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NEWSLETTER #126
 Folk Music Of The British Isles & Europe
Paul Brady -> Various Artists
 

 

 
PAUL BRADY Compass 4355 The Missing Liberty Tapes ● CD $15.98
10 tracks, 59 mins, essential
Now available as a less expensive, easier to get domestic release. Paul Brady is best known these days as a contemporary rock singer/ songwriter but back in 1978 he was best known as an interpreter of traditional Irish songs and tunes and that year issued his first (and last) solo album of all traditional material "Welcome Here Kind Stranger". After more than 20 years that album is still one of the very finest examples of interpreting traditional Irish songs and music in a modern way thanks to Paul's spine chilling vocals, sublime guitar work and added accompaniments from some of Ireland's finest musicians. On July 21st, 1978 the record was launched with a concert at Liberty Hall in Dublin and this wonderful album is a recording of that concert featuring Paul recreating the album live with the addition of a couple of songs he had recorded previously on a duet album with Andy Irvine. Joining Paul were several of the musicians who were on the album along with other distinguished musicians. The arrangements stick pretty close to those on the studio album but even if you have that you'll want this for the added spontaniety of the live setting. The songs are all wonderful Paddy' Green Shamrock Shore/ I Am A Youth That's Inclined To Ramble/ The Jolly Soldier/ Jackson & jane/ Lakes Of Pontchartrain/ Arthur McBride & The Sergeant and all the rest. After going missing for many years the tapes showed up last year in Paul's attic and he decided they were good enough to issue - they most certainly are - the music and the sound quality are superb.(FS)

 
ELIZA CARTHY Topic TSCD 539 Anglicana ● CD $15.98
10 tracks, essential Superb new outing from the incredibly talented Ms Carthy. Except for one tune written as a birthday present for her father it's all traditional songs and tunes featuring spellbinding vocals and fiddle playing by her with various other musicians featured on vocal and/or instrumental backup. Her version of one of my favorite songs Just As The Tide was Flowing is worth the price of admission by itself.
 
COOPE BOYES & SIMPSON No Masters Voice NMV 20 Twenty-Four Seven ● CD $16.98
Highly recommended. These guys from the North of England sing like gods, whether they're performing traditional songs, contemporary songs by the likes of Mike Waterson and John Tams or their own very fine original material (by Lester Simpson and Jim Boyes). If you're a fan, as I am, of unaccompanied harmony singing, you'll want to check out this collection-their latest-as well as their many others. (I'm still working my way down the list.) A number of the tunes presented here are out and out political/social commentary, or have political overtones, but they're never heavy-handed. There are so many wonderful cuts, it's hard to play favorites, but particular highlights include the title tune, Privatise/ January Lullaby/ Sounding Rafters, Mike Waterson's Cold Coasts of Iceland, and Waiting by the Road. (SL)
 
THE COPPER FAMILY Topic TSCD 534 Come Write Me Down - The Early Recordings ● CD $19.98
28 tracks, essential. The Copper Family of Rottingdean on the Sussex coast have maintained a tradition of harmony singing for something like 200 years and have been incredibly influential on the English folk scene. Their style of harmony singing was to inspire groups like The Watersons, Young Tradition, Swan Arcade and others and the versions of the songs they preserved have become staples of the folk movement throughout the world - Spencer The Rover/ Thousands Or More/ Banks Of Sweet Primeroses/ Shepherd Of The Down/ Sportsmen Arouse/ Hard Times Of Old England/ Claudy Banks/ Adieu, Sweet Lovely Nancy and others - many of them dealing with rural life in England. The first recordings of the Coppers were made around 1950 and the recordings here were made between the early 50s and early 60s and features brothers Jim & John, Jim's son Bob and John's son Ron. They perform in various groupings as well as an occasional solo and the results are beautifully moving and compelling. The CD is accompanied by two booklets - a 60 page booklet with details of the life, times and music of the Coppers and a 36 page booklet with a detailed discussion of the recordings on the CD - each illustrated with vintage photos. Now in his late 80s Bob Copper continues to lead members of his family in continuing the tradition of the Copper Family. This is music that is both beautiful and important. (FS)

 
ECLECTION Collector's Choice 233 Eclection ● CD $13.98
Reissue of obscure 1968 album by short lived English folk rock band marking the first appearance on record of Trevor Lucas and Gerry Conway who later went on to Fotheringay and Fairport Convention. Pleasing harmonies and a mix of acoustic and electric instrumentation showing the influence of The Mamas & Papas and Jefferson Airplane. In feel, not unlike Fairport's first album.

 
ARCHIE FISHER Folk Legacy 61 Man With A Rhyme ● CD $14.98
15 tracks, essential
This is one of my all-time favorite recordings from vinyl, and it has lost none of the original magic in the translation to CD. Fisher's classy-and classic-performances make the most of some great traditional material, such as Twa Bonnie Maidens and Queen Amang the Heather, as well as many of his best-known original songs, including Witch of the West-mer-lands and Dark-Eyed Molly. His delivery is understated, and the accompaniment never intrusive, letting the songs and his wonderful voice take the spotlight. What a pleasure finally to have this on CD! The CD includes the previously unissued Helen Of Kirkconnell Lea (SL)
 
SUE HARRIS Beautiful Jo 37 Pastorela - Music Of The Hammered Dulcimer ● CD $18.98
First album in quite a while who is best known for her work with her former husband John Kirkpatrick and her contributions to recordings by The Albion Band, Richard & Linda Thompson and others. This is a fine, mostly instrumental set played on the hammered dulcimer including traditional tunes from England, Ireland, Scotland and Italy as well as couple of originals. There are also a couple of vocals by Sue on fair Maid On The Shore and Sprig Of Thyme.

