JUST FOR YOU

Just For You isn't a perfect listen, though parts of it are wonderful. You will wonder how you missed it all these years, or perhaps even remember it as an obscure part of underground FM radio from when (ahem).it was good. There was no "Classic Rock"! The idea would have seemed ridiculous; back then DJ's were allowed to take risks. It was a time long before they started scratching up LP's to make sounds like corduroy pants. Those that spun records concentrated on presenting good tunes instead.

It opens with sounds of a morning meadow, and a simple yet beautiful melody sung by Nanci Nevins, the real star here, one of Rock Music's almost-forgotten great female sirens of song. There is a cinematic quality to this title track, and it is easy to let yourself be transported courtesy of Sweetwater's imaginative production. This song is a very dynamic way to begin an album.hey, more cowbell!

Sweetwater's sound is often Latin and urban. A folky commune-style chorus guides you through rolling countrysides and smoky streetscapes of ideas. A searing cello and very emotional piano are held steady by a cool stereophonic trip-out of percussive mayhem. Congas and timbales duke it out in a seeming battle to find out who can be the wildest. Certainly, if you enjoyed the early records by its A Beautiful Day you will dig this beyond measure.

Sweetwater's second release is a showcase for Nanci. It's such a shame that there remains so little of Ms Nevins work in existence, but with Just For You we hear her at her peak, with a voice every bit as great as Annie Haslam's .maybe even a touch sweeter.