Phil Cordell - Hearts On Fire: Anthology (2023)

The memory of the late Phil Cordell is beautifully served here, with a 22-track compilation that not only touches upon the (already reissued) high points of his Springwater and Dan the Banjo Man projects, but also leaps into the turbulent waters of his 45-rpm output -- beautiful one-offs like "Close to You" and "Londonderry" (recorded for Motown in 1973), Riverhead's big-budget cover of "I Can't Let Maggie Go," the dramatic disco stylings of "Hearts on Fire," and the Springwater revival "Move a Little Closer." It's pure and vibrant stuff, exquisitely produced and layered with such an eye for perfection that the overall failure of his canon to make any kind of serious chart impact surely stands among the greatest injustices of the rocking British '70s. That sense is only amplified when you hear the eight cuts here that were previously unreleased. A tremendous vocal version of "I Will Return," dating from 1985, is the best, but the quality of the remainder, recorded with his son Charlie Cordell following his early-'80s retirement from the music industry, is equally impeccable.

Review by Dave Thompson