Stomping ground

"Many collaborative albums fall into the trap of fighting tooth and nail to find marketable gimmickry that might appeal to the masses, or bring an older artist back into the spotlight. On Stomping Ground it feels like the goal is to create some classic, high-quality tunes for the sake of the music itself. It might not be the most original of concepts, but it is one of the best examples of serious musicians coming together to make an album whose varied strengths reveal themselves with each subsequent listening".

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"It should be irrelevant to mention age at this point; this is a very good album, first-rate musicians, songs, and production, a record of which anyone should be proud. But it has to be said, Dion is in his early 80s, which seems astonishing. Vocally still strong, writing still relevant, all-round still just there. However he does it, I'll have a pint of what he's been drinking".

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"The celebrity-guest-list approach to making records might often work better as a marketing strategy than as a creative direction, but on last year's Blues With Friends it gave this veteran of rhythm and blues a significant career boost. Like this follow-up, it was released on Joe Bonamassa's label Keeping The Blues Alive, which might sound as much like a charity as a commercial enterprise, but which has sponsored far livelier sounds than you'd have any right to expect from an 83-year-old".

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