Ant - A Long Way To Blow A Kiss

by Anthony Strutt

published: 29 / 3 / 2002

Label: Fortune And Glory
Format: CD

intro

Beautiful, but also surprisingly twee and innocent first full length solo album from Hefner drummer, Antony Harding

'A Long Way to Blow a Kiss' is 11 tracks, 38 minutes and 15 seconds of pure bedsit love and longing from Hefner's drummer, Antony Harding. It follows on from last year's mini album 'Cures for Broken Hearts', which was also released on the Birmingham based label Fortune and Glory. Ant writes very twee tales of innocent love, all of which are perfomed on this on instruments which I have never heard of. For live appearances though, Ant relies on just a drum machine, and also-God forbid-an amplified classical guitar, which he uses because the strings are stronger and have more of a natural feeling. This all comes across like a twee Leonard Cohen. All these songs are written for Ant's very young and very beautiful girlfriend. To be honest, if I were her, I would feel very flattered. I possibly think the greatest love song ever written is the Bangles 'Eternal Flame'. but these songs are so easily delivered and with such pure innocence, that they are definitely on the same level. It is strange to think that in Ant's day job as drummer he provides backing to Darren Hayman's tales of one night stands, drinking and smoking. All these songs tell, without repeating themselves, stories of absolute passion, and of missing one's true love because one is away on tour. All are played with just enough pleasant soft guitar backing to please Brit poppers everywhere. A true talent ! if you fall asleep listening to this then all your demons should disappear and love can be yours forever (So, we all have dreams okay ....)

Track Listing:-

1 The Trick
2 Maybe Love Will Return
3 Any Girl Can Make Me Smile
4 History
5 When I Need You To
6 Waste The Days Away
7 A Long Way To Blow A Kiss
8 I Always Hurt The One That I Love
9 Every Drop of Rain
10 Today As Yesterday
11 April Rain

reviews

Footprints Through The Snow (2005)

Beautifully played melancholic indiepop on first studio produced album from ex-Hefner drummer Anthony Harding

Sad To See It's Morning. (2004)

most viewed articles

current edition

Carl Ewens - David Bowie 1964 to 1982 On Track: Every Album, Every Song
Armory Show - Interview with Richard Jobson
Colin Blunstone - Thalia Hall, Chicago, 16/7/2025
John McKay - Interview
Billie Eilish - O2 Arena, London, 10/7/2025
Bathers - Photoscapes 1
Visor Fest - Valencia, Spain, 26/9/2025...27/9/2025
Loft - Interview
Robert Forster - Interview
Sir Tim Rice - Interview

most viewed reviews

current edition

Davey Woodward - Mumbo in the Jumbo
Sick Man of Europe - The Sick Man of Europe
Lucy Spraggan - Other Sides of the Moon
Amy Macdonald - Is This What You've Been Waiting For?
Phew, Erika Kobayashi,, Dieter Moebius - Radium Girls
Bush - I Beat Loneliness
Suzanne Vega - Flying With Angels
Alice Cooper - The Revenge of Alice Cooper
Cynthia Erivo - I Forgive You
Blueboy - 2

: Interview (2023

Transmissionary Six - Interview with Paul Austin Part 1

In the first part of a two part interview, both parts which we are running consecutively, guitarist Paul Austin talks to John Clarkson about the reformation of his band The Transmissionary Six after a decade-long absence, and their new album, 'Often Sometimes Rarely Never'.

: Interview (2023)

Rat Scabies: Interview (2021)

Chris Constantinou: Interview (2021)

Davey Woodward: Interview (2020)

Lonna Kelley: Interview (2019)

Howe Gelb: Favoutite Album (2016)

Karen: Live Review (2016)

Willard Grant Conspiracy/Big Hogg: Feature (2015)

Calexico: Live Review (2015)

Tom Bridgewater: Interview (2015)

Papernut Cambridge: Interview (2014)

Little Anthony: Interview (2014)