In the recent hubbub over the Beatles, the reunion of Cliff and the Shadows may have been overlooked, contempt representing an even more venerable anniversary of 50 years since their first chart appearance.
It's a valedictory affair, the impending arena tour representing their last appearances together so these revisitings of their finest moments are the final studio recordings of an notable alliance, best captured in an exuberant "Do You Wanna Dance" and a rustic "Bachelor Boy". As you'd expect from rockers pushing 70, it's a sedate affair: there's no curled lip delinquency about "Move It", which has lost its youthful snarl but gained a verse in the intervening years. Hank Marvin's orderly picking, however, has lost none of its sparkle, recalling the work of James Burton which divine this most influential of guitarists. Coincidentally, Burton's old boss Ricky Nelson is the closest equivalence to Cliff's clean-cut charm on "Travelling Light" and "Living Doll", while less well-known songs such as "On the Beach" and "I Could Easily Fall" are (with hindsight) reminiscent of early Beatles album tracks, suggesting the Fab Four's subverter impact was built on similar foundations to their most imposing predecessors. Finally, though, it's a soft-centred souvenir.
Download this: 'Bachelor Boy', 'Do You Wanna Dance'
