Mountain Ash Band – The Hermit (1976)

The Mountain Ash Band were an electric folk band, in the style of perhaps of Steeleye Span, based in The Hermit – became a collectors piece in Progressive Music circles. and, for the purposes of this particular site, they do have a strong Coventry connection. Iikley in 1975 and their one and only limited edition album.

And here is the story of the band and this LP written from the point of view of the publishers of the “Hobo – Coventry Music and Arts Magazine”:

In June 1973, while we were printing the very first issue of And here is the story of the band and this LP written from the point of view of the publishers of the, Colin Cripps and Lynda Hardcastle (later of the Mountain Ash Band, were preparing The Willenhall Free Press for print also at the Left Centre bookshop in, Lower Ford Street, Coventry.

Colin and Lyn were musicians, magazine editors and, I discovered live quite near to me in Willenhall, so naturally we became good friends and Colin and Lyn participated in the Hobo Workshop gigs at Holyhead Youth Centre (where the Specials and Selecter later began). They lived in a flat in Ivy Walk with their son and held regular soirees with poets, musicians and like minded people. Colin Cripps, who later authored the book Popular Music in the 20thC – Cambridge University Press 1988. Colin was an undergraduate at Warwick University, studying Literature at the time and they were both involved with a Community campaigning magazine The Willenhall Free Press and other forms of community activism. One of the poets, from Ivy Walk was Ray King (Not to be confused with Ray King of the Ray King Soul band – also from Coventry). Ray went on to write the lyrics for the Mountain Ash Band’s album – The Hermit. Colin and Lyn left Coventry in 1975 after Colin graduated and moved to Ilkley where they formed the Mountain Ash Band. Ultimately Colin was originally from Cambridge and Lynda from, I think, Filey in North Yorkshire. Lynda Hardcastle went on to sing with Grace Notes, featuring Maggie Boyle and Helen Hockenhull.

“When Ray King, a friend from Willenhall, visited I told him the folk tale and he tuned in immediately and came up with a great set of lyrics. They had no verse and chorus structure because Ray was a poet not a songwriter, but there was enough to work with.” (Colin Cripps)

And here´s the story of Job Senior:

Old Job is dead, that droll old man,

We ne’er shall see him more;

He used to wear a drab old coat.

With buttons and bands before.

A low crowned hat, with brim much torn,

To keep his old head warm;

His clogs were made of blocks of wood;

His stockings straw and yarn.

So opens this account of Old Joe Senior, the Hermit of Rumbold’s Moor. The poem continues with another seven verses describing Job’s ragged appearance. Here we content ourselves with the accompanying engraving, which is graphic enough!

Old Job Senior, the Rumbold’s Moor Hermit. An account of his Eccentricities & Remarkable Life. Printed and published by Thomas Harrison, Queen Street, Bingley. c.1880. 14 pages. No author is given.

Job was not always so scruffy, or a hermit. “When young, he was a good-looking and spruce young man, employed amongst the famers in the neighbourhood, driving the plowing team, &c, and afterwards became a regular farm servant about Ilkley.”

He later went to Whitkirk, near Leeds, where he courted a young woman, the result of which he became a father. The Parish authorities made him ‘pay the smart’, which cleared him out of money. The young woman later refused to have anything to do with him, probably because Job “… had already acquired indifferent habits, losing his sprightliness of appearance, and becoming careless and unsteady.” He returned to Ilkley, and continued as a farm labourer, and in winter, wool combing.

[He later] became acquainted with an old widow, living alone in a cottage near Coldstone Beck, Burley Wood Head, on the borders of Rumbold’s Moor … her little cottage stood within a small garden, she also claimed an adjoining field which had been left by her husband, and which he had taken from the common. Old Job again fell in love – if not with the widow, probably with her property.

Job and the widow, Mary Barret, married; she was eighty, he about sixty. After Mary’s death, catastrophe struck. Mary’s relatives determined to rid the old man off the property. Job resisted, but one day he returned to the cottage to find it in ruins. Job then built himself a sort of kennel with the largest of the stones from the rubble. “Here he lived for many years, forlorn, and poor, and miserable, in a place scarcely fit for a pig, and here he remained nearly to the time of his death.” He grew potatoes and other food on his land.

Job, however, was a fine singer, able to sing ‘in four voices’ – alto, treble, tenor and bass – which he claimed to have learnt at the Leeds Parish Church. He went about the country in the winter season and sung at such places as Headingly Gardens, the Woolsorters’ Gardens in Bradford, and was once fetched to sing at the theatre in Leeds. Athough he was generally well supported, he would sleep in any outbuilding or smith’s shop.

Old Job died aged 77 and was buried in Burley churchyard. (bradfordlocalstudies.com)

The Mountain Ash Band were an electric folk band, in the style of perhaps of Steeleye Span, based in The Hermit – became a collectors piece in Progressive Music circles. and, for the purposes of this particular site, they do have a strong Coventry connection. (press release)

This is an album where you may appreciate the more cultural branch of the british folk, this is a concept album on the life of Job Senior and for me it’s beautiful but better than my words that are maybe considered “dealer words” I ‘ve decided to offer you this review and some comment to this review that I have found in a nice blog called Time Has Told Me: “Its been a long time tracking this legendary recording down (thanks Pete!). Possibly one of the rarest UK folk gems from 1975, as rare as life itself?. Awesome electric violin and disturbingly haunting vocals tell the depressing story of a Yorkshire hermit named Job Senior. “Birth” sets the scene for what is a profoundly sad album that will leave you deep in thought every time you hear it. “Journeys” a fine piece of violin work runs into “Stone on Stone” which is almost Incredible String Band in vocal style. “A long Winter” tells of the latter stages of Job’s life after his wife dies and he is living alone on the moors of Ilkley. “Who Knows” is a sorry lament as Job ends up living in the remains of his dead wifes house which has been pulled down by her family in an attempt to evict him.

