REVIEW: Dodgy, "Making The Most Of" (2 part UK single)

- Tim Kennedy

Dodgy's latest UK single release is a twin pack CD which, if one invests in both parts, amounts to a mini-album's worth of material. Apart from a revamped and translated version of the song "Making The Most Of", from the album Homegrown, there are five tracks from a recording session at a farm in Ludlow, near the English/Welsh border. The sleeve art features the fab three doing miraculous things with loaves and fishes. "Making The Most Of" makes use of a piano/keyboard intro rather than the headlong guitar that starts the album version. There is also a different guitar part, which includes some Clash-esque (!) riffing. The French version "Faisons au mieux" is identical except for the words. This is an impossibly good pop song and deserves to be a hit.

The other - Ludlow Sessions - tracks are all extremely varied and experimental. "Watch Out Watcha Doin'" has a Happy-Mondaysish shuffling beat and guitars tune. The vocals similarly groove along. It has the feel of "Step On" all about it.

"This Is Ours" is a slow-paced acoustic number reminiscent of the Stones in one of their more reflective, country moods, certainly a little lighter in feel than "Wild Horses" but more contemplative than "Girl With The Faraway Eyes".

"Get Off Your High Horse" is a psychedelic funk-rock beast of cosmological proportions and one of the best things Dodgy have ever done. Is the lyric an anti-heroin diatribe? Who knows? It rages from 60s psychedelic soul into Hendrix/Zeppelinesque heavyiness and back. Taken with the Hendrixoid track on the (UK) Vox magazine March issue free cassette "Sylvia's Bedroom", indications are that if they choose to Dodgy can rock with a vengeance. It's not all sweet pure pop harmonies from these chaps.

"Spent All My Time Running" has a bit of the late sixties Stones about it, from the Jaggeresque vocal through to the Ian Stewart piano style. There's a nice groove to it though it takes a while to gather a head of steam. They don't usually borrow from the Stones at all so this CD single pack is a bit of a revelation for Dodgy watchers.

"All The Time In The World" begins acoustically, then a bizzare piano twiddley bit buggers it up a bit. The song regains composure and a there's a guitar solo. The vocal isn't Nigel, and it's rather shaky. This is messing round really no doubt under the influence of those illicit herbal tobaccos Dodgy have been promoting...

All in all, this is an interesting pack and certainly intrigues the listener. Dodgy appear to have more styles than your favorite clothing store and are proficient at them all.