Search - Family :: Anyway

Great, Gritty, Gruff

loce_the_wizard | Lilburn, GA USA | 11/23/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If "Good News, Bad News" does not convince you that Chappo had the best chops of any singer from the '70s, clean out your ears. He makes Robert Plant and Joe Cocker sound like choir boys. This remastered CD, half live and half studio, provides a rare glimpse into the power and majesty that characterized Family. Held in high esteem in Europe, particularly rural areas, Family brokered no compromises. It was about the music.



Sure "Strange Band" will strike most folks as, well, strange or arcane, but what would you expect from a band that delivered molten waves of sound? And Charlie Whitney delivers some of the finest most understated lead guitar work ever. "Holding the Compass" showcases Charlie's amazing versatility. Avoid this CD at all costs if your tastes run to '80s fluff, techno trash, or top 40. This is the essence of rock: gruff and gritty waterpipe theatrics, a lasting testament to the greatest band of its time.



The bonus tracks, while nice to have, are not essentials and likely will appear on subsequent from the vaults releases of Family's live performances.

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