Movements

AMG Review of Movements

Bruce Eder
All Music Guide

This may be more Move than the casual fan wants, but it's not just another rehashed collection. From the remastered sound to the presence of various outtakes (including lost live tracks), the 30th anniversary triple-disc Movements is as definitive a set as we'll ever have on this band, containing everything except for the Message From the Country album. Disc one consists of the group's early singles plus The Move album and one outtake ("Disturbance"), all sounding really clear and tough, the loudest psychedelic pop music you'll ever hear out of England. Disc two contains the complete Shazam album, as well as alternate stereo or undubbed mixes of such songs as "Cherry Blossom Clinic," "(Here We Go Round) The Lemon Tree," "Fire Brigade," and an Italian-sung version of "Something." The sound is OK, with brilliant delineation on the guitars and basses, but not quite the revelation that one would hope (20-bit remastering would have been a real treat on Shazam). "Wild Tiger Woman Blues" is worth the price of this disc by itself, and the early version of "Curly" is lots of fun, while the undubbed "Fire Brigade" is raw and punkish. Disc three starts off with the complete Looking On album, which still lacks some presence, but is the best version yet heard. The real deal here, however, is the first-ever CD version of the live Something Else EP remastered from the original live tapes. The notes by John Platt are pretty cool, too, and coupled with the remastered Message From the Country, this set pretty well closes the books on the Move, as far as reissues of fully authorized stuff goes.