Chris Spedding
Hurt

THE REVIEW

Chris Spedding is an original and unpredictable guitarist native to Sheffield (b. 1944 GB) who already at the end of the 1950s was part of the band the Vulcans. Hundreds of his works as a sessionman inevitably dissipated some of his musical and artistic abilities. Among his admirers, it is noteworthy to mention P. Townshend, who wrote the notes for a collection of Chris's works from the '80s. A musician capable of navigating through various musical genres. His solo debut took place in 1970 with a work that was already interesting, although not yet "mature". Between 1970 and 1971, he founded the Sharks with A. Fraser of Free, a brilliant Rock-Blues group. Subsequently, he accompanied R. Harper and joined B. Ferry's band. He declined M. Jagger's offer to join the Stones.

The present album is from 1977 but was remastered and released in 2000 by Repertoire Records. It is an excellent example of Chris's musical, compositional, and guitar skills. The CD consists of fourteen tracks, with four bonus tracks, totaling about forty-seven minutes. All songs are sung, with the exception of "Gunfight", and come across as rather immediate and recognizable. The other instrumentalists perform admirably, but the true star of the record is Spedding. "Wild In The Street" (Jeffreys) immediately highlights his personal, quick, and decisive guitar style. "Silver Bullet" is stunning and intriguing, with dense and energetic guitar solos. Undoubtedly, he is a musician endowed with much imagination and enviable charisma, demonstrated particularly in this track but in others as well. Excellent are the passages in "Ain't Superstitious". "Road Runner" (McDaniels) is a song with irresistible and insinuating sound. The tracks "Stay Dumb" and "Get Out My Pagoda" are almost "devilish" with dizzying solos on a very fast rhythmic base.
If you ever find yourself having a particularly "dull" day, my advice is to listen to this record, which is likely to recharge you emotionally. Among the bonus tracks, "Gunfight" stands out, which curiously seems straight out of a good '70s Western movie, and "The Pose", with its irresistible rhythm. Certainly, at some moments the music seems slightly repetitive but never truly boring or annoying. The album cover is quite discreet but not very clear and with overly saturated chromatic tones. The booklet is good, containing some photos and comprehensive notes on Spedding's biography by Chris Welch.

In conclusion, an excellent album, easily assimilable and immediately enjoyable to listen to.