Welsh Folk & Pop by Mary Hopkin - Post Card 1969 (1991 Apple)

It was the British supermodel Twiggy who alerted Paul McCartney to the Welsh singer Mary Hopkin when Apple Records was looking for talent in 1968. The waifish soprano scored a huge worldwide smash with her first Apple single, the melancholy but rabble-rousing ballad "Those Were the Days," in late 1968; it actually knocked the Beatles' own "Hey Jude" out of the number one position in the U.K. Paul McCartney lent Hopkin a further hand by producing her first album and writing her second single, "Goodbye," which was also a hit. More comfortable with refined, precious ballads and folky pop than rock, Hopkin scored several more hit singles in the U.K., although she never entered the American Top 40 again. Her commercial success diminished as Apple's fortunes dwindled in the early '70s.

Paul McCartney produced this debut album of twee but pretty, romantic pop-folk. Besides "Those Were the Days" (which actually originally appeared only on the US version, though it's on the CD reissue now available throughout the world), the highlights are Donovan's "Lord of the Reedy River" and "The Honeymoon Song," which McCartney himself had sung with the Beatles way back in 1963 on the BBC. If there's a fault to be found, it's that there's too high a percentage of pre-rock/pop standards à la "There's No Business Like Show Business." As it turns out this was more due to the leanings of McCartney than Hopkin, who preferred the more simply arranged folk numbers such as the Donovan covers and the Welsh "Y Blodyn Gwyn." Also on board is a rather nice composition, "The Game," by Beatles producer George Martin, who contributed some piano and orchestra conducting to the album. The CD reissue includes George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin's "Someone to Watch Over Me" (which was on the original U.K. version of the LP, but was taken off the American counterpart), as well as the "Those Were the Days" B-side "Turn! Turn! Turn!" and versions of "Those Were the Days" that Hopkin sang in Italian and Spanish.(R. Unterberger, allmusic.com)

A lot of different songs here but the voice and vocal work of Mary Hopkin holds the album convincingly together. Good Job Mary (& Paul)

Enjoy
         Frank

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Pussy Cat - Boof! The Complete Pussy Cat 1966-1969 (2014 RPM)

Pussy Cat was the most tough sounding of France's '60s ye-ye girls. She looked to Britain for her inspirations, not home-grown, upbeat Gallic pop. She covered Small Faces, the Moody Blues, the Hollies and the Zombies. Her original songs - she was a rarity and wrote her own - were energized, hard edged, melodic and stomping. She put a French twist on the Mod era. BOOF! Is the first-ever Pussy Cat - born Evelyne Courtois - collection to be issued outside France.

Her complete '60s recordings, including two tracks unheard at the time, are collected. As a special bonus, her debut release, a 1965 EP with the band Les Petites Souris is also collected. They were France's first all-girl band. At age 17, she was their guitarist and wrote their songs. She was a pioneer. Pussy Cat took her name from the Tom Jones song 'What's New Pussycat'. She toured France with him. This package is the ultimate tribute to France's one-woman musical dynamo of the 1960s.

Really great collection if you like sixties french girls pop.
Have fun
              Frank

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Psychedelic Pop 1968: Phluph - Phluph 1968 (2014 Aurora)

Good to very good early psych album that sank in part, due to the Bosstown marketing fiasco. I see others describe it as blues psych and I wonder if they are hearing the same tracks I am. This is Hammond dominated, American psych pop done very well. Speaking of Hammond, the player here is great. Super imaginative, his playing brings to life and adds color to all the tracks but more importantly, his playing turns average tunes into interesting, above average tracks. Continually inventive, he never repeats himself thru the 10 album cuts and two bonus tracks. There is strong songwriting, great harmony vocals, some nice lead licks, well proportioned fuzz and that damn Hammond organ, all of which makes this one and done release by Phluph a very nice psych album. Another in a long list that showed more than enough on their debut to warrant further releases but it wasn't meant to be. In the end, not a bad album to leave as your destiny. Recommended. (heyday2day reader review by rate your music)

I just can second that what heyday2day in his reader review of rateyourmusic.com wrote. And there are a lot of very positive reviews about this album. The album is full of strong songs and it is a pity if the disc is at the end of the last song way too fast. Yes, recommended.
Enjoy
         Frank

                                                                         Flac   &   mp3@320