Disc three of the three ten years anniversary Later discs is 'Later...with Jools Holland Giants' and focuses on 30 legendary artists, not all of whom are old. Most are, but that's no bad thing when Joe Strummer revisits 'London Calling', or Pete Townsend appears alone on stage with just his Strat for company and still cooks up an absolute storm. Jools has a showdown with his mentor, white bearded voodoo jazzman Dr John, Leonard Cohen is coaxed out of his monastery for 'Dance me to the end of love' and the grizzled Willie Nelson and his ancient guitar could have stepped straight out of the American Civil War, but his song is beautiful.
Every artist on the list is worthy of a place, though Ronnie Spector and Divine Comedy doing the Beach Boys 'Don't Worry Baby' is borderline. Elvis Costello scrapes in with a spirited performance of 'I don't want to go to Chelsea', and a disturbingly moustachioed Patti Smith just makes it with 'Because the night', de-housed from it's recent Ibiza incanation. Even Robbie Williams holds his own with an unrehearsed 'Suspicious Minds'. I doubted him, especially since he admitted he didn't know all the words and apologised in advance, but he pulls it off, despite playing in front of a picture of his own arse.
Of course, with legends comes eccentricity, so we're treated to Solomon Burke singing from a huge throne, and Bo Diddley covered in gold, playing a square guitar and singing 'Bo Diddley is crazy'.
Mostly though, this collection serves to put voices and faces to names, for the benefit of music plebs like myself. So that's who Georgie Fame is...
4/5