Hatful of Rain: The Best of del Amitri - Del Amitri (CD 1998)

In America, too much hype will win you an audience, a few million copies of sales, and then a defiant slap in the face. In the UK, the same amount of publicity will get you a slap in the face much more quickly. This is precisely the backlash experienced by Scottish pop-rock-folk-soul men Del Amitri during the mid-1980 s. Yes, Del Amitri has been around now for two full decades. In 1982, bassist, vocalist, and songwriter Justin Currie joined forces with guitarist Iain Harvie to form the earliest version of the band that would soon tour with bands like The Smiths. It took until 1985 for Del...

Del Amitri was a Scottish band that had fleeting success in the States as a result of a couple of hit singles spread throughout the early Nineties. As a fan of those singles, i purchased this greatest hits compilation to get a better sense of who these guys are and was pleasantly surprised by the results. These songs are told from an "Everyman" point of view, and lead singer Justin Currie has an "everyman" type of voice. He reminds me of the kind of guy that would be sitting next to you at the local bar...or the guy who would be slinging drinks behind the bar. He has a slightly raspy, lived...