Reviews roundup – C.O.P. vs. Eleanor McEvoy vs. TV Themes of the 50s & 60s

Reviews roundup – C.O.P. vs. Eleanor McEvoy vs. TV Themes of the 50s & 60s

C.O.P.
State Of Rock
AOR Heaven

I’m not sure where this album leaves the rather good Grand Illusion, seeing as how all three members of C.O.P. (Christian Sundell, Ola af Trampe and Peter Sundell) have all been involved in said band.  But for whatever reason brothers Christian and Peter, along with Ola, have decided that these songs need to have their own life.

And it’s very good indeed, if hook filled eighties melodic rock is your thing.  It is mine, and with the experienced musicians on display here, this was unlikely to be a flop.  Peter Sundell has the best scream this side of Robert Fleischmann and he puts it to good use here, straight from the opening ‘Loner’.

The album is chock full of lost action movie theme songs from the eighties, with ‘I Want The World To Know’, ‘In My Dreams’ and the big ballad ‘Without You’ all fighting for space as my top of the pops. There are plenty of guitar (and keyboard) solos to keep the rockers happy, and more than enough melodies to fill half a dozen albums.  An absolute delight.

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ELEANOR McEVOY
Love Must Be Tough
Moscodisc

This is an odd one.  A reissue of the 2008 album from Eleanor McEvoy, with two bonus tracks.  It was a sort of concept album at the time, with Ms McEvoy mixing originals alongside (in the main) country and Americana cover versions.  And the Rolling Stones.

So you get songs from the pen of Rodney Crowell, Butch Hancock and Nick Lowe, alongside some McEvoy cowrites with one of the Beautiful South and even a Sly Stone number.  To be honest, it didn’t rock my world when it came out, but time has been kind to it, and I warmed to it more this time around.

The best song remains the fifties hit ‘Hands Off Him’, but her own ‘Roll Out Better Days’ and the aforementioned Butch Hancocks ‘He Never Spoke Spanish To Me’ are real treats.  The two extra tracks are ‘Please Heart, You’re Killing Me’, a cowrite with Rodney Crowell and a cover of ‘Whistle For The Choir’, originally by the Fratellis.  Yes, really. And when I say bonus, I mean “originally included on the SACD version so if you bought that, don’t bother”.   It’s still not her best album, but it’s matured over the years, and is worth a listen.

VARIOUS
The Greatest TV Themes Of The 50s & 60s
Not Now Music

It says a lot for the power of television that I recognised a good 80% of these tunes, despite being too young for the majority of them (shut up at the back).  Of course, it also goes to show that the telly was full of repeats back in the olden days as well.

Some of these tunes have never made it to CD and it sounds like some of them have been taken from the original vinyl singles, but it matters not a jot as it’s a good transfer.  Even better you’re getting 40 classic tunes at a rock bottom price, which belies the presentation of the discs, which are packaged well, with some nice illustrations and even a test card design on the discs themselves.

It’s a good mix of US and UK shows, with the likes of Dr Kildare, 77 Sunset Strip and the Beverly Hillbillies rubbing up against The Army Game, Steptoe & Son and Coronation Street. It’s an excellent release, guaranteed to bring back memories to those of us of a certain age.

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