Singer/songwriter Bel Blue will release her debut album Our Places on August 1.
Bel describes the album as a journey of her songs, many of which are anchored in the rivers, and landscapes of South and West Wales. The recording began last autumn, with an outside recording of the title track on the banks of the River Ely, Cardiff.
Keeping the geographical approach River of Dreams, was written by Cenarth Falls on the River Teifi, Nans Ddu on the Taff Fawr, Waterfall by the Nedd Fechan,and Wild Dog Rose by the Taff.
Bel, plays guitar and harmonium on several tracks is also joined by Jamie Nemeth on Violin, Ben Steer on mandolin and guitar, Kevs Ford on guitar and harmonium and A.J Constable on percussion.
The launch of the album on August 1 will coincide with a free performance of music and poetry at Octavo’s Cafe and Wine Bar, Cardiff between 5-7pm.
Any profits from the Our Places after project costs, will be donated to Michaels Project , a service for men, run by the mental health charity Cardiff Mind Visit belblue.co.uk for further details of the album and latest news.
Recent television documentaries have reminded us that the raw twanging tea chest bass of Skiffle was right at the heart of the birth of the British popular music scene in the mid 1950s. 60 years on, and skiffle is still going strong thanks to Cardiff's Railroad Bill. Seasoned musicians themselves, the band have been together some 30 years and were even described as "Bloody Good" by the original King of Skiffle, the late Lonnie Donegan.
Their latest release on CountryMile Records, Pigs Might Fly proves King Lonnie was right on the mark, hanging on to their skiffle roots, Railroad Bill bring the skiffle genre firmly into the 21st century, with shades of classic rock n roll and raucious punk thrown in for good measure. There are some fabulous stand outs from the bluesy Obstinate Child to the rock n roll of Selfish Jean performed with more than a nod to early Elvis!
Pigs Might Fly displays the versatility of Railroad Bill and even allows a few friends in on the journey too including welsh singer/songwriter Kizzy Crawford who gives a fabulous vocal on What You Need.
It hardly seems that long ago that when the charts were laden with the repetitive beats of Stock Aitken and Waterman songs, Eddi Reader and Fairground Attraction arrived to take music back to its most simplistic but melodic form. The song Perfect hit the top of the charts, and although Fairground Attraction split shortly afterwards Eddi continued as a solo artist and has continued to create, diversify and even educate us with great music in the 25 years since.
The Best of Eddi Reader is a comprehensive collection of 30 tracks, taking in the Fairground Attraction hits Perfect and Find My Love, solo successes Patience Of Angels and What You Do With What You’ve Got as well as renditions of Ay Fond Kiss, Moon River and My Love Is Like a Red Red Rose.
Not just a treasured collection, The Best Of Eddi Reader is an introduction to one of the UK’s greatest singers, listen to this and you’ll want to discover more from her, and she has a solid back catalogue to back every track on here up – a rare accolade indeed!
Just Great Songs 2016 Various Artists
The life span of a hit record these days appears to go a lot further than it would have done 20 or 30 years ago. Maybe that’s because after several weeks (or even months) of a pre release a song can spend an incredible long time floating around in a chart and to a degree even longer on a “no repeat” radio station playlist. If it still has any durability left, the song will then wind up on numerous compilation albums.
Just Great Songs 2016 appears to have done that for tracks which have been around for well over a year including Hozier’s Take Me To Church and One Direction’s History. Still with other contributions from Justin Bieber, Zayn, James Bay and Foxes, this might be the ideal compilation if you want to avoid annoying commercial radio adverts and still hear recent hits.
Phil Collins
Take A Look At Me Now – Retrospective Series Phil Collins
Its common practice now for artists to revisit their back catalogue and tweak classic albums for remastered and extended editions. Phil Collins, appears to have taken a step further with recent reissues of No Jacket Required, Hello I Must Be Going, Face Value, Dance Into The Light, Both Sides and Testify. These 6 titles bookending an album output of some 30 years.
Not only has Phil given the tracks a significant clean up, but he’s also taken the trouble to recreate the original album artwork with up to date images of himself.
Of course, Phil Collins music goes beyond face value, In The Air Tonight, Both Sides Of The Story and Take Me Home, among others still stand up as great pop songs, and if remastered renditions of classic Collins is still not enough to pull you in there is an extra disc to accompany each album brimming with demos and live rarities.
