Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
The lifestyles of the rich and famous, the glitz and the sparkling glamour, it is, in the eyes of many, the way to be remembered, to have a good time, it is born perhaps out of jealousy, out of desperation even, it is the longing that sits buried in the heart of the human sea and one that grows with speed and unfulfilled desire; to have a First Class Life, they believe involves a greater degree of hedonism, perhaps bordering on the selfish and the unrepentant.
A First Class Life though is what you make of it, for when it comes down to it, you can have all that you desire, you can own all the world, but eventually you have realise you will still end up at the pawn shop trading in your accumulated wealth for one brief moment of unhindered happiness, a coin for a smile, a note to hear genuine, sincere appraisal.Â
The pursuit of the smile and the joy of being alive, that is the harnessed energy that comes across Mike Zito’s career and one that truly exemplifies what a First Class Life truly is. It is in the knowledge that you are able to do what do without a certain type of fear, the one that holds you back and is not replaced by a series of wishes, of empty promises, just one that takes hold of the scruff of the neck and gives the finest, most polished performance that it can.
With Lewis Stephens, Matthew Johnson, Terry Day and Bernard Allison all joining Mike Zito on the album, the music is sure to score heavily on the listener’s appreciation, that smile in amongst the Blues, the reason we all get up in the morning and see out our day so that we can attain a measure of completion. This is the very essence of what Mr. Zito has brought to the genre since he first took the reins of his music and understood that a rags to riches story is possible, but it one that is born out of desiring the right things, having the more enlightening obsessions.
In songs such as I Wouldn’t Treat A Dog (The Way You Treat Me), Mama Don’t Like No Wahwah, the heartbreak of Old Black Graveyard, Back Problems and Trying To Make A Living, what comes across perfectly is the realisation that life isn’t perfect, that the spontaneity of brave success has to be taken with the same measurable approach and gloved hand as impertinent failure, that the balancing act of these two emotional twins has to be carefully considered, ready to bounce back with humility should a distinguished First Class Life elude you.
A marvellously presented album, but then one would expect such style from Mike Zito, a first-class musical hero.