“The Outcast/Rebirth” ends the albums tragic story. Hear it and weep. “Lizardson,This album has been on my top 10 list to listen to for years! Thank you for tracking this one down for us!! Legendary is right! Dr. Q””arbor said…This is a very impressive album, and I can’t believe that this group is not more well known. The combination of the music and storytelling make it a very unique recording, thanks!” “Simon said… I downloaded this yesterday and can’t stop listening to it. It really is great and totally unique.” Believe me this is a great album, not a totally perfect listening but private label are so…sometimes.. have you ever played a perfect Stone Angel or a perfect Vulcan Hammer???…so Don’t miss! (popsike.com)

Indeed: A unknown masterpiece of British Folk-Rock in the Seventies !!!

Personnel:
Geoff Bowen (fiddle, recorder)
Martin Carter (vocals, guitar)
Colin Cripps (guitar)
Lynda Hardcastle (vocals, recorder)
Graham Jones (bass, vocals, recorder)
Alan Rose (vocals, whistle)
Kevin Slingsby (drums)
+
Sean Mansley (narrator)

Tracklist:
01. Birth (Narration) 0.58
02. Birth (Part 2) 4.06
03. Journey (Narration) 1.22
04. Journey (Part 2) 7.51
05. Stone On Stone (Narration) 1.17
06. Stone On Stone (Part 2) 2.44
07.  A Long Winter (Narration) 1.07
08.  A Long Winter (Part 2) 5.05
09. Who Knows (Narration) 1.12
10. Who Knows (Part 2) 4.07
11. I’ll Sing For My Supper (Narration) 1.40
12. I’ll Sing For My Supper (Part 2) 2.30
13. The Outcast / Rebirth (Narration) 1.18
14 The Outcast / Rebirth (Part 2)
15 Leading Lady / November
16 The Patient’s Song
+
17. English Birds (taken from a Colin Cripps solo album) 2.33

Music: Colin Cripps including traditional tunes
Lyrics: Ray King

*
**

Frogmorton – At Last (1976)

Frogmorton were an obscure English folk-rock band that released the album At Last on Philips in 1976.

Unfortunately, I could hardly find any information about this short-lived, but great band … and that is actually a shame.

And here´s their first and last album:

Remind me of _Steeleye Span_, traditional folk music, very nice and melodic. (bilbo1742)

At the time it was move over Steeleye, Frogmorton were the new kids in town and how they played their socks off to everyone’s delight.

Being picked up by Philips Records, one of the biggest labels of the time, was recognition of their unique, exciting music and extraordinary stage show.

The album _AT LAST_ presents Frogmorton at their best.
“White Swans” is their anthem whilst “Wedding Song” shows the writers insight of the lonely not unlike McCartney’s Eleanor Rigby.
The whole thing swings from traditional folk to what was then known as folk rock and back again.

This album could only have been made in England – and it was.
Frogmorton’s cult following was immense – today’s collectors should try to get a copy – they’ll love it. (frogmrtom)

This album is fantastic and so different. Although it does seem to have religious overtones, knowing all the members, I wouldnt say this was the intention.

White Swans is a fantastic song, but is too fast on this album- Iv heard it sung slower and it is amazing. The vocals are perfect (except Daves silly song- uncivilised man -I can be rude as he is my dad!) Lucy has a chilling voice, perfect for folk.

Its a shame they are not around performing today.
(Trivia wise- Lucy and Dave are now married!) (Ailsa)

Indeed: one of these great lost item´s of British Folk in the Seventies !

And Chris Tulloch is still active as “Mandolin Jack”

Personnel:
Dave Hardy (accordion, whistle, psaltery, kazoo, tambourine, vocals)
Bill Lynn (bass)
Terry Newbury (drums)
Lucy Sharpe (guitar, whistle, spoons, mandolin, vocals)
Chris Tulloch (keyboards, mandolin, vocals)

Tracklist:
01. Aurora (Smith) 2.44
02. Judas & Mary (Carter) 4.49
03. McGuire’s Favourite (Traditional) 2.00
04. The Crowd (Smith) 4.11
05. Shipwreck (Hardy/Sharpe) 1.38
06. Grace Darling (Smith) 5.11
07. Uncivilized Man (*) (Hardy/Sharpe) 3.31
07. White Swans (Smith) 3.20
08. Wedding Day (Tulloch) 5.23
09. Cedar Tree (Hardy/Sharpe) 2.16
10. Grimaldo (Tulloch) 1.55
11. The Horseman’s Word (Hardy/Sharpe) 3.19
12. Mr. Darwin (Tulloch) 2.54

(*) bonus track

*
**

The Mandolin Jack website:

King Earl Boogie Band – Trouble At Mill (1972)

Ad here´s the story of a short-live group called King Earl Boogie Band, formed by Paul King:

Paul King (born January 9, 1948, Dagenham, UK), was a member of Mungo Jerry between 1970 and 1972. He contributed occasional lead vocals, and played acoustic guitar (6 and 12 string), banjo, harmonica, kazoo and jug. His songs on the first Mungo Jerry album and on the early maxi-singles were generally more folksy and lighter in style than those of group leader Ray Dorset, and he was frustrated when his own songs were constantly rejected for subsequent albums.

