Artist:	Alan West
Album:	Songs From A Neophyte
Year:	2008
Label:	personal
Order-#:	n.a.

© March 2008 / Bruno Michel

For thirty years Alan West has been playing the pubs, clubs and festivals in the UK. Just in time for his 30th stage anniversary he will join Hal Ketchum for the part of his England Tour. So the title of West’s current CD Songs From A Neophyte is almost an understatement. The fact that West is covering well known songwriters does not impact the quality of the CD at all.

West has a preference for ballads and has consequently chosen such songs from his favorite songsmiths. Examples are How Could I Love Her So Much by Hugh Moffat or The Likes Of You and Songs From A Neophyte by Jim Almand, whom I had the pleasure to meet back in 2001 in Santa Fe.

But West has also chosen songwriters from Texas. There’s the beautiful ballad The Partner Nobody Chose by Guy Clark, Want You By My Side by Darden Smith and I Don’t Wanna Lose You Yet by Steve Earle.

Another prominent representative is Chris Knight, who is well known also here in Switzerland. He contributes to West’s selection with Framed and The Jealous Kind. And of course an English Balladeer can not ignore Streets Of London, written by Ralph McTell.

Order at www.alanwest.co.uk