Search - June Tabor :: A Quiet Eye

Uneven and down a step

J. C Clark | Overland Park, KS United States | 07/15/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I love June Tabor. Not a lot of those I have forced her upon share that passion. So, this review is for the authentic fan. I think this CD weaker than many others. It sounds the same, has the familiar husky vocals and sultry arrangements, but just not grab viscerally as her best work does. Think "No Man's Land" or "The Great Valerio". If you have to have everything, go ahead. If you're wondering, Aleyn is a much more intersting disc."

Good, but not her best

cammykitty | Minneapolis, MN United States | 10/13/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I love June Tabor's music. I've seen her in concert three times and it is always an incredible experience. She has a gift for bringing voice and power into traditional and modern folk songs. But this album isn't her best. If you are new to her music, I'd start with any other album except for "Some Other Time." I think "Some Other Time" has vanished off the face of the earth, but if you find it used somewhere, don't fall for it. It's good music, Monk tunes etc, but she hadn't figured out how to bring life to Jazz and blues back then. The odd/interesting thing about Quiet Eye is the mix of folk with Jazz. As one of the professional reviews mentioned, this is nothing new for her. She's been experimenting with Jazz for a long time. Angel Tiger and Aleyn has a lot of the feel and instrumentation that Quiet Eye has, but they did it better. It isn't the blending with Jazz that is the problem. My first impression of Quiet Eye was a disappointment, but after spending more time with it, I've changed my opinion. I'm very happy I have it. Most of the songs are wonderful. However, the first few songs don't cut it. The second song, Place Called England, sounds like it should be sung by Billy Bragg with a lot of biting commentary added in. Sure June has sung Billy Bragg's songs before and made something incredible and unBragglike out of them, but Place Called England doesn't quite work. Not musical enough. Not clever enough. The rest of the album though is up to her standards and well worth getting if you've already got everything else by her."

+ 1/2 stars...The Orchestral Arrangements Are Hit and Miss

Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 03/12/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I first encountered June Tabor when she teamed up with Maddy Prior for 1976's SILLY SISTERS. This was one of my favorite Celtic albums of the period. While June Tabor remains one of the finest vocalists of the British folk music scene, unfortunately A QUIET EYE is not a traditional folk album--there's not a fiddle or guitar in sight. Instead Tabor works with the horn-laden Creative Jazz Orchestra and musical arranger/pianist Huw Warren.Standout tracks include the cover of Richard Thompson's "Pharaoh" and the a capella reading of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face." The one track where the orchestral backing works well is the closing 8-minute-plus medley. "The Water is Wide" provides a subdued piano backing to Tabor's ethereal vocal. "St. Agnes" is a lovely instrumental. The medley closes with another haunting vocal over a droning horn on "Jeannie and Jamie." [Running time: 58:54] RECOMMENDED"