Now's the time to get caught up on one of the greatest British solo acts of the 80s and 90s, the music of Phil Collins has never sounded better.
Versions of these reviews by Andy Howells appeared in The South Wales Argus entertainment supplement, The Guide during May 2016.
Martyn Joseph – Sanctuary (Pipe Records) Sanctuary is Welsh singer-songwriter Martyn Joseph's twenty-first studio release in a prolific career spanning four decades. Here Joseph is reunited with Ben Wisch, the three time Grammy Award-winning producer who helmed 1992’s Being There. When the two originally got together, Joseph had signed to Sony Records and Wisch had masterminded Marc Cohn’s smash hit single, Walking in Memphis.
Although Joseph always delivers something fresh and exciting with every new release, clearly he has benefited with returning to work with Wisch, with some well rounded, polished recordings starting with I Searched for You and When Will We Find. Sanctuary is much more than another Martyn Joseph album. Among the highlights are the summery Cherry Blossom Girl and the title track Sanctuary showcasing Martyn’s instrumental side.
Jon Langford & Men of Gwent – The Legend of LL (Country Mile Records)
Interweaving Americana influences, rock and performance poetry with bare faced honesty The Legend of LL is a long overdue soundtrack album for modern day living in Newport, the valleys and beyond.
If Canned Heat had gained some of Bob Dylan’s spirit and reworked The Beatles Sergeant Pepper in the 1970s it wouldn’t be that far away from The Legend of LL which features a Glam Rock style tribute to Wrestler Adrian Street.
The outright bluegrass flare of Dirty Grey River. Rebecca Been In A Riot, Pill Sailor and Old Wet Argus all add to the albums make up, giving it a sense of depth and energy.
Jools Holland & Ruby Turner - Jools & Ruby (East West Records)
Anyone who witnessed Jools Holland and Ruby Turner’s performance on tour recently need no confirmation on how wild and wonderful these performers are.
Here we have a 22 track compilation of performances encompassing rock, spiritual, jazz and rhythm and blues. There’s a lot to enjoy from originals penned by both Holland and Turner along with Chris Difford When I Get Home to Ray Charles’ Jumpin in the Morning and Billy Preston & Bruce Fisher’s You Are So Beautiful.
With the fabulous backing of The Rhythm & Blues Orchestra Jools & Ruby is upbeat, irresistible and unmissable.
Andy Howells is a freelance writer. Versions of these reviews were published in The South Wales Argus on January 1, 2015.
Much is often made of Van Morrison’s solo years, so a 3 CD revisit of his earlier material with Them recorded between 1964 and 1967 is extremely welcome.
Taking their name from a 1954 sci-fi movie, Them recorded their debut single for Decca Records in July 1964, only months after making their debut at Belfast’s Maritime Hotel performing charismatic interpretations of R&B blues and soul.
Don’t Start Crying Now paved the way for further hits Here Comes The Night and Baby Please Don’t Go, all included here, along with tracks such as Paul Simon’s Richard Cory and rare BBC radio session recordings of Gloria and One More Time.
Them may have only been under Morrison’s leadership for three years but there’s a wealth of material to enjoy for both Van Morrison collectors and 1960s aficionados.
A version of this review by Andy Howells appeared in The South Wales Argus entertainment supplement The Guide on December 18, 2015
A Classic Christmas - Blake
It has to be said that Blake, the classically trained vocal trio, have really captured the spirit of Christmas with their uplifting Classic Christmas album.
Besides their irresistible pairing with Dame Shirley Bassey on The Christmas Song, the warm seasonal glow of jazz fusion continues on fresh interpretations of tracks such as Bing Crosby's Its Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas and The Beach Boys' Little Saint Nick.
There's also a breath of fresh air on traditional songs O Holy Night, In The Bleak Midwinter and Silent Night. An album that lives up to its name, it certainly deserves to sit alongside some of the best seasonal offerings of Christmas past to be enjoyed well into the future. Kylie Christmas - Kylie Minogue Kylie Christmas features the pop queen putting her own slant on old favourites such as Winter Wonderland, Let It Snow and Santa Baby (a track she performed on Top of the Pops some years back and seems to have become an annual festive favourite to watch as well as listen to).
To add variety to the album, James Corden, Iggy Pop and the late Frank Sinatra all make audible contributions to Miss Minogue's diverse portfolio of duets (previous musical pairings have seen Kylie matched with Nick Cave, Jason Donovan and Robbie Williams).
