The Carter Family: 20 of The Best

The liner notes go. The Carter family hold the position of being the most celebrated and most influential vocal harmony group in the history of country music. Ever since the days of the early colonial settlers, singing families had developed as part of America's musical heritage. With the development of the recording industry and the increase in the sales of radio and phonograph equipment, in the twenties and thirties, the Carters took their traditional folk ballads into thousands of homes throughout the country. On this album you can hear twenty of their best recordings. The songs are played and sung by Alvin Pleasant 'Doc' Carter, his wife Sara Carter (nee-Dougherty) and Maybelle Carter (nee-Adlington married to Alvins brother Ezra).

I have to admit that, although I am a fan of the Carters, I do prefer my folk a little more weird and a little more crudely religious. Think Becky and Sandy meets Rev. Merrill Ted Burns Sr wrapped up in a little of The Braillettes and Isabel Baker. Now I certainly am not a person of religion, in fact the complete opposite but when it comes to 'down home' traditional music I don't think there'a anything better than a self-published album of religious nonsense. 

Leif Ramløv Svendsen & Maria Kämmerling: Baroque n Roll

This album, when I found it, made me squeal out loud. I teach music and guitar as my day job, for the local Music Service and one of my passions is baroque music. Subsequently  I own a large collection of albums celebrating the baroque era but, this was one I wanted but just couldn't get my hands on. Then, a few days back, I walked into one of the local charity shops and browsed their record bins. As I was flicking through, this album popped into view and I had to do a double take just to make sure I wasn't dreaming. 

It is a rare and beauteous album that warrants all the praise it gets. Comments may reveal a treasure.

Ken Griffin: Cruising Down The RIver

Ken Griffin; where do I start? Our Ken plays leisurely paced organ all the way through this mildly hypnotic album. The choice of music suggests a trip down some imagined river in the deep south of the US of A. The river certainly isn't a fast flowing one though, more a meandering, babbling brook. At times the music makes you feel like you're being smashed over the head (by a fluffy bunny) with a giant marshmallow. I'm not sure if I dislike this album or actually really love it. Only time will tell.

Frank Chacksfield: Chacksfield plays the Beatles' Song Book

A Phase 4 record highlighting the technical wonders of a custom built 20 channel console mixer. This album has wonderful cover art that reminds of Crystal Tipps and Alistair and orchestral music that reminds me of some of the finest Bruton, Chappelle etc. Excellent recordings of the usual Beatles hits. 

                                   

Street Organ Plays International Favourites

There's something about the sound of a street organ that just makes me quiver with happiness. Here's an album that I found in exquisite condition, hardly played, cover perfect and without a mark on it. The back cover explains better than I what it's all about.

Long before radio and television became general property, the street organ was bringing music to everyone.
The sound and the instrument came from Italy and passed north by way of France and Belgium to the Netherlands. Here the street organ found its spiritual home. we can feel confident that however modern and streamlined life may become in t he future, the organ grinder pushing and playing his street organ will remain a familiar sight. Romance is not quite dead! Besides, the music is so distinctive. Whoever hears the sound of the street organ is immediately under its spell. Whether the tune be gay or sentimental, the street organ makes it 'hummable' - something that sticks in the mind.

By far the most famous street organ is known as "De Arabier" (named after the painting of an Arab on the front panel), and it is this instrument which you hear on this record. This organ was built by Pierre Verbeek in Antwerp in 1928. Later, G.Perlee of Amsterdam adjusted it and rebuilt it, and may now be heard in the northern town of Groningen: a beautifully decorated instrument with a rich, gay tone.

"De Arabier" is capable of playing many tunes and it tackles them all in its own inimitable style - a style which is famous throughout Holland and, increasingly so, abroad.
This record demonstrates the international range of the repertoire od "De Arabier", bringing you fourteen tunes from several different countries.

Koekoewals (The Cuckoo Waltz)
Red roses for a blue lady
Petit fleur
This land is your land
La vie en rose
Whispering hope
Jealousy
Ramona
The carousel waltz
Grootvaders klok (Grandfather's clock)
Charmaine
In the chapel in the moonlight
Wonderful Copenhagen
Land of hope and glory

The Amazing Bavarian Stompers

Here we go mein Freunds. A fine little album filled with humour and delight from Pye Studios, London. The album is arranged by the very un-German sounding Frank Chislett and is produced by the very British Tony Hatch. Most of the tracks are made up of medleys and sing-a-longs which sway between comedic silliness and less comedic silliness. The album is an example of that late 70s kitsch that errs just on the right side of cultural piss-taking. My copy is actually signed by Mr Chislett which means nothing to many but a lot to me. :)

Children Talking: BBC TV Series

'Children Talking' is an album that does what it says on the box. It has an interviewer (Harold Williamson) asking children, from around Britain, various questions such as, Where do babies come from? Who wants to be a Millionaire? The Children's reactions are priceless and have that 1960s innocence. It is a looking-glass peering into the social engineering of a past age. An age where you knew your role, even as a child and presciently, it points a finger at our age. Where, in fact, so little has changed. A list of the subjects/questions (the recording is just a straight side-A and B with no individual tracks) goes.

Where Do Babies Come From? (North Wales)

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? (Children Of 'Top People')

Ambition (The East End Of London)

School Life (Newcastle)

Life In Hospital (Leeds)

The World Of Grown-ups (Manchester)

Weddings (Nottingham)

Running The Home (Sunderland)

The Royal Family (Northern Ireland)

God And The Bible (Crawley)

What Would You Like To Be? (Manchester)

Dreams (Liverpool)

Getting Into Trouble (Burnley)

Christmas Nativity Play (Sunderland)