Simon Stanley Ward & The Shadows of Doubt,
Rocket in the Desert (Self Released)
★★★★

A FEAST of literate and expertly executed English Americana from one of the country’s most richly rewarding songwriters, adding to the excellent body of work that he’s assembled during the past decade or so.

Ward’s fine band The Shadows of Doubt also deserve a mention in dispatches for their eloquent contribution to one of the most impressive albums that you’ll be likely to hear in this or any other year, with stand-out tracks such as When September Comes, Terpsichorean Footwear and Rocket in the Desert itself supplying an ideal introduction to the supremely gifted Ward’s engaging brand of music-making. 

The album also marked the final appearance on record of talented bass player Geoff Easeman, whose contributions were captured for posterity in an NHS hospice shortly before his untimely death last year. 

The Long Ryders 
Native Sons (Cherry Red)
★★★★

NATIVE SONS was the debut album from critically acclaimed US alt-country outfit The Long Ryders, first released in Britain in October 1984 and going on to top the country’s indie charts soon afterwards as they revived the musical ethos of The Flying Burrito Brothers to create what Melody Maker described as “a modern American classic.”

The original long player is now available as an expanded three-CD set, drawing on a generous helping of top-notch B-sides and demos alongside a recording of the band’s gig at London’s Dingwalls venue in March 1985. 

Sid Griffin’s eclectic outfit have rarely been captured in finer fettle, and their heady fusion of country, psychedelia and classic 1950s rock ’n’ roll underpins gems such as Too Close To The Light, I Had A Dream and the Byrds-influenced Ivory Tower.

Status Quo
The Early Years (1966-69) (BMG)
★★★★

STATUS QUO completists would be well-advised to snap up a copy of this five-CD retrospective post haste, as it serves up a pretty comprehensive overview of the band’s early vinyl output, including a generous helping of tracks from Francis Rossi and company’s previous musical exploits with The Spectres and Traffic Jam. 

The latter outfits adopted a fairly scattergun approach to their choice of material during the mid-1960s as they tackled songs made famous by the Bee Gees and Tom Jones among others, but chart success finally came their way with Pictures of Matchstick Men in 1968.

This classic slice of pop psychedelia is one of the highlights of a beautifully annotated package which also includes mono and stereo versions of Quo’s first two albums and an interesting assortment of outtakes, demos and rare BBC sessions from those distant days.