January 2010

Former husband of model Jordon/Katie Price, Peter Andre ambitiously titles his album 'Revelation'. We know from ITV2 reality shows that he's worked long and hard on this album and deserves credit for putting together something so contemporary and easily pleasing. Naturally, 'Revelation' isn't the next coming of Michael Jackson, yet again, what is? Naturally, Peter's voice relies on studio trickery to the point where on dancefloor numbers like 'The Way You Move' it hardly matters who is singing. He's a spectator, vocally speaking, on his own track. On the plus side, if this came on in a club and you didn't know it was Peter Andre, yes, you'd dance to it. I kind of believe that's a deliberate effect he was going for, eg, musical credibility. In that sense, he's acheived everything he set out to achieve. True, the first single 'Behind Closed Doors' is very Peter/Jordon docusoap, strained and attention seeking, right from the unexpected burst of guitar to the surprisingly gritty quality of Andre's vocals. Yet, he could hardly have ignored recent and such well know events as his relationship took place in the public eye. A reasonable album then although whether anybody will be desperately craving for a follow-up in two/three years time is another matter. ( reviewed 16.01.2010 )

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Susan Boyle in cat name stealing shock! Well, ok - she had her cat first but I wasn't happy I can tell you when I discovered her beloved pet was also called 'Pebbles'. I named mine after The Flintstones character. Daughter of Fred and Wilma? You know?? Well, what am I supposed to talk about here, Susan Boyle's dramatic rise to fame, how she literally embodies the 'American Dream' even though she's from a small Scottish town nobody has heard of? We all know the story, we also know this LP will be polite, tasteful and 'of a kind' - largely aimed at people who are thirty years plus in age. Nothing wrong in that, of course, apart from the fact I am of course generalising hugely. As for this album, it's a mix of showtunes, ballads and the Rolling Stones 'Wild Horses'. Boyle's perfectly sang and pitched rendition is coated with quiet orchestrations. I do far prefer the version by British band 'The Sundays' which is far more deserving of sales than Boyle's cover, but we can't have everything in this world, can we? I wish Boyle hadn't turned The Monkees 'Daydream Believer' into a quivering ballad, either. ( reviewed 16.01.2010 )

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At a recent charity gig, Robbie, Gary, Paul McCartney and a cast of thousands shared the same stage. There was a great and very telling photo of the musicians and Paul all giving Gary respectful and admiring looks whilst Robbie Williams stood in the background, somewhat ignored. If Paul McCartney, member of The Beatles, thinks Gary is a decent songwriter and that Robbie only needs to be indulged at best - who am I to disagree?. So, 'Greatest Day', well played and well orchestrated run throughs of songs far more familiar than they have any right to be, even to non-fans. A few of the tracks appear as a bonus disc, recorded in London's 'Abbey Road' studios, 'unplugged' style, which just goes to prove how good structually Gary Barlow's best songs can be, 'Greatest Day' sounding particularly impressive with acoustic guitars and the odd electric bass line. Older songs like 'Relight My Fire' benefit from being played by real musicians in a live context, removing some of the fakery and plastic nature of older Take That studio work. I do have critiscms of course, 'Back For Good' and 'Rule The World' are taken at a slower pace than usual, no doubt allowing the crowd to more easily sing-a-long but this pace takes away from the charm of these compositions. Well, you probably had to be there. ( reviewed 16.01.2010 )

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