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Dave Edmunds
From Small Things: The Best of
(Columbia/Legacy)
Rockpile
Seconds of Pleasure
(Columbia/Legacy)
Various Artists
Porky's Revenge! [Soundtrack]
(Columbia/Legacy)
First Appeared in The Music Box, December 2004, Volume 11, #12
Written by T.J. Simon
As one of the most consistently-pleasing, early rock revivalists, Dave
Edmunds has worn many hats over the past four decades, including that of
celebrated guitarist, iconic producer, and former partner to Nick Lowe in the
legendary band Rockpile. Fans of the famous Welshman have much to celebrate in
2004 as Columbia Records has compiled, remastered, and reissued three separate
albums of classic material from Edmunds.
From Small Things: The Best of Dave Edmunds is the ninth — give or take a
few — compilation of material issued by various record labels in Edmunds’ name.
This particular collection spans Edmunds’ solo career with a focus heavily
weighted toward his 1980s era with Columbia Records. Most of the critical bases
are touched, including the country cover Warmed Over Kisses (Left Over Love)
and the speedy Crawling from the Wreckage. Both I Knew the Bride (When
She Used to Rock and Roll) and Girls Talk appear on the disc as live
tracks. His iffy (and dated) collaborations with producer Jeff Lynne are present
in the form of Information, Slipping Away, and Something About
You. The package also features some reasonably strong soundtrack rarities
including Run Rudolph Run, Stay with Me Tonight, and Let It Be
Me. Unfortunately, some of Edmunds’ best work is not represented on this
collection, such as his collaboration with the Stray Cats (The Race Is On)
and his perfect duet with Carlene Carter (Baby Ride Easy). Although the
rarities and live cuts make this a set worth owning, the 41-song Dave Edmunds
Anthology issued by Rhino in 1993 is actually a more comprehensive outing.
For some arcane legal reason, 1980’s Seconds of Pleasure was the only
album released under the Rockpile moniker, but there’s actually quite a bit of
material available from the legendary group, which was co-headlined by Edmunds
and bassist Nick Lowe. For example, Edmunds’ Repeat When Necessary and
Lowe’s Labour of Lust are both actually 1979 Rockpile albums. The
bar-band pop on Seconds of Pleasure relies heavily upon Chuck Berry and
Buddy Holly riffs, but the results are remarkably pleasing. The best tracks
remain Heart and When I Write the Book, and Columbia’s
remastering sounds crisp and fresh. The extras include four renditions of songs
by the Everly Brothers that originally appeared on a now rare, out-of-print EP
as well as three incendiary live cuts. Seconds of Pleasure has always
been an essential album for any rock fan, and this well-executed re-release
merely increases its indispensability.
The soundtrack to an awful 1985 teenage T&A flick is an unlikely place to
find some great rock ’n‘ roll, yet the Edmunds-produced companion to Porky’s
Revenge is a true lost treasure. Five of the 13 songs on this reissue are
recordings by Edmunds, and the best of these include High School Nights
and a cover of Do You Wanna Dance. In addition, heavy hitters, such as
George Harrison, Jeff Beck, Willie Nelson, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Clarence
Clemons, and Carl Perkins, were enlisted to participate in the project, and for
the most part, they all faithfully perform chestnuts from the ’50s. By far, the
weirdest rarity on the disc is Philadelphia Baby from The Crawling King
Snakes, an unlikely collaboration of Robert Plant on vocals and Phil Collins on
drums. The 2004 reissue adds another Edmunds-performed track as well as a 1985
recording of Honey Don’t by Carl Perkins. While there’s nothing essential
on the album, it is still a fun set of songs from a notable batch of musicians,
and the bulk of the material can’t be found anywhere else.
From Small Things: The Best of Dave Edmunds – 
Seconds of Pleasure –
Porky’s Revenge! The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – ½
From Small Things: The Best of Dave Edmunds is available
from Amazon.com. To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
Click Here!
For UK orders, please
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Seconds of Pleasure is available from Amazon.com.
To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
Click Here!
For UK orders, please
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Porky's Revenge! The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is
available from Amazon.com. To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
Click Here!
For UK orders, please
Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2004
The Music Box
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