Reviews

A breath of fresh air to the British Country scene

Dave Street BBC South

"Luke is one of the hard working members of the British country music scene. His Waylon Jennings-esque style has won him a lot of fans but he is much more than someone who sounds similar to Old Hoss! He writes some incredibly good lyrics and this is his finest work to date".

Stuart Cameron CMR Radio / Country Hotdisc International

On listening to the album 'No Hat' (Solent Records) I am absolutely knocked out by the guy. What a voice Guy has! So warm, so expressive and so country. I found an enticing hint of Ed Bruce in Luke's delivery particularly in the ballads 'Realize Her Dreams' Waiting For Dawn' and Everybody's Different'. The up-tempo numbers are destined to become favourites with dancers and listeners alike, just check out ' I Ain't Got No Hat' 'One More Bar' 'Wild Card' and 'Banjo Picker'. A real five star album from an artist who is a real star!

Pete Smith Country Music Round Up May 2003

Just a quick note to let you know the CD arrived this week. It is exceptionally good, & I'll be making use of it on my country show here at BBC Radio Lincolnshire, from next Sundays show onwards.

Veronica Capaldi

I first came across the name "Luke The Drifter" a couple or so years ago when he began to get bookings on the "South of Watford" Country Music festival circuit. I first heard him on the Country Music Hotdisc last year with his tribute to Waylon Jennings "Wild Ones". I saw Luke live at this year's Southern Country Radio Awards. He had a full band and certainly impressed.

Luke's success saw him dropping the Drifter tag in favour of his own name Luke Guy Reed and getting a deal with Solent Records distributed by Nova/Pinnacle and set for general release on 16th June 2003. Featuring 10 self penned tracks and a couple of quality covers, the aim is to get British Country Music fans behind this album with the hope of getting it in the British Country Album Charts. I will unreservedly endorse that because this is a first class album that will stand proud with anything on offer these days and that includes the greater majority of the American offerings.

Luke has a deep baritone voice that is not unlike Ol' Waylon without the spit in your eye attitude that Waylon developed over many years. That's not to say that Luke is watered down in any way. In fact he has plenty to offer both vocally and with his interesting songwriting skills.

The two covers "Barroom Star" and "Smokey Mountain Rain" get good readings from Luke but it's his own, across the board songs that stand out on "No Hat". Show stoppers are "I Ain't Got No Hat", "One More Bar", "Wild Card", "As Good For Me As You", "Waiting For Dawn", and "Everybody's Different". I even enjoyed the humour of "Banjo Picker" with its Bluegrass meets Opry feel with a slice of Bob Wills added for
fun.

This is a very strong CD that deserves every success, which can be achieved with your support for home grown British Country Music and its very collectable talent.

Brian Ahern, Cross Country Magazine June 2003

Thanks for the album, I played the track "Whisky To Wine" on my show Trust Country on Trust AM Thursday May 29th. It's a great album, it's a credit to you and all of the team who have helped to create it, if other members of the British country music scene produced albums of this quality then we would have a much more healthy British scene John Morris, Pride FM / Trust FM

A brilliant new album from this very talented singer/songwriter who wrote ten of the twelve tracks.

The album has a well chosen programme of material, all put over with strong powerful, heartfelt singing from Luke supported by great harmonies and terrific music. These excellent tracks are my favourites: If It Feels Good and As Good For Me As You (a beautiful offering) followed closely by One More Bar and Smokey Mountain Rain. I rate as very good Barroom Star, I Ain't Got No Hat and Banjo Picker.

This is an extremely good album which must be a top release, I thoroughly recommend it, a joy and pleasure to listen to. Its a worthy contender for the Radio Awards, you have my full support. All tracks mentioned will be aired.

Graham Hassall, Radio Nightingale, Rotherham

Thank you for the copy of Luke Guy Reed's current album - No Hat. There is not a poor track on it, and I was particularly impressed with tracks 1,3,4,6,9,10 and 11. My favourite bring track 3, which was being played while on the way to purchase my Fiancée's engagement ring!

