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Folk Music Of The British Isles & Europe

England

June Tabor -> Tudor Lodge

JUNE TABOR Green Linnet 3129 A Quiet Eye ● CD $15.98
This album from 2000 from this brilliant English singer is a mixture of traditional songs, standards and contemporary songs by Maggie Holland, Richard Thompson, Ewan McColl and others. She is accompanied by regular accompanist Huw Warren on piano plus The Creative Jazz Orchestra - a 12 piece group with trombones, trumpet, French horn, cello, saxophones, etc. Songs include The Gardener/ I Will Put My Ship In Order/ Waltzing For Dreamers/ Must I Be Bound?/ It's A Long Way To Tipperary/ The First Time I Saw Your Face/ Jeannie & Jamie, etc.

 
JUNE TABOR Green Linnet 3139 Rosa Mundi ● CD $15.98
Newest from top English singer is all songs about the Rose - old and new songs, traditional songs and more with piano, violin, viola and cello accompaniemnts - Roses Of Picardy/ Deep In Love/ Rose In June/ Winterrose/ The Crown Of Roses/ Maybe Then I'll Be A Rose, etc.

 
JUNE TABOR Shanachie 79038 Abyssinians ● CD $14.98
Wonderful album and her starkest yet - her rich, breathy and very dramatic voice is given full rein on a mix of traditional and contemporary songs. A third of the songs are unaccompanied, which emphasizes the dramatic quality of her singing - the remaining tracks have very subtle accompaniments by Dave Bristow/ piano & synthesizer, Martin Simpson/ guitar and Ric Sanders/ violin. The mood of the songs is generally grim but not depressing - The Month of January/ The Scarecrow/ She Moves Among Men/ A Smiling Shore/ The Bonny Hind , etc.

 
JUNE TABOR Shanachie 79055 Airs And Graces ● CD $14.98
Highly acclaimed, and with good reason, this album reflects more of a purist approach to largely traditional material than her later albums do - with Nic Jones/ guitar & fiddle, Jon Gillespie/ bassoon, sopranino & keyboards - While Gamekeeps Lie Sleeping/ Bonny May/ The Band Played Waltzing Matilda (possibly the best version of this song and the one that first drew attention to the talents of Eric Bogle)/ Waly Waly & others.

 
JUNE TABOR WITH MARTIN SIMPSON Green Linnet 3072 A Cut Above ● CD $15.98
Reissue of truly superb album originally issued on Topic in 1982. Tabor's singing has never been better, and Simpson's inventive guitar arrangements add a new dimension to the material. Also joining them from time to time are Ric Sanders/ violin, Dave Bristow/ piano & synthesizer and Jon Davie/ bass. This one really is a cut above the others. Mostly traditional songs including Admiral Benbow/ Flash Company/ Heather Down The Moor and others including the unaccompanied grim and spine chilling Number Two Top Seam. The two outstanding contemporary songs are Bill Caddick's Unicorn, and Richard Thompson's moving Strange Affair. (FS)

 
JOHN TAMS Topic TSCD 508 Unity ● CD $15.98
We haven't heard from John Tams in quite a while but he has obviously been busy writing some fine new songs which he sings beautifully on this new collection accompanied by an outstanding band including his old Home Service running mate Graeme Taylor on guitars. As gilding on the lily this album also marks the first appearnce in quite a while by Linda Thompson who sings one song and shows that, contrary to what we have heard, she sings and good as ever.

 
BRAM TAYLOR Fellside FECD 148 Singing! The Bram Taylor Collection ● CD $16.98
A collection of 19 traditional and modern songs performed by singer/ guitarist taylor drawn from three LPs he recorded for Fellside in the 80s. Pleasant, if not particularly memorable, stuff.

 
LINDA THOMPSON Fledg'ling 3020 Give Me A Sad Song ● CD $15.98
A collection of previously unissued demos and rare tracks from one of Britain's very finest singers. It includes demos from 1970 with Martin Carthy on guitar, Linda's contributions to a very rare album of Brian Patten's poems from 1972, demos written by Richard Thompson for a proposed stage musical from the mid-1970's, sides from a 1983 TV show and some demos with Betsy Cook from the mid-eighties. Other musicians featured include Gerry Conway, Neil Innes, Andy Roberts, Graeme Taylor and Richard Thompson! Includes extensive notes by Edward Haber and brief comments about the recordings by Linda herself.

 
LINDA THOMPSON Hannibal 1379 Dreams Fly Away - A History Of Linda Thompson ● CD $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)

 
RICHARD THOMPSON BGO BGOCD 138 Daring Adventures ● CD $17.98
1986 album. This is Richard's most diverse and enjoyable LP since '82's cataclysmic Shoot Out The Lights. The near frantic pacing of "Hand Of Kindness" & "Across A Crowded Room" is given a welcome respite. As usual, his compositions remain sharp, tender, witty, caustic and eloquent. On the 12 songs selected for the album we get a full 360 degree picture of Fairport's founding lead guitarist. Thompson's a rock 'n' roller at heart and the records opening tracks, the hilarious A Bone Through Her Nose & Valerie , which is about a woman he's waiting for who spends his dough on "nylon fur, plastic shoes and fifty-seven things she's never gonna use", bear this out with interest. When it comes to writing ballads about love gone sour Richard has no equal. On Missie How You Let Me Down , he rages "if you never like pulling teeth then why did you tie me in the dentists chair?" On the eerie Long Dead Love we find him protesting that "somebody's walking on the grave of our love." These themes give way to the hopefulness of Nearly In Love & How Will I Ever Be Simple Again . The finale & piece de resistance - Al Bowlly's In Heaven - is a swinging musical ride on a time machine. Produced by Mitchell Froom. (SG)

 
RICHARD THOMPSON Capitol (UK) CDEST 2207 Mirror Blue ● CD $15.98
1994 release - now only available as an import.

 
RICHARD THOMPSON Capitol 33704 You? Me? Us? ● CD $24.98
Two CD set.

 
RICHARD THOMPSON Capitol 48845 Amnesia ● CD $11.98
1988's "Amnesia" finds Thompson in tremendous voice. This is Richard's best album since... well how 'bout best solo record yet. The overall sound & feel is a balanced set of tunes, cleverly orchestrated with a wide variety of instrumentation to create a definitive & unique musical backdrop propelling the rich imagery ever forward. Producer Mitchell Froom has done a fantastic job mixing the rockers - Don't Tempt Me/ Yankee Go Home/ Gypsy Love Songs/ Jerusalem On The Jukebox - with both the midtempo jewels - Turning Of The Tide/ Can't Win/ Reckless Kind & the trademark atmospheric ballads I Still Dream & Waltzing's For Dreamers . The Pharoah closes the show and proves to be Thompson's most daring adventure yet. Listening to this song is like finding yourself in the shadow of monolithic pyramids. A kaleidoscopic group of musicians include Northumbrian piper Allistair Anderson, concertina/ accordianist John Kirkpatrick & Froom playing majestic organ. Record of the year. (SG)

 
RICHARD THOMPSON Capitol 95713 Rumor And Sigh ● CD $11.98
1991 album. In the time-honored tradition of British Isles folk, here's more songs about failed love, ironic love, tragic love, unrequited love, no love at all and terrible people doing terrible things to other people who probably deserve it. You'd be hard pressed to find a bigger RT fan than me, but I guess I'm getting a little tired of hearing the same old gloomy atmospheres, two-steps and fifties rave-ups that were perfected back in the days of Shoot Out The Lights/ Hand Of Kindness. But Thompson's macabre humor still shines through, and he dips into a deep bag of studio tech to extract some fresh sounds on Grey Walls/ You Dream Too Much/ Psycho Street. As always, we can expect great singing throughout, with some uncommonly good acoustic picking on 1952 Vincent Black Lightning and a fiery electric workout on Mother Knows Best. 14 tunes, polished to poppy perfection by producer Mitchell Froom. (MB)

 
RICHARD THOMPSON Capitol 98860 Mock Tudor ● CD $16.98
1999 album. This album is a trip down memory lane with songs loaded with impressionistic memories of his youth in London - Cooksferry Queen/ Bathsheba Smiles/ Hard On Me/ Crawl Back (Under My Stone)/ Walking The Long Miles Home/ Thats All Amen, Close The Door. The arrangements are more straight rock than usual and includes Richards son Teddy on guitar but there is one of his great doomy ballads here Dry My Tears And Move On.

