I'd sacrifice anything come what might for the sake of having you near

Continuing my trip back through the 2010 album charts.

17/10/10 : Bold As Brass - Cliff Richard

Ah, it's good old Cliff - who, along with Rod, can be guaranteed to show up somewhere every year.  This is one I could probably argue myself out of, but it would feel a bit mean to Cliff - and I think he'd just put a sad face on and make me feel horrid (and I did completely ignore him last time).  When I first saw the title, I imagined Cliff fronting up The Brighouse And Rastrick Brass Band giving us some "Floral Dance" but instead it's a Great American Songbook album - which I'm imagining he won't massacre, but I also wouldn't be surprised if I'm just being optimistic.

Well - the good news is that it's not a massacre, but he doesn't exactly add anything to any of the songs.  I'm not a fan of his vocal delivery generally and I don't think it really suits any of the songs here.  It feels like an album for people who find Michael Bublé a bit too exciting - he takes anything that might raise the blood pressure and just smooths over it.  I did listen to all the tracks on the album, but I have to admit to not listening to all of them all the way through - you often knew exactly what you were getting after the first thirty seconds.  And I will graciously admit I didn't mind "I've Got You Under My Skin", although it really didn't need the "shooby dooby" bits.  It's not an entirely horrible album but I have to say I'd rather listen to Robbie Williams' "Swing When You're Winning", which gives you an idea exactly how much I enjoyed it.

This week we're at #3 with a new entry at the start of a ten week run - this was as high as it got.  The rest of the top five are Robbie Williams' best-of (a new entry), Tinie Tempah, The Script and Magnetic Man (a new entry - this is one I own and it's a good album) and we've got two more new entries in the top ten with Belle & Sebastian (#8) and Alter Bridge (#9).

Wikipedia doesn't have a lot on the album but does tell us that he played six nights at The Royal Albert Hall around his 70th birthday to celebrate it.  Funnily enough, there's no comment on the critical reception for the album and commercially it didn't do a lot elsewhere in the world, but it did get to #13 in New Zealand.

"Customers also listened to" The Shadows, The Drifters and Hank Marvin - I wonder what the link is there?  I appreciate that Cliff's fans love him and agree there are worse people they could love, but he just doesn't do anything for me, I'm afraid.

10/10/10 - One I enjoyed a lot more than I expected
24/10/10 - Absolutely fine, but nothing more

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