Happy to give it a listen. Well, well, well...new faces! The "tweens" get some air time. Anna is carefully distancing out back by the barn. Lily adds more gentle spirit. Anything that tamps down the politics in my brain for a few minutes is welcomed. Nice respite
t Thx Keam, I rather warmed to Rufus during his introduction, i am afraid I went off him again as soon as he started singing!
At least you got Lily and Anna and the gang. I just love the little babies and the whole thought in it. Also Jane & Peter being adorable at the end.
Loudon is on an online show called "Is It Rolling Bob" on Oct 4th. It might be just him talking about Bob Dylan, but you never know.
Green Green Rocky Road Another song I could probably sing on the spot if I tried. Often, I listen to McGarrigle records and find one or a few songs that are so nice and moving and/or catchy that I can’t stop thinking about them. I easily get stuck on songs, so to say, and I’ll hear it run circles in my brain while I relisten, memorise and sing it to myself under my breath constantly. This usually goes on until the next song captures me. In some cases, I retain the memory of the lyric. This would be one such song. It’s just catchy, well performed and attractive to the listener, like everything else on this superb record. The holy foursome return and they add Emmylou on top! It’s also a perfect sixties singer-songwriter style tune. In the notes, they mention it was played to death back then, and this recording is sort of a ‘revitalizing’ effort from their side. They hoped to pick it back up out of the grave after people have had a few decades to digest all the bad covers they endured in every coffee house. In my opinion, though it was all long before my time, I think they succeeded.
Lovely review. I love the tweens appearing too! Giggi and Isly got me really excited, as they come from the 'shyer' part of the family (we will discuss Jane's soon in a couple of albums), and seem pretty talented. Also I've watched this about a million times and for some reason "Social distancing" never dawned on me as a reason for Anna being so far off from the camera - I assumed Dane filmed it, in which case social distancing would be uneccesary.
Pages of pure enjoyment - what can I say - I was captured and captivated by every song posted , including the lovely rendition of Happy Birthday I know the Seeger rock song 'Accompany Me' and always liked it, nicely reinterpreted here . Both Rocky Road and Hard Times are familiar staples - performed for years (and years and years) at coffeehouses, open air concerts, song circles etc. But I never tired of either song - and these are fine renditions here. Hard times never really go out of 'style' do they? But the song is especially meaningful now. I liked this version of Rocky Road better than one that was posted earlier. Btw - when I heard Rocky Road some time ago - with some different lyrics- the singer related that this was actually a song for the Underground Railroad ( for escaping slaves ) disguised as a children's song. I think Dave Bromberg and Danny Kalb have performed the song with the lyrics I' m familiar with. In that version, there were references in the lyrics there were coded symbols that stood for signposts to lead the fugitives north to freedom. I'd also like to mention that I' m still lol rolling in the aisles over @Hightops cartoon . Rufus the rooster huh? Heh heh . Tho I actually thought he did dial it back a bit on the recent songs. He has a pleasantly strong voice for harmonies, when he does so. The highlight of it all, of course, was Alice Blue Gown. That's a keeper. Even if you don't remember it from your own past, it creates a feeling of poignant nostalgia . I was curious about the title and looked it up- found out that Alice Blue refers to the color of a dress worn and favored by President Teddy Roosevelt's daughter Alice. A pale pastel blue, as lithe and lovely as the song. Finally, I very much enjoyed the interview with Kate and Anna. You could feel the warmth and closeness radiating from the two sisters - lucky, as they said, to have this dear relationship through all the years . I' m enjoying the McGarrigle Hour songs - and related posts - totally. Keep the good stuff coming Keam , and keep up the great work on your part.
Your reviews make me blush. I am so glad enjoyed it all, and while I don't have time to respond to each song review on it's own, I am glad you enjoy all the music! Anna's Bob Seger (one E, not two like Pete Seeger) cover is amazing and Kate on violin is a very nice thing. I also love that interview. Anna has that characteristic happy face where her eyes becomes thin little lines, almost closed (they have very narrow eyes which is a rather interesting facial feature actually). It's so cute! So yeah agree with all you say, and thanks for the sweet praise!
Green Green Rocky Road This is pretty good, each of the vocalists does a good job, I rather like Kate’s verse, and then Emmylou comes back strongly at the end.. When I first bought the album this was one of the versions I was most interested to hear, but in fact I don’t tend to seek it out so much these days. I am not particularly in love with the song; it is one of those things which guitarists tend to learn at a certain level of competence which sounds good and is fun to play, but the song behind it tends to drag a bit for me.
Good to hear. I love Kate's verse too! And sweet Emmylou...well I don't have 30+ CDs, LPs, DVDs and "7s for nothing.
I've always thought part of Emmylou Harris's success (apart from her voice and talent!) has been due to her apparent lack of ego - I'm sure she does have a certain amount of it, but not in a negative way. She's always seemed to be a good team-player who enjoys working with other acts without the need to dominate them. Every time I've seen her play live she comes across with a certain amount of humility, which I think is one of her biggest assets.
