Good news and not so good news
Shane D. Worden | Oshkosh, WI United States | 04/25/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Sometimes a person can discover things without even looking. That's the way it was for me and the new reissue of Lazarus and The Blues Project. I just happened to be browsing through Ebay one night and saw this release up for bid. Surprisingly enough, I found that this was indeed a legitimate release, and not a bootlegged CD-R. Having waited a long time for somebody to see the potential in the Lazarus album in particular, (my favorite of the latter day Blues Project albums), I couldn't wait to snap this up.
It's great to finally have both of the band's Capitol albums in my CD collection at last. But unfortunately, whoever was in charge of the remastering process dropped the ball. A lot of it leaves a lot to be desired. One unfortunate example is that the lead vocals on "So Far, So Near" is barely audible on my CD player. And the lack of care on Acadia's release of the Cafe Au Go Go album is even more apparent. The fidelity difference between the album tracks and the bonus cuts that were taken from the "Blues Project Anthology" set is glaringly obvious. It is indeed unfortunate that these releases didn't undergo some TLC before they were released to the public.
However, it's great to finally have these overlooked albums comercially available again. Danny Kalb, in particular, should be happy to have some of his excellent recordings available for people to discover all over again."
Under rated albums
KrajMan | Redford, MI, USA | 03/12/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I've read quite a few reviews criticizing these two albums, many including critical remarks by Danny Kalb himself. I, however, really like both of these albums. Besides the title song, 'Lazarus' contains 'It's Alright', a classic blues track and a fun version of 'Brown Eyed Handsome Man'. 'The Blues Project' album has a number of excellent tracks including 'Danville Dame' and 'Plain and Fancy'. It's a pleasure to hear Tommy Flanders back with the band. While not quite on a par with 'Projections' I always thought these were two strong albums by one of my favorite groups."
Track Listings (19) - Disc #1