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Bob Azzam & The Great Expectation – Bob Azzam & The Great Expectation is a wonderfully eccentric 1969 album that moves effortlessly between psychedelic pop, funk, soul, Brazilian influences and Middle Eastern flavours. Long prized by collectors, the original pressing has become particularly sought after for its unusual arrangements, adventurous production and several tracks that later attracted the attention of DJs and sample hunters.
Egyptian-born vocalist Bob Azzam had an international career that took him across Europe, and this one-off album reflects that cosmopolitan background. Rather than following a single style, the record blends fuzz guitar, keyboards, percussion, brass and exotic melodic touches into an unpredictable late-'60s sound.
Azzam's version of Allen Toussaint's “Rain Rain Go Away” is especially notable for its powerful drum break, while the band's extraordinary interpretation of The Rolling Stones' “The Last Time” transforms the song with fuzz guitar, electric sitar, piano, bass and soaring vocal harmonies.
Elsewhere, “Mon Amour” brings a clear Middle Eastern flavour, “Berimbau” explores Brazilian rhythms, and the Les Reed compositions “Mr. Lovin' Luggage Man” and “One Little Packet of Cigarettes” add an infectious psychedelic-pop sensibility.
This Real Gone Music release marks the first reissue of the album in any format. Newly remastered and pressed on striking fire orange vinyl, it brings one of the more unusual and collectible international psychedelic records of 1969 back to vinyl.
Track ListingSide A
1. Mr. Lovin' Luggage Man
2. Rain Rain Go Away
3. Mrs. Wilson
4. Berimbau
5. One Little Packet of Cigarettes
Side B
1. The Story of My Life
2. The Last Time
3. Mr. Dyingly Sad
4. Tricky Soul
5. Mon Amour
