Little village – Little village -1991

[Roland Bru]

The Traveling Wilburys predated them, but this is the same kind of ad hoc band (actually with the same drummer, Jim Keltner). Other musicians are John Hiatt, Ry Cooder and Nick Lowe. Unlike the Traveling Wilburys, this band actually toured for some time, playing the album and selectend highlights from each members’ solo career.

The first song, Solar sex panel, sung by John Hiatt, is insanely catchy. Although it goes downhill from there, and includes a few stinkers (Inside job goes nowhere, Big love does, but very slowly, She runs hot, does not run but is a Stones rewrite that never convinces), there are some nice songs to find: the Caribbean flavoured Fool who knows, the urgent sounding Don’t go away with silly break, the ballad Don’t think about her when you’re trying to drive and the weird Don’t bug me when I’m working show professionalism with a twist. This is not a supergroup in the commercial sense, this is a bunch of friends making fun, without forgetting they are pros.