XXV + XXXV

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XXV + XXXV

Postby drakula63 » Sun Dec 23, 2018 1:16 pm

Just listened to XXV for the first time in I don't know how many years. The only thing I can be sure of is that it's 35 years since I first heard it. At the time I was quite underwhelmed. Listening to it now, although it isn't quite as bad as I remembered it to be, it still makes me think that they could have done better for their 25th anniversary LP.

It's well produced and sounds very much of its time - plenty of Howard Jones-type synths and plenty of gated snare on the drums! Poor old Bruce is so low in the mix I'm hard pressed to know if he's on every track or not. Strangely, although it is very uncharacteristic as a Shads tune, I tend to think that 'The Modern Way' would actually have been a good choice of single and probably the only track on the album that could have charted. Just like 'Love De Luxe' I'd bet that no one would have guessed it was the Shads upon hearing it for the first time. I can well imagine them on Top of the Pops; Brian sitting behind a Simmons kit and Hank wearing a shiny suit that looked like it was made from a pair of Bruce's curtains. With the sleeves rolled up, naturally. I think it would have stood a chance. Then again, it could have stiffed just like 'Love De Luxe' did five years earlier.

'Liverpool Days' is the only serious mis-step on the album - seems somehow wrong for them to be singing the praises of the Beatles on an album that is celebrating their 25th anniversary. It's more like one of those cheap and tacky 'tribute' songs that pop up from time to time; some truly dreadful and cliched lyrics. This is one they should have left on the shelf.

The album only really seems to come alive near the end, with 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' (benefiting enormously from the return of The Hawk') and 'Queen of Hearts' - which finally really sounds like the Shadows! It would have been interesting to have heard a Shadows album produced by Dave Edmunds - I'm sure he would have done it in a shot had he been asked. It would certainly have been a cracker! As it is, the fact that 'Elevenis' (the b-side of the dreadful 1983 version of 'Diamonds') is the best track on this CD speaks volumes.
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Re: XXV + XXXV

Postby iefje » Sun Dec 23, 2018 5:18 pm

This was one of the first Shadows albums I ever heard. To me, the highlights among the tracks are "Africa", "Going Home", "Up Where We Belong", "Time Is Tight", "Memory" and "A Whiter Shade Of Pale". I even like "Diamonds". I heard The Shadows' version first, Jet and Tony's original a few years later. The vocal tracks are (even though not written by The Shadows themselves) the only originals on the album. "The Modern Way" I came to like as time went on.
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Re: XXV + XXXV

Postby dave robinson » Wed Dec 26, 2018 9:48 pm

Strange how opinions can differ, as I / we have featured Memory, Going Home and Time Is Tight quite often since that album was introduced and the audience feedback has been positive on all three numbers. We even get requests for Going Home on a weekly basis. As for the vocals, I love Liverpool Days, though maybe the vocal performance doesn't do it justice, it is a bit wishy washy. It needed singing with some balls. The one number I hate with a passion the way The Shadows play is Diamonds, I think they ruin it, but opinions are like assholes, everybody has one. :)
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Re: XXV + XXXV

Postby drakula63 » Thu Dec 27, 2018 4:52 pm

Yeah, without wishing to sound like John Cleese from Monty Python's Life of Brian...

"Apart from Going Home, Time is Tight, Memory, Queen of Hearts and A Whiter Shade of Pale... what did XXV ever do for us...?"

:D
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Re: XXV + XXXV

Postby dave robinson » Thu Dec 27, 2018 6:19 pm

drakula63 wrote:Yeah, without wishing to sound like John Cleese from Monty Python's Life of Brian...

"Apart from Going Home, Time is Tight, Memory, Queen of Hearts and A Whiter Shade of Pale... what did XXV ever do for us...?"

:D


But you are doing, best say nothing. :roll:
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Re: XXV + XXXV

Postby MeBHank » Sat Jan 05, 2019 1:20 am

drakula63 wrote:Apart from Going Home, Time is Tight, Memory, Queen of Hearts and A Whiter Shade of Pale... what did XXV ever do for us...?

It gave us recorded examples of what I think is one of the best Stratocaster sounds Hank Marvin has had post-1962. Warm, rich, bright and present.
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Re: XXV + XXXV

Postby drakula63 » Sat Jan 05, 2019 11:12 am

MeBHank wrote:
drakula63 wrote:Apart from Going Home, Time is Tight, Memory, Queen of Hearts and A Whiter Shade of Pale... what did XXV ever do for us...?

It gave us recorded examples of what I think is one of the best Stratocaster sounds Hank Marvin has had post-1962. Warm, rich, bright and present.


Yeah... but that's a bit like listening to Richard Burton reading from the phone book.

In terms of 'sound', I thought Hank's sound on Tasty was much better. And you could actually hear Bruce too!!!
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Re: XXV + XXXV

Postby MikeAB » Sat Jan 05, 2019 1:59 pm

Main thing wrong with XXV is the Silver TV Album which I'm sure we'd all already purchased for the new tracks. A rip off yet again of the most loyal fans.
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Re: XXV + XXXV

Postby iefje » Sat Jan 05, 2019 6:10 pm

MikeAB wrote:Main thing wrong with XXV is the Silver TV Album which I'm sure we'd all already purchased for the new tracks. A rip off yet again of the most loyal fans.


Yes and you had to buy them both to get all tracks: "Shadoogie" was only issued on "The Shadows Silver Album", while "The Modern Way" and "Liverpool Days" were only issued on "XXV".
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Re: XXV + XXXV

Postby shadowriter » Sun Jan 06, 2019 1:42 pm

iefje wrote:
MikeAB wrote:Main thing wrong with XXV is the Silver TV Album which I'm sure we'd all already purchased for the new tracks. A rip off yet again of the most loyal fans.


Yes and you had to buy them both to get all tracks: "Shadoogie" was only issued on "The Shadows Silver Album", while "The Modern Way" and "Liverpool Days" were only issued on "XXV".


I Started at the beginning of this thread thinking I hadn't played this for many years too. I searched for it and found I only had it on cassette, I played it through and have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I was surprised some vocal tracks mentioned on other posts aren't on it. It has 25 tracks its called 'The Shadows Silver Album' it was a teledisc records issue in 1983. Has anyone any more information on this and why the vocals were not included.
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