Album review: GRAHAM BONNET – The Historic Collection (2 CDs)

Store For Music [Release date 21.01.22]

Graham Bonnet needs little or no introduction.

His 5 decade back catalogue is a rich and constant source of reissues and expanded versions.

This double CD package sees his 1991 album, Here Comes The Night paired with Live Around The World.

Here Comes… is a game of two halves, and a covers album. In some ways a return to the classic pop tropes of his earlier material. On yet another version of ‘Only One Woman’, the artificiality of the synth soaked production actually adds to the song’s blazing pop majesty.

It’s in good company, being surrounded by material written by Denny Laine (Eyes Of A Child), Ray Davies (I Go To Sleep) and uber popular music songwriter/ producers, Lieber & Stoller (Don’t).

We first saw Bonnet’s soulful rhythm& blues leanings taking root in his self titled 1977 recording. Mixed in with the classic pop songs already mentioned, a sensual sax turns a cover of Them/Van Morrison’s ‘Here Comes The Night’ into something really interesting. Sam Cooke’s prescient ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ and ‘I’ll Go Crazy’, a huge R&B hit for James Brown in the sixties, contribute to Bonnet’s reputation for cross genre artistry.

The Live CD plucks top performances from Bonnet at various venues from all over the globe.

Stomping reconstructions of ‘Since You Been Gone’ and ‘All Night Long’ are the not unexpected highlights. Still, the soaring ‘Eyes Of The World’ and oft underrated ‘Night Games’ cross the line not too far behind.

In all honesty, when you can also include high calibre material like ‘Island In The Sun’, ‘Assault, Attack’ and ‘Lost In Hollywood’ in your repertoire, your fans might well be reminded of why they got into melodic hard rock in the first place. ***1/2

Review by Brian McGowan

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

Next session: Sunday 19 January

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 1 December 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 3 December 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)