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Bar Stool Preachers – Lost Horizon, Bristol – 27.04.24

Bar Stool Preachers – Lost Horizon, Bristol – 27.04.24

A last-minute decision sees me travel the 100 miles across the Severn Bridge to catch the twelve-legged groove machine otherwise known as The Bar Stool Preachers in Lost Horizon Bristol, Why not seems like a good idea right? Right, what else was I going to do on a Saturday night?

Lost Horizon is the nearest town centre venue to the M4 so bonus as we enter the old warehouse venue turned into a trendy concert venue where different warehouses are pumping out different flavours of Saturday night music from Drum and Bass to punk rock and Ska to god knows what was filling the air as we neared the venue.

A healthy attendance as we enter the room at the perfect time just as the house lights go down and the intro tape begins. The room is hoping with people of all ages out to enjoy the best Saturday night they could muster with a band who certainly know how to put on a performance be it in front of 20,000 Germans, A packed Rebellion Festival or a Saturday night in the West Country. Business is on and ‘Call Me On The Way Home’ fills the air and the place is jumping well up for an entertaining evening with the preachers.

The band seamlessly glide from album to album playing the best night-out music you could hope for its music to move even the stiffest people nobody here is judging the dancefloor and the place is rocking. Sweaty bodies are moving to ‘DLTDHYOTWO’, ‘Fall Down’, ‘Trickle Down’ and ‘State Of Emergency’ I glanced down at my watch and already we were an hour deep into this gig, how the hell did that happen as Tom Pirouettes around the stage between the band out front who can’t stand still for a second, beaming faces from ear to ear as every word is sung back. Every time I catch the band I think their time is now these guys are ready to go big and the next album will be the one but they already have so many anthemic sing-along songs like ‘Chose My Friends’, ‘Flatlined’ and the superb ‘Doorstep’ but tonight it was the old guard that stole the show and almost a week later I can’t get the earworm ‘8.6 Days (All The Broken Hearts)’ out of my head maybe they knew how many days it would stay in your ears for who knows.

With an early curfew time was running out and it was time to take a breather with the excellent ‘Lighthouse Keeper’ where Tom had found a fetching pair of cat ears to wear, no he did. The band raced through ‘8.6’ and the togetherness and interplay was so evident that this is a band working as one totally in step with one another that is a beautiful thing living in the moment making great music and having it paid back from an audience who are loving it ten fold.

All that was left was ‘Bar Stool Preacher’ and a good ole knees up and they were done. Nothing was left on the stage there couldn’t have been anyone in attendance who didn’t have a good time. This was the perfect way to spend any night let alone a Saturday night and these boys are on fire. through a crisp sound system, they were on fire dishing out not soul music but music for the soul. Right at the top of their game Bar Stool Preachers have evolved into a fantastic live band and peerless in their genre – come and join the family and let them shine some light into your life it’ll make you a better person and if you don’t Tom might hunt you down and give you a headbutt. The highlight was ‘Never Gonna Happen’ it was performed with such belief and passion it was an experience. My only complaint is get ‘Race Through Berlin’ back in the set it’s majestic even if you have to overrun by three minutes it’ll be worth it. Top night out as always.

Author: Dom Daley

Rich Ragany – ‘You Can Get Dark With Me’ (Barrel and Squidger Records)

Rich Ragany – ‘You Can Get Dark With Me’ (Barrel and Squidger Records)

Whammo! Look who’s back with a new shiny spinning disc of musical meanderings for your perusal. If you read the hallowed pages of Uber Rock back in the day, you’ll probably be aware of the name Rich Ragany. Affectionally known as Rags to all and sundry, you may remember him from such class acts as The Loyalties and The Role Models, and more recently with his band The Digressions. Well, the Calgary born and New York bred singer/songwriter, who has lived in London for enough years now to be considered a local, has cast aside his trusty telecaster, strapped on an acoustic guitar and he’s riding that steel horse into town all on his lonesome.

Don’t worry, Rags hasn’t gone all Bon Jovi on us just yet, but his debut solo album ‘You Can Get Dark With Me’ is a more stripped-back, singer/songwriter affair than his previous works. On offer we have 10 tracks recorded in various settings, including his own bathroom! Produced by Andy Brooke and Russell Broom and featuring Ken Mochikoshi-Horne of The Bronx playing guitar on first single ‘A Pleasant Fiction’, as well as fellow digression Kit Swing providing backing vocals.

