He began as Peter Green’s slide guitar foil in Fleetwood Mac in the 60s, only to drop out of the music scene for nearly two decades. Then he returned with critically acclaimed solo recordings, world tours, and a well-deserved induction into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame with Fleetwood Mac (even though he was on tour in India at the time!). There’s little doubt that Jeremy Spencer has come a long way in his career and he still isn’t finished, as evidenced by a wonderful 15-song disc for 2014, Coventry Blue.
“Happy Troubadour” opens Coventry Blue and it certainly is a moving and upbeat country-flavored workout featuring a strong basic riff and some clean fluid playing. The acoustic guitar stomp “Got To Keep Moving” features a slinky snare from Todd Glass and James Simonson’s bass in-the-pocket laying down a great foundation for more slide from Spencer. Rachel May’s harmonies are also very inspired on this CD.
“Sounds like Paris” certainly does, though that’s all in Spencer’s clean and clutch lead as he manages just the right close, muted playing to bring this nicely produced instrumental together (make note of Duncan McMillian’s accordion and Molly Hughes violin here). I like the George Harrison-sounding pop chorus and slide work on “Blind Love,” before going into 50s chord progression territory with on the slow love song “Open the Door.”
Strings push “Sweet Were The Days” as we once get Spencer’s piano floating the main melody at the beginning, followed by some soft slide work taking us, and then Molly Hughes’ violin for a lead moment. “Letting Go Of The Past” features a lead vocal from May with cringe-worthy lyrics in an otherwise expertly played number (Spencer’s leads make this song one of the best on the record).
The title track features Spencer’s well-worn blues voice, and some great dobro slide. The cowboy-inspired “Durgano” features those cliché male backing vocals we recognize from old westerns and clean electric leads, making it a fun and somewhat different sounding track on this disc. “The World In Her Heart” is a big sounding instrumental production with a full dramatic read from the band behind Spencer. “Endlessly” has Spencer doing his best Elvis, although he claims the song was inspired by Cliff Richard and written when he was in Fleetwood Mac.
In the booklet offered with, Spencer says in the liner notes that this batch of tunes was written in 2010 during the recording of what would become his double LP, Bend In The Road. He says he was broadening his music “palette” so much with these musicians so well that he wrote more songs, which, four years later, found their way on Coventry Blue.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
