Search - Duncan Browne :: Journey: Anthology 1967-1993

Excellent, But...!

Ralph Quirino | Keswick, Ontario Canada | 05/15/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I was really hoping this anthology would solve a lot of my Duncan Browne needs. In Canada, Browne never made the same kind of splash as he did in the UK. His albums received spotty distribution in North America, to say the least! I discovered him by accident when the radio station I was working for cleared out a lot of old vinyl in the mid 1980s. That's where I found Give Me Take You and - after realizing it was the same Browne who had tickled my Roxy Music jones with "Criminal World" (as Metro) and "The Wild Places" - I revelled in the fact that I'd discovered a whole new side of Browne I never knew existed. So, by way of explanation, fans will relish this two disc collection for its ambitious scope. Covering sides he'd done as a member of Lorel, as a 60s moonpie folk-sike solo artist, as a member of Metro and again, as a solo artist, it touches on all the right bases and includes many cuts never formally issued on CD. The liner notes are exemplary, providing all the details one could want and the sound is first rate. But - and this caveat is a huge one! - it includes the 45 rpm version of Metro's massive hit "Criminal World" (the same song Bowie covered on his Let's Dance album), NOT the full-length album version (which is wayyyyyyyyy cooler!). So, I've docked the set two notches for the omission and pray that someday, the nice folks over at Sanctuary will rectify said problem. Apart from that one really crappy piece of planning, the rest of the set totally scores, painting a vivid portrait of a world-class singer who never got his proper due and who always hovered at the fringes of success. If you can live with that one blip on this otherwise fine collection, then you'll learn to love Browne as much as I have...

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