Dr Robert Realms Of Gold, the Bargain-Bin Beauty!

Bargain bins in record shops are, sadly, pretty much a thing of the past. For me that is nothing short of tragic. I used to be the king vulture. No sooner had they seen me before I was sweeping away with a brown paper bag full of bargains. Plus, bargain bins opened up a whole new world of discovery for me. A loss of a few quid wasn't the end of the world if I chanced my arm and ended up with something crap - and believe me, it happened a lot. However, on the flip side, shite CD's make great coasters, and, every now and again, I'd stumble upon a gem. Enter Dr Robert's Realms Of Gold. An album that would go on to become one of the most listened to records in my extensive collection for the ridiculous price of just 99p.

I knew nothing at all of Dr Robert (Robert Howard) when I picked the album up in a tiny independent record store called Forever Changes down Sheffield's cosmopolitan student street, Eccleshall Rd. All of my research on him would be done afterwards once I'd realised how special his songwriting was. Low and behold, he was extremely friendly with Paul Weller, and had been in The Blow Monkeys in his early days, so his CV was certainly worth a read. I couldn't quite believe what I'd found when I got home and put Realms Of Gold on. It's fair to say that I was gobsmacked. I had, shameful enough as it is to admit, been drawn in by the wonderful front cover. That was the only basis on which I'd decided to buy. I guess that judging a book by its cover isn't all bad.

The album begins with the superb title track, a rich and poetic journey into the depths of Howard's artistic fantasies: "I want to live in realms of gold/In deep imagination/I want to find the kingdom of/Love and Inspiration." The Coming Of Grace is a melodic 'songwriters' song, featuring the former stronghold of the style council, Mick Talbot and Paul Weller on keys and backing vocals. Comfort Of The Clan (also featuring Weller playing his custom Gibson Firebird) is a sassy, bass-led groove, and Follow Your Path a prophetic statement about self-worth and manifest destiny. By this point you really know you're dealing with a quality record.

Pond Life is a rousing rocker, Sanctuary a radiant acoustic track in which Howard's vocals shine bright, and Circular Key a stunning, moody drama set on the coast whilst looking out to sea. Have No Roots, the highlight of the album, is a brilliant lyrical spiel encompassing places and characters alike - either the birth of Howard's imagination, or relevant figures in his real life. Ode To Bacchus is a melancholy ditty, Don't Let It Slip a funky solo acoustic number recorded live on Tokyo FM, and So Slow The Rain a lovely ballad steeped in sentiment: "So slow the rain/that falls into my path/When all I ever wanted was to see you smile again." The closing track - A Moment Of Madness - is a propelling epic with the typical euphonic Howard stamp.

I don't want to say an awful lot more. This is a classic, and the album title Realms Of Gold (inspired by Keats - "Much have I travelled in the realms of gold and many goodly states and kingdoms see") could not be more apt in describing the wonderful songs of a wonderful songwriter. Well worth rooting out on Amazon or wherever you can find it!