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Humble Pie

I Need A Star In My Life

Review by Gary Hill

This is a collection of songs from Humble Pie that was recorded between 1974 and 1976. It features the lineup of Steve Marriott, Greg Ridley and Clem Clempson. There is even a guest appearance from saxophonist Mel Collins. These recordings were done for an album that never happened, so it's good to have them here. It should be noted that they were previously released under the title "The Scrubbers Sessions." This is a more widespread release, making them more readily available.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2023  Volume 2. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2023.

Track by Track Review
The Shake
This bluesy rocker is so tasty. It really has exactly the kind of sound you expect from this band. It's full of charm and style.
Mona
There is s down and dirty, gritty angle to this piece. At times it reminds me of "Willie and the Hand Jive.". To some degree it feels like it's wandering directionless, but it's cool.
Lend Us A Quid
I dig the slow, bluesy, soulful groove of the tune. The vocals have a weird, doubled, echoey effect that I don't think is completely effective. Still, it's a solid tune and has some killer guitar work built into it.
Send Me Some Loving
Another bluesy rocker, this makes me think of Joe Cocker to some degree. The organ lends a great retro sound to it, along with some hints of gospel music.
She Moves Me Man
Here we get a down-home, back porch blues tune. Harmonica lends to the authenticity, and the main vibe is acoustic guitar, vocals and piano at first. The cut gets more powered up as it continues, and there is some audience reaction at points.
Street Rat
This is a classy rocker that has a trademark Humble Pie sound to it. This gets a bit of a parental advisory.
Captain Goatcabin's Balancing Stallions
There are some strange bits of studio banter and sound at the beginning of this. The cut feels like a goofy sort of folky jam. It has a lot of little oddities built into it. It sounds like they had a lot of fun doing it.
High And Happy
I dig this groove a lot. It's a trademark bluesy Humble Pie sounding number. It has some killer piano, and a lot of charm.
Be My Baby
This cover has some 1950s rock and roll vibes at play. It is a balladic romp that has a lot of charm. This is one of the most instantly accessible tracks here.
It's All Over
This is a soulful tune. It's so much fun. It is trademark Humble Pie. The guitar soloing on this thing is particularly inspired.
Bluegrass Interval

Old-time blues and bluegrass are on the menu here. I love the slide guitar.

Don't Take But A Few Minutes
This comes in very funky. The track grows out from there with a lot of style and charm. It's another trademark Humble Pie tune. The closing instrumental section is packed full of funk.
Louisiana Blues
Feeling a bit like Dr. John, this really does have a down-and-dirty New Orleans groove to it. The harmonica brings its own magic to the table.
You're A Heartbreaker
Folk music, bluegrass and more seem to merge on this fast paced, but mellower number. It has a great groove to it.
I Need A Star In My Life
This feels like a Motown number. It's packed full of soulful grooves and style.
Cocaine
No, this is not the J. J. Cale tune that was covered by Nazareth and (more famously) Eric Clapton. This is a killer soulful, bluesy groove that rocks like crazy.
I'll Find You
This acoustic based number is so cool. It has a down-home folk vibe to it. Bluegrass instrumentation is on-board. This is one of my favorite tracks here.
Lord Let Me Hold Out
The organ on this tune brings a real gospel music sound to this. The backing vocals reinforce that. I'm also picking up some Blues Brothers vibes on the tune.
Hambone
Here we get a real down-home sound. It's got bluegrass and porch blues both in the mix. There are some instrumental breaks that really bring that bluegrass aspect to the fore.
Signed Sealed
Another where the organ brings some magic. This also has a lot of that Motown vibe to it. This is a trademark Humble Pie tune. It's also a great way to end the album with style. The guitar solo is packed full of passion and style. That section fades down to end the album.
 
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