What does it sound like?:
A new solo album from Tony Poole, you say? Fuck, yeah!
The 12-string Rickenbacker God from the much-missed 70’s band, Starry Eyed and Laughing has had some health challenges in recent times but you’d never know it from this vibrant, pulsating collection of songs on this, his first solo album.
The album opens with the title track which sets TP’s stall out from minute-one as that beautiful Ricky evokes his beloved Byrds and the harmony vocals ring out, courtesy of his old pal from SE&L, bassist Iain Whitmore. It’s a terrific opener.
Next up is Chelsea Girls (1965), a lovely look back at Tony’s younger days around Sloane Square and the King’s Road.
The album is packed with good songs, songs that will remain in your head, with hooky choruses and thoughtful lyrics. The production is spot on and the sound is terrific. Tony is a one-man recording-machine and many of the tracks are just him playing drums, bass, keyboards, vocals and, of course, guitars. However, he gets to call on some wonderful friends, including Robin Bennett, Nick Holland, Chris Baylis and Glenn Phillips who delivers some killer guitar solos on the album’s epic closer, Film Noir.
This Slice of Time is a fantastic journey into the Brazilian rainforest as Poole’s hippy background deals with the struggle between the farmers scratching a living and big business. It is all wrapped up in a wonderful melody which carries the listener through the song as the lyrics seep into their brain. A great piece of songwriting.
Who Put The Blue (In Your Blue Jeans)? is a gorgeous ballad that you’ll be humming after the first listen and which instantly made me think of Teenage Fanclub.
The closer, the aforementioned Film Noir, is a Neil Young-style trip into a mysterious, psychedelic world of guitars, the kind of place I want to live.
Faith In Us is a really fine album, one I’ll be playing for a long time, especially on that far-off day when the sun comes out. It delivers a bunch of songs that ring out from the speakers and announce their intentions in the best possible way – through musicality, great melody and harmony vocals.
What more could you possibly want?
What does it all *mean*?
It means that the bloody sun needs to come out.
The link above is where to but it – direct from Tony himself.
Goes well with…
A good set of cans and a glass of your favourite beverage.
Release Date:
Already out. You’re late.
Might suit people who like…
The Byrds, Teenage Fanclub, Nada Surf, Bennett Wilson Poole, The Hanging Stars, The Beatles, Love, CSNY, Neil Young, Buffalo Springfield and a host of other acts.
Lyrics contain the unlikely rhyme of ‘laughter’ with ‘Franz Kafka’ – words you seldom see in the same sentence. I’ll have a proper listen later, but I like SE&L, so this hits all the right spots. Nice review.
@niallb I couldn’t see a link is this the one you meant to put up?
I saw SE&L at Leeds Poly 76ish so I’ll give this a coat of listening.
https://starryeyedandlaughing.com/tony-poole.htm
@hubert-rawlinson Yes, ta. It went into the post but obviously didn’t come out.
I’ve been listening to this for a few days now and have been really enjoying it. Completely agree about the Teenage Fanclub reference. This is an album that’s going to be getting a lot of play this year I think.
Niall (@niallb) didn’t you post a review of this a week or so ago or am I in a different reality?
Great review though and as I mentioned to you privately it’s a great album.
@pyramid: I think it was an announcement of it’s arrival, promising this later review after letting it, life and Gregor settle.
@Pyramid What retro said above
Aha! I’ve been reading a lot about the nature of reality lately and I began to question err things
Fabulous album but no surprise there. What I really like is there is a heavier dose of psychedelia to my ears and all the better for that.
Will get several repeat plays over the coming months