For his major-label debut, Silvertone Records threw a lot of resources at Brendan Croker, including a hefty production budget that allowed Brendan Croker & the Five O'Clock Shadows to feature a gaggle of session musicians. This turns out to be a bit of a mixed blessing the opening number, "No Money at All," is so dominated by the guitar of Mark Knopfler that it sounds like a lost Dire Straits track rather than the work of a new artist. Fortunately, after that Croker is allowed to bring more of his own sound to the fore, and while the gentle picking of Dire Straits is certainly one reference point to that sound, there are many others throughout this album. Obvious influences range from Woody Guthrie to John Hartford or Pete Seeger in terms of lyrical content, and from Northern soul to American country to Yorkshire folk in terms of music. Being a Brit who writes largely about social injustice has also earned Croker a number of comparisons to Billy Bragg, although musically Croker has a much wider-ranging palette. He gets to show this off to good effect on Brendan Croker & the Five O'Clock Shadows, jumping between bluesy numbers ("This Kind of Life," "That's Why I'm Leaving Here") and mellow country tunes ("Just an Old Waltz"), as well as rearranging a traditional folk song ("All Mixed Up") into a smoldering soul workout. While the production by John Porter may be a little too slick for longtime Croker fans who are used to a rawer mix, this well-written, eclectic album will serve as an excellent introduction for anyone who has heard Croker as a member of the Notting Hillbillies and wants to further explore the genesis of that band's polished-but-rootsy sound.
Track listing
01. "No Money at All" (Brendan Croker) - 3:38
02. "You Don't Need Me Here" (Brendan Croker) - 3:45
03. "Shine On" (Brendan Croker) - 4:26
04. "This Man" (Brendan Croker) - 3:12
05. "Wrong Decision" (Brendan Croker) - 4:08
06. "That's Why I'm Leaving Here" (Brendan Croker) - 2:25
07. "All Mixed Up" (Brendan Croker) - 3:42
08. "This Kind of Life" (Brendan Croker) - 3:19
09. "My Government" (Brendan Croker) - 3:15
10. "Ain't Gonna Smile" (Brendan Croker) - 3:08
11. "Just an Old Waltz" (Brendan Croker) - 2:55
12. "Mister" (Brendan Croker) - 4:17
13. "Coconut Tree" (Brendan Croker) - 4:10
Release: August 15, 1989
Recorded at: KGM, Wakefield , West Yorkshire, Matrix, London , The Fletcherdome, London , Home of the Blues, London
Label: Silvertone Records
Genre: Pop, Blues-Rock
Length: 46:20
Producer: John Porter
Personnel
Brendan Croker - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Slide Guitar, Banjo
Mark Knopfler - Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar
Guy Fletcher - Bass, Keyboards, Piano
Drums – Steve Goulding
Marcus Cliffe - Bass Guitar
Mark Cresswell - Electric Guitar
Guy Fletcher - Keyboards, Strings, Drums
Alan Clark - Organ [Hammond
Molly Duncan - Saxophone
Neil Sidwell - Trombone
Martin Drover - Trumpet
Katie Kissoon, Tessa Niles - Backing Vocals
John Porter - Slide Guitar, Drums
Tanita Tikaram - Vocals [Harmony Vocals]
Rob Mason - Harmonica
Eric Clapton - Vocals
Steve Phillips - Vocals
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