As Close As You Think

• Tim HOLT May 17, 2020, 9:44 am

  This record was released in 1986, a time when Kevin’s popularity and musical style was at probably it’s lowest ebb. Most fans would regard this as an unimpressive effort, and everything from the packaging and production screams budget.

  Kevin’s heyday was of course the 1970’s, so by the time this came out he was struggling to get a record deal, and also with his own songwriting. The latter is reflected by the fact that he recycles no fewer than three tracks from the previous album Diamond Jack and the Queen of Pain, and arguably doesn’t improve on any of them. In fact the synth heavy 1986 production, typical of the era, does none of the tracks any favours.

  The album is not without merit though; Only Heaven Knows is excellent (later revisited on The Unfairground), while Wish I Could Fall and Fool After Midnight are also passable. One of the re-recordings is Too Old To Rock And Roll, which is effectively a revisiting of Champagne And Valium, a great song, but the 1983 version is better.

  The nadir is side two of the album with one track not even featuring Kevin’s vocals, and a couple of instrumentals. In essence this is half an album with three decent songs, three re-recordings and the rest filler— all swamped by dated production values.

  Anyone who is a long term fan will already have this, but newcomers to his music should give this one a miss and instead go for any of the albums released up to about 1980.

  Things would improve with the follow up “Falling Up”, and this album, which has always been hard to obtain, has largely faded from view, which is no bad thing.

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