Joe Egan
Out Of Nowhere

From a remote corner of memory emerges a name, it’s just a trace, a vague memory. I blow the dust off the almanac of days gone by, and gradually that name comes back to light, a name that for some reason hasn’t been forgotten: Joe Egan, a fleeting meteor in the rock firmament.

In the early '70s, he was in a folk-rock group with Gerry Rafferty (later the author of the evergreen "Baker Street," remember?). In 1979, he released his first solo album, after a three-year silence imposed on him contractually. Even Wikipedia isn’t clear on this album’s title, as the only page dedicated to Joe Egan calls it "Back on the Road" in the biographical notes (which is how I remembered it) and "Out of Nowhere" lower down in the discography.

Be that as it may, this work contains ten honest and genuine songs, all centered on the formula of voice plus acoustic guitars, supported by a sober yet effective rhythm section - bass and drums - and with the solo parts entrusted to electric guitars. In short, ten healthy doses of singer-songwriter music with hints here and there of folk and country-rock veins.

Definitely a little gem is the first song of the album, "Back on the Road," which was also released as a single. Back then, it gained a certain success and stood out along with the discreet and alluring voice of this Scottish singer-songwriter. The other tracks are easy to listen to, featuring a persistent riff ("Why Let It Bother You"), vague blues accents obtained from the slide guitar ("Pride"), the lively and spirited tempo of "Leavin It All Behind" - the only distinctly rock episode of the album - right up to the nostalgic tone of the closing "Out of Nowhere."

Joe Egan has the charm of the underdogs: a spark in the universe of rock. This album, which hasn’t been reissued on CD, is followed by a second work, released in 1981. Then, nothing more.