He fronted Pallas for 25 years, but was elbowed out in 2010, stating: “This is not a situation of my desire or choosing.” In 2012, his solo debut First In A Field Of One tested the water. Pallas might have washed their hands but an enthusiastic reception awaited Reed’s Caledonian-steeped solo work. Phew. So, five years on (and a little held up by his day job for BBC News), Reed flings open the doors to new album Honey On The Razor’s Edge with a no-holds-barred My Sunlit Room. Old band buddy Mike Stobbie provides oodles of buoyant keyboard from the get-go as neo scales further shed for Frost*-like pastures. It’s a perky listen, with poignancy in the ballad Leaving (duetting with Magenta’s Tina Booth), plus Fish-like ire in The Covenanter. Guests Steve Hackett and Lazuli’s Legolas-alike Claude Leonetti add quality and kudos, but Reed can be confident that, once again, he’s carried it off.
Alan Reed - Honey On The Razor’s Edge album review
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