I think I've said it before. Roger Chapman is a personal favourite of mine. What a voice! ("Wot a @#$%in' voice!" as SPike has said.) From his days with Family, through the Streetwalkers, and then into the solo years, Chappo has been a formidable and unmistakeable talent. This latest collection of double CDs from England's Mystic Records continues their devotion to Chapman's unique abilities. An almost-forgotten lead singer from a little-known British band, he has been extremely popular in Germany for many years, but Mystic's ongoing reissue programme has seen the release of many of the albums that were lost in the shuffle (as well as a bevy of the great Family albums).

There is a ton of material here, and much of it is previously unreleased. The treasures start with the combination of his first two solo albums. CHAPPO (this abbreviation of his surname is a British football tradition) was released in 1979 with little fanfare. I managed to buy a copy on vinyl, as an expensive British import. The cover picture showed him in a red coverall, next to a fire bucket, which was . . . on fire. So was the music. Bluesy rock, with lots of guitar from Geoff Whitehorn, solid drumming by Henry Spinetti, Dave Marquee's bass, and Billy Livsey on keyboards. Peter Hope-Evans adds some harmonica. But mostly it's Roger's show. That wavery tenor that cuts through like an acetylene torch! This first solo album showed that Chapman could write good songs away from long-time partner Charlie Whitney, and could stand on his own in front of a tight band. His original compositions "Moth To A Flame" and "Who Pulled the Night Down" would become favourites of his live shows. His rendition of Tim Hardin's "Hang On to a Dream" (with bottleneck guitar by Micky Moody) is a classic ballad.

Live in Hamburg: I discovered as a budget import late in 1979, and it appears as the second disc in this package. Essentially it's the first album's highlights played in a blistering live context, with a few well chosen covers. Whitehorn continues on guitar, Tim Hinkley takes over on keyboards, Jerome Rinson plays bass, Mel Collins is on sax and "Stretch" is the drummer. The band is hot and they add a new spark to the studio versions. The covers are great too. Little Richard's "Keep a Knockin'," Chuck Berry's "Talking About You," Willie Dixon's "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man," and the Stones' "Let's Spend the Night Together" all become Chappo's own as he adds his unique flavour to them. Each of these two albums benefit by the addition of bonus tracks. The packaging reproduces the original sleeves, and adds lyrics, liner notes and a new essay. Mystic does a fine job on these reissues.

The second double-disc under consideration is 1990's Hybrid and Lowdown, produced (like Chappo by David Courtney). The liner notes state, "'Hybrid' in terms of material, certainly, 'Lowdown' in terms of feel maybe, but either way, Hybrid and Lowdown -- the sister album to the best selling Walking the Cat -- marked another upswing in the colourful career of Roger Chapman." Chapman claims he was looking for "something a bit funky," as if there was no funkiness in his albums prior to that point! His songwriting really expanded on this album. There are influences from World music on the lead off "Hot Night To Rhumba," ballads like "Holding On," and as always old rock songs done is Chappo-style! This time it's the Everly Brothers' chestnut "Bye Bye Love." Bob Tench (a long time compatriot from the Streetwalker days) reappears, as do Mick Moody and Tim Hinkley, but whoever the band members are (and they are always fiery players) it is the voice of Roger Chapman that provides the biggest thrills. When he reaches for a note in "Holding On," when he sings the blues on "Sushi Roll," or warbles the folky "Chicken Fingers," (great second voice by Zeitia Massieh!) he displays a virtuosity and feel for many different styles. His take on "Bye Bye Love" starts slowly accompanied by the late great Nicky Hopkins gospel piano, and builds to an anthem. Cool. The bonus disc is a live EP recorded in Germany later in '90 and provides live versions of some of the songs from the studio album. We find Chappo in fine form, whooping and growling, spanning a variety of styles and generally putting on a wonderful show. The package includes lyrics and an introductory essay!

Next is an album from 1992 entitled Under No Obligation (again, fleshed out with a bonus live disc). Touring veteran Peter Stroud comments in the liner notes that, "with Roger nothing is ever the same. We could play two nights in Germany, with ostensibly the same set and one show would clock in at three hours, and the next one might be three hours and forty minutes. [A number] might start out with a Chappo song and spontaneously turn into Ray Charles. Even in the recording studio Roger would come up with new ideas . . . in the end [it] was great, and that's Chappo. There's no one else like him."

I guess that's the key to enjoying Roger Chapman. There's no one else like him. He does his thing, and challenges you to dig it or move on. And that's what all the greats are about, isn't it? UNO (as the fans call this album) saw Mike Vernon sitting behind the producer's bench, and Ten Years After guitarist Alvin Lee joining to play a couple guitar solos on "Love is a Hard Thing." Geoff Whitehorn returned to the fold, and Pete Stroud is on bass. Mick Weaver and Pete Wingfield add keyboards. Again, the band is superb, and the songs rock out. Roger is in good voice, warbling and trilling through a set of originals and, for a change, no oldies! The bonus disc is taken from the UNO promotional tour, and shows Chappo's hot band performing a handful of tunes from the album plus Leiber/Stoller's "Riot In Cell Block No.9." It sizzles.

These are three new releases in the ongoing reissue process meant to keep the music of this little known but deserving muso in front of an audience. Chapman doesn't tour in the USA very often. He once famously engaged in a dust-up with Bill Graham on the stage of the Fillmore East. You gotta love the guy, if only for that! But a listen to one, or all, of these CDs should be enough to convince anyone with open ears that they've missed something! Mystic Records . . . well done!