Description
Label Review.
Three albums remastered: 'Oh How We Danced', 'Whale Meat Again' and 'Short Cut Draw Blood' plus 6 bonus tracks. DVD contains two Old Grey Whistle Test appearances 18th Nov 1975 & 30th Mar 1976.
Our Overview.
Jim Capaldi was also a successful solo artist, enjoying a series of hit albums and singles in his own right aside from his work as a founder member with the acclaimed band Traffic (a group for which Jim co-wrote most of their classic songs with Steve Winwood), His solo career began with the album ‘Oh How We Danced’, recorded whilst Traffic was on hiatus whilst Steve Winwood was recovering from peritonitis. Mainly recorded at the legendary Muscle Shoals studio in Alabama, the album featured the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section of Roger Hawkins (drums), David Hood (bass) and Barry Beckett (keyboards), along with a host of guests such as Steve Winwood, Chris Wood, Paul Kossoff, Dave Mason, Ric Grech, Jim Gordon, Mike Kellie (Spooky Tooth) & Trevor Burton (The Move / Steve Gibbons Band). Featuring tracks such as “Eve”, “Don’t Be A Hero” and “Open Your Heart”, ‘Oh How We Danced’ was a superb debut.
Jim’s second solo album was the 1974 release ‘Whale Meat Again’, an album that tackled a variety of lyrical subjects, including environmental issues. Once more he utilised the services of Roger Hawkins, David Hood and Barry Beckett, along with Steve Winwood. Featuring tracks such as “It’s Alright”, “Whale Meat Again” and “Summer is Fading”.
With the disbanding of Traffic in 1974, following a troubled US tour, Jim embarked on his next solo project (and final album for Island Records of the 1970s), ‘Short Cut Draw Blood’. The album would prove to be one of his most successful, featuring the singles “It’s All Up to You” and “Love Hurts” (a cover of the Everly Brothers hit), both of which enjoyed chart success. Aside from these tracks the album also featured the emotive “Boy with a Problem”, featuring Paul Kossoff (of Free) on guitar, and other classics such as the album title track, “Goodbye Love” and “Seagull”. Once again Jim Capaldi assembled a stellar cast of musicians to contribute to the album such as Steve Winwood, Chris Spedding, Roger Hawkins, David Hood and Barry Beckett and Chris Wood.
This boxed set has been newly re-mastered from the original master tapes and features an additional 6 bonus tracks, (four previously unreleased on CD), all drawn from single releases and also includes a bonus DVD featuring previously unreleased live appearances by Jim Capaldi on BBC TV’s ‘Old Grey Whistle Test’; a session from November 1975 (featuring Steve Winwood on piano) and a 50 minute concert by Jim Capaldi & the Space Cadets at the BBC TV Theatre in March 1976. The boxed set also includes an illustrated booklet with a new essay. ‘Open Your Heart – The Island Recordings 1972-1976’ is a fitting tribute to a fine and much missed musician.
Tracklisting:
Disc One (Oh How We Danced): Eve / Big Thirst / Love Is All You Can Try / Last Day Of Dawn / Don’t Be A Hero / Open Your Heart / How Much Can A Man Really Take / Oh How We Danced / Going Down Slow All The Way (bonus)
Disc Two (Whale Meat Again): It’s Alright / Whale Meat Again / Yellow Sun / I’ve Got So Much Lovin’ / Low Rider / My Brother / Summer Is Fading / We’ll Meet Again / Tricky Dicky Rides Again (bonus)
Disc Three (Short Cut Draw Blood): Goodbye Love / It’s All Up To You / Love Hurts / Johnny Too Bad / Short Cut Draw Blood / Living On A Marble / Boy With A Problem / Keep On Trying / Seagull / Sugar Honey* / It’s Alright* / Talkin’ About My Baby* / Still Talkin’* *Previously Unreleased On CD)
Disc Four (DVD) The Old Grey Whistle Test: Short Cut Draw Blood (Live 1975) / Goodbye Love (Live 1975) / Low Rider (Live 1976) / Love Hurts (Live 1976) / Goodbye Love (Live 1976) / Elixir Of Love (Live 1976) / Boy With A Problem (Live 1976) / Short Ends (Live 1976) / Talkin’ About My Baby (Live 1976) / Keep On Trying (Live 1976)