Texas 25

グラスゴー・バンド、テキサスが結成25周年を記念して大ヒット曲を再レコーディング!

★祝・結成25周年!
全世界アルバム総売上3000万枚を誇る、グラスゴーを代表するポップ・バンド、テキサスが、結成25周年を記念して大ヒット曲を再レコーディング&リワークしたベスト盤をリリース!「Say What You Want」(全英3位)や「Black Eyed Boy」(全英5位)と言った名曲に加え新曲を4曲収録!アデルやエイミー・ワインハウスを手掛けたトゥルース&ソウルと共にNYクイーンズで制作し、ミックスをザ・ブラック・キーズのダン・オーバックが所有するナッシュヴィルのスタジオで施した本作は、ソウルフルで温かみのある作風に仕上がっている。

From a certain angle, Texas could be seen as proto-Amy Winehouse. In 1997, a full seven years before Winehouse's debut Frank, Texas reinvented themselves as a blue-eyed soul group via their fourth album, White on Blonde. Buoyed by the hits "Say What You Want" and "Black Eyed Boy" -- the former sultry, the latter bouncing along like Motown -- the album was a smash throughout Europe, arguably opening the door for Winehouse and later Adele to walk through, but Texas never saw the same level of prominence, particularly in the U.S. Maybe that's why they've decided to celebrate their quarter-century anniversary by reworking a substantial chunk of their catalog with the Truth & Soul collective, who supported both Amy and Adele on various recordings. Texas 25 has eight of those reworked hits, every one now emphasizing the group's retro-soul leanings, plus four brand-new songs that suit this style. Occasionally, the group sounds a little bit older and wiser -- vocalist Sharleen Spiteri is slightly huskier than she was when the songs were first essayed -- which is an attitude that fits nicely with the stylish groove of Truth & Soul. It's a subtle difference -- there's not a world of difference between the original and remake of "Say What You Want" -- but it's enough to make Texas 25 seem like a celebration, and one that long-term fans will likely enjoy. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine