Well what do you do to make your solo album sound different from the albums you’ve made from the band you’ve fronted for so many years? Well what you don’t do is invite the whole band to play all over the album and make the sound quality feel like your listening to something recorded in a basement on a $0 budget.

That all being said (sorry T.) I really did enjoy this album because in some ways it brings me back to the older stuff The Tossers have done, including the long rants Tony does on social issues that I don’t think Victory records wouldn’t allow on their pressed discs. There appears on this album another early feel of The Tossers you don’t get in the last two CDs and that is a sense of desperation. You can hear in T.’s voice a sense of desperation and uncertainty. It’s probably because he isn’t sure how the CD is going to turn out!

Now I may just be another lunatic in a kilt, but if there’s one thing I know its trad. songs and this disc is stuffed with them. There are two that stick out the most and one is “The ballad of accounting”. This is a powerful song with its social issues that are as poignant today as they were when they were written, this is a song that should be a Tossers regular song, if not on CD, at least live. T. sings it with such conviction and soulfulness he really shows us the power behinds the words, buy the CD just for this song if you have to, but there is more…

“Monto!” What a great version of this song! Maybe because it does quite defiantly sound as if there was an outside influence of our little friend Alky Hall? It’s a great song for parties and social gatherings no matter who sings it unless its done by those stuffed shirt traditionalists. But this song brings a new sense of energy I forgot it could have. This is my new get ready to party song, it replaces my old one which was another new Tosser song, can you guess which one?

The CD also has a version of “Late” which appears on The Tossers new CD but this version is more raw and very beautiful, I enjoyed that little nugget. However there was one other nugget I could have been getting a beer rather than listening through and I’m sorry to all those involved in its making, but “Boots of Spanish leather” in my opinion fell on it’s face, and in turn should have fell on the cutting room floor.

All and all i really enjoy this CD and am glad I went online to http://www.thickrecords.com and picked it up, I suggest if your a fan of music, any kind of music grab this one, its got enough great music to drag you through your meaningless job humming from day to day, or stuck in traffic need a pick me up, there you go! It’s best useage is of course, this should be no surprise to those that know me, to be drinking pints with friends cranking this up and singing along. And for it’s price of just $10 bucks you can’t go wrong! Just watch out the case came to me broken in places, just a little side note I thought I’d warn you about.

2006

Review by Springfield Brian