Vanilla Fudge - Vanilla Fudge
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Free Music Notes for Vanilla Fudge
Free Music Review: The "Secret" Fudge code revealed!
Hit: 5 Stars
Well, Running Man, I guess you had to have been there. Part of the cultural excitement going on in the musical world back in the late 60's had to do with "clues" and "mysterious allusions" (not "illusions") on big 12-inch record album jackets. Sometimes they were even revealed on the record labels and on the trail-off grooves on the vinyl following after the last note of the last song on either side A or side B.
Could you imagine trying to "hide" something on a 4-inch by 4-inch CD sleeve? Ha! It's already nearly impossible to read the stuff the record company WANTS you to see!
Anyway, what Running Man referred to in his post regarding "experimental psychedelia. These brief tracks are titled 'WBER', 'STRA', and 'RYFI'. Lord knows what they stand for, but you can play them as anagrams for things like 'SLED', 'BREW', 'FIRY' and either 'RATS' or 'STAR'. Knock yourself out", here's what my generation figured out: Like the old game of taking letters and re-arranging them to get their meaning, you get STRA WBER RYFI ELDS (Strawberry Fields). It was simply a cool homage to The Beatles, given Vanilla Fudge's covering of John and Paul's tunes on this debut album.
Free Music Review: Worth The Calories
Hit: 5 Stars
If you were lucky enough to be around when this music emerged - 1967 - then you know it is only understandable in context, and, when understood in context, is truly wonderful. At times it is wonderful in a so bad it's good way - Bang Bang - at other times it's just plain wonderful - You Keep Me Hanging On. Vanilla Fudge brought something very new to the party, probably given to them by Osley, and they had an impact. You could hardly find another album that better embodies what was then called "heavy" - Vanilla Fudge was not a subtle combo - they used multiple sledgehammers to make their point.
Spotting their inadequacies is too easy to be good sport. Musicianship is consistently lacking, they compensate by being heavy handed. The Young Rascals influence is too strong, and the band does mostly covers - however, their covers are pretty much unrecognizable. There are two Beatles tracks that get the VF treatment, and reportedly the Beatles liked them very much. People Get Ready, the Curtis Mayfield classic - the album's most pleasing number - becomes psychedelic gospel. She's Not There, an electrifying Zombies track, is stretched and beaten to the breaking point.
It is easy to call Bang Bang high camp, except that, pretty much by definition, camp must be tongue in cheek. When Sonny & Cher unleashed this abomination, it was virtually impossible to believe they were serious; it was staggeringly awful. VF does the impossible, they make it even more preposterous and goopy - but still, there is never a sense of irony in the music of VF. The one place where their overwrought, slow, melodramatic, head-banger approach works to perfection is You Keep Me Hanging On - which sounds as good today as it did 40 years ago. To be blunt, it blows Diana Ross right back into the dressing room.
I bought this CD as a guilty pleasure, when I played it I was shocked by how much I enjoyed it.
Free Music Review: What's with the Track Order?
Hit: 4 Stars
I remember the first time I heard this album, and it's psychedelic covers are still some of my favorite music. My only negative comment on this album is regarding the track order. I know this is not the original order as it went:
Illusions of My Childhood pt. 1
Keep Me Hanging On
Illusions of My Childhood pt. 2
Take Me For A Little While
Illusions of My Childhood pt. 3
She's Not There
Bang Bang
"The following is a serious of high frequency tones..."
-End of Side A-
"This record was recorded using..." (or some such)
Ticket to Ride
People Get Ready
Eleanor Rigby / Strawberry Fields excerpt
I just don't understand why tracks are rearranged when some great albums are translated onto a CD. At least they didn't add any of those God-awful bonus tracks (i.e. all of the bonus tracks ever made) that they so enjoy ruining my most remastered CDs with.
Free Music Review: NOT BAD!!!
Hit: 4 Stars
kind of a classic album after all these years...after arriving in mail, i enjoyed the first listen (again) very much...had LP years and years ago, sounds as good today as it did then...you won't be disappointed.Free Music Review: One of the greatest debuts in history, and one of my favorite albums...
Hit: 5 Stars
This is a superb album. Whoever would have thought that an album of all covers would be so successful, artistically and financially? Vanilla Fudge's biggest hit, You Keep Me Hangin' On, is far superior to the original version. It's an epic cover, running 7 1/2 minutes. Elenaor Rigby and Ticket to Ride are fantastic too. These songs are not straight forward covers. The Fudge took them and changed them drastically, but in an original and dramatic way, which is why they work so well. Their playing is incredibly intense as well. I always thought Vanilla Fudge could have been an American Pink Floyd, with their spooky, epic sound, but after this album, they put out a horrible "experimental" album called The Beat Goes On. They did release 3 more albums (which were excellent), but the "beat" album really screwed up their career. This is their best one. Play it loud and often...