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This CD review is quite special to me as I must explain that I suggested to Iain Hearfield that judging by the quality of his solo rock concept album “I Found It In Howard's Garage”, he surely could produce a Blues album of the same quality and interest value. Iain thought about it and after some very hard work and investment, here is the finished article. It should be explained that this is a solo album written produced and played by Iain Hearfield with the exception of bassist Dave Samuels on Way it Goes and Red 2. Duncan Mangham provided lyrics on Things, Sentenced and Just The Dark.

This CD presented a challenge to review it as it is almost a Blues Concept album. In a way a musical story book, each song having a theme but with bluesy and rocky styled passages on which these stories float. I'll go song by song to describe the unusual album for what it is.

Opening with Solitary Man , a melancholy tale of a lonely man who is at first resented by his female neighbour, who then goes on to coax out the man's tragic and dramatic past. The story is excellent and the music is equally good, with Iain's superb guitar coming to the fore, both picked and with a slide. There's a twist in the tale too!

What's Goin' On , has slow but hard-driving drums and bass beneath the lyrics then Iain's well-fitting guitar solos and fills take this five and a half minute song to it's conclusion. I could imagine the singer Karmel doing this song in a nightclub. It's really moody. The progression with the overdubbing of Iain's guitar is superb.

Mexborough's Duncan Mangham wrote the lyrics to Just The Dark a pessimistic and possibly sarcastic slight on the idea of an afterlife. The solid bass and drums fit well under the mid song guitar solo and the outro.

A Native American (Red Indian) drum rhythm introduces Iain's vocals on Old Ghost which continue the eerie atmospherics. A good story with great guitar breaks over the interesting rhythm which continues to build in dramatic style to the end with another epic crecsendo which builds and builds.

Another melancholy song is Letter . A tale of a must-write letter that is never posted and continues to haunt the writer by the very fact that it is never sent, it has more strong and thematic bass and drums under a variety of guitar styles encapsulated within this song. It is melancholy but has a strangely satisfying conclusion. Iain's clever production work with the overdubbing is excellent.

This takes us to Things , with more Duncan Mangham comical lyrics about a vampire worried about getting the bus home by Midnight! I really like this song for its unusual jumpy rhythm and chanted vocals with a heavy hand on reverb for atmosphere. There is more varied guitar work, including a superb medium-tempo guitar break. The slide guitar intro cannot be underestimated either.

The third Duncan Mangham song is a strange addition. The song Sentenced to Death By The Blues is a pretty open complaint that some blues guitarists go on too long with their solos and expect their audiences to eat the same crap year on year! The lyrics are very clever and include “there's no coda in this endless refrain”. Some reverb or digital delay gives the song some atmosphere but its another quite slow and melancholy song, but lifted by Iain's very tasty guitar solos.

The CD and listener need a lift after the previous one so Way It Goes is just the tonic! A jaunty number, one quick in tempo, lightens the mood and shows Iain's versatility. Some nice cascading and rockier styled guitar with semi-comical lyrics telling of a female stalker! Nice song.

A lament with solid drums and bass hits and tinkling cymbals are omni-present in the song South . Like an audio road movie with its twists and turns, the song builds up with slightly chanted vocals and very well fitting guitar solos.

As South finishes, the “RED” Trilogy begins. Red 1 is a laid-back musical tale of a red Jaguar-driving gangsters moll, practised in the art of international diamond smuggling. Musically this is a brilliant song too, with a beautifully composed introduction. The very well written music supports the story until the pathos where the naughty heroine is shot dead by a Moroccan assassin! This song leads to Red 2 another drama packed story of a “mechanic” for “The Mob". Call him Ed...never call him Red as the lyrics go! This number has some nicely produced hi-fi stereophonic effects too and also some excellent guitar playing, as in all the songs on this album. Red 3 continues the tale of Ed the “mechanic” and his wish to retire from the hazardous employment till the phone rings and he thinks…maybe just one more hit! This song has a Mark Knopfler “Private Investigations” feel to it but with a slightly Chris Rea flavouring maybe.

The CD ends at this point apart from a second taste of Things but much quieter in volume to simply play the CD out.

This is a very different kind of blues CD, a 21st century blues, and a solo album let us not forget. Because it is almost a 100% solo effort, the character of the collection is very strong indeed. It could be construed as a concept album considering the story book lyrics and the Red trilogy at the end, but the musicianship is very good indeed, and especially enjoyable to blues guitar enthusiasts.

In this review I have been sidetracked slightly with the storylines but the music is unquestionably highly competent composing. It is Iain Hearfield's interpretation of "The Blues". It is a very creditable endeavour by Iain and is published independently. I am very surprised a blues publishing house have not looked more closely at Iain's work, considering the unique quality of it's content but this may come in the fullness of time. The CD cover is well thought out and informative with notes ,lyrics and pictures.

This CD should soon be available at Red Herring gigs and possibly mail order. Contact Rock of the North for more information.