Journeyman Charlie Farren’s love of his craft is obvious on this DVD, Retrospective: Live At The Regent Theater, which comes in a deluxe package with an accompanying CD.
The project started with an idea from videographer Bob Boyd, the fellow who taped Joan Jett, til tuesday, The Stompers, John Lee Hooker and others. Boyd met with Charlie Farren for lunch and discussed his idea…and now it is a reality covering the highlights of Farren’s storied career.
The audio is superb on the CD…you can hear all the instruments while Charlie’s strong-as-ever vocals cut through on “Love Street” and opening track “Nobody’s Somebody”
David Hull and John Muzzy reprise their roles as Farrenheit, as important a component in Farren’s career as his stint with the Joe Perry Project, also represented here in the music Charlie wrote and sang for the Aerosmith guitar legend.
Candy O’Terry and Charlie Farren have a unique middle-of-the-road hit on their hands with “You Are The Only One”, which could have been a monster when Helen Reddy, Charlie Rich, Kenny Rogers & Anne Murray ruled the airwaves. That’s no slight…this writer being a big fan of 70s pop as well as the hard rock of “Signal in The Noise” and “Lost In Loveland”.
Farren performs acoustic as well as electric, yet this DVD/CD set, gorgeously produced with lots of colorful camera angles, leaves the door open for part II.
Girls Night Out keyboardist Alizon Lissance’s accordion on Old and Young” gives a lovely change of pace, just as the solo “Deja Blue” title track from the album that truly signified Farren’s step out to serious solo work shimmers in this setting.
A nice introduction to Charlie Farren’s legacy for those who don’t know, and a wonderful commemorative for those who do.
Charlie Farren will be participating in Rock Con: The Weekend of 100 Rock Stars scheduled for July 30, 31 and August 1 at the Sheraton Meadowlands in New Jersey. TMRZoo will be there!
Tickets go on sale April 15th through the website
www.NationalRockCon.com.
For further info, email rock@nationalrockcon.com or call (203) 795-4737.
