Holmes Whitecastle Ripper

Randy Newman, Warren Zevon, Loudon Wainwright III and Rupert Holmes all share the distinction of having a song grow to such epic proportions that it casts a career-wide shadow. But even before liking piña coladas and getting caught in the rain became a national pastime, Rupert Holmes had a successful career as producer, performer and songwriter. In fact, the New York Times called Holmes "one of the world's greatest storytellers in song." Over the course of seven years, Holmes released seven albums on five different labels. All of them are included on this box, as well as a Japanese-only album called Scenario from 1994.

"Partners in Crime" is an album by British American singer-songwriter and musician Rupert Holmes. The album was Holmes's most commercially successful record and includes all three of Holmes's solo Top 40 hits: "Him," "Answering Machine" and "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)." "Escape" was the Billboard #1 hit of December 1979 and January 1980; it was the only single to hold the #1 position in both years and in different decades. The album itself reached #33 on the Billboard Album Charts. Although "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" was released as a single on Infinity Records, "Him" was released on MCA Records. The Infinity catalog had been absorbed by MCA at the time the latter single was released.

His fans didn’t know it at the time, but Holmes did indeed come full circle with 1981’s Elektra LP, and it would turn out to be his last word in pop/rock songwriting for over a decade. Holmes tells of being encouraged to return to an orchestrated style for this offering, and so “The End” (reaching #31 on the AC chart) does just that. “Loved by the One You Love,” like the previous album’s “Blackjack,” stalled at #103 on the pop chart, despite having the same infectious pop quality as “Him” or “Escape.” A theme of romance permeated the album, and the open-hearted “One Born Every Minute” (one love, not one sucker, contrary to P.T. Barnum’s belief) remains a favorite of its songwriter.

Rupert Holmes followed up "Widescreen" (1974) with a self-titled LP that utilized a band rather than an orchestra, and was somewhat more accessible in its sound. Yet Holmes still was true to himself in composing its musical vignettes, again produced by Jeffrey Lesser. “Studio Musician” was a powerful Wall of Sound explosion that would be reverentially covered by Barry Manilow on his chart-topping Barry Manilow Live album, while “I Don’t Want to Hold Your Hand” was such a spot-on, deadpan Beatles send-up that George Martin reportedly told Holmes it was superior to the original recording! “Everything Gets Better When You’re Drunk” sounds like a toe-tapping ode to the perennial pleasures of booze, but it has a dark undercurrent of irony. The most enduring song on Rupert Holmes, though, may be its least commercial. “Brass Knuckles” was longtime mystery buff Holmes’ attempt to tell a detective noir story in under four minutes of song. Its songwriter remains proud of this one-of-a-kind song’s lyrics having been published in numerous crime anthologies and even reviewed in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine.

Andy Breslau described the Holmes Brothers' music as "gospel-infused doo wop funk," which pretty much captures the spirit and synthesis of their style. Combining old R&B, soul, and gospel, brothers Sherman and Wendell Holmes along with Popsy Dixon create a rich sound filled with lovely harmony. The intensity of the group's studio performances evokes a live feel, offering an inkling of what their performances at Lynch's in Manhattan must have sounded like during the '80s. Righteous! collects almost 75 minutes of material from the group's four Rounder albums, beginning with In the Spirit in 1990 and ending with Promised Land in 1997. The album kicks off with a bit of electric blues topped with a healthy dose of soul on "Got Myself Together," a song that jumps out of the gate at a gallop and holds to a steady gait for five minutes. Gospel-drenched pieces like "Promised Land," complete with electric guitar, will have non-believers singing along, while classics like "There Goes My Everything" combine classic soul with a touch of country. One also wouldn't want to miss the Holmes Brothers' takes on Tom Waits' "Train Song" and the Beatles' "And I Love Her." Breslau's liner notes, which travel back to the Holmes Brothers' residency at Lynch's, are both edifying and fun to read. While all of the albums the Holmes Brothers recorded for Rounder are worthy efforts, Righteous! offers a solid introduction to anyone who has missed out on their wonderful music.

Los autores de Drácula: la adaptación definitiva, abordan el universo del más famoso detective de todos los tiempos. Una historia nunca antes contada que explora la naturaleza de Sherlock Holmes y su inseparable compañero y amigo, John Watson, sumergidos en una escalofriante investigación que desnuda cada uno de los aspectos de la Inglaterra victoriana. Con portadas de John Cassaday y color de Laura Martin.