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Mott The Hoople and Ian Hunter

Steve Holley CD: "The Reluctant Dog"

Sleeve and track listing

Angel Air SJPCD133. (2 stars!)

  1. What Are You Looking For?
  2. So Help Me God
  3. Punta Del Este
  4. Evermore
  5. Stronger Everyday
  6. Everything Ends Sometime
  7. Living For The Day
  8. Da Da Da, Dee Dee Dee
  9. To Entertain You
  10. For Better For Worse
  11. Just Say Goodbye
  12. She Gives To Me
  13. Out Of England

Review

Some albums have it, and some don't. Some are a delight and make you want to listen again and again, while others just don't make it no matter how fine the musicians on it are. I'm sorry to say that this, Steve's first solo album, falls into the latter category.

Steve provides the vocals, keyboards and drums while guitars are handled by Keith Lentin (they produced it as well), while various musicians (including Denny Laine) guest on individual tracks. Steve avoids the temptation to use this album as a showcase for his undoubted drumming talents (and for that we should be grateful), with each track being keyboard or guitar led.

But the songs aren't distinctive enough, and although Steve can sing he's not really a vocalist, with the result that he doesn't quite carry the songs; in the end this listener found the album quite uninspiring.