Denny Laine Albums (10)
'Performs the Hits of Wings'
Release Date 3/26/2007
Tracks 14
Label Going for a Song
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Tribute to Paul McCartney & Wings'
Release Date 1/12/1999
Tracks 14
Label Purple Pyramid
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Reborn is a brilliant album by an erratic and often misdirected artist. It is, actually, quite refreshing in its simplicity, with Laine's vocals surprisingly in good shape. In the late '80s and early '90s, the founding member of the Moody Blues who should never have left Wings had little of his great voice left. He was performing in New England doing covers of previous glories, talking about a musical opera he was writing, and raising a daughter with his girlfriend Helen Grant, daughter of the late Peter Grant, manager of Led Zeppelin. Hearing "Hard Labor" on this disc definitely shows the rebirth the title track acknowledges. The voice is more flawed here than on other tracks, but it works, like a drunken Steve Marriott might sound today had he lived, raspy and sincere. Brian Hines, in his Denny Laine persona, crams choruses he was so good at creating into compact little tunes with great melodies. "Misty Mountain" is a good example -- this pop tune dives right into that sound Laine helped establish. What a shame he didn't come up with songs like this when Paul McCartney generously gave him room to express himself on Wings albums. Laine looks ragged on the park bench photo next to the lyrics to "Misty Mountain," but the ecology-minded musician is at the peak of his powers here, material as strong as "Say You Don't Mind," his composition that Zombie Colin Blunstone hit with. "Fanfare" is a bit more subdued, Laine sounding like a journeyman preacher. He's released a number of lukewarm records, and his failure to stay in the spotlight has made him one of rock's forgotten soldiers. Upon hearing "Blue Lights" (not on this record), executive Don Rubin said to the late Jimmy Miller that he felt Denny Laine was one of the few artists who could come back the way Steve Winwood did in the '80s. This album is evidence that Rubin's comment was quite accurate, but the timing, clearly, was off. "Reborn," the title track, has a definite drive. The sound would be perfect for a reconstituted Traffic or Electric Light Orchestra. Those groups performing "Rollin' Tide" or "In Time" might find themselves vital again, and give a much deserved rebirth to Denny Laine. The vocal and keyboard interplay on Rollin' Tide deserves to be heard by millions of ears. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Having left Wings, Denny Laine finally got around to releasing a proper solo effort, and Japanese Tears does have a certain charm. While with Wings, Laine never got much of a chance to showcase his songs, what with Macca being head honcho and all, and he accumulated many of these cuts while working with that band. Going back as far as 1973, and using the original Wings lineup on a couple of tracks, Laine adds songs here and there along the way in a patchwork quilt sort of way to fill up Japanese Tears. While everything is interesting here, highlights include a re-recording of "Go Now" and the title cut which tells the story of a Japanese fan's reaction to the Wings tour which was canceled when Macca got the boot for possessing an illegal substance. Japanese Tears is a look at one of rock's minor league players done well. ~ James Chrispell, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Of the myriad side projects and offshoots which occupied Paul McCartney and Wings during the early to mid-'70s, it is regrettable that this is the only one which came to full fruition -- regrettable because it's also the only one in which Fab Macca had any kind of vested financial interest, thus opening the door for decades' worth of subsequent critics to write it of as just another means of adding more cash to the coffers. Of course, there's no denying that McCartney's acquisition of the Buddy Holly songbook was a prime reason for this collection of, indeed, Buddy Holly covers. But to dwell on that is to overlook the fact that, alongside Wildlife, Red Rose Speedway, and two or three later Wings 45s, Holly Days sounds more like McCartney's original blueprint for Wings than anything else the group accomplished. Laine, Paul, and Linda alone feature on the album, recording in the same Rude studios (the appropriately named Rude Studio where McCartney banged out his demos), and not sounding much more advanced. A note on the sleeve even warns, "this album consists of monophonic recordings, electronically reprocessed to give a stereo effect," and anyone familiar with any of the Beatles' own early-'60s recordings will know exactly what that sounds like. Holly Days is crude, ramshackle, and impossibly primitive, then, but its naïveté is its strength, its amateurism is its armor. It's the sound of three musicians having fun with songs that they love, eschewing effects, ignoring mistakes, and cherishing the lo-fi brashness of it all. Laine's lead vocals are excellent, the McCartneys' harmonies are spot-on, and the musicianship -- mainly Paul -- is supremely slapdash. The result, for anybody wishing to seriously anthologize McCartney's solo output, is an album as honest as any he's been involved in, and a lot more fun than most of them. Holly Days -- happy days! ~ Dave Thompson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Denny Laine did not know this album was released on Warner Bros until 1989. He surmised that the late Tony Secunda, manager for the Moody Blues when Laine was in the band, sold the U.S. rights to Warner Bros. (The original pressing was released in 1973 on Wizard Records in Europe.) Laine is wearing a Wings T-shirt on the front cover and it is amazing that he didn't perform some of these songs with Paul & Linda McCartney when they were all together. "Find a Way Somehow" has that "Let Me Roll It to You" sound from Wings' Red Rose Speedway. But the best track here is "Baby Caroline," which rivals a song called "Blue Nights," not on this collection, and one of Laine's most perfect moments. His voice is in great shape -- bluesy, defined, and in sync with the tunes. "Havin' Heaven" bops and is a good departure from the mellow leanings Laine's music gravitates toward. As a founder of the Moody Blues and singer of their first hit, "Go Now," Laine, like Chad Allen of the Guess Who, found himself shifting gears after finding success. Allen's music is also substantial, and although Laine penned "Say You Don't Mind," a hit for Colin Blunstone, this album is very much like Allen's work on Brave Belt: underrated and underappreciated. "On That Early Morn" has tasty guitar and a '50s feel. It really is astounding that while his band was hitting number one with Band on the Run, Laine had no idea he had an album out in America (which was one of Warner Bros' biggest failures of that year). Laine performing "The Blues" and "Sons of Elton Haven Brown" on-stage, maybe as opening act for Wings that year, could have changed rock history. This is music straight from the heart. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide
