Essex Hideaway

Author: REW,KIMBERLY

Brand: Bongo Beat

Features:

• Essex Hideaway by Kimberley Rew

Format: Remixes included

PartNumber: MFR767000197221#N

Release Date: 23-11-2004

Details: Amazon.ca Kimberley Rew's third solo album, Essex Hideaway, is his most consistent, his most fully produced, and by far his most nostalgic. It's a perfect, loving pastiche of late-'60s British pop rock. For the first time in his solo career, Rew is the only Soft Boy present on the record. Instead, for backup, he relies on some fellow Waves alums, as well as on former Kinks keyboardist Ian Gibbons and ace session drummer Dave Mattacks. Essex Hideaway opens with a tongue-in-cheek organ-and-choir invocation, "Bless This Album," and then dives right into what may be the highlight of the CD, "Phoenixstowe." With its stacatto, quarter-note piano, high backing vocals, and Mellotron, it's a blend of Paul McCartney and Ray Davies circa 1967, with an extended psychedelic guitar solo to leave no doubt that it's still Rew's affair. There's more where that comes from, too: "Short Smart Haircut" (featuring a juicy kazoo solo) and "That's Soft Boy" (with its McCartneyesque chord changes) both recall the music hall of the Kinks and the Small Faces. The title track follows McCartney into his domesticated '70s as Rew sings of "whisking" his love to their "Essex hideaway." And Rew doesn't neglect English folk, offering up the acoustic-guitar-and-Mellotron waltz "Arterial Road," a Village Green Preservation Society-like lament for an England that no longer exists. One could level the criticisms at Rew that the record is too short (it's not much over 30 minutes) and that, as on "Phoenixstowe," he has a propensity to take what are essentially short songs and fill them out with extended solos nearly as long again as the songs themselves. In less capable hands, this might have been a bad decision, but Kimberley Rew is one of the few guitarists of the last 30 years with both the composition skill and the chops to get away with it. As for playing time, Magical Mystery Tour, Ogden's Nut Gone Flake, and Village Green run for just about as long. Sometimes less is more! --Benjamin Lukoff Product Description Kimberley Rew is the lead guitarist for The Soft Boys, Katrina & The Waves * Writer of 'Walking Of Sunshine', 'Going Down To Liverpool' and 'Love Shine A Light' * Well-respected guitarist known for his wall of jangle and intricate lead guitar work as witnessed by anyone who saw the last Soft Boys tour, which included mostly fellow musicians! This is his 4th solo CD. The 2nd for Bongo Beat. Best reference point would be late 60s Kinks Guest Musicians: * Don Airey, keyboards; Colosseum, Whitesnake, Ozzy Osbourne, Jethro Tull, Deep Purple. Alex Cooper (drums) & Vince de la Cruz (bass), the Katrina & the Waves rhythmn section! Ian Gibbons, piano; was a member of the Kinks for 17 years! He has also worked with Roger Chapman, Ian Hunter and Dr Feelgood. Dave Mattacks, drums; Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson, Paul McCart. Ney, XTC, etc, one of the great UK session drummers A very busy writer and guitarist, Kimberley Rew has only released four solo albums within the last 25 years. He first came to notice in the late 70s as a member of Robyn Hitchcock's Soft Boys (a primary influence on REM). Essex Hideaway is his second CD on Bongo Beat, a label run by his friend Ralph Alfonso, who released the cult classic Soft Boys LP, Underwater Moonlight on Attic Records back in 1980, it's only North American release at the time. In 1981, Rew made a solo single backed by the dBs before forming Katrina and the Waves, writing most of the group's songs including the worldwide top ten hit 'Walking on Sunshine' (produced by Hitchcock's Pat Collier and REM's Scott Litt). The Bangles also covered Rew's 'Going Down to Liverpool'. At Rew's suggestion, the Waves sent their indie debut to Attic, and Ralph once again released two Canada-only Waves lps (now avail on Bongo Beat) before the group signed to EMI worldwide and 'Sunshine' rocketed around the charts worldwide. Katrina and the Waves toured; opening for the Kinks, the Beach Boys, and Squeeze among many others. Rew concur

UPC: 767000197221

EAN: 0767000197221

Model: rew

Languages: English

Binding: audioCD

Item Condition: New