Search - Mighty Sparrow :: Volume 1

R-I-K-K-I T-I-K-K-I T-A-V-I

Dr. Memory | rural Illinois | 07/23/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Via his late 50s/early 60s singles, Mighty Sparrow staked out a claim as the greatest English-speaking pop artist of the 20th century. Exhibit A is on this disc. Melodies abound and Sparrow can sing them all with grace, style, and humor. The horn charts are of surpassing brilliance, "No Money No Love" being a prime example. The rhythm sections propel forcefully and rhythmically without ever taking the focus away from the song. Lyrically, he is by turns incisive and amusing, and usually both. I mean, can't you use a disc where the singer spells out the title of a children's tale in perfect cadence? (I know I can.) If I could keep only one disc from my collection, it would be this compilation. If I could keep only one song from my collection, it would be this disc's "Governor's Ball", an allegorical tale of a free spirit/lunatic who takes over a stuffy party, sung to a soaring melody and backed by a band equal to the singer."

Excellent

Gerald Davis | Melbourne, FL United States | 02/08/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a sterling album that not only takes me back to my childhood but also examines one the most famous exponents of this artform. THe songs are still as lyrical, poignent and accessible as when they written. Funny clever and entertaining just listen and you fall in love all over again"