Customer Reviews

The First Of A Million Kisses

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While the album as a whole lacks the originality and whimsy of "First of a Million Kisses" (over half of the new album's tracks are covers), listening to the band's interpretations of such classics as The Beatles' "Do You Want to Know a Secret" and Sam Cooke's "You Send Me" is still a treat. Eddi Reader and the gang have such a unique style that they can turn virtually any song into their own. The follow-up album rarely deviate's from the original's celtic, jazzy feel and acoustic sound, although a few tracks (such as the topical "Trying Times")seem to at times weigh the album down. Mark E. Nevin still gets three original tracks into the mix, including the delicate and memorable title track, and they are as gentle and welcome as any original recordings would be from this band. The album is mostly composed of European B-Sides, and the live version of "Allelujah" is strictly for fans, (although the track does settle any arguments that Miss Reader's exquisite voice is merely a product of studio engineering). If you have never heard of Fairground Attraction, and are looking for an eclectic, vibrant sound (that includes a stand-up bass and a mandolin!), purchase "First of a Million Kisses". Once you have worn that CD down to a transparent nub, and you find yourself desperate to hear more, go ahead and buy "Aye Fond Kiss". You won't be completely satisfied, but it will delay for a few months the start of your letter writing campaign to the band, begging them to make a new album with new music as quickly as possible!

Fairground Attraction's recording career was short and sweet: following the truly classic and phenomenal platinum seller `First of a Million Kisses' in 1988, the band's songwriter and artistic inspiration, Mark Nevin, left the band in the middle of recording the second album.

`Ay Fond Kiss' was put out by RCA in 1990 in the wake of the band's demise. It basically consists of `B-side material' and FA's studio recordings of various covers, plus a sensational live-performance of `Hallelujah', probably FA's best-ever song.

Unexpectedly the album is very, very good, runs FoaMK close, and is in no way second-best. From a rendition of Sam Cooke's `You Send Me' to jazz numbers `This Game of Love' and `Walking After Midnight' it's full of polished, tight, joyous music that will make you want to get up and dance.

Only one or two numbers (maybe `Cajun Band' and `Watching the Party') fall short of excellence. It's great to hear Eddi Reader singing in full-blooded Scottish dialect: both the opener `Jock O'Hazeldean' and the wonderful, virtually unaccompanied closer `Ay Fond Kiss' - a poem by the great Robbie Burns here set to music and sung with power, depth and conviction - are fine examples, the latter a high-point in FA' s recordings. If you've never heard this title track please give it a listen, and you might appreciate how good a singer Reader can be.