Beau - Edge Of The Dark (2023)

Beau, aka John Trevor, shot into legend in 1969 when his single, "1917 Revolution," launched Radio One DJ John Peel's Dandelion label. And there he remained until its demise in 1972 and he was left holding his third partially completed album. Three years later, Trevor reunited with his backing band on that project; Tractor had just opened their own studio and promptly invited the singer in to record. Together they created a wonderful disc of acoustic beauty, but it too remained unreleased. Ten songs from both these lost albums comprise over half of Edge of Dark, a compilation of Beau's work from the early '70s through the mid-'80s. With the hard-edged folk sound that worked as well in an acoustic setting as it did with a band, these ten tracks all evidence the artist's power as a performer and composer. The four more experimental pieces recorded between 1978 and 1982 are far less successful, but the final trio of numbers that close the set find Beau back in form. The singer found fame in Lebanon, where "1917" topped the chart, but Dandelion didn't have the wherewithal to bring the artist to a larger British public. A potent talent too long neglected, Beau may now finally get his due. © Dave Thompson