I will be playing the afore mentioned tracks on my radio show and will pass the album on to the head of Broadcasting for a wider audience, but not until I have CDR'd it for my car!!

Thanks, Colin Thorpe, Radio Link, Derby

Just to let you know that I have received this really excellent album. I am also pleased to confirm that on last Sunday's (1/6/03) Cowboys & Angels 4pm-6pm (repeated Wednesday 7pm-9pm) I played two tracks from Luke's album. The tracks where as follows:- I Ain't Got No Hat, Everybody's Different.

I also plan on playing "Barroom Star" on this Sunday's show, working my way through all the tracks on the album over the next few weeks.

"No Hat" is a refreshing album from start to finish with some great lyrics and I would recommend this album to any country music fan. I would also like to wish Luke every success with the album and with his future career.

Sheena Guy
Head Of Music/Country DJ Lochbroom FM

DAMN GOOD ALBUM LUKE. Now and again a Brit artist appears on the scene like a smack in the face, it happened with Adam Couldwell, Amanda Normansell, Micheal English, Glenn Mitchell and now this guy, Very Waylon sound--David Alan get him up there in your album section immediately. Don't anyone believe me just listen for yourself. This guy sounds GOOD.

Kim reealcountryfan@aol.com

Received the release yesterday. Like his vocals. Very nice and laid back. This is just the sort of cool country that appears to be very lacking in British music. Just because we're not stuck out in some out of the way Deep South throwback of a town, it does not mean that we cannot feel the soul of real country.

The Yanks have had it all their own way for too long. Luke Guy Read is putting that imbalance right. Keep up the good work.

Alan, Radio Phoenix, West Glamorgan

This is an uncompromisingly traditional set, there's no doubt about that, and the range of styles brought into play on the 12 tracks here, 10 of which are Reed originals, and the level of musicianship, are impressive indeed. The thing that establishes itself immediately as the strongest element here is the deep, authoritative voice, which Isle of Wight or no, sounds as though it comes straight from the heart of Texas.

From the glittering steel licks on the opening of Barroom Star with it's imagery of rural toil and boozy repose, through the genial, jazzy, tub-thumping of fiddle laced I Ain't Got No Hat, to the breathless bluegrass workout of the aptly named Banjo Picker, Reed takes us on a whistle stop tour of country styles...

Traditional Country isn't usually my bag but No Hat stands out as a solidly written and well performed collection of songs, delivered by an artist who possesses honest, authentic, vocals, by turns deep and forceful but also capable of sweet sensitivity. So Yes it is time a Brit made it to the UK Country Albums Chart and 'Luke' just may be the artist to do it.

Jeremy Issac, Maverick Magazine, June 2003

The album is great and I will feature tracks at Music Choice.  I have just got back from Nashville and been catching up with tracks etc.

Lee Williams, Music Choice, UK

UK singer/songwriter Luke Guy Reed hails from the Isle of Wight but it's obvious from this release that he wishes he'd been raised in Texas - particularly with Waylon Jennings as a next door neighbour. And it's that fixation with Waylon that works to the detriment of No Hat, there's that same earthy vibrato, same low register vocals, same distinctive phrasing that made Jennings so unique. In Reed's case it makes him as original as a contender on Stars In Their Eyes.

Which is a shame as Reed has a good feel and his 10 self-credited songs show him to be an engaging songwriter, albeit in a very 1970's Waylonesque way. Indeed the ballads Realise Her Dreams and As Good For Me As You sound as if they were actually written for the great man two decades ago.

Ignoring the Hoss factor - nigh impossible - this is a well written album and Reed gets sensible support from the musicians who include producer Dave Hayward on steel, Bob Winquist on fiddle and Graham Walker on guitar and banjo, although the production could have done with a little more beef. I particularly liked the up-tempo, Statler Brothers styled, Banjo Picker, but Reed's cover of Ronnie Milsap's Smokey Mountain Rain was a risk too far. It'll be interesting to see if Luke Guy Reed can emerge as his own man at some future date. In the meantime I'll stick with my Waylon Jennings CDs

Craig Baguley, Country Music People Magazine

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