Opener ‘Empty and Free’ sets the scene nicely. This is the sounds of The Lords Of The New Church and The Replacements jamming out in some forgotten Tarantino spaghetti western. The vibes are anthemic and upbeat from the off, with a trademark Rags melody that will embed itself right in the brain. Guitar lines jangle and intertwine before the dulcet vocals reverberate through the speakers.

First single ‘A Pleasant Fiction’ follows. Featuring the guitar talents of The Bronx man Ken Mochikoshi-Horne, it’s an album highlight for sure. The verse creates a certain drama, again the alternative 80’s are strong with this one, I’m getting early Hanoi meets Japan vibes, are you with me?

The title track came about after a 3 a.m. heart-to-heart with longtime friend and former Amen/Wildhearts bassist Scott Sorry. This is classic balladmongery, with Rags enticing the listener with heartfelt melodies, the juxtaposition of Kit’s vocal accompaniment then gives a silken, dreamy edge to the raspiness. A blood-on-blood tale that gives a sense of longing and vulnerability that we have not seen from this artist before. ‘Sierra Bonita’ is the surprise twist of the album. With pulsing electronica and skulking verses, it has early 80’s new wave vibes, coming on like Billy Idol or prime, drug-ravaged Depeche Mode at their best.

Elsewhere the likes of ‘Reach Out’ and We’re Alive Anyway’ break out the tinkling ivories where the singer is full of nostalgia and hope. And ‘The Great Nothing’ continues the dark and foreboding Lords alternative 80’s theme.

He’s had his ups and downs the past few years, but Rags is still aiming for that guitar shaped swimming pool with ‘You Can Get Dark With Me’. It harks back to the days of those Role Models albums, there seems to me a whole heap of nostalgia and soul searching going on here, and if you were dragged up on a diet of Hanoi, The Lords and The Dogs, then you will fall in love with the sonic tapestries created within this album.

There’s a diverse and rich set of tunes that somehow sound familiar after just a few listens, which is always a good indicator of a top-ten album contender come the end of the year.

Rich Ragany has laid his heart on his sleeve and poured his soul out on ‘You Can Get Dark With Me’, so the least you can do is return the favour and pick up a cheap alternative to that Replacements box set you’ll never afford.

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Author: Ben Hughes

It’s A Revolution – Episode 26 – Return Of The Fun Boy Three

It’s A Revolution – Episode 26 – Return Of The Fun Boy Three

The Return of the Fun Boy Three who entered the pumphouse to spin some tunes that tickled their fancy this past few weeks. With an ever-expanding repertoire, this week’s tunes are as follows.

G.B.I. from their record store day single – a cover of ‘The Regulator’ originally by Bad Brains. Quickly followed by those Continental Lovers who continue to impress with every single released and we look forward to catching them live and think you should too.

Billy Morrison has a new album out and we played the impressive single ‘Drowning’ Quickly followed by Starcrawler and ‘I Love LA’. We then head back into the mists of time for the classic original Quireboys track ‘Mayfair’ and what I believe is the original version. Linking those Continental Lovers because they both head out for some live dates soon.

As we love a cover version this time we flip it and play the original from TV Smith of the track covered by The Lords Of The New Church ‘The Lord’s Prayer’. A new record coming out soon on Damaged Goods is Martin Savage & The Jiggerz so ‘Down The Line’ is aired from that record.

We also have tracks from Jason And The Scorchers followed by Screaming Rebel Angels before Tyla J Pallas gets played and one from his ‘XIII shades of Dog Vol II’ Album ‘Fool Like Me’ is the old brought into the new but now not-so-new but still a cracking tune.

Toronto Canada is where you’ll find The Anti Queens and their new single ‘Crusade’ lifted from their forthcoming album ‘Disenchanted’ coming out mid-May on Stomp Records. We turn it up to 11 as Danko Jones joins the noise pollution with ‘Guess Whos Back’. If it’s brand new music you’re after then Former More Kicks frontman James Sullivan is back with a new LP and we play ‘My Best Friend’.

The Oxys offer up ‘Mr Horrible’ but not before we play some Speedways off their Tripple Platinum which has finally arrived at Beluga Records before another new single from The Chesterfield Kings who are ‘Electrified’ out on Wicked cool records is the penultimate tune this week.

We close off the show with a track from The Waldos because Walter would have had a Birthday the day we recorded the show and anytime is a good time to play a Walter Lure song so ‘Sorry closes Episode 26. Thanks again for tuning in and we hope you’ve enjoyed our nonsense and found a new band or two to check out.

