Any resurrection of Dusty Springfield's career should be applauded. It's almost unanimously accepted that she was the foremost British Sixties diva. Only the undeservedly spurned Julie Driscoll was capable of competing with her. But sadly, A Very Fine Love plays far too safe, submerging and almost drowning her in its mainstream marketing strategy.

It's ear-candy not music with an appetising bite. Lyrics are generally platitudinous or psychobabble while the arrangements are unswervingly orthodox and far too hungry for the hit. Bolder tactics to stretch her might have been rather more effective.

The pity is that Dusty Springfield should have been able to recruit her own crack team of supporters. But instead of reuniting her with the Pet Shop Boys or sending her off with a sensitive regenerator of careers like Don Was, Springfield was landed with a crew of Nashville cats who were rendered clawless by an anaesthetic mix.

So her vocals swirl about vaguely rather than rise in triumph, defiance or surprise. Teaming with Daryl Hall for a duet on "Wherever Would I Be", a song written by Diane Warren, may have made perfect A&R sense in the planning stage but the ballad squibs out and never threatens to explode. Far too often, A Very Fine Love promotes itself as a formula motivated by fear. Fans of both George Michael and Springfield may feel they've uncovered a few extra clues as to why Michael was so desperate and eager to depart Sony.

When the guitars and vocal harmonies are reined back, she does gain some extra room to manoeuvre on following tracks like "Go Easy On Me" and

"You Are The Storm" but both also leave you suspecting that this comeback album would have been improved by production policies that realised that restraint is her rapier.

Unfortunately A Very Fine Love collapses between the twin stools of discretion and drama and only fitfully attains either. Another disappointment is

"Old Habits Die Hard", co-written by Terry Britton with Graham Lyle. After all, Britton's songs helped Tina Turner flounce back to the top. But no chance here with the soapy production.

Ultimately, you can only remind yourself that Dusty Springfield isn't the first and won't be the last great singing star gulled into driving the wrong vehicle for her talents. There must be another album and it also must be both more rigorous and radical than A Very Fine Love.

Bill Graham

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