Album review: THE QUIREBOYS – Wardour Street

Cadiz Music [Release date 01.11.24]

When I heard Spike had been ousted by his own band but had drafted in original Quireboys guitarist and co-founder the late, great, Guy Bailey to help resurrect the true Quireboys, rejoined by most of the band’s original line-up I was excited, and it is good to have bassist Nigel Mogg, drummer Rudy Richman and piano player Chris Johnstone back in the fold.

As a fan of the band from the beginning I didn’t know what to expect from the album that became “Wardour Street”. Did I expect a carbon copy of the debut album, or a follow on from those latter-day albums, no. What we have been gifted is a joyous slab of magnificent Stonesy swagger mixed with Faces style and all delivered in a way that only Spike and the boys can. Am I happy with the result? Oh yes!!

One master stroke is the addition of Thunder guitarist Luke Morley, who’s songwriting, guitar playing and backing vocals throughout is exactly what you would expect from a Quireboys album, whilst his production work on “Wardour Street” is second to none.

Highlights amongst the 11 tracks on offer? Well, where do I start? Single and album opener “Jeeze Louise” not only starts proceedings nicely, it literally knocked years off of me.

“Happy”, “Like It or Not” and title track “Wardour Street” have a great Stones feel to them, with the latter being a slower “Fool To Cry” type track. “It Ain’t Over Now” is a great ballad and the guitar work on this is absolutely immense. “You and I” is a Rod Stewart like song that is so easily sigalongable (don’t even check that in the dictionary, I think I just made it up!!) that by the end of the track you don’t even realise you are doing it.

Special mention must be made of the Frankie Miller song “Raining Whisky” which features the man himself. Also worth turning up loud are “Howlin’ Wolf” and “I Think I Got It Wrong Again”. However, there really isn’t a skippable track on “Wardour Street”, an album which is the very heart and soul, the spirit of The Quireboys – but that could easily be said about Spike himself. Welcome back!! *****

Review by Nikk Gunns

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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)