Various Artists - While My Guitar Gently Weeps (CD 2002)

Another impulse purchase after a short session of enthusiastic rummaging through the £3.00 bin at the local wherever. Although not entirely to my taste, I have to admit to liking about one third of the 36 tracks on this two CD set.

CD One:
There are some pretty good tracks on this CD including; 'Stuck In The Middle With You' by 'Stealer's Wheel', 'Keep On Loving You' by 'REO Speedwagon', 'Show Me The Way' by Peter Frampton and 'I Don't Want A Lover' by 'Texas.

Worthy of an honourable mention is the title track, a cover of the George Harrison / 'The Beatles' number 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps', by the 'Jeff Healey Band'. Not the best on the CD by a long shot but certainly worth a listen.

As always there are a couple of total duffers; 'What's Going On' by 'The Taste' and 'Badge' by 'Cream' to name but two.
Two tracks I hadn't heard before disappointed me; 'The Thrill Is Gone' by B.B. King and 'After Midnight' by Eric Clapton because, knowing [and liking] some of their other music, I was expecting better from them!

CD Two:
When I looked through the track listing I thought this was the weaker CD of the set but after listening to it I have to say I prefer more tracks on this CD than the first one.
There are some brilliant tracks amd a couple of real goodies worthy of note (*);

'The Road To Hell (Part 2)' by Chris Rea,
'Parisienne Walkways' by Gary Moore (*),
'Woodstock' by 'Mathew's Southern Comfort (*)',
'Hold The line' by 'Toto',
'More than A Feeling' by Boston,
'Blue Guitar' by Justin Hayward & John Lodge
'Whisky In The Jar' by 'Thin Lizzy'

I have to confess to being surprised when I first heard 'Jessica' by 'The Allman Brothers Band'. As far as I knew I had never heard of it (or them) but it turned out I knew it very well because it has been used as the theme music to the BBC TV programme 'Top Gear'.

As for the duffers; 'Big Log' by Robert Plant and 'Sweet Home Alabama' by 'Lynyrd Skynyrd' are not particularly good but 'Purple Rain' by Prince surely has to take the golden turd award for 'the absolutely worst rendition of a not particularly good track'. That's right, it was bad. Really bad. Bad enough for the other 'not so good' tracks on this CD to look 'not so bad' in comparison. Yes, it really is that bad.

I didn't like 'Guitar Town' by Steve Earle. There's nothing particularly wrong with it per se I just don't particularly enjoy Country Music [too much empasis on the first syllable in my opinion].

Overall:
The tracks are a bit of an eclectic mix with everything from 'Santana' to 'Stealer's Wheel' taking in 'Toto', 'REO Speedwagon', 'Texas' and 'Thin Lizzy' on the way.

Gary Moore deserves an honorable mention for the guitar playing on 'Parisienne Walkways' although the vocals are certainly an acquired taste!

Best Track Of The Collection?
A very difficult choice, pretty much any of the tracks mentioned above could take the prize but Boston, Texas and REO Speedwagon probably just thrust their noses over the line. It's a photo finish and so close I wouldn't want to call it without a Steward's enquiry.

This set is well worth getting particularly if you can pick it up for under a fiver and recently on eBay they have been going for between £2.50 and £4.00 including P&P so why not go for it?

Regards
tbod

I was looking for a cd full of guitar music for a guitar lover of a dad for fathers day, which was exactly what we got!.. a great cd in good condition, very cheap - this ticked all the boxes for me!

Great tracks,excellent guitar solos,,although out of date a true classic c.d.DIRE STRAITS REALLY PERFORMING AT THEIR BEST