Written by: Don Ciccone
Who wouldn’t want to cut a record at Abbey Road Studios?
Most of us would be happy just to set foot in those hallowed halls let alone get to record an entire album there. Well, here we have a couple of lucky fellers who’ve managed to make the dream come true. Envious as we may be, it’s hard to think of a duo more deserving, especially given the material presented here. Let’s face it, if you’re gonna have the nerve (and budget) to lay down tracks where the Beatles tread, you’d better have the goods to match the setting. That’s very much the case here.
Edward Rogers & Steve Butler, as a duo, first emerged in 2019 with the Diana Dors EP. The next year, they released a promising debut album, Poets and Sinners. Their brilliant second album, Brighter Day, came out in 2022. Now comes Studio 3, so named for the room at Abbey Road in which it was recorded and the fact that it happens to be their third album. Following the formula that’s worked all along, Rogers provides the words and Butler ingeniously comes up with melodies that match. The results range from very fine to miraculous.
The pair, to their credit, wear their influences proudly on their sleeves while at the same time injecting their own unique style. British music hall by way of the Kinks materializes on the wry and slinky “Poverty Line,” which might be found around the corner from “Dead End Street.” But in place of a working-class family struggling to make ends meet, this resident is an unsympathetic middle-class snob not used to finding himself on the dole. The Mid 60s Kinks influence surfaces again on “Sixpence for the Sunshine” set by the sea “on perfect sunny day.” Now our subject is a not-so-well-respected man who gets by offering deck chairs for hire.
How about some Beggars Banquet era Stones? “Jigsaw Puzzle” is not a cover of the Stones track, but its intro and verse section feel like “Street Fighting Man.” Well-placed country licks are tossed in, and we get a very catchy chorus as well as a tidy ending. It’s an example of how the entire album is impeccably arranged. Harmonies come in at just the right times throughout and the pair wisely take turns on lead vocals depending on which song fits each of their vocal styles. Among Butler’s leads is the opener, “Soho Fantasy,” a bluesy number with crunchy guitars and some exceptionally played harmonica. Butler also takes the lead on “Oh To Be A Fool Again,” a straight-ahead Chuck Berry rocker. Dave Edmunds ought to come out of retirement and cover it. “Farewells” is a nice acoustic ballad with a Beau Brummels feel. The Byrds-inspired “Agree to Disagree” happens to agree nicely with Butler’s Roger McGuinn-style voice.
Equally great winners are delivered when the spotlight shines on Rogers. “Poor Little Rich Girl” is a very effective portrait of a young woman with “too much money, so much doubt.” More fine harmonies, interesting bass by Andy Lewis, Ian Button on drums and a smart guitars-in-harmony lead break make this one a standout. On “Music’s Perfect Rhyme,” Rogers takes us on a tailor made-for-Ringo sentimental journey complete with a lush string arrangement and George Harrison-esque slide guitar. “Teddy Boys,” a Mott the Hoople-ish rocker, asks, “Were you in Notting Hill in ’58?” The tripped-out finale, “Scarlet Letter” surrounds Rogers’ voice with tremolo guitar and mellotron.
Was it all worth the time and expense for these New Yorkers to make the trek to the world’s most famous recording spot?
Considering Studio 3‘s clear, tight sound and inspired performances, one might say Rogers & Butler belong nowhere else.
