Dave Lambert has always been a guitar hero of mine. I love his rockers like "Just Love", "Little Sleepy", "Framed" etc. I think they provide a great diversion to regular Strawbs album tracks.....yet his contribution to the Acoustic Strawbs is both immense and sensitive (he also has a large say in the electric to acoustic re-arrangements I'm told). So I was delighted when I heard of his new solo album, Work In Progress, and thanks to some very kind contacts, have got my (signed) copy today. Here's my thoughts track by track -
1 - "The Man I Saw Last Night"
A poignant tribute of sorts to Peter Green, gentle acoustic guitars, with Lambert vocal and harmony, also a quieter but distinctive Dave Cousins backing vocal. A good choice for Acoustic Strawbs treatment.
2 - "Starlight"
Back to the Fire days, a sort of 12-bar Indian blues! Evidence of maybe a sitar (!) in there, backwards guitar tapes and flanged vocals, its all in here. Good boogie.
3 - "The Winter And The Summer"
Dave's most beautiful song, I think; this live version from the Chiswick House '98 reunion.
4 - "Live to Love"
From the King Earl Boogie-days, real power-trio electric, kind of Dave Edmunds meets Joe Walsh and the James Gang...straight ahead electric rock.
5 - "The Visit"
My fav new track, home recorded by Dave in his studio, has a recurring sort of "Duelling Banjos" type riff, but is a great kind of Anglo-Irish Folky arrangement, with an incredibly catchy singalong chorus. Nicely acoustic for two thirds, then a rather sudden electrification towards the end.....another that would work well with the acoustic band. Folk rock for the new millenium!
6 - "Remember Me Always"
Star studded (Denny Sewell/John Entwhistle/Lee Sklar...) remix of the track from the LA Framed sessions. Always liked this one, real expensive-sounding Bass-laden laid back US mix here.
7 - "Framed"
Just Dave and a guitar, a stripped to the bone acoustic version from Chiswick '98, great song.
8 - "Back There Again"
From the Fire era again, hugely James Gang-sounding rocker (love to hear them cover FUNK #49 !!), brilliant drumming, and some very nice acoustic playing under the electric mix.
9 - "Shadowland"
Possibly my least-favourite of the new stuff, very heavy on the reverb and very drum-machine sounding percussion, but nice "Benedictus"-type keyboards, and as always, great DL electric lead playing.
10 - "Live Inside Your Hell Tonight"
The gorgeous Robert Kirby arranged mix with full strings, from Baroque & Roll. A beautiful DL song, on a par with "The Winter And The Summer". Subtle DC backing vocals are evident too.
11 - "Bovver Blues"
I think this vocal taught Blur all they know! Parklife indeed.....Dave as mega-cockney, lightweight and tongue in cheek.
I'm looking forward to hearing this and reviewing it in more detail, but for now a preview of what's on offer from this long-awaited solo album from Dave Lambert. Click on either of the cover pics, designed by big fan Steve Krakow from Chicago, to see a full size version.
It's intended to cover his recording history with various bands and his solo career - to the extent legally possible as the tracks released on his previous 1978 solo LP Framed are locked up in publishing/management/licensing shackles which seem unlikely to be unlocked in the near future - however, an alternate mix of one such track is included here - "Remember Me Always", with Dave's old mate, the late, great John Entwhistle on bass.
The album opens up with a new Lambert-written track "The Man I Saw Last Night", one of three wholly new compositions, the others being "The Visit" and "Shadowland". (I think at least one of these was featured at Dave's whistle-stop solo gig back in July 2003; rumour has it that at least one will also feature at the Teddington gig on 14 Jan.[DG: he played The Man ..." and very powerfu it was too!!]) Apart from "The Man ...", which features Dave Cousins on backing vocals, all these tracks have been recorded at Lambert's own "Minster-on-Sea Studios", with Lambert playing all instruments.
The three songs which formed Dave's solo set at the Chiswick House Strawbs 30th anniversary celebrations are also include - "Framed" (which Dave used to feature in solo spots on the electric tours), "The Winter And The Summer" and his novelty "skinhead" number "Bovver Blues", which was originally recorded on the King-Earl album.
From the King-Earl period, a single "Starlight" which was recorded at the same time as the album (Trouble At T'Mill, 1972) but not included on the album - an excellent single, but it was released literally just as Dave jumped ship and joined the Strawbs.
Delving back earlier, a couple of unreleased Fire numbers "Live To Love" and "Back There Again" from sessions in 1970 recorded by the late period line-up Graham Keedy (piano), Pete Sully (bass) and Dennis Taylor (drums).
The whole thing rounded off by the excellent "Live Inside Your Hell Tonight", which many who've heard it performed on tour, or heard it on Baroque & Roll have suggested is one of Dave's finest songs; it certainly has stimulated plenty of discussion on Witchwood on the lyrics. It's the Baroque & Roll version here, with Robert Kirby's excellent string quartet arrangement.