All Balls and No Willy + Where Did I Go Right

John Otway's first and second solo albums were originally released on either side of the Way & Bar reunion with Wild Willy Barrett, and both suffered from their proximity to the genius of the partnership — one was too slick, one was too loose, and neither packed the inspired musical arrangements that Barrett brought so effortlessly to the table. But overcome the prejudices engendered by those failings; overlook, too, the muso-by-numbers sheen that so painfully reined in Where Did I Go Right, and both albums have highlights that remain among Otway's finest moments. Indeed, the epic retelling of the poem "The Highwayman" that closes Where Did I Go Right remains the closest Otway has ever come to recapturing his live show in the studio, with or without Barrett. There are a few too many wackiness-by-numbers performances here — "It's a Pain," "Too Much Air Not Enough Oxygen," and "House Is Burning," in particular, rankle, while the take on Roy Orbison's "In Dreams" possesses none of the theatrical ingenuity that normally marks out Otway's cover versions. But the ballads "Halloween," "Middle of Winter," and "Waiting" have their high points, and "Best Dream" remains so highly thought of that it even found inclusion on Otway's 2005 Greatest Hits collection. Enter this collection with caution, then, and leave your wild willy at the door. You won't be thrilled by everything you find within, but there are moments to cherish regardless.