BEN POOLE (UK) (Page 2 of 2)

Yesterday, got my copy of Ben's - Time Has Come....

Well, if you could blend John Mayer with Gary Moore, you wouldn’t be far adrift on Ben’s 2nd full studio album. Kicking off with a rousing cover of Ian Siegal/Todd Sharpville’s Lying To Me, featuring Todd on guitar, things drift into the Mark Knopfler penned, though more famously associated with Jeff Healey, I Think I Love You Too Much, and featuring a back-and forth guitar duet with Aynsley Lister which makes a fitting tribute to the Canadian Blues maestro.. These lead up to the first original track, and it’s a biggy; Longing For A Woman; Ben really puts everything into this one. If You Want To Play With My Heart has a slightly Country air to it before Ben’s back off again with a searing guitar work-out, Time Might Never Come, that invokes the spirit of the much missed Gary Moore. Heading back to more familiar Soul sounds, the tempo is picked up a little for Stay At Mine. The Terry Britten/Charlie Dore penned Just When You Thought It Was Safe sees a tasty guest appearance from Henrik Freischlader. Charlie also has another of her songs on the album; You’ve Changed leads to another of Ben's heartbreak songs, Whoever Invented Love Closing the album, and the final cover, is a super working of singer/songwriter Jamie Mitchell’s The Question Why.

A very strong album, a little more restrained than expected; this sounds like an album by someone who’s had his heart ripped out, kicked around an left in the gutter. As you’d expect from the rising “House of Tone”, very strong band backing Ben, as well as his usual foils of Matt Beable on Bass and Craig Bacon on Drums, Wayne Proctor added his own drumming and percussion while Steve Amadeo does stirling Bass duties on 8 of the 10 tracks; Hammond, Clavinet and some Wurlitzer courtesy of Bob Fridzma with Bennett Holland chipping in on The Question Why. Stevie Nimmo was around to do backing vocals on 8 tracks though with Todd Sharpville, Aynsley Lister & Henrik Freischlader adding guest guitar slots, you gotta wonder why didn’t they ask Stevie too. Ben’s one of those players I could listen too all night, so maybe there’s too much already…

Overall, I like this album, but I wanted to REALLY like it, and I don’t. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with the quality of the songs or the playing, though at times there seems to be no “sparkle”, (maybe a touch heavy on the keyboard…?), maybe that’ll come with more plays. It just doesn’t excite like the live shows.

Saturday was Ben's first visit to Hartlepool and judging from the reaction of the packed crowd at the Supporter's Club, it won't be his last; and that wasn't even a full Ben show.

Yes, the Ben & Stevie roadshow rolled through, and Ben was up first and did what he does best for the first 75 minutes and wowed the audience with his "blue-eyed soul" voice and searing guitar work.

The end of the show, when Ben & Stevie get together on Going Down with Steve Watts steaming away on the Hammond; one of those jams that will stay with you for a very long time.

Sorry, dusty thread.....

Ben's new album; Anytime You Need Me is now available for signed, pre-order through Mascot Records for release 14th Sept.

That song is going to be a corker live as long as he doesn't wear that Henley wig

Cant wait to hear his version of Jude Cole's "Start The Car".

The above Live album, double-disc, is now available for pre-order....

If you pre-ordered at the recorded gigs, you should get it end of October; pre-order now and you'll get it end of November or else you'll have to wait until 31st Jan 2020 or catch Ben &  the guys on their upcoming Euro jaunt.

Ben Poole + Guy Smeets - Newcastle; Cluny; 3-2-22

So, you see the above announcement from last year? Well the CD arrived on the 30th March and I gave it 2 Thumbs up and a wish that ben would bring Guy over here sometime.

Well, last night that hope became reality on the 2nd night of 10 of Ben’s first UK Acoustic tour and Guy’s first appearances in the UK. And it was everything to be hoped for: we’ve known for a decade what an exciting and consummate performer Ben is, and acoustic he’s just as sharp with an edge more intimacy in his songs. And Guy; well this young Dutchman certainly has fire in his finger-tips.

The set didn’t deviate too much from the CD though it was stretched out from 60 to near 90 minutes; one or two more “standards” such as Old Love and an extended accelerating guitar duel between the two; the jedi and the padawan, though at times who was which? There’s no denying, Ben has paid his dues, mentoring his young friend and bringing on an exciting, young talent to watch for in the future. What really came over in the show though was the musical bond between the two and their friendship and humour, goading each other to a faster or more intricate flurry, all with a hint of mischief. And also the way they “read” each other, not only in what must have been rehearsed and better rehearsed over the past couple of years, but at the times they went “off-script” and jammed.

Newcastle can be notoriously fickle about acoustic shows; often acts that can pack to the rafters struggle with numbers once the acoustic guitars come out (so how the Hell did Ed Sheeran manage?) and if Ben was downhearted by the modest turn out, he didn’t show it; he did his usual and played up a storm.

Comment of the evening came from Guy; when asked how he got over to the UK in light of Holland’s lockdown restrictions - “I swam….. It took me 4 days but I got here.”