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LISBETH SCOTT: Dove CD
A sort of cross between Kate Bush, Tori Amos, Suzanne Vega, Alanis Morrissette & Diane Arkenstone - and if THAT little lot doesn't get you wanting to hear this, then you are clearly in the wrong place. The songs are delivered in a gorgeously sultry vocal that has more a range of emotion than a wide vocal range as such, with passages that go from joy to angst in a heartbeat. The songs and lyrics are so addictive, so attention-grabbing while the music is a sort of chunkily celestial ambience with real strings, solid but unobtrusive rhythms, where present, and assorted layers of instrumentation revolving around keyboards, bass, drums, guitars and more. It's all incredibly strong yet reflective, purposeful and engaging, but above all it feels and sounds fantastic. If you like any of the above artists, then this will suit you just fine - a truly stunning album.
STRING DRIVEN THING: The Early Years 1968-1972 CD£11.99
This album's tracks, generally, aren't my "sort of thing", so let's try to be accurate. The first ten tracks show that this seventies Scottish band had more than a passing flair for folk - acoustic and electric - complete with admittedly rather fine vocal harmonies and these tracks emanate from their original 1968 debut album. Full of charm, the first couple are decent enough folky type offerings, but 'Magic Garden', with the addition of electric guitar, is seriously good stuff, revealing the band to be as close a UK counterpart to the best early, mellower, Jefferson Airplane, as you'll find, while the equally fine song that is the intricate, flowing eloquence and full sound that is 'Wonderful Places', complete with added mellotron, continues this feel, before veering off to more pastoral pastures, mid-song, then back to the psychedelic flavourings that began the track - I enjoyed these a lot. A further track in this vein follows, before it's time to revert to the folkier stuff once more then track eight is like a cross between the Byrds and the Monkees only more reflective and obviously "British". Next two tracks, are strong and more ballad-like and that's the first part. Then three tracks are just guitarist/vocalist Chris Adams solo home demos on rich vocal and strummed acoustic guitar. Then its' an outing for four tracks that were produced by The Strawbs main man Dave Cousins, with a more acoustic but no less enthusiastic version of 'Magic Garden' and three similar sounding tracks. The next three demo tracks from '70 and '71 sessions are interesting, good singing and playing but not my sort of folky appetiser. A rare track with all 5 original musicians on it appears and it's more gorgeous vocal harmonies and an almost early Steeleye Span feel and sound to it, wit the appearance of violinist extraordinaire, Graham Smith. Next up are three demo tracks from '72, and much more engaging than I'd have credited, with some great singing and playing in that classic early '70's folky vein, full of enthusiasm, harmonies, spiralling violin, sensitive acoustic guitars and throbbing bass, and almost Syd Barrett-like haunting male vocal, plus one female-led track. Finally, two live tracks from 2001, and this illustrates just what I said in my review of the Tractor DVD about recreating old glories. Here, for me, it doesn't work - the vocal sounds rough - in tune admittedly - but compared to the old days, the magic's gone, although there is violin, guitars and percussion to keep things upbeat. Overall, though, a fascinating document, and if you like this sort of music more than I do, then it's well worth a listen, for sure.
V/A: Big Hits - Original Hits and Video Clips DVD
Well, if you're an '80's pop/rock fan and don't have Sky TV, then this should keep you good for 65 minutes or so. It consists of eighteen pop videos from the '80's, some of them classic, some of them funny and some of them downright cheesy, but all of them fun to watch. From the sublime of Duran Duran through the serenity of Wilson Phillips to the parody (I hope to god) that is the J Geils clip. Classic songs from the likes of T'Pau ('China In Your Hand'), Paul Hardcastle ('19'), Mike Oldfield ('Moonlight Shadow'), Tasmin Archer ('Sleeping Satellite'), Culture Club ('Karma Chameleon') stand alongside more by Johnny Hates jazz, Hot Chocolate, Marillion, Chesney Hawkes (honest!!!), Climie Fisher (!!!!), Innner City, Gary Moore, Heaven 17, A Taste Of Honey, J Geils Band & Katrina And The Waves. '80's heaven (and a bit of hell too!!!).
WISHBONE ASH: Lost Pearls CD
Quite simply, an album of previously unreleased tracks from the seventies that were "found" in a clear-out that someone had, and painstakingly restored to their former glories, now surfacing for the first time on this CD. Focusing firmly and squarely on the group's songwriting and vocals rather than any extended guitar work or particularly biting solos, this is a quite intimate portrait of how the band could write and carry a good song, an aspect that, apart from the 'Argus' album, they've never really received the praise they deserve.