Presenting the artist known as Rob Parish; a gadabout Kent type who has been making music since the ripe old age of 12 years. Rob first began in music by studying guitar back in his school days, moving on to cut his teeth with a number of local ‘punk’ and ‘new wave’ bands, most notably the mythical ensemble ‘HG and the 100 years’. After becoming tired of the prima donna posturing of fellow musicians, and deciding that he was actually better looking than most the front men from his previous bands, Rob finally decided (in his own words) “to knock it all on the head”. This marked a major career shift and from the mid 1980s he ingratiated himself in the London club scene, carving himself out a niche as a ‘f**king awesome’ House DJ. These days Rob is more or less retired from the mainstream DJ circuit, although he can still be drawn towards the decks, providing occasional ‘aural stimulation’ at some of Central London’s more exclusive Fetish parties. That said, in recent years live music has once again moved centre stage into Rob’s life, as bass player of Special Branch – a ‘killer’ R&B covers combo, plying their trade in and around the pubs and clubs of London and the Home Counties. That then, is a brief précis of the musical life story of Mr Rob Parish. So what’s to say about this, his first solo audio CD? Well, let’s keep it brief, but begin by stating that all the songs here all showcase the man’s multifarious talents to good effect. Not only can he sing, he also plays most of the instruments, and as you’ll hear, has composed and produced an array of beautifully structured songs, that are peppered with reference points that highlight his encyclopaedic knowledge of rock and pop. The CD itself (misleadingly titled Better Late than Never) alludes both to the artist’s modesty, and to the fact that for all his years involved in music, this is Rob’s first proper release, of the long player persuasion. Since being asked to write these notes, I’ve given it repeated playings and not only is it a fine first release, but leaves one wanting more. Hopefully we won’t have to wait quite so long for the follow up. Alberto Umbridge Petts Wood based Greengrocer and Chiropodist to the Stars