A Questionable Mix
Jools Holland has become something of a British institution and his latest ‘Later…’ album, including recordings of artists new and old from his show, proves how broad his appeal really is. This double-disc set includes 34 acts as varied as Paul Weller and Radiohead, along with performances from Jools and his favourite crooners.
Some of the most noticeable tracks on the first CD are the electronic ones, which have a distinctly different some when played live, for example MGMT’s ‘Time To Pretend’ sounds a lot more impulsive and Hot Chip’s ‘Ready For The Floor’ sounds a lot more industrial and less polished. Other songs seem to gain a certain something live, for instance The Last Shadow Puppets manage to imbue ‘The Age of the Understatement’ with a certain racing desperation and the Manics sound thoroughly energetic with ‘Jackie Collins Existential Question Time’.
Of course, Jools being Jools, alongside the familiar list of popular tunes, there are a number of slightly more offbeat tracks: Glen Campbell is unlikely to appeal to those who have just been dancing away to Hot Chip, but Lisa Hannigan and Nicole Atkins eloquent performances would probably charm a range of listeners.
CD2 boats pop nuggets from Lily Allen, and Paolo Nutini’s unique voice, alongside an abundance of more well-worn performers like Al Green, Morrissey, New York Dolls and Paul Weller. There’s another jazzy performances by Jools which is definitely likely to be skipped by anyone who enjoyed the ballsy New York Dolls number. The problem with any compilation of Jools’ acts, it seems, is that the man has sensationally broad taste in music that is unlikely to be matched by anyone who picks the album up, but at least there’s something for everyone. If you don’t mind diving for the skip button then you’ll probably find a few gems to your taste in these 34 tracks.