Monday 15 October 2012

Review: Slim Chance - The Show Goes On


Slim Chance - The Show Goes On (Fishpool)
To avoid confusion lets establish from the outset that this set of songs, the legacy of the late and much-loved Ronnie Lane, and performed here by (mostly latter day) members of his band Slim Chance, must by its very nature stand in the shadow of the originals.

That said, what a joy it is to hear them played again after all this time with so much passion and conviction. Familiar tunes such as ‘Kuschty Rye’, ‘One for the Road’ and ‘Anymore for Anymore’ make welcome appearances, but otherwise the ensemble have eschewed the solo hits and Faces classics in favour of lesser known material. Smart move this, as it provides for a highly coherent collection offering a fresh take on Lane’s bucolic revels.

The tunes still sound delightful of course, and the playing is appropriately lush, with a bank of fiddles, mandolins and accordions weaving gently in and out of a hazy-lazy folk-rock fog. Vocals are shared by pretty much the whole cast, and although Charlie Hart’s solo lead on ‘Lads Got Money’ is worth special mention, it’s the superior all-together-now campfire singalong that drew us in droves to Ronnie’s gypsy circus fantasy, which is resurrected here with no small degree of success.
Neil B.

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