Mike Vernon & The Mighty Combo – Beyond The Blues Horizon
(Manhaton Records – 2018)
A totally way-back retro 50's Rock & Roll and Blues release from the founder of Blue Horizon Records, Mike Vernon who produced records for the likes of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Ten Years After, Fleetwood Mac and later the likes of Level 42 and Roachford.
It reminds me a lot of Jools Holland's Rhythm & Blues Orchestra without piano in every single song. This is cheesey good-time, fun-loving harmless stuff that will offend nobody at all which I guess is the general ideal.
Sit back with a beer or sherry and relax to foot-tappin numbers on the album that begins with the boppin' 'We're Gonna Rock This Joint'; the famous 'I Don't Know Why I Love Yiu But I Do'; the slow blues of 'Your Mouth Is On Vacation'; the bouncy hammond tipped 'Jump Up' or the marvellous 'A Love Affair With The Blues' with it's killer harp and guitar work.
Great for what it is and they do it really well too!
8/10
By Glenn Milligan