Rating: ** (2 stars)
Title: The Last Cowboy
Company: A&M
Catalog: SP-3665
Year: 1974
Grade (cover/record): VG/VG
Comments: white promo label copy; small promo sticker on back cover
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 4116
Price: $10.00
Cost: $1.00
Having played in a number of Scottish mid-1960s beat groups, singer/guitarists Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle started their professional partnership in 1964. Their first successes came as songwriters, including writing Dean Ford and the Gaylords' "Mr. Heartbreak's Here Instead". By 1967 they'd left Scotland for London, where they managed to release one quickly forgotten single for Polydor ("Trees" b/w "The In Crowd", catalog number BM 56170) before they were quickly hired as staff writers for The Beatles newly-formed Apple Records.
While they managed to place a couple of songs with Apple artists (notably Mary Hopkins), increasingly frustrated with Apple they left as soon as their contract expired. 1969 saw the pair hook up with Tom McGuinness and Hughie Flint. They spent the next two years as members of McGuiness-Flint (see separate entry).
Following a brief association with Ronnie Lane as part of Slim Chance, Gallagher and Lyle resumed their solo career with 1974's "The Last Cowboy". Produced by Glyn Jones, this set isn't much different from their previous three offerings. A now-patented mix of country, folk and pop moves, the set's full of nice harmonies and commercial touches. Individually track such as "Song and Dance Man" and the pretty ballad "I'm Amazed" (not Paul McCartney's song), stand up well, but stretched over an album the over abundance of ballads gets boring pretty fast. Besides, is it just us, or do these guys sound like Stealers Wheel? Among the standout tracks are the bluesy rocker "Acne Blues" and the title track.
"The Last Cowboy" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Keep the Candle Burning (Benny Gallagher - Graham Lyle) -
2.) Song and Dance Man (Benny Gallagher - Graham Lyle) -
3.) Acne Blues (Benny Gallagher - Graham Lyle) -
4.) I'm Amazed (Benny Gallagher - Graham Lyle) -
5.) King of the Silents (Benny Gallagher - Graham Lyle) -
(side 2)
1.) Rain (Benny Gallagher - Graham Lyle) -
2.) We (Benny Gallagher - Graham Lyle) -
3.) Mahairu (Benny Gallagher - Graham Lyle) -
4.) Villain of the Peace (Benny Gallagher - Graham Lyle) -
5.) The Last Cowboy (Benny Gallagher - Graham Lyle) -