1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A very useful starting point, February 7, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: In the Swing (Audio CD)
This is a compilation covering the famous 1974-1976 era
(4 albums) output. Starts off, naturally, with their most famous song, 'This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us' and carries on as it starts. As an overview of that period, there isn't a great deal to choose from between this and 'Mael Intuition', although I would say that 'In The Swing' is slightly more accessible.
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1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great songs but odd mix & forgotten Brit sidemen, April 16, 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: In the Swing (Audio CD)
Most of the songs from their killer era of 1974 to 1976. They add a few later good songs and clunkers.
The Mael brothers treated their English sideman shabbily which is a real shame. Adrian Fisher (RIP) was an amazing guitarist, Martin Gordon was solid bass player who went on to record music around the world. Check out his web site/blog by search google. Dinky Diamond was also a very energetic drummer. They were dumped and by Ian Hampton on bass and Trevor White on guitar - also very solid players. The music they did with these Brits was just magic. They added American producer Tony Visconti and the slide started.
The Maels returned to the USA and found some U.S. sidemen but it was not the same. They later hooked up with Giogio Moroder in Munich to essentially rip off the Moroder - Donna Summer Moog "i feel love" pioneering synth disco sound but it was more a credit to Moroder fiddling the big Moog modular dials - what a lovely sound.
The mixes on this CD are also suspect. It must have been digital because a few songs had 1 seconds spots of the music removed versus the vinyl versions my brain had memorized.
I like the Maels and it was pretty amazing that Russell was only 18 and Ron was 23 when they went to the UK and became stars a year later.
They never regained that magic so maybe it was bad karma for them after they treated the excellent Brit band so badly. They hity it big then promptly fired the band.
The Maels appeared to be spoiled Hollywood movie business children. Their father was involved in the Hollywood entertainment business. Sparks awesome sound of 1974 was in large part to the amazing guitar work of Adrian Fisher plus Gordon on bass and Diamond on drums.
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