Ben Poole – Time Has Come

album by:
Ben Poole
Version:
cd
Price:
£14,99

Reviewed by:
Rating:
4
On 14 March 2016
Last modified:14 March 2016

Summary:

To paraphrase the record, Ben Poole’s time has definitely come.

The new album from Ben Poole opens with the hard hitting “Lying To Me” a big, powerful, rocking number with a steady, hard bluesy riff and serious soloing which certainly grabs your attention.

“I Think I Love You Too Much” slows things down a notch or two, and on this track we can hear Ben’s soulful singing.  Things are slowed down even more with the ballad “Longing For A Woman,” there’s some great piano playing on this, nicely balanced with some sublime organ arrangements.

Back up the tempo scale for “If You Want To Play With My Heart,” a simple yet effective song that grooves along nicely, almost lulling you into a false sense of happiness (well it is the blues) before “Time might never come” drags you down the bitter blues alley, a sombre track, underpinned by Ben’s excellent vocal and  a well worked guitar solo that excels in the songs direction. Easily the best track on this album for me.

Time for a change of pace and ‘Stay at mine’ is a nice bit of pop inspired blues, very light with not a lot of substance, though it does get your foot tapping.

‘You’ve Changed’ is a stripped down track allowing Ben’s vocal talents to take the lead, with Bob Fridzema on the Hammond organ providing great accompaniment to a rather tasty guitar solo.

‘Just when you thought it was safe’ funks it up, with the snare drum front and center, another seemingly simple track that sneaks up on you and begs for another listen.

‘The question why’ rounds off the album, a great little number with a silky California vibe.  What stands out, now that the album is nearly over, is that the first track, Lying to Me, is the odd one out.  While that is all guns blazing, so to speak, the rest of the album takes a more laidback approach to some seriously mellow blues.

To paraphrase the record, Ben Poole’s time has definitely come.

Track Listing

01.Lying To Me
02.I Think I Love You Too Much
03.Longing For A Woman
04.If You Want To Play With My Heart
05.Time Might Never Come
06.Stay At Mine
07.You’ve Changed
08.Just When You Thought It Was Safe
09.Whoever Invented Love
10.The Question Why

BEN POOLE BAND
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STEVIE NIMMO
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MANHATON RECORDS
OFFICIAL WEBSITE

BEN POOLE & STEVIE NIMMO
UK TOUR 2016

FEBRUARY 2016

KENDAL – BOOTLEGGERS BAR
THURSDAY 4th FEBRUARY

Tickets: £12 / Box Office: www.skiddle.com
24 Finkle St, Kendal, LA9 4AB
www.bootleggersbar.com

YORK – FIBBERS
FRIDAY 5th FEBRUARY

Tickets: £12 / Box Office: 08444 771000
3-5 Toft Green, York, YO1 6JT
www.fibbers.co.uk

LEICESTER – THE MUSICIAN
SUNDAY 7th FEBRUARY

Tickets: £12 / Box Office: www.wegottickets.com
Clyde St, Leicester, LE1 2DE
www.themusicianpub.co.uk

PUTNEY. LONDON – THE HALF MOON
THURSDAY 11th FEBRUARY

Tickets: £12.  Box Office   020 8780 9383
93 Lower Richmond Rd, London. SW15 1EU
www.halfmoon.co.uk

DARLINGTON – THE FORUM MUSIC CENTRE
FRIDAY 12th FEBRUARY

Tickets: £12. Box Office: 01325 363165
Borough Rd, Darlington, Co. Durham, DL1 1SG
www.darlington-r-n-b-club.co.uk

BINGLEY – BINGLEY BLUES FESTIVAL
SATURDAY 13th FEBRUARY

Tickets: £15.  Box Office   01274 567983
Bingley Arts Centre, Main St, Bingley, BD16 2LZ
www.bingleyartscentre.co.uk

WORTHING – PAVILLION THEATRE
SUNDAY 14th FEBRUARY

Tickets: £12 / Box Office: 01903 366017
info@worthingpier.co.uk
www.worthingpier.co.uk 

MARCH 2016

SHOREHAM – ROPETACKLE ARTS CENTRE
THURSDAY 17th MARCH

Tickets: £12 / Box Office: 01273 464440
High St, Shoreham by Sea, BN43
www.ropetacklecentre.co.uk

BARTON ON HUMBER – ROPERY HALL
FRIDAY 18th MARCH

Tickets: £12 / Box Office: 01652 660380
Maltkin Road, Barton-on-Humber, DN18 5JW
www.roperyhall.co.uk
 