 
RICHARD THOMPSON Hannibal HNCD 1313 Hand Of Kindness ● CD $11.98
Superb 1991 album - his first without Linda. Richard is now carrying all the vocal leads and is singing better than ever and his guitar playing is stunning. The songs are brilliant. There are uptempo rockers like Tear Stained Letter, soul-searching heart songs like How I Wanted To, and a traditional sounding Devonside (with lovely fiddle by Aly Bain). The accompaniment has the similar sparse feel of Shoot Out The Lights but the addition of two saxophones on some cuts give it more of an R & B edge . Some cuts have marvelous accordion by John Kirkpatrick (FS)

 
RICHARD THOMPSON Hannibal HNCD 1419 Small Town Romance ● CD $16.98
This album is a bit of a departure on record for Britain's finest singer/ songwriter. Recorded live at the Bottom Line & Folk City clubs in New York in 1982 it features Richard accompanied only by his own acoustic guitar. He does performances of 14 songs - mostly versions of songs he had previously recorded with Linda. There are a few exceptions - a fine version of Time To Ring Some Changes which he has not recorded before, along with two new songs - the very good title song and the awful Love Is Bad For Business and an entertaining version of Hank Williams' Honky Tonk Blues. A pleasant, intimate set which is somewhat marred by occasional sloppy guitar playing and out of tune singing (FS)

 
RICHARD THOMPSON Hannibal HNCD 5303 Watching The Dark - The History Of Richard Thompson ● CD $39.98
3 CD's, 47 tracks, 3 hrs., 37 min., essential! If you're a long time Thompson fan and have all his other albums do you need this one? Absolutely! It has 23 unreleased, rare, or unheard live tracks - 5 of which have never been released in any form before. Even if you have all the "unauthorized" tapes - there will be stuff here you haven't heard and the sound on those you have is sensational. If you are not familiar with Thompson's work and wonder what all the fuss is about do you need this set? Absolutely! It provides an almost 25 year retrospective of one of the most talented performers around. As Greil Marcus notes in the introduction to the notes on this magnificent 3 CD set Thompson's music has consistent vision from his first songs written for Fairport Convention in 1968 to his most recent solo album "Rumor & Sigh" recorded for Capitol in 1991. That vision is often a dark one dealing with failed love, unrequited love, the human condition and mans' inhumanity to man and women. The mood ranges from bleak to cynical to humorous but always expressed in Richard's own poetic language - sometimes mystical and obscure and sometimes straightforward. Aiding the consistency of the vision are a group of musicians who turn up with great frequency on his recordings and live performances including Simon Nicol (gtr), John Kirkptarick (accn), Pat Donaldon (bs), Dave Pegg (bs) and Dave Mattacks (dms). The songs that are not original are usually traditional English, Irish or Scottish and his love and empathy for traditional music has infused his original compositions. This set is arranged for listening pleasure rather than in chronological order and this approach works just fine. There are only 3 songs from his formative years with Fairport Convention including a superb previously unissued version of A Sailor's Life without Dave Swarbrick's fiddle. There are many tracks from his incredibly productive ten year period performing with his wife Linda which includes some of his most enduring songs. Linda's beautifully crystalline and breathy vocals are perfectly suited to Richard's bleaker songs like Strange Affair/ Never Again/ A Heart Needs A Home/ Withered And Died and others. Most of these are from their various albums but also includes a couple of live performances and several tracks from their first attempt at the "Shoot Out The Lights" album which was abandoned before completion. Following Linda & Richard's separation in 1982, he was left carrying the vocal load and had to adjust his repertoire and new songs to his less flexible voice and there are many fine songs on this set from the past ten years and his five solo albums, his collaboration with Henry Kaiser, Fred Frith and John French plus live performances. There are several songs not recorded elsewhere including the tear jerking acoustic performance From Galway To Graceland about obsessive love for Elvis that is truly superb. Throughout Richard's guitar playing is a joy whether the gentle acoustic backing to The Great Valerio or the wild, distorted, electric rave up on a live version of Can't Win. Sound is outstanding. There is a 48 page booklet with appreciation by Greil Marcus, a lengthy study of Richard's musical career by Leslie Berman, lots of photos and full recording details on all the songs. A superb achievement in every respect. (FS)

