A Review of the Maddy Prior CD
"Collections"
"Collections"
by Maddy Prior
copyright 2005
Park Records PRKCD80
www.parkrecords.com
info@parkrecords.com
This review is written by Dai Woosnam, daigress@hotmail.com, 8/05
It is always a huge pleasure to review a Maddy Prior album, and as
this is a double CD, then truly my cup runneth over. Prior remains the
most distinctive female voice BAR NONE on the UK folk scene.
The full title of this new release is “Collections ~ a very best of
1995 to 2005”. Thus it is that Park Records have raided the archives
and come away with the choicest cuts from the following Prior albums:
“Flesh & Blood”, “Ravenchild”, “Arthur the King”, “Lionhearts” and
“Bib & Tuck”.
Quality songs abound like “The Great Silkie of Sules Skerry” and
“Liverpool Judies”, and there are a few live concert tracks added, and
these include a sublime version of my all-time favourite song from her
repertoire, “Deep in the Darkest Night”.
I need not list the personnel accompanying her in the recording studio:
some of these are real Folk A-List people, and well-known to your
average British Folkie. That said, I want to
mention one. I can always detect the work of Troy Donockley: his
multi-instrumental talents always exude taste and a questing intellect.
This is a double CD that does not disappoint. Of course it is not one
for her devoted fans: they already have the originals from which most
of this CD is drawn. But it is an ideal Maddy “starter” for those
Folkies who do not have her in their collection.
I’d like to end the review there, on such an upbeat tone. But alas I am
duty-bound to add a slightly censorious note. And it is aimed at Park
Records.
Look, my dear friends, it is bad enough that one or two of your rival
labels so distrust a reviewer that they shamefully stamp “Not For
Resale”, on review copies. But you have gone a step
further: you have used a hole-punch to desecrate the liner booklet! To
show to potential re-buyers that this was a gratis review
copy. Well, all I can say is that John
Fletcher’s quality liner notes deserved better than such a philistine
act removing some of his text.
Talk about rubbing up a reviewer the wrong way! As soon as I saw this I
felt a compulsion to write a negative review. It is a tribute to the
CDs’ content but not to you, dear Park Records that I have
given it such a clear thumbs-up.
Dai Woosnam
Grimsby, England.
daigress@hotmail.com
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