BEST OF/20TH CENTURY

Savoy Brown includes: Chris Youlden (vocals); "Lonesome" Dave Peverett, Kim Simmonds (guitar); Paul Raymond (keyboards); Andy Pyle, Tone Stevens (bass); Roger Earl, Dave Bidwell (drums). Producers include: Mike Vernon, Kim Simmonds, Chris Youlden, Neil Slaven. Compilation producer: Bill Levenson. Recorded between 1969 and 1972. Includes liner notes by Dave Thompson. All tracks have been digitally remastered. This is part of MCA's "20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection" series. Personnel: Lonesome Dave (vocals, guitar); Chris Youlden, Dave Walker (vocals); Kim Simmonds (guitar, piano); Paul Raymond (guitar, keyboards); Bob Hall (piano); Dave Bidwell, Roger Earle (drums). Liner Note Author: Dave Thompson . Savoy Brown, the long-lived British blues-rock band, spent a decade signed to the British Decca label, which released their albums in America on the Parrot and London subsidiaries. The band's commercial heyday, a series of six modestly charting LPs, came early on, and this discount-priced compilation presents 11 highlights from that period, 1969-1972, including Savoy Brown's two minor chart singles: "I'm Tired" and "Tell Mama." Other than guitarist/founder Kim Simmonds, the band suffered frequent personnel changes, and even in this period of three years there was a complete turnover, starting with the "classic" lineup including singer Chris Youlden and guitarist Lonesome Dave Peverett and ending with another popular one featuring singer Dave Walker. The band's sound, however, remained much the same, driving blues-rock with screaming, lengthy guitar solos and forceful singing. This is not a comprehensive compilation of Savoy Brown on Decca by any means (for that, see 1993's The Savoy Brown Collection), but it does give a good sense of what the group sounded like at the top of their game. ~ William Ruhlmann