For the Record
"A thoroughly uplifting, nostalgic collection from the artist who sang our first all-New Zealand international hit pop song, 1949's Blue Smoke.
The original music has been rescued and remastered, clear as a bell, and the gorgeous accompanying booklet tells the story of the people involved in the history of the music. A must have!"
KiaOra Magazine, Air New Zealand, Sept 2011
The New Blue
"The arrangements are sedate, slow, full of passion, with room for everyone to shine. This is a true tribute, with musicians and singers combining together to produce a remarkable piece of work, packed full of emotion and feelings, showing their own skills but ensuring we never forget the person
who came before, a trailblazer in
New Zealand music, Pixie Williams."
Kev Rowland, MusicNet.NZ 2021, 5 Stars
LISTEN NOW
"Really, they really said that? I can't believe it!
They really think it was that good?
Wouldn't the guys be thrilled!
Tell the Reviewers thank you from me!"
Pixie Costello (neeWilliams), 2011
REVIEWS
Martyn Pepperell | Rip it Up | 5 Stars
"The most striking thing about the collection is its sonic presentation. Originally held on crackling Shellac 78 records, Wellington mastering engineer Mike Gibson lovingly restored these songs to a contemporary level of clarity. The results are stunning, expressing the audio experience at a level you'd expect from similar recordings made today, with modern technology. For young listeners like myself, an experience not unlike stepping into a time machine and seeing a world documented in black and white photos, in full colour. Every home should own one."
Donna Dean | Mana Magazine | Pixie's voice amazes
"I grew up listening to the sound of lap steel guitar being played by my grandfather, so when I heard "For the Record", it took me back to my childhood. There's some classy lap steel on the album but it's Pixie's voice that completely amazes. It's soulful, earthy and sophisticated. Amazing to think she was only 21 when she recorded Blue Smoke. For me, the entire album is a sweet reminder of the past. Right at the end Pixie adds a few speaking lines about what music means to her. She says, 'music always lives on' .... and hers does so beautifully."
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Scott Kara | NZ Herald | 4.5 Stars
"As a teenager, Amelia Costello could never understand why her mum, singer Pixie Williams, was only known for her 1949 hit Blue Smoke.
That classic song remains her most famous and enduring tune, but Costello knew she had other songs in her repertoire....
"some of which I thought were, dare I say it, better than Blue Smoke", she says in the 28 page book that accompanies this excellent album.
And if the exotic and tension-filled beauty of Senorita and the magical Māoriland are anything to go by, she's right."