Greatest World Hits

Leyland Band
Conductor: Garry E Cutt
Soloists: Andy Lord, Bill Miller, Lucy Murphy, Brian Heyes
Obrasso Recordings: CD903
Total Playing Time: 67.30

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Have you ever been to a nephews birthday party, had too many free lagers, pushed kids off the bouncy castle so that you can do somersaults and forward rolls, inappropriately kissed your sister in law, taken over the Karaoke to do your awful Elvis Presley impressions and generally made an embarrassment of yourself?

You know its not big nor clever, and you know you shouldn't have done it - but by heck, you haven't enjoyed yourself in such a manner for years. 

Strangely, you may get the same type of feeling after listening to this lovely relaxed release from the 2004 North West Regional Champions under the baton of Garry Cutt. We say strangely, because deep down, you know you should really enjoy music such as this; your vast musical experience has taught you to turn your nose up at anything that resembles musical bubblegum, clap-along, happy shiny people stuff, and it isn't something you would really tell your friends, that you've got a CD of totally non serious brass band music such as this in your collection amongst your U2, Mozart and Duke Ellington. You know it's not cool, you know it's not sophisticated, you know it's not big nor clever – but stick this on your machine and we bet a pound to a penny that within five minutes you'll be jiving like a demented 11 year old who's had too many blue Smarties.   

17 cleverly arranged tracks of music that range from the sublime to the faintly ridiculous, with plenty of those middle of the road, bland as a Ryvita cracker pop standards that you thought were rubbish when you where a bit too young to understand the lyrics, and are still rubbish when you are old enough to buy the CD because you now think modern pop music is too loud and unintelligible.

You just shouldn't enjoy this – but you just can't help yourself.

The memories of grotty back street pubs, sixth form disco's, girls with ‘big' hair, too many Blue Moon drinks and teenage rejection just came flooding back – track after track after track.

Alan Fernie, Derek Broadbent, Goff Richards and Sandy Smith serve up those memories with a wicked sense of musical wit and humour, whilst Garry Cutt and Leyland produce a top notch bit of playing on every track – slick and polished, with a thumpingly good percussion section and cracking set of soloists. You can certainly imagine them (and especially the MD) recording this one with more than a few smiles and laughs – but this is just the right approach – and what make this release so absurdly enjoyable.

‘Rock round the Croc!' takes the proverbial biscuit, but there is a veritable selection box of tasty Bourbons and Garibaldi's in the shape of everything from Elvis Presley to the Beatles with a bit of ABBA, Neil Diamond, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Roberta Flack and even the absolute King of good taste, Elton John thrown in for good measure. It's a mix even the producers of ‘Celebrity Big Brother' would baulk at, but what the heck, wouldn't it be fun if they tried?

Our favs were 'YMCA' (which will have you doing the actions before you know what is happening), John Miles, 70's classic, ‘Music', which will bring back memories of the crappy sci – fi television series ‘Blake's Seven' soundtrack (as well as a the memory of Marvin Hagler cutting up John H Stracy like a piece of undercooked fillet steak in about 1980 – it was the music for late night boxing highlights) and ‘Killing Me Softly' by Roberta Flack – which was the late night cue to try and nibble your girlfriends ear and hope for better things on the way home at the sixth form disco.

All this and more: Leyland don the crepe suits and brothel creepers for a great bit of ‘Elvis Rocks!' (you just can't help yourself saying, ‘just one more time') and even a bit of beehive hairdo and overlong mascara eyelashes for the ‘Crocodile Rock' and ‘Rock around the Croc!' duo. Even Neil Diamond (who used to wear open shirts to his naval and sport a comb over Arthur Scargil and Bobby Charlton would have been proud of) gets a corker of a make over.  

You are left with the question though: Who actually buys this stuff to play? You know you would die of embarrassment if your MD pulled a few of these out to play at your annual concert, but to tell you the truth – they would bring the house down - so why not get out and enjoy yourselves.

This is music for people in need of a bit of lightening up; as chessy as a cheese dipped Dairylea triangle on a cheese cracker – but still capable of making you feel as happy as a 12 year old who's had one too many sips of his big sisters Woodpecker cider at a neighbours barbeque. Sometimes its nice to let yourself go.

Now – where's that invite to my nephews next birthday party…

Iwan Fox

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