Among The Shadows

Live at the Paris Olympia Review by Bruce Eder
On the one hand, the Shadows are among the last throwbacks to a brand of utterly professional, painstakingly precise package rock & roll that existed in England before the Beatles and their contemporaries came along and substituted passion for a degree of virtuosity. On the other, the Shadows were among the biggest boosters of the electric guitar in a culture that still wasn't certain of its feelings for American-style jazz, much less rock & roll. This expanded version of the live album they cut at the Paris Olympia showcases the group's virtues and flaws about as well as anything they ever did, and may be the best way – other than picking up a handful of hits like "Apache" – for the uninitiated to discover the Shadows.

"Shades of Rock" is the 8th rock album by British instrumental (and sometimes vocal) group The Shadows, released in 1970 through Columbia (EMI).

A temporary and partial reunion convened a year or so after the Shadows late 1960s break-up, Shades Of Rock pairs band regulars Hank Marvin and Brian Bennett with keyboard player Alan Hawkshaw and a revolving door full of session bassists - Herbie Flowers, John Rostill and Brian Hodges among them. The choice of material is interesting.

More than 50 years after the original quartet assembled as The Drifters to accompany an up and coming young singer named Cliff Richard on stage and record - and after some changes of personnel, fallow years and successful comebacks - The Shadows are still statistically among the top raters in the overall history of the UK pop singles and albums charts. During the late 50s/early 60s period of this celebratory compilation they became for a while the most influential group in Britain, greatly boosting the sales of Fender guitars, Vox amps and mohair suits. Founders Hank Marvin (lead guitar) and Bruce Welch (second guitar) still front the group's intermittent sell-out revivals. Their original sidekicks Jet Harris (bass guitar) and Tony Meehan (drums) have been replaced over the years but the sound of The Shadows remains a distinctive reminder of where it all began - with the 66 tracks on this comprehensive 2CD set, the recordings that inspired a generation of young wannabes to pick up a guitar and kick a leg in tune and in step with the renowned 'Shads'.

More than 50 years after the original quartet assembled as The Drifters to accompany an up and coming young singer named Cliff Richard on stage and record - and after some changes of personnel, fallow years and successful comebacks - The Shadows are still statistically among the top raters in the overall history of the UK pop singles and albums charts. During the late 50s/early 60s period of this celebratory compilation they became for a while the most influential group in Britain, greatly boosting the sales of Fender guitars, Vox amps and mohair suits. Founders Hank Marvin (lead guitar) and Bruce Welch (second guitar) still front the group's intermittent sell-out revivals. Their original sidekicks Jet Harris (bass guitar) and Tony Meehan (drums) have been replaced over the years but the sound of The Shadows remains a distinctive reminder of where it all began - with the 66 tracks on this comprehensive 2CD set, the recordings that inspired a generation of young wannabes to pick up a guitar and kick a leg in tune and in step with the renowned 'Shads'.

Since their re-emergence in 1973, the Shadows had established themselves among the most tasteful guitar instrumental bands of the age. True, their greatest singles hits tended to be vocal numbers – the Eurovision Song Contest smash "Let Me Be the One" paramount among them.