Reviews of new releases from Rob Clarke, Adele and Lou Reed's Berlin DVD

Rob Clarke - Long Way North by Rikki Wright

Simple songs sung simply by Liverpool singer/songwriter with a melodious voice, acoustic guitar, harmonica and fiddle. No flim flam, no camouflage, no recording studio tricks, just the music and the voice - doing what so many recording artists are too cowardly to do for fear of showing their vulnerabilities. This album rather shows Rob Clarke's strengths, his warm voice and sensitive musicality, coupled with memorable songs that somehow evoke the spirit of Liverpool, and will touch the heart of many, particularly the title track Long Way North.
You can treat your ears and hear it, and catch him playing live by checking out the details on his MySpace site. 4/5

http://www.myspace.com/robclarkeunplugged

Adele - Make You Feel My Love by Rikki Wright

This sweetly touching song from Adele brings a wistful smile. Adele is one of a new generation of fabulous singers who sing marvellous songs, and this one, by Bob Dylan, is no exception. Watch this video and be enchanted. 4/5

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=43558775

Lou Reed's Berlin DVD By Rikki Wright

This DVD sums up a real problem for musicians who made their great works twenty, thirty, forty years ago, who want to take it on the road for new and old audiences to enjoy, long after the flaming moment of inspiration that drove the creation of the music. It is the problem of musical integrity, and also of cool. Without any doubt, Lou Reed was cool, he was hip, he was a major dude, back in the day. His songs form the soundtrack of those times for his many fans. If this DVD was just Lou Reed, unplugged, and alone, sitting in the spotlight on a darkened stage, he might still be cool, but the stage is cluttered with uncool people, including a grinning tubby fellow, jigging about, conducting a host of semi classical singers and musicians. This soulless fare shatters Lou Reed's long held illusion of cool, and without that, what's the point of him? On the other hand, Antony (Antony and the Jonhsons) gives a breathtaking guest performance, and is everything that other musicians are not, though whether it is worth putting up with all the rest of the twaddle to catch this one shining moment is debatable. Perhaps it's ok if you shut your eyes and don't see all the uncool onstage antics, but it's probably just better to stick with the original Berlin disc, and keep your dreams intact. 2/5