"HOLLYWOOD DREAM" BY THUNDERCLAP NEWMAN.

    Today, I am going on another YouTube adventure, to review the album "Hollywood Dream" by Thunderclap Newman. Thunderclap Newman is a pretty awesome name for a band. The album came out in 1970. The band consists of Speedy Keen on vocals, drums and guitar, Andy "Thunderclap" Newman on piano and Jimmy McCulloch on guitar. Jimmy was 17, very talented!
    Let's roll!!
1: "Hollywood #1": from the minute it started, I knew, I was going to dig this album! This song seems to be about Hollywood in the old days, I love how they say "Film star" instead of "Movie star" because they don't watch movies in the UK, they watch films! Or if you are Jerry Lewis, you just call them pictures. This song has a very cool piano solo, very old Hollywood, very honky tonk, I can see the tap dancers now! A great opening to an album.
2: "The Reason": This is a song that could make it on classic rock radio, why it is not on the radio right now, I don't know. This would not be out of place on a Who album! Interestingly enough, Kit Lambert and Pete Townshend helped to put this band together. There is a harmonica on this song, very cool, I can't remember the last song I heard with a harmonica. Also, another Jimmy McCulloch guitar solo that produces so many chills, they can feel it in Texas on 112 degree day!
3: "Open The Door, Homer": A Bob Dylan song. This has some pretty neat high sounding organ (at least, I believe it is an organ) in it throughout. I like how the middle of the song changes over to that honky tonk piano for a moment and then goes back into guitar to bring the song out! The extra parts included make the song extra memorable. Now it's in my head!
4: "Look Around": Here is one to take on your road trips! Song for the restless. Gotta love it. There are many different piano sounds on this record, which is pretty groovy, and lots of tambourine and Maraca power bringing it home on this one. This song sounds oddly familiar, where did I hear it?
5: "Accidents": This song is about a man who ends up at the wrong place at the wrong time-repeatedly. There are many great sound effects in this nine minute goodie! There is also an instrumental period in the middle, including some guitar that just EXPLODES!  I believe that you could make a short film to this, they could've done it as a promo film back in the day!
6: "Wild Country": More jams for the road trip (can you tell I want to travel so badly?) As you drive through the country, with the wind in your hair, sun blinding you through the wind shield, blast this one out as you wave to some Amish. You miss them when they look at you curiously.
7: "When I Think": This is a really pretty one. One great thing about music from the 70s is the fact that they used brass and woodwinds in pop and rock music! Mostly everything now is electronic.
8: "The Old Commill": This is a cool song. I could not understand a lot of the words, but it was groovy. It sped up near the end, like a plane taking off! By the way, what is a commill? Let me know!
9:" I Don't Know:  This one has some great lyrics, a great solo, and naturally , that high organ! My favorite line is: "In all that time I've had so many fights to fight, I see the light, I could be wrong."
10: "Hollywood Dream": We have reached the title track! This is the 2nd song about Hollywood on this album, and is an utterly fabulous instrumental. It sounds like they put pedal steel in this, I've never heard pedal steel outside of country music, or even in Brittish music!
11: "Hollywood #2: This. Is. Beyond. Awesome!! Between 1 and 2, 2 is my favorite. It has a bunch of delicious changes and that opening is real dynamite. This goes on my list of best songs about Hollywood or best songs in general-speak of the devil, I really need to write that list.
12: I am surprised that I have never heard it! This was their big hit and it is fantastic! I am putting the video up here, along with a photo I found of them on Wikipedia. You can also see Jimmy 's brother Jack on drums! I always thought that Speedy Keen looked like Denny Laine, I wonder how many others think the same!
This was a great album!! Naturally, "Hollywood #2" is my favorite, what is yours? Let me know! Thanks for stopping by!