(20-track compilation/ 1999/ �POLYGRAM�)
Lloyd Cole. What a guy. What a voice. What a vision.
And here are his and his band The Commotions� most well-known songs packed together as the �Lloyd Cole Collection.� In a similar vein to Morrissey, Lloyd�s laid-back musings on life are as melancholy as an infinite sadness indeed, but the songs are always melody rich and the lyrics thoroughly poetic.
This CD is one of two halves, as the first 8 songs are all the classic Commotion numbers, while the remaining tracks are all solo works culled from the solo career that middle-aged �king� Cole dubiously forged after the band went their separate ways. And while his solo career never really took off into any mainstream format, in the same way Midge Ure and Steve Harley battled on after their respective motherships in Ultravox and Cockney Rebel disbanded, Lloyd Cole still has a cult following. The fact that fewer people are familiar with his solo work reflects not a dip in the material�s quality but problems with promotion. And it�s not that his songs aren�t mainstream suited either, because �She�s A Girl and I�m A Man� is perfect soft-rock and Bryan Adams-styled through and through.
He�s still touring his extensive back catalogue too, as evidenced last year when I saw him play a low-key, enticingly intimate acoustic show in Beverley. And in person he is such a nice, humble guy. His slow, mellow acoustic versions of Commotion hits like �Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken?� and �Rattlesnakes� add an even more soulful angle to their spirited slants, the sublime melodies and off-kilter style executed beautifully.
Yep, this man is to both modesty and genius what a rocket is to an astronaut.
And if you like Lloyd, you�re surely sure to love Del Amitri. But that band is another obsession of mine, and don�t worry � I won�t start. Because there�s �another story�� (STEVE RUDD)