herbie flowers solo LP

[theeman]

found a copy of this today, some serious name players so thought it had to be worth a spin.

it's BLOODY AWFUL - thank GOD for listening decks. avoid at all costs. sorry Herbie, you played on some lovely stuff but that's just bad!

so be warned!

(a seriously heavy-duty LP did turn up in the same stack so all was not lost...

[wooly]

what kind of thing was it?

[mundays child]

I actually paid a couple of quid for this about a year ago'
and your right it is bloody awful, (i put it in this months forthcomming chart as a warning to others not to be blinded by the musician list on the back,cos' there are some BIG names involved with this one) and no, i idnt have the requisite portable at the time to test it out.
it's a mixture of all sorts of the most horrible stuff you can imagine topped off by the wagnerian nightmare that is herbs' singin', i know he's a mean bass player an' all but really, leave it herb' leave it!. nice cover tho'.

[theeman]

just awful, awful mid 70s cheeky chappy cockney pop. really bad. herbie sounds like Lionel Bart. the playing is good but the music's just badly dated and of its time without anything much of interest. i was pretty surprised and highly disappointed.

you're right, great cover though.

[Matt Hero]

We should do a 'Sound Off' of Herbie Flowers solo LP (does it have 'Tuba Smarties' on it ?) vs Dennis Watermans LP.

Any other god awful LPs people have picked up based on the players list ?

[ladyboygrimsby]

You know it's kinda funny that you'd have confidence in a Herbie Flowers LP in the first place. Being an old bastard, my perception of Herbie is totally different to yours. I remember him as the bass player in loads of Saturday night entertainment shows and, moreover, a member of Sky, a band I had the misfortune to see at the Albert Hall once. They were the sort of rock band that middle class people who listened to classical music could like. They were stupdendously shit.

I've subsequently accepted the fact that he's been involved in some good stuff, but as far as I can see he's been involved in far more crap than good.

[Lord Thames]

Well, let's not forget Herbie wrote 'Grandad' for Clive Dunn, too.
When you look at the list of members of Sky, it's like the ultimate supergroup, with some of the most amazing musicians ever to claim a session fee - but their output is a bit of a disappointment (except for 'Toccata').

[Benicio Del Toffo]

Herbie's done some guff alright. I remember seeing him featuring in Sky when I was a nipper and I think they were on Saturday Superstore or Swap Shop (which says it all really). Then I noticed his name on the 'War of the Worlds' LP, yet more music for people who don't really like music. So, his track record isn't that great and then there's the whole Clive Dunn 'Grandad' debacle (for which Herbie should really have been blacklisted).

So, I'm actually surprised to see Herbie on so much good stuff, rather than the reverse. I'm pretty sure he ended up in Bolan's backing band too when the curly fella made his comeback.

As for the 'Plant Life' LP, I agree that it's excrement on a Chas'N'Dave tip (although scarily portentous of Britpop for 'Plant Life' read 'Parklife'). But, I always pick copies up if I see them cos of the break on the outro to 'Little Caesar'. Been playing that to folks for years now, short but sweet.

So, as regards the Herbster, I'm ambivalent. But in his defence, being a jobbing musician in the early 70s (in Britain especially) can't have been totally straightforward, if you're walking amongst shite, you're eventually going to reek.

Benicio

[LDJB]

There's actually a second solo lp - can't remeber what it's called but it has Herbie dressed as a Gnome on the cover - in the words of Bart Simpson "this sucks AND blows!" - avoid.

On the subject of good players, shite record - Hank Marvin - Guitar syndicate and anything by Olivia Newton John!!

[wooly]

being a kid in the 70s, i remember seeing herbie flowers in sky because my dad knew john williams (the other bloke from the groop). i was never very impressed. but i've heard the stuff herbie did for KPM etc was very good.

most of the big library players have at one time been involved in utter shite, it seems.

[sermad]

theres a really nice kpm called ''Bass Guitar And Percussion' its a whole lp light drumming and herbie strumming that bass.

The boys got quick fingers!

[wooly]

yes, i saw that one this week somewhere - but passed on it for £38.

[Rich Hero]

And of course he played in Blue Mink (again not quite as good as it should have been - although probably better than Sky) and on the good John Williams LPs.

[wooly]

blue mink had some top moments, and some very patchy moments - considering the personell, they should have been cosistently amazing! some good songs, nonetheless.

ah, this is what friday afternoons should be about - discussing music.

[sermad]

nice Herbie bio.

didnt know he played the bass on 'walk on the wild side'.

http://loadofold.com/boots/flowers.html

(Edited by sermad at 2:12 pm on Mar. 28, 2003)