Reviewed by Trevor Kirk

A 14 track CD offering from Al Grant from Scotland, whose voice, according to his record company (and I quote) "evokes memories of the wonderful velvet tones of the late Jim Reeves." And immediately I have a problem. One of the advantages of my great age is that I remember Jim Reeves in his prime. Al has neither the range, the timbre nor the warmth of Gentleman Jim. If we must make odious comparisons, Paul Wheater and Steve Darmody are two guys who most remind me of Mr Reeves, Al's voice is much further up the scale. So having shot the man's main claim to fame out of the water straight away, what of this album? Most of the material is typical of stuff in the repertoire of many who ply their trade on the country circuit: "Ramblin' Rose", "Heartbeat", "Roses Are Red", "My Happiness", "Memories Are Made Of This", "Love Me Tender"- these songs were huge pop hits in the '50s and '60s, but here they've been rendered very easy listening, very sentimental, and very dull. The Christian content is just two tracks - Cindy Walker's "Gentle Shepherd", and the old time hymn "Softly And Tenderly", and they're not enough even to begin to cancel out the blandness of the rest.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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