Never Ever (1996) Charles Finch, Sandrine Bonnaire, Jane March

This Classics CD features pianist/vocalist Charles Brown on his first 22 recordings, when he was a sideman with guitarist Johnny Moore's Three Blazers. Brown already sounded quite distinctive, and as it turned out, the 21st song ("Drifting Blues") was his biggest hit. The music, due to the instrumentation (a trio/quartet with bassist Eddie Williams and sometimes Oscar Moore on second guitar), is a bit reminiscent at times of the Nat King Cole Trio, but it had a special soul and feeling of its own. Frankie Laine makes a couple of early appearances, but Brown takes care of the bulk of the vocals, and there are also eight excellent instrumentals.

Various Artists - Never Ever Land: 83 Texan Nuggets from International Artists Records 1965-1970 (2008) {3CD Charly SNAJ735CD}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 1.13 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 583 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 222 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1965-70, 2008 International Artists / Charly / Licensemusic / Snapper Music | SNAJ 735 CD
Rock / Garage-Rock / Psychedelic / Rocking Blues / Mainstream Pop / Oddities

It's not unusual for a small independent record company to be defined by its first major success, and that was certainly the case for the maverick Texas label International Artists. IA began life in 1965 as a fairly ordinary regional outfit releasing pop/rock stuff, but when they scored a nationwide hit with the 13th Floor Elevators' proto-psychedelic anthem "You're Gonna Miss Me," the label's de facto A&R chief, Lelan Rogers, dove headfirst into Texas acid culture and IA became a home for consciousness-expanded acts such as the Golden Dawn, the Bubble Puppy, Endle St. Cloud, and the truly crazed Red Crayola. Never Ever Land is a three-CD set designed to give a reasonably comprehensive picture of International Artists' strange and memorable five-year lifespan.

A good Christmas compilation should contain the following things: a selection of old classics to warm your cockles by the fireside, some of the classic pop titles that people always seem to find themselves singing along to in the pub on Christmas Eve, some carols and a handful of oddities to keep everyone on their toes. The Best Christmas Album in the World Ever manages to fulfil all these criterias.