10. Billy Bremner: Bash! (1984): The Man With The Voice - The Third Rock In The Pile

Rockpile never got round to make more than one album under the band name, but I reckon I have more than albums of good music in my collection, made by one or more members of the group. Nick Lowe heads the pack in numbers, Dave Edmunds takes second place, but this Billy Bremner album (one of two I own) just may be the best of them all. His later catalogue, much of it recorded in Sweden with Swedish musicians, may sound a bit tired to my ears - but not so this gem.

I like the sheer power and rolling ease of the band, the production that sounds natural for 1984 - a little Rockpile, perhaps a touch of Squeeze, and I like the songs. Some of them may be rather average, but most have a clear hit potential. Most of all I like his voice - its warm yet powerful, at best it kind of soars above the music like a bird, without losing any of its grit and earthiness. Ah, I can't find the right words for what makes it so good - you have to dig out the album and listen for yourselves.

Among the musical highlights I especially want to mention the Elvis Costello-penned matrimonial drama "Shatterproof", the amusing Drifters-wordplay pastiche "Tired And Emotional (And Probably Drunk)", the nostalgically wistful "The Boat That's Sunk A Thousand Ships" and "Losing My Touch" - especially the latter one is a great showcase for that voice. And it has to be said, that most of the songs sound like they were written just for him - those long vowels that he can wrap himself around to great effect - but on the other hand, the style and soundscape are varied enough to make this a perfect pop record anyway, covering a lot of styles but tying them together in one entity.

Thirtyfive years later, the man is still active - in fact, he played in two of my hometowns just a month ago, but I was of course abroad just then - but nothing he has done since this album measures up to what he came up with here and as a member of Rockpile. To add insult to injury, my own copy, bought straight upon its release, is the only actual copy of this album I have ever seen. I know that it's been re-released on CD, and you can find it on Spotify - and I would love to see more people boast and brag about having it. So if you find a copy somewhere, buy it at once!