Chris Spedding's last solo effort for a decade is a solid rock & roll album, steeped in rootsy, bluesy sounds, and while the guitar playing is its most impressive attribute, the vocals aren't bad, either. With a band that included
Steve Berlin on keyboards and various other instruments, and
Gary Ferguson on drums (with
Southside Johnny providing backing vocals on one track), the music is as good as any back-to-basics effort of the period, and that's saying something considering that much of what's here -- apart from
Mose Allison's "Parchman Farm" -- is original. "Put It on Hold" is the best-sounding track, but it's all eminently listenable, and ought to have done better in the marketplace. [
Cafe Days was reissued in 2001 by Other People's Music in an expanded edition with six bonus tracks, but either version is well worth hearing.] ~ Bruce Eder