THE NOMINATIONS FOR THE MONTPELIER STATION AWARD FOR THE BEST NEW RECORDING OF AN OLD SONG ARE AS FOLLOWS
on Ragged Kingdom by June Tabor and the Oysterband
I
think of June Tabor as "that
lady who sings the rather distant, mournful, depressing songs about
Scotland and the sea, often without accompaniment", which range
from "my favourite songs ever(*)" to "oh, get on with it, for goodness
sake!" In case you were wondering, her new album, Ashore failed to get
nominated for the Nautical award because while it was undoubtedly brilliant it was also a teensy weensy bit how can
I possibly put this boring. But of course, she can also more than hold
her own providing the lyrics while the Oysterband are rocking out like
it's 1990. There is a productive incongruity between the traditional text
and the electric arrangement. Hardly any band can mess
this song up: how can you fail with lines like "I'll raise a numerous
army/ And through tremendous dangers go /And in spite of all the
universe /I'll conquer the bonny Bunch of Roses, O". June Tabor sings it like she's going to personally cross the channel and give Young
Napoleon a jolly good talking-to. This song would have been nominated for the
BEST TRACK FOR PEOPLE WHO
DON'T THINK THEY WOULD LIKE FOLK MUSIC award, should such an award
exist.
(*) King of Rome, Place Called England, Unicorns, A Proper Sort of Gardener, Hughie Graham, Best Patrick Spens Ever, etc
(*) King of Rome, Place Called England, Unicorns, A Proper Sort of Gardener, Hughie Graham, Best Patrick Spens Ever, etc
on Wayside Courtesies by Pilgrims' Way
Pilgrims' Way are the probably the most exciting new
band of 2011. ("New" is here defined as "band I first heard perform in" by which definition, admittedly, Steeleye Span would count as "new" but let's not get bogged down at this stage). They're essentially
traditionalists, with the touch of electricity on some songs not nearly as distinct
as the jews harp (a.k.a "that thing which goes twang?") on others. Lucy Wright's vocals are forceful but sweet sounding ever-so folkie without ever drifting into nasal cliches.
A Pilgrim's Way is also a pome by Mr Rudyard Kipling which was set to music by Mr Peter Bellamy. If you aren't careful it can go on for ever. (Jon Boden, and indeed Mr Bellamy himself, were not careful.) Pilgrims' Way (the band) give it a light, musical feel, free of trickery or fireworks; and Lucy navigates "Amorites and Erermites and general Avergees" as if she had some idea what it meant.
It has been mentioned before that many of us in the blogsphere could be improved by a judicious application of the precepts of verse 3.
A Pilgrim's Way is also a pome by Mr Rudyard Kipling which was set to music by Mr Peter Bellamy. If you aren't careful it can go on for ever. (Jon Boden, and indeed Mr Bellamy himself, were not careful.) Pilgrims' Way (the band) give it a light, musical feel, free of trickery or fireworks; and Lucy navigates "Amorites and Erermites and general Avergees" as if she had some idea what it meant.
It has been mentioned before that many of us in the blogsphere could be improved by a judicious application of the precepts of verse 3.
on The Works by Spiers
and Boden
I have to admit to being slightly
disappointed by The Works -- much as I love Spiers and Boden, I
wished they could have given us an CD of new material, rather than
new takes, however high quality, on material we already know pretty well. That said, any one track
on the album is great, and this one is just about my favourite. The story of how Bold Sir Rylas cut an old lady in half is a
great Pythonesque yarn with a sing-a-long chorus the singing along
on the album is no lessor a person than Maddy Prior. (Martin Carthy
contributes to Prickley Bush, but you’d hardly know.) All together
now: He split her head down to the chin! You should of heard seen
her kick and grin!
WINNER:
Pilgrims Way by a country mile. (BUT NOTE: It’s
really “The People, Lord, thy People” not “The people, oh, the
people.")
