From: Pete Fyfe
[petefyfe_at_aol_dot_com]
Sent: 29 March 2012 16:44
Subject: Pete Fyfe - CD Review
& Sleeve: Richard Digance - Old School Photograph
Attachments: Richard_Digance_-_Old_School_Photgraph.jpg
RICHARD DIGANCE - Old School
Photograph (Write Good Music)
Anyone who can include
sound-bites of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, In The Bleak Midwinter, Ding
Dong Merrily On High and We Wish You A Merry Christmas with lyrics that evoke childhood
memories (however convoluted) of that famous trenches football match in 1914
gets a resounding thumbs up from me. Richard's account of "The Ballad Of Johnny
Puller" is a powerful evocation on the futility of war proving the old adage
that the pen can indeed be mightier than the sword especially in the hands of
someone this creative. There's no mawkish sentimentality here just well
observed, wry smile inducing moments that however fabricated?the names may not
be real but the story is?relate a boys-own tale far more than McCartney's
"Pipes Of Peace" or Jona Lewie's "Stop The Cavalry" ever did. Talking (as one
does) about nostalgia it's always played a pivotal role in Digance's
performance and perhaps none more so than on the title track and his homage to
the East End with an enjoyable rendition of "The Houses In Between" originally
popularised by Music Hall's Gus Elen. More often than not he is joined
throughout the recording on various tracks by Matt Black (keyboards), Neil Vine
(drums), Arnie Cottrel (mandolin) and Vicki Hobbs (vocals) and for good measure
there's even a solo guitar instrumental "The Plaistow Tune" that utilises (to
me at least) a fairground carousel style melody. As ever from Richard there's a
little bit of this, a little bit of that and for the majority of those of us
that have followed his career from the early days he always manages to make his
observations on life interesting and yes, at times thought provoking. www.richarddigance.com
PETE FYFE