Search - Louis Prima, Sam Butera :: Prima Generation 72

Zooma Zooma Funky !

Eddie Landsberg | Tokyo, Japan | 12/19/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I really only need say one thing to make this album worth purchasing by any folks who know where its at... LITTLE RICHIE VARHOLA on Hammond B-3 Organ... RICHIE VARHOLA ! RICHIE VARHOLA !Prima Generation is one of Louis's later CDs - - Keely is gone, Sammy is still there as is Jimmy Vincent and some of the others, but its a more modern electrified sound... at times with almost as Blood Sweat and Tears vibe (mixed in with that trademark Prima shuffle !) (Imagine Prima meets Chicago or Blood Sweat and Tears ?!?!?!) - - While the opener As Time Goes By swings like hell, and tunes like Lazy River and Cold Cold Heart swing like hell and conjure up vintage Prima, listen to Varhola put Keith Emerson to shame on Sympathy for the Devil, or Sammy Butera's soulful rendition of IF YOU REALLY LOVED ME, and Ronnie James rocks out incredibly on OH HAPPY DAY. - - Fans willing to stomach a more electrified Prima band (with Prima laying low on many of the tracks) are in for a real treat - - though some die hards more used to the pure swing and shuffles of the Keely era might find it a bit loud - - Nevertheless, I have to rank this as one of my favorite record albums in the Prima collection... Hope BLASTIN' OFF gets back in print soon !"