Music reviews

The Truth, "Keep On Keeping On" (Splangsongs)- The original Truth line-up may have given up the ghost for good three decades ago but stalwart band members Dennis Greaves and Mick Lister are still striving manfully to keep their old outfit's name alive with the release of their first batch of new recordings since 1989. The "Keep On Keeping On" EP couples two sprightly new compositions with impassioned revamps of The Truth's 1983 hits, "Confusion (Hits Us Every Time)" and "A Step In The Right Direction," and a series of live dates have also been arranged to help to reacquaint fans with the group's distinctive brand of soulful rock.

Decameron,"Tomorrow's Pantomime" (Talking Elephant)- This splendid offering represented Decameron's vinyl epilogue when it first saw the light of day in the dim and distant year of 1976, as disappointing record sales would prompt the melodic folk/prog rock practitioners to call it a day soon afterwards. Viewed with the considerable benefit of hindsight "Tomorrow's Pantomime" emerges as a mature and polished vehicle for the eclectic talents of the band's creative mainstays Dave Bell and Johnny Coppin, with the beguiling title track, "Crazy Seed" and the epic closer "So This Is God's Country" capturing them at the peak of their performing powers.

Stray,"Mudanzas" (Talking Elephant)- This 1973 offering from London based rockers Stray represented a significant musical departure from its critically acclaimed predecessor,"Saturday Morning Pictures." The rampant psychdelia which had been such a feature of their early output was largely jettisoned ,with brass and string arrangements embellishing many of the tracks in an attempt to give them a little more commercial appeal. The venture wasn't an unqualified success but "Mudanzas" did bring the band their first gold disc, and newcomers to their revamped sound would be well advised to lend an ear to stand-out tracks such as "Pretty Thing" or "Leave It Down To Us." Pink Fairies,"The Polydor Years" (Floating World)-This more than worthwhile 3 CD retrospective focusses attention on the three albums that legendary underground rockers the Pink Fairies recorded for the Polydor label after making their name on the London underground scene of the early seventies. As an added bonus the powers that be at Floating World have also found space for no less than ten rare bonus tracks, showcasing alternate mixes and single edits of classic Pink Fairies romps such as "Do It" and "City Kids" and their first energised cover of The Ventures' "Walk Don't Run."