Reviews roundup – Anvil vs. Cassie Keenum & Rick Randlett vs. Simon Felton vs. Arkansas Dave
ANVIL
Pounding The Pavement
Steamhammer / SPV
I remember a few years back writing about how everybody loves Anvil nowadays. That was off the back of the documentary “Anvil! The Story of Anvil” where they showed themselves to be The Little Metal Engine that Could. Of course that didn’t take away from the fact that an awful lot of their music is absolute rubbish. That’s why, at their best, they were a Championship level band, regardless of bad managers, mistimed tours,stray cucumbers or acts of God. But I still like them and why I have a copy of their best of on my MP3 player at all times.
But the best of is all you really need, as on this seventeenth album, Anvil set about the business of being Anvil. So some of it is very good and some of it is very bad. I like it when they pretend they’re youngsters and set about ‘Bitch In A Box’ with youthful vigour. The solos are usually very good indeed and the production here is better than on “Anvil Is Anvil”, their last LP. However, when they try to expand their sound and take on weighty issues it really doesn’t cut it. That’ll be ‘Nanook Of The North’. I’ll stick to the silent docudrama from the twenties, thank you very much.
But when they bash out ‘Smash Your Face’ and ‘Rock That Shit’, it reminds me of being a teenage metalhead, when I still thought life had meaning and purpose. That alone makes this worthwhile for me. The rest of the world might want to stick to “Monument of Metal”, the best of, and buying a ticket for their February UK tour, where they’re always a blast.
A few formats for you to chose from with CD, digipak and 2LP.
CASSIE KEENUM & RICK RANDLETT
Hauntings
independent
As individual performers, Cassie Keenum and Rick Randlett have been around for a while, with the latter issuing albums as far back as 1999, but this is their debut as a duo.
And it’s a powerful set of self penned material that kicks off with the utterly fantastic and bleak ‘Seventh Day’. Stripped back and visceral, it’s one of the finest blues tunes of the year. There’s is a mix of acoustic, country and Delta blues which works extremely well. It’s quite old fashioned but there is nothing wrong with that. I’m hardly in the first flush of youth and this reminds of a time when the blues didn’t need to riff it up. They’ve brought in some sympathetic musicians to help things along.
Ms Keenum takes care of acoustic guitar and vocals, Mr Randlett plays acoustic, electric and lap steel guitars and vocals with the main band completed by Nicole Wagner on bass and Rusty Valentine on drums. There are also guest spots fron Mitch Rogers on keyboards and Little Mike Markowitz on the moothie.
Barring a cover of one of the worst two songs of all time (‘Hallelujah’) there isn’t a duff tune or bum note on offer. Fans of acoustic rooted blues need to check this one out.
SIMON FELTON
Topsy Turvy
Pink Hedgehog
It’s time for the 5th solo album from Simon Felton, head honcho of Pink Hedgehog records and founder/frontman singer and bass player for Garfield’s Birthday. It makes you sick, really.
Anyway, his latest offering is what he says is the final part of his “therapeutic/confessional collection”. Which means his last couple of releases have been fairly introspective singer/songwriter collection, albeit with some sunshine pop overtones. And this continues in a similar and equally impressive manner. What Mr Felton does is right good, melodic, pop songs. Something that has gone right out of fashion but which means his records have a timeless quality. And that is a Good Thing.
There are plenty of excellent songs here that would happily adorn a Radio 2 playlist (or a 1972 Top of the Pops) and you would be well advised to give this a listen. Songs as good as ‘Lost and Found’, ‘Smile for the Camera’ and ‘The Writing’s On The Wall’ don’t ccome around too often, so grab them while you can.
No video for this album so here’s one from “Return to Easton Square”.
ARKANSAS DAVE
Chocolate Jesus
Ila
It’s a small world. Many years ago when I was a proper person, a drinks company sent me on an all expenses paid trip to Glasgow! Yes, Glasgow. The reason being they were sponsoring a tour by American blues legend Guitar Shorty and I was given a 30 minute interview slot. That turned into a 2 hour session, most of which remains unpublishable.
And why am I telling you this? Well turns out Arkansas Dave used to be the guitarist in Guitar Shortys band. See, told you. Fast forward to this year and he’s releasing his debut album, which is being promoted (oddly) with a cover of a Tom Waits song. Fair enough because he makes a fine fist of it, removing all trace of Waits and turning into a southern blues rock growler. It certainly does what it’s supposed to, and that’s leaving you wanting more.
If his own songs match up to this then the album, whose backing tracks were recorded at the legendary Fame Studios, should certainly be worth cocking an ear at.
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St Columba’s Hospice Tribute Fund for Linda Hamilton
http://linda.hamilton.muchloved.com/
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The Rocker - The Artist Formerly Known As Zeitgeist. TAFKAZ 
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