Well, Mick Groves might get his pleasure from rambling if the opening track of the CD is to be believed but I get mine from listening to his fine vocals. OK, so the halcyon days he spent with The Spinners may be over but here we have him re-invented as a solo performer. Maybe not quite a one-man show as he has surrounded himself with some guest musicians including amongst others his record producer Phil Beer and the double bass of ex-colleague 'Count' John McCormick. I've said it before and I'll say it again, The Spinners are where I came into this business and I wear my heart firmly on my sleeve when I say they are sadly missed. The reason I mention this is that here before me is testament to the fact that a good song well sung with little or no frills is always a pleasure to listen to. There's no need to indulge oneself with flashy instrumentals or quirky vocals when a good solid performance will do. For Mick this recording is obviously a labour of love as he traces the musical history of another Salford hero Ewan MacColl. In his informative sleeve notes Groves celebrates MacColl's contribution to the 'folk' canon by including such popular favourites as 'The Manchester Rambler', 'Dirty Old Town' and 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' alongside traditional songs such as 'Row Bullies Row' and 'The Bonnie Shepherd Lad'. To me, nostalgia is no bad thing particularly if it prompts the listener to rekindle their interest in the singer and the song and trust me, you will be well rewarded if you purchase this album. For those of you reading this review too young to remember when folk music was folk music and not driven by the latest fad then give this recording a spin and you'll be pleasantly surprised. Let's hope it isn't another sixteen years before the next project! I'm pleased to say that Mick is once again available for bookings and hopefully like Hughie Jones, his good humour and no nonsense approach will be filling a club or festival near you.

PETE FYFE