Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
The world could be said to be too constricted by the narrowness in which we look for human artistic longevity. It is perhaps our own fault, for we have become enamoured with the world of the quick fix, the instant image, the need to swipe quickly if the image does not immediately grab our attention or find us simpering in the presence of what we consider momentary beauty.
We need to relearn the art of patience, to meld the now and the then together so we can see how the lines were created between the two moments of appreciation.
It can be seen every day, a person will ask of another, “I want to read/listen to a particular artist or writer, where do I start and they are pointed to a plethora of presentations which invariably are favourites rather than the truth, that in which life and a passion ignite…at the beginning; and if you cannot start there then find a way to see the overall arc in one sitting, a world where the best frames the narrative and pulls you in.
The best is not the same as the appropriated favourite, especially when a musician has such a rich vein of work that fills the vaults of Richard Hawley, and in Now Then: The Very Best Of Richard Hawley, that rich vein in more valuable than gold, more durable than steel, and more exquisite than any diamond stolen from the Earth and cut and polished to seeming perfection.
In over 20 years of solo recording, the former Pulp member has recorded some of the most incredible songs, has pushed the mind of the listener to understand the artist’s heart and the complexity of his feelings and emotions, and by virtue of belief placed, soared above the ground in an era of absolute pleasure whilst remaining somewhat in the land of the hidden and the unearthed.
The long game is one not pursued by the majority, the treasures of instant riches are far too alluring to ignore, and yet by being an ever present virtuoso in language and music, what comes through is respect, the sombre tone of the revealed heart, and as tracks such as Midnight Train, Ballad Of A Thin Man, Naked In Pitsmoor, Heart Of Oak, You Don’t Miss Your Water (Till Your River Runs Dry), For Your Lover Give Me Some Time, and Remorse Code open to the elements of choice and scrutiny, so Richard Hawley’s title comes to fruition, it becomes clear…there is so much to be found in the vault if we remove ourselves from the ever changing inconsistent of life.
A remarkable collection, an almost autobiographic sense of aural completeness in which to listen to the tales of a genius mind.
Ian D. Hall