UK Subs – ‘The Last Will And Testament of the UK Subs’ (Cleapatra Records)

UK Subs – ‘The Last Will And Testament of the UK Subs’ (Cleapatra Records)

Twenty Three studio albums plus seventeen live albums (from A-Z and beyond), thousands of live performances, countless band members and one legacy that will undoubtedly outlive us all. When they announced they were calling time on touring I think it’s fair to say many didn’t believe it or took it for granted it would never be an issue. When that day arrived I guess it seemed like a no brainer to document the final fling and capturing the current line up in full flight was a no brainer. I caught them earlier on the tour and they were on fire, in fine fettle firing on all cylinders its fair to say. When this album news dropped I was delighted to hear they had indeed captured the fire, fury and quality of what they’d been delivering night after night on this tour.

UK Subs have seen it all, done it all, and conquered all, becoming one of the most well-respected, most loved bands to come out of the original ’77 punk rock movement. Five consecutive sold out shows at London’s epicenter for the punk rock revolution the 100 Club was chosen and it seemed fitting that this live album was recorded there. Its raw but not bootleg raw but in being left untouched they’ve captured that fire and fury from the band and Charlie is in fine voice throughout.

Thankfully, this superb finale was captured on both video and audio and is set to be released as a multimedia CD/DVD set on May 3 also there is a vinyl record of the night coming as well. Alvin Gibbs and newer members Steve Straughan and Stefan Häublein are on fire from ‘Scum Of The Earth’ they own the songs and give them a twist as well as adding their own take throughout. sometimes when line ups change songs lose a little heart and soul but that can’t be said here as the rhythm section give the songs energy and a beating soul whilst Steve Straughans guitar rips some of these classics a new backside ‘New York State Police’, ‘Warhead’, ‘Tomorrows Girls’ are all owned and sound fresh and exciting and its that energy that shines throughlike a burning sun.

The banter is left in which shows that the band having fun is a vital ingredient and them having fun is infectious. I’ll miss the annual Subs tour but I’ll make the effort to travel if need be to see them play for the umpteenth time.

The Last Will and Testament is a fitting live full stop for one of the finest bands from the genre, make no mistake about that and if you were on the tour or at the 100 club or if you missed out quite simply buy it!

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley

5 Years Of Strap Original Live shows

5 Years Of Strap Original Live shows

Peter Doherty

PRESENTS

5 YEARS OF STRAP ORIGINALS

artist performances & Q&A with Peter each night

MAY 28TH MANCHESTER THE WHITE HOTEL ANDREW CUSHIN / VONA VELLA 

MAY 29TH LONDON 100 CLUB TRAMPOLENE / EVAN WILLIAMS 

MAY 30TH LONDON 100 CLUB REAL FARMER / PREGOBLIN / JACK JONES  

To mark Strap Originals’ 5th anniversary, label boss Peter Doherty will host three special celebratory nights in Manchester and London in May. Each night will feature Strap Originals artists live in concert: Vona Vella/AndrewCushin (The White Hotel, Manchester 28th), Evan Williams/Trampolene (100 Club, London 29th) and Jack Jones/PREGOBLIN/Real Farmer (100 Club, London 30th). On all three nights Peter will do a Q&A with a journalist about his life, his music and his vision for the label. Tickets for these extra special shows are available here:

TICKETS Manchester – The White Hotel 28th May 

TICKETS London – 100 Club 29th May 

TICKETS London – 100 Club 30th May  

The full details are:

MAY

28th  Tuesday –  SALFORD – The White Hotel 

Live performances: VONA VELLA / ANDREW CUSHIN

Peter Q&A with Chris Hawkins

29th Wednesday – LONDON – 100 Club

Live performances: EVAN WILLIAMS / TRAMPOLENE

Peter Q&A with Sydney Lima

30th Thursday – LONDON – 100 Club

Live Performances: JACK JONES /PREGOBLIN / REAL FARMER

Peter Q&A with Matt Wilkinson

pic by ed cooke

Strap Originals was launched in 2017 with the release of Peter Doherty & The PutaMadres self titled album. The label has gone on to release six Top 10 Independent Albums by Andrew Cushin, Trampolene and Peter Doherty, along with critically acclaimed albums by Vona Vella, PREGOBLIN and Real Farmer. Strap Originals also entered the book publishing world at the end of last year with a novel by Jack Jones (Trampolene) entitled ‘Swansea To Hornsey’.

