ROMANTIC GUITAR

The recently dearly departed PAUL BRETT had undeservedly laboured in the crepuscule of popular music throughout the late 1960s and 1970s, minting 3 or 4 very accomplished albums throughout the latter decade, whether as solo work or with PAUL BRETT SAGE. After his RCA deal expired, the infamous K-Tel offered him a deal to produce an instrumental recording or mostly pop standards based on his guitars. I assume the arrangement paid him quite well but that it did even better for K-Tel, as the album spent 7 weeks on the UK charts in 1980, which is considerably more than all of his other works...by about 7 weeks,

I don't remember even seeing this one in Canadian shops at the time, let alone seeing one of those obnoxious 4 minute infomercials from Ktel. Since "Interlife" and "Eclipse" made me a fan a year prior, I doubt I would have missed any such promotion. But Brett was very much then and remained an Englishman to the end. Unfortunately, my 1 star rating for PETE BARDENS' posthumous release still tormenting me, it's with some trepidation that I review a record that could only with inauthentic bluster be considered in an overall positive light.

"Romantic Guitar" is essentially elevator music, with those simpering strings suffocating Brett's finger picking delights at every turn. All that saves it from the junkyard are the instances where Brett does manage to wring out the intrinsic strengths of the original compositions: "Forever Autumn", originally appearing on the previous album "Guitar Trek", "Aint no Sunshine", "The Boxer", and the Latin luminescence of "Concerto de Aranjuez". His electric guitar virtuosity even squeaks in here or there. Guilty pleasure award goes to "The Way We Were", an elevator music version of elevator music?

This won't be the last of my Paul Brett reviews, as several releases from recent years need to be added to his prolific discography here. Perhaps I'm just a romantic at heart, but I am going to round up from 1.5 stars. Best avoided.