Hunter Muskett
Album: That Was The, This Is Now
Label: Limefield Manchester
Tracks: 11
Website: http://huntermuskett.com/

"That Was Then, This Is Now"is the new album from Hunter Muskett. It is their third album and is released a mere forty years after their second, the eponymously titled "Hunter Muskett".

The band was formed in 1969 as an acoustic folk trio at Avery Hill College [ now the University of Greenwich] by Terry Hiscock, Chris George and Doug Morter.Legend has it that they took their name from that of an eccentric Cornish landowner. A highlight of their early career was playing support to David Bowie in a pub in Beckenham before Bowie's career took off when Major Tom went into orbit.

Hunter Muskett were signed to Decca's short-lived Nova label for whom they recorded their debut album "Every Time You Move". The great Danny Thompson played double bass on the record but permanent bass player Roger Trevitt joined soon after the album was released. "Every Time You Move "is regarded as one of the best British underground folk releases of the early 1970's and is extremely rare and collectable. The band recorded their second album in 1973 for Bradley's Records but subsequently left the label and split up in 1974. That might have been the end of the story but it isn't.

In 2009, Cherry Tree Records released "Every Time You Move" on CD for the first time. Buoyed by the interest shown in the re-release of their first album, all four original members [Terry, Doug, Chris and Roger] reformed for reunion performance in May 2010 and now, in 2013, they have released this new album.

So what do the contemporary Hunter Muskett sound like ? Have they continued in the acoustic baroque-folk style of their debut album? Well, no, not exactly but, then again, this is not 1970.

Hunter Muskett 2013 is grittier and bluesier than its former incarnation. Think Eric Clapton, JJ Cale and Mark Knopfler and you won't be far off the mark. The lead guitar work is excellent throughout as is the quality of the songwriting, which is principally the work of Terry Hiscock, although Doug Morter chips in with a couple of his own compositions ["Stage Lights" and "Once Bitten"] and Roger Trevitt gets a co-write with Terry on "Best Thing In My Life". There are number of guest musicians, including Paul Burgess[10cc]on drums; Jerry Donahue [Fotheringay, Fairport, Hellecasters] on guitar ; Ray Jackson [Lindisfarne] on harmonica and John Helliwell [Supertramp] on tenor sax, amongst others.Kirsty Almeida adds vocals.

The album gets off to a fine start with Terry's "River Runs Dry",which features some fine guitar /organ interplay. Fans of Dave Gilmour's playing will approve !

Doug Morter's "Stage Lights [Musician's Song]" is a plea for musicians to be understood ["please try and see who we are"] as they try to make sense of life's plan. Another song that reflects on the life of a travelling musician is Terry's "That Was Then,This Is Now" which describes going "Up and down the same old highway" but after all of this he is doing fine, made it home and is still standing.

There is a feeling of looking back on the past that runs through this album. This is exemplified by the inclusion of Terry's beautiful ballad "Silver Coin" which was written in 1971 and has been played at every gig since. It is a wonderful song that has been covered by Bridget St. John, Archie Fisher and Derek Brimstone amongst others. The version here is superb, with subtle guitars and Ray Jackson's harmonica adding a mournful tone. By contrast, Terry's "Diamond Guitar"is an uptempo, Dire Straits-flavoured rock number inspired by a Truman Capote story.

Another excellent Terry Hiscock song is "Santa Rosa", which is full of nautical imagery and which features some lovely soprano sax by Iain Dixon. Curiously, the lyrics put me in mind of Lowell George's "Willin'", which is not a bad thing.

Continuing the theme of looking back to "Then" is Terry and Roger's "Best Thing In My Life" which was written in 1974 and describes, with deep regret, the band's break up in that year. The song ends with "We never made it but we tried".

"Steel Guitar" perhaps adds some further explanation as to why the band broke up as Terry says " Would you feel for me going down like a lead balloon, I didn't understand, the roadies,the girls and the fans wanted rock and roll music".

The album ends with a bonus track, a soulful cover of The Left Banke's classic "Walk Away Renee" which I presume is another nod to the band's past [or maybe they just like the song].

This is a most enjoyable album by a fine group of musicians and songwriters. It's great that we can listen to them as they are now, as well as they were then.

Peter Cowley