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Showing reviews 1-5 of 9
first live band I saw! February 28, 2010 B. Padley (south yorkshire uk) 6 out of 6 found this review helpful
The 'Feelgoods' were the first live band I saw at Sheffield City Hall way back in 1975 (saw them twice there that year!).. and I still see (sir) Wilko , and the current band of the same name 3 or 4 times a year, the film is awesome, and the soundtrack is just as good, and the bonus tracks of the 'Pirates' etc, is a neat touch, whilst I have all the songs in one guise or another, I am a bit of a 'complete-ist' and this sits very well alongside, the early first two albums, stupidity ( the best one to buy!!)and the bbc sessions, the other later albums arent as consistent unfortunately.. but this is a great starter for younger or recent inquisitors, powerful and raw RnB just like it should be!!
Too young to appreicate them, but not too late to love them! April 24, 2010 J. McGregor (United Kingdom) 4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I dabbled with "Feelgood" in the seventies because I missed them by a couple of years. Music for me started with the punk scene: Stranglers, Jam, Pistols, Buzzcocks, Costello, in that order, so apart from "Down at the doctors," and "Milk and Alcohol," that was all I'd heard of them. But last night I watched "Oil City Refinery" on BBC TV and was blown away. Was compelled to watch it all the way through. Wilko is a guitar genius, and Brilleaux had a great Rock and Roll voice. The other guys in the band seemed to prefer taking a back seat in terms of stage presence, but they still provided solid drum and bass. Wilko's frenetic energy and tortuous comments didn't always allow others to get a word in, but then he is the most intriguing to watch and to listen to. (Psychologists tell us that our personalities do not change much over the years and all these guys appear to be no exception.) Loved the cutting and pasting of old black and white movie clips of cops and robbers to tell the story of "Feelgood," and all the old footage of Canvey Island. Loved all the live footage clips, absolutely stunning and captured them at their best. Just ordered "Singles, The UA Years" at a very reasonable price. Won't be attempting to buy the backlog collection of albums (Mrs would kill me with all the bills to pay), but as a return to the nostalgia of my "partly missed" seventies experience it'll do nicely!
Recognition at last! February 23, 2010 Mr. G. A. Stewart (London) 11 out of 13 found this review helpful
I imagine most people browsing this album will be fairly new to Dr Feelgood, having seen the (wonderful) film? In which case, go ahead, you won't regret it. Dr Feelgood really were that good. The power of this music, even so many years later, is undiminished and electrifying. No-nonsense, hard-driving, tight, gut-pumping R&B (REAL R&B, not that soppy stuff that has hijacked the name these days) that flew in the face of every trend at the time, and changed the story of rock and roll.
One word of caution: the conventional wisdom is that, post-Wilko Johnson, Dr Feelgood were somehow not worth bothering with, and that they could have conquered the world had they not split. Nonsense. For a start, the split with Wilko was inevitable. He was frustrated by the limitations, as he saw them, of R&B; so you wonder what direction the band might have taken had he stayed. I for one don't think it would have been great - his new material for the Sneakin' Suspicion album was pretty weak, for one thing; and for another, his subsequent career didn't pull up any trees. I think those first few years with the Feelgoods were Wilko's big moment.
In the meantime, Dr Feelgood went on to make 4 terrific albums with Gypie Mayo on guitar, who may not have been the innovator WJ was, but who could play like a demon in his own pretty original way (also check out the BBC sessions [which feature Wilko and Gypie] and BBC live album, which are magnificent), and even after that made some fine records with various other guitarists - if you ignore the dodgy albums they made with Stiff records.
The fact is, though, that any band with Lee Brilleaux in it was still Dr Feelgood, and, Wilko or not, they were still the best in the world at what they did.
This music is addictive. I fell in love with it over 30 years ago, managed to see Dr Feelgood 7 times before Lee's death, and still listen to them all the time. If you're just discovering them, welcome, and enjoy.
Dr Feelgood - Oil City Confidential soundtrack CD March 19, 2010 Simon F. Kidd (Portsmouth, England) 3 out of 4 found this review helpful
What a cracking CD this is !
A brilliant film, coupled with a live performance from Wilko Johnson for those lucky enough to see it, I cannot wait for the DVD to be released.
In the meantime, this CD is the next best thing that transports the listener back to those fabulous seventies !!
Sparko, The Figure, Lee and Wilko - Oil City Confidential - what a line up !!!!
Wilko great then and still going strong February 27, 2010 Martin B. Chillcott (Peterborough) 3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Don't believe one of the other reviewers, that Wilko's best years were up until the split. I booked Wilko to appear in a purpose erected Marquee in our village 4 years ago. Backed by Norman Watt-Roy on bass (Blockheads maestro) and Monti (ex Jesus & Mary Chain) they erupted on stage and didn't let up for over an hour, with an ocassional "1-2-3" in the 5 or 6 seconds in between each Wilko 'solo' original, R&B cover or Dr Feelgood classic. It turned back the clock 30 years. Go and see while you have the chance!
Unforgettable!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 9
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