Strap Originals is a stand-alone Independent label owned by Peter Doherty and his manager Jai Stanley working alongside managing director Charlie Dilks. It is independently financed and is committed to signing new original artists and allowing them to evolve and have creative control.

https://strap-originals.com/

STRAP ORIGINALS ALBUM RELEASES 

PETER DOHERTY & THE PUTA MADRES – S/T SOLP001

TRAMPOLENE – Love No Less Than A Queen SOLP002

PETER DOHERTY & FREDERIC LO – The Fantasy Life Of Poetry & Crime SOLP003

ANDREW CUSHIN – You Don’t Belong SOLP004

TRAMPOLENE – Live From Swansea Arena SOLP005

TRAMPOLENE – Rules Of Love & War  SOLP006

VONA VELLA – Go Outside Forever SOLP007

VONA VELLA – S/T  SOLP009

ANDREW CUSHIN – Waiting For The Rain SOLP010

TRAMPOLENE – Swansea To Hornsey (Anniversary Edition) SOLP011

PREGOBLIN – PREGOBLIN II SOLP012

REAL FARMER – Compare What’s There SOLP013

Strap Originals is distributed by FUGA (digital) & Cargo (physical).

All albums are available on vinyl from all good record stores. 

The Speedways, Club Supersonic, Paris 24.04.24

The Speedways, Club Supersonic, Paris 24.04.24

For once, living in France pays off! A while ago I noticed that those kings of power pop, The Speedways, would be finishing their brief, European jaunt with a gig in Paris. I decided to tie this in with a visit to the UK, catching the band on my way back home. I know, aren’t I exotic?

It’s my first visit to Supersonic, a small but busy club in the Bastille district. With a typically ‘interesting’ hotel room booked a mere 10-minute stroll away, so far, so good. I just caught the end of the opening band’s set, Pink Balls Sister, who had some twin guitar parts to match the singer/guitarist’s Thin Lizzy t-shirt. Next up, The Not (Not) were more interesting. Hard to pin down, their brand of rock was improved by their keyboard player. They certainly held the crowd’s attention.

As for The Speedways, what can you say? Ostensibly touring their ‘Triple Platinum’ compilation album, their set shows that few of their contemporaries have such an arsenal of top pop tunes. I told Mauro Venegas that I was hoping to hear ‘Empty Pages’, which isn’t currently in the set list. No matter, when you have such gems as ‘Seen Better Days’, ‘Shoulda Known’, ‘Kisses Are History’ and ‘The Day I Call You Mine’.

Kris is certainly one very happy drummer, beaming and seemingly indefatigable. Nothing is going to stop the good vibes, not even when Matt breaks two strings near the end of the set. They play some extra songs, including a newie, as the crowd really are loving it. They are that kind of band; if you know their songs, it’s better, but if you don’t, they’ll win you over anyway.

I can’t pick a favourite song, all their albums are great. A rare thing indeed. They’ll be playing the UK again soon, so keep your eyes peeled and they will guarantee you a top night out.

Author: Martin Chamarette

Buy the new album Here

The Tony Slug Experience – ‘Self Titled’ (Suburban Records/Wap Shoo Wap/Alternative Tentacles)

The Tony Slug Experience – ‘Self Titled’ (Suburban Records/Wap Shoo Wap/Alternative Tentacles)

Posthumously released records tend to be hit or miss affairs, especially when they are put out by a major label looking to cash in on some unfortunate musicians untimely passing. Thankfully with ‘The Tony Slug Experience’ what we have is a record very much in the “hit” camp, not only because it features a dozen new tracks assembled by Slug himself but also because he’s dragged in a plethora of his showbiz mates to help hammer home his message and blow me if it isn’t one of the best things the man has ever been a part of too.

This isn’t some fleeting comment you should take lightly either, especially when you consider that during his time on planet Earth, Slug had been a part of such bands as The Nitwitz, B.G.K, Loveslug and (the band with whom I first encountered his mighty bass thump) The Hyrdomatics.

Having started out in punk rock all the way back in 1978 delivering fast and furious missives with the first two of those bands Slug immediately got to share European stages playing on bills with bands like the Dead Kennedys, whilst a decade on and long before grunge was a household term, as part of Loveslug, he got to work in the US with the likes of Jack Endino helping forge a hybrid punk/garage rock sound and quite probably turning a few plaid shirt wearers’ heads in the process. Then at the tail end of the 90s Slug got to record with both Scott Morgan and Nicke Andersson in The Hydromatics, starting with the awesome ‘Parts Unknown’ record before more recently picking up with both The Spades and Cheetah Chrome and The Knobs.

