40 odd years and counting, this mans' consistency is ridiculous. Especially in the past decade, he has made music moving between country, folk and smooth jazz miles away from Rockpile and, as far as I'm concerned? They've all been great albums.
I'm trying to think of an album he has made I've really disliked and there isn't one. the best? Of real recent vintage? Well, relatively, The Convincer is killer in my book
Just ahead of his new album, The Old Magic, to be released on Tuesday, Nick has released two new singles.
The better of the two is "Check Out Time", a nifty lift of "I Can't Get You Used To Losing You" by the master thief (remember "So It Goes" -so does Steely Dan), the lilting country number about Nick's imminent demise, is a wonderful thing indeed. Grade: A-
The other single. "I Read A Lot" answers the musical question, what do you do when your girl goes, as a smooth jazz ballad with haunting strings and subtle back up. The sax break sounds like Chet Baker. Grade: B+