 
RICHARD & LINDA THOMPSON Hannibal HNCD 1303 Shoot Out The Lights ● CD $16.98
Absolutely brilliant 1982 album - 8 great songs from the heart by Richard - a mixture of hard driving rock songs and soulful and meaningful ballads - this album has the sparser sound of their Island albums rather than the heavy arrangements of their Chrysalis albums but the sound of the band is better than ever and Richard's guitar playing and guitar sound are truly outstanding. The rhythm accompaniment is tight as can be - not too surprising since it features former fellow Fairport alumni Simon Nicol & Dave Mattacks plus Pete Zorn - a classic

 
RICHARD & LINDA THOMPSON Island (UK) IMCD 160 I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight ● CD $15.98
The first album Richard & Linda recorded together was originally isssued on Island in 1974. Unlike Richard's first solo album the sound and production are superb with Richard & Linda given superb backup by Simon Nicol/ dulcimer, Pat Donaldson/ bass, Brian Gulland & Richard Harvey/ krummhorn 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. (FS)

 
RICHARD & LINDA THOMPSON Island (UK) CID 9266 I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight ● CD $25.00
All time classic folk rock album now on CD.

 
RICHARD & LINDA THOMPSON Polydor 542 456-2 Best Of Richard & Linda Thompson - Island Records Years ● CD $17.98
Great collection of 16 sides drawn from Richard's solo 1972 album and the three the duo recorded for Island between 1973 and 1975. Lots of classic songs like Roll Over Vaughn Williams/ When I Get To The Border/ I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight/ The End Of The Rainbow/ Hokey Pokey/ A Heart Needs A Home/ Night Comes In/ Dimming Of The Day and more.

 
KATHRYN TICKELL Park PRKCD 39 The Gathering ● CD $15.98

 
KATHRYN TICKELL Park PRKCD 057 Emnsemble Mystical ● CD $14.98
Newest from this talented Northumbrian piper and fiddler features here with a small group of vocalists and instrumentalist performing traditional and newer songs and tunes.

 
TOKEN WOMEN No Masters Voice NMV 2 The Rhythm Method ● CD $19.98
14 tracks, 64 mins., good. A toe-tapping, very successful blending of English country dance music, klezmer twists, and other European styles, held together with exactly the right level of good humor and technical panache by a multi-instrumental seven-woman band. The single and double-reed work of Jo Freya and Becky Palmer drives many of the arrangements, while I can only hope Kathryn Locke's aggressive cello playing inspires more folkies to go wild with this wonderful instrument. Only the three vocal numbers here are on the weak side--these women are first and foremost fine instrumentalists. Still, it's a small quibble. Mostly, this is inventive, good-natured, and enjoyable. (DC)

 
TREES Sony (UK) 506 064-2 The Garden Of Jane Delawney ● CD $17.98
9 tracks,47 mins, good. Trees are an obscure folk rock band who recorded three albums between 1970 and 1972 and the this CD reissues their first CBS album. The group performed a mixture of traditional and original material and seem to have drawn their influences from Fairport Convention, solo performers like Davey Graham and the then current rock scene. Lead vocalist Celia Humphris has a bit of an arty approach but the arrangements are quite nice. The traditional songs include Lady Margaret/ Glasgerion (aka Jack Orion) and my least favorite traditional song, Great Silkie. The original songs are a mixture of mock traditional and California flavored items. Interesting, if not exactly earth shaking. (FS)

 
TUDOR LODGE Scenescof 1005 It All Comes Back ● CD $16.98
A collection of 14 mostly unissued recordings from early 70s progressive British folk group who had one album and a single issued on Vertigo in 1971. This CD consists of studio demos from 1971 and '72, one side of their single, a live cut from a 1981 reunion and some newly recorded tracks. Much of their material is pretty undistinguished but the first three cuts feature the vocals of Linda Thompson who was briefly a member of the group and whose lovely voice helps elevate the pedestrian material.

  

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