On the second album, Electronically Tested, his composition “Black Bubonic Plague” appeared on European copies only, but not on the British release. King recorded a solo album, Been in the Pen Too Long in 1972, and left Mungo Jerry shortly afterwards.

He and the group’s keyboard player Colin Earl (born 6 May 1942, Hampton) formed the King Earl Boogie Band with guitarist Dave Lambert, bassist Russell John Brown and washboard player Joe Rush, who had been a part-time Mungo member. Their album Trouble at Mill was well reviewed, but a single “Plastic Jesus” was banned by the BBC on grounds of blasphemy. The group disbanded a few months later, and Lambert later joined Strawbs.

King then pursued a solo career, releasing occasional records under the names P. Rufus King and D’Jurann D’Jurann (no connection with the British group Duran Duran), as well as under his usual name.

King and Earl later formed Skeleton Krew, though in the 1990s they reverted to the name of King Earl Boogie Band. King retired to Cornwall in 1996, though since then he has occasionally joined his colleagues and former members for one-off gigs, sometimes under the name Skeleton Krew or Skeleton Crew. (wikipedia)

Less than a year after delivering his superlative Been in the Pen Too Long debut album, Paul King was back at the head of the King Earl Boogie Band and armed with a second clutch of songs that is as much a direct follow-up to the earlier set as it is the birth of what should have been a far more successful band than it actually became. That the King Earl Boogie Band were ultimately scuppered by the failure of the surefire Christmas hit “Plastic Jesus” is a matter of record; it is indeed an indictment of the prevailing super-morality of the era that so lighthearted a poke at junk-store piety could “offend” anyone at all, least of all the program controllers of the BBC. Today, it wouldn’t merit a second glance. But, while “Plastic Jesus” inevitably dominates Trouble at Mill, the remainder of the album has a warm, folky bluegrass feel that is just as captivating.

The neo-Cockney “Bovver Blues” boogie, one of four songs composed by guitarist Dave Lambert (soon to become such a force within the Strawbs), has a charm that completely predicts such mid-’90s excursions as Blur’s “Parklife,” while “Keep Your Hands off My Woman” is the sound of Slade if they were forced to dress up as Steeleye Span. But the other must-hear highlight is the beautiful, near-a cappella version of Ewan MacColl’s “Go Down Your Murderers” that wraps up the album — and, sadly, the band’s career — with haunted finality. (by Dave Thompson)

Personnel:
Russell John Brown (bass, flute, background vocals)
Colin Earl (piano, background vocals)
Paul King (vocals, acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, harmonica, recorder, kazoo), Dave Lambert (vocals, slide guitar, guitar, harmonica, tambura), Colin Earl (piano, background vocals), , Joe Rush (percussion)

Tracklist:
01. Bad Storm Coming (Evans/O’Donnell/Collier) 5-13
02. Take Me Back (Lambert) 4.44
03. Live Your Own Life P. Mc (Lambert) 2.27
04. Bovver Blues (Lambert) 2.03
05.  Plastic Jesus (King) 4.14
06. If The Lord Don’t Get You (Lambert) 3.46
07. Goin’ To German (Traditional) 2.35
08. Keep Your Hands Off My Woman (Levy/Minter/Glover) 4-59
09. Go Down You Murderers (McColl) 5.35

*
**

Well I listened to it the other day (1989) for the first time in 15 years and to be quite honest, it just doesn’t make it. I don’t know what we were trying to achieve, but somewhere along the line we got terribly lost. Apart from ‘Plastic Jesus’, that is – that really makes it, and in my opinion was the best song the Boogie Band ever recorded and should really have done something, but unfortunately it was blacklisted. (Paul King)

Pye gave us £3,000 to produce an album. We chose Richard Branson’s ‘The Manor’ at Oxford, to make it. Good atmosphere, but the single, ‘Plastic Jesus’ was immediately banned by the BBC, which effectively killed the commercial possibilities of the album. ‘Plastic Jesus’, a song despising the morality of; ‘I’ve got a plastic charm, I can do what I like to anyone’. To the Beeb, it meant ‘Plastic Jesus’. You tell me that a jock listens to the discs he plays – I’ll tell you b******s. (Colin Earl)

We spent, I dunno how long rehearsing and we made the record, and then I’m sitting at home waiting to go on the first gig, I think it was supposed to be Barnstable and they said the car would arrive, pick you up. So there I am, waiting all day long and all of a sudden, I get a phone call late in the afternoon, “Oh Joe, we’re not going, Dave Lambert’s left the band, he’s joined The Strawbs! I thought f**k me, here we go! So that was the end of that, sort of, brief experience”. (Joe Rush)

The official Paul King website:

Various Artists – English Folk Dances (1974)

This album was produced by theEnglish Folk Dance and Song Society

The English Folk Dance and Song Society  was formed in 1932 when two organisations merged: the Folk-Song Society and the English Folk Dance Society. The EFDSS, a member-based organisation, was incorporated as a company limited by guarantee (no. 297142) in 1935 and became a registered charity (no. 305999) in England and Wales in 1963.

