Cliff Richard & The Shadows - Reunited

Rocking the house and rolling back the years

The makers of this 50th anniversary outing last recorded together on a “farewell” project 20 years ago, and their 2009 reconvening is arguably not just a celebration of their past, but of the fact that none of them have fallen off their perches yet. Pensionable popsters they may be, but musicians a third of their age would struggle to convince us of their having this much fun.

On paper, it’s little more than a predictable set of re-recordings from their extensive back catalogue, but (whisper it) they sound absolutely tremendous: full of vitality and hunger, a cocksure combo whose contributions to British pop are perhaps not always given the credit they so clearly deserve. In The Country and Time Drags By in particular make the most reluctant toes surrender to full-on tapping.

Early influences are acknowledged via covers of Eddie Cochran’s C’mon Everybody and Frankie Ford’s Sea Cruise, with Cliff reminding us that he was once Britain’s foremost rock’n’roller for good reason. They’re touring this autumn, and it’s hard to think of a hotter pure pop ticket.

4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars

EMI | 6878832

Reviewed by Terry Staunton
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