Kevin Coyne was a singer-songwriter, on the Virgin label in the 1970s, during that period of experimentation when Branston had to reinvest the Tubular Bells millions, or pay it in tax.
Not that he was a no hoper - there's some poignant stuff in his songs, often drawing from experience in his day job as a psychiatric nurse.
I was aware of him from the music press, but had heard very little until I borrowed his live album, In Living Black And White from the college record library. I must seek it out, it's a very enjoyable live album.
The first few tracks are from Coyne's debut Marjory Razor Blade, opening with the title track, a strange acapella song, then Marlene, very 1970s pub rock, the rocking Eastbourne Ladies, and the poignant House On The Hill, a fantastic song.
Dog Latin, is more discordant, and a bit more folky, while Good Boy is an almost spoken piece, and Karate King, is a bit rambling, all three just Coyne and guitar.
The solo theme continues with Fat Girl, an uncomfortable listen of mixed song and narrative from the live album, but it's back to a band performance for the bluesy Saviour. However, most of the late 1970s and early 1980s stuff which follows feels leaden and tired, and this is borne out towards the end of the compilation, with a couple of songs from 1974 - Sign Of The Times being listenable, if a little overlong, Witch is a rambling flamenco backed rant, while Blame It On The Night is a heartfelt powerful song.
Sadly, this compilation is disappointing, displaying Coyne's erratic output, never short of innovation or risk taking, but only occasionally striking gold.
2* - a patchy compilation, much like Coyne's whole output
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