The Folk-Song Society, founded in London in 1898, focused on collecting and publishing, primarily folk songs of Britain and Ireland although there was no formal limitation. Participants included: Lucy Broadwood, Kate Lee, Cecil Sharp, Percy Grainger, Ralph Vaughan Williams, George Butterworth, George Barnet Gardiner, Henry Hammond, Anne Gilchrist and Ella Leather.

The English Folk Dance Society was founded in 1911 by Cecil Sharp. Maud Karpeles was a leading participant. Its purpose was to preserve and promote English folk dances in their traditional forms, including Morris and sword dances, traditional social dances, and interpretations of the dances published by John Playford. The first secretary of the society was Lady Mary Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis; Trefusis Hall in the EFDSS HQ, Cecil Sharp House, is named after her.

One of the greatest contributions that the EFDSS made to the folk movement, both dance and song, was the folk festival, starting with the Stratford-upon-Avon Festival in the 1940s and continuing with festivals in Whitby, Sidmouth, Holmfirth, Chippenham and elsewhere.

Since 1936 the EFDSS has published English Dance & Song at least four times a year. This has become the longest-established magazine devoted to folk music, dance and song in the country. English Dance & Song is aimed at stimulating the interest of the membership of the EFDSS, as well as the wider folk music and dance community.

Their regular scholarly publication is Folk Music Journal, published annually in December, which was formerly entitled the Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society until 1965. The work continues the earlier journals of the two societies: Journal of the Folk-Song Society, 1899–1931;[9] Journal of the English Folk Dance Society 191431.
Recent developments
Cecil Sharp House in Regent’s Park, London, is home to the English Folk Dance and Song Society

In 1998, with the folk movement strongly supported by a number of other organisations and the seeds planted by EFDSS thriving, the EFDSS altered its strategy to focus on education and archiving, with its primary goal the development of the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library as the country’s national archive and resource centre for folk music, dance and song.

In 2011 the society entered into a joint commission with Shrewsbury Folk Festival to create the Cecil Sharp Project, a multi-artist residential commission to create new works based on the life and collecting of Cecil Sharp. The project took place in March 2011, the artists involved being: Steve Knightley, Andy Cutting, Leonard Podolak, Jim Moray, Jackie Oates, Caroline Herring, Kathryn Roberts and Patsy Reid.

In 2013, EFDSS launched The Full English, an ongoing archive project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, The Folklore Society, the National Folk Music Fund and the English Miscellany Folk Dance Group. This free and searchable resource of 44,000 records and over 58,000 digitised images is the world’s biggest digital archive of traditional music and dance tunes.

As well as folk music, the EFDSS is home to a number of performance artists, providing a regular performance platform for acts including the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, the Massive Violins and the Swingle Singers. (wikipedia)

There is a huge variety of dance associated with English folk music, some of it quite alien to modern culture. Folk music was either written as song or for dancing, and the dances have deep roots in the social history of England, as well as offering an insight into agriculture, industry and cultural diversity. (musicworkshopcompany.wordpress.com)

And here are 15 songs from the past (recorded in 1958 and 1961; the musical leader was Nan Fleming-Williams), but we should never forgot, that this music inspüired a lot auf Britis Folk-Rock Bands like Fairport Convention and much miore !

Enjoy this trip in the past !

Tracklist:

McBain’s Country Dance Band:
01. Durham Reel 1.38
02. Waltz Country Dance 5.03
03. The Waves Of Troy 3.56
04. Haymaker’s Jig 2.40
05. The Road To California 3.48
06. The Steamboat 3.38
07. Margaret’s Waltz 3.01

Jack Armstrong And His Northumbrian Barnstormers:
08. Drops Of Brandy 2.58
09. Pins And Needles 3.13
10. The Sylph 3.13
11. The Triumph 3.05

The Country Dance Band:
12. The Rifleman 3.33
13. Wiltshire Reel 1.47
14. Dorset Triumph 3.12
15. Stoke Golding Country Dance 3-36

All songs: Traditional

*
**

Pentangle – Reflection (1971)

Reflection was an album recorded in 1971 by folk-rock band Pentangle.

The album was recorded over a three-week period in March 1971, at a time when the tensions between the band members were high. Different band members were continually threatening to leave and attendance by Jansch and Renbourn at the recording sessions was dependent on their state of sobriety. (by wikipedia)

Pentangle were always great at creating musical fusions, and on this album, they once again came through. The opening song, “Wedding Dress,” is a fabulous meeting of Celtic, country, and, believe it or not, funk. It’s one of the few songs of theirs that actually rocks. The rest of the record is classic Pentangle, with Bert Jansch’s and John Renbourn’s acoustic guitars intermingling so well that it would make even Neil Young and Stephen Stills a little envious. Jacqui McShee, as usual, has some exquisite vocal moments, namely the previously mentioned “Wedding Dress” and an excellent reading of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.”

