THESE three re-issues from the Seventies still sound fresh and vibrant, especially the stand-out of the three, I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight.
The combination of Richard's guitar, blasts of electric eloquence or fine folk picking, and Linda's pure voice works so well. Many of Richard's sturdy songs easily last the course, especial When I Get To The Border, The Calvary Cross, Down Where The Drunkards Roll, Withered And Died and the title track. Matters take a lighter turn on Hokey Pokey, which was a mostly successful attempt to summon up levity.
The mood sometimes veers towards the jocular, especially on Smiffy's Glass Eye. I'll Regret It All In The Morning is a lively hangover song, while Old Man Inside A Young Man is a sad-eyed hymn to grabbing it while you can.
Pour Down Like Silver saw Richard experimenting more with guitar sounds, while also writing such enduring songs as For Shame Of Doing Wrong, Beat The Retreat and the elegiac Dimming Of The Day, which let Linda's vocals shine.
Releasing the three individually rather than in a bargain package is a mean trick from Island, but these do remain stand-out albums.
Updated: 09:12 Thursday, May 27, 2004
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