There are some people in this world who will never be famous even though they absolutely deserve to be. One such individual is Mr Dave Russell. Dave (in my opinion) is an individual who possesses one of the most creative and original minds to have emerged in the UK for the last thirty years. The first time I saw him was at the Troubadour in Earls Court back in early 1995 and I hated him. He sounded like an enthusiastic amateur, sprawling chords, a reedy voice and songs that seem to be in constant danger of falling apart. By the third time, I finally got it, HE BLOODY MEANT THEM TO SOUND LIKE THAT!!

This is a book of selected lyrics which only prove one thing. If I practice very hard every day & study even harder every night, I'll never be as good as Dave Russell. Dave is a shy, quietly spoken man who would not be out of place sitting in a deck chair on any British sea front. His mind is another matter entirely, as the lyrics to his song 'Empress Of The Sea Of Empty Faces' illustrate:

She read to him death's letter, the longed for, blessed curse
The plastic silken fixture of her features marked harsh scorning
For her it seemed for better, for him perhaps for worse
As she turned for over-reachers
And left him cold comforting.

Any time I feel I'm getting big headed about my own talents, I re-read this book and my feet are returned quietly to the ground. See this man live before it's too late.