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WHERE THE
WORKING BOATS WENT
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Wixamtree A
celebration of 250 years of the British canals It is the music from this CD which won us
the FATEA Tradition 09 Award
which… “…is presented to the act
that have traditional folk at the root of their sound and use it to
inspire new songs, tunes and arrangements.” fROOTS …an intelligent collection of songs… The duo’s
keen insight into their subject benefits from genially musical accompaniment
making this a charming and often impressively memorable disc. Graeme and Barry have a keen feel for their chosen
subject, and their writing is intelligently crafted, appealing in melody and
well-observed imagery… Such is the quality of these original songs, their
overall memorability (and fine chorus quotient),
that I can envisage a number of them filtering through into wider currency
very quickly indeed… performances strike an ideal balance between
enthusiastic drive and gentle sensitivity, being accomplished and warmly-sung
with a style and manner of musical accompaniment (melodeon etc.)… that’s perfectly complementary, being simply and
effectively managed and genuinely attractive. In short, this is a real winner
of a disc. Read the full review here. FOLKANDROOTS.CO.UK …an affectionate and largely nostalgic portrait
that's nevertheless sensibly tempered with realism. …intelligently crafted,
perceptive and melodically appealing in the
contemporary-but-sounds-traditional vein. They convince and charm us… These
are compositions of quality and memorability,
several of which I envisage quickly being taken up by other performers.
Graeme and Barry's pleasing and accomplished performance style… Warmly-sung
with attractive, simply-managed and wholly complementary musical
accompaniment… their songs together form a delightful, stimulating and
entertaining programme and a disc to treasure. Read the full review here. (near bottom of page) TIM CARROLL
of www.folkwords.com …finely crafted music and song… This album has presence. Its
charisma comes through its gentle yet perceptive lyrics, warm rounded voices,
and masterful musicianship. …it's a damn fine piece of work. If you feel
affection for the canals or just love folk music - then this is a rare
masterpiece and you'll love it too. Read full review here. UNICORN
MAGAZINE This CD is of a very high standard all round, and
as well as musically excellent, it is accompanied by well-researched sleeve
notes. The lyrics are thought-provoking, yet catchy enough to become firm
session and club favourites. WHAT’S
AFOOT For those who are interested in canals and their
history, this is a must… periods brought to life via authentic,
traditional-style songs… The songs’ lyrics tell an enthralling story and the
songs are sung with verve. Enjoy the expert melodeon playing and some
beautiful violin countermelodies to some of the gentler songs. There is a
dance-y feel to the up-tempo songs. MARDLES The songs have a good mixture of tempos and
rhythms… The addition of two original melodeon tune tracks, (very interesting
with plenty of syncopation) further increases the variety of the listening.
There is a very high level of musicianship from all three performers, and the
songs are relevant and well crafted… The songs are performed in a way that
compliments the subject matter and makes them very easy to connect with. Many
of the melodeon tunes/accompaniments have a cheery “morris”
feel, giving a great lift and adding to the atmosphere of celebration and the
pride of the people who worked on the waterways. So to sum up – a very good CD, whether you’re
interested in the inland waterways or not, and if you get the chance to see
the show, I would highly recommend you to do so, and you’ll probably see me
there too. Their songs are carefully researched and cleverly
written, reflecting industrial history. …I am not known for offering
praise where it is not due, but this is a collection of no less than
seventeen excellent songs and tunes, mostly self-penned and several strong
enough to enter the tradition. I would tip 'Carrying the Load' (Goodman),
'The Row between the Boaters' (Meek), and the evocative 'Until the Cut Runs
Dry' (Meek) as three easily in this class. I'm going to learn 'em anyway. Their atmospheric rendition of 'Push, Boys,
Push,' is a leg up from the old Boatmen's original version too. I defy the
track 'Iced In' not to send shivers down the spine of anyone who has tried
winter boating. It brings to mind David Blagrove's
haunting ballad of the death of Tom Beachy on the Read full review here and here. TAPLAS …excellent songs, confidently delivered. ENGLISH DANCE & SONG Barry and Graeme have been very diligent in their
approach, as well as creative in their compositions. The singing is confident
and clear and accompaniments, though simple and solid, allow considerable
scope for variety, which keeps the theme flowing in a steady and pleasant way
– in fact rather like the canals they describe. The vocals are impressive - strong, precise and with excellent diction… The quality of the individual songs is steady throughout. …if English folk music in its most time-honoured form floats your boat (sorry, couldn't resist) then you’ll love this… In the 21st century, it's reassuring to know that the story telling tradition is in good hands, at least if Messrs Meek and Goodman have anything to do with it. JAN IVARSON (EKEN MORRIS) We can recommend the CD with the great songs! TERRY FERDINAND THE FOLK …what a great cd it is … fab CD |
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CHARIVARI
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Wixamtree Songs of Bedfordshire
history, customs, legends etc. fROOTS The songs on Charivari have connections with
various parts of the county (of Bedfordshire); they deal with a healthy
variety of subjects from those steeped in local customs and festivities, local
“heroes”, local legend, historic local industries, and the Grand Union Canal.
There’s also a song to accompany a local mummers’ play which reminded me a
bit of Bob Pegg’s Rise Up Jock. The unpretentious yet accomplished playing
(guitar, melodeon and concertina with occasional fiddle courtesy of guest
Debbie Chalmers) is affecting, eminently musical and suitably vibrant, well
matching the solid singing style. The variety of styles between the
individual songs is cleverly managed. The spirited tunes are common to the
repertoire of local dance band Time of Your Life, in which the duo also play. A very likeable release. SHIRE FOLK Well written and well researched. I wouldn’t wish
any of the tracks off the CD. It would be great to hear more of Graeme Meek
and FOLKWRITE …this rather good album. …their solid style and
presentation demand attention. Strong vocal work is complemented by
well-played instrumental accompaniments… there is a good old English feel
throughout this collection of songs and tunes. The vocal tracks have a
pleasant warm and melodic quality that never becomes dry or hard on the ear
and the listener is left with a sense of well-being which comes from hearing
music well-played and sung. WHAT’S AFOOT …this is a very polished CD – fine singing and
playing with varied arrangements for finely crafted songs… if you write and
perform this will give you a quality to aim for, do give it a listen you
won’t be disappointed. FREEFOLK.COM This pair would go down well at any folk do that I
know of, and they have a long string of festival appearances to prove it.
It’s a pleasure to recommend these strong singers with their unusual
repertoire, good workshop potential, to listeners and festival bookers alike.
I end with a salute to guest fiddle player Debbie Chalmers for her notable
contribution. FOLKANDROOTS.COM This album is a fascinating attempt to bring the
traditions, customs, practices and history of Bedfordshire to life and it is
done in a very genuine and clear fashion breathing life into customs and
folklore… These are songs that deserve a wider audience and they will
hopefully receive one… SOUTH FOLK MUSIC NETWORK Once in a blue moon the postman brings a package containing
a CD for review that you know is going to be outstanding – this is one of
those. We get several packages a week but this one was an absolute pleasure
to listen to. It was good to hear Graeme and Barry’s well-written and
beautifully crafted songs providing an interpretation of the history and
traditional stories and customs of Bedfordshire given a new lease of life.
Why have we not heard more of Life and Times? They play well together, the vocals are clear
concise and full of emotion on all the tracks. This is a well put together
album and full of English folk music at its best. …we loved it… TIM CARROLL
of www.folkwords.com Tradition
at its finest Do
you want to understand the English folk music tradition? Then take some time
to listen to Life and Times. This duo is Graeme Meek (guitars, bouzouki, vocals) and Their
CD – Charivari – is a fine example of their art. The combination of their
rich, warm English-accented vocals (not an American drawl in earshot) and
sound musical foundation gives their performance a well-rounded unadorned
feel that is becoming increasingly hard to find. Too often, frippery and
overblown production is applied to folk music. Nothing like that happens
here, the music is all you get and it’s worth every second. Little wonder
that these two are well known for bringing the English musical tradition to
the ears of school children – long may they continue. There
are elements of the folk world that want to tear down tradition and replace
it with ‘new’ at the expense of realising where the ‘new’ came from. The
music of Life and Times proves that although ‘new’ – in all its different
branches - is good and healthy, tradition has much to give. For without their
roots where would the branches be? If you want to
know where our musical heritage lives listen to Life and Times – it’s that
simple. |
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SHROPSHIRE
IRON
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Fellside Recordings FE071 (& FE071/c
cassette) Songs of
The Industrial Revolution in 18th Century SOMERS JOURNAL I think Life & Times have a record to be proud
of: good title, good songs, good content – good luck to ‘em! |
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STRAWPLAIT
& BONELACE
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Fellside Recordings FE043 (& FE043/c
cassette) Songs of
Bedfordshire history, customs, legends etc. FOLK ROOTS The sheer diversity and creativity of Graeme’s songwriting
should leave lesser tunesmiths in envy. |
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BARRY’S
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…and an
Australian Morris internet review of The Grandson of Morris On states: Some of these newies are real corkers like Click here to read more. |
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