Lindisfarne "BT3" 1969-2000(Rec) 2000(Comp)***

Nowadays Lindisfarne reminds me of the TV Series "Vikings" - you know, it's the name of that place where Ragnar & Co. murdered all the monks except Athelstan who went on to be one of the most annoying characters in recent TV history but somehow commanded the love and admiration of Viking warriors, Saxon kings and their daughters. Everyone's except good old Floki's, it seems, who put the series back on the track by killing him. But the so-called "holy island" of the Middle Ages has at least one more tie to popular culture: it gave its name to a British folk rock band from Newcastle-upon-Tyne which is now approaching its 50th year. They hit their peak quite early (1971) with their 2nd album "Fog on the Tyne" and had been cruising on low altitude ever since, even overcoming the loss of their principal songwriter Alan Hull in 1995. This CD is their 3rd compilation of rarities (the titular "BT" stands for "Buried Treasures") spanning 30+ years, something that would normally appeal only to dedicated fans. I'm not one, and I wouldn't have bought this if not for the fact that a certain record store had a 3-for-€5 offer and I couldn't find a better 3rd album. It turned out to be a good investment, not just because of the quality of music but also because this is a rare out of print item. The first (and earliest) track here comes from 1969 and is credited to an early incarnation of the band under the name Brethren. It's called "Positive Earth" and has an almost medieval Celtic folk sound. The live version of "100 Miles to Liverpool" is more country-oriented with banjo and harmonica. "Money" is electric folk rock a la Dylan circa '66, and "2 Way Street" a rollicking Southern rocker. Yep, this compilation is nothing if not eclectic. "Newport Mount Rag" is one of the reasons this comp is sought after by collectors. It's just a jaunty country instrumental, but it has the distinction of being Mark Knopfler's recording debut (from 1974, pre-Dire Straits) even if he plays banjo instead of his familiar Stratocaster. "Poor Old Ireland" is a typical Celtic ballad with flute and mandolin, but I doubt its vehemently anti-clerical message made it popular in the land of its title. Many lyrics display an old-school leftist sensibility - I'd say old fashioned, but with Jeremy Corbyn proving still popular despite attacks by the media, opponents and his own MP's, who's to say what's fashionable anymore? Perhaps Red is "the new black". The anti-music establishment "Corporation Rock" and duet "The One and Only" have a pleasantly nostalgic rock'n'roll oldies sound, while sprightly folk rocker "Drinking Song" sounds like Tom Petty jamming with Jethro Tull. "Heaven Waits" reminds me of Springsteen, "Log On Your Fire" of Bob Dylan, "We've Got All Night" the Travelling Wilburys."Checkin' on My Baby" is a convincing blues stomp by the reformed pre-Lindisfarne group Downtown Faction. A version of "January Song" included here features actor Tim Healy on vocals and acoustic guitar, "Dragon of Dreamland" is a Hull-penned children's lullaby and "Digging Holes" another blues rocker with Chris While and Julie Matthews on vocal. "Meet Me on the Corner" an impromptu performance of their big hit recorded by accident at a gathering of the Tynemouth Ladies Circle. In general, this is a surprisingly good collection given that it's the 3rd installment of rarities i.e. the scraping of the proverbial barrel. But the disparate nature of song styles, different eras and uneven recording quality don't make for smooth listening. I'd suggest to get something else by the band - except if you're already a fan, in which case it may well be worth spending an extra penny for a copy of this.

**** for Poor Old Ireland, Drinking Song [Demo Version] 

*** for Positive Earth, 100 Miles to Liverpool [Live], Money [Demo Version], 2 Way Street [Live], Newport Mount Rag, Corporation Rock [Live], The One and Only, Heaven Waits [Live], Log on Your Fire,  Dragon of Dreamland, Checkin' on My Baby [Live], January Song [Live], We've Got All Night, Digging Holes [Live], Meet Me on the Corner [Live]

Eric Clapton and Friends "The Breeze: An Appreciation of J.J. Cale" 2014****

Eric Clapton must surely be JJ Cale's biggest fan. For his very first solo album he recorded a cover of then completely unknown Cale's "After Midnight". He then had a big hit with another Cale song, "Cocaine", while he recently recorded a whole album with him ("The Road to Escondido"). This fascination isn't all that apparent if you compare their playing styles: Cale's is fluid and relaxed, while Clapton's can be loud and fiery. Anyway, Cale's unfortunate passing last year led Clapton to curate a tribute album to him, with himself playing guitar and singing on some songs while various "friends" provide vocals & second guitar. These include Tom Petty, Mark Knopfler, John Mayer, Don White and country legend Willie Nelson. Other guest guitarists include Albert Lee, David Lindley, and Derek Trucks while Cale's widow Christine Lakeland helps with backing vocals. All artists approach their source material with respect (perhaps too much respect), resulting in beautiful and understated performances and an album that is quite homogenic and manages to exude the same feeling as Cale's own. "Same Old Blues" is probably the only song where Clapton's style is readily identifiable, as he mostly prefers to play close to the original rather than rock it out like he did with "Cocaine". Knopfler on the other hand makes "someday" sound like Dire Straits without straying too far since his style was always closer to that of Cale's. Opener "Call Me the Breeze" is indicative of the album, rolling along nicely with fantastic guitar work, although it still isn't as good as Lynyrd Skynyrd's version. "Rock and Roll Records" featuring Tom Petty is another winner. Not being familiar with the original versions of this or "Someday", I was much more pleased with these than e.g. "Lies", a great performance of this hit that is nevertheless so close to the original it's like listening to karaoke. John Mayer was known to me by name only but his singing here and on "Magnolia" convinced me to search for more. "Sensitive Kind" features fellow Okie Don White on vocals and is a delicate ballad that reminds me of Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight". Once more, although flawless, not my favorite cover of this song-that would be John Mayall's. "Cajun Moon" and "I Got the Same Old Blues" are two bluesy numbers by Clapton while "Songbird" and "Starbound" feature country legend Willie Nelson on vocals. He makes no effort to imitate JJ's singing and he songs are the better for it. "I'll Be There (If You Ever Want Me)" is a fast country number while "The Old Man and Me" sports a hypnotic bossa/blues rhythm. "Don't Wait" and “Train to Nowhere” are a couple of very successful collaborations between Clapton and, respectively, Mayer and Knopfler. Overall, the album manages to convey Cale's spirit and provide an enjoyable listening experience with some virtuosic but restrained guitar playing. Nevertheless I, for one, would like to hear such good musicians give their own version of the songs and preferably expand them beyond the 3-minute mark. Faithful as it is though, it makes for a good introduction to JJ Cale's music and should convince newcomers to dig deeper. If you're one, I'd suggest to get any of his first 5 albums, although you can't go wrong with anything bearing his name (As his critics like to point out, they all sound more or less the same).

**** for Call Me the Breeze, Rock and Roll Records, Someday, Cajun Moon, Don't Wait

*** for Lies, Sensitive Kind, Magnolia, I Got the Same Old Blues, Songbird, The Old Man and Me, Train to Nowhere, Starbound

** for Since You Said Goodbye, I'll Be There (If You Ever Want Me), Crying Eyes