NEWSLETTER #145
Second Time Around
Folk Music - American, British Isles, European
| AMERICAN FOLK |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Eagle Eye DVD 39101 |
Festival! |
$14.98 |
First DVD reissue of Murray Lerner's documentary about the
Newport Folk Festival drawn from footage filmed at four different festival
during the 60s. Since the film is about the festival the musical
performnces are all fragmentary but it's a treat to catch glimpses of
musicians like Jim Kweskin & His Jug Band, The Georgia Sea Island Singers,
Pete Seeger, Odetta, Bob Dylan, Donovan, Fred McDowell, Ed Young Fife &
Drum Corps, The Staple Singers, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Howling
Wolf, Spokes Mashiyane, Johnny Cash, The Osborne Brothers and others.
|
| ENGLAND |
ALBION COUNTRY BAND |
BGO BGOCD 354 |
Battle of the Field |
$18.98 |
9 tracks, highly recommended
On CD at last. This is the
first album by the ever changing group led by Ashley Hutchings under the
general name of The Albion Band. This album was originally recorded in
1973 but not issued until 1976 and was then not available for very long.
The band includes Martin Carthy, Sue Harris, John Kirkpatrick, Ashley
Hutchings, Simon Nicol and Roger Swallow. Most of the material is
traditional with the exception of the brilliant opening song Albion
Sunrise by Richard Thompson on which Martin, John & Simon alternate
verses. Other great vocals include I Was A Young Man and Gallant
Poacher and there are some great instrumental tracks including a
wonderful suite of Morris dance. (FS)
|
| AMERICAN FOLK |
SISTER
R. MILDRED BARKER & OTHERS |
Rounder 0078 |
Early Shaker Spirituals |
$15.98 |
40 songs, 51 minutes, essential
A remarkable sampler of
the music heritage left us by the United Society of Believers in Christ's
Second Appearing -- the "two-hundred-year-old millenarian, celibate,
communistic sect" known as the Shakers. Calling these songs "spirituals"
hardly does the genre justice; these songs are the spiritual bridge
between a devout community and its rapturous communion with the Holy
Spirit. Sung artlessly, unadorned with harmonies or instrumental
accompaniments, solo or unison choral, this is religious experience so
pure you can almost see the angels as you listen. Sister Mildred Barker,
who sings on nearly all these recordings (made between 1963 and 1976),
came to live in the Shaker community in Alfred, ME in 1903 at the age of
seven, following her father's death. She has in her own repertoire
preserved more than two hundred of the perhaps ten thousand Shaker songs
of which we have written record. There is a delightful subtext to many of
her songs, a love of Holy Mother Wisdom whose spiritual daughters gave
these songs to the Shaker community in their raptures; Mother seems very
close, and loving, in these, and gives the notion of daughterhood a whole
new dimension. Beautiful 36-page booklet with notes by Daniel W.
Patterson, who produced this astonishing disc; song transcripts are well
annotated and there are some wonderful and evocative photographs. (NSN)
|
| IRELAND |
MARGARET BARRY |
Rounder 1774 |
I Sang Through The Fairs |
$15.98 |
24 tracks, 70 mins, essential
Stunning music recorded in
the early 50s of this wonderful Irish singer accompanying herself with her
distinctive and idiosyncratic banjo playing. The material is a mixture of
traditional songs, popular love songs, humorous songs and sentimental
songs. The album opens with the magnificent My Lagan Love, a truly
lovely song that formed the basis for Richard Farina's Quiet Joys Of
Brotherhood and includes two versions of Margaret's "theme song"
She Moved Through The Fair. Other fine songs include The Factory
Girl/ The Galway Shawl/ The Blarney Stone/ Let Mr Maguire Sit Down and
others. Interspersed with the songs are parts of an interview with Alan
Lomax which provide a fascinating insight into her life and music.
