John Fiddler
The Big Buffalo

Time for love
Princess
Return of the Buffalo
Time will tell
Wish
Strong Heart (electric)
Kinda crazee, kinda sad
Let the kids know
Hurt
(A day) without you
Working class hero
Walkin' Blues
Win or lose
Strong heart (acoustic)
This man's in fire
When I looked away
Where's Heaven now?
I stand alone

all songs written by John Fiddler except 'Working class hero' by John Lennon and 'Walkin' Blues' by Robert Johnson.

SJPCD048 Available in all good record stores, or by mail order from Angel Air Records

All titles performed by John Fiddler

Thanks to Laurence Archer for guitar on 'Time for Love' and 'Win or Lose' and to Lou Stonebridge for backing vocals on 'Wish'.

Produced, Recorded and Mixed by John Fiddler at 'The Asylum', November 1994.

Original sound recordings made by State of the Heart Productions Ltd.

Mastered by Nick Watson at SRT Studios, St. Ives, Cambridgeshire, England. March 2000.

Half Moon Bay says... Our appetites had been whetted by the not included here 'Only the Roses' on last years Eagle Records compilation 'Mott the Hoople - Friends and Relatives'.

I have to admit that John Fiddler remained pretty much just a name to me as I had missed out on the British Lions stuff when it originally came out (see here for my excuses), although I can remember the Medicine Head chart hits of the seventies.

So, this record had to act as his real introduction to my ears and on first play I felt it didn't live up to the aforementioned 'Only the Roses'. But its the old old story about records growing on you and I find myself singing titles form this collection while doing the washing up and the CD is being played here in the office quite a lot.

Apart from anything else - like great songwriting, catchy tunes, good singing, great playing (which are all here) - this record boasts a great sweep and depth of styles from the acoustic solo stuff, passionate blues, rock pieces and so on.

A few years ago, several of these tracks could have been released as singles - not sure how they'd fare today, though.

Again, as I have said elsewhere, Fiddler can easily be seen as the true heir to Hunters Mott the Hoople throne and on this evidence he gives our Ian a good run for his money. Oh why, oh why didn't the Lions call themselves Mott the Hoople? Not the done thing back then I suppose... answers on a postcard please.

This was all, apparently, recorded back in 1994 and the last four tracks are all bonus to that original set. And if these are a hint at what is still to come then there are plenty of good tunes to delight us over the next few releases.

John is currently (April-May 2000) on tour in the UK and Germany and I recommend you look in the press for details and have an evening out listening to some great songs.

Finally, and this is going to be funny thing to say on a Mott the Hoople web site but, one of my favourite of all time writers and singer songwriter type people is and has been for ages Gerry Rafferty (he of Humblebums, Stealers Wheel and 'Baker Street' fame). Well, John Fiddler has put himself up there in my own hall of fame with thisCD.

You won't regret trying to blag a listen, but once bitten you will want more. So buy it and complete your Mott the Hoople family and friends collection.

Review Date: April 2000

Visit the John Fiddler webpage