Search - Joe Meek :: It's Hard To Believe It: The Amazing World Of Joe Meek

Good Intro to Joe Meek, but Don't Stop Here

Randall E. Adams | Los Angeles, CA United States | 07/26/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If I had to put together a 20 song sampler to introduce the uninitiated to Joe Meek's music, I would include most of the tracks found on this disc. I would leave off a few such as "Hot Chick-a-Roo" which is lame and forgettable. I would also leave off "Paradise Garden" which is amusingly overblown but just not in the first rank of Meek work. I would definitely include "Little Baby" by the Blue Rondos, recognized by ALL Meek freaks as one of his great classics. As much as I love "Something I've Got to Tell You" by Glenda Collins, I would probably favor her "I Left My Heart at the Fairground" for this introductory offering. I would include something by the Flee-Rekkers in preference over one of the instrumentals included here. I would not have included two tracks from "I Hear a New World;" one is sufficient. Famous as he was, Screaming Lord Sutch wasn't much to listen to, so I would have left him off. So, what is my point? Buy this disc and begin the astonishing journey into the paraworld of Joe Meek, but bear in mind that there is MUCH MORE great stuff out there in this man's prolific catalogue...Razor & Tie have done a pretty decent job of selecting material, giving the obvious choices for the American market, the stateside hits "Telstar" and "Have I the Right" and the uncontestable classics unknown to the U.S. "Johnny Remember Me" and "Tribute to Buddy Holly." They include one of the underrated Riot Squad sides. They have done a fair job of exhibiting the wide range of music promulgated by Meek's little DIY studio, except for the later mid-60s material which gets a bit of a short shrift here.Buy this disc and have fun. Joe Meek is the man who got people in the studio to think of doing the things that made records like "Sgt. Pepper" possible.For other good collections of individual Meek artists, check Amazon's listings for The Outlaws (scroll way down past the entries for the later American group of the same name), The Flee Rekkers, Glenda Collins, Heinz, Michael Cox, Houston Wells, Mike Berry, The Dowlands. Be aware that some of these collections may no longer be available but buy them if you can."

The Murderous Musicians review the GREAT PRODUCER

Randall E. Adams | 10/10/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Joe Meek was the most important figure in British music in the 1960's, bar none. Without his innovative recording tecniques, thousands of bands would never have existed. This album contains a tiny fraction of his output, most recorded in his two floor flat on London's Holloway Road, with accoustics often eminating from the bathroom. This is true genius, and individuality, forget the songs, just remember the huge potential this tortured figure unleashed before his tragic death on the anniversary of Buddy Holly's death in 1967. Rest in peace Joe, dreams do come true."

Turning trash into treasures

TimothyFarrell22 | Massachusetts | 08/30/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The bands themselves here, with a few exceptions, are dated and kitschy. However, the genius of Meek made the songs here sound wonderful. He could take a boring pop song and turn it into a masterpeice utilizing his homemade recording studio. He would add a variety of bizarre effects to the music, such as recording a toilet flushing, and playing it backwards to give it the sound of a rocket launching. Like all geniuses, he was a bit demented. He would often hold seances to try to raise the specter of Buddy Holly. Due to his lack of financial sucess (the song "Telstar" should've made him a millionare, but it got him in a lawsuit with a french musician who claimed he stole the melody from him), he eventually took his own life and his landlady's on February 3rd, 1967, exactly eight days after the death of Buddy Holly. Some people compare him to Phil Spector, and while this is true in some ways, Meek was too unique to be considered a British version of Spector. The true talent of Meek was that he could take a bland teen idol song (such as "My Friend Bobby" or "Johnny Remember Me") and turn it into a masterpeice with the aid of his independent studio. His studio was located in a room in his flat. His biggest hit, the Tornados' "Telstar", was written by him and he picked out all the effects to add in. All of the song's briliance was from Meek (the band themselves hated it). If you can find a used copy, this is a perfect introduction to the world of Meek."