Rock and Roll Time is the fifth album in The Boot Legacy series celebrating the remarkable songwriting output of Mickey Jupp, the critically acclaimed British singer-songwriter whose influence on the Pub Rock scene helped pave the way for Punk. With a recording career stretching back to the 1960s, Jupp has long been admired for his razor-sharp lyrics and distinctive vocals, with his songwriting earning comparisons to Chuck Berry and attracting recordings by artists including Dave Edmunds, Dr Feelgood, Ricky Nelson, The Judds and Nick Lowe. Wilko Johnson's verdict, "Mickey Jupp is the best white singer I've ever heard", neatly captures the esteem in which his work has long been held.
After moving to a remote Lake District village more than 40 years ago, Jupp continued writing and recording purely to satisfy his creative urge, building up an extraordinary archive of well over 300 songs that had yet to be heard by the public. The Boot Legacy series brings these intimate home recordings to CD in expertly mastered form, and Rock and Roll Time adds another 16 songs to the collection. The title track sets the tone, while If I Had The Brains I Was Born With, Honky Tonk Heaven, Somebody To Love and Goodnight Blues demonstrate Jupp's knack for combining sharp songwriting with his instinctive feel for Rock 'n' Roll. There's plenty of variety too, from Ohio and In The Country to the more reflective Trees Died, A Man Like Me and the wonderfully seasonal Christmas Daydreaming.
For followers of Mickey Jupp, Rock and Roll Time offers another valuable glimpse into the huge body of work created during his years away from the mainstream music business. Newcomers can discover the songwriting talent that made him such an important figure in British Rock 'n' Roll and Pub Rock, while established fans get another 16 songs from an archive containing hundreds more. As Classic Rock put it, "Not a wasted word, nor a pointless chord" in a 9/10 review, making this fifth Boot Legacy volume a particularly worthwhile addition to the Jupp collection.
