Spotlight on Musicals
- April 2006

Pigeonholes
Neal Fox
Wire Duck Records
16 tracks

Many years ago in an alternate galaxy know as "Masquerade" I came across a conceptual show music album called "Meat Street" by composer Neal Fox and I was instantly hooked. It became, and remains, a favourite of mine, a cutting, clever and moving indictment of American life.

"Pigeonholes isn't a musical but rather the soundtrack to Neal's one-man live show. But that does nothing to detract from the quality of music on offer, the inventiveness of the songs or their performance. Like "Meat Street" this new work draws from a wide range of musical styles with rock and pop comfortably rubbing shoulders with jazz and showy (in the theatrical sense) music. It is an interesting and ultimately winning mix. The album is packed with highlights from the wicked No Balls (with a brief guest appearance from Bill Clinton), the silky When The Real Thing Comes Around and Squeeze My Squeeze where Neal does a terrific impersonation of the Ink Spots.

But it is with the ballads that Mr. Fox really shines and there are some classic examples of that genre here. Alone With My Dreams Tonight might just be about the saddest song you've ever heard, an appalling assessment of the perils of unfaithfulness. And Neal is never better than when he expresses the frustrations of so many members of the silent majority in these times of delusional leaders like Bush and Blair. In his anti-war and pro-humanity songs we have two brilliant examples.

Tell Me Why contains the wonderful lines "If only I was sure what was wrong or right, if only we could find another way. Nothing good will come from such delusion. Even though they said it's black and white, the enemy was wrong and we were right, it's so hard to fight with such confusion." It Doesn't Have To Be This Way, which closes the album, is a glorious anthem to hope.

Almost exclusively performed by Neal, "Pigeonholes" is a damned fine album, populated by great tunes and wonderfully meaningful and tight lyrics. If you don't know the music of Neal Fox then it is time you did.

—Mike Gibb