Gorgeous George

Recorded almost entirely alone, Edwyn Collins’ 1994 solo album Gorgeous George might have been considered his folky masterpiece if not for the runaway success of “A Girl Like You,” which dominated '90s radio. While other tunes on Gorgeous George have the same Gothic Motown vibe (“Out of This World,” “Make Me Feel Again," and “I Got It Bad” are all excellent), none has the insistent catchiness of “A Girl Like You.” Lined with spare and poignant acoustic songs like “Low Expectations” and “North of Heaven,” Gorgeous George feels at times like the gentle Glaswegian’s response to Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska. His lopsided baritone had taken on the aged polish of an oak table, giving his lovelorn lyrics a gravitas that hadn't been there when he was a young pop star. Collins played all the instruments himself, except for bass (courtesy Clare Kenny) and drums (handled by none other than former Sex Pistol Paul Cook). Cook also delivers the vibraphone licks on “A Girl Like You,” the most alluring detail in what could be the most alluring song of Collins’ career.