Captain & Tennille catalog finally available on remastered b
Rod Reynolds | Los Angeles, CA United States | 11/24/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Each of these six original albums has been remastered, and the sound quality is outstanding. Better than the long out of print Japanese cds from the early 90s. They have corrected a few of the sonic blips, such as the the 'chck' on the last note of 'Love on a Shoestring' (from "Make Your Move"). Sadly there are no bonus tracks.
The sonic clarity on "Love Will Keep Us Together" (1975) is especially noticeable, I'm hearing bits of vocal and music that I've never heard in my thirty years of intense listening to it. That album has always sounded a touch muffled to me, but no longer, and no tape hiss. The acapella opening on "I Write the Songs" is chilling. The piano sounds alone are worth the price of admission. There are several Beach Boys tracks and references, including a cover of "God Only Knows," and Bruce Johnston's brilliant "Disney Girls."
"Song of Joy" (1976) has been mastered again since the 2004 Hip-O release. Every song on this album is killer, from the epic title track, through the hit singles ('Lonely Night', written by Neil Sedaka, the infamous 'Muskrat Love' and the shining jewel of pop perfection, their cover of The Miracles' 'Shop Around') and the powerhouse album cuts "Mind Your Love" and "1954 Boogie Blues." Toni says she loves to sing the blues, and she really cuts loose on these two tracks. The ten piece brass section doesn't hurt, either.
"Come in From the Rain" (1977) also benefits from the remastering. The clarity and subtlety of the rain on the title track made me check to see if I'd left the windows down on my truck. My two favorites from the album are "Easy Evil" which has remarkable percussion, a rare excursion into "dark pop", and their cover of Stevie Wonder's "Happier Than the Morning Sun," which has new life breathed into the Toni's piano performance. Again, nearly every instrument on this album is performed by Daryl Dragon. How can one person be so brilliant?
"Dream" (1978) is my favorite album of theirs. I love their early pop sound, particularly "Song of Joy", but "Dream" has a forward sophistication that still manages to retain the innocence of their early work. It's their first album after they stopped making their tv show, and you can tell they have regained their focus. Toni's smoky, honey velvet voice is at her ultimate peak. "You Never Done it Like That" is brilliant. With the remastering, I'm hearing a snap on the drums I've never heard in over 25 years of listening to it. The echo on Toni's voice gives me chills. The last couple tracks on the album ('Back to the Island' and 'Dream') are simply gorgeous. And the orchestra on 'If There Were Time' is breathtaking. You can feel the strings vibrate. What's even more amazing is that Daryl (the Captain) plays almost every instrument on the album, in addition to producing it. Plus the photos from the Yucca Valley desert are my favorites. Ever.
'How Can You Be So Cold' on "Make Your Move" (1979) has a remarkable depth and power. Amazing drumming, amazing keyboards, amazing vocals. Astounding sound separation on the entire album. Pure pop disco rock that could give Donna Summer a run for her money. They should release this as a single now, with different dance mixes. And throw in an extra extended version of their Arabic flavored cover of the Turtles hit "Happy Together." I can hear it now. Awesome. This album also includes their second biggest hit, "Do That To Me One More Time," the meaning of which Toni finally reveals in the liner notes.
This is the first ever cd release of "Keeping Our Love Warm" (1980), and it's great to hear the strong notes of the classic 'Since I Fell For You' without the distortion of the vinyl. The title track is a great warm pop tune, one of several of Toni's originals on the album, as well as another Stevie Wonder cover, "Until You Come Back to Me" (also recorded by Aretha Franklin). And the remastering has removed the muffle at the halfway point in their new version of "Gentle Stranger," a track that first appeared on their debut album, and in the liner notes, Toni explains why they wanted to remake it.
Each disc has exclusive liner notes written by Toni Tennille, and KOLW has additional track annotation from the original lp's press release. Each cd comes in a slipcase with the original artwork plus rare photos on the back and on the inside, in addition to copies of ads and other memorabilia. When the slipcase is removed, the booklet covers do not represent the original artwork, though. The inside cover of "Keeping Our Love Warm" is a grainy black and white shot (from inside the sauna). The inside cover for "Song of Joy" is the single sleeve for 'Lonely Night', for example.
