Jim Jones All Stars. Get Down – Get With It! A critic once likened Jim’s songs to ‘a gang fight set to 12bar blues’ which is arguably an understatement. The rock’n’roll Jones lives and breathes is dirty and primal, soul-injected, and cranked up to the max – as electrifying as sharing your bath with a plugged-in toaster. After nodding to James Brown on the instrumental opener, the band steam into the awesome rolling blues of Cement Mixer before swaggering on to the equally potent sweat-drenched assault of old Jim Jones Revue favourite Burning Your House Down. “Ain’t no smoke without fire,” announces Jones who has been perfecting his sound since his mid-80s beginnings with High Wycombe psychedelic garage band Thee Hypnotics.
The results, captured on this raucous 16-track live album, are passionate and irresistible; an aural bombardment of fifties Little Richard rock, sixties soul and funk. The sounds of yesterday are brought up to date with fervour and commitment courtesy Carlton Mounsher’s fuzzy guitar, Stuart Dace’s blasting sax, Elliot Mortimer’s manic piano and a driving rhythm section. Songs range from the all-out attack of Rock’n’Roll Psychosis to the funky groove of Gimme The Grease. The impact is intense. Played loud, you feel like you’re watching them in a club pinned against the wall by their merciless bumping, grinding onslaught.
Various Artists. Can’t Get Enough. Fans of less frantic rock will lap this tribute to Bad Company, the band formed by Free star Paul Rodgers and original Mott guitarist Mick Ralphs in 1973. They took their name from a 1972 Western and this tribute captures the guileless swagger of both film and band. LA rockers Dirty Honey do justice to Rock Steady, Slash excels on Feel Like Making Love, Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott handles soulful ballad Seagull and country star Charley Crockett covers Bad Company itself.
Brandi Carlile. Returning To Myself. Months after her critically acclaimed collaboration with Elton John and her Glasto triumph, US Americana star Brandi delivers her 8th studio album, mixing ballads with rock and country. Highs include the stunning title track and the tender and moving A War With Time about Covid deaths. Brandi toasts Joni Mitchell on Joni. Her voice astounds throughout.
Elton John. Captain Fantastic & the Brown Dirt Cowboy. Not just Elton’s first autobiographical album but also the first to debut at No 1 on the US chart. It peaks on Tower Of Babel, a sad, angry song about AWB drummer Robbie McIntosh’s death (after snorting heroin he thought was cocaine at an LA party) and timeless joy Someone Saved My Life. This 2xLP 50th reboot adds demos & live recordings.
Spiritual Cramp. Rude. The Cali punks’ 2nd album explodes with high energy, handsome hooks and humour. They’re at their propulsive best on People Don’t Change – think the Smiths on steroids – and their most muscular on Go Back Home. Violence In The Supermarket’ ominous stabbing reggae slows the pace. Sharon van Etten guests on You’ve Got My Number.