This track shows how the group was further exploring new musical ground, this time with traditional American folk/gospel. The group’s rhythm section of Danny Thompson (upright bass/cello) and Terry Cox (percussion) — easily one of the most inventive on the planet — shines on every cut, creating solid ground for Renbourn, McShee, and Jansch to do their high-wire act on vocals and guitar. One of their finest all-around albums. (by Matthew Greenwald)

Personnel:
Terry Cox (drums, percussion, vocals)
Bert Jansch (guitar, banjo, vocals)
Jacqui McShee (vocals)
John Renbourn (guitar, vocals)
Danny Thompson (bass)

Tracklist:
01. Wedding Dress (Traditional) 2.52
02. Omie Wise (Traditional) 4.23
03. Will The Circle Be Unbroken? (Traditional) 4.07
04. When I Get Home (Cox/Jansch/McShee/Renbourn/Thompson) 5.01
05. Rain And Snow (Traditional) 3.51
06. Helping Hand (Cox/Jansch/McShee/Renbourn/Thompson) 3.30
07. So Clear (Cox/Jansch/McShee/Renbourn/Thompson) 4.55
08. Reflection (Cox/Jansch/McShee/Renbourn/Thompson) 11.10

• (coming soon)
  **

 

Martin Barre – MLB Celebrates 50 Years Of Jethro Tull (2019)

As the lead guitarist for Jethro Tull, Martin Barre has been joined at the hip to Ian Anderson since 1969, when he replaced Mick Abrahams in the group’s lineup. His playing has provided much of the energy that allows the band to soar on record and in concert amid the beauty of Anderson’s melodies and the complexity of his lyrics, and played no small part in helping the veteran band (some would say “dinosaur”) win the 1988 Grammy for Best Hard Rock Album for Crest of a Knave. Anderson himself has been quoted as saying, “Without Martin Barre, Jethro Tull could not exist.”

Barre’s solo work was confined to his home studio until he assembled a band to play some charity gigs in the early 1990s. Since then, he has recorded a pair of albums that allow him to stretch out in directions that Tull normally doesn’t permit, and to put his instrument into new sounds, genres, and musical contexts. (by Bruce Eder)

Wot No flute? Well very little anyway.

What can I say about this, do we really need it, probably not, but news that he was releasing this certainly caught my interest and uncustomarily quite excited, momentarily anyway and touring this Celebration with additional members Clive Bunker and Dee Palmer in the band has certainly provided some long overdue publicity. Well the next question is is it any good?

Disc 1 Live at the Factory Underground (Studio?) is a band effort by that I mean Martin Barre, guitars, mandolin, mandola, flute and Hammond, Dan Crisp, vocals, guitar, Alan Thomson, previously with John Martyn on bass, Derby Todd, drums. Disc 2 are Studio tracks, tracks 1- 6 an Acoustic Set where his female backing singers Alex Hart and Becca Langford take centre stage on all tracks up to and including One White Duck and also Locomotive Breath, John Carter, Martins childhood friend with whom he made the Grand Union album takes on Waking Edge, Dan Crisp, Still Loving You Tonight and Slow Marching Band. Other participants are Paddy Blight, Double Bass, Josiah J, keyboards and Frank Mead, the albums flute solo on this disc on Home.

Disc 1 the Live set has Mr. Barre in full hard rockin’ electric mode, of course initially it’s hard not to make comparisons with the originals in fact it’s impossible, Dan Crisp’s vocals have come in for some criticism, and on first play on disc this seem justified but Martin has stuck by him and having seen him live a few times and with a little mental readjustment, the initial concerns have diminished. It’s not that he is a bad vocalist I just think singing Tull songs is not his natural style and in any event is nigh on impossible to emulate Mr Anderson in his prime but ultimately this album is all about Martin Barre and his interpretation of these songs, putting his stamp on them and keeping them fresh of which I must say in this department is an unqualified success. Having seen him play these tracks live his enthusiasm is totally infectious, he seems to be having the time of his life, in fact he and the band are an absolute joy to watch. How he has narrowed it down to these 13 tracks who knows because if one looks at his set lists Setlist.fm this is a very small portion of what he has being playing live.

After a rather tentative start with a jazz flavoured My Sunday Feeling, things pick up with For a Thousand Mothers and it all becomes clear what a crucial element he was in Tull’s classic sound. Hymn 43 has that wonderful chugging riff and then we come to Love Story where Dan Crisp earns some plaudits, this rendition is a little slower and grittier than the original and candidate for best on this disc and so it continues with perhaps an unusual choice in Sealion, Song for Jeffrey is rather lumbering but inherits a couple of hard rock riffs and guitar solo. Back to the Family gets heavy. I could go on, but what’s the point suffice to say although the songs are familiar to all, these versions have balls, played at full volume, the guitar work exceptional.

Disc 2, I was a little shocked when I heard the female vocals, but then again not, having seen them do the acoustic set, and they carry the songs effortlessly, with some wonderful accompaniment. Life’s a Long Song, Cheap Day Return, Under Wraps and One White Duck are standouts. I won’t say the quality dips hereafter but it’s a hard to follow on from those girls, suffice to say that they take it down a bit with the remainder including the mandolin driven Locomotive Breath where the girls come on board again

If this album does anything it shows what a creative writer Ian Anderson is or was depending on opinion and what a classic guitarist Martin Barre is.

Of course if one is looking for reasons to knock this, one doesn’t have to look far, it would be easy to shred it for any number of reasons, it can’t match the originals, the vocals may not be to everyone’s taste (I suspect the most likely criticism), it’s a good but not great album, the anticipation was greater than the reality but taken for what it is, this Celebration of Tull as a rock band reignites music much of which the punters would never expect to hear live again, is reason enough to make this is a worthwhile exercise. If nothing else it’s an advert for people to go check out Mr Martin Lancelot Barre live. My only disappointment here is that there is no third disc. (by oldrock)

Personnel:
Martin Barre (guitar, mandolin, mandola, flute, organ)
Paddy Blight (bass)
John Carter (vocals)
Dan Crisp (vocals, guitar)
Alex Hart (vocals)
Josiah J. (keyboards)
Becca Langsford (vocals)
Darby Todd (drums)
Alan Thomson (bass, vocals)
+
Frank Mead (flute on CD 2/09.)