Wonderful stuff! (FS)
|
| SCOTLAND |
BATTLEFIELD BAND |
Topic TSCD 468 |
Opening Moves |
$14.98 |
17 tracks, 63 mins, essential
Wonderful collection of
early recordings by this long lived Scottish band. The tracks here were
recorded for Topic between 1977 and 1979. Multi instrumentalists Brian
Mcneill and Alan Reid have been with the band since the beginning and the
group has featured many other members over the years. The recordings here
include such additional talented singers /musicians as Jamie McMenemy,
John Gahagan, Pat Kilbride, Duncan MacGillivray and Jenny Clark. The
material is nearly all traditional with the exception of a couple of tunes
and the brilliant Archie Fisher/ John Buchan song The Shipyard
Apprentice. The instrumentals are performed with skill, imagination
and understanding and the vocals are consistently fine. Instrumentation
includes fiddle, viola, pedal organ, guitar, cittern, guitarra, whistle,
concertina, bodhran, highland pipes, mouth organ, dulcimer, etc. The
Battlefield Band continues to make great music to this day but these
recordings are, in my estimation, among their very finest. (FS)
|
| ENGLAND |
ELIZA CARTHY |
Topic TSCD 482 |
Heat Light & Sound |
$14.98 |
12 tracks, 55 mins, essential
It always seemed like too
much to hope that Eliza, whom we met when she was ten, would be that
prodigy that inherited voice and gift from both Mom (Norma Waterson) and
Dad (Martin Carthy) and made of them a new and unique musical self. Well,
eat my shorts, (to quote Frank's and my son Ben): Eliza's done it. This
first solo album is a soaring, glorious triumph that gets some of its
resonance from those good genes but is ablaze with her own genius. Her
fiddle playing frolics around and through her singing, that aches as
sweetly as Cleoma Falcon's. Mostly trad/arr E. Carthy -- bringing heat,
light and sound to "Cold Wet & Rainy Night," "Blind Fiddler," "Ten
Thousand Miles," knockout versions of such splendid chunes as "Cumberland
Waltz," a couple of original songs, dynamite arrangements that draw on the
skills of a clutch of musicians with some familiar-sounding last names,
can it be that the folk revival really is being reborn? Eliza's cuz Olly
Knight had a hand in this too. Please god let this spirit grow and
flourish! (NSN)
|
| ENGLAND |
MARTIN CARTHY |
Castle CMQCD 1096 |
Shearwater |
$18.98 |
12 tracks, 54 mins, essential
Back in print with three
bonus tracks. This was Martin's seventh solo album (recorded in 1971) and
his first after leaving Steeleye Span and is certainly among the finest
of a career full of outstanding recordings. Martin's singing has
strengthened and his guitar playing is more assured and imaginative with
greater use of alternative tunings. He is also having a greater creative
input into the mostly traditional repertoire - sometimes using different
and better tunes than the original ones and reconstructing lyrics for
fragmentary songs. The latter comes to the fore in the incredible
Famous Flower Of Serving Men - a nine minute story of murder, magic
and revenge with fierce vocal and incredibly effective guitar. This is one
of Martin's greatest ever performances and a bona fide masterpiece. Other
songs here include I Was A Young Man/ Handsome Polly-O/ He Called For A
Candle/ Lord Randall/ Betsy Bell & Mary Gray (the last a duet with
Maddy Prior) and others. The three bonus tracks are live performances from
a John Peel BBC session recorded around the same time as the album was
recorded and features stellar performances of The Flase Lover Won Back/
King Henry and Trimdon Grange. Sound is superb and booklet
includes original notes by Martin plus new notes by David Suff. (FS)
|
| ENGLAND |
SHIRLEY COLLINS & ALBION COUNTRY BAND |
Castle CMRCD 951 |
No Roses |
$16.98 |
9 tracks, essential
Back in print on a new label. Shirley
with her fragile, vulnerable and breathy vocal style is the quintessential
interpreter of English traditional song. In spite of her abiding
commitment to tradition she is not afraid to experiment with musical
arrangements and this, her first venture into folk-rock, is one of the
high points of her career and one of the greatest folk albums of the 70s.
Recorded in 1971 under the direction of he then husband Ashley Hutchings
and Sandy Robertson, Shirley is accompanied by a veritable who's who of
British folk and folk-rock musicians including Richard Thompson/ guitars,
Dave Mattacks/ drums & percussion, Roger Powell/ drums, Lol Coxhill/ alto
sax, Dave Bland/ concertina & hammered dulcimer, John Kirkpatrick/
accordion, Nic Jones/ fiddle, Colin Ross/ Northumbrian pipes, Francis
Baines/ hurdy gurdy, Trevor Crizer/ Jews harp and others. There are also
vocals harmonies by Maddy Prior, Nic Jones, Royston Wood, Mike Waterson
and more! The songs are an impeccable selection and includes Claudy
Banks/ Banks Of The Bann/ Murder Of Maria Martin (some very
imaginative arrangements on this one) Van Dieman's Land/ The White
Hare/ Poor Murdered Woman and others. Transfer to compact disc is
excellent and set comes with new notes and commentary on each of the
songs. Essential listening ! (FS)
|
| ENGLAND |
SANDY DENNY |
Fledgling 5002 |
A Boxful Of Treasures |
$81.98 |
5 CD set, 88 tracks, essential
Five CD retrospective of
recordings made by one of the greatest singers and songwriters to emerge
from the British folk scene of the 60s. With a voice of crystalline
purity, Sandy had an innate sense for traditional balladry, making old
songs fresh and meaningful and writing new songs brimming with emotion and
as singable as they come. Her death in 1978 at the age of 30 robbed the
world of a major talent. The first four discs of this magnificent set
traces her recording career chronologically and is liberally peppered with
with previously unissued studio performances, home demos, alternate takes,
unissued live performances. It starts with her first commercial recordings
from 1967 when she was working with Alex Campbell and his friends and
these early recordings reveal that she was already a singer to be reckoned
with including a superb version of Campbell's Been On The Road So Long
and a powerful version of Jackson Frank's You Never Wanted Me.
