Search - Steve Tilston, Maggie Boyle :: Of Moor & Mesa

Excellent contemporary folk

C. H Smith | Bowling Green, Kentucky United States | 01/19/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is just one of the many fine recordings, starting with his "An Acoustic Confusion" in 1970, of Brit Steve Tilston, one of the very best singer/songwriter/guitarists now active. Very few performers excel to the degree Tilston does as a combination guitarist (in the Bert Jansch/Pierre Bensusan/Davy Graham mold), tunesmith, and sensitive and penetrating lyricist, and he seems to be losing no momentum as time passes (his late 2003 release "Such & Such" fully maintains the run of first rate material). In this 1992 work he is accompanied by his then-wife vocalist Maggie Boyle, and the results range from effectively rendered traditional pieces to some of Steve's best and best known original material: 'Another Place to Hide,' 'Salvation is Such A Long Way to Go,' 'Coronado,' 'The Slip Jigs and Reels,' and 'The Naked Highwayman.' Unfortunately, only a few of Tilston's recordings are available through commercial outlets, but Steve maintains a website from which almost his full backlog can be obtained. After this, I would suggest his mid-80s "Life by Misadventure," "Swans at Coole" (a wholly instrumental venture), and the recent "Solorubato"--but anything you can get is a good bet!"