Famous family of folk
Jerome Clark | Canby, Minnesota | 07/02/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"In the liner notes Martin Carthy threatens physical harm -- a swift, unsoft kick to the posterior -- to anyone who insists on calling Waterson:Carthy "'The First Family of Folk' or even (God help us) 'The Royal Family of Folk.'" So let us say here that Martin Carthy, Norma Waterson, and their daughter Eliza are, mmm, among the most, er, prominent, respected, and, uh, influential traditional British musicians. Dare I add beloved, or am I pushing my luck? Martin and Norma (who was one of the legendary Watersons, whose harmonies, once heard, are never forgotten) helped shape the early folk revival. Eliza, singer and fiddler of talent equal to her genetic inheritance, will take it well into the new century.Walking encyclopedias of the British (especially English) tradition, they find obscure songs and little-known versions of well-known ballads. From them, they fashion a deeply rooted, yet still modern and innovative, art. This, their fourth album under the Waterson:Carthy name, maintains the rich quality of the others. Aided by singer and melodeon player Tim van Eyken, they tackle 11 songs. One -- "The Old Churchyard," learned from the late Arkansas singer Almeda Riddle -- is American in origin, though it doesn't sound like it in W:C's reimagining. "Death and the Lady" is a much older, more explicitly medieval version of a ballad which, when it crossed the ocean and found its way to the lips of Dock Boggs and Ralph Stanley, became "Oh, Death." In this reading, Death is actually described; he's bald, gray-bearded, "his clothing made of the cold earthen clay." If you see someone matching that description, cross the street as fast as you can. Fortunately, not everything is this scary. There is, for one glorious example, the absurdly lovely "Diego's Bold Shore," a 19th-Century whaling song wonderfully sung by Eliza. It's the sort of piece you don't want to end, ever.Every superlative in the English language has at one time or another been hurled at Carthys and Watersons. Enough. Just listen to this CD, and your life will be better."
Joining the throng
Jerome Clark | 05/28/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It amazes me when a band of old and new veterans continue to put it together as well as this clan does. It's not only the comfort of expectations met (for all the reasons stated above) -- it's putting a disc on and feeling as if a whole new world of English folk music were being unveiled at that very moment, even if they've been doing it for decades and changing with the times just enough to stay relevant without losing their soul. Nice bonuses: Martin Simpson on slide guitar on two numbers and Barnaby Stradling on "Fylde acoustic bass guitar" on one. I will always regret that Norma Waterson's sister Lal never recorded with the group; but one has to know when to stop asking for more when such a treasure has been and continues to be given to us. The most pleasant surprise, lyrically speaking: "The Outlandish Knight" is given his just due for a change."
An Extraordinary Effort from a Remarkable Family
o dubhthaigh | north rustico, pei, canada | 10/11/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Although in his liner notes Martin Carthy seeks to discount his family's reverential status in the folk-roots world, nonetheless, the Carthy and Waterson clans have not just preserved a rich and full tradition, but have also seriuosly advanced its beauty, its power, its sublime grace and drama, and for that deserve praise indeed, even if at times a bit overboard.This is the third outing from this trio and stands as remarkably incandescent as its predecessors. All of the hallmarks associated with their names are present in spades here. Carthy's percussive guitar work, Lisa's sensual fiddle lines, Waterson's earthy and warm and full blooded delivery are accompanied on this outing by Tim Van Eyck's melodeon and arrangements that at times blow straight from the working fields or high seas to the heart of the listener.Again, in his notes, Carthy graciously acknowledges the sources of the songs on this release, but it is what they do with them that is the core of the wonder they bring to the material. Perhaps nowhere is this more true than with Norma Waterson. Her way of getting inside the character of a song is utterly devastating, and frankly, as good as the recordings are, they pale in comparison to her live delivery. If ever there was a band deserving of DVD Audio only relases it is this ensemble.So be the songs whaling adventures or material from Packie Byrne or traditions handed down from the Copper Family, you'll find in this disc an extraordinary statement of the wealth and treasures to be found in English song. Waterson:Carthy are a family to be reckoned with. They've done their culture and the art of song great service. Long may they sing and play and grace our lives with drama, beauty and passion."
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1