Andrew Gold 
Lonely Boy: The Asylum Years Anthology
(Esoteric / Cherry Red)
⭑⭑⭑⭑☆

SINGER-SONGWRITER Andrew Gold was one of the prime practitioners of California’s melodic soft rock genre during his creative heyday in the mid 1970s, and this eminently listenable retrospective brings together the four albums that he recorded for Asylum Records during this period.

As an added bonus the astute compilers at Cherry Red have also decided to reward purchasers with a generous helping of out-takes and hitherto unreleased recordings alongside some fine concert performances which were captured for posterity in London and Los Angeles, and a DVD showcasing six promotional videos and Andrew’s two appearances on the BBC’s “Old Grey Whistle Test” in March 1977 and January 1978.

The gifted multi-instrumentalist would go on to enjoy further chart success after joining forces with 10cc’s Graham Gouldman to form Wax but his infectious Asylum output remains Gold’s crowning glory.

John McFee, Stu Cook, Keith Knudsen,
Jackdawg
(Liberation Hall / Wienerworld)
⭑⭑⭑☆☆

THE three members of this stylish outfit have paid their dues in no uncertain fashion during the past half a century or so, including lengthy stints with such illustrious outfits as Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Doobie Brothers.

After exploring the country rock genre with great success as Southern Pacific during the 1980s, the trio turned their attention back towards commercially orientated rock in 1990 with Jackdawg, serving up a string of memorable John McFee creations before closing proceedings with distinctive covers of Roky Erickson’s Cold Night For Alligators and Van Morrison’s Wild Night.

The finished product had to wait almost 20 years for an official release date and seemed to slip by largely unnoticed as far as the record buying public were concerned, but this splendid reissue will hopefully enjoy a much happier fate the second time around.

The Outer Limits
Just One More Chance: The Anthology 1965-1968
(Strawberry / Cherry Red)
⭑⭑⭑☆☆

THIS easy-on-the-ear two-CD set shines a welcome spotlight on the now highly sought after 1960S output of Jeff Christie and his cohorts in soulful pop rock practitioners The Outer Limits, a short lived outfit who plied their trade on the Deram and Immediate labels for a few years during the mid 60S.

The anthology revives the three unsuccessful singles that the group released during this period, Just One More Chance, When The Work Is Through and Great Train Robbery, alongside a generous helping of demos, out takes and alternate versions from those faroff days.  

Christie did enjoy a brief glimpse of the limelight a few years later after penning the chart topping Yellow River and the equally infectious San Bernadino before the Leeds born vocalist and songwriter sadly slipped back into relative obscurity once again.