TONY COLLINS - Just Passin' Through

The first of our home grown recordings this time comes from Dunoon’s TONY COLLINS. “Just Passin’ Through” is what Tony describes as his “retirement project”, but it’s probably more like a life long dream.
Tony has been involved in music all his life, through the pop and gospel scenes. He wrote his first song at age 14, and was the writer of the official Glasgow Marathon song, “Marathon Man”.  But Country music has always been part of Tony, known as the “Tartan Cowboy”, so it’s no surprise that this album is Country!
The album has twelve self written songs, was recorded in Ballymena, and features the likes of Richard Nelson on pedal steel, and Eamon McLoughlin on fiddle.
I really enjoyed the mix of music, from the toe tappin’ “There She Goes” to the Tom T Hall styled “You Say”.
There’s also a good bit of “DooWaa’s” and “Hot Bananas” on the honky tonk inspired “AWOL”.
The opening track “Back On The Road Again” is a good upbeat number, and “America” is a good song which sums up several generations obsession with Uncle Sam’s land.
I was quite intrigued to listen to a song titled “Rocky Mountain Home”, with a lazy gulf coast / calypso arrangement, which surprisingly works well.
The title track, ”Just Passin’ Through” is a slower number, with some neat sax.
I’d say that Tony’s influences were the Elvis inspired balladeers. He’s not an Elvis clone- nothing like it, but I do hear influences I also hear similarities with Mickey Gilley and Billy Crash Craddock.
It’s a really good album, which I enjoyed listening too.