"24 Years of Hunger" to me is truly the original motion in life soundtrack of Notting Hill, London W11. I first discovered Eg & Alice whilst living in Notting Hill and it was through an ITV teletext review of new releases. It sang praises for the album and so impressive was the review on that teletext that based on that alone, I set out to get a copy of it. It was winter, the weather was grey and dreary, easily wet……it is only appropriate that the opening song "Rocket" that starts "Someday, it'll rain, be a long time before it shines again……". It just depicts the mood on that fateful day that I discovered Eg and Alice. "Rockets" also happens to be one of the "classics" of the album for me as it doesn't go out of fashion. We are in the 21st century now, 9 years after it was first released, it still sounds fresh. To be honest, the teletext review was pretty spot on. I raved about the album myself when I first listened to it except that I never got to share it with anyone until now………not quite 24 years of hunger but metaphorically felt like it. Q Magazine had "24 Years of Hunger" as one of the albums of the 20th Century and had described it as having "the class of Steely Dan and the intriguing detachment of The Blue Nile." I would totally disagree with this description because they are totally different and they should be listened to in their own right. It is an album difficult to describe, it is interesting, varied, non- clichéd pop tunes to say the least. It is neither safe nor dangerous. It has its moments of soothing sounds, R&B, soul, strings and eletronics and yet it is not a mish-mashed product. It is beautifully sewn and interwoven between one song to the next. Why I had associated this album to be synonymous with Notting Hill is partly due to "Indian", a track in which it refers to Jack Malloy going to a party on the Hill (it could be totally different Hill but I am convinced it is Notting Hill). "Indian" is a hauntingly beautiful song that stands out on the album. There are no weak tracks as each are a gem on their own but "Indian" gets my vote as the "jewel in the crown". The album is about life's experiences and I could relate it to experiences that one would experience living in Notting Hill because the place is diverse, richly layered, unpredictable with some rough edges and yet it is delightful and upbeat. It had so much character and gave me such a buzz the way that "24 Years of Hunger" did to me at the time when I was living in Notting Hill. Not much is known about Eg and Alice except that they did not become famous and never survived beyond "24 Years of Hunger" as a duo. Not surprising because just like Notting Hill, it is an acquired taste. P.S. So much for me relating this album to Notting Hill, in the sleeve notes, it was mentioned that most of the recording was done in Eg's kitchen in Notting Hill! (see review on Eg)