MANSON GRANT - Still Kickin'

 MANSON GRANT has been a mainstay of The Dynamos, and indeed the Scottish music scene for half a century. He joined The Dynamos when he was just 20 years old, and over the decades has performed a variety of music all across the Country and beyond. 
His latest album “Still Kickin’ ”(Pan Records
) , recorded in lockdown at Studio-D in Wick, is a real Classic Country album, with 13 songs that will take you back to when Country was Country. He starts off with a couple of Vince Gill numbers, “I Never Really Knew You” and “Don’t Come Crying To Me”, before going way back to Bill Anderson’s “The Tips Of My Fingers”, and even further back to Hank Williams “Mansion On The Hill”. 
Webb Pierce is remembered with “There Stands The Glass” and “Back Street Affair”, whilst Buck Owens, who Manson devoted a whole album to a few years back, is remembered on “There Goes My Love”.  You can relive Mel Tillis’ “Arms Of A Fool”, Willie’s “I’ve Loved You All Over The World”, and even Gordon Lightfoot’s “Cotton Jenny” too.
There’s also a nice timely, incidental, tribute to Des O’Connor with a good version of “Careless Hands”, although I think Manson’s version will have been more inspired by the Country versions from Slim Whitman, Dottie West and Jerry Lee Lewis.  The song was co-written by Bob Hilliard, who also wrote “From The Candy Store On The Corner”, which also features on the album. 
I love the intensity of “Have You Seen This Man” which I tracked down to album tracks from Skeeter Davis and Ernest Tubb, but was never a hit. Manson really found a bit of treasure with this sad tale of a man whose life was destroyed by the bottle. 
Through the wonders of modern technology, the album features some great Nashville and Irish musicians and backing singers like Aubrey Haynie, Steve Hinson, Eamon McLoughlin, Marcia Ramirez, Kelly Smiley, Crawford Bell and, of course, former Orcadian Phil Anderson, alongside fellow Dynamos from closer to home, Robert Cameron, Brandon McPhee and ex Chicken Picker Chis Boxall. 
When I’ve seen Manson (and the Dynamos) perform, he’s never failed to entertain the crowd. This album, where he gets solo billing, not only proves that he’s “Still Kickin’”, but that these timeless tunes have still plenty of life in them too. 
An absolute winner! 

ROBBIE - Ever Changing Woman

ROBBIE PETRIE has been a longtime favourite on the Scottish Country music scene. He’s also one of the most traditional sounding singers still performing today. 
Following on from his last album, “Nashville On My Mind”, Robbie went one better, and recorded his latest collection in Music City. “Ever Changing Woman” is a stone Country collection of 13 songs, all produced in a pure Country fashion. 
The title track is a Curly Putman/ Dave Kirby composition, which Merle Haggard recorded for his “Back To The Barrooms” album. It’s just one of seven Haggard songs on the collection. Other include “Shelley’s Winter Love”, “Swinging Doors” and “Here In Frisco”. Robbie is a huge Hag fan, as you can tell.  But Buck Owens is also well represented, with 3 covers, including opening track “Foolin’ Around” and “Together Again”.
Other songs include Mel Street’s “Borrowed Angel”, Tommy Collin’s “New Patches” (a hit for Mel Tillis) and George Strait’s “The Cowboy Rides Away”.   
Robbie engaged the services of Steel guitar player Rusty Danmyer as producer. Over the years, Rusty has worked with Martina McBride, Lee Ann Womack and Leann Rimes. The album also features Joe Spivey on fiddle, an inductee of the National Fiddle Hall Of Fame, and member of John Anderson’s band. Nikki Nelson, from Highway 101, is on harmony vocals, rekindling a connection made at the Caithness Festival a few years back. Keith Nixon also adds vocals, Eddie Lange and William Bagby provide guitar, Joey Schmidt on piano, and former Hag drummer Randy Mason complete the credits. 
Robbie sounds great throughout the album, and the production is superb. 
If Merle & Buck is your kinda Country, you’ve love this album ! 

WILLIE CAMPBELL - Nothing's Going To Bring Me Down

 A year or so ago, I told you about an album from Western Isles band, “Tumbling Souls”. Well, lead singer WILLIE CAMPBELL is back with a new solo album, “Nothing’s Going To Bring Me Down” (Invisible King Records).
This was intended to be the next Tumbling Souls album, and studio time had been booked in Glasgow back in March. But as lockdown took effect, Willie chose to take the bull by the horns and self-produce the album. 
Willie describes the themes across this album as “the internal struggle that he lives with, of loving the place that you’re from, but knowing that you have to leave it to make a living or to achieve the goals that you’ve set”. 
All ten songs on the album are self penned. It’s not all Country, but there is quite a Country feel running through some of the songs, probably a throwback to his songwriting expedition to Nashville a decade ago, where he learned so much about honing his craft. The touches of Steel Guitar, courtesy of Lloyd Reid plays a part too. 
The title track was released as a single, and crashed straight into the Scottish Top 40. It features some impressive piano from Keith Morrison, and a real catchy hook line. 
The album kicks off with “Leave Home”, which sets the agenda for the rest of the album. It has influences of Country, rock, pop and celtic music, and is a nice taster for the listen ahead. 
“Keep My Dreams Of Yesterday” is a pleasant ballad, as is “Pages Of The Past”. “Lay Your Burden Down”, whilst more pop inspired, is a really catchy number, which really got into my head. 
The closing track, “Home To Say Goodbye”, has a particular Country feel to it. It’s a very simple, yet melodic, arrangement, and stands out as my favourite track.
Although crossing a number of genres of music, I really liked the album.