Probably best known as a member of the Notting Hillbillies, Brendan Croker was also a well-respected singer/songwriter and session guitarist both before and after his involvement with that band. Drawing on strong folk, blues, and country roots, Yorkshireman Croker brought a strong, Woody Guthrie-ish lyrical outlook to his musical palette, and was equally at home with Van Morrison-style blues or American country music of any era. In fact, his deep knowledge of and affection for American roots music, coupled with his fine singing and guitar playing, at one point gave rise to Croker being hailed as "the British Ry Cooder".

Born on August 15, 1953 in Bradford, Yorkshire, Brendan Croker studied sculpture at art school before turning to music. Teaming up with guitarist Steve Phillips in the late '70s, the two formed a blues duo called Nev & Norris and became a popular Leeds attraction over the next couple of years. Phillips, however, left performing in 1980 to start a career building guitars, and Croker consequently established himself as a solo artist, dubbing his ever-changing band of backing musicians (usually a second guitarist and a bassist) "the Five O'Clock Shadows". Croker's first indie release, A Close Shave (1986) came out on the Unamerican Activities label, and featured the single "That's the Way All My Money Goes."

1986 was also an important year for Croker in other ways, as he made two important and long-lasting musical alliances before the year was out. The first was with legendary Leeds-based punk rockers the Mekons. As the band was making their move towards their unique brew of country & western English cowpunk, they recruited Croker as an auxiliary player to add guitars to the LP Edge of the World. Croker then stayed on as a "deputy Mekon" throughout all of the widely hailed band's subsequent late-'80s releases, up to and including the classic Mekons Rock 'n' Roll (1989). He would also become an official member of Mekons spin-off group, Sally Timms & the Drifting Cowgirls.



Tracklist:

01. Redneck State of the Art (02:55)
02. On My Knees (03:48)
03. Self Made Caviour (04:17)
04. Let Me In (03:32)
05. Waiting For You (04:53)
06. Walk Through Fire (05:13)
07. Hey Renee (03:32)
08. Watching the Wheels (03:20)
09. Finding It Hard Today (05:07)
10. Your Time Will Come (10:00)