Folk & Country > 5 GBP to 10 GBP Folk & Country > Folk

Original, fun & sometimes moving

Advantages: Kate's fabulous northern singing voice
Disadvantages: None, in my opinion.

Kate Rusby's singing voice is a very honest one, revealing her northern accent, which I think is wonderful in this age of Pseudo-American pop singers. She manages to convey both complexity and simplicity in her well-crafted songs - which draw on traditional lyrics and original music. The album opens with guitar used almost percussively in the intro to The Good Man - a highly unique, humorous and ambigulous song (traditional lyrics), and works its ...
...think?) xylophone... don't quote me! Unfortunately, the album wanes a little in the middle, but the first and last few songs are memorable and lovely. I have to say I haven't liked everything I've heard Kate do (slushy duets with Ronan spring to mind) but this album was the first I heard of her and a good introduction. I have yet to see Kate and band perform live, but would very much like to. Good stuff. ...

lizdavies 08.01.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Underneath The Stars - Kate Rusby

I am stretched on your grave

Advantages: a few truly superb songs
Disadvantages: A few weaker links.

Rather a morbid title I realise, but it is in fact one of the tracks from what has proved to be quite a good album. Being something of a folk devotee, I had approached Kate Rusby with scepticism - she's 'made it' into normal music outlets, which must mean she has sold out and just done an album of easy listening? Well not actually quite true. This is certainly the sort of album that non-folkies might get along with, but its true to some good traditional ...
...'proper' folk - spend any time in a folk club and you soon find that most of the traditional songs are about sex and/or death (except for the ones about fishing, but there it is.) "Sir Eglamore" an old, and rather silly song about a knight and a dragon, set to music by Kate. It has all the 'lanky down dillies' you could possibly ask for in a folk song, (I have no idea how anyone sings anything like that whilst keeping a straight face.) "As I roved ...

Bryn_Pearson 20.06.2002 · Read full review
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Review of Hourglass - Kate Rusby

The Greatest battle of Rock

Advantages: excellent music, history recorded, Dylan at war with the audience, unique expirence
Disadvantages: addictive, NONE!

...much but you struggle to live for long periods without it and just outright need to hear the music. And hearing a new version or new bootleg of his material is a high that is surely better than any drug can offer. Dylan is widely hailed as a genius for the songs he has written and the social change he has influenced, but there are quite a lot of people who say other people are better performing his material. This shows a lack of understanding on ...
...himself. This feature in Dylan's live ability becomes very important to understand when listening to the 1966 bootleg performance. Perhaps you can only truly appreciate what is happening in the audience if you have sat before Dylan and experienced him. But you can get a very good idea without knowing first hand such is the power of the 1966 recording. I kept putting off buying this album because I thought it was going to be 'special' and I spent ...

pink 04.08.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Live At The Royal Albert Hall 1966 (The Bootleg Series Vol.4) - Bob Dylan

Mercurial, moody and lyrically accomplished.

Advantages: Haunting and funny by turns
Disadvantages: none

...bar for forty years, her being about half that age. Beautifully sung, nevertheless. § The Sleepless Sailor A song about a sailor who craves his womans arms when at sea and the arms of the sea when he is home again. Typical bloke, can't commit. With Roger Wilson. ...

Saturn 07.12.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Sleepless - Kate Rusby

Confessions of a Folk Music fan

Advantages: Beautiful voice, incredible harmonies, every song tells a story
Disadvantages: None

Having pretty wide musical tastes, I enjoy all sorts of music from rock and jazz to country, but I’ve always had a passion for folk music and used to be a regular visitor to the local folk clubs in our area before we had kids and stopped going out for about 15 years. At this stage I'd like to make it clear that I don't sport a tangled beard, own badly fitting Aran sweaters, wear sandals with socks or break-out in unaccompanied song when I'm ...
...folk music, traditional and modern, Irish and Scottish, with perhaps a preference for American and in particular singer songwriters such as Paul Simon, John Prine and Leonard Cohen. One of the best of my recent CD acquisitions is a cd by singer/songwriter Kate Rusby who I believe has an abundance of talent and is capable of making the folk genre more popular than its been for a long while. Kate Rusby was born and raised in Yorkshire, and whilst I’ve ...

Merv 21.05.2003 · Read full review
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Review of Little Lights - Kate Rusby