A renown British guitar slinger for five decades and running, Chris Spedding may not be a name on the tip of everyone’s tongue, but he’s had his share of heady experiences backing everyone from Paul McCartney and Elton John, to collaborating more extensively with Roxy Music and Robert Gordon, producing demos for the Sex Pistols, and participating in various one-offs and hopefuls, like 2011’s King Mob. And then there is his solo career, which has taken a backseat to his work with others. It is, however, not without merit, reasonably prolific with 13 studio albums and capable of stretching a vast selection of genres – from jazz and progressive to guitar-heavy rockabilly. His 2015 release Joyland goes to great lengths to show off the man’s range of musical sketches.
It’s easy to get pulled in by the greasy riff that spitfires the opening title track. Coupled with the spoken-word dialogue of Ian McShane deliciously infused in brogish insight, Spedding lays it on smooth, creating an aural picture of “Joyland.” McShane’s infectious words simply provides the punctuation. On songs that follow, Spedding trots out various singers in an attempt to complement their unique and particular tone with whatever kind of willing riff he can conjure. Arthur Brown grinds out a wobbly vocal on the rough and ready “Now You See It,” and Bryan Ferry suavely laces the wailing, blues-sticky melody of “Gun Shaft City” with grace and equanimity.
Spedding’s stellar guitar work takes the spotlight in “Café Racer” with bassist Sex Pistols Glen Matlock, and the masterful “Heisenberg,” alongside The Smiths’ Johnny Marr, which may or may not bring to mind visions of Walter White on the run from the Mexican cartel. Seems likes an honorable homage as Spedding dips in both acoustically and electrically with ghoulish results. “I Sill Love You” brings in Spedding’s longtime comrade in rockabilly, Robert Gordon, for a salty and careless throwback. Perhaps even quirkier is the spunky trip through Crispian St Peters’ “The Pied Piper” with King Mob singer Steve Parsons leading the march en route to a dark and sultry utopia of endless possibilities. Andy MacKay’s sax and Speeding’s angular guitar add the muscle and off we go. Parsons sticks around for the swampy “Go Down South” with Free bassist Andy Fraser anchoring the floorboards.
Joyland features veteran drummer Andy Newmark throughout, while a 16-year-old Californian vocalist named Lane duets with Spedding on “I’m Your Sin.” Which goes to show the guitarist (and sometimes singer) isn’t afraid to pit himself in the middle of his peers with the up-and-comers. It makes for an album of many flavors, a little taste for everyone in one way or another. It’s a shining example of Chris Spedding as a world-class guitar player and collaborator with a wide cross-section of musicians and like-minded sonic explorers willing to climb aboard and tickle the membrane.
~ Shawn Perry
