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Elly Roberts reviews
My Secret Life
SPV
- Year: 2004
- Rating: 7/10
- Cat. No: 0070032SPV
Track listing:
- 1.Once Upon A Time
2.Motorcycle Girl
3.Over The Border
4.The Secret
5.Factory Girl
6.Highway 62
7.Jazzman
8.Black And White World
9.Heaven
10.Devil Slide
11.Broken Records
12.Cant Kill The Boogieman
13.My Secret Life
Eric Burdens secret life is very interesting indeed.
But youll have to make your own mind about it. A mish-mash of stylescomfortably juxtaposed next to each other, it finds Eric in experimental mood.He tries his hand at just about every style you can think of – except reggae.The band is pushed to the limit on this one, and come out with flying colours.
Soul is explored on opener Once Upon A Time, followed by a Latino flavouredMotor Cycle and Jazz, in the shape of The Jazzman. The latter is the besttrack of them all and what a great Jazz singer he turns out to be after allthose years of Rhythm n Blues. He even does a kind of Louis Armstrong pastichein places. Simply Reds nightclub story Heaven gets a cover, beingmuch earthier in every department.
Devil Slide is attribute to Bottleneck players everywhere, and turnsinto a right old romp, as does Cant Kill The Boogie Man. Snippets ofthe Animal magic turn up on Highway 62 and Black and White World.this a respectable and meritorious effort, which should not be ignored. Commercially,like a lot of his contemporaries, its not likely to make much impact, butshould definitely not be dismissed.
Its loaded and well thought out, with great musicians and backup singers: it blends well through the stylistic changes.
Commercial success may elude it, but its worthy of critical acclaim.
Review copyright © Elly Roberts, 2004.
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.