There are several home recordings from this period including the lovely
original Boxful Of Treasures which she later used as the tune of
Fotheringay recorded with Fairport and a stunning version of the
traditional ballad Geordie. It includes three of the songs she
recorded with up and coming group The Strawbs in 1968 including her first
recording of her all time classic Who Knows Where The Time Goes.
That same year she joined Fairport Convention and both Sandy and Fairport
benefited from the collaboration both increasing in musical maturity and
Sandy was a big factor in moving the group to further explore English
traditional music which culminated in their masterpiece "Liege & Lief".
There are a dozen performances from this period including traditional
songs along with Denny and Richard Thompson originals.
After "Liege &
Lief," Sandy left the group to form a new group Fotheringay with her boy
friend Trevor Lucas and they moved back to doing more contemporary and
original songs though traditional music was still a significant part of
their repertoire and Sandy's version of Banks Of The Nile is a
truly stellar performance. For various reasons (discussed in the notes)
Fotheringay was ill fated and didn't last very long. Over the next seven
years Sandy released a series of four solo albums - the first two "The
Northstar Grassman & The Ravens" and "Sandy" consistently superb, the
latter to "Like An Old Fashioned Waltz" and "Rendezvous" were less
consistent with performances becoming more pop with lush arrangements
including string orchestras which at times diluted the power of Sandy's
vocals. During this period she briefly rejoined Faiport to record the
super "Rising For The Moon".
The fourth disc ends with her last studio
recording - a beautiful performance of the Bryn Haworth song Moments.
The fifth disc consists of mostly previously unissued demos - many just
Sandy with her piano and guitar and it's great to hear some of these songs
in their raw form, particularly I'm A Dreamer and Rising For The
Moon. There are also three live performances with Fairport from 1974
including great performances of Dylan's Knockin' On Heaven's Door
and her own It'll Take A Long Long Time. Alltogether there are 26
previously unissued performances and many others that have been long
unavailable. In 1986 Hannibal issued a four LP retrospective of Sandy's
work which was reissued in 1991 as a three CD set. This is not an expanded
version of that set but a completely new compilation and apart from the
previously unissued material this has a lot of material not on Hannibal
set and the Hannibal set has quite a few tracks not featured here so if
you have that set you'll want to hang on to it. One curious feature of
both sets is that neither includes the Fairport studio recording of Who
Knows Where The Time Goes? or the studio recording of John The Gun
which are the most well known versions of these popular songs - I wonder
why? The box includes a 56 page full colour booklet with a biography of
Sandy by Jim Irvin which gives us insight into her character and reveals
the insecurity and self destructiveness that lay behind the sublime and
beautiful songs she wrote. The booklet has a moving forward by Richard
Thompson and tributes and reminiscences from Dick Gaughan, Joe Boyd, John
Renbounr, Jerry Donahue, Simon Nicol, Linda Thompson and many others as
well as full discographical details on all the performances. (FS)
SANDY DENNY (*** = previously unissued): 3.10 To Yuma/ A Sailor's Life
(With FAIRPORT CONVENTION)/ After Halloween (Demo)/ All Our Days (Demo
***)/ At The End Of The Day (Alternate Take Without Strings ***)/ Autopsy
(Demo ***)/ Been On The Road So Long/ Bird On A Wire (With FAIRPORT
CONVENTION - Radio Session)/ Blackwaterside/ Boxful Of Treasure (Home
Recording ***)/ Bruton Town (Radio Session)/ Bushes And Briars (Radio
Session)/ By The Time It Gets Dark (***)/ By The Time It Gets Dark
(Alternate Take ***)/ By The Time It Gets Dark (Demo ***)/ Cajun Woman
(With FAIRPORT CONVENTION)/ Easy To Slip/ Ecoute Ecoute/ Fotheringay (With
FAIRPORT CONVENTION)/ Farewell Farewell (With FAIRPORT CONVENTION)/ Full
Moon/ Full Moon (Full Moon ***)/ Geordie (Home Recording)/ Go Your Way My
Love (Home Recording)/ Gypsy Davey (With FORTHERINGAY)/ Here In Silence/ I
Don't Know Where I Stand (With FAIRPORT CONVENTION - Radio Session)/ I'm A
Dreamer/ I'm A Dreamer (Demo ***)/ It'll Take A Long Time/ It'll Take A
Long Time (With FAIRPORT CONVENTION - Live ***)/ John The Gun (With
FAIRPORT CONVENTION - Live ***)/ King & Queen Of England (Home Recording)/
Knockin' On Heaven's Door (With FAIRPORT CONVENTION - Live)/ Late November
(With FORTHERINGAY)/ Learning The Game (With THE BUNCH)/ Like An Old
Fashioned Waltz/ Losing Game (***)/ Meet On The Ledge (With FAIRPORT
CONVENTION)/ Moments (Final Studio Recording)/ Next Time Around (Alternate
Take Without Strings ***)/ No End (Solo Take ***)/ No More Sad Refrains/
No More Sad Refrains (Demo ***)/ Nothing More (With FORTHERINGAY)/
Nottamun Town (With FAIRPORT CONVENTION)/ Now And Then (Demo)/ One More
Chance (Demo ***)/ One Way Donkey Ride (Demo ***)/ Quiet Joys Of
Brotherhood/ Reynardine (With FAIRPORT CONVENTION)/ Rising For The Moon
(Demo ***)/ Rising For The Moon (With FAIRPORT CONVENTION)/ Sail Away To
The Sea (With THE STRAWBS)/ She Moves Through The Fair (Home Recording
***)/ She Moves Through The Fair (With FAIRPORT CONVENTION - Live ***)/ Si
Tu Dois Partir (With FAIRPORT CONVENTION)/ Silver Threads & Golden Needles
(With FORTHERINGAY ***)/ Sir Patrick Spens (With FAIRPORT CONVENTION -
Radio Session ***)/ Solo/ Still Waters Run Deep (Demo ***)/ Stranger To
Himself (Demo)/ Sweet Rosemary (Demo ***)/ Take Away The Load (Demo)/ Take
Me Away (Demo ***)/ Tam Lin (With FAIRPORT CONVENTION)/ Tell Me What You
See In Me (With THE STRAWBS)/ The Ballad Of Easy Rider (With FAIRPORT
CONVENTION)/ The Banks Of The Nile (With FORTHERINGAY)/ The Lady (Demo
***)/ The Lowlands Of Holland (Radio Session)/ The Music Weaver/ The Music
Weaver (Demo ***)/ The North Star Grassman & The Ravens/ The Pond & The
Stream (With FORTHERINGAY)/ The Sea (With FORTHERINGAY)/ The Sea Captain/
They Don't Seem To Know You (Home Recording ***)/ This Train (With ALEX
CAMPBELL & FRIENDS)/ Thro' My Eyes (with IAN MATTHEWS)/ Until The Real
Thing Comes Along (Radio Session)/ Walking The Floor Over You/ What Is
True (Demo ***)/ Whispering Grass (Radio Session)/ White Dress (With
FAIRPORT CONVENTION)/ Who Knows Where The Time Goes (With FAIRPORT
CONVENTION - Live ***)/ Who Knows Where The Time Goes (With THE STRAWBS)/
You Never Wanted Me (With ALEX CAMPBELL & FRIENDS)
|
| ENGLAND |
SANDY DENNY |
Island (UK) IMCD 313 |
The North Star Grassman And The Ravens |
$16.98 |
15 tracks, 57 mins, essential
CD reissue of Sandy's first
solo album after leaving Fairport and disbanding Fotheringay with four
bonus tracks. The original album featured 8 original songs including one
of her most famous originals - the powerful and spine-chilling anti-war
song John The Gun, the sublime title song plus others like Late
November/ The Sea Captain/ The Optimistic and Crazy Lady Blues.
Also included is a spellbinding version of the traditional song
Blackwaterside, the Dylan song Down In The Flood and the old
rock 'n roll favorite originally recorded by Brenda Lee Let's Jump The
Broomstick. Sandy is accompanied by Richard Thompson, Jerry Donahue,
Pat Donaldson, Ian Whiteman, Gerry COnway and others. The bonus tracks
include a couple of songs recorded at the "Grassman" sessions, a version
of Late November from the aborted second Fotheringay album and
Next Time Around without the string arrangement - all have been out
before but complement the rest of the album beautifully. The remastered
sound is a significant improvement over the previous Hannibal CD and the
set includes a booklet with new notes by David Suff and some cool photos
and illustrations. (FS)
|
| ENGLAND |
SANDY DENNY |
Island (UK) IMCD 314 |
Sandy |
$16.98 |
15 tracks, 65 mins, essential
This may well be one of the
best British folk-rock albums ever recorded. Sandy's second album after
leaving Fairport Convention was stunning in 1972 and is doubly stunning 30
years later on this newly remastered CD. Sandy had an innate sense for
traditional balladry, making old songs fresh and meaningful and writing
new songs brimming with emotion and as singable as they come. On "Sandy"
you get the spellbinding Listen Listen, plus seven more of her
haunting originals, a country-era Dylan song, and the most beautiful
version of Richard Farina's Quiet Joys of Brotherhood ever heard
anywhere. The band features Richard Thompson and Dave Swarbrick as added
attractions. There are five bonus tracks on this new reissue - two songs
from the soundtrack to the short film "Pass Of Arms," a demo of Sweet
Rosemary, the delightful French version of Listen, Listen (Ecoute,
Ecoute) and a live version of It'll Take A Long Time with
Faiport. No British collection is complete without this album. (DC/ FS)
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| ENGLAND |
DRANSFIELD |
Castle CMEDD 943 |
The Fiddler's Dream |
$22.98 |
Two CD set devoted to Robin & Barry Dransfield's only
excursion into electric folk featuring all original songs. The first disc
reissues the original 1976 album and the second features recordings made
live on the BBC featuring the songs from the album along with a couple of
tunes not on the original album.
|
| ENGLAND |
FAIRPORT CONVENTION |
Island (UK) IMCD 290 |
Heyday |
$14.98 |
20 tracks, 72 mins, highly recommended
A real treat for
Fairport fans - this is a reissue of the 1987 album featuring live cut for
various BBC radio programs in 1968 and '69 plus eight bonus, previously
unreleased, tracks. These recordings cover the period from just after the
release of their debut album on Polydor in early 1968 through the release
of their seminal "Liege And Lief" in late 1969 and the line up on most of
the tracks is Sandy Denny, Ian Matthews, Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol,
Ashley Hutchings & Martin Lamble. The earlier sessions find them sounding
rather like a U.S. West Coast folk rock band performing songs from Eric
Anderson, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Leonard Cohen, Richard Farina and
others while the later sessions find a greater emphasis on original songs
by Sandy & Richard as well as their groundbreaking electrification of
traditional songs. Although some of the earlier performances are not
exceptional the group sounds like it's having a good time and it's always
a pleasure to hear Sandy's superb vocals and to hear Richard playing a
differnt style guitar to the one we're used to. Songs include Close The
Door Lightly When You Go/ Some Sweet Day/ Suzanne/ I Still Miss Someone/
Gone, Gone, Gone/ Shattering Live Experience/ You Never Wanted Me
(Sandy's breathtaking performance of this Jackson C. Frank song is alone
worth the price of this album)/ Fotheringay/ Cajun Woman/ Reynardine
and more. Includes brief original LP notes from Joe Boyd and new and more
elaborate notes from Ashley Hutching. (FS)
FAIRPORT CONVENTION: Autopsy (bonus Track)/ Bird On A Wire/ Cajun Woman
(bonus Track)/ Close The Door Lightly When You Go/ Fotheringay (bonus
Track)/ Gone Gone Gone/ I Don't Know Where I Stand/ I Still Miss Someone/
If It Feels Good You Know It Can't Be Wrong/ Nottamun Town (bonus Track)/
Percy's Song/ Reno Nevada/ Reynardine (bonus Track)/ Shattering Live
Experience/ Si Tu Dois Partir (bonus Track)/ Some Sweet Day/ Suzanne/ Tam
Lin (bonus Track)/ Tried So Hard/ You Never Wanted Me (bonus Track)
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| SCOTLAND |
ARCHIE FISHER |
Folk Legacy 61 |
Man With A Rhyme |
$16.98 |
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)
|
| ENGLAND |
FOTHERINGAY |
Fledgling 3044 |
Fotheringay |
$17.98 |
13 tracks, highly recommended
Reissue of superb 1970 album
- the only one of this excellent band formed by Sandy Denny and her
husband Trevor Lucas after Sandy left Fairport. They joined by outstanding
American guitarist Jerry Donahue, drummer Gerry Conway and bass playerPat
Donaldson. It includes five moving originals written by Sandy, the
glorious and anthemic Peace In The End written by Sandy & Trevor
and alone worth the price of the album, a terrific version of the
traditional song Banks Of The Nile and great covers of Gordon
Lightfoot's The Way I Feel and Dylan's Too Much Of Nothing.
There are four bonus live tracks recorded at the Holland Pop Festival in
June, 1970 which are pretty expendable. A pity, since there is some great
unissued Fotheringay material lurking out there. Still it's great to have
the original album available again. (FS)
|
| SCOTLAND |
DICK GAUGHAN |
Topic TSCD 384 |
Gaughan |
$14.98 |
15 tracks, essential
In the 70s and early 80s nobody on
the British Isles folk scene was better than Dick Gaughan with his rich smokey baritone voice and dazzling guitar technique. A change of direction
in the 80s resulted in music that was less consistently compelling than
his earlier work. This compact disc reissues his 1978 album "Gaughan" with
the addition of four instrumental sets from his groundbreaking all
instrumental album "Coppers And Brass" and two from his guest appearance
on the High Level Ranters mining songs album "Bonnie Pit Laddie. This disc
is superb in every respect and shows Dick's willingness to experiment with
the recording process - occasionally multi-tracking his guitar and, on the
powerful Dominic Behan song Crooked Jack, playing some spine
chilling electric guitar. His version of the long ballad Willie Of
Winsbury is lovely with some exquisite finger picked guitar and is one
of his all time gratest performances. His version of
The Recruited Collier
is very moving as is The Augengeich Disaster, the latter with
lovely concertina by Alistair Anderson. Gaughan may not have been the
first to play traditional Scots and Irish tunes on guitar but he was
certainly one of the best - the slurs and slides of the tunes are
transformed into rolls and triplets which trip off thumb and flatpick in
an exhilarating cascade of coruscating notes. The playing never sacrifices
technique for feeling. Essential! (FS)
|
| ENGLAND |
DAVY GRAHAM |
Fledgling 3051 |
Hat |
$17.98 |
14 tracks, 34 mins, highly recommended
First CD reissue of
Davy's final Decca album from 1969. An astonishingly eclectic selection of
material including traditional songs plus songs from Lennon & McCartney,
Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Willie Dixon and others and an equally eclectic
selection of instrumental pieces which includes a Bulgarian dance, an
African inspired tune from Art Blakey and others. While Davy's singing
isn't always that compelling his playing consistently dazzling and
inventive and always appropriate. On some tracks he is joined by preier
bassist Danny Thompson and drummer Johnny Spooner. Includes reproduction
of original garish cover art plus booklet with new notes by Ken Hunt. (FS)
|
| AMERICAN FOLK |
PHIL OCHS |
Collector's Choice 615 |
All The News That's Fit To Sing |
$12.98 |
15 tracks, 43 min., highly recommended
The welcome reissue
of this topical and often poignant LP by one of the most talented,
intense, and often driven angry young men of song. It's his first album,
from 1964, and is offered here in stereo sound, with original cover art
and notes, and one additional track. Among the many self-penned highlights
are Celia/ Automation Song/ Talking Cuban Crisis/ Bound for Glory,
and Bullets of Mexico as the bonus track. The wonderful music is
filled with youthful energy and angst, of course, and the lyrics are
worthy of reactions that range from nostalgia for the idealism of the
1960's to wonder, perhaps, that so little has really changed. The first
song One More Parade could easily have been written yesterday. CD
reproduces original cover art and has new notes by Richie Unterberger.
