Customer Reviews

Is This What You Want

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Jackie Lomax is a long-lost/never found gem. One of the best white R&Bsoul voices to have come out of the sixties and seventies, he was unappreciated at the time and unheard of today and what a shame that is for lovers of great blues/soul/pop music. After spending the mid-60s in the Undertakers and Lomax Alliance, he was the first solo act signed to the Beatles' Apple label and his first single, SOUR MILK SEA, was written by George Harrison. It was one of the first four Apple singles and featured Jackie, George Harrison, and Eric Clapton on guitars, Paul McCartney on bass, Ringo Starr on drums, and Nicky Hopkins on piano - and Jackie's voice is equal to the high quality of the musicianship. In spite of this superstar line-up, the single failed to chart but an LP of Jackie's own songs was recorded, again produced by George Harrison and with the same line-up on some of the tracks. Other tracks came out of sessions Jackie and George recorded with the cream of LA session players: Hall Blaine on drums, Larry Knechtel on keyboards and Joe Osborn on bass. The LP, entitled IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT?, was released in March 1969 but there was no concerted effort to promote the album or to highlight the incredible group of musicians involved and it didn't sell enough to enter the charts in Britain or America. Two singles later he was lost in the black hole at Apple Records created by the break-up of the Beatles, and he had to move on to other things on other labels. This CD has all the tracks he recorded for Apple, and there's not a bad one amongst them. There's SOUR MILK SEA with Eric Clapton and George Harrison on double lead guitars, the beautiful FALL INSIDE YOUR EYES, the hit-that-never-was HOW THE WEB WAS WOVEN and - as they say - many, many more. Great songs, great playing, great singing... it's been one of my favourite albums for 35 years and it will be one of your favourites as well - to know it is to love it. THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT!

This album was released in 1969 on the Beatles-created Apple label. I ordered a vinyl copy and was very pleased that it had never been opened. It had the Apple label and on the sleeve, George Harrison was credited as the producer. Among the listed musicians were George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Richard Starkey.
According to a marvelous resource book called THE BEATLES UNDERCOVER, George, Paul and Ringo are featured on the song "Sour Milk Sea." George wrote the song (and the album credits him as the writer as well.) It was a single in Britain. It's never been too well known in the United States. Also on the song and on a few other songs on the album are Eric Clapton and Nicky Hopkins.
Jackie Lomaz sings very well indeed. He wrote all of the songs except "Sour Milk Sea." It's got an R&B feel and, at the same time, has the driven quality of THE WHITE ALBUM and some of the Beatles hits from around 1968 and 1969. The reason for this is clear. Nicky Hopkins, the keyboardist on the Beatles loud version of "Revolution" and Eric Clapton, whose guitar is the lead on the Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," play on many of these songs. George's guitar-work is prominent. Ringo's drumming is officially only on "Sour Milk Sea"--and the drumming on that song is very reminiscent of his drumming on "Sgt Pepper (Reprise)--but I have a feeling he's on about three of the other songs. Paul's bass work is great on "Sour Milk Sea."
While not a Beatles record, given that so many people who worked with the Beatles are on this and that the engineer was Glyn Johns (don't hold me to that, but I'm pretty sure I read this in BEATLES UNDERCOVER--perhaps it was another Beatles engineer, Geoff Emerick; or both of them) this gives a real insight into how the Beatles recorded.
Think of the Beatles' song "Old Brown Shoe." Think of Lady Madonna." Think of songs like "Savoy Truffle. IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT has the tone of those songs.
Also, the title song is a parody of "I Am The Walrus."
Many people tout a record as sounding like the Beatles. Well, this is as close to a Beatles record as a non-Beatles record can get, and three of the Beatles are on it. One of them is on every song.
It also rocks and Jackie Lomax is an excellent singer. He started in Liverpool. What a musical city!

