'Well I Ask You' - with such a quintessentially English phrase for a title I'm tempted to see this as an aborted comedy vehicle that had the likes of Bernard Bresslaw or Mike Sarne in mind but which was then given to Kane to play a straight bat with when they realised it wasn't funny. Kane (or Richard Sarstedt* as his mother knows him) was a Brit with a stage name that aspired to an American teen idol persona (check out the Primark Presley look on the cover) with a side order of tough guy, but while the song chugs along amiably enough with only a sole gear change, it sounds like so much stodgy gristle and more than a bit dull with the proper Americana of 'Temptation' or 'Runaway' lying in such close proximity. There's simply not much going on here and what does go on repeats endlessly - Kane's girl has left, but now she wants back and Eden isn't playing ball until she begs in tears at his feet. Well, I ask you indeed! But Kane's would be tough nut vocal doesn't endear and for all his bluster (those other songs on the single leave me wondering if he would benefit from some anger management) he sounds like he's fishing for sympathy from the listener and I'm always rooting for the girl to kick this loser into touch once and for all. * His brother Peter would go on to have his own number one with 'Where Do You Go To My Lovely' in 1969. A third bother Robin would only manage a sole number 3 placing with 'My Resistance Is Low' in 1976, making him Ann when compared to the Charlotte and Emily of his brothers. Ahem.
No comments:
Post a Comment