(DH/FS)
|
| ENGLAND |
WALTER PARDON |
Topic TSCD 514 |
A World Without Horses |
$14.98 |
20 tracks, 70 mins, highly recommended
19 songs and one
brief spoken passage from one of the greatest English traditional singers.
Walter came to the attention of a British folk audience in the 70s, thanks
to the efforts of Peter Bellamy, and made a great impression with his live
performances and recordings. This compilation is drawn from recordings
made between 1974 and 1980. Walter had a wonderful voice - warm and
unaffected and with a conviction that really draws you into the songs. The
songs are familiar titles but Walter's versions are often not the ones you
are familiar with - sometimes the lyrics are different, sometimes the tune
and sometimes both - The Rambling Blade/ The Bold Fisherman/ The Bush
Of Australia/ The Bold Princess Royal/ The Deserter/ Two Jolly Butchers/
The Handsome Cabin Boy/ The Cunning Cobbler/ A British Man Of War and
others. The 36 page booklet features notes by Michael Yates and lyric
transcripts. I had the privilege of seeing Walter perform in the early 80s
and have fond memories of his music, his warm personality and the twinkle
in his eye when he sang the slightly risqué Bush Of Australia (FS)
|
| AMERICAN FOLK |
JOEL RAFAEL BAND |
Appleseed 1086 |
Woodyboye |
$16.98 |
12 tracks, 46 mins, highly recommended
There's no shortage
of recordings of Woody Guthrie songs but this one is particularly fine
thanks, in large part, to Rafael's exceptional singing - warm and
expressive with a real empathy with the lyrics. He has chosen a mix of
familiar, lesser known and songs written by Woody but not recorded by him
to which Joel has set the music or, in one case, used music by Billy
Bragg. There is also one superb original song Sierra Blanca Massacre
which is, in a sense, a chilling update of Woody's Deporte. Joel is
accompanied by a fine group of musicians including his daughter Jamaica on
violin, long time associate Carl Johnson on lead acoustic guitar and bass,
Van Dyke Parks on accordion and piano and others. Songs includes
Rangers Command/ This Train Is Bound For Glory/ Ramblin' Reckless Hobo/
Dance Around My Atom Fire/ Circle Of Truth/ Heaven My Home and others.
Very fine. (FS)
|
| AMERICAN FOLK |
PETE SEEGER |
Columbia CK 64772 |
A Link In The Chain |
$25.98 |
2 discs, 38 tracks, 113 min., essential
A solidly
worthwhile overview of the works of this genuinely seminal performer
during his years with the Columbia label, between 1961 and 1971. The two
disc program is divided into four parts, each with eight to ten
selections. Part one is called "Tall Tales and Stories," and its songs
include My Oklahoma Home Blowed Away, Get Up and Go, Oh
Had I a Golden Thread, and Waist Deep in the Big Muddy. Part
two, "Songs of Freedom," features This Land Is Your Land, Draft
Dodger Rag, Turn Turn Turn, Guantanamera, and We
Shall Overcome. Part three is entitled "Saints, Sinners, Just Plain
Folks," and among its selections are Pretty Boy Floyd, Hobo's
Lullaby, Jesse James, and Jay Gould's Daughter. And part
four, called "For the Children," includes What Did You Learn in School
Today, Put Your Finger in the Air, This Car, Be Kind
to Your Parents, and Cumberland Mountain Bear Chase. More
evidence, as if any were needed, that Pete Seeger is and has been a
national treasure for a significant part of this century. A man with a
musical yarn for just about any occasion, he has had to live for a while
before much of America could see his many virtues. But he has managed to
make the journey from the McCarthy era blacklist to the receipt of a
National Medal of Honor and induction into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.
And that's not too bad for one lifetime. (DH)
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| AMERICAN FOLK |
PETE SEEGER |
Smithsonian Folkways 40153 |
American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 4 |
$15.98 |
28 tracks, 72 min., highly recommended
Few have had
greater influence on American music than has Pete Seeger. These enduring
and endearing recordings (waxed in the 1950s and early 1960s) feature
Seeger and his banjo or 12-string guitar as they apply themselves to some
of the the most famous and greatest American ballads. You Are My
Sunshine, Banks Of The Ohio, Old Maid's Song, Go
Down, Moses, and others are well known in any number of versions by
countless performers, but there is something archetypal sounding in
Seeger's versions. Other traditional pieces such as All My Trials
and No More Auction Block are haunting glimpses into America's
perfect past. And Seeger's humorous "conversation" in Hole In The
Bucket is perfectly executed. This volume includes a 32-page booklet
with extensive song notes by Guy Logsdon and Jeff Place. (JC)
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| ENGLAND |
STEELEYE SPAN |
Castle CMDDD 781 |
The Lark In The Morning - The Early Years |
$18.98 |
2 CDs, 33 tracks, essential
Simply wonderful! This two CD
set features all of their first three albums from 1970 and '71 plus
General taylor which was only originally issued on a 45. Steeleye Span
was the most successful group to wed traditional songs and tunes with
electric rock arrangements and in Maddy Prior were blessed with one of the
greatest voices on the British Isles folk scene. The first album
Hark The Village Wait featured Maddy, Tim Hart (who has recorded as a
duo with Maddy), the group's founder and eminence gris of the British
folk-rock movement Ashley Hutchings, superb Irish vocalists and
instrumentalists Gay & Terry Woods who left shortly after this first
effort to form their own band and Gerry Conway or Dave Mattacks on drums.
This album has one stunning track after another including some spine
chilling duets by Maddy & Gay including the magnificent Dark Eyed
Sailor. It also includes Terry's only lead vocal on the superb
Hills Of Greenmore. After their first album, Gay & Terry left to form
their own band and the group to decided to go drummerless and enlisted
Britain's finest folk interpreter Martin Carthy and brilliant young
fiddler and mandolin player Peter Knight. The subsequent two albums
"Please TO See The King" and "Ten Man Mop" is full of great performances
featuring lead vocals by Maddy, Martin and Tim as well as great harmony
singing and instrumental accompaniments. Among the great songs are
Cold, Haily, Windy Night/ Prince Charlie Stewart (one of my all time
favorites)/ The Lark In The Morning/ Fe,ale Drummer/ Lobely On The
Water/ When I Was On Horseback and others including a delightful
whimsical acapella rendition of Buddy Holly's Rave On. Includes 12
page booklet with photos and commentary from band members and producer
Sandy Roberton. (FS)
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| ENGLAND |
LINDA THOMPSON |
Hannibal 1379 |
Dreams Fly Away - A History Of Linda
Thompson |
$15.98 |
20 tracks, 78 mins, essential
A testament to one of the
best damned singers in the whole world. Most of us heard Linda's singing
while she was duoing with Richard Thompson, but as this incandescent
compilation demonstrates, there was plenty happening both before and after
that gig. Since many of Linda's collaborations with Richard are already
available the compiler has wisely chosen to include many alternate
versions, live performances, remixes and demos - most of which have never
been reissued before along with a well chosen smattering of titles already
issued. Linda didn't record too many traditional songs so it's really a
treat to hear her coruscating voice applied to such songs as I Live Not
Where I Love and Blackwaterside. There is also a stunning
version of Sandy Denny's I'm A Dreamer, a live version of
Pavanne that is more passionate and thereby more chilling than the
studio version, an acapella duet with her musical associate Betsy Cook on
the lovely Many Dreams Must Fly Away and so much more. If you can
tear your attention away from the music, the accompanying booklet gives us
Linda's bio so far, discography that's more than that since it includes
material that never was on any kind of disc before, and Linda's remarks,
on the performances showcased here and herself in general. Right now,
Linda's going through a time when she isn't singing ("you open your mouth
and nothing happens"). The notes make it clear that this has happened
before, with Linda; to my ears, life has to have the right mix of love and
anger to push the music to the top, when you sing as Linda seems to, with
your heart in your throat. Know what I think? When Linda's ready to do her
honky-tonk country session, she will, with Hank Williams's eminence bleue
on backup vocals. (NSN/FS)
|
| ENGLAND |
RICHARD THOMPSON |
Fledgling 3045 |
Starring As Henry The Human Fly |
$17.98 |
12 tracks, 37 mins, essential
Available again after too
long an absence this was Richard's first solo album from 1972 after
