Before paradise was half as nice
Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 09/05/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Amen Corner are best remembered for their British number one hit, If paradise was half as nice, which was recorded on the Immediate label. The recordings they made for Immediate have been repackaged many times, but their earlier Decca recordings were unavailable on CD before this was released, except for Bend me shape me, which can be found on British 60's various artists compilations.Andy Fairweather-Low, the lead singer, has a distinctive falsetto voice which is difficult to forget and it works just as well on these recordings, which have a definite R+B flavor, as it does on the music he recorded after leaving Decca.These tracks were recorded in 1967 and 1968 and yielded three British hits - Bend me shape me (a cover of an American hit for American Breed), Gin house blues and High in the sky, though the first of these is much better known in Britain than the other two. All three turn up on Immediate collections via live recordings, but I much prefer the original studio versions.The set also includes great covers of Love me tender and Can't get used to losing you, which you certainly won't mistake for the originals - not just Andy's voice but the arrangements are very different.I don't know how well Amen Corner did in America, but they were certainly one of the best British groups of the late sixties. For anybody interested in British pop/R+B music of the late sixties, the Amen Corner is worth inestigating."
Seriously underated
taiaha | NZ | 02/28/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Amen Corner suffered from the tag of "teenyboppers" during their brief career, but these guys knew their chops, and toured long & hard - their live set was memorable and they appeared as a headlining band with the Move & Jimi Hendrix (ahead of a small time band called Pink Floyd).
Any Fairweather-Low (AFL) had a distinctive wail, perfect for this R&B tinged pop - the version of Gin House Blues here is a definitive performance, and was their 1st hit.
AFL went onto a mildly successful solo career, before settling into a long time position as Eric Clapton's sideman - an indication of the guy's credentials."
Track Listings (19) - Disc #1