Three sets in sound from the Healey archives from 1989, 1991 and 1995 chart the growing confidence of the much-missed Canadian blues-rock guitarist in the years following his breakthrough. As a bonus, the 1991 performance from Switzerland’s St Gallen Festival is offered in both and sound.
As might be expected, the confidence levels soar as the years progress. If truth be told, though, it’s a shame that the last CD focuses on fourth album Cover To Cover, a label-instigated project Healey himself disliked; it would be nice to hear the band on such form delivering their own material.
Perhaps that’s a nitpick, yet it’s also annoying that there’s nothing but a perfunctory four-page insert that doesn’t even state the personnel involved. If this is an anthology, then surely there’s a story to be told – even if not by the departed mainman himself? In terms of the music, however, there is commendably little crossover of material, and Healey fans will be happy to put this next to the Live At Montreux 1999/1997 DVD in their collection.