leaving Fairport Convention and is an unquestionable masterpiece. Although
the songs are original and contemporary there is a strong thread of
traditional music that runs through it all. It includes such anthemic
folk-rock classics as The New St George and The Old Changing Way,
the wonderful The Angels Took My Racehorse Way with glorious
harmony vocals from Sandy Denny and Linda Peters (soon to be Mrs
Thompson), the haunting Poor Ditching Boy and more. The
arrangements are stunning using friends like John Kirkpatrick, Pat
Donaldson, Sue Draheim, Barry Dransfield, Andy Roberts and others and a
couple of the tracks features some effective brass accompaniments. Sound
quality is superb and booklet includes lyrics and some more pictures of
Richard in his outrageous fly outfit. A must! (FS)
|
| ENGLAND |
RICHARD & LINDA
THOMPSON |
Island (UK) 304 |
I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight |
$16.98 |
13 tracks, essential
Reissue of the first album Richard &
Linda recorded together, originally issued on Island in 1974. Richard &
Linda are given superb backup by Simon Nicol/ dulcimer, Pat Donaldon/
bass, John Kirkpatrick/ concertina & accordion, Brian Gulland & Richard
Harvey/ crumhorn and others - not to mention lots of great guitar by
Richard. This album has more great songs then most songwriters write in a
decade! - When I Get To The Border/ Withered And Died magnificent!/
Down Where The Drunkards Roll/ Has He Got A Friend For Me/ The Great
Valerio, etc. The three bonus tracks are from a live appearance at the
Roundhouse in September, 1975 and features two of the songs from the album
including a ten minute version of Calvary Cross plus a great
rendition of the Buck Owens classic Together Again. Booklet has
brief notes by david Suff and lyric transcripts. (FS)
|
| AMERICAN FOLK |
DAVE VAN RONK |
Smithsonian Folkways 40156 |
.. And The Tin Pan Bended, And The Story
Ended |
$15.98 |
24 tracks, 79 min., highly recommended
Another wonderful
package from Smithsonian Folkways, this time offering Folk icon Dave Van Ronk in his last concert, recorded in October 2001. The booklet notes
alone make this CD worthwhile, with track notes by Elijah Wald and short
essays by Tom Paxton and others. And while the blues-folk-jazz music here
is a marvel, Van Ronk's guitar work is better than that. Between numbers
such as You've Been A Good Old Wagon and Don't You Leave Me Here,
Dave favors the audience with little monologues, some lasting several
minutes, each as entertaining as the songs they introduce. Other cuts
include Joni Mitchell's Urge For Going, the oft-recorded St.
James Infirmary, Dylan's Buckets Of Rain, Tom Paxton's Did
You Hear John Hurt?, Jelly Jelly, Nobody Knows You When
You're Down And Out, and more. (JC)
|
| AMERICAN FOLK |
LOUDIN WAINWRIGHT III |
Collector's Choice 632 |
Album 1 |
$12.98 |
11 tracks, 39 min., highly recommended
Originally issued
in 1970 and out of print pretty much ever since (with only a very brief
flash of availability on the pricey Rhino Handmade label), Wainwright's
first album for Atlantic Records (untitled originally but here labeled
"Album I") produced critical acclaim, a loyal if small fan base, and some
of his most memorable songs. Just LW3 and a guitar for company here; his
voice owes itself in large part to Neil Young, despite being tagged
another "new Dylan," usually a kiss of death. Songs such as Glad To See
You've Got Religion, and Four Is A Magic Number are bitter and
playful jabs at religion and self-righteousness, while Central Square
Song paints an unromantic picture of a drunken romance. Wainwright's
point of view and lyrical cleverness appear here full blown, sprung from
his head fully realized, as it were. Nothing here got near the charts,
although School Days, a brilliant account of his prep school days a
Saint Andrew's, remains a common request at concerts. And Black Uncle
Remus is an unforgettable piece of Americana, as intense and biting as
anything he would ever record. (JC)
|
| ENGLAND |
NORMA WATERSON |
Topic TSCD 520 |
Bright Shiny Morning |
$14.98 |
12 tracks, 49 mins, essential
At last - a solo album of
all traditional songs from one of England's greatest singers - it took 40
years but was worth the wait! Few can match Norma when it comes to power,
expressiveness and sheer musicality and she brings that wonderful voice to
bear on such great songs as The Chaps Of Cockaigny/ One April Morning
(one of my all time favorite songs)/ Sheep Crook & Black Dog/ Banks Of
The Dee/ Bright Shiny Morning/ Barbary Allen (if you think you've
heard this song too many times you'll change your mind when you hear
Norma's version)/ Flower Of Sweet Strabane/ Go & Leave Me and
others. She is given beautiful instrumental and vocal accompaniments from
husband Martin Carthy/ vocal/ guitar/ banjo, daughter Eliza Carthy/ vocal/
violin/ guitar/ co-producer of album, brother Mike Waterson/ vocal, Mary
McMaster/ harp, Ben Ivitsky/ vocals, violin/viola/guitar & co-producer,
Chris Parkinson/ accordion and harmonica and others. And keeping it in the
family the album was engineered by Norma's nephew Oliver Knight. A joy!
(FS)
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