Dave Edmunds: From Small Things

From Small Things:
The Best Of
Dave Edmunds
Sony Legacy 2004

Dave Edmunds has been on the charts since 1968 with cover recordings. His earliest hit was with Wales’ Love Sculpture and their reworking of Khachaturian’s “Sabre Dance.” It hit the British Top Five. Love Sculpture bit the dust in ’70 and Edmunds laid low in the studios, perfecting what could well be one of the finest producing talents in the business. He made number 1 on the Brit charts in ’72 with another cover, this time the R&B classic “I Hear You Knockin.”

Then he took a gig as musical director for the film Stardust (74) in which he appeared as the character Alex. Oh yeah, he also produced Foghat, and WR fave the Flamin’ Groovies (among others). Busy fellow. Numbered amongst the handsome Welshman’s fans is one Robert Plant who got Edmunds his deal with Swan Song and in ’77 we finally got the “live Edmunds Sound” when Get It was released. No more ‘almost too tight to breathe sometimes’ productions here as on Rockpile (72). Now there was a band behind him; a real band with folks like Terry Williams and Nick Lowe who knew him. Top it off with Billy Bremner on guitar and you have the makings of a US tour.

www.legacyrecordings.com / www.sonymusic.com

So they toured for Get It as the opening act for Bad Company. Well now. There’s a lot more to know about the man and his career but let’s send you off to Scott Schinder’s beautifully researched liner notes for that. It’s time to get into the guts of this thing. I have it blasting away here as I write. (What?! She’s not playing Rod Stewart?!) No. I’m not. I’m rockin’ to the best of Dave Edmunds but! I disagree. I think the best may be yet to come.

From Small Things has recordings spanning 1970 to 2002, and may I say that Edmunds on “I Knew The Bride” (Nick Lowe) in 2002 was better than ever. Uh, yeah… he produced it too. In fact, all the recordings were produced by Edmunds with the following exceptions: “Information” and “Slipping Away” were produced by Jeff Lynne; “Something About You” was produced by Lynne and Edmunds. By the way, they’re not all covers. “Information” was written by Edmunds and Mark Radice.

Another Edmunds track is “Stay With Me Tonight” (co-writer J. David) which, aside from “Heart” (N. Lowe on Rockpile, Seconds of Pleasure) is my personal favorite. For me, this is the Dave Edmunds in one song. A guy who has rocked my world for more than 20 years from the first (and only) time I saw him live. (I know I saw that Bad Company tour. Didn’t they play Shea? Or was it the Filmore East? It was Burnin’ Sky wasn’t it? Which way did the bong go?)

I’m beginning to think Sony Legacy is on a crusade to time warp me back to my youth. If they are, I hope they don’t stop anytime soon. I am having way too much fun.

—Jessie Lilley

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