The latest reviews from Kevin Bryan.

Bill Wyman, "Back To Basics" (Proper Records)- As he rapidly approaches the grand old age of eighty Bill Wyman  could be excused for opting to turn his back on the music business in favour of a life of ease, but the former Stones bassist  has actually decided that rather like the classic bluesman who inspired him so much during his formative years  he's going to " play until he drops." Bill's first new solo album for more than three decades is a slightly patchy affair, drawing on influences as diverse as J.J.Cale and Ian Dury and opening in particularly fine style with a mildly menacing  saga of nefarious money lending entitled "What & How & If & When & Why." The rest of the set pales a little by comparison , with "I Lost My Ring" and the lyrically incongruous "Stuff (Can't Get Enough)" emerging as the best of the bunch.

 

"Stranger Than Fiction - Rockabilly Rules Again" (Fantastic Voyage)- Compiler Dave Penny's latest 3 CD set focusses attention on a whole host of superb rockabilly recordings from the fifties which initially sank without trace before being revived two decades later for the burgeoning European market by specialist labels such as  Rollin' Rock, Injun and Record Mart. The list of participants won't mean too much to the average punter, but as introduction to the explosive  charms of the rockabilly genre it's well nigh indispensable. Pat Cupp's "Long Gone Daddy," Sonny Cole's "Robinson Crusoe Bop" and  Jackie Lowell's "Rocket Trip" are particularly fine efforts.

 

Skerryvore, "Decade" (Tyree Records)- This life enhancing celebration of the first ten years in Skerryvore's  eclectic musical journey serves up an invigorating  blend of new studio recordings and live tracks culled from festivals in Scotland and Denmark. The band have certainly come a long way since their formation on the remote  Hebridean island of Tiree in 2005, and newcomers to their feel good fusion of rock, pop and traditional music  would be well advised to lend an ear to  captivating Celtic confections such as "On The Road, " "Rox Revival" and "Happy To Be Home," the latter also featuring highly regarded Irish accordion ace Sharon Shannon.

 

Colosseum, "Bread & Circuses" (Talking Elephant Records)- Talking Elephant's commendable Colosseum re-issue programme continues with the release of this bluesy  mid nineties offering from the pioneering  jazz-rockers. "Bread & Circuses" was actually the first studio album that the band had recorded since 1970's  "Daughter of Time,"  and the finished product was certainly  much more direct and uncomplicated  than previous Colosseum offerings, with  prime cuts such as "Watching Your Every Move," " Wherever I Go" and "Storms Behind The Breeze" capture the recently reformed outfit in particularly fine fettle .