Jim Capaldi - Open Your Heart: Island Recordings 1972-1976 [CD]

Four disc (three CD + NTSC/Region 0 DVD) set in clamshell box. Aside from his work as a founder member with the acclaimed band Traffic (a group for which Jim co-wrote most of their classic songs with Steve Winwood), Jim Capaldi was also a successful solo artist, enjoying a series of hit albums and singles in his own right. His solo career began with the album Oh How We Danced, recorded whilst Traffic was on hiatus whilst Steve Winwood was recovering from peritonitis. Mainly recorded at the legendary Muscle Shoals studio in Alabama, the album featured the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section of Roger Hawkins (drums), David Hood (bass) and Barry Beckett (keyboards), along with a host of guests such as Steve Winwood, Chris Wood, Paul Kossoff, Dave Mason, Ric Grech, Jim Gordon, Mike Kellie (Spooky Tooth) and Trevor Burton (The Move / Steve Gibbons Band). Jim's second solo album was the 1974 release Whale Meat Again, an album that tackled a variety of lyrical subjects, including environmental issues. Once more, he utilized the services of Roger Hawkins, David Hood and Barry Beckett, along with Steve Winwood. With the disbanding of Traffic in 1974, following a troubled US tour, Jim embarked on his next solo project, Short Cut Draw Blood. The album would prove to be one of his most successful. Once again, Jim Capaldi assembled a stellar cast of musicians to contribute to the album such as Steve Winwood, Chris Spedding, Roger Hawkins, David Hood and Barry Beckett and Chris Wood. This boxed set has been newly re-mastered from the original master tapes and features an additional 6 bonus tracks, all drawn from single releases and also includes a bonus DVD (NTSTC / Region Free) featuring previously unreleased live appearances by Jim Capaldi on BBC TV's Old Grey Whistle Test; a session from November 1975 (featuring Steve Winwood on piano) and a 50 minute concert by Jim Capaldi & the Space Cadets at the BBC TV Theatre in March 1976.