Martin Longley has yet another night out.
Terry Reid & BJ Cole, Robin 2
Terry Reid was invited to join the nascent Led Zeppelin, but US touring commitments prevented this happening. His recommended alternative was one Robert Plant, a Black Country boy who just happened to be in the audience for this gig, around 45 years down the line. Bilston is one of his old stomping grounds, and Plant is a genuine music acolyte who’s regularly sighted on the scene here.
Instead of playing with a full band, Reid decided to team up with pedal steel guitar specialist BJ Cole, a serial collaborator of note. They proceeded to journey through a substantial set that didn’t seem overlong, despite its leisurely progress. Reid was very laid back, enjoying his selection of guitars from his Gibson endorsement arrangement. Perhaps he was a bit too excited, because the volume levels of his essentially rhythm-stoking parts were way too loud, frequently drowning out Cole’s subtleties. This was missing the point entirely of having BJ along as a soloing colourist.
Reid’s voice is still in good condition, even if it’s edged with a throaty rasp. All the better to express his soulful, country-tinged blues. He actually delivered a Louvin Brothers song! In recent years, Reid has provoked differing opinions over certain performances, coming on like a variable Bob Dylan equivalent. On this night, he was on fine form.
Ultimately, his main weakness is that the songs tended to amass a oneness of stylistic shape, over the duration, and with fewer anecdotes and observations between songs, the set sometimes took on a singular sound. All the more reason why it was crucial for Cole to be more dominant in the mix. Even so, the warm rapport between the twosome made for a continually engaging evening.