Tracklist:

CD 1 – Live at Factory Underground:
01. My Sunday Feeling 3.32
02. For A Thousand Mothers 4.34
03. Hymn 43 3.31
04. Love Story 4.11
05. Sealion 4.07
06. Song For Jeffrey 3.42
07. Back To The Family 4.05
08. Nothing To Say 5.44
09. Hunting Girl 5.35
10. Teacher 5.53
11. Steel Monkey 3.46
12. Nothing Is Easy 4.58
13. New Day Yesterday 4.50

CD 2 – Studio Tracks:
01. Wond’ring Aloud 1.53
02. Someday The Sun Won’t Shine 2.02
03. Life Is A Long Song 3.29
04. Cheap Day Return 1.30
05. Under Wraps 3.06
06. One White Duck 2.20
07. Still Loving You Tonight 4.54
08. The Waking Edge 3.17
09. Home 3.16
10. Locomotive Breath 4.09
11. Slow Marching Band 3.28

All songs written by Ian Anderson

*
**

Martin Barre talks about this album:

Jethro Tull – Songs Fom The Wooden Grammophone (1977)

In the late 1970s, Jethro Tull released a trio of folk rock albums, Songs from the Wood (1977), Heavy Horses (1978), and Stormwatch (1979). Songs from the Wood (1977) was the first Tull album to receive generally positive reviews since the release of Living in the Past (1972).

The band had long ties to folk rockers Steeleye Span (Tull were the backing band on Steeleye Span front woman Maddy Prior’s 1978 solo album Woman in the Wings as a way of repaying her for contributing vocals on the Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young to Die! album) and with Fairport Convention (Fairport members Dave Pegg, Martin Allcock, Dave Mattacks and Ric Sanders have all played with Tull at one point or another, as well as folk drummer Gerry Conway who became a Fairport member after playing with Tull). Although not formally considered a part of the folk rock movement (which had actually begun nearly a decade earlier with the advent of Fairport Convention), there was clearly an exchange of musical ideas among Tull and the folk rockers.[81] By this time, Anderson had moved to a farm in the countryside, and his new bucolic lifestyle was clearly reflected in his songwriting, as in the title track of Heavy Horses (1978), a paean to draught horses. (by wikipedia)

And here´s very beautiful bootleg (excellent soundboart recording !) from this period …and it was one of the most satisfying periods of Jethro Tull:

Track 1-9 recorded live in Southampton 19.Feb.1977
Track 10-11 recorded live in April 1979 during US-Tour
Track 12 is an A capella Version
Track 13 recorded during the session for a Burger King jingle in1979

Enjoy the magic of Jethro Tull´s trip into the UK Folk-Rock scene.

Personnel:
Ian Andson (vocals, flute, guitar)
Barriemore Barlow (drums)
Martin Barre (guitar)
John Evans (keyobards)
John Glascock (bass)
David Palmer (keyboards)

Tacklist:
01. Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of A New Day 5.98
02. Jack In The Green 3.25
03. Thick As A Brick 14.19
04. Songs From The Wood 5.56
05. Velvet Green 7.12
06. Hunting Girl 5.11
07. Aqualung 8.47
08. Wind Up 3.21
09. Locomotive Breath-Pomp & Circumsances / Finale 5.33
10. Sweet Dream 2.49
11. Dark Ages 9.51
12. Dark Ages (Studio Outtake) 1.46
13. Wardrobe Whopper 0.32

All songs written by Ian Anderson

*
**

John Glascock (2 May 1951 – 17 November 1979)

More from Jethro Tull:

Trevor Lucas – Overlander (1966)

Trevor George Lucas (25 December 1943 – 4 February 1989) was an Australian folk singer, a member of Fairport Convention and one of the founders of Fotheringay. He mainly worked as a singer-songwriter and guitarist but also produced many albums and composed for the film industry toward the end of his career. He married three times, his first wife was Cheryl (1964 – ca. 1969), his second wife was fellow folk musician Sandy Denny (1973–1978), and his third wife was Elizabeth Hurtt-Lucas (ca. 1979–1989). Lucas died on 4 February 1989 of a heart attack in his sleep, in Sydney, aged 45. He was survived by Hurtt-Lucas, his daughter, Georgia Rose Lucas (by Denny), and his son, Clancy Hurtt-Lucas.  (b wikipedia)

Trevor Lucas was one of the most acclaimed singer/songwriters Australia ever produced and although he was held in high regard in UK folk-rock circles, he remained virtually unknown in his homeland.
(Ian McFarlane)

Lucas’ solo album will most likely come as a surprise to those who know his work from Fotheringay and Fairport Convention. It’s pure traditional British folk, featuring his guitar and deep vocals complemented by violin and accordion, without a trace of rock or folk-rock. It’s competent but standard fare, comprised almost wholly of traditional tunes (“Waltzing Matilda” being the most familiar) and not one Lucas original. “South Australia” puts a bit of a spin on the genre, as there are relatively few British folk-styled performances with lyrics about Australia, rather than the British Isles. This rarity is primarily recommended to Fairport fanatics curious about the roots of one of Fairport Convention’s second-line members; dozens if not hundreds of similar albums in the style have been made by other performers. (bomber-blog.blogspot.com)

Personnel:
Alf Edwards (concertina)
George Gibbs (bass)
Cyril Harling (fiddle)
Trevor Lucas (vocals, guitar)

Tracklist:
01. The Overlander (Traditional) 2.33
02.  Waltzing Matilda (Traditional) 3.01
03. A Wee One (Traditional) 3.27
04. Lazy Harry’s (Traditional) 2.56
05. It’s On (Henderson) 2.42
06. South Australia (Traditional) 2.00
07. Shanties By The Way (Traditional) 2.04
08. The Shearer’s Dream (Lawson/Lloyd) 3.48
09. The Flash Stockman (Traditional) 1.51
10. Bluey Brink (Traditional) 2.57
11. On The Banks Of The Condamine (Traditional) 4.09
12. Bold Jack Donohoe (Traditional) 4.00

*
**

Trevor George Lucas (25 December 1943 – 4 February 1989)

Bronco – Smoking Mixture (1973)

Bronco were an English five piece rock and country band, who were signed to Island and Polydor Records between 1969 and 1973. They released three albums during their existence, Country Home (1970), Ace of Sunlight (1971) and Smoking Mixture (1973).

Bronco were formed in August 1969 by Jess Roden following his split from The Alan Bown Set. They were signed to Island Records by Guy Stevens and, after initially recording tracks at Olympic Studios with him, recorded their first album, Country Home, at Island’s own Basing Street Studios during 1970, with the final mix being overseen by Paul Samwell-Smith. One of the album’s tracks, “Love” was included on Bumpers, an Island sampler album. The group similarly recorded their second album Ace of Sunlight at Basing Street (1971) which was produced by the band and Richard Digby Smith. Singer-songwriter Clifford T. Ward guested on their debut album Country Home. Trevor Lucas sang back-up vocals on Ace of Sunlight, and both Ian Hunter and Mick Ralphs from Mott The Hoople also guested on that album. In January 1971, Bronco appeared on BBC Two’s Disco 2.

Following a serious motorway accident between Cheltenham and Bristol (in which the group’s crew – Dick Hayes and Alan Stone – and drummer Pete Robinson and bassist John Pasternak were badly injured) and a later, ill-fated West Coast of America tour, Roden left the band after a final British tour with label-mates Mott The Hoople and John Martyn in the early 1972, to start a solo career. Guitarist Robbie Blunt soon followed and the remaining members drafted in Paul Lockey on vocals (who Kevyn Gammond knew from Band of Joy) and Dan Fone on guitar. This incarnation of Bronco signed to Polydor and released one album, Smoking Mixture.

Bronco’s bass player John Pasternak died of a heart attack in September 1986. Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant fronted a tribute event for Pasternak in December of that year, that featured Plant and The Big Town Playboys, and concluded with an ensemble band featuring Plant, Jimmy Page on guitar and Jason Bonham on drums.

Two Bronco tracks are featured on Island records compilation albums: “Love” appeared on Bumpers released in 1970 and “Sudden Street” was on El Pea (1971). “Time Slips Away” was included on the Island Records compilation Meet on the Ledge, released as part of Island’s 50th anniversary in 2009. (by wikipedia)

Bronco are renowned as one of the UK’s most unfairly neglected early ’70s bands. Smoking Mixture was their third and final LP, and originally appeared in 1973. A superb collection of laid-back rock. (forcedexposure.com)

Personnel:
Dan Fone (piano, guitar, banjo,harmonica, vocals)
Kevyn Gammond (guitar, vocals)
Paul Lockey (vocals, guitar)
John Pasternak (bass, vocals)
Pete Robinson (drums, percussion, vocals)
+
Paul ‘Cosmic Charlie’ Gammond (tambourine)
Simon Lanzon (keyboards)
Royston ‘Aloysius Soul-Brother’ Williams (percussion)

+
unknown horn + string section conducted by Richard Hewson

Tracklist:
01. Attraction (Gammond/Ward) 5.11
02. Blueberry Pie (Gammond) 4.23
03. Southbound State Express (Gammond/Ward) 3.52
04. Steal That Gold (Gammond/Pasternak) 7.55
05. Strange Awakening (Gammond/Ward) 7.28
06. Tell Me Why (Gammond/Ward) 6.30
07. Tennessee Saturday Night (Gammond/Pasternak/Robinson) 2.56
08. Turkey In The Straw (Traditional/Gammond) 3.50
09. Zonker (Pasternak) 3.16

*
**

 

Fairport Convention – Across The Decades (2003)

Fairport Convention are a British folk rock band, formed in 1967 by Richard Thompson (guitar, vocals), Simon Nicol (guitar, vocals), Ashley Hutchings (bass guitar), and Shaun Frater (drums, percussion), with Frater replaced by Martin Lamble after their first gig. They started out heavily influenced by American folk rock and singer-songwriter material, with a setlist dominated by Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell songs and a sound that earned them the nickname ‘the British Jefferson Airplane’. Vocalists Judy Dyble and Iain Matthews joined them before the recording of their self-titled debut in 1968; afterwards, Dyble was replaced by Sandy Denny, with Matthews leaving during the recording of their third album.

