Reviews CD
Guitar man & other great Rockabilly tracks associated with the King vol 2
UPPSALA NYHETER
Uppsala’s own Uppsalas’s foremost Elvis interpreter releases a new 6-track CD with songs assoiated with the King. The most remarkable thing about this CD is the tight interaction between band members and the sparkling energy. They have really managed to keep the “live” feeling in the studio. It’s full speed ahead from the first track. Only the country ballad, You’re a heartbreaker, is slowing down the pace. The album swings, full of energy, and on feels happy listening to it.
Uppsalas främste Elvistolkare Kent Wennman ger ut en ny CD med 6 låtar som kan associeras med kungen. Kvartetten består av Kent Wennman på sång och kompgitarr, Ulf “the mighty shadow” Holmberg på sologitarr, Stefan “Slappin Steve” Person på kontrabas och Per-Åke “Påken” Persson på trummor. Det som är mest slående är det tajta samspelet mellan bandet och energin som det slår gnistor om. De har verkligen lyckats att behålla livekänslan i studion. Det är full fart som gäller från det första spåret. Endast på countryballaden Your a Heartbreaker drar de ner tempot. Det svänger som tusan om deras Rockabilly och man blir glad av att lyssna på albumet. Helst ska dessa herrar naturligtvis upplevas live. Chansen att göra det kommer redan nu på söndag på Kulturoasen.
Elvis i PARKSNÄCKAN 10 år
American Music Magazine
A best of coupled with some livetracks and som unreleased material. The versions are the bands own and some of the songs are gutsy instrumentals like Flaming star and Surrender which sound like something Spotnicks could have recorded in the sixties. Yes, there’s a lot of variation and a lot of musicality on this record that I really like to listen to.
UPPSALA NYA TIDNING
Elvis must smile in his heaven!
Once can not accuse Kent of being an Elvis lookalike (just check his
haircut). Certainly, his Elvis concerts at Parksnäckan celebrates 10
years and a lot of records with his interpretations of Elvis songs have
been released. But Wennman does Elvis in his own way, finding new angles
on both hits and more obscure material.
This album is a “Best of” from Kents earlier records coupled with some
live material. The strength is the diversity, everything from hard
swinging bluesrock with Uppsala Big band in “Mean woman blues” and “Rip
it up” to party stuffing Happy Hammond in “Rock-a-hula baby. Fat gospel
with Afro Choir in “So high” and beautiful guitar instrumentals with Ulf
Holmberg, the Han Marvin of Parksnäckan. Just listen to his elegant
licks in “Surrender”, worthy a Sergio Leone-western, or his Chet
Atkins-like version of Love me tender.
The album is high quality right through, with Kent Wennman as the
tenacious energy factor. Elvis must smile in his heaven.
Elvis måtte le i sin himmel!
Man kan knappast beskylla Uppsalaprofilen Kent Wennman för att vara en
Elviskopia (kolla frisyren till att börja med). Visserligen firar hans
Elviskonserter i Parksnäckan tio år, och en hel del skivor på temat
Elvis har det blivit, men Wennman tolkar Elvis på sitt alldeles egna
sätt, hittar nya infallsvinklar på kända och okända låtar. Och letar upp
en hel del obskyriteter, till exempel från Elvis filmskivor.
Nu kommer ett slags best of på allt detta, valda godbitar från Wennmans
Elvisinspelningar jämte tidigare outgivna livelåtar. Styrkan ligger i
mångfalden, i bredden av stilar och uttryck, alltifrån hårdsvängig
rockblues med Uppsala Storband i Mean woman blues och Rip it up, till
stuffande partyorgel i Rock a hula baby.
Och däremellan maffig gospel med Afro Choir i So high, samt några snygga
gitarrinstrumentalare med Ulf Holmberg, Parksnäckans egen Hank Marvin.
Hör bara hans eleganta licks i Surrender, värdiga en Sergio
Leone-western, eller det snygga Chet Atkins-stuket i Love me tender.
Göran Engman gästspelar med genuint Elvispatos, och Good rockin tonight
är klockren rockabilly. Hade gärna hört lite mer av den varan. Men det
är hög kvalitet rätt igenom, med eldsjälen Kent Wennman som den
sammanhållande energifaktorn. Elvis måtte le i sin himmel.
A little less conversation & other great rockabilly tracks associated with the King vol 1
UppSALA NYA TIDNING
Colorful Elvis from Uppsala
Uppsala’s own Kent Wennman keeps continues tireless with his own versions of Elvis songs, this time with a fun and colourful collection of song from Elvis’s later period. The title track sparkles and is manic in a way that The Stray Cats would sound like if they would record it today. A traditional country style CC Rider smells like Nashville with banjo and hillibilly shouts to a bouncing rhythm. Fun and colourful! Please keep up this bouncing rockabilly tempo on the next cd.
