Larry Ludwick - Failing

Hear The Track Here

You remember me yammering on about how there is always one track that I am really looking forward to in any given month? Well, guess what this one is. The first ever (I think) collaboration between Ralph Atkinson, Chas Holman and Larry Ludwick. All three are known entities in their own right, you may know Chas Holman better as the superlative 333maxwell. I can definitely see the connection between Larry and Ralph, but Chas mmmmm. Mind you, he's all over the musical field anyway and is well known to fit in just about anywhere and, as we can see, often does. What a pairing though, three seasoned, highly competent musicians who can play pretty much anything, and write it too. Failing was written by Ralph and Chas but all three kicked in some substantial percentage of the whole and if any track this year has blown me away this one does.

AND, get this, it's Adult Contemporary!! Weird or wot?

It's a given when dealing with names such as this that no holes can be picked in their creations (except for them of course) as far as performance, arrangement and production are concerned. Proven time after time. So the only thing for me to do is either like it or not. But then, there are those special occasions when a song steps right out of the speakers and enters your very soul, and that is exactly what Failing felt like to me. It helps that I understand the lyrical subject matter of course but it is so much more than that. Adult Contemporary hides a great many horrors, as we have discovered from time to time but this - believe me - is not one of them. Certainly THE most heartfelt, sincere song I have heard in forever.

Ralph and Chas work well together both as musicians and as vocalists, both of them being fairly easy to spot vocally. Larry shows he's in the game too with some excellent, well placed piano parts that compliment and enhance the song enormously. The real jewel for me comes in two parts. Part one is the vocals, crystal clear and as live as Christmas and part two is in the sheer complexity of the music and arrangement. You often hear the term 'labour of love' well this is what it sounds like. Pure honey, dripping in your ear note by delicious note. ****'s sake Gilmore, you shout, nothing could be that good? Wanna bet?

MUST HAVE song/music/everything