across is a sense of devilment in some of the jokes and ditties. There is also warmth in the telling of the stories and the singing of the songs. The sleeve notes, which are excellent in detail and source info, mention how he would start singing one he had just remembered before bursting into Postman Pat - how frustrating for Andrew his son.


Rod Stradling describes this collection as being one of the most important made. I am not qualifi ed to disagree with him, so I won’t. It’s a challenging listen, and not one you would manage in one go, but I do feel better for the experience.


Dave Beeby LEON ROSSELSON


The World Turned Upside Down Fuse Records CFCD077


The standing joke I have with this beloved magazine of ours, is that I am happy if it sends me a review copy of any CD that no other reviewer wants to handle. And on the rare occasion, they have done just that.


But today, my cup runneth over with good fortune. I am still pinching myself at my luck in having two glorious artistic gems to start off my reviewing year of 2012 with. As if having the McCalmans’ fi nal concert DVD to review was not enough, I now get this 4-CD set of the best of the colossal life’s work of this great hero of


the British folk scene: a man who you’d not be far wrong in calling the Musical Conscience of the Nation.


Imagine getting 294 minutes of music that features the following musicians and singers (I’ve listed here in strictly alphabetical order!): Frankie Armstrong, Roy Bailey, Mark Bassey, Steve Berry, Billy Bragg, Martin Carthy, Howard Evans, Chris Foster, Sue Harris, Paul Jayasinha, John Kirkpatrick, Clare Lintott, Elizabeth Mansfi eld, Ruth Rosselson, Fiz Shapur, Dave Swarbrick, Miranda Sykes, Roger Williams, The 3 City 4, The Oyster Band and The Sheffi eld Socialist Choir. Tell me, would the smile disappear from your face before next Christmas?!


The 72 songs on these 4 CDs are a


representative sample of Leon’s work, spanning 5 decades from the start of the Sixties to 2010 and the fi rst British coalition government since World War Two. The songs range from those aimed at children to those aimed at governments: and they almost never miss their mark.


And along with the 4 CDs (the fi rst three covering the best of his output in the 60s, 70s and 80s, and the fourth the nineties/noughties), we have a quite magnifi cent liner booklet with nearly 80 pages of text and photos. Really informative text on the writing of each song, as there was no need to waste space fi lling it with song lyrics: if there is a better enunciator of song lyrics than Leon, then I’d like to know where that person is! Every word he sings is crystal clear.


And talking of clarity, the booklet is an object lesson in how to present the written word. Black print on a white background has never been beaten for ease of reading, and Leon’s notes on each song prove fascinating in that they fi rmly link the song to the events of the time.


And so, preamble over, now let’s look at the CDs in turn. First, the one covering the Sixties.


There are two songs I particularly remember here as being part of the staple repertoire of fl oor singers in the clubs I attended back then. Tim McGuire, his song about a pyromaniac, stands up well to the passage of time; but his bitter-sweet Do You Remember? stands


Big Whistle Music – meeting the needs of whistlers everywhere!


Introducing the High D Tuneable WS Whistle Developed by the distinguished fl ute maker Willy Simmons, the WS is now available in mature Yew wood.


This beautiful whistle is fastidiously fi nished and decorated with silver fi ttings and comes complete with maker specifi c carrying case.


Each feature has been painstakingly considered and refi ned. Rarely will you fi nd an instrument of such tonality, capable of hitting notes throughout the whole range with such deadly accuracy.


£275.00 Big Whistle Music


Ribble Court, Suite 2G 1 Mead Way,


Padiham Nr. Burnley BB12 7NG


0845 612 5522 sales@bigwhistle.co.uk Visitors are most welcome by appointment www.bigwhistle.co.uk Sponsored by BIrnam CD The Living Tradition - Page 49


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19