Färgsprakande Elvis från Uppsala
Uppsalas Kent Wennman fortsätter oförtröttligt att göra egna versioner av Elvislåtar. Denna gång enj kul och färgsprakande samling låtar av senare datum, skriver Ulf Gustavsson. Uppsalas Kent Wennman fortsätter oförtröttligt att göra egna versioner av Elvislåtar. Denna gång med fem låtar av lite senare datum, i pådrivande rockabillystuk. Och det slår gnistor i synnerhet om en halvt manisk version av titelspåret, lite som Stray Cats skulle ha kunnat göra den i dag. En traditionellt countryaktig CC Rider luktar Nashville lång väg, med banjo och yehah-rop, till en läckert studsande rytm. Kul och färgsprakande! Fortsätt gärna i det studsande rockabillytempot på nästa Elvis-cd.
AMERICAN MUSIC MAGAZINE
Impressively good! And gets better every time you listen to it. Brilliant! A must for every Elvisfan!
Tidskriften Elvis
The latest record I’ve listened to by Kent Wennman’s talented guys. It will be very interesting to follow Kent’s further traveling in the Elvis world.
FLAMING STAR & OTHER TWANGIN´MOVIE SONGS ASSOCIATED WITH THE KING
Tidskriften Elvis
Supernice guitar sound from Ulf Holmberg in Flaming star! Wow! Followed by senselessly beautiful Charro and Surrender. A lot of nice twanging guitar on this record.
UPPSALA NYA TIDNING
Ulf Holmberg shows that he is one of the masters of instrumental guitar rock of genuine retro brand. He has the right twang feeling and plays through the melodies with fills, double stops and details in the margin with great backing from his fellow musicians. A reverb drenched Surrender is simply great!
Ulf visar att han är en av mästarna i genren instrumental gitarrock av äkta retromärke. Ulf har den rätta twangkänslan och tar sig flyhänt igenom melodierna med mängder av fills, double stops och detaljer i marginalen och med god uppbackning från sina medmusiker. En reverbdränkt Surrender som helt enkelt är kanonbra”.
ROCK-A-HULA-BABY & OTHER HAPPY HAMMOND MOVIE SONGS ASSOCIATED WITH THE KING
AMERICAN MUSIC MAGAZINE
More uptempo than Elvis, more rage, more nerve. To do Elvis covers with Hammond organ instrumentals is truly original.
Tidskriften Elvis
Full action on the pedals when Andreas Hellkvist lets loose on the organ. The unlikely combination of organ and Elvis songs actually works really well. First track is a senseless groovy Rock-a-hula baby and continues in the same way with Spinout and Let yourself go, with a lot of party feeling. And great guitar playing by Ulf Holmberg.
SHAKE A HAND & OTHER SONGS ASSOCIATED WITH THE KING
AMERICAN MUSIC MAGAZINE
The songs are leaning more towards soul music and are performed with soul and feeling. Kent sings really well and does not try to sound like Elvis, which is a big plus. Really nice music which I strongly recommend.
Tidskriften Elvis
Great Choir singing from Afro Choir! And a great rendition of the Swedish favorite ”Always on my mind”.
BOSSA NOVA BABY AND OTHER GREAT SONGS ASSOCIATED WITH THE KING
Buyer at CD BABY
Damned, this is really fine! Another fine tribute to Mr Presley! Very fine! I can only say this is a sweet and warm and a fine tribute to the king! Damned, this is real fine! I love this group!!!!!
Buyer at CD BABY
Discovering Elvis through Orange.
I’ve never been an Elvis fan. I guess I was born a little too late to appreciate the king. So Bossa Nova Baby is more Kent then Elvis for me. I can’t compare, or even say that one version is better then the other. But I think with this CD it really isn’t relevent. Bossa Nova Baby is brilliant in it’s own right. I won’t be converted into an Elvis fan, but a Kent fan.
HIFI & MUSIK
Personal Interpretations!
I happened to hear the song GOOD TIME CHARLIE’S GOT THE BLUES with the band ORANGE on a Mr Music country collection. A very personal interpretation indeed! So I got their 2 mini-albums from their website. Personal and good, sometimes Very Good! (4 stars for the music 3+ for the sound) This review is for both mini-albums.
FRENCH JUKEBOX MAGAZINE
Vrai devraient valoir à Orange une enviable réputation internationale
Le groupe a ensuite choisi de se consacrer au répertoire d’Elvis.
