Big Guitar: Martin Belmont
(Demon)
[U.K. import]
By Geoff Cabin
Martin Belmont was a member of two
of the best rock 'n' roll bands to come out of England during
the 1970s: Ducks Deluxe and the Rumour. Since the breakup of
the Rumour, Belmont has played with Nick Lowe among numerous others.
This solo album was released in 1995,
but it's been extremely hard to find here in the U. S.
Big Guitar features a mixture of instrumental and vocal tracks. The
album is very American sounding, with strong Cajun and country influences.
Belmont's guitar playing shows the strong influence of Duane
Eddy and Hank Marvin.
The album opens with "The Man in Black," which features Belmont playing some twangy, Duane Eddy-style licks over a country two-step rhythm. The track also features a really nice string arrangement by Bob Loveday. "Jurassic Jive" is another Duane Eddy-style number, with Belmont's guitar and six-string bass swapping licks with Alan "Maggot" Power's growling tenor sax. On the waltz-time "Mexican Rose," Belmont turns in some nice flamenco-tinged acoustic guitar. "Beans for Breakfast" is a Cajun-style number that features some rocking accordian by Geraint Watkins and a memorable sing-along refrain. "Bonton Roulez" is another catchy, Cajun-style number. On the Memphis soul-style number, "Rockin' Hawk," Belmont turns in some Steve Cropper-style licks. "The Rattler" recalls Hank Marvin and the Shadows. The album closes with Belmont's growling cover of Howlin' Wolf's "Howlin' for My Baby."
This is an excellent album - it would be great if someone would make it a bit more readily available here in the U.S.