One For The Road

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If one album deserves to be posted in a blog called Forgotten Songs, this is this one, cos' it's full of great underrated and forgotten songs actually. Put the shame on the times (1976 was not a year for such music) on the cover sleeve (I always thought it was a live recording) or on the "tramp" imagery that was to be totally unrelevant in this period, but it's true that the album was a commercial failure although a musical jewel. The most Dylanesque of his authors, he actually paved the way, according to songs, to the Waterboys, the Pogues and even the Jacobites, and finally to Americana in a way. Who could say more? The general mood is rather melancholic without being sad. Contrary to the somewhat weak and erratic previous album (called Slim Chance) this one is focused and without any bad song. "Burnin' Summer" is one of Lane's greatest songs and "Harvest Home" a wonderfully delicate instrumental dedicated to an old woman found dead in her farm when farmers were coming back from the harvest. So, this is one LP that should feature here to get the light it would have deserved at the times. Fortunately, 2 years later, the collaboration with Pete Townshend would help Ronnie Lane to resurface again in the public view. Enjoy this gem here. Interestingly, Chris Thomas mixed the album, which is not always specified.

via Last.fm