Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Three albums down the line and The Union have hit a stride that will be difficult, if not impossible slow or indeed stop. As in the early days of the 70s a band has been given the time to develop their music and come up with a recording that sits comfortably in amongst some of the greats of the genre. In The World is Yours, The Union, comprising of Thunder stalwarts Luke Morley and Chris Childs stand aside Peter Shoulder and Dave McCluskey as they breathe new life into the harder edged side of Blues/Rock that seems to have vacated over the last few years.
The album leads in gently, like a train slipping off its breaks and serenely setting off down the track, it may sound innocent, however the rumblings become faster and more and more audible and soon enough the soothing sound of Sawtooth Mountain Ride part 1 gives way to the fierce reality of what is to come and it’s an absolute belter as Luke Morley’s signature guitar sound runs rings around the attentive ears and bids them welcome to enjoy the music on offer.
Alongside Luke’s near fabled playing ability stands the vocal talent of Peter Shoulder, a man with such an incredible voice that he could put others with 30 years more experience on the music trail to mortifying shame. Not that he would ever think that of course, on or off stage Peter Shoulder comes across as a gentleman and his music, his sincere vocals only add to the allure of a man who knows what he possesses but doesn’t rub it other’s faces.
The World Is Yours is not so much a battle cry for a long lost rebellious cause to be joined but rather the requiem to a fallen dream that still deserves remembering. Like Morning Reveille or The Last Post, the songs on this album signal something that needs to be heard, to be taken notice of and adhered to. Songs such as the superb You’re My Jesus, the incredible The Perfect Crime , Tonight I’m Alive, To Say Goodbye and Tangled Up In You all deliver this significant address to a listener’s conscious. From start to finish, the four musicians produce some of the most excellent work of their career, a huge plus for the genre.
The World Is Yours stands as the finest album to date for the band and yet three albums in, it is hard to see how they can top it.
Ian D. Hall