Search - Chris Spedding :: Very Best of

Spedding Speeds to Success

Alexander | Hobbytown, USA | 01/07/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"How many people in the USA have actually even heard of Chris Spedding? My experience is hardly anybody. That's a shame because we'd be hard pressed to find another musical artist who seems to have such unpretentious fun plying his trade.



I've be buying a lot of retro 70's and 80's Greatest Hits albums of late, and it's somewhat surprising to only find a handful of songs on each which I'd consider truly worth of such a compilation. Not so with Spedding - of the 23 tracks on this CD, the vast majority of them are just excellent.



Spedding is at his best giving us that driving guitar beat which underscores so many of his tunes. I have a friend at work who had no idea what an outstanding quitarist Spedding is, and after playing just one song ("Wild Wild Women") for him, he was hooked.



Some 25 odd years ago, I was very much into the music scene and was fortunate to see many excellent shows (working at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles helped along in this regard). At a friend's suggestion, I went to see Chris Spedding at a local club, and I was just totally blown away. Despite the passage of time, the memory of that tremendous performance still remains strong.



Earlier, in 1974, Spedding's extraordinary skill was noticed by a well-known lead singer who asked Chris to audition for his band - it was Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones! (Note: Spedding declined due to another obligation)



Suffice to say that this album is the most played import CD in my entire collection - I enjoy it that much.



"

Cool Singer And Guitar Ace

Mike B. | 11/04/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This 23-track CD really is "The Very Best Of Chris Spedding", and a rip-roaring rock 'n' roll blast. For those unfamiliar with his singing, this is a good crash course. Spedding is better known as a veteran British session man who's worked with many of the greats. His guitar playing turns up on classic albums by John Cale, Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry, Brian Eno, Donovan, Roy Harper, Robert Gordon - and hundreds of others. He's also toured with many of them, in addition to his own solo tours. If you want to be impressed, take a look at the sessions section of the discography on his official website. He even played on the original "Jesus Christ Superstar"!



The first several songs are from his early days, and are rather folky with rock flourishes. Spedding sings with a bit of a Dylan drawl - which he stopped doing after his first 2 albums. "Backwood Progression" (1971) and "The Only Lick I Know" (1972) are very pleasant, but aren't essential Spedding. Both were recorded for Harvest/EMI, and reflect the laid-back stoner vibe of the estimable Harvest's output.



The rest of this CD (starting with the 5th track) was recorded for Rak/EMI. Rak owner Mickie Most had a long history of producing hit singles (Donovan, Animals, Herman's Hermits, Lulu), and was unequaled at bringing out a performer's personality and matching them up with the right material. From '75 to '80, Spedding made 4 albums for Rak - and Most produced the first ("Chris Spedding") and the fourth ("I'm Not Like Everybody Else"). His second album ("Hurt") was produced by Chris Thomas (Sex Pistols, Pretenders) - and his third "Guitar Graffiti" was produced by Spedding himself. All of their best tracks are on this compilation. These records are still the highlight of his career.



Mickie Most turned Spedding into a singing Marlon Brando, and cultivated his image as a sensitive bad boy. With his greased back hair, sharkskin suits and leather pants - Chris looked the part and wrote punky rock/rockabilly songs to support it. He's more or less ran with this ever since.



If anything is under-represented here, it's his fourth album for Rak - "I'm Not Like Everybody Else". Only the last 2 tracks are taken from it, and I seriously believe it contains the best production work Mickie Most ever did. Every song is good. It's Chris' masterpiece, and I'd suggest buying it along with this collection. "The Very Best Of Chris Spedding" is truly great and a whole lot of fun."