Denny began steering the group towards traditional British music for their next two albums, What We Did on Our Holidays and Unhalfbricking (both 1969); the latter featured fiddler Dave “Swarb” Swarbrick, most notably on the song “A Sailor’s Life”, which laid the groundwork for British folk rock by being the first time a traditional British song was combined with a rock beat.

However, shortly before the album’s release, a crash on the M1 killed Lamble and Thompson’s then-girlfriend, Jeannie Franklyn; this resulted in the group retiring most of their prior material and turning entirely towards British folk music for their seminal album Liege & Lief, released the same year, with this style being the band’s focus ever since. For this album Swarbrick joined full-time alongside Dave Mattacks on drums. Both Denny and Hutchings left before the year’s end; the latter replaced by Dave Pegg, who has remained the group’s sole consistent member to this day; and Thompson would leave after the recording of 1970’s Full House.

The 1970s saw numerous lineup changes around the core of Swarbrick and Pegg – Nicol being absent for the middle of the decade – and declining fortunes as folk music fell out of mainstream favour. Denny, whose partner Trevor Lucas had been a guitarist in the group since 1972, returned for the pop-orientated Rising for the Moon album in 1975 in a final bid to crack America; this effort failed, and after three more albums minus Denny or Lucas, the group disbanded in 1979. They played a farewell concert in the village of Cropredy, Oxfordshire, where they had held small concerts since 1976, and this marked the beginning of the Cropredy Festival (since 2005 known as Fairport’s Cropredy Convention) which has become the largest folk festival in Britain, with annual attendances of 20,000.[8] The band was reformed by Nicol, Pegg, and Mattacks in 1985, joined by Maartin Allcock (guitar, vocals) and Ric Sanders (fiddle, keyboards), and they have remained active since. Allcock was replaced by Chris Leslie in 1996, and Gerry Conway replaced Mattacks in 1998, with this lineup remaining unchanged since and marking the longest-lasting of the group’s history. Their 28th studio album, 50:50@50, released to mark their 50th anniversary, was released in 2017, and they continue to headline Cropredy each year.

Despite little mainstream success – with their only top 40 single being “Si Tu Dois Partir”, a French-language cover of the Dylan song “If You Gotta Go, Go Now” from Unhalfbricking – Fairport Convention remain highly influential in British folk rock and British folk in general. Liege & Lief was named the “Most Influential Folk Album of All Time” at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2006, and Pegg’s playing style, which incorporates jigs and reels into his basslines, has been imitated by many in the folk rock and folk punk genres.[9] Additionally, many former members went on to form or join other notable groups in the genre, including Fotheringay, Steeleye Span, and the Albion Band; along with solo careers, most notably Thompson and Denny.[10] Hers ended with her death in 1978, though she is now regarded[by whom?] as Britain’s finest female singer-songwriter, and her song “Who Knows Where the Time Goes?” – recorded by Fairport on Unhalfbricking – has become a signature song for herself and the band. (by wikipedia)

Across the Decades is an apt title for a band that’s as much an institution as anything. With more than 35 years under their belt, Fairport have a huge catalog to cherry-pick from for what’s essentially a best-of release. Be warned, however, that there’s nothing from the classic Sandy Denny/Richard Thompson lineup that helped invent British folk-rock. Instead, this picks up in 1971, although there are cuts from Denny’s second, mid-’70s stint with the band. However, the bulk comes from later on, although many of the names are familiar, as is a great deal of the material; the pieces are played with plenty of energy and skill — probably more skill than when some of them were first rolled out.

But they stand the test of time, as do many of the songs, several of which are written in styles influenced by the tradition. Purists might well turn their noses up at some of this, and demand compilations that trawl all the way back in the band’s history, and, to be fair, there was a magic about some early lineups that’s not completely evident here. However, that’s not to decry any of this, especially at a budget price for a double-CD set. It’s not the perfect introduction to Fairport, but for those curious about the slightly later years, this is a good way to sample that. (by Chris Nickson)

Personnel:
Various Fairport Convention line-ups

Tracklist:

CD 1:
01. The Hexamshire Lass (Traditional) 2.37
02. Hens March Through the Midden/The Four Poster Bed (Traditional) 2.46
03. Sloth (Swarbrick/Thompson) 13.03
04. It’ll Take A Long Time (Denny) 5.31
05. Firs An Feathers (Swarbrick) 4.50
06. Cell Song (Mattacks/Nicol/Pegg/Swarbrick) 3.58
07. Who Knows Where The Time Goes (Denny) 6.29
08. Ballad Of Ned Kelly (Lucas) 3.46
09. The Deserter (Traditional) 4.31
10. Both Sides Now (Mitchell) 3.08
11. Walk Awhile (Swarbrick/Thompson) 4.09
12. Rosie (Swarbrick) 4.10

CD 2:
01. How Many Times (Thompson) 3.30
02. My Feet Are Set for Dancing (Lesurf) 4.03
03. Angel Delight (Mattacks/Nicol/Pegg/Swarbrick) 4.32
04. Red And Gold (McTell) 6.43
05. Open the Door Richard (Dylan) 4.59
06. It Takes A Lot To Laugh (Dylan) 5.44
07. I’ll Keep It With Mine (Dylan) 6.27
08. Tam Lin (Traditional) 7.58
09. Who Knows Where The Time Goes (Denny)
10. Doctor Of Physik (Swarbrick/Thompson) 3.50
11. The Naked Highwayman (Tilston) 4.44
12. Meet On The Ledge (Thompson) 5.31

*
**