Robert Johnson's Tombstone

Smokin'!

It is always deepdowndelicious to find bands that you've loved re-attain the pinnacle of their art. This is such a case. Thunder - arguably the greatest contemporary British rock band - hit their peak once again. Track after track surprises and delights as they both rework the classic seams of their repertoire and yet also develop in new directions.

Daniel Bowes proves once again that he has a CLASSIC rock voice and delivers with feeling and passion. Chris Childs and Harry James prove once again the sterling value of a rock solid bass line - but also manage to shine with surprising and inventive arpeggios. Luke Morley, the song writer and guitar virtuoso impresses once again by his ability to write interesting, provocative songs that avoid the cliches of the genre. He maintains that Thunder sense of self-mockery and nottakingoneselftooseriously that is essential to the nolonger18andstupid rock band. He also avoids the 'needtoshowoffoneverysong' pitfall that plagues many great guitarists.

Ben Matthews - for my money an underestimated part of the Thunder package - adds everything with subtle keyboards, guitar and the whole mastering/mixing process.

I particularly recommend the limited edition 2cd version with the acoustic cd of 4 songs. Very intersting to see the same raw song material re-worked in rock adn acoustic format.

I encourage you to strike a blow for people who can write songs, sing and play - support your local rock band - buy this cd NOW!!

Since Thunder reconvened in 2002, they have steadily been rebuilding their profile with extensive touring of the UK, Europe and Japan, alongside some prestigious festival appearances. 'Robert Johnson's Tombstone', Thunder's third album since their reunion and their eighth in all, sees the guys once again deliver a solid set of rockers and power ballads which (mostly) is exactly what their utterly devoted fans would expect.

This time around however, the band and specifically writer Luke Morley have tried a few new things out; the title track which leads this album off has a distinctly bluesier feel - appropriate, considering the subject of the song is celebrated bluesman Robert Johnson, around whose legend the album artwork is themed, with extrovert drummer Harry James suitably attired in 'devil' horns, suit and face paint.

Following the title track, 'Dirty Dream' keeps things bubbling; a mid-paced rocker typical of the band's style, and the lyrical theme concerns those fantasies people keep secret about those colleagues they see regularly. 'A Million Faces' comes next, a power ballad that treads a familiar 'light and shade' path; In the style of the début album's 'Love Walked In', Luke Morley's acoustic starts things off, before the band kick in all guns blazing for the second chorus. The band pull this trick off time and again thanks to the incredible vocals of singer Danny Bowes; he doesn't just sing these songs, he FEELS them and the effect never fails to startle the listener. 'Don't Wanna Talk About Love'; a rock track built on a Morley riff chunkier than an entire warehouse filled with Yorkie bars, follows before the track chosen as their single: 'The Devil Made Me Do It'. An upbeat track whose lyric is written from the viewpoint of an easily-tempted indvidual who blames 'the devil' for his misdeeds, this song has a particularly witty lyric from Morley. I was especially amused by the 'tissues and tension' line in the first verse!

This song has scraped into the UK charts thanks to a co-ordinated campaign by the band's loyal fans, and they were rewarded with a valuable piece of airplay on Radio One's chart show.

Things take a darker turn lyrically with 'Last Man Standing'; dealing with the 'war on terror' this song is a biting rebuke to Messrs Bush and Blair for the way they have handled the crisis (example line: 'How can you say... Shock And Awe will win the day?') Reminiscent of the more serious tone on much of the band's third album, 'Behind Closed Doors', it is a rare politically-inspired lyric but no less incisive.

'My Darkest Hour' is probably the biggest departure from the typical 'Thunder Sound' on the whole album. This song is a melancholy tune, just acoustic guitar, cello and vocal, once again delivered magnificently by Danny Bowes.

The lads get back to rocking out with 'Andy Warhol Said'; another witty lyric from Luke Morley lamenting the sudden rise of 'celebrities' with no discernable talent. As the song succinctly puts it: 'Everyone gets a shot, if you're any good or not!' 'What a Beautiful Day' is next, an uplifiting pop/rock track sung in the first-person; about a man so cheered up by the sight of an attractive girl, that he forgets the fact that the weather is in fact, awful! Contrasting this is 'It's all About You', a slower piano-led song where the person in the song is contemplating whether to end his relationship, as he has noticed her interest in him diminish markedly. Not a million miles away from 'Numb' from the 'Giving The Game Away' album, though this song is not quite as Beatle-esque.

Rounding the album off, another relationship song; 'Stubborn Kinda Love. A rousing rocker to end the album, this concerns a more love/hate type of relationship.

To conclude: another strong set of songs excellently played and produced, and yet again a stellar vocal performance from Danny Bowes. Although there are a few welcome variations this time around, it is nothing drastic and Thunder's fans will be very happy with this album.

From the opening track to the last note; Thunder exhibit the qualities that have kept fans loyal for 10 years. Always incredible live, Thunder have not always captured their live exuberance on disc. The last two albums however have done much to put matters right. Strong hooks, excellent musicianship and Danny Bowes incredibly soulful voice all combine to make this a fine album. Dirty Dream is already one of my favourite Thunder songs and I can't wait to hear them perform it live. Luke Morley again proves he is an excellent song writer and I am amazed that his material hasn't been used by far bigger bands with far less song writing talent.

If you like classic rock in the vein of Free/Bad Co/Whitesnake etal but performed by a band who are not stuck in the past, this album is for you. Do yourself a favour; buy this and The Magnificent Seventh - you won't regret it. Do yourself another favour; see them live if you get the chance!