Virgin Records
2006
Keys To The World
About This Album
Richard Ashcroft deserves kudos for his, um, balls. But then again, a man who claims his last recording, 2002's Human Conditions, was the artistic equal of Marvin Gaye's What's Going On is tough to like, too. While many thought he had slunk into the murky depths after the critical and commercial drubbing of Human Conditions, Ashcroft was simply pondering what happened and deciding it was everybody else's fault the record tanked. Three and a half years later, Verve's former frontman is back with a record not terribly different, though certainly more pastoral and perhaps more middle of the road. Those who fell in love with 2000's Alone with Everybody will have a tougher time here just as they did with Human Conditions. But really, it's not the record's fault. Ashcroft uses a burping horn section and a few layers of raw, rusty electrics on "Why Not Nothing," the opener on Keys to the World, a nefarious anti-religion rant. His snarling vocal riding down inside the rock & roll cacophony is such a breath of fresh air; it's a true departure from his solo work thus far. The messed up fuzz-tone guitar break is glorious. Ashcroft can strut and swagger with the best of them At least here, Ashcroft reveals he can spit out the rage with the best of rock's big time frontmen (Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart, et al.
Track List

Disc 1 (try tracks 1,2,3,5,8,9 and 10)

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Disc 2

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