Billy Boy Miskimmin "Billy-Boy Comes Clean" Zed Records
BillyBoyHarp.com

This album has actually been out for the best part of 12 months but like a surprise trump card, just ended up in my hands. For the uninitiated, Billy-Boy is the power house harp player who crossed the Irish Sea to make his name with 9 Below Zero and more latterly The Yardbirds, with whom he still displays his considerable harp tone.

"Billy Boy Comes Clean" offers 11 cuts co-written with 9 Below's Dennis Greaves, and from the opening wailing harp through the sweeping groove filled melody of the opening "Déjà Vu All Over Again, you could be forgiven for thinking this was a 9 Below outtake. Aside from his r&b material Dennis Greaves works a hypnotic groove, and together with Billy's fiery playing and a tough vocal the pair make a good fist of some tough material. There's the self explanatory "East Side Boogie" the funky Billy Rap "God On Their Lips, Blood On Their Hands", and some lovely lyrical harp in between Lou Martin's tinkled ivory's on "My Mate Paul".

For the rest only Billy's passable vocals stop this from being a great effort, and there's definitely a song writing team in the making between Billy Boy and Dennis Greaves.

Here are some clips from Billy-Boy Comes Clean:	Broadband (CD quality)	Dial-Up (AM radio)
Deja Vu All Over Again
God On Their Lips, Blood On Their Hands
My Mate Paul

 

Billy-Boy Comes Clean was number 10 in the December 2004 Playlist