The reason for this potted history lesson is to fully understand the true spirit of what The Tony Slug Experience is all about. Recorded across a 2-year period during various sessions in both Europe and the US. The biggest chunk being recorded in Tony’s hometown Amsterdam with producer/musician Steven van der Werff, this album assembles 30 of Slug’s other musician friends, including Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys), Jennifer Finch (L7), Nicke Andersson (Hellacopters), Jerry A. (Poison Idea) and Happy Tom (Turbonegro), to produce one of the most exciting swan song records of all time.

Blasting out the speakers with ‘Road Goat’ this is where the Slug story comes full circle with lead vocals provided by Jello Biafra (his first of two songs here). This song must surely have taken Slug all the way back to those early B.G.K days, whilst ‘If I Make The Gates’ which immediately follows (and featuring Nicke Andersson) is much more like the latter day garage punk music Slug would go on to be involved with. It’s Jeven De Groot (guitarist/singer with space rock outfit Temple Fang) who really shines on this tune though as he does on ‘Wreckerball’ a song that sounds like it’s just fallen out of The Hip Priests’ extensive back catalogue and is truly a world away from the singer’s day job. Exhilarating stuff indeed!

Elsewhere, Jerry A steps up to the microphone for a riotous ‘I’ll Never Forget’ and Jennifer Finch slips into ‘Someone to Blame’ with the utmost ease. The latter is a song that reminds me of US glam punks (and Dom Daley Rebellion faves) Glitter Trash which is kind of ironic as their ex-guitarist Paul Grace Smith (who also played with Slug in a host of bands) features on ‘Spy Satellite’ which immediately follows. Plus let’s not forget ‘Smile’ featuring Greta Brinkman on vocals that gives the record a full tilt rock n soul vibe at the midway point, she returns for the equally excellent ‘Dumb Things’ later too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6d89eOapI

You know, with so many different musicians and styles involved ‘The Tony Slug Experience’ could really have ended up sounding like a patchwork quilt of tunes, but it’s true strength is that it doesn’t, it plays out as one set of interconnected songs, and that’s because Slug is at the heart of them all. Slug Rock to the very end!

Set for release on May 5th 2024 ‘The Tony Slug Experience’ will be released via Suburban Records and Wap Shoo Wap in Europe and via Alternative Tentacles in the US, the vinyl coming in a gatefold sleeve with a foreword by Turbonegro’s Happy Tom, accompanied by a fanzine-sized biography.

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Author: Johnny Hayward

Steve Conte – ‘The Concrete Jangle’ (Wicked Cool Records)

Steve Conte – ‘The Concrete Jangle’ (Wicked Cool Records)

Now Steve Conte really caught my attention when he was drafted in to play guitar alongside Sylvain Sylvain in the Dolls and following that the solo career he was forging was all killer and no filler and even when he played in Michael Monroe band and wrote songs for someone as talented as Monroe to sing he couldn’t put a foot wrong it would seem. ‘Bronx Cheer’ was his last offering and to be fair I loved it I thought he had written some of his best material on that album and his vocals seemed to have been elevated to the next level as well. Fast forward a couple of years and after much social media jibber jabber about writing new material for another solo album I thought Conte can’t possibly top the last album but after running through this album for a couple of months I truly believe he’s mixed up his Rock album formula with a new found new wave pop seam and mined it to the maximum and taking a side step into some new territory works well and drafting in someone he really admires and holds in high regards a certain Andy Partridge from XTC is both interesting and unexpected but ultimately a fine move from the evidence of the co written tunes that make up the opening side of this album.

Clever clogs album title aside this might well prove to be Conte’s finest work to date which is no small feat for someone who has quite an impressive output over the last decade or so. Ian Hunter, Danko Jones, Steve Lillywhite, Nasty Suicide and Glen Matlock raise an eyebrow alongside several other impressive talents on show. The Melodies are constant and at every turn and the pop songs wear many outfits from bluesy rockers or more punky-edged songs Conte has covered all bases yet made a cohesive and truly wonderful album.

Ultimately Conte has evolved his repertoire and moved in another direction and quite possibly turned in his finest album thus far in an ever-impressive collection of mightily fine albums. Don’t just take my word for it check it out for yourself and immerse yourself in a fantastic album brimming with glorious songs where he goes from here, who knows, at this point, the world is his oyster and I’m happy to spend the next couple of years marvelling at ‘The Concrete Jangle’ my only complaint is it could have gone on and on, no should have gone on and on. Buy IT!

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Author: Dom Daley

Haust – ‘Negative Music’ (Fysisk Format)

Haust – ‘Negative Music’ (Fysisk Format)

Norway’s finest have concocted another pure sonic assault, getting back to their roots musically while also looking forward and developing new aspects to their sound. 

New album Negative Music has the ear splitting extreme metal tones you would expect but with a raw underlying punk rock energy and ethos. Thudding bass lines akin to west coast hardcore but with shrieking and tortured vocals reminiscent of 80s Deathrock while also sharing the band’s issues and social concerns relating to their upbringing and the musical scenes they have navigated. 

Unrelenting and with absolutely no compromise, the black metal meets punk sound helps lend to a fresher more analogue sound to the record, getting away from the synthetic heavy metal pitfalls and tropes that can plague the genre but still remaining brutal. 

Particular stand out tracks are ‘dead ringer’ and ‘the burning’, a throbbing assault to the senses with the potential to upset any next door neighbours. 

In an industry and subculture that trades on shock value and over the top rorschach logo typography, Haust are refreshing due to their stripped down approach with their image, artwork and their level headed approach to interviews and promotion and as a result they’re a hell of a lot more approachable in their “scene”.

Author: Dan Kasm

HAUST:
Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/haustmusic
Instagram: https://www. instagram.com/haustmusic
Bandcamp: https://haustno.bandcamp.com

Fysisk Format:
Web: http://www.fysiskformat. no
Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/fysiskformat

Ian Hunter – ‘Defiance’ Part Two ‘Fiction’ (Sun Records)

Ian Hunter – ‘Defiance’ Part Two ‘Fiction’ (Sun Records)

The second part of Defiance is here for RSD 2024 and sees a vibrant Hunter rolling away the years as he assembles an impressive array of superstar friends to help narrate and navigate their way through this ambitious project, and boy does he hit the bullseye yet again. Take the vibrant opener ‘People’ performed by members of Cheap Trick as they rock n roll their way through some choppy guitar riffs for an excellent opener. Hunter certainly doesn’t sound his age as he belts out this worthy opener.

Sure I get the need to sit back and on the countrified balladeering of ‘The 3rd Rail’ that features the deft twang of Jeff Beck on a song that seems perfectly fitting for a tribute to a unique talent that is no longer with us. Hunters’ hushed tones are perfect as his well-worn yet warm vocal delivers. It must be awesome for people like the Def Lep Boys to feature on tracks on a record by someone they call a friend but also a main inspiration for what it is they do for a job. ‘This Ain’t Rock n Roll’ has shades of Once Bitten in the twelve-bar dalliance and Phil Collen sounds like he enjoyed adding his guitar part.

Whilst the subject of passed musicians this record also has a performance from Taylor Hawkins on ‘Precious’ that features Brian May and Joe Elliott which is some big boys clanging right there. ‘Kettle Of Fish’ also features a hefty thump courtesy of Hawkins but it also has the cool groove from Hunter as he hushes his way through the verses ably supported again by some Cheap Trickers. I do love the laid-back coolness of ‘Weed’ and Hunter’s storytelling vocals that sound like the smoothest single malt 20-a-day delivery that sounds great sitting on top of some cool slide playing.

Benmont Tench lends his wonderful keys on ‘What Would I Do Without You’ which sees Hunter duet with the velvet tones of Lucinda Williams but the penultimate track has Keith Richards rockin partner Waddy Wachtel throwing shapes alongside Tench effortlessly throwing out a record highlight on ‘Everybody’s Crazy But Me’ that also has Hawkins tub-thumping in fine fashion.

The record is brought to a close with the beautiful ‘Hope’ which could be described as the quintessential Ian Hunter ballad with great lyrics that fittingly closes off a fine record. If you’ve ever liked Hunter be it solo or with Mott then there will be plenty in here to please you and give you a warm glow as you turn up the speakers and pour a nice big glass of vino to while away the hours. There is also a RSD edition with three bonus cuts that feature some Black Crowes and a few Pearl Jammers to pique your interest in getting the complete edition. Defiant and oozing class, keep on rocking Mr Hunter and it’s great to hear that this project has enthused him to write Part Three – Buy it!

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