Complete Blue Horizon Sessions [Original recording remastered, Import]

Issued 26 September 2006, this huge haul makes available extremely rare LPs and singles by one of Britain's great-unsung guitar/harmonica players - Anthony "Duster" Bennett. The blues-mad 22 year-old from Wales was pointed in the direction of the UK's Blue Horizon label in early 1968 by none other than Fleetwood Mac's PETER GREEN. Greeney was on the money of course - and here's the rocking proof. 2CDs, 44 Tracks, 3 full albums, 9 non-album singles tracks and 1 previously unreleased cut - ouch! There's a lot on here - so let's break it down...

Disc 1 (76:13 minutes):
Track 1 is "Hard To Resist", an aborted 1st UK 7" single recorded 15 May 1968, previously unreleased until now
Tracks 2 and 3 are "It's A Man Down There" and "Things Are Changing", non-album A & B of the 1968 UK 7" single on Blue Horizon 57-3141
Tracks 4 to 15 are the album "Smiling Like I'm Happy" issued late August 1968 on Blue Horizon S 7-63208 in the UK and BH 4326 in the USA
Tracks 16 and 17 are "Raining In My Heart" and "Jumpin' For Joy", non-album A & B of the 17 January 1969 UK 7" single on Blue Horizon 57-3148
Tracks 18 to 22 are Side 1 of the LIVE album "Bright Lights..." issued 1969 on Blue Horizon S 7-63221 in the UK and BH 3256 in the USA
(Tracks 18 to 22 on Disc 1 and 1 to 6 on Disc 2 credited to DUSTER BENNETT and HIS HOUSE BAND - which is most of FLEETWOOD MAC)

Disc 2 (78:58 minutes):
Tracks 1 to 6 are Side 2 of the LIVE album "Bright Lights..." issued 1969 on Blue Horizon S 7-63221 in the UK and BH 3256 in the USA
Tracks 7 and 8 are "I'm Gonna Wind Up Ending Up Or I'm Gonna End Up Winding Up With You" and "Rock Of Ages Cleft For Me", non-album A & B of the 11 July 1969 UK 7" single on Blue Horizon 57-3164
Tracks 9 to 21 are the album "12db's" issued late 1970 on Blue Horizon S 7-63868 in the UK and BH 3256 in the USA
Track 22 is "I Want You To Love Me", non-album B-side to "Act Nice & Gentle" (on "12db's"), 1970 UK 7" single on Blue Horizon 57-3179

DUNCAN COWELL has digitally remastered the original master tapes to stunning effect, the 16-page booklet has an informative and affectionate essay on the proceedings by label boss and original producer MIKE VERNON, which in turn is followed by a touching memorial from TOP TOPHAM - another one of the labels guitarists and founder member of THE YARDBIRDS. Bennett's three albums are pictured, there are hugely detailed session notes - card wrap - all of it up to the usual top BH standard.

Great guest appearances abound - the superb stand-alone cover of Slim Harpo's "Raining In My Heart" features ALAN SILVESTRI and DAVE BIDWELL of CHICKEN SHACK, while B.B. King's rhythm section GERRY JERMOTT (Bass) and HERBIE LOUVELLE (Drums) feature on the fabulously funky "I Chose To Sing The Blues". Both TOP TOPHAM and PETER GREEN grace the raucous live version of Jimmy Reed's "Bright Lights Big City", while JOHNNY ALMOND adds a cool organ intro to the wonderfully slinky "Vitamin Pills". STELLA SUTTON adds lovely harmony vocals to the shuffling "Times Like These" (with Peter Green on Guitar) while the mysterious HAM RICHMOND on Keyboards turns out to be none other than Bennett himself under a pseudonym! In fact many of the tracks feature ALL instrumentation by him alone - mean Harmonica blowing, Electric Piano, Snare and Bass Drums - damn he was talented!

Signed to Zeppelin's Swan Song label by Jimmy Page in 1975, his career was poised for serious renewal, when in March 1976 at the age of only 30, he fell asleep at the wheel of his car on the way home from a gig - and sadly lost his life.

At least this superb 2CD set is a fitting memorial to him and his musical legacy - and its yet another great job done by all the dedicated people at Blue Horizon.

I was overjoyed when I first heard, from my good friend Peter Moody (a man who has achieved GREAT things for Duster Bennett's musical legacy, as the result of CD issues and Duster biography publication) about the plans to reissue this music.

Like many people, including Blue Horizon label boss/producer Mike Vernon and Duster Bennett himself, I was disappointed by the '12db's' album and I didn't buy a copy. The first two albums and the singles are a different story - this is vital, powerful stuff. 'Smiling Like I'm Happy' was an absolutely brilliant debut album which wisely utilised Fleetwood Mac (then at their peak as a blues band) on several tracks.

The second album 'Bright Lights...' was recorded at one of Duster's favourite venues, (and he was THE favourite there) the Gin Mill Club in Godalming, Surrey. It is a masterpiece. All of Duster's infectious, kinetic energy and joyous enthusiam is preserved intact for our continued listening pleasure.

He was a rare man and a unique talent. For years I thought that Peter Green had influenced him. Well, he did - but Duster influenced him to the same extent or more. Buy this and discover the best work of a great musician.

I know I've written a review of *I Choose To Sing The Blues* elsewhere, but I've just started picking up a lot of DB's stuff on CD after having had his albums when they came out nearly 40 yrs ago, and bloody hell, in these times of digitised, airbrushed, stylised, overwrought scavengings of the worn out seam that is rock music, there's something joyously infectious about a lot of this.

Rough and ready (in the best back-yard sense), genuine and heartfelt. Yes, a couple of the twelve bars plod a bit (Things Are Changing), there is some dodgy time keeping at times,(Hill St. Rag is so ramshackle and bonkers it just makes me grin with pleasure) and they've all been retrieved from long stored old reel to reels, so the sound is appropriately unpolished, but there's a lot of just sheer simple joy and enthusiasm on here that's a pleasure to hear. Not to mention some fab harmonica playing (My Lucky Day, Got A Tongue In Your Head, Shady Little Baby, the rocking Worried Mind etc.......) and some lovely blues song-writing.......(Jumpin' At Shadows, I'm Going To Wind Up Ending Up Or I'm Going To End Up Winding Up With You).

Anyway, if you think that less can often mean more, or if you once owned a vinyl copy of Smilin' Like I'm Happy, then welcome home.