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Clifford T Ward - Path Through The Forest: The Secret World Of Clifford T Ward 1964-71
Sheer Cliff: 57 pre-Home Thoughts recordings
Long before Clifford T Ward achieved a measure of fame in the 70s as a gifted progenitor of gorgeously autumnal balladry, he was slogging it out as one of the more industrious foot soldiers of 60s pop. Path Through The Forest, a compilation of demos and single sides assembled with customary dedication by Wooden Hill, reveals Ward to have been in full possession of his songwriting smarts straight from the off. While endearingly eager beat group versions of Chuck Berry’s No Money Down and the Holland-Dozier-Holland bantamweight Candy To Me make up the numbers, it’s Ward’s own compositions which really impress.
Tirelessly prolific, Ward was already knocking out the good stuff in his early 20s, while airing one of the most underrated voices in British pop: a mellifluous light tenor from the Zombies’ end of the spectrum. Keeping My Head Above Water, My Goddess and Terribly Unkind could happily displace even the strongest material on the first Bee Gees album, while the starkly emotional Don’t You Ever Take Yourself Away prefigures the naked candour of John Lennon/ Plastic Ono Band.
Path Through The Forest itself – revered in psych circles thanks to The Factory’s pulverising cover version – is White Noise-grade disquieting, overlaid with closemiked giggles and muttering.
Wooden Hill | WHCD 028 (2-CD)
Reviewed by Marco Rossi
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