Reviews roundup – Status Quo ~ Niall McGuigan ~ Billie Williams ~ The Planets ~ Jeb Loy Nichols
STATUS QUO
Backbone
Absolute
If you were to believe that there internet the 33rd album from Status Quo is some kind of second coming. It’s not. It’s not even a very naughty boy.
I suspect it’s down to a huge collective sigh of relief from the many Status Quo fans that this Parfitt less record isn’t as bad as it could have been. After all these are people who remember when Francis Rossi released “King Of The Doghouse”.
To be honest, after the very poor opening track, ‘Waiting For A Woman’, I breathed a sigh of relief as well. Because there are some pretty decent tracks here. There are even a few that would made have Side 2 of some of their seventies albums. They would include the tracks which actually rock, such as ‘Cut Me Some Slack’ and ‘I Wanna Run Away With You’. I know that Rossi is out there on the promo trail making sure everyone knows how absent Rick Parfitt was from a lot of the latter day records but it would be more gracious to point out the many highlights on this record.
It’s also a reminder of what a great guitarist Rossi is, something that has been sorely overlooked over the years. The solo on ‘Better Take Care’ had me reaching for the repeat button in sheer delight. Of course it’s a shame that the vinyl copy I bought was warped beyond redemption so I’m reduced to mp3ing it but there are easily 5 or 6 tracks here that I’ll happily listen to for a while yet.
Yes, there are couple of bummers and it could have easily been reduced to a cracking 10 track record rather than just being a good latter day Quo release. To be honest, I’m not one of those who thought Rossi should have knocked it on the head after the death of Parfitt because there has never been any doubt in the post reformation years that it very much his band. If it’s the last Quo record then at least they’ll go out with, if not a bang, definitely not a whimper.
NIALL McGUIGAN
Spiritual Anarchy
independent
Ach, you had to go and ruin it. See, anyone who knows me knows the low esteem I hold hippies in.
But after listening to this I was about to proclaim it the best folk album of the year despite it being, deep breath, “a continuation on the theme of his first album, describing the process of self-inquiry, awareness, and self-discovery.” Sighs. But I got past that and got drawn into his adventurous folk rock songs and singing. Damn it was good. Then I made the mistake of hitting the video trail. And there it was. The man bun. Gits.
Now I may not be able to get past that but you definitely should. Yes, it’s folk rock but this is a fella who made his way there from actual rock bands. So there is an edge to everything and it’s a million miles away from the worlds of hey nonny no. ‘It Hurts But It Heals’ would have been one of my songs of the year by a mile, even if I thoroughly disagree with its premise. The melody of ‘I See’ came close to making me choke up so it did. And ‘Whom Are You?’ is the kind of song that gets a couple of thousand people bouncing in musical unity.
Turns out that, second deep breath, Mr McGuigan has researched the topic of music & healing within shamanic & neo-shamanic traditions and also the development of therapeutic presence as a music therapist. Which explains the adventurous arrangements and instrumentation. Now let your hair fall free and this record will return to being by new best friend.
BILLIE WILLIAMS
Hell To Pay
independent
The second album from Billie Williams straddles the world between blues and soul. At least what soul used to be.
She opens proceedings with a fine statement of intent as ‘Damn’ doesn’t hold back as she and her excellent band get ripped right into things. But she’s equally at home on more relaxed material which gives her voice a chance to shine. Which is nice as she’s a fine singer. The songs are all self penned (with a couple of co-writes) and there isn’t a duff number amongst them.
There are highlights, though, and the funky fried title track along with the bluesiest of the songs – ‘Hour By Hour’ – are real standouts. The best of the ballads is definitely ‘Take These Dreams’, which almost had me reaching for the tissues. As well as being expertly produced and performed, Ms Williams doesn’t shy away from expressing her political views which show through on a couple of the numbers. But regardless of where you stand this is a very enjoyable release.
https://www.billiewilliamsmusic.com
BINKY PHILIPS and the PLANETS
Established 1972 NYC
independent
Turns out that The Planets were one of many US punk bands from the seventies who frequented Max’s Kansas City and CBGBs back in the day.
Contemporaries of the New York Dolls and the Ramones, they opened for both as well as a young up and coming band called KISS. I wonder what happened to them. It certainly never happened for The Planets who came within snorting distance of a major deal before it all fell apart.
Binky, who now gets top billing, struggled on with this guitar and even released a solo album, once upon a time. But now, 47 years late, The Planets have got round to releasing their debut. And as you would expect from that early seventies vintage, it’s a sound forged on sixties garage rock seventies glam. So more New York Dolls than Ramones. Which is a good thing even if modern technology means that they rock really hard.
So it’s a wee bit grubby and a wee bit sleazy but with a surprisingly decent selection of melodies. So as much they roar and sneer on the likes of ‘Splitsville or Bust’ and ‘Drinking Gasoline’ there is a nugget of melody at the core of the songs. And when they decide to throw in some Cheap Trick licks it’s just lovely. That would be ‘Kinda Liked It At The Time’. A surprisingly enjoyable treat. Look for a follow up circa 2068.
https://www.facebook.com/ThePlanets/
JEB LOY NICHOLS and the Westwood All-Stars
June Is Short, July Is Long
Compass Records
I’m not sure what I was eexpecting from this. Judging by the grumpy old man glaring from the inner sleeve some sub Bob Dylan caterwauling meets Americana? Wrong. Very wrong.
What I got was a delightful set of seventies sounding singer / songwriter tunes with a healthy dose of sweet soul music vibes. Picture Mayer Hawthornes grandad. Van Morrison without the grump.
American born and bred, he’s ended up in a remote part of Wales writing books and songs. I may even read one of hos books one day. I gave them up when they invented films but now that you have to take a whole day to watch a film instead of the 90 minutes God intended, I’m reading again.
“June Is Short, July Is Long is a really good record. A proper one as well. 12 songs in under 40 minutes. Mr Nichols has a whispering voice that invites you in to listen to his stories. Like Jimmy Cricket beckoning “c’mere”. He rarely gets out of first gear as his country tinged songs just seem to seep in. He doesn’t do brash and there is only song I’ve vowed never to listen to again. That’s ‘How Can A Man (Live (Without His Mother)’. It would have been her birthday tomorrow (25th September) and anyone who has been to my personal website will know why I hate it.
That aside he sneaks in some funk and reggae into his rhythms but then, if the internet is to be believed, he’s worked with the likes of Adrian Sherwood. No surprise, then. But when he keeps things simple as on ‘Home In My Arms’ it’s a blessed joy. An absolute delight of a record that you should already be listening to instead of reading these here words.
https://www.jebloynichols.co.uk
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St Columba’s Hospice Tribute Fund for Linda Hamilton
http://linda.hamilton.muchloved.com/
The Rocker - The Artist Formerly Known As Zeitgeist. TAFKAZ 
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