HOME SERVICE - Wildlife (Fledgling FLEDG3001)
Admirably filling yet another void in the folk cosmos is this live recording of the post John Tams Home Service revival of August 92 when the band re-emerged to take Sidmouth by storm and play a handful of other gigs.
Home Service were a pivotal band in the 1980's folk-rock revival and their 'Alright Jack' album is still worthy of it's 'Landmark' status.
Here we see a slightly heavier duty incarnation led by Bill Caddick.
Traditional material still features with a brass fuelled 'Battle Of The Somme', an impressive 'Napoleon's Grand March' and 'Papa Joe's Polka', but the main impetus here is Caddick's guitar and muscular contemporary songs.
The recording quality is good and there are plenty of compelling moments.
Once again a small slice of history has been saved for posterity by Fledgling and is now available to the wider audience it deserves - stirring stuff!
(Andy Hemsley)