Heartburn (Rufus Wainwright) Not terribly interesting, this one. Rufus' voice is pretty but the song is basically nonsens. Young love and heartbreak and all the other cliches. "Can I be spared from being so dramatic?" Obviously not, since you ask!
She's a super nice person, it seems to me. She actually signed a picture and mailed it to me on the request of a friend of hers (and mine). Even sent a second one when the first one disappeared in the mail. It's really beautiful. I know she's done other similar favours for people who know this particular friend before. Very nice of her.
The McGarrigle Hour - DVD As we are rapidly approaching the end of our track-by-track consideration of the CD, I decided to treat myself to a viewing of the McGarrigle Hour DVD, which has sat on the shelf for too long. Wow ! This was a special treat which i must say i enjoyed enormously, in fact more than the CD... i find the CD rather bitty, there are some great things on there, but in amongst a few songs i find average or performances I actively dislike. Given the extra warmth and energy of the live performance, the obvious rapport and affection between the performers, and some extra care around some of the harmonies, I found the DVD a very rich experience indeed. Some of the songs which i didn’t warm to on the CD I rather enjoyed here, Martha’s solo song for example. And I am delighted to say that Mendocino is restored to something at least approaching it’s former glory. The four bonus live songs from 1981 are terrific, and include two of my all time favourite in Excursion a Venise and Cheminant a la Ville. I note that my DVD gives Anna rather than Kate a co-writing credit on the latter, which is surely wrong. And gosh Rufus is young....now i do feel mean !
Well isn't that wonderful! You're even coming around to Martha & Rufus! I LOVE the DVD too. Its amazing, a really great thing. Does yours have the paper insert? As for the credits, there is unfortunatly several errors in the print on that DVD. Anna recieves an incorrect credit for Cheminant, "La Belle S'est etourdie" is renamed "Tu M'etourdis" and Philippe Tatartchef has his last name misspeled.
Young Love More Chaim for the people! Just kidding. Seriously though, I throughly enjoy Chaim as a musician and singer. His voice is very unique yet has a comforting quality about it. My own grandfathers are not very musically inclined, so I don't really know what it's like, but 'singing grandad' is the first association I make when I listen to Chaim. The song itself is not anythingI feel strongly about, this time. It's not bad - the writing is actually quite nice - but neither does I find it to be anything particularly spectacular. It's the vocal work that really carries it, I think. In short, a lovely song with a good performance. Nothing to blow you out of the water but enjoyable nonetheless.
Young Love Liked this much more than I thought I would, especially considering I never took to the original pop hit. Chaim does not have a superb voice, it's not smooth; guess I'd say some of the bark's peeling off . But what he may lack in perfect tone; he makes up for with a lot of heart. He sounds sincere , and earnest, and just as nervous and hopeful as a young man at his first courtship would. The arrangement mho far outdoes the original; and that blues harp is a stroke of genius. One I' d be happy to listen to again, and as far as I' m concerned , he could stand under my window and croon it like a sweet young lover would- anytime.
Chaim has always reminded me a bit of Pete Seeger. I'm on board w/ guitargal's assessment of the performance.
He moved down to New Jersey about ten years ago (which is where another McGarrigle pal Richard Thompson also now lives) though given recent events he might be back in Canada by now.
You sparked my curiosity with this observation. At first I thought the comparison may have been b/c both men are lanky , unassuming in appearance, and soft spoken. Then I checked out a number of Chaim's songs on YouTube and I see what you mean - his voice is amazingly similar to Pete's. And I am so glad I started listening to his songs- what a gifted talent he is. I can't resist a few comments on what I've heard so far. As an overall comment, I'd say Chaim writes and performs with great depth of emotion , and his observations of people and places are so vivid , you feel you know them, and you feel you are there. London, Longing For Home - heh heh at first I thought he was longing to be home in London , but more likely he's feeling stranded midst the wet pigeons and cats crying at the rain streaked windows. Shenandoah is a favorite folk tune of mine, and I love how he threads it through the song. Makes you hope the singer made it back there again. Farther Along- Another traditional type song , simply done . You can see how Chaim truly loves this type of music , and the people it speaks for. I know Keam mentioned there was something comforting in the way he sings. Like a kind grandparent , you can hear that comfort here. The next two are tied for my favorites so far I Cried For Us- A sad story of failing love , beautifully told. Straight from the heart . It's real and touching and heartbreaking and says it all with subtlety and finality. Should be a classic. That ties with Brooklyn 1955- Well when I first heard it I had to pinch myself and ask - hey waitaminute.- didn't Chaim grow up in Canada? But without knowing the place first hand; he makes it sound like he ( and we) have been there. I don' t know how many details he stitched together from old movies and novels - but it sounds genuine. I can only guess that he spent quite some time listening to some Brooklyn old timer telling the way it was. The clincher is when he says - Brooklyn would never be that good again. It goes right to the heart - because , well; isn't it so that no place you grew up in - whether Montreal or Brooklyn or Shenandoah or even rainy London - will ever be as good as when you were young? So I thank you Chaim fans for sparking my curiosity about the man and his music. Every song I've heard of his is one I want to revisit - many times. I understand he didn't record his first album until he was 68. (!!!) All I can say is- it was well worth the wait.