“Orange & Friends Perform In The Ghetto And Other Songs Associated With The King”, de juillet 2003, connut un tel impact que sort maintenant un deuxième volet, “Bossa Nova Baby” avec, outre la chanson titre, très bien traitée avec de l’orgue Hammond, un peu à la Georgie Fame, “I Really Don’t Want To Know”, “Moody Blue” (beaux effets de pedal steel), “Don’t Cry Daddy” (comme un vrai futur classique de new country, et “Stranger In My Home Town” enregistré en concert avec là aussi une belle partie à l’orgue. Bon choix de titres, compétence musicale, originalité et sentiment vrai devraient valoir à Orange une enviable réputation internationale.
Orange deserves an international reputation
Reviewer: Jean-William Thoury, Jukebox Magazine
The band has also recorded 2 mini-albums with songs from Elvis Presley’s repertoire. ORANGE & FRIENDS PERFORM IN THE GHETTO AND OTHER SONGS ASSOCIATED WITH THE KING from july 2003 had such a reception that a now comes a second mini album. BOSSA NOVA BABY & OTHER GREAT SONGS ASSOCIATED WITH THE KING with the title track treated well on Hammondorgan in the style of Georgie Fame, I really don’t want to know, Moody Blue (fine pedal steel effects), Don’t cry daddy (like a future modern country classic) and Stranger in my own home town, recorded live, also with a great Hammond organ. Nice song selection, competence, and real feeling. Orange deserves an international reputation.
Uppsala Nya Tidning
More Elvis from Orange!
This minialbum proves that Elvis didn’t die when he went into the army, as John Lennon once said. The best song is Bossa Nova Baby, here as a great Hammond organ shuffle. A countryrocking Moody Blue is a reminder, that behind Elvis fat productions of his last recordings, there were som great song. The other songs on this minialbum are great too, even if I sometimes miss the voice of Elvis.
Dalademokraten
5 strong experiences!
Orange & Friends are here with a new CD with interpretations of Elvis songs. And as usual it is far from soundalikes or lookalikes. 5 songs with new arrangements and it is 5 strong experiences. It’s amazing to hear new things in songs that Elvis already has perfected. Swedish band Orange has done it again! They have added new dimesions without destroying. And the Elvis songs will live on……
Tidskriften Elvis
Except for great singing I have to mention the instrumental effort from
all musicians.
IN THE GHETTO & OTHER SONGS ASSOCIATED WITH THE KING
Uppsala Nya Tidning
Kent is convincing with Elvis. He definitly won’t dress up in a glittery Las Vegas jumpsuit. The interpretations are serious, low-key with a taste of country rock. They succeed best in In the Ghetto which here is a slow and soft country ballad and in Good times Charlie’s got the blues, a bit flicker than Elvis’s version, I nearly said as good.
Kent övertygar med Elvis. Han drar knappast på sig någon glittrig Las Vegas stass. Tolkningarna är fullt seriösa, ganska lågmälda och avskalade och med en doft av countryrock. Bäst lyckas de i In the Ghetto, här som långsam och mjuk countryballad där den fina melodin lyfts fram, samt i en alldeles helgjuten Good time Charlie’s got the blues, liksom snärtare än Elvis version, Jag höll på att säga lika bra. UNT
Dalademokraten
It doesn’t sound like Elvis. It is more about interpretation of the songs, doing them in a different way. And it is good, damned good even! Especially In the Ghetto. In all the melodies gets stronger in these country versions. The absolute worst thing about this record is that it is a mini CD with only 5 songs.
Det låter inte som Elvis. Det handlar istället om att tolka låtarna, göra dem på ett annat sätt. Och så blir det bra också. Förbannat bra till och med. Inte minst är In the Ghetto stark. Överlag kommer melodierna fram med lätt country-anstrykning. Det absolut sämsta med skivan är att det bara är fem låtar. Det dubbla eller tredubbla hade inte varit fel.
TCE – FAN CLUB
I can only say I’m impressed, all tracks sound really good. Great arrangements and great vocals. Not at all ”sound alike” or ”look alike”, but that is as it should be. Great musicians and singer just have to be themselves.
Jag kan bara säga att jag är imponerad, alla spår låter mycket bra! Bra arrangemang och sång framför allt. Inte alls ”sound alike” eller ”look alike”, men det är bara bra. Duktiga musiker och sångare behöver inte sådant och gör sig bäst som sig själv.
Tidskriften Elvis
Kent has the good taste to include 3 numbers from Elvis’s American Sound studio sessions. Kent sings excellent and what distinguishes him is that he does not try to sound like Elvis
