Pete Wylie - Pete Sounds

I wrote this article over 3 years ago and I've left it intact. Since then as a lot has happened, some sort of Hillsborough Justice and we are very close to the new Pete Wylie album, Pete Sounds. The man has always been a sort of hero of mine. The causes, the great pop and because I was around that Liverpool scene in the late 70's.

16 years is a long time to wait, but if it's half as good as Songs Of Strength And Heartbreak, then it will be a belter.

You can pre-order the album at Pete's Pledge Music page here. The great man is also on tour from November and you can find more details about that and all things Wylie here.
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If I had one wish, it would be that Pete Wylie holds back just a tad on championing righteous causes and makes another album.

His last, 2000's Songs Of Strength And Heartbreak came after a nine year gap, during which he was recovering from an accidental fall that nearly killed him.

After nine years it would have just been fine to hear anything by him, even if mediocre. Instead, he produced an absolute masterpiece, twas my album of that year.

It's strong from start to end, but the masterpiece is Heart As Big As Liverpool, which has become a city anthem and it just soars and soars to the closing solo and mass singalong. The 2 minute outro which is unexpected is just a masterclass on how to complete an epic.

I'm not morbid and have never really thought of what I'd have played at my funeral, but if I had, there's an odds on chance that it would be this. You set me free to be what I wanna be with dignity sounds about right.

When the ASH Blog was in it's prime, this album became a sort of coat of arms, if you didn't like it, you'd like nothing much else there, it became an initiation ceremony and introduced a lot of people from far flung parts of the world to the Wylie masterclass. Most had never heard of Sir Scouse.

I first saw Wah live in 1980 and there was such an energy in the band, yeah it seemed new, but the pop sentiments shone through. Musically, he's never let me down, I just wish there was more of it.

His fight for the city and it's people and his harnessing of causes for those with lesser voices is admirable, but I'm selfish, I want another album Pete! In fact, if possible, more than one.