Search - Various Artists :: Phil's Spectre III - A Third Wall of Soundalikes

Slightly strained third volume

Laurence Upton | Wilts, UK | 10/03/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"So Ace's Wall Of Soundalikes series has made it to a third volume of Spectoralikes. Some of the more elusive titles that could not be tracked down or licensed for the previous sets have finally been nailed, and further examples from a seemingly bottomless well have been drawn, five of which were previously unreleased, at least in the exact form in which they appear. All are fulsomely annotated in the accompanying fat booklet. Familiar names from the extended Phil Spector family are again in evidence: Bill Medley, Jack Nitzsche, Ellie Greenwich, Bobby Sheen, Darlene Love, Sonny Bono; as well as a slew of new names some of whom had jumped onto the bandwagon in the hope of making a few bucks from their approximation of the Spector sound.



Among the most fascinating are Lesley Gore's Look Of Love, a single considerably more Spectorized than the original album version; Alder Ray sounding uncannily like Darlene Love on 'Cause I Love Him, with Darlene herself leading the chorus; the Girlfriends' My One And Only, Jimmy Boy, a rip-roaring explosion of a song, my favourite on the album and one I didn't previously know, the Girlfriends being members of the Blossoms and Bob B Soxx and the Blue Jeans; a rare acetate of the Satisfactions featuring Gracia Nitzsche on the oldie Yes Sir, That's My Baby, with Brian Wilson among the backing singers; a new mix of Judy Henske's 1966 cover of Shirley and Lee's Let The Good Times Roll; Bonnie (of Bonnie and the Treasures) with Close Your Eyes, her follow-up to Home Of The Brave, a classic yet to be anthologized in this series or on any other readily-available release; Martha and the Vandellas' fabulous if well known In My Lonely Room; Sonny and Cher's It's The Little Things, though virtually anything by the duo would have served; and Daniel A Stone's previously unreleased rendition of the Doc Pomus/Phil Spector song Young Boy Blues.



Elsewhere, however, there are occasional signs that the barrel may shortly begin to make sounds of scraping, and I would recommend turning to this only after having exhausted the first two Walls Of Soundalikes. Even though much of it is first rate, there is more competent blue-eyed soul and less inspired girl group sound than would be my preference. The notes mention that the compilers have in the main purposely eschewed versions of actual compositions by Phil Spector, and it seems that anything on his own labels, albeit not produced by the man, have also been avoided. It may be sensible to relax both of these rules if there is to be a Phil's Spectre IV."

Phil's Spectre III

Jan Tonnesen | San Diego, CA | 09/24/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Despite Phil's legal problems, his legacy continues to shine forth in this trilogy of "Sound-A-Likes". A THIRD WALL OF SOUNDALIKES is the best of 'em."

More great Spectoresque music.

Mark Sherman | Boston, MA | 09/17/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Phil's Spectre III - A Third Wall of Soundalikes



Another great set of songs in the Spector vein. It's a thrill to (finally) have Merry Claton's "Usher Boy" available, as well as a rocking version of Alder Ray's "Cause I Love Him".



This set will be a great addition to any Spector fans collection."