Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Respect and reverence are two states of mind, of attitudes of grace that for some reason in the 21st Century have become emotions to be sneered at, the case for individualism without tribute or honour seems to have dissolved, dissipated into the ether like mist burnt away by the Sun. Even in the art of a cover or an homage, a section of an audience will either punish the artist for having the temerity to tackle what they see as a sacred idol, an untouchable symbol of their youth or their love, or declare without praising the original author of the piece as they fawn over the latest star to come their way.
To pay homage does not mean letting go of your originality, it just places in the same category, the same passionate feelings that you hope to emulate and drive outwards to the audience and witness pleasure explode across a myriad of faces and souls.
So many were touched by the sheer depth of work that The Beatles as a band, and as solo performers, performed, that it is hardly surprising even after all this time, that many a musician will be moved enough spiritually and physically to create a sound that is in the true atmosphere of homage; that the music on offer is one that catches the ear for its personality, and the measure of its soul for its sincerity of who influenced the songs, the album on offer.
Such a groove of honesty is to be found swirling and merging in the mist of Simon Mayone’s original album Mayone, and the imagery, the delicate passion of a man following his instincts and his love and bringing an innovative set of songs that perfectly capture the sense of new beginnings sought by Paul McCartney in his own debut solo release McCartney.
The roots of Americana based songs arguably rarely share the same exact space as the Liverpool star, but underneath it all there is the grounding of creativity and storytelling that binds terrifically the man from Brooklyn and the man inspired by the songs he and the others like him heard coming off the ships that docked along the Liverpool shoreline.
Fifty years apart but bound by the logic of recording away from an atmosphere of unrelenting pressure, one seeking solace from the past, the other immersing himself into the regime of near isolation in a time gone awry; and yet both producing an album that will surely define them both in the time to come.
Simon Mayone’s own recording is not only sincere, but also hauntingly inventive. Across tracks such as the opener The Sweet Suzanne, the incomparable Missouri Loves Company, I’ll Take You As You Are, Like You’ve Never Been Away, the excellent Happy Alcoholidays and the stunning final track of Airport Goodbyes, the parallels drawn between the two eras and albums are shown to wonderfully similar, productively secure and creatively dramatic.
When we choose our idols and heroes with great care, the way in which we wish to emulate, and hopefully capture their work is given greater credence, a weightier sense of confidence. In Mayone, like the first McCartney album, time is released from the bottle of authoritative belief and allowed, like all good spirits, to cross the land unhindered in its delivery and enjoyment.
Subtle and flowing, Simon Mayone’s debut solo album is a glorious reminder of what can be achieved when you listen to your heroes carefully.
Ian D. Hall