Eric Burdon: My Secret Life

Elly Roberts reviews

Eric Burdon
My Secret Life
Distributed by
SPV

    Cover

  • 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.Can’t Kill The Boogieman
      13.My Secret Life

Eric Burden’s secret life is very interesting indeed.

But you’ll 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 Red’s 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 Can’t 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, it’s not likely to make much impact, butshould definitely not be dismissed.

It’s loaded and well thought out, with great musicians and backup singers: it blends well through the stylistic changes.

Commercial success may elude it, but it’s worthy of critical acclaim.

Review copyright © Elly Roberts, 2004.

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