Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

This CD amalgamates together two of Pratt's '80s releases 'Not Just For Dancing' (a 1985 album) and 'Fun In the First World' (a 1982 EP) and brings back memories of his mainstage Greenbelt performances which drew heavily on these recordings. Unmistakably '80s in production sounds, some of this stuff has dated better than other tracks but Pratt's trademark singing and excellent songwriting is equally unmistakable. Ploughing a similar music vision as some of Bruce Cockburn and Peter Gabriel's material of the same period, tracks like "Stupid World" and "Carry You" are driven by slightly threatening synth sounds and '80s drums. Highlights include "Face I Wear" and "Modern Police". There's a great re-working of The Beatles' "I'm Only Sleeping". Pratt is excellent at re-interpreting other people's songs, just check out his 'Cover Me' album for more fine examples. "Fun In The First World" is another excellent song here as Pratt makes his observations about the state of things. "Burn Up In The Fire" is another strong song and everything closes with the claustrophobic apocalyptic "Paper Money". Hugely talented, largely ignored but still making music, this re-visitation of some of his '80s output reminds us of the talent of the man.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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