REVIEW: Nik Kershaw, 15 Minutes (Pyramid)
- Bob Gajarsky
The last time we heard from Nik Kershaw, the songwriter, was his penning the 1991 Chesney Hawkes #1 U.K. hit "The One And Only". Astute fans may have previously noticed Kershaw playing guitar on several Elton John tracks in the late 1980s. But it was his European success for songs such as "Wouldn't It Be Good", "The Riddle" and "I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" that endeared him to many fans.
Now, Nik has returned to the center of the stage with the release of his latest album, 15 Minutes. An interesting selection of twelve introspective tracks, 15 Minutes reflects an older and more mature man than the hitmaker of the mid 80s.
"The whole process started about four years ago," Kershaw explains, "but I didn't realize I was making an album. I had a few ideas that I couldn't see anyone else doing, but I had to get them out of my system. I recorded a few demos that took more time than I thought they would, and the next thing I knew was 'What am I doing here? I'm making an album.'"
That album owes more to the latter part of Kershaw's first solo foray than to his initial start. His fourth album, The Works, offered an insight to the thoughtfulness which would predate 15 Minutes ; for those familiar with "Elisabeth's Eyes", the writing style of 15 Minutes will come as no surprise.
"In the 80s, I did everything I could to not write about myself," Kershaw explains. "I was a bit nervous playing this record for other people because it exposed me - I can't hide behind anything with these songs."
And the first single, "Somebody Loves You", has an almost autobiographical feel to it. "It's my party / I don't have to care less / I can always play my part; / They know my face and they know my name / They know my shamelessness but not my shame" sings Kershaw, and the listeneer just knows that this song came from the heart. The look at a man's sensitive side ("Billy") and "Find Me An Angel" (which takes a page out of the Chris Isaak songbook) offer a different side of Nik Kershaw which never previously saw the light of day.
When the 'good looking' men came out of Britain in the early 1980s, many questioned their staying power. Duran Duran has consistently managed to defy the critics, and Howard Jones has continued his successful music output. Nik Kershaw, however, was staying behind the scenes and out of the spotlight - until now. And just as Jones showed a more mature side with People, so has Nik Kershaw with 15 Minutes.
