DUNCAN REID: LITTLE BIG HEAD.
Live at the Gypsy Hotel: 15-9-2012.
Greetings my dears & welcome. Step a little closer & let your dear old pal Flash Tightpocket bend your ears for a moment or three, for I have information to impart which I can keep to myself not a moment longer!
It was by the slightest slither of chance that I happened upon the new website of Duncan Reid, former bass player & vocalist from pop, punk'n'roll legends, 'The Boys'.
It seems like merely the flicker of an eye since our Duncan played his last shows with the Boys at Blackpool & Osaka. So it was with great surprise & joy when news of his impending first solo album reached these grateful eyes & ears!
Needless to say & without further ado, yours truly ordered his fully signed, pre-release copy. (Ever the trainspotter).
Within three days, said opus landed in my mailbox & I jest you not my dears, Little Big Head has been pretty much ever present on my cd deck ever since.
To say Duncan has surprised us, is something of an understatement. What we have here, is not just a great pop/rock'n'roll album, but an insight into the last 30-plus years of Duncans life. This must have been bubbling under his skin for quite some time.
So without any fore thought as to whether bills needed paying, yours truly, booked himself a ticket for the Gypsy Hotel & sorted out the train travel. Determined was I not to miss Duncans first show proper on these shores.
Was it worth the expense? was it worth the hundreds of miles travelled? You betcha! The Little Big Heads turned in one hell of an energetic, totally dynamic performance. The quality of show put in by Duncan & his band was never, ever going to be in question!
On the sleeve notes to the album Duncan speaks of being stalked by the 'monster of self doubt', as to whether these songs were going to be good enough! ! Going to be good enough? Jeez! Let me tell ya my fluffy little swamp ducks. Duncan Reid has created his 'magnum opus', an album of perfectly crafted pop/rock songs which stands head & shoulders above anything in its genre.
The album kicks off in fine jaunty fashion with 'The One', followed by the slower 'Thinking' with it's clever lyrical twist & sweet vocal harmonies. 'Montevideo' is an out & out raunchy rock'n'roller about the 'Clash city rockers' bar in you guessed it! Montevideo! A place where our man Duncan has cocktails named after him & he never has to pay for a drink. With such meaty hooks. Hooks not quite witnessed since they killed off Fred Elliott, the demon butcher of Weatherfield.
Hell, we even get the directions to the bar itself.
I do have to point out that this is the most well packaged album I've possibly ever seen, leaving no stone left unturned. Giving an insight into the making, thought process behind & subject matter of each song.
'Too late', a piano ballad comes across all Beatlesque, where 'Kelly's gone insane', a tale of a girl driven to the brink of madness by the punters in the store where she works & 'I gotta call Simone' are raunch driven rockers.
Simply love 'If it's what you want', with it's country tinged guitar, never overstated!
The stand out track for yours truly has to be 'we all fall down', a sad sounding break-up tune, but oh what exquisite songwriting.
'Shot in the back' covers familiar rockin' territory, which is definately not lost on these old lug-oles.
'Aren't women wonderful'. Boys & girls, you'll get no arguments from your old mate Flash on that particular score!
The albums closer is a real crescendo builder, about our man Duncans teenage years & I guess what brought him to where he is today. Ending just when you think it's going to explode into something more. Leaving us; the discerning punter, wanting oh, so much more. Now ain't that just the way to do it?
Perfectly balanced, perfectly written & perfectly packaged. Make no bones my dears, this album positively screams for your indulgence. Trust your old mate Flash on this one.
Should you wish to make a wise investment, this album can be bought here;
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Big-Head-Duncan-Reid/dp/B008M6AYU0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350337720&sr=8-1
& along with other goodies, here; http://theonesincharge.blogspot.co.uk/p/shop.html
Now should you wish to break the confines of your miserable, day to day existence, the Little Big Heads have strung together some euro & UK dates for your delectation. Check 'em out here. http://www.little-big-head.com/ Oh, you lucky people!
As ever my dears, please feel free to borrow & use any snaps that may take your fancy, just remember to leave a link or a nod in the direction of yours truly!
CHIN CHIN!
