Category Archives: RACING CARS
RACING CARS Bolt From The Blue
…melodic, accessible, and particularly energetic when you consider the fact that these guys have been at it for three decades.
www.babysue.com (April 2008)
There’s no outstanding tracks, they’re all sunnily good…A rare thing of beauty in our warped reality
www.dmme.net (May 2008)
…very much a continuation of from all the Welsh band was doing in its prime, but with a harder, funkier edge that reminds of the time that has elapsed…an attractive package
Jo-Ann-Greene, Goldmine (May 2008)
…worthy of a more serious investigation…an exceptional adult rock album with soul and blues undertones…The CD comes with a bonus DVD…and shows the band in all their glory doing what they do best i.e. play live.
Classic Rock Society (June 2008)
The good people at Angel Air should be commended for making this an enjoyable set available on CD for the first time, along with a bonus DVD…
Kevin Bryan, Stirling Advertiser (June 2008)
The old sound is still there, updated a little too. Morty’s vocals are both soft and gravelly (a nod at Rod Stewart), augmented well by some touches of slide guitar and country picking. If soft rock still has any relevance, here’s the proof. Two bonuses here include “They Shoot Horses Don’t They” and a 2007 live take on “Downtown Tonight”.
Disc 2 is a DVD of the 2006 30th anniversary concert, catching the band on fine form and with some enthusiastic crowd support. Previously issued, it is bolstered by some bonuses, the 16 track live set being added to by some unplugged tracks, band interviews and interviews with Joe Elliot and Gary Pickford Hopkins.
Well packaged, some good melodies, if of limited appeal. ***
Joe Geesin, www.getreadytorock.com (April 2008)
Posted in Bolt From The Blue, RACING CARS
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RACING CARS Second Wind
It’s a fine set, 10 songs strong plus a remix, but one that is surprisingly far less diverse than their live performances…Racing Cars head straight for classic rock land with a trio of powerful 70s styled rockers, a potent reminder of the band’s early days. But as fans well know, there’s more to this sleek vehicle than that.
All Music Guide (November 2007)
…signals their long overdue comeback and it’s a solidly crafted piece of work, with soulful vocalist Morty in particularly fine fettle throughout
Kevin Bryan (November 2007)
It’s a fine set, 10 songs strong plus a remix, but one that is surprisingly far less diverse than their live performances…Racing Cars head straight for classic rock land with a trio of powerful 70s styled rockers, a potent reminder of the band’s early days. But as fans well know, there’s more to this sleek vehicle than that.
All Music Guide (November 2007)
…signals their long overdue comeback and it’s a solidly crafted piece of work, with soulful vocalist Morty in particularly fine fettle throughout
Kevin Bryan (November 2007)
The songs,which range from mid-tempo rockers to ballads, are served with a rare sensitivity and a polished production…Everything is just so tasteful!
…even if you doubt your ability to enjoy classic rock songcraft in the new millennium, this release should be consumed as a test case. 8/10
Avi Shaked, www.maelstrom.nu
Posted in RACING CARS, Second Wind
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RACING CARS 30th Anniversary Concert/Love Blind
Famed for their 1977 hit ‘They Shoot Horses Don’t They’, the band continued for several years and retained a level of popularity, as this 2006 concert on disc 1 shows. Solid rock, if a little poppy, Morty’s vocals a little husky. Recorded in south Wales, tracks from several albums get aired to much appreciation. ‘Down By The River’ is a little funky, good soulful 70s rock fare. Their hit goes down a storm too, and the recording quality is excellent.
The second disc is the album Love Blind, from 1981, and is released for the first time on CD…
A good package (as you’d expect from Angel Air), good music, this will please fans no end. ***
Joe Geesin, www.getreadytorock.com (March 2007)
A welcome return…for an underappreciated set, and a chance for fans to reacquaint themselves with a band that raced off far too soon.
www.allmusic.com (April 2007)
A welcome return…for an underappreciated set, and a chance for fans to reacquaint themselves with a band that raced off far too soon.
Jo-Ann Greene, All Music Guide (April 2007)
This is no moonlighting performance but rather a highly professional one…Racing Cars sounds like a well oiled hits machine…
Love Blind…has a funky edge and, once again, relies on fine songcraft. 8/10
Avi Shaked, www.maelstrom.nu (May 2007)
With a rocky grit hidden in Gareth ‘Morty’ Mortimer’s voice, the band still please the fans and casual listeners alike but don’t dwell on the past, and half of the show, including two opening numbers, consists of the songs recorded this side of Millenium.
Dmitry M. Epstein, www.dmme.net (May 2007)
The band’s soulful brand of pub rock has withstood the test of time remarkably well and the inclusion of ‘Love Blind’ gives Racing Cars fans a heaven sent opportunity to fill a yawning void in their CD collections.
Kevin Bryan, Hartlepool Mail (April 2007)
It’s all a bluesy, poppy, rocky blend of solidly good songs played by some of the finest of British musicians.
Martin Hudson, Classic Rock Society (May 2007)
…it’s nice to hear their honed music pleasing the faithful…
RocknReel (June 2007)
…the live show is exhilarating…
Jo-Ann Greene, Goldmine, April 27 2007
With no filler material, “Second Wind”, ready to fill the FM waves, is better than anyone could expect. And if anthemic “The Heart Of You” feels too cheesy against the rest, “Bolt From The Blue”, a top-notch follow-up to the band’s smash “They Shoot Horses”, more than makes up for it. As a whole, the warm touch of the album can make your day. ****2/3
www.dmme.net (October 2007)
Definitely well worth a listen, especially if you like 70s rock with modern production. ****/5
Joe Geesin www.getreadytorock.com (October 2007)
RACING CARS 0706, 30th Anniversary Concert DVD
Always a great live band, the band packed out this 30th anniversary show and offer a timely reminder of both the strength and weaknesses of a classy live outfit who topped the charts almost in spite of themselves…Complete with crowd and band interviews and a musical prequel from an excellent male voice choir, this is almost as much a celebration of Welshness as the band itself.
Pete Feenstra, www.getreadytorock.com (October 2006)
This DVD captures their 30th anniversary concert at Pontardawe Arts Centre in July 2006, and it’s a document of one of Wales’ most underrated rock outfits. The 16 tracks here show a deeply impressive performance, with all five members giving a hometown audience their all.
James McLaren, BBC Wales (November 2006)
It preserves their 30th anniversary concert, a 16-song show that meanders through a career that was a lot longer than the chart books let on…
Jo-Ann Greene, Goldmine, April 27 2007
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