BUCKETS REBEL HEART – 20 Good Summers (2018)

Pride & Joy Music will release tomorrow the debut album from BUCKETS REBEL HEART, titled “20 Good Summers”. Buckets Rebel Heart is the new band formed by ex- Bad Company guitarist Dave “Bucket” Colwell, along with former 720 & New Torpedoes drummer, Paul “Taff” Edwards.
The line-up is completed by lead vocalist Jim Stapley (The Jones Gang) and bass player Dave “Boycie” Boyce (ex-The Quireboys). Mollie Marriott also guests on backing vocals.

Dave ‘Bucket’ Colwell might be a new name to some but the guitarist has played with plenty of notable names in a career that dates back to the ’80s. Colwell’s credits include being one of three guitarists in ASAP with Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden fame, key involvement as a songwriter/guitarist in the reformed Humble Pie on the 2002 ‘Back On Track’ album, plus stints in many other acts including Samson, Urchin and The Entire Population Of Hackney.

This all sounds pretty impressive but Colwell’s main claim to fame is his five years or so in Bad Company during their Brian Howe / Robert Hart years, the group AOR era. Colwell joined the band as a touring guitarist in 1991 before becoming a fully-fledged member on the final Brian Howe fronted ‘Here Comes Trouble’ album.
Colwell’s tenure with the band continued with the arrival of new singer Robert Hart for the ‘Company Of Strangers’ and ‘Stories Told & Untold’ releases and subsequent tours.

Colwell would release a solo album in 2010 ‘Guitars, Beers & Tears’ with plenty of big name friends in tow including Edwin McCain, Bekka Bramlett, Robert Hart, Danny Bowes (Thunder), Spike (The Quireboys) and Adrian Smith before things seemed to go a little quiet…
In 2018 Dave ‘Bucket’ Colwell is back with Buckets Rebel Heart and new album “20 Good Summers” which has been nearly five years in the making.

It will come as no surprise that there is a more than a little bit of the Brian Howe / Robert Hart era Bad Company sound dotted through the album, none more so than on title track ’20 Good Summers’, a magical piece of melodic hard rock, made for radio and cranking up loud.
‘Rebel Heart’ is a ballad that harks back to the FM Rock era in its feel and composition, complete with female backing vocals, dreamy guitar solos, tasty bit of Hammond playing, a great tune from start to finish.

Jim Stapley has a wonderful vocal, one minute echoing Paul Rodgers on ‘When Angels Fall’, then giving it plenty of hard rock wellie on ‘Whiskeyland’, which is driven along by a lovely, big guitar riff.

‘Radio State Of Mind’ sees Rick Richards (Georgia Satellites / Izzy Stradlin) taking the lead vocal on a fun filled country meets boogie rock tune that has a strong Georgia Satellites vibe about it.
The other song with a guest vocalist is ‘Customised Car’ featuring Lyla D’Souza (Kill For Eden), a real up and at ‘em melodic rocker, with Lyla having a deep, husky voice perfect for the song and lyrics.

Albums released in December suffer from missing the annual ‘best of’ lists, as these are often compiled before then. Hopefully this highly enjoyable CD by Buckets Rebel Heart doesn’t get ‘lost’, it is way too good an album to be ignored.
Highly Recommended

01. Animal Beat
02. 20 Good Summers
03. Rebel Heart
04. The Bridge
05. Whiskeyland
06. Mexican Sun / El Diablo
07. Radio State of Mind
08. When Angels Fall
09. Bulletproof
10. Customised Car
11. Faraway Blues
12. If You Need Me

Dave “Bucket” Colwell (ex-Bad Company, Humble Pie) – guitars
Paul “Taff” Edwards (New Torpedoes) – drums.
Jim Stapley (The Jones Gang) – vocals
Dave “Boycie” Boyce (ex- The Quireboys) – bass
guests:
Rick Richards (Georgia Satellites / Izzy Stradlin) – lead vocals on 7
Lyla D’Souza (Kill For Eden) – lead vocals on 10
Mollie Marriott – backing vocals

PRE ORDER:
www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Summers-Buckets-Rebel-Heart/dp/B07J3B94T9
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