Not sure if Kylie Christmas is a Christmas classic though, perhaps it needed a bit more originality, although anyone who has been dreaming of a Kylie Christmas for the last quarter of a century aren't likely to be disappointed.
A version of these reviews by Andy Howells appeared in The South Wales Argus entertainment supplement, The Guide on December 18, 2015
You can’t rewrite history or can you? Most people remember Frank Sinatra these days for his slick performances in the 50s and 60s, the voice of the 20th century, the leader of The Clan (now commonly referred to as The Rat Pack) and the movie star.
Frequently overlooked are his early years, a good two decades formed around regular American radio appearances in which he became the first serious rival to Bing Crosby in the popular music stakes.
Frank Sinatra: a Voice On Air 1935-55 is a fabulous audio document cataloguing a diversity of radio performances from a live equivalent of a top 20 best selling songs show to a dedication programme on the day of the D Day landings.
The clarity on these historical recordings is astounding to say the least and brings back to life one of the most interesting periods in Sinatra’s career with some sharp performances of songs such as That Old Black Magic and It Had To Be You.
Listen out for an early rehearsal take of As Time Goes By, with Sinatra leading the way while the backing musicians still haven’t quite got it together, the consummate performer has arrived but no-one seems to have realised, its a real peek into music history and a must for Sinatra fans.
A version of this review appeared in the South Wales Argus entertainment supplement The Guide on December 11, 2015.
Andy Howells delves into the bag of Christmas singles available for the festive season and cherry picks three releases for 2015.
Red Sky July – Save Christmas Day For Me
Award-winning Americana trio Red Sky July have released an atmospheric, beautifully orchestrated single for Christmas featuring Beth Nielsen Chapman. Save Christmas Day For Me is original and beautifully produced and destined to become a Christmas classic.
Blake & Dame Shirley Bassey -The Christmas Song
Incredibly, in her 60 year career, Wales own Dame Shirley Bassey has never recorded a Christmas song, so this unique pairing with classically trained vocal trio Blake of The Christmas Song is a bit of an overdue treat. It starts off with soaring strings before moving into uptempo jazz. Irresistible and very festive!
Judith Owen & Harry Shearer – The Best Things EP
Another Welsh artist, Judith Owen and her comedian husband, actor Harry Shearer (famed for his work on The Simpsons and Spinal Tap) have produced a new and original collection of songs continuing the tradition of Owen and Shearer’s own Christmas gatherings around their family piano. The three track EP features two atmospheric piano lead songs from Judith very much in keeping with the laid back sound of last years Ebb & Flow album. The third track Too Many Notes is a soulful jazz inspired number featuring both Harry and Judith on vocals, well worth a listen, and maybe the pair should look to doing an album next year!
A version of this review by Andy Howells appeared in The South Wales Argus entertainment supplement The Guide on December 11, 2015
Andy Howells chats to prog rock legend Geoff Downes about his latest project with top producer Chris Braide as DBA, Surburban Ghosts.
Three years after their critically acclaimed debut Pictures of You, creative powerhouse duo Chris Braide and Geoff Downes have reunited for the second chapter of their joint venture as the Downes Braide Association (DBA in short), Suburban Ghosts.
Prog legend Geoff Downes has played keyboards in The Buggles, Asia and Yes. He co-wrote the hits Heat of the Moment and Video Killed The Radio Star. Similarly Singer songwriter and producer Chris Braide has written and produced songs for numerous performers including Beyonce, Lana del Rey, Paloma Faith and Britney Spears, in his accomplished career he was awarded Ivor Novello, ASCAP and Billboard Awards It was at The Buggles’ reunion show in London back in 2010 that Chris and Geoff’s paths crossed for the first time.
“Chris was in a band called Producers and said, “I’d really like to write with you one day,” says Geoff, “ He moved to the States straight after that and I happened to be LA a few months later and we both said “Well, lets sit down and write some stuff together.”
With Chris busy working with both Paloma Faith and Lana del Rey and Geoff recording the Yes album, Fly from Here, DBA’s first album, Pictures of You was a culmination of a year of secret ‘moonlighting’ sessions. “The first one was very much testing the water,” says Geoff, “when we finally got together in an organised fashion we thought it would be a good idea to carry on and do another one.”
The sophomore album, Surburban Ghosts, has similarly been put together between both artists other work commitments. The quality of the release howeveris exceptional featuring a collection of melodic pop that is both nostalgic and new. Tracks such as Machinery of Fate and Number One are almost Buggle-esque in approach but with production qualities rooted firmly in the 21st century.
