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| Artist: Duke Special
Label: V2
Category: Music
List Price: £14.99
Buy New: £9.98
You Save: £5.01 (33%)
New (19) Used (2) from £8.40
Rating:  29 reviews
Sales Rank: 2899
Format: Special Edition
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.5
EAN: 5033197437422
ASIN: B000SFYYMC
Release Date: October 1, 2007
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
 Lovely December 10, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Duke Special would have made much more sense in 1974. Like some sort of bizarre offspring from an illicit union of Gilbert O'Sullivan and the Temperance Seven, or perhaps Lieutenant Pigeon and Leo Sayer (and just to be on the safe side, I'd be doing paternity checks on Neil Diamond and Alan Price) he mixes quirky vaudeville with love songs so sugary sweet you ask yourself whether it's altogether healthy to like them, and yet you do.
And just when you think you've pinned the blighter down into a sort of neo-Cabaret Bonzo Dog irony, he hits you with the guilty pleasure of the sweepingly middle of the road and stupidly radio friendly "Freewheeling".
But yet somehow it works perfectly. These are not songs that will change your life, but they are warming and affirming and likeable. Every song has some sort of hook that pulls you in, and you emerge wistful or joyous, often with your feet tapping uncontrollably.
I love this album. I will listen to it for weeks, and then leave it for months, returning when I need cheering up. It's that sort of record, a good friend rather than a lifelong partner, but none the worse for that.
 An absolute Gem of an Album December 9, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I brought this album within minutes of seeing them perform as support at a recent Crowded House concert. It's not often that a support act blow me away in the way they did. If you're looking for something abit different you are going to love Duke Special. They are quirky and you'll be amazed at how many of their songs you actually know.
A gem of an album!
Brings a smile to my face and a tear to my eye December 8, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Since it's release, the LP `Songs From The Deep Forest' has won critical acclaim across the board, including 4-star reviews from Metro and The Independent. It was also listed in Q's Top 100 albums of 2006.
Hailing from Belfast with a sound that is self-confessed "hobo-chic", Duke Special is once heard, never forgotten. It's clear why he wowed audiences on Later with Jools Holland (where I first saw them) and was nominated for this year's Choice Music Prize Awards - the Irish equivalent of the Mercury Music Prize.
An accomplished performer, Duke has toured with a host of artists including Van Morrison - one of Duke's biggest influences. "My sound is a bit vagabondy, but pure and soulful too," he explains. "What I'm trying to put across is something that's more than just a singer-songwriter playing an instrument."
I saw them recently at Oxford and they were utterly fantastic. A lot of their songs are basically show tunes, but in amongst those are beautiful gems like 'No Cover Up' and 'This Could Be My Last Day', which I will never forget him performing live at the end of the show with such emotion.
Wonderful stuff.
My top album of the year November 4, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is a lovely quirky little album! The lyrics are poetic and evocative and the music an eclectic mix of vaudeville,alternative,jazz and a bit of everything really! He uses piano,strings, an old gramophone, harp, cheese grater/whisk and other imaginative instruments. Please give this album a try , you wont be dissapointed!
A Defining Moment October 13, 2007
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
Duke Special's debut album is now on re-release containing the latest single (Our Love Goes Deeper Than This) and brand new bonus CD of a live concert recorded in May this year. But is the album worth buying? And is it a worthwhile investment for those fans who bought the album in its original version? The answer to both questions is a resounding 'yes'.
The Waterfront Hall concert gives Duke Special the chance to shine with backing of a full orchestra - and the Duke excelled, proving how well his music fits with the sumptuous sound of a beautifully conducted orchestra. Listening to the opening bars of the specially written Prelude, I was instantly taken back to the evening of 3rd May 2007, a night which will surely go down in history as one of the high-points in the musical career of Duke Special, Belfast's own Peter Wilson. On that evening, this Belfast boy truly came home.
Billed as the star attraction in a free concert transmitted simultaneously on BBC Radio Ulster, the Orchestral Manoeuvres In Belfast concert celebrated the opening of the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival. Duke Special took star billing, admirably supported by Julie Feeney and Foy Vance - all three recognised as significant talents coming from Northern Ireland.
The Duke's set opened with a specially written Overture of the music from Songs From The Deep Forest, Duke Specials' debut album, which has been received with critical acclaim. The overture was a magical piece and it was thrilling hearing the orchestration given to each of the songs.
Prior to his arrival on stage, Duke Special had commented to the BBC interviewer that he was curious to hear how some of the songs worked when backed by a full orchestra, as this was how he had envisaged them originally. And the orchestration was perfect with every single one of the songs he performed, adding a depth and sense of feeling which achieved the near impossible - improving on near-perfection. The songs of Duke Special work perfectly with orchestration.
It was touching to hear Peter Wilson speak to the crowd - who clearly loved every moment of his performance - and tell of his immense pride at being asked to perform at this special concert in his home town of Belfast; their cheering and applause made it clear what they thought of the invitation extended to him. He also spoke of how, as a young boy, he used to sing alone in his bedroom using a hairbrush as a microphone - what a transformation now, to be heading the bill at the Waterfront Hall.
But that transformation has been well deserved - the Duke Special band have worked exceptionally hard over the last year, touring almost continuously, promoting the album and gathering a growing crowd of loyal new fans everywhere they go. Of course, none of that would ever have happened without the sheer talent of the music of Duke Special - but that is something which has never been in any doubt, nor has it ever been lacking.
Duke Special performed nine songs in the set, including Brixton Leaves, Regarding The Moonlight In Eastbourne, Salvation Tambourine, No Cover Up, Portrait and Wake Up Scarlett.
Now, fans who missed the concert can hear it thanks to the re-release of SONGS FROM THE DEEP FOREST; even for those fans who already have the album, this updated and expanded version is well worth buying.
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