If Ian Dury's 'Sweet Gene Vincent' immortalized this legendary singer, the unknowing would
do well to check out this reissue of his 1970 album for the prog Dandelion label,
now bolstered with radio session tracks recorded just days before his untimely death
in October 1971 aged just 36.
Vincent was something of a survivor and the very stuff of rock and roll legend, plagued with a leg injury sustained in a motorcycle crash and
escaping the Reaper when in the car that killed Eddie Cochran. His injury and his alcoholism was to subsequently plague his later career.
Too raunchy and rocky for his native Americans, Vincent came to the UK in the late fifties to be chapperoned by Six Five Special impresario,
Jack Good who spotted his raw charisma and leather jacket. This 1970 album, 'I'm Back And I'm Proud', marked something of a comeback, and remastered here sounds compelling: a dozen tracks
of mostly raw rock and roll and some countrified ballads, with the writer of 'Born To Be Wild', Mars Bonfire, on rhythm guitar and Linda Ronstadt on backing vocals.
Vincent's short career and lack of major critical acclaim is tinged with poignancy, 'I'm Back And I'm Proud' is a worthy
testimony to a flawed and frustrated genius.
***** Out of this world | **** Pretty
damn fine |
*** OK, approach with caution unless you are a fan |
** Instant bargain bin fodder | * Ugly. Just ugly
If Ian Dury's 'Sweet Gene Vincent' immortalized this legendary singer, the unknowing would
do well to check out this reissue of his 1970 album for the prog Dandelion label,
now bolstered with radio session tracks recorded just days before his untimely death
in October 1971 aged just 36.
