ALBUM REVIEWS
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ALBUM REVIEWS |
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Sandy Denny & The Strawbs
ALL OUR OWN WORK WITCHWOOD MEDIA 28.6.10 @www.vanguard-online.co.uk
Representing a body of work pre-Fairport Convention, Sandy Denny’s only album in collaboration with The Strawbs has been given a thorough remastering and has been joined by no less than twelve previously unheard outtakes and demos (that’s twice the original count). It’s an interesting collection of songs; the combination of Denny’s legendary folk voice only working in part when combined with the thoroughly more upbeat and – at times – bluegrass sound of the rest of the band. Compare and contrast Denny’s “Stay A While With Me” and following track “Wild Strawberries” and you’ll see what I mean. I must admit I struggle with the original concept of the album; it feels as though the two musical entities have been forced together, with the compromise that they can slot in a couple of their own songs regardless of the overall appearance. So we have The Strawbs’ comedy/morality tales “How Everyone But Sam Was A Hypocrite” and the amusingly outdated “Pieces of 79 and 15” alongside two different versions of Denny’s classic “Who Knows Where The Time Goes” – and thanks to the outtakes you can choose whether you wish to hear this song with (track 16) or without (2) a string section. Sadly neither is a patch on the version she recorded with Fairport, as it feels like the band are racing her to the end; the vocal and music simply don’t keep up with one another. Where they collaborate successfully the sound is very enjoyable. Opening track “On My Way” was clearly given its position due to its harmony of artists, while “Tell Me What You See In Me” has, somewhat improbably, been chosen as a download single to launch the album. You really have to take the rough with the smooth to make it through this release though. While at times you can relax and let the sound of Denny’s vocals wash over you, it’s not long before The Strawbs come along and stick their foot in it with something like the hideous “Sweetling”. As an easy-to-read guide to the difference between the two bands, we have the same song with different vocalists for your consideration. “Nothing Else Will Do” with Dave Cousins on vocals (11) sounds like a Dylan cover, but when Sandy gets her hands on it (14), the song transforms and the words have different meanings. If listening to the album from beginning to end, you’ll notice the last six tracks are simply those not good enough to make the final cut. And they’re all by The Strawbs. In fairness, “I’ve Been My Own Worst Friend” and “Poor Jimmy Wilson” aren’t too bad, but the banjo extravaganza of “Strawberry Picking” and the final - let’s not hide this - overtly racist throw of the dice “Indian Summer” were left out for a reason. It’s a shame that the album ends in this way, because there are some excellent tracks available here, and it’s unfair to judge the whole by bonus material that’s included for proper fans of the band. So for balance, I’ll treat this as an album and a bonus disc: on the whole, the original album is excellent, with just a couple of tracks letting it down. The bonus material must be approached with an open mind and as what it is; bonus material not originally intended for release. www.strawbsweb.co.uk More Strawbs on Vanguard Online: Album Review – September 09 |
