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Ben Poole: Anytime You Need Me Review

Over the the past eight years I’ve watched Been Poole and have seen his career progress, slowly, to where he is now. This is his third album and the fact he remains loyal to the musicians surrounding him is very much to his credit. The go-to producer for many young Brit Blues/Rockers has to be Wayne Proctor (King King) at his Superfly Studios in the Midlands. Wayne also features on drums. Touring bassist Beau Bernard and Ross Stanley on keyboards make up the quartet.

There are eight originals featured, opening with the uplifting title track with positive lyrics and a lovely guitar solo. “Take It No More” was the first song the band wrote a year ago, to tip their collective toes in the water, with the original drum riff being replaced, the bass lines and vocal melodies meticulously crafted, it comes across more hard edged than anything on the previous release. Ross Stanley is an integral part of the funky “You Could Say”, whilst “Found Out The Hard Way” is , dare I say, a little Knopfleresque? There’s a definite ’70s feel to the fuzz and vibrato tones of “Further On Down The Line”.

The two masterstrokes on here for my money, are the two covers. That is not meant in any way to detract from the originals, but it’s the choice Ben has made that fascinates me. First up is Don Henley’s “Dirty Laundry”. The key is dropped slightly to accommodate Ben’s voice, but knowing what an Eagles fan Ben is, he does it justice. The other cover is more obscure and was a great hit back in the day for Jude Cole. “Start The Car” in its day had all sorts of instrumentation thrown at it, but the stripped back version here fits really well with the lyrics.

In conclusion, we have a combination of funk, catchy hooks and great guitar fills, a credit to the whole band. Personally, I think this could be the making of Ben, he certainly deserves it.

The Review: 8.5/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– Anytime You Need Me
– Further On Down The Line
– Dirty Laundry
– Start The Car

The Big Hit

– Dirty Laundry

Review by Clive Rawlings

Buy the album: Amazon | Amazon UK

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