John Illsley - VIII (2022)

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John Illsley - VIII (2022)

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For many, John Illsley will always be the imposing figure standing next to Mark Knopfler as Dire Straits left the London pub circuit behind and achieved worldwide domination via their fifth album ‘Brothers In Arms'. The band almost singlehandedly convinced every household they needed a shiny little 5” silver disc to replace all those old and antiquated black slabs of 12" vinyl. Approximately 30 million of us did just that (which, in 2022, is pretty ironic considering the perceived cool factor of LPs these days). Alongside Mark Knopfler, John Illsley was the only other band member to do a full tour of duty with Dire Straits on their almost twenty-year run before the band slowly faded away in the early 1990s. John’s solo career actually began during his time in Dire Straits with the ‘Never Told A Soul’ LP in 1984. John has continued to release albums on a semi-regular basis, with VIII being, unsurprisingly, his eighth studio album.

Straight out of the gate opener ‘It’s A Long Way Back’ leaves us in no doubt whatsoever that John happily embraces his part in the Dire Straits story. An ambient opening sets the scene with lightly picked guitar over the swell of keyboards before the rhythm section of John and drummer Paul Beavis settle into a familiar shuffling rhythm that is the aural equivalent of coming home to a warm fire in deepest midwinter. Hushed, half-spoken, lyrical references to 'Deptford Town' and 'six-blade knives' further enhance the familiarity as John's understated vocal is nicely augmented by some rather lovely female backing vocals, while top blues/session guitarist Scott McKeon fires off numerous Knopfler inspired guitar flurries. This terrific opening track is sure to please fans of John and his musical back story. John and his band repeat the trick on the recent/first single ‘Which Way Is Up’ via a groove that seems ridiculously effortless. These two songs alone make ‘VIII’ a highly recommended purchase, but there is plenty more to enjoy here.

hroughout the record, John, and his excellent band, mix things up in an unhurried way that is very comforting. ‘Love You Still’ has a vibe that would site well on a Mavericks album thanks to prominent accordion and the swell of Melvin Duffy’s pedal steel. The sumptuous ballad ‘21st Century’ marries acoustic guitars to the swell of strings while the song's message seems unfortunately prophetic, considering how the world has changed with recent events adding to the trials of the pandemic. Similarly, ‘Market Town’ certainly feels autobiographical as John reflects on a childhood spent in a pastoral England that seems lost to us. McKeon’s stately guitar work blends seamlessly with Steve Smith’s piano while, once again, the backing vocals add lustre to the arrangement of the chorus. ‘The Mission Song’ steps things up a little via the addition of horns and guitar lines delivered with reggae swagger.

Any readers (not just Dire Straits fans) who have yet to join John on his solo ventures should check out ‘VIII’ at the earliest opportunity. 'VIII' is an impressive release from a man who is seemingly very happy in his own skin, reflecting on the past but looking to the future. John will also be out on the road bringing his solo work and the music of Dire Straits to a host of towns (many of them quite rural) on his upcoming UK tour, which seems fitting and I'm sure will be a fine night out.

~ redguitarmusic.com