MICKLETON – R-n-B CLUB
SATURDAY 19th MARCH

Tickets: £12 / Box Office: 01833 640854
Village Hall, Mickleton, Durham, DL12 0JR
www.mickletonrnb.co.uk

KINROSS SCOTLAND – THE GREEN HOTEL
SUNDAY 20th MARCH

Tickets: £12 / Box Office: 01577 863467
2 The Muirs, Kinross, Perthshire, KY13 8AS
www.mundellmusic.com

21 OXFORD – THE HAVEN CLUB
MONDAY 21st MARCH

Tickets £10/12 / Box Office: www.wegotickets.com
The Bullingdon, Cowley Rd, Oxford, OX3 7PZ
www.thehavenclub.co.uk

SUTTON – BOOM BOOM CLUB
FRIDAY 29th APRIL

Tickets: £12 / Box Office: 0208 761 9078
Sutton United FC, Gander Green Lane, Sutton, SM1 2EY
www.feenstra.co.uk

SELBY – ARTS CENTRE
SATURDAY 30th APRIL

Tickets £12 / Box Office: 01757 708 449
York St, Selby. Yorkshire, YO8 4AH
www.selbytownhall.co.uk

MAY 2016

NEWCASTLE – THE CLUNY
WEDNESDAY 4th MAY

Tickets: £12 / Box Office: 0191 230 4474
36 Lime St, Ouseburn, Newcastle, NE1 2PQ
www.thecluny.com
 
STIRLING – THE TOLLBOOTH
THURSDAY 5th MAY

Tickets £12 / Box Office: 01786 274400
Jail Wynd, Stirling, FK8 1DE
www.tollbooth.stirling.gov.uk

GLASGOW – ORAN MOR
FRIDAY 6th MAY

Tickets; £12 / Box Office: 0141 357 6200
Byers Road, Glasgow, G12 8QX
www.oran-mor.co.uk

ABERDEEN – CAFE DRUMMOND
SATURDAY 7th MAY

Tickets: £12 / Box Office: 01244 619930
1 Belmont St, Aberdeen, AB10 1JR
www.cafedrummond.com

CHELTENHAM – VONNIES
WEDNESDAY 11th MAY

Tickets £12 / Box Office: 01452 862332
21 Church St, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham, GL53 8AP
www.charltonkingsclub.co.uk
 
CHISLEHURST – BEAVERWOOD CLUB
THURSDAY 12th MAY

Tickets:  £12 / Box Office: 0208 761 9078
Beaverwood Rd, Chislehurst, BR7 6HF
www.feenstra.co.uk

SOUTHAMPTON – THE TALKING HEADS
FRIDAY 13th MAY

Tickets: £12 / Box Office: 02380 678 446
Maple Leaf, 16-22 The Polygon, Southampton, SO15 2BN
www.thetalkingheads.co.uk

HARTLEPOOL SUPPORTERS CLUB
SATURDAY 14th MAY

Tickets: £12 / Box Office: 075359 79658
Sandringham Road, Hartlepool, TS26 0JJ

FARNHAM – THE MALTINGS
THURSDAY 19th MAY

Tickets: £12 / Box Office: 01252 793 430
The Maltings, Bridge Square, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 7QR
www.boogaloopromotions.com

NEWBURY – ARLINGTON ARTS CENTRE
FRIDAY 20th MAY

Tickets: £12 / Box Office: 01635 244246
Arlington Arts Centre, Snelsmore Common, Newbury, RG14 3BQ
www.arlingtonarts.co.uk

DERBY – THE FLOWERPOT
SATURDAY 21st MAY

Tickets: £12 / Box Office: 01332 204955
The Flowerpot 23 King St, Derby. DE1 3DZ
www.rawpromo.co.uk

SHEFFIELD – GREYSTONES
SUNDAY 22nd MAY

Tickets: £12 / Box Office: 0114 266 5599
Greystones Rd, Sheffield, S11 7BS
www.mygreystones.co.uk

To paraphrase the record, Ben Poole’s time has definitely come.

About David Farrell

General Manager and 'THE' competition guy at planetmosh.com. Manager of The Goddanm Electric www.thegde.co.uk, Tour manager for Serpentine, and ex-general Dogsbody at Hammerfest.co.uk. Media partner to numerous bands. Also takes photos, writes reviews and likes classic rock, with a touch of thrash to get the blood flowing.