Kevin Rowland [1999] My Beauty

[01] The Greatest Love Of All
[02] Rag Doll
[03] Concrete And Clay
[04] Daydream Believer
[05] This Guy's In Love With You
[06] The Long And Winding Road
[07] It's Getting Better
[08] I Can't Tell The Bottom From The Top
[09] Labelled With Love (I'll Stay With My Dreams)
[10] Reflections Of My Life
[11] You'll Never Walk Alone



amg: Kevin Rowland released his first solo album in 1988 (the wonderful The Wanderer), and it took 11 years for him to release his sophomore solo effort. The years between albums were not kind to Rowland. He battled drug addiction, went bankrupt, and disappeared from the public view. For My Beauty, Rowland decided to make a big return, both in presentation (the front sleeve must be seen to be believed) and music (very big production). The result? A CD of cover versions. My Beauty is a difficult album to review, because although it is not very good, no one can doubt Rowland's sincerity. He loves these songs, and it is clear that each and every one means a great deal to him. However, that does not guarantee a great listening experience. He still has an amazing voice, and does credible versions of "Rag Doll" and "Concrete and Clay," but things get a bit dicey when he alters the lyrics to "The Long and Winding Road." The result is laughable. His versions of "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "This Guy's in Love with You" are embarrassing, mainly because of overblown production and the fact that the songs seem out of his range. However, his introduction to "The Greatest Love of All" (which kicks off the album) is a brilliant use of voice and textures, and is the clear highlight of the CD. If only the rest lived up to the opening 30 seconds. Although he has a top-notch band full of great players (including Neil Hubbard), the songs are bland and don't serve any purpose. His versions are unique, perhaps, but not interesting. Overall, this is a depressing affair. With Dexy's Midnight Runners, Rowland wrote some of the finest pop songs in history ("Geno" and "Tell Me When My Light Turns Green" come immediately to mind), but this album does not live up to any of his previous glories. A CD of original material might have been an improvement. As for the cover art...Kevin Rowland does not look good in drag.
(amg 4/10)

Kevin Rowland [1988] The Wanderer

[01] Young Man
[02] Walk away
[03] You'll Be The One For Me
[04] Heartaches By The Number
[05] I Am A Wanderer
[06] Tonight
[07] When You Walk Alone
[08] Age Can't Wither You
[09] I Want
[10] Remember Me



amg: This is a brilliant album. Although it is not a sequel to 1985's brilliant Don't Stand Me Down, it is clearly the natural follow-up. Knowing he could never top that major achievement, Kevin Rowland once again set out to reinvent himself for his first solo album. The result is a mixture of Celtic folk, rock, country, and dance music. The result is stunning. Rowland's vocals are amazing, clear, and full of his famous emotion. The assorted session musicians (including famed pedal steel guitarist Eric Weissberg) provide a solid foundation on which Rowland builds his mini masterpieces. Rowland is not so much the angry young man here (except maybe on the standout track, "Tonight), but rather a sad, lonely, pensive man who is trying to make sense of the world around him. He may not succeed, but in the process he has written some moving lyrics and does a wonderful cover of the classic "Heartaches By the Numbers." As usual, this is not the type of album one expects from Kevin Rowland, but when did Rowland ever do what was expected of him? Also worth searching out are the three singles released from the album, all containing hilarious and wonderful non-LP B-sides that could have been added as bonus cuts to the CD. There really is something here for most tastes, and by all rights this should be in most serious record collections.
(amg 8/10)