“The one thing we wanted to put to the fore was the synth and the melodies,” Geoff continues, “Chris was a big Buggles fan. One of the first albums he bought was our first album The Age of Plastic, so maybe its an unconscious nod in that direction. We’re not trying to emulate that, but certainly the sounds are nostalgic.”
Geoff has described DBA on his YouTube account as “the best band that will never tour”; I ask if performing live as DBA will always be out of the question? “I do know these things can always change,” he replies, “There are certainly no plans at the moment. Obviously I'm busy with both Yes and Asia touring so I don’t have a lot of time in that department. Chris is flat out with his song writing, but you never know if someone says “I’d really like to put you guys on and see how it goes,” I’m sure there’d be an appetite for it.”
The positive aspect for Geoff is that DBA material is something new for fans to get their teeth into. “Doing something like the DBA album is new music, As much as you want to play your old stuff its important to write new material and develop.”
Surburban Ghosts is available now through Cherry Red Records.
A version of this interview by Andy Howells was published in The South Wales Argus entertainment supplement The Guide during November, 2015.
David McAlmont and Bernard Butler were probably one of popular musics most underrated and overlooked musical pairings. Following the success of two singles Yes and You Do and 1995’s fabulous debut release The Sound of…McAlmont & Butler the pair pretty much went their separate ways only to reunite briefly a few years later for a second album.
But despite their solo paths moving them into different quarters over the 20 years since those recordings, the magic of McAlmont’s almost angelic vocals alongside Butler’s driven guitar sound when the pair have come together are always a joy to savour.
The Sound of McAlmont and Butler has been reissued on several formats, remastered by Bernard Butler himself, and also features a bonus disc on CD encompassing rare B sides, BBC radio sessions and instrumentals.
Bernard Butler has also prepared a new mix of the albums best track, What’s the Excuse This Time?
Certainly there are no excuses for missing this smart reissue of a Britpop era classic.
McAlmont and Butler are also back on tour and play Bristol’s 02 Academy on November 6.
A version of this review appeared in The South Wales Argus entertainment supplement The Guide on October 23, 2015
Light Up The Dark is Gabrielle Aplin’s follow up to her critically acclaimed 2013 debut English Rain.
While her debut album featured her in full singer/songwriter acoustic mode with songs such as How Do You Feel Today? and Panic Cord, Gabrielle’s new offering shows a different side to her musical talents from the offset with the harder edged title track setting the pace for a much fuller band sound for the rest of the album.
There are some very accomplished recordings which grow with repeated listening, the Rhythm and Blues smoothness of Heavy Heart, pop of Sweet Nothing and blues of Fools Love make up a varied programme which all contribute to a very satisfying and accomplished sophomore release.
A version of this review by Andy Howells appeared in The South Wales Argus entertainment supplement The Guide on October 2, 2015.
In celebration of Frank Sinatra’s centennial year, Ultimate Sinatra is a 25 track career-spanning collection of the King of Cool’s greatest recordings ranging from 1940’s All or Nothing At All to 1979’s New York New York.
Do we need another Sinatra compilation when there are so many available already?
In the case of this release, a big “Yes”. Digitally remastered, each track pretty much runs into the other with sparking quality. His Capitol records hits such as I've Got You Under My Skin, and Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words) sit nice and easy between early recordings including Saturday Night and later material featuring the reflective It Was A Very Good Year.
The real bonus of the release is listening in to a Sinatra recording session via an alternate take of Just in Time.
Ultimate Sinatra is a brilliant overview and if you have a few extra pounds you can plummet for a four disc collection or crank up the record player with a 24-track 180-gram heavyweight 2 LP vinyl for the full-on Sinatra sound.
Country music, love it or hate it there's a chance that at some point you've been subject to it by a loved one or a friend.
First Ladies of Country Music stamps out any modern day criticism about the lack of females in the music genre. There are 43 examples her showing how the ladies have kept a stronghold on the country music genre since the early 1960s.
Patsy Cline's Crazy had the distinction of charting again some 30 years after the singers tragic death while Dolly Parton's Jolene and Tammy Wynette's Stand By Your Man have become popular music crossover classics helping to make country music more accessible to the masses.
This musical history tour brings the genre right up to date including Kelly Clarkson's Mr. Know It All, Kacey Musgraves Follow Your Arrow and First Aid Kit's Master Pretender.
