Following her success at the 1969 Woodstock festival, Melanie released Candles in the rain, a 1970 album that became hugely successful, making the top five in the British album charts and the top twenty in the American album charts. A top ten hit in each country, but with different songs, no doubt helped those album sales. Lay down candles in the rain (the American hit, which featured the Edwin Hawkins singers who are famous for Oh happy day) didn't chart in Britain, where Melanie's distinctive cover of Ruby Tuesday (a Rolling Stones song) charted instead. Melanie didn't like the arrangement of Ruby Tuesday and wrote another song here (What have they done to my song Ma?) as a protest. That song became an international hit for the New Seekers. Of the other tracks, I particularly like the children's song, Alexander Beetle, while there's also a fine cover of James Taylor's Carolina in my mind. Several other excellent songs make up the album including Leftover wine, which became the title of the live album that forms the second CD of this set. Before we reach that, there are six bonus tracks appended to the re-mastered original studio album.
The liner notes appear to state that the six bonus tracks all come from a soundtrack (All the right moves) but the track listing only credit's the first four as being from that soundtrack, the last two being credited to an album (Sunset and other beginnings) that I once had on vinyl. Almost like being in love (a cover of an oldie from the Great American songbook) and Dream seller meet me on the corner (a cover of the Lindisfarne classic) are the two songs in question. I certainly remember them being on Sunset and other beginnings, although I disposed of that album many years ago along with most of my vinyl collection many years ago. Were those two tracks also on the soundtrack? I don't know, but the actual movie apparently made little impact.
Melanie recorded the live album at Carnegie Hall, New York, on the occasion of Margie English's birthday, hence the inclusion of Happy birthday. I've never been a huge fan of live albums generally although I have been impressed by some of them. This one is fine although studio versions of most of them, including the title track, can be found on Melanie's earlier albums. While I would have preferred another studio album instead of this live set, I realize that it had to be included because it was successful in the British and American album charts. As such, I know that a lot of Melanie's fans will welcome its re-issue. In any case, it's better than a lot of live albums.
Whether or not you care for live albums generally (and even if you don't, you may enjoy this one), this set is worth buying just for the first CD.