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The Best of Jools Holland
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| List Price: | £10.99 |
| Price: | £5.97 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Delivery on orders over £15. Details |
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Average customer review:
Track Listing
- Tranquil Passage
- Beatroute
- I'm Gone
- Skin The Cat
- Temple Bar
- When Did You Leave Heaven
- Start Up
- Etude No 53
- Wand Dang Doodle
- Maybe I Need Her
- Heartbreaking World
- Well Alright
- Danger Zone
- Birdcage Walk
- Dr Jazz
- Waiting Game
- Wish I Knew How It Felt To Be Free
- Pauly's Birthday Boogie
- Architectural Number
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #2855 in Music
- Released on: 1998-10-12
- Number of discs: 1
Customer Reviews
Dr Jazz and the Perfect B-side Manner.
The Best of Jools Holland was conceived as a collection of the work he had issued under various independent record labels on signing a deal with major label WEA. It is quite a bizarre collection in that it contains `Heartbreaking World' from the Squeeze reformation album `Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti' without mentioning the word Squeeze at all. To include a Squeeze track at all seems quite strange and if the A&M catalogue was available then either `Hop, Skip and Jump' or `Wrong Side of the Moon' from Jools' first stint in Squeeze would have fitted better with the Boogie Woogie flavour of this album. Also if the A&M catalogue was available it is strange that none of Jools' first solo work with the Millionaires should be included, particularly considering all of the artwork from this period is used in a montage in the inlay.
These niggles aside there is some great work assembled here mainly drawn from the last two releases `Lift the Lid' and `Sax and Jazz and Rock and Roll'. The contributions from `World of his Own' ignore the great `Holy Cow' single in favour of the poor `Architectural Number'. That there is no inclusion from `The Full Complement' beggars belief as does two inclusions from `A-Z of the piano' and `Etude No 53' from `Solo Piano'.
The album is at its strongest with the three inclusions from `Live Performance' especially the version of `Dr Jazz' and also the two pieces recorded specially for inclusion `Beatroute' and `When Did you Leave Heaven?'. An unequal but still great collection.
Very good but
This is an excellent compilation of Jools Hollands albums up until the late 1990's. Jools is a first rate blues and boogie-woogie pianist, who was a member of Squeeze in the 70's and 80's but is now better known for presenting his own music show Later...
There are some barn-storming tracks on here such as 'I'm Gone' and especially 'Skin the Cat' which amply demonstrate his Piano playing skills. The Rhythm and Blues Orchestra have been an integral part of Jools live stage show for over a decade now and they are superb. On 'Skin the Cat' they blast the roof off at a live gig.
However I would disagree with previous reviewers that it represents a 'best of' if you've ever seen the man live (which like the previous reviewers I have). The best tracks on this CD are the live tracks from his live album in 1994. In fact my favourite on the album is 'Dr Jazz', an old Squeeze number which is taken to a new level by the R&B Orchestra. So my reccomendation is buy the Live album ahead of this one. It really captures the atmosphere at his gigs and you get to hear some of Jools pithy remarks when talking to the audience or introducing the band. Furthermore there are no tracks from is his excellent, but now sadly unobtainable, 'Solo Piano' album.
So this IS a fine compilation, and you will be very happy with it if you buy it, however I'd say it was second best of!
Perfect reminder of the live shows...
Having been to see Jools at one of his live gigs, I felt obliged to review this upbeat CD by the genial musician. As with other reviewers, I believe this is the CD to take home and bring back the electricity of his performance. In fact, some of the tracks (e.g. "Dr. Jazz", Maybe I Need Her" are also recorded from live performances, which heavily influenced me to go and see Jools at a live gig.
The mellow "Tranquil Passage" is followed by the fast-paced "Beatroute" that gets the party atmosphere going. This is closely followed "I'm Gone", featuring vocals by Paul Weller, seems to capture the 'boogie' spirit, "Well Alright", "Dr. Jazz" and "Skin the Cat" keeps the action moving later in the CD. the mellower tracks such as "Temple Bar" also deserve their place on this highly credible CD. Some British listeners will also recognise the track "I Wish I Knew How It Felt To Be Free", the theme from the BBC's "Film 2002".
A CD can never do justice to a live performance, but this probably is the next best thing. Five out of five!