 
ASHLEY HUTCHINGS Talking Elephant 037 5 ● CD $13.98
Essentially a continuation of the "Guv'nor" series on a new label these faetures a collection of rare, unissued and live recordings from some of the many groups that Ashley Hutchings has been involved with in more than 30 years as a key figure on the British folk rock scene. This disc ranges from If I Had A Ribbon Bow - one side of Fairport Convention's first single in 1967 to a 2001 recording of The Albion Band doing Press Gang. There's also a version of Who Knows Where The Time Goes by Fairport with a very different arrangement to the issued one, The Albion Band doing a live version of a song from Fairport's Babbacombe Lee album and lots more. UNlike previous albums in this series there is no information given n the sources of any of these sides.

 
BILL JONES Brick Wall Music 004 Live At The Live ● CD $18.98
New album by this splendid young singer was recorded live in Newcastle at the Live Theatre in December 2001. Accompanied by an excellent group Bill performs mostly songs from her two albums "Turn To Me" and "Panchpuran". I had reservations about her second album because I thought it was a bit too polished and arranged but these live performances inject new life into the songs from that album.
 
 
EILIS KENNEDY Kennedy 1 Time To Sail ● CD $17.98
10 tracks, 53 mins, highly recommended. It must be something in the water (or maybe the whiskey) but Ireland just seems to be crawling with wonderful female singers and here's another one. Clear, beautiful and expressive, Eilis sings some wonderful traditional songs along with a couple of contemporary ones accompanied a cadre of outstanding Irish musicians who provide sensitive and discreet accompaniments allowing the focus to be Eilis' singing. Among the highlights are a gorgeous rendition of one of my favorite songs Lord Franklin - what a wonderful tune! She also does a wonderful version of Canadee i-o learned from Nic Jones but given a very different arrangement. She does two songs associated with Sandy Denny Who Knows Where The Time Goes and Crazy Man Michael and is one of the few singers since Sandy to truly do the songs justice. There are also several fine Gaelic songs. Wonderful stuff. This disc doesn't have a label or number so we have decided to label it as Kennedy 1. (FS)

 
OLIVER KNIGHT Topic TSCD 528 Mysterious Day ● CD $15.98
12 tracks, 55 mins, highly recommended. Oliver Knight is the brilliantly talented son of the late and greatly lamented Lal Waterson and is known for his work with his mom as well as his contributions to many other folk albums as guitarist, arranger, producer and engineer. This is his first album under his own names and is a series of collabraotions with some of the finest singers and instrumentalists on the British folk scene Christine Collister, Chris Parkinson, Eliza Carthy, John Tams, Joe Freya, Norma Waterson and others with Oliver providing guitars, sequencing and programming. The songs and tunes are mostly originals and reveal Oliver to be a fine composer and songwriter and his songs have some of the dark and poetic feel of his mom's. Though I'm normally not a big fan of electronics Oliver uses it with taste and skill and only in the right places. (FS)

 
MARTIN SIMPSON Topic TSCD 513 The Bramble Briar ● CD $15.98
The most recent album by this fine English performer finds him performing a selection of mostly traditional English songs and tunes including Polly On the Shore/ Fair Annie/ The Four Angels/ The Bramble Briar/ Rounding The Horn and others as well as Cyril Tawney's Sammy's Bar and Alistair Anderson's Air For Maurice Ogg.

 
JOHN TAMS Topic TSCD 533 Home ● CD $15.98
After a long absence this is John's second album in less than two years. A fine collection of original songs with excellent backup.

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Fledgling 3037 Morris On ● CD $17.98
Back in print. This classic 1972 album features John Kirkpatrick/ vocals, accordion, concertina, harmonium & tambourine; Richard Thompson/ vocals & electric guitar; Barry Dransfield/ vocals, fiddle & acoustic guitar; Ashley Hutchings/ vocals & bass guitar and Dave Mattacks/ drums and tambourine. Together they perform tremendously exciting versions of English Morris dance songs and tunes. Shirley Collins is guest vocalist on two cuts. A must! (FS)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Fledgling 3038 The Compleat Dancing Master ● CD $17.98
Back in print. This wonderful album is a collection of traditional English dance music given folk-rock treatment by an all star band of musicians including John Kirkpatrick (accordion & concertina) and Ashley Hutchings (electric bass) who compiled the album plus Phil Pickett (bagpipes & crumhorn), Rod Skeaping (rebec), Simon Nicol (acoustic & electric guitar), Roger Swallow (drums & percussion), Sue Harris (oboe) and many others. Interspersed with the music are readings from old writings about dancing which adds to the atmosphere. (FS)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Market Square 106 People On The Highway - A Bert Jansch Encomium ● CD $26.98
26 tracks, highly recommended
Excellent two CD set featuring 26 songs in tribute to the brilliantly talented and influential English singer/ songwriter/ guitarist Bert Jansch. Originally planned as a single CD so many artists signed on to the project that it became a double. It includes of Bert's friends and associates from the 60s and 70s folk scene as well as later performers. Bert's finest and most productive years were the 60s and early 70s and this is where most of these songs come from. Highlight is Rod Clement's wonderful slide guitar reworking of my favorite Jansch song Rambling's Going To Be The Death Of Me and I was pleasantly surprised to hear how good Donovan sounds on Do You Hear Me Now? - a songs he previously recorded in 1965. Other artists include Chris Smither, Ralph McTell, Roy Harpo, Al Stewart (a splendid version of Soho), Steve Benbow, Duffy Power, Maggie Boyle, Bernard, Steve Tilston, Bird Dog, Eleanor McEvoy, James Devlin & helen McGurk and others including Bert's youngest son Adam. Booklet has notes by Jansch biographer Colin Harpes, profiles of all the performers and reminiscences from many of the artists. A really classy production. (FS)

 

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