humble opinion, this is the best record ever. If you dropped some good blotter acid, and give this a spin, you'll agree with me.

Probably CBB's best studio album , sandwiched in between Tightly Knit and the great FM Live which put them in the spotlight , albeit for a very short while . It's really too bad when you see a band like The CBB go from primarily a great blues band to a band whose best known song is the shlop mess " Ooh I Love you " . I think I'm gonna throw up .
Anyway , a few years before they sank into the pits of top 40 depravity they did put out Rich Man , a killer album of blues / rock/funk ..
Rich Man - starts off with a mellow lick / vocals then kicks into high gear ...great song
Mole On The Dole - A slow , melodic thing that would fit nicely on the Stamp Album
You Make Me Sick - great tune ..great slide by Haycock
Standing by a River - best song on the lp imo ...Cooper on vocals ..RnR with a nice dose of funk
Shake Your Love - great funky rock tune ..again , great slide
All the Time in the World - Pretty good RnR tune
If You Wanna Know -great RnR tune ..nice vocal interplay between Haycock/ Cooper
Grinning in Your Face - great cover of the Son House classic
...Classic rock/Blues album

This is one of those lost little gems that got lost in the haze of 1972. I listened to this alot in 72 when it was released.I still enjoy it today,Mole on the Dole was such a fine tune for that period,This album was far from center for what was happening(Yes-bowie-stones ect.)in 1972.I never have forgot it and would recommend itif your a British blues fan and would like to hear some fresh old stuff........RK

THE TITLE TRACK ON THIS ALBUM STARTS OUT REAL MELLOW WITH THESE ALMOST QUIET GUITAR PARTS AND THEN THE BASS AND SNARE COMING IN ON A DESCENDING LINE AND THEN THE VOCALS IN OCTAVE HARMONIES DEFINITELY REMINISCENT OF SOMETHING THAT I CAN'T THINK OF RIGHT NOW BUT IS FAMILIAR THEN THE SONG BREAKS WITH THE VOCALS DOING A NICE HARMONY THEN WHAM! YOUR OFF AND RUNNING IN A FAST TEMPO WITH BOTTLE NECK GUITARS AND THE SAME WONDERFUL MELODY THEN THE SAX COMES IN AND YOU MIGHT NOT EVEN REALIZE IT'S ACTUALLY A SAXOPHONE CAUSE THE SIGNAL IS BEING PROCESSED THROUGH A LESLIE AND A DISTORTION BOX OF SOME SORT AND AS FAR AS I'M CONSERNED IT SOUNDS WONDERFUL. THIS FIRST COMPOSITION IS ABOUT WAR AND HOW THE RICH MAKE MONEY OFF THE WAR AND THE POOR HAVETO FIGHT IT WHICH PROBABLY MAKES THE SONG CONTROVERSIAL BUT IT CAME OUT DURING THE VIETNAM WAR SO IT WASN'T PER SE CONTROVERSIAL BACK THEN BUT IT MIGHT BE NOW SINCE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE SO PATRIOTIC RIGHT NOW. THINGS CHANGE BUT THIS MUSIC STAYS THE SAME AND STANDS THE TEST OF OL' FATHA TIME EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT BE REGRETTABLY ALL BUT FORGOTTEN, SO I SAY BUY THIS ONE AND KEEP THIS CD IN PRINT FOR OTHERRS TO HEAR THE LEGACY OF GOOD MUSIC THAT CAME FROM THE EARLY SEVENTIES BEFORE THE DISCO THING HAPPENED. THERE WAS ALOT OF GREAT BANDS FROM THIS PERIOD PROBABLY SO MANY THAT THEY DIDN'T GET THE RECOGNITION THEY DESERVED OR LATER ON THEY HAD TO SELL OUT TO GET AIRPLAY, THE PITY IS THAT THIS BAND COULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THESE BANDS UNFORTUNATELY, BUT DON'T LET THAT DISCOURAGE YOU CAUSE THAT IN NO WAY TAKES ANYTHING FROM THE QUALITY OF THIS MUSIC, JUST BECAUSE A BAND LAYS AN EGG DOESN'T MEAN THEIR OTHER MUSIC IS NO GOOD, CAUSE IT IS GOOD AND THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING RIGHT NOW IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY YOU SHOULD BE STARVED FOR GOOD MUSIC SO TRY A HELPING OF THIS OBSCURE CLASSIC FROM A WELL KNOWN BAND CLIMAX BLUES BANDS' RICH MAN TRUST ME, YOUR ONLINE CRITIC, BRYAN

These guys were so much better than their track record showed. Some of us understood that. Others listened to the radio. If you only own one Climax Blues Band release, this is it.

This album is one I used to listen to as an adolescent and even today, is just as good as I always remembered it. The feeling in the music just takes you over.