SONNY KNOWLES, HOW ARE YE FLOWER?
May 5th, 2009 by Conor McCabe
I was at a car boot sale in Finglas the other week and I picked up a handful of albums, one of which was “How Are ye Flower” by Sonny Knowles. Now, I’m not a fan, by any means, but I do acknowledge that the showbands were an integral part of Irish music and culture, and Sonny came out of that tradition - as did Rory Gallagher, of course. As Morrissey might say, it’s so easy to laugh/it’s so easy to hate/ it takes guts to be gentle and kind and spend two euro on a Sonny Knowles LP.
I couldn’t listen to the entire album, but I did like this version he made of the Beatles’ Here, There, Everywhere. Not bad, in a Going Strong is doing what you’re able to do/Live at Three kind of way.
He has a decent, if slightly wobbly voice, and the arrangement sits nicely in that Glen Campbell OMO-in-the-window territory.
Listening to him always reminds me of my parents and their generation, my uncles and aunties.
Oh. and as you can see, his cover matches my wonderful tablecloth.
Sepia, lots of sepia.