(2016) Joe Egan - Out of Nowhere (1979 , Reissue)


Review:
Joe Egan shot to fame as partner with Gerry Rafferty in Stealers Wheel and jointly wrote “Stuck in the Middle with You” as well as writing “Star”. The band broke up in 1975 and he commenced work on his solo album Out of Nowhere which was not released until 1979 because he was contractually not obliged to release any recordings for three years after Stealers Wheel split up. Out of Nowhere was produced by songwriter and producer David Courtney who said: “The album reflected where Joe was at this time of life and career following on from his split with Gerry Rafferty which I felt was evident in some of his lyrics. Joe was a dream artist to produce”. The songs ooze an understated joy drenched in sensual orchestration yet leaning towards country-rock’s wind of adventure – full of soft harmonies, “Freeze” wouldn’t sound out of place on an Eagles record – so there’s a nice balance between delicate pining of “Natural High” and the communal delight of “The Last Farewell” where Gallagher and Lyle join in. But while a vaudeville whiff in “Ask for No Favours” and the bluesy call-and-response in “Pride” bridge this gap with a mischievous smile, “Why Let It Bother You” wraps a worry into a sweet skank, and “No Time for Sorrow” dries any occasional tear which fogs Egan’s eyes. Still, it’s “Leaving It All Behind” that rocks with a righteous resolution and arresting abandon, as befits an artist who’s just cut loose and is having the time of his life.





Track Listing:
1.Back On The Road
2.Ask For No Favours
3.Natural High
4.Why Let It Bother You
5.The Last Farewell
6.Freeze
7.Pride
8.No Time For Sorrow
9.Leavin' It All Behind
10.Out Of Nowhere


Media Report:
Genre: folk-rock, soft rock
Country: UK
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec, 16-bit PCM
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits