Fairground Attraction – The First Of A Million Kisses (1988)

A very short-lived Attraction, they only really released this debut – and incredibly brilliant it was.  They issued a second album of ‘B’ sides and much later a Japanese concert with many songs which would have featured on a new album.  Anyway, singer Eddi Reader interpreted the wonderful songs of guitarist Mark Nevin and the result was ‘Perfect’.  The single went straight to number one, and the album to number 2.  Second single hit number 7 and their third hardly registered.  Such is life sometimes.  But their brief flame burned brightly and I loved them.  The words are beautiful and Eddi’s voice is wondrous, and she has had a mixed solo career since then.  Mark Nevin, the songwriter seems to have disappeared with little other success, though the few unreleased songs on the live album were brilliant too.  Best songs – ‘A Smile In A Whisper’ (like threading a needle with boxing gloves when I try to speak of our love), ‘Find My Love’ and ‘Allelujah’.  A superb album – and a too short-lived band.