Roger Chapman

Roger Chapman - Anthology 1979-98 - 1998 - Castle

After Family's breakup in 1973, it took Roger Chapman six years to release his first solo album. 1979's Chappo marked his eclectic but spotty career as a solo artist, with only a few albums truly illustrating Chapman's vivaciousness and fervency as a singer -- attributes that were much more consistent during his stint with his first band. Anthology 1979-1998 is a marvelous two-disc set made up of 33 tracks, including eight live cuts, piecing the best that Chapman had to offer during his 19 years on his own. His best material comes from 1989's Walking the Cat, as well as his '90s efforts, including Hybrid and Lowdown and Kiss My Soul, with the latter album represented here by the title track and "Into the Bright," truly one of his best songs. Each and every live song is well worth hearing, especially a version of Family's "Burlesque" and his attempt at "Zip Ah De Do Da," both previously unreleased. His work with the Shortlist produced the appealing "Slow Down" track, while his hard-to-find work with makeshift band the Riffburglars presents this set with "The Shadow Knows," the title of his 1984 release. Throughout the course of Chapman's solo work, he implemented moderate amounts of British blues, R&B, and even conservative funk into his music, furthering his trademark as a well-rounded musician and employing his nasally gruff voice to more than one style. His rendition of the Rolling Stones' "Let's Spend the Night Together" is actually appealing, which can't really be said for Hendrix's "Stone Free," while his sometimes obscured passion and dynamism peek out from cuts like "Love Is a Hard Thing," "Common Touch," and "Even Angels." Highly appreciated in Germany, albums like Mango Crazy, Hyenas, and He Was She Was failed to give Chapman the success he was after worldwide. Anthology 1979-1998 is both commendable and convenient at representing Chapman on his own, but some of his latter releases are still worth investigating. © Mike DeGagne © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/anthology-1979-1998-r378695/review

Roger Chapman is a British rock legend, and one of the great icons of British rock music. He is best known for for his spectacular stage presence and amazing powerful vibrato vocals, and for leading the hugely talented and original British band, Family, (who called it a day in the early 70’s). During their seven year lifespan, Family had achieved an almost unequalled standard of musical output and musicianship. Arguably, at least four of their eight albums can be regarded as rock classics. Family were regarded by critics, and by the public in general, as one of Britain's finest rock bands. John Peel, the late, great BBC Radio 1 DJ, once said that he would travel any distance to see Chappo perform. By the late seventies, Chappo had practically disappeared from the music scene.The mechanics of the music business, e.g, glam rock, the dawn of punk, new wave, and romanticism, dictated the demise of many great rock and progressive rock bands, who had dominated the music scene, (especially in Britain), for so long. That is not to say that these new genres did not produce some talented and original bands. However, the music scene at this time did not suit Roger Chapman's style of music, and never one to bow to commercialism, Chappo went to Germany in the early eighties where he still spends most of his time, and is a cult figure there. He has also received well deserved Artist of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Awards from the German people. This Anthology album is a welcome reminder of how great a musician Roger Chapman is. Listen to his brilliant 1979 album, "Chappo." It is also an education in music to listen to Family's "Music in a Doll's House," "Bandstand," and "Fearless " albums. Search this blog for other Roger Chapman related releases [All tracks @ 192 Kbps: 2 x Rar files: Pt 1 (CD 1) =105 Mb, & Pt 2 (CD 2) = 109 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

CD1

1. Always Gotta Pay In The End - Baines, Chapman
2. Moth To A Flame - Chapman
3. Who Pulled The Night Down - Chapman
4. Keep Forgettin' (l) - Leiber, Stoller
5. Let's Spend The Night Together (l) - Jagger, Richards
6. Barman - Chapman, Palmer
7. Unknown Soldier (can't Get To Heaven) - Chapman
8. Ducking Down - Chapman, Whitehorn
9. Hyenas Only Laugh For Fun - Chapman, Hinkley, Whitehorn
10. Common Touch - Chapman
11. Mango Crazy - Chapman, Whitehorn
12. Let Me Down - Chapman
13. Slow Down - Williams
14. Slap Bang In The Middle (l) - Chapman
15. Short List (l) - Jupp
16. Shadow On The Wall (l) - Oldfield

CD2

1. Burlesque (l) - Chapman, Whitney
2. My Friend The Sun (l) - Chapman, Whitney
3. Stone Free - Hendrix
4. Prisoner - Chapman, Hinkley, Whitehorn
5. The Shadow Knows - Leiber, Stoller
6. How, How, How - Chapman
7. Never Love A Rolling Stone - Chapman
8. Zipper - Chapman, Whitehorn
9. Zip Ah De Do Da (l) - Gilbert, Wrubel
10. The Drum - Bolland
11. Walking The Cat - Chapman
12. Chicken Fingers - Chapman, Simpson
13. Someone Else's Clothes - Chapman
14. Love Is A Hard Thing - Chapman
15. Even Angels - Chapman
16. Kiss My Soul - Chapman, Simpson
17. Into The Bright - Chapman

For a list of musicians who played on many Chappo albums, check out http://www.softshoe-slim.com/lists/c/chapman_roger.html

SHORT BIO

Roger Chapman is best known for his barbed-wire voice, used to front British '70s rock acts Family and Streetwalkers. He began a long-awaited solo career in 1978 that has led to over a dozen full-length releases. Never heard of them? It's not surprising; album-wise, he's been camped out in Germany for 20 years. His first album and tour got high praise in his British homeland, but critics cut into him soon after. When the hassle-free German market beckoned, Chapman began to focus all subsequent work there, where he has become a musical hero, the "Working Class Artist." Chapman split with his longtime writing partner, Charlie Whitney, after the breakup of Streetwalkers in 1977. He surrounded himself with ace session musicians to cut a debut solo effort, Chappo. It was an album of strong rock which catered to the singer and not the musicians. An appearance on Germany's Rockpalast TV show and the ensuing hit single, "Let's Spend the Night Together," gave Chapman the shot of success he needed, so he set up operations in Germany. Live in Hamburg was a reassuring second album, demonstrating the live energy of this experienced yet stage-crazed performer. Studio albums over the next few years blended straight power rock with funk, R&B and soul, all topped with Chapman's characteristic vocal style. In the 1981 German music awards, Chapman was voted Best Singer, and his Hyenas Only Laugh For Fun won an award. Chapman and his backing band, the Shortlist, released two alter-ego albums in the early '80s as the Riff Burglars. These releases honored roots and classic rock by artists like Chuck Berry, Willie Dixon and Leiber & Stoller. A lead vocal on Mike Oldfield's 1983 hit, "Shadow on the Wall," also added to Chapman's diverse repertoire. Chapman's mid-'80s foray into polished studio sounds did not fare well with his audience. When his extended partnership with guitarist Geoff Whitehorn ran it's course, Chapman returned to pure rock form with 1989's Walking the Cat, which featured Alvin Lee and old friend, Bob Tench. Two compilations filled a silent period in the mid '90s, but 1996's Kiss My Soul was a comeback for the guy who never went away. It even got attention and a pressing in Chapman's British homeland, where he often tours but has no domestic releases. This was followed by 1998's A Turn Unstoned? and the 2-CD Anthology; the next year saw re-releases of Chappo and Mail Order Magic. Moth to a Flame was issued in early 2001. © Patrick Little, allmusic.com