ALBUM OF THE MONTH

All This Nad World War II

Album # 38 is Another Face by David Bowie from 1981.

#39: All This And World War II is a 1976 double album set that was the soundtrack to a documentary using newsreel footage from World War II. And the short description of the movie over at the movie site imdb.com makes me think that we might be just as well off without the pictures and just have the music as it is:
"Helen Reddy sings "Fool On The Hill" while Hitler relaxes at Bertchtesgaden, and Rod Stewart husks "Get Back" while Nazi troops goose step."

Maybe time has been kind to the album, but at the time it was not that well recieved by critics and didn't sell that well either. I myself haven't played it since it was released and look forward to give it another chance now that I found it in the record vault...

Gathering together a handful of slightly leighweight but back then hot artists like this might be considered one of the first Detail of large postertribute albums to the The Beatles.

(Click the pic to the right to view the poster included with the LP) -> -> ->

And when you see some of the names it's odd that it hasn't been released on CD even once.
You might argue that with The Beatles original versions around why would we want to hear covers? But there are some nice versions hiding here in the vinyl. As with all of these things some work and some don't.

You may have heard the one and only real hit from this record; Elton John's "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", but I'm sure you'll find more than a couple of happy meetings between artists and The Beatles songs looking at the complete tracklisting:

  • Ambrosia - Magical Mystery Tour
  • Elton John - Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
  • The Bee Gees - Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight
  • Leo Sayer - I Am the Walrus
  • Bryan Ferry - She's Leaving Home
  • Roy Wood - Lovely Rita
  • Keith Moon - When I'm Sixty-Four
  • Rod Stewart - Get Back
  • Leo Sayer - Let It Be
  • David Essex - Yesterday
  • Jeff Lynne - With a Little Help from My Friends/Nowhere Man
  • Lynsey De Paul - Because
  • The Bee Gees - She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
  • Richard Cocciante - Michelle
  • The Four Seasons - We Can Work It Out
  • Helen Reddy - The Fool on the Hill
  • Frankie Laine - Maxwell's Silver Hammer
  • The Brothers Johnson - Hey Jude
  • Roy Wood - Polytheme Pam
  • The Bee Gees - Sun King
  • Status Quo - Getting Better
  • Leo Sayer - The Long and Winding Road
  • Henry Gross - Help
  • Peter Gabriel - Strawberry Fields Forever
  • Frankie Valli - A Day in the Life
  • Tina Turner - Come Together
  • Will Malone & Lou Reizner - You Never Give Me Your Money
  • The London Symphony Orchestra - The End

 

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