Kevin Coyne
Everybody’s Naked
Recorded shortly after the release of “Stumbling On To Paradise” and certainly an indication for Kevin’s outburst of creativity after improving his health. The same band as before but with the addition of a keyboard player. This and some more of the typical of the time production crimes (slop bass, gated reverb drums, clean as my bathroom) might be the main problem here. The LP isn’t aged very well. Anyway, some good songs despite this. Keytracks: I couldn’t love you, Take me back in your arms. (Uwe Schillhabel)
‘Everybody’s Naked’ is starkly autobiographical. Self-pity rears it’s sorry head on ‘Old hippie’ (very true) and ‘Not the way’ (‘Sunday morning in the kitchen / Dry toast, all alone’). He can settle for rolling, raunched-up blues because it’s what’s he’s used to playing after 20 years on the road. But Coyne’s a true headcase, always poised to cut loose, and when his absurdly sardonic voice curls it’s lip to a bitter tonic like ‘The Millionaire’s Song’, it’s a lesson in honed, tempered, barely restrained settlement. His attempts to appear polite are fascinating but doomed. There’s just too much venom. Coyne’s no party to pop’s giddy hedonism. But he’s bruised, shrewd loner, a survivor with a tale to tell. If you’ve have a spare Sunday, investigate.” (Ian Gittins, Melody Maker)