Jackie Lomax is a long-lost/never found gem. One of the best white R&B/soul voices to have come out of the sixties and seventies, he was unappreciated at the time and unheard of today and what a shame that is for lovers of great blues/soul/pop music. After spending the mid-60s in the Undertakers and Lomax Alliance, he was the first solo act signed to the Beatles' Apple label and his first single, SOUR MILK SEA, was written by George Harrison. It was one of the first four Apple singles and featured Jackie, George Harrison, and Eric Clapton on guitars, Paul McCartney on bass, Ringo Starr on drums, and Nicky Hopkins on piano - and Jackie's voice is equal to the high quality of the musicianship. In spite of this superstar line-up, the single failed to chart but an LP of Jackie's own songs was recorded, again produced by George Harrison and with the same line-up on some of the tracks. Other tracks came out of sessions Jackie and George recorded with the cream of LA session players: Hall Blaine on drums, Larry Knechtel on keyboards and Joe Osborn on bass. The LP, entitled IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT?, was released in March 1969 but there was no concerted effort to promote the album or to highlight the incredible group of musicians involved and it didn't sell enough to enter the charts in Britain or America. Two singles later he was lost in the black hole at Apple Records created by the break-up of the Beatles, and he had to move onto to other things on other labels like Warner Brothers and Capitol. This CD has all the tracks he recorded for Apple, and there's not a bad one amongst them. There's SOUR MILK SEA with Eric Clapton and George Harrison on double lead guitars, the beautiful FALL INSIDE YOUR EYES, the hit-that-never-was HOW THE WEB WAS WOVEN and - as they say - many, many more. Great songs, great playing, great singing... it's been one of my favourite albums for 35 years and it will be one of your favourites as well - to know it is to love it. This re-release will stop people having to pay up to $150 for the CD on Ebay. THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT!

Evereything's there, but retentive types...hang on to your vinyl. The mix of "New Day" is different from the original US LP and 45 release.

I was playing frisbee at college when I stopped in my tracks. I thought I could hear Beatles music coming from the next dorm. I was a huge fan, and caught a lot of poop for it, but I believed in the music, or so I said.

I ran up three flights of stairs, knocked on a door, and a startled student opened it, and I just strode in.

"It's my room-mate's record - I don't know!"
But he did say his roommate was a huge Beatles fan, and sure enough, the label was one big Apple. It was Jackie Lomax, and indeed, George had been playing guitar on the track I heard from the street.

"I've still got it!", I announced to no one in particular. But I did rush out and get IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT? What a great record! This came out around the same time Apple also released JAMES TAYLOR's first solo album.

Ahh, the good old days!

This is a secret gem. If you like the Beatles, or Joe Cocker, Jackie will do you just fine. The production is very Apple......

What you get here is an album by a budding mega star that never connects with the masses. A true mystery of pop music. George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and Eric Clapton all appear here and each and every cut is a standout. This is a 2005 re-release with a cardboard Lp style jacket. Include lyric sheet and bio (bio in Japanese). It is not a new remaster however, but is a great addition to the collection as it has a number of bonus tracks not on the original album. Also available in standard jewel box as a US release. Thankfully Jackie's albums are now on Cd. It's been a long wait for those of us who have been wearing out vinyl all these years.

It is worth the price for Sour Milk Sea alone. Even if you do not know anything about the backup band.

Apple Records was a bold but ultimately failed experiment by the Beatles that managed to introduce some excellent artists to the musical world. Badfinger, Billy Preston, James Taylor, Mary Hopkins and Jackie Lomax all had their debut albums on the label. Lomax's "Is This What You Want" was the best and it's too bad he didn't fair better in his recording career and get the acclaim he deserved.
The album highlights his unique soulful rock voice on his strong original songs that cover a range of styles from jazz to ballad to soul to rock. The album was expertly produced by George Harrison and he assembled a great backup band that included Eric Clapton, Ringo, Paul McCartney, Klaus Voorman, himself and other solid musicians and singers. There really isn't a bad song on the album but the true classic is the Harrison penned "Sour Milk Sea" featuring a back and forth guitar solo by George and Eric Clapton, a driving beat, and a Beatle-like Get Back fade out.

Jackie Lomax is a great, Beatlesque artist, who for some reason never hit it big. "Sour Milk Sea" is my favorite on the cd, and is written by his pal George Harrison. But the whole album is worth the cost, and is deffinetly recomended.

Jackie Lomax has been one of my favorite songwriters and recording artists since i picked up his debut Apple lp in the late 60's. A unique voice full of soul and passion along with a "one-of-a-kind" sense of phrasing makes his catalogue stand tall among the best rock records ever/ If their were justice in rock and roll, Lomax would be a Hall of Famer with the recognition and respect that accompany same. As it is, we have the music and he has the admiration of countless fellow musicians and others lucky enough to be in the know. God bless Jackie Lomax