1990
1992
by request
AllMusic Review by Alex Henderson
Neither of the two albums that the U.K.'s 29 Palms
recorded for IRS became huge in the U.S., but those who were lucky
enough to hear them realized that the folk-rock and pop/rock duo had a
lot of potential. Fatal Joy, the first of the two, is an often charming
collection that inspired comparisons to Van Morrison when it came out in
1990. To be sure, Morrison is a valid comparison, although he isn't the
duo's only influence. 29 Palms had a lot of American influences as
well, and those who give Fatal Joy a close listen will also hear traces
of storytellers who range from Bruce Springsteen to Billy Joel to Randy
Newman (minus the extreme cynicism that has characterized much of his
work). Lead singer Simon Wilson and guitarist/background vocalist Davy
Simpson, the two U.K. residents who comprise 29 Palms, obviously
identify with the singer/songwriter tradition -- not only on the British
Isles, but also in North America. And the fact that they have a variety
of influences to draw on is a definite plus, because it prevents Fatal
Joy from becoming predictable. Even though its songs can be categorized
as folk-rock or pop/rock, 29 Palms will -- depending on its mood --
incorporate anything from blues to jazz to Celtic music (both Scottish
and Irish). But while Fatal Joy is diverse, it never sounds unfocused or
confused. Although both of the duo's IRS albums (1990's Fatal Joy and
1992's No Eden) went out of print in the 1990s, they're worth hearing if
you can track them down.
Fatal Joy
No Eden
Fatal Joy
Tracklist
| 1 | Magic Man | 4:03 | ||
| 2 | Defenceless | 4:04 | ||
| 3 | Where I Get Off | 3:27 | ||
| 4 | Fatal Joy | 3:27 | ||
| 5 | Winter By The Sea | 3:38 | ||
| 6 | Teddy's Song | 6:02 | ||
| 7 | Ivan Ho! | 4:16 | ||
| 8 | Out In The Sticks | 4:06 | ||
| 9 | Square Dance | 3:57 | ||
| 10 | Ben Franklin Said | 3:43 | ||
| 11 | North 19th St | 5:19 | ||
| 12 | Sheephaven Bay | 4:40 | ||
| 13 | The ? Is | 4:02 | ||
| 14 | Magic Man (Acoustic) | 3:33 |
No Eden
Tracklist
| 1 | Mad To Be Saved | 4:35 |
| 2 | Gone, Gone, Gone | 3:08 |
| 3 | Go Not Gently | 4:02 |
| 4 | Walking With The King | 2:54 |
| 5 | No Pelicans | 3:59 |
| 6 | In The Dream | 6:14 |
| 7 | Funny Peculiar | 3:54 |
| 8 | Thunderbird | 4:17 |
| 9 | Spare My Heart | 4:26 |
| 10 | Don't Ask Me | 2:59 |
| 11 | First Mistakes | 5:20 |
| 12 | Have A Little Faith In Me | 3:59 |
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