An instant country music collection - which can only be equaled perhaps by a male equivalent?
A version of this review by Andy Howells appeared in The South Wales Argus entertainment supplement The Guide on April 25, 2015
A few years ago when reviewing Songwriter a double CD collection of solo Paul Simon songs, I made the observation that the tracks You Can Call Me Al and Me & Julio Down By The SchoolYard were omitted.
Paul Simon - The Ultimate Collection not only features those tracks but also several greatest hit collaborations cherry-picked from Simon's collaborative partnership with Art Garfunkel.
Hearing solo hits such as Graceland and Boy In The Bubble alongside S&G classics The Boxer and Bridge Over Troubled Water certainly gives a broad overview of Simon's half century career but not the complete story by any means.
If you want several of Simon's solo and collaborative Greatest Hits in one place, this is a good place to start however and a first for attempting to bring both sides of the music legends career together on one album.
A version of this review by Andy Howells appeared in The South Wales Argus entertainment supplement The Guide on April 25, 2015.
Try as you can to avoid it , some pop is almost too infectious to ignore. Meghan Trainor had already been riding high in th US charts before her singles started to scratch the surface in the UK and as Lips Are Movin' and All About That Bass have proved, she is certainly more than a one-hit wonder.
The catchiness of her melodies continue with her debut album Title which includes her next UK single Dear Future Husband (already a big smash in America) and collaborations with John Legend on Like I'm Gonna Lose You and Shy Carter with Mr Almost.
My tweenage daughter loved this and I have to say as a forty-something Dad so did I, its all about that bass? No trouble!
A version of this review by Andy Howells appeared in The South Wales Argus entertainment section The Guide on Friday March 27, 2015.
When Mark Nevin sings the words “We had a band, we made a record, we saw the world, we touched the sun” on the title track of his latest release Beautiful Guitars he’s clearly recalling his days as a member of Fairground Attraction. Mark hasn’t forgotten his roots as a member of the fondly remembered folk-rock outfit of the late 80s as intricately arranged numbers such as Love = Love = Love, Lets Make Hay and Dangerous recall.
No doubt the albums highlight is Mark’s own bluesy vocals, making him sounding occasionally like Bob Dylan and don't miss a new and fun arrangement of Perfect, Fairground Attraction’s most enduring song.
A version of this review by Andy Howells was published in The South Wales Argus entertainment supplement The Guide on February 13, 2015
Its 25 years since Texas entered the UK charts with their debut hit I Don't Want a Lover and this latest release celebrates their quarter century with four new tracks and re workings of the bands greatest hit highlights with NYC soul outfit Truth and Soul.
Long-term fans of Texas will know of the bands soulful tendencies, this album sits new songs such as Start a Family alongside stripped back live versions of Halo and Say What You Want.
Texas 25 defines the band as they are in 2015 and is an enjoyable release particularly for fans of a more stripped back rawer live sound.
A version of this review by Andy Howells was published in The South Wales Argus entertainment supplement The Guide on February 13, 2015
Foreverly arrived on the review desk before Christmas 2013 and inevitably before the passing of Phil Everly, so although it was recorded as a tribute by Billy Joe Armstrong and Norah Jones it will no doubt take on an ever deeper meaning now to those who hear it.
Fans of The Everly Brothers will no doubt recognise many of the songs featured on Foreverly from the Everly’s album Songs Our Daddy Taught Us.
It’s fair to say that both Norah and Billy Joe haven’t strayed to far from the arrangements of the The Everly’s. A good or bad thing?
Undoubtedly it would have been nice to have heard a more originality from the featured artists but an Everly Brothers tribute is long overdue and can only serve to introduce another generation of fans to their music.
This review by Andy Howells was originally featured in The South Wales Argus entertainment supplement The Guide during January 2013
Posthumous releases tend to usually offer something new, unreleased or rare from the featured artist.
Whitney Houston Live - Ultimate Edition is a collection of live recordings from Whitney Houston's best television appearances (recently released as half of a CD /DVD set ) and a tagged on collection of 18 of her greatest hits (which was also released a while back).
I'm not quite sure who would buy this collection, as fans will likely own both albums already, also both albums feature the same song (although different studio and live versions) more than once.
Search out both albums individually for a better Whitney experience in either the studio or as a live performer.
A version of this review appeared in The South Wales Argus entertainment supplement The Guide on January 2, 2015.
