Carlisle: lousy weather; great musicians. This record (I bought the Repertoire 1998 cd)is, frankly, a real treat. Both Mike and the band he chose for this album, Junkyard Angel, are from the far north -the border country, NW England- and show what hidden treasure lies up that way. These songs were first released on Island Records in 1971, and gave Mike his first opportunity to give his fine, rough-edged bluesy voice an airing as a solo artist; although The Last Puff, with Spooky Tooth minus Gary Wright, could be considered in the same light and remains one of the great British blues-rock albums of the period. The album under review kicks off with a strong 2-minute song called Mother Nature, a song of sufficient quality to have been extended for another few minutes. This is followed by a very original, spiritual composition, Call it a day. which clocks up over 6 minutes. Interesting. Damian, the next song, is a beauty, and then comes Pain, an unusual song which takes a few listens to get to grips with. Wait until the morning keeps the pace up and carries the listener along comfortably to the next track, Lonely people, a short but tender song highlighting Mike's distinct vocals. The final two songs are versions: Hard-headed woman (Cat Stevens) and Here comes the Queen (Luther Grosvenor: Spooky Tooth, Mott the Hoople and solo artist). The first is an extended version with a meaty instrumental bit which brings the song to a slow, measured close (lovely), and the latter will be familiar to those who know Evesham's talented guitarist, the song appearing on his first solo album, Under open skies (released in 1971). It's an energising up-beat song well chosen to wind up the disc. To conclude, those who have discovered Mike Harrison or Spooky Tooth will enjoy this one.
stupenda stampa di un grandissimo lavoro cult di ottima fattura per il suo genere.Peccato che sono pezzi rarissimi e che al tempo di questi lavori se ne sono fatti molto pochi e quei pochi stessi non si trovano facilmente.Ottimo prodotto senza dubbio.