S J Birkill
MV Administrator
just a sensible reserve
Posts: 884
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Hi-Fi Choice
« Reply #40: 17.07.15 at 18:18 » |
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Pete Atkin
The Colours Of The Night
CD, Hillside
****
Back in the early seventies before Clive James became a TV star, his first gig was writing lyrics for the singer Pete Atkin. They collaborated on half a dozen albums and the Atkin-James team for a while rivalled the Elton John/Bernie Taupin partnership, which emerged around the same time. Terminally ill with leukaemia, James -- who describes their songwriting partnership as: "The most fruitful artistic venture I've ever known" -- has now reconnected with Atkin on one final, farewell collaboration.
James' literate lyrics, about subjects such as obsession, divorce and mortality, boast a strong narrative element, setting up a situation and exploring it like a series of three and four minute novellas. Accompanied by a chamber combo that includes Chris Spedding on electric guitar, the music animates James' words with an eclectic set of arrangements ranging from folk to jazz-rock and Tin Pan Alley pop nostalgia.
NW
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