You'll See Kidney Machines Replaced By Rockets and Guns

Occasional Albums Thing 083 - Ian Prowse “No Names”

Ian Prowse started a Kickstarter back in March to fund the release of this latest album. I was nervously checking the running total daily to see how close it was to reaching its goal, as Ian had hinted to me that it was an “all or nothing” deal; if the goal amount wasn’t met, the album would not be released! Thankfully a section of the great record-buying public are sussed enough when it comes to Prowsey that the total was reached with plenty of time to spare. That still leaves me feeling somewhat perturbed that an artist of the stature and reputation of Ian Prowse has to take that route to get his music out there; it’s an indictment on our music “industry” that music of this quality and distinction isn’t snapped up for wider release (although, I have to admit, it could also be that that is the way Ian wanted to do things). But anyways, onto the music…

There’s no lyric sheet included with the LP but fortunately I also have the CD (there’s an extra track on it which we won’t cover in this piece, but here is “Black Messiah”) and that does have a lyric book so I was able to sit back with that and take it all in. Prowseys lyrics are important and the first one that jumps out at you is in the very first song, “To The Letter”, and the line “Get me Mick Lynch on the phone”. A position is being established letting you know what Ian’s stance is and what else you might expect within. The song begins gently with acoustics and fiddles and then the band burst in, surging along on a bass-line that walked over here right out of a Bowie session in the early 2000’s and then, right after the Mick Lynch line, we are treated to an instrumental break that escorted that bass-line all the way from the shores of New Jersey…we’re off and running and all is sounding good.

Next up are this albums 3 singles. “Keynote Speech” may turn into the big singalong on Prowsey’s forthcoming tour but how many great sing-alongs do you know that juxtapose people having to do charity challenges to raise money for kidney machines and the amount of money spent on weapons of war (a nod to Paul Weller there) while railing on behalf of women’s healthcare, the people of Gaza and the utter insanity of the billionaire class. That’s the way to get your message across, get the people singing along.

“Rendezvous Point” picks up some threads from previous albums “One Hand On the Starry Plough” and “Here I Lie” but this time rather than being a song dedicated to Ian’s daughter Rosalita, Rosie herself sings the second verse while The Waterboys Steve Wickham supplies the Fiddle. I gotta admit I find guest vocalist Elvis Costello’s contribution a little histrionic on “The Cleaner” but it’s a banger, musically set somewhere twixt Detroit, McLemore Avenue and Hitsville UK. A kitchen sink drama as much about the cleaner (relative, friend, immigrant ?) as it is about the journalist who employs her, I could possibly offer some names in suggestion as to who that may be. Side one ends on “Stand Your Ground”, a lighters (mobile phones for the youngsters) in the air swayer about living life, remembering where you’re from and standing by your mates, if you know Prowsey’s song “Feels Like Growing Up” you’re in the right ballpark.

I’m kinda hoping the story within the title song is apocryphal, if not that was some scary fella, but someone I guess many of us have come across at one time or another. “Mo’s Wheel” tells an old, old story of how the shortcut isn’t always the best path. “When Bobby Was Alive” (featuring a co-write and verse sung by the great Damien Dempsey) may be the best “song” on the album but I’m gonna leave it there. I’ll file it away next to “Diego” from a previous album, nothing here for me, and that’s me being very polite! Finally, and slightly bizarrely for an album released in June, we close on a song about Christmas, or is it ? Not really, “300 Miles From Home” is the story of a man with regrets who wants to right some wrongs in his life.

“No Names” is a good album. For me it never reaches the highs of Prowsey’s previous 2 records (“Here I Lie” and “One Hand On The Starry Plough” if you didn’t know). But this album still wipes the floor with pretty much any other new music I’ve heard this year. It’s taken me a while to write all this and be happy with it, but know this, Ian Prowse has been part of the soundtrack of my life for the last 15+ years, his live shows are a wondrous thing to behold and even if I don’t hold with his every opinion I know why he holds them, he has a conviction that is unshakeable. Many more people should pay Ian Prowse much more attention and, if you haven’t already, you should go out and buy “No Names”…do it now !

To The Letter - https://youtu.be/LVVCx0T1Lsk?is=kCt4fs52_ulAsJvr