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RECORD
COLLECTOR
August 2007, No. 339
Violinski
Clog Dance: The Very Best Of Violinski
Castle CMRCD 1497
****
4 Stars
Intriguing
vista into a short but eventful career...
This
ELO splinter group's Clog Dance reached the Top 20 in early in
1979. Before the year was out, the associated album No Cause For
Alarm managed a milder market ripple, but it was a ripple all
the same. After a second collection, 1980's Stop Cloning About,
died a death, that was the end for Violinski as far as the general
public were concerned.
Supplemented
by an engrossing booklet essay by Rob Caiger (who mentions a forthcoming
musical hinged on Clog Dance, now a brass band set work) this
20-track retrospective contains the hit, the Save Me follow up,
seven other previously unissued pieces, and a majority of surprisingly
entertaining alternate takes, rough mixes and demos. It's a mixture
of tightly arranged instrumentals and, tellingly, vocal items
that might not have been out of place in the ELO repertoire. Therefore,
while The Very Best Of may be a misnomer, this release must surely
represent some sort of Holy Grail for both Violinski stragglers
and all ELO completists.
Alan
Clayson
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