Wizzard Brew [Import]

Roy Wood, Wizzard | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 30, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Msi
• ASIN: B00002ZZFM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #534,668 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. You Can Dance The Rock 'n' Roll

2. Meet Me At The Jailhouse

3. Jolly Cup Of Tea

4. Buffalo Station-Get On Down To Memphis

5. Gotta Crush(About You)

6. Wear A Fast Gun

Editorial Reviews

Reissue of 1973 debut for the United Artists label by this glam/pop band fronted by Roy Wood, the eccentric English multi-instrumentalist/ co-founder of bo th The Move and Electric Light Orchestra. Six tracks including 'You Can Dance The Rock 'N' Roll' and 'Gotta Crush (About You)'.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Overlooked, Influential Rock Classic, February 14, 2008

By 

Mike B. - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wizzard Brew (Audio CD)

In the annals of rock history, little consideration is given to the importance and influence of Wizzard (in the U.S., anyway). In their native Britain they cut a larger figure, but disbanded too quickly to be remembered among the greats. That's too bad, because they belong in the same upper echelon as contemporaries Mott the Hoople, Queen, Roxy Music, King Crimson, and Slade. This album contains traces of the sounds of all of these bands, and vice-versa. I can hear Wizzard influence on their recordings.

In interviews of the era, Bryan Ferry offered high praise for the group - and I think Queen's third album "Sheer Heart Attack" is hugely influenced by this record, which came out a year earlier. Suddenly Queen was recording harder-charging songs with less frippery and overt touches of 1950's rock - all Wizzard hallmarks. Hmmm. There was clearly a lot of cross-pollination going on in England at this time!

Wizzard itself was a rather schizophrenic aggregate, alternating raucous and fast loud rock (this album) with fussed over, Phil Spector-sounding pop singles. The year 1973 was their peak, which saw the release of this and 3 of their 4 biggest hit singles. Multi-instrumentalist (he plays A LOT of different instruments), band leader, and chief songwriter Roy Wood radically departs here from what fans may have expected of his earlier band The Move. This also is different from what followed later, which was his reputedly half-hearted involvement with the first Electric Light Orchestra album. I can't emphasize enough how much this thing rocks, or how loud it is - it's almost punk-ish at times ("Buffalo Station/Get On Down To Memphis" medley), yet isn't above featuring a long King Crimson-like instrumental passage in the middle of the rocking "Meet Me At The Jailhouse". It swings, it rocks, it's got it all! Includes their 4 fantastic biggest hit singles and their B-sides as a bonus, which helps give a very complete picture of the band.

This is my number one candidate for best early 70's "lost" album that no one knows about but should. British eccentricity and musicianship at its finest. Don't miss it.

P.S. - Goes well with the excellent Roy Wood compilation CD "Singles", which collects his main hits (including all of the British top-tenners) with The Move, Wizzard, and solo.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A VERY INSANE ALBUM BY ROY WOOD, September 21, 2000

By 

michael r. webb (elkton, maryland United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wizzard Brew (Audio CD)

This album has got to be the most crazed and manic thing that Roy Wood has ever done. If you only know Wizzard from thier Top 40 hits or "Eddie and The Falcons" then you will not believe this is the same band. This album is all over the place and with each song it seems to get more and more nuttier.One word can perfectly describe this record...NOISY! Roy Wood has created some very starge music before this and after, but this album has a sound to it that I've never quite heard from him before. It has a certain flattened and processed feel to it. There are just layers and layers of noise on this thing. "Meet Me At The Jailhouse" has got to be the most powerful song on this. It sounds like Roy wanted to take up where he ended on The Moves "Brontosaurus". I love this darn crazy album but for some it may be a bit too much to take. This album will certainly beat your ears to death but if you like music that has a certain off-the-wall charm to it, then I think you'll love this.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Roy Wood is God!!, May 14, 2007

By 

C T "strange_talker" (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wizzard Brew (Audio CD)

If you haven't acquainted yourself with the music of Roy Wood, do yourself a favor. Wizzard Brew is allready a great record, and this version with Ball Park Incident, See My Baby Jive, Angel Fingers, and I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday, is a pretty definitive Roy Wood and Wizzard statement.

This record is actual creativity and imagination. That's pretty rare.