Keith Richards
Crosseyed Heart
Virgin EMI
Who would have expected an album of ambient synth noodling garnished with Diamanda Galas screams from the veteran Stones guitarist? Nope, me neither - and neither of us will be disappointed by Crosseyed Heart, Keef's third solo offering and his first in more than 20 years.
More significantly, this chunky 15-track set is a great deal more than "not disappointing". Crosseyed Heart is very good indeed, a rich and beautifully-crafted disc of fine songs, arranged and played with style and recorded with the benefit of the rich experience of years - and without the need for some young gun, or T-Bone Burnett, in the producer's chair. The notes make clear that Richards sees it as part of a continuum, regular partners like guitarist Waddy Wachtel, and former Labelle singer Sarah Dash onboard alongside his solo discs' Charlie Watts, Steve Jordan, who co-writes most of the tunes. They are joined by such luminaries as Aaron Neville, Norah Jones and the late Bobby Keys in one of the saxophonist's last recordings. A good few of these songs - Nothing On Me, Substantial Damage - would sound right at home on a Stones album, but that band has never sounded as at home with reggae as on the cover of Gregory Isaacs' Love Overdue here.
Keith Bruce
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