294) Mighty Wah - Songs of Strength and Heartbreak

If you attend Anfield, which I do on occasion when the miracle of a ticket happens, George Sephton, the Voice of Anfield plays music and makes the usual announcements. I am sure many reading this are no fans of Liverpool, but everyone knows before kick-off we will have, You’ll Never Walk Alone but George also gives lifelong Liverpool fan Pete Wylie a huge thrill before every home game as Heart as Big as Liverpool is always played.

Heart as Big was off Wylie’s 2000 album Songs of Strength and Heartbreak which I bought the day it came out as I’d always liked Wylie with his three eighties classics Come Back, Story of the Blues and Sinful and I had picked up the promo Loverboy off the album where he is in fine form (“Your worse than Liam and Patsy”, still makes me smile) and this and the opener Never Loved as a Child are fast and straight out banged out rock tracks, nearly thirty years on they still have an energy.

Sony refused to release this album, and it was released on indie label Castle, and it did nothing, Wylie maybe away to long after severely damaging his back, the record buying public had moved on, but they missed an excellent record.

Heart and Disneyland Forever are lush big ballads with everything thrown at them but more importantly they are great songs, and Sing All the Saddest Songs was recorded out in Memphis with a gospel choir (rumours of nearly a million spent on this record). Pete has not done anything by halves here, maybe a bit too much was thrown at it but then Wylie has always been a character so why not put that into his songs.

Hey Mona Lisa stomps from the start, Pete can sing and is ably backed, it’s over the top but if you can’t smile as Pete wishes Elvis a Merry Christmas then call an undertaker. I smiled and I am one of the most miserable sods ever.

The Return of Rock and Roll is delivered with confidence and vigour. He always had the confidence just maybe not the luck.

Recently re-released, do yourself a favour and spend an hour with Mr Pete Wylie.

7.5/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: Disneyland Forever