Phil Spector – Wall Of Sound: The Very Best Of Phil Spector 1961-1965 – Phil Spector Records/Sony Legacy Recordings 88697 61294 2, 53:51 *****:
(Featuring The Crystals; The Ronettes’ Bob B. Saxx and the Blue Jeans; Darlene Love; The Righteous Brothers; Ike & Tina Turner, and the Wrecking Crew Studio Band)
In the late fifties and early sixties, Phil Spector was regarded as the most successful and influential producer in popular music. Working with various pop and rhythm and blues artist to develop a radio-friendly template for music, he left an indelible mark on the production of rock and roll. Later accomplishments included the resurrection of the nearly defunct Beatles album Let It Be (which earned an Oscar), collaboration on The Concert for Bangladesh (Grammy award) and solo projects for John Lennon and George Harrison. This kept his mystique vital into the early seventies. However, a tragic descent into drugs, paranoia and finally murder cast a pall on his career.
The Wall of Sound revolutionized the process of pop recording. It was first used by classical orchestras in the late nineteenth century, as orchestras were placed in deep pits to create an “invisible wall”. The music was recorded at Gold Star Studios, using echo chambers and reverberation speakers (bouncing off the hard walls in halls) to add density to the tone. Orchestral arrangements involving unison playing of electric/acoustic guitars and horns (often doubling or tripling) were layered with solo lead vocals and meshed background singers. The result (mono of course) engineered a unique, “Wagnerian” sound that became a staple for AM radio, in other words… hit singles. The studio musicians, commonly referred to as “The Wrecking Crew” represented the finest talent on The West Coast. This technology would influence Brian Wilson (“Good Vibrations”), Bruce Springsteen (“Born To Run”), Queen (“Bohemian Rhapsody”), Meat Loaf (“Bat Out Of Hell”) and countless others.
The Wall Of Sound – The Very Best Of Phil Spector 1961-1965 is an accessible retrospective of this phenomenon. At the core of the material is the crucial “Girl Groups”. The songs written by Brill Building “teams” are simple narratives of young love enhanced by superior orchestration. The Crystals have five songs on the compilation. “He’s a Rebel” (attributed to The Crystals, but sung by Darlene Love and the Blossoms) is a prime example of the teenage angst, with hand claps and spirited R&B vocals. Most of these songs were ranked on pop and R&B charts. The horn textures drive “Da Doo Ron Ron” to a steady crescendo that never lets up. The combination of dense vocals and percussive rhythm seems polished and rootsy at the same time. String accents on “Then He Touched Me” bring a dramatic flamboyance to the earth- shattering first kiss narrative. Love (a 2011 inductee in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame) shines on three solo numbers. “A Fine, Fine Boy” is a delight as she delivers her singing and talking sauciness amid the elaborate instrumentation. The breezy take on “Wait Till’ My Bobby Gets Home” is transistor radio worthy in its precision choruses and tight structure.
The Ronettes are the archetypical girl group of this era. Veronica Bennett (later known as Ronnie Spector) has a voice that can melt the resolve of any teenage boy. The urgency of her vocals on “Be My Baby” has a captivating passion. The symphonic doo wop band pulls out all the stops with pounding drumming, violins and repetition. “Baby I Love You” sets the template for future grandiosity in the rock idiom.
Despite the formulaic nature of Wall Of Sound, there is a transcendent opus. “River Deep, Mountain High” is a masterpiece of contemporary popular music. Performed by Ike & Tina Turner” (actually Tina Turner), this is an extended (for Spector anyway, at three and a half minutes) mosaic of the genre. The session is ramped up with explosive runs and irresistible stops. Turner and the background vocalists soar with gospel evocation. Another longer track, “You’ve Lost That Loving’ Feeling” (Righteous Brothers) alternates the powerful tenor of Bobby Hatfield with the floor rumbling baritone of Bill Medley. These two songs are the epitome of the auditory harmonics of the Wall Of Sound.
This CD is a must for any rock and roll fan.
TrackList: He’s A Rebel; Da Doo Ron Ron; Be My Baby; Then He Kissed Me; (Today I Met) The Boy I’m Gonna Marry; Baby I Love You; He’s Sure The Boy I Love; “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah; Wait Till My Bobby Gets Home; Walking In The Rain; Uptown; Why Do Lovers break Each Other’s Hearts; Do I Love You; A Fine, Fine Boy; There’s No Other Like My Baby; You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling; (The Best Part Of) Breaking Up; Not Too Young To Get Married; River Deep, Mountain High
— Robbie Gerson