There are a few minor typographical glitches and the scanning and photoshopping is occasionally errant, but these are small complaints, considering for the last twenty years we fans have been begging A&M, Polygram and Universal to release these amazing albums on cd. Well, better late than never, and well worth the wait.
Each of these albums has some amazing music on it. Thank you to R2 for finally getting them out on cd.
Rod Reynolds
Los Angeles, CA 2005"
More Than Muskrat - You Never Done It Like That
Motown Collector | Bridgeport, CT USA | 01/21/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"As a kid in the 70s, Captain & Tennille were one of my favorite treasured groups. I loved the albums, the TV specials, and one very special, memorable concert in 1979 where Toni shook my hand and spoke to me from the stage.
As a Producer today, I'm very comfortable saying they are still one of my favorite treasured groups. The music has held up incredibly well, and I still feel the same charge and excitement listening to the CDs today.
Whether you choose to buy the box or the albums individually, the mastering is wonderful. The liner notes by Toni, detailed annotations, photographs and memorabilia are nice bonuses.
For those critics of the musical content or skeptical readers, take note: the songs are very well produced and arranged. Daryl Dragon is an exceptional Producer. Toni Tennille is an exceptional vocalist. Their biggest critics couldn't argue with either point. Perhaps they didn't like the material? Pop music is often criticized for being too fluffy. Perhaps they didn't like the unorthodox sounds Daryl created? If C&T aren't your "thing," that's understandable, but within their musical genre, how can you argue the music?
A colleague of mine and I pitched C&T projects to Polgram/Universal for years only to get let down, so to finally see these appear on CD in the US, I can't be happier. Well, yes I can. Like other reviewers, I too would have loved to see bonus tracks. But a compilation of Rare & Unreleased C&T would make a great future collection, so there's no complaint about the 61 tracks in this collection.
What else would we like to see in the future? The appearance of their Spanish material. The unreleased Live At The Greek from 1977.
As I wrap it up, for those who are on the fence: Buy this collection. It's amazing. Not because I'm a fan, but because I can tell you that there is some very strong music in this collection that deserves your attention.
One final note to Toni & Daryl. Thank you for all you've given us with your music and your message. We know how you hate to tour, but it's my final request to see you both out on stage together for the final tour we've been waiting for. "Baby You've Still Got It," and we'd like to see it. "Smile For Me One More Time," and "Keep on singing the good songs." We're waiting, and a whole new generation needs to experience the same magic we fell in love with in the beginning. We're ready and waiting, "do that to us one more time.""
Captain & Tennille ... Underrated, Fantastic Pop
Matt Howe | Washington, DC | 09/15/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I won't review each individual album of this 6-disc set. In general, Captain & Tennille are very enjoyable. I was a fan at age 10 with the LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER album. Hearing it 30 years later was a treat. As an adult I was struck by how hopelessly romantic C&T's music is ... and that's a good thing! Toni Tennille can sing a ballad or love song like nobody's business! I was less familiar with the later albums (DREAM, MAKE YOUR MOVE, and KEEPING OUR LOVE WARM), but there are "songs of joy" on them that the average listener will discover for the first time. Some of Daryl Dragon's arrangements can get too "synthesized" and do not hold up all these years later. But that's a minor quibble. Most of the songs are pop magic. I had forgotten what a soulful, bluesy singer Tennille can be. Some of my favorite tracks are straight-up blues tunes ("Mind Your Love" and the fantastic "Never Make A Move Too Soon"). Deep cuts which I recommend are: "Disney Girls" (brilliant!) ... "Love Me Like A Baby" (by Tennille ... gorgeous!) ... "Ladybug" (lyrics are a bit obvious, but Tennille's gentle vocal is supreme) ... "Happy Together" (an Arabian sound adventure - it's so OVER THE TOP that it's a guilty pleasure).
Lastly, I just wanted to comment about how much joy this CD set has brought me. The big duo from the 70s that seems to get all the attention is The Carpenters. And while Karen Carpenters voice was fantastic, I believe Captain and Tennille are usually the brunt of jokes, rather than respected artists. After listening to the entire set of their albums, I believe they are true pop song-smiths ... Tennille is one of our best pop singers -- right up there with Carpenter, Olivia Newton-John, and Streisand."
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1