Now this IS what I call a Folk/Rock album.

I LOVE this album. It could turn out to be my favourite of all time. I love every single track on it and for many different reasons.

My background in music is not in folk but mainly Blues, R and B. and Rock. If I tell you that some of my favourite bands in the '60's were The Stones, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream, The Animals, Yardbirds, The Who........ you can see where I'm coming from. Back in the 'mists of time' (O.K. the late '60's then) I was seeing a lovely Irish girl, petite and slim with long flaming red hair, green eyes.....sigh... Oh sorry I digress. Anyway she took me to all the local folk clubs and I found that I loved this music, mainly for the tunes and stories but I did not like the 'weak' acoustic sounds, usually just 'backed' by one instrument or even unaccompanied. How I yearned for a rhythm section.  

With the advent of Folk/Rock in the late '60's and early '70's my dreams were answered, in fact the 'whole' turned out to be greater than the two halves really (that sounds illogical - but I think you know what I mean) and, well, the rest is history. So I tend to get a bit nervous when I think these magnificent Folk/Rock bands are getting a bit too near the 'acoustic' side of the music. So this album is a big step in the 'right' direction, at least for me, although I know a few people will be a bit dismayed at this change of tack.

Two favourite tracks so far, as you've probably guessed as they are the rockers, are the tremendous 'John of Ditchford' and 'Well Done Liar'. If fact the instrumental break in 'John of Ditchford' has me in a state of rapture. Is that really a violin?

I also really love 'The White Cliffs of Dover'. It's beautifully menacing with a feeling of great foreboding, particularly in contrast to the rather 'hopeful' sounding sentiments of the lyrics, which makes them sound rather ironic now. This track makes me 'crackle' like static electricity. It also makes me think how different this England is now to the one that I grew up in. It was very brave to record this and it works. Startling!

'Beyond the Dreaming Place' is just too beautiful. It could have only been sung like this by Gay, her voice is just magnificent and the instrument sounds and arrangements are really stunning.

My goodness I do love this album.

Track list.

Richard Hollis. 2000