Julia And Other New Stories - Clifford T. Ward

Advantages: Easy listening, beautiful songs.
Disadvantages: Clifford died so no more from him.

...I have written an outline of my own history with this music in my other review of this artists songs, so will not repeat myself here. But first just a little of Cliffords history. Clifford T Ward died in his 57th year and that was a musical tragedy for his voice is pure and sweet. He put his songs together writing both lyrics and music. Clifford used poetry quotes in his music and told us stories that people can relate to. If he wrote books he would have written wonderful love stories with twists and turns all the way through. I truly believe that Clifford could have been one of the all time greats. He apparently refused to go on tour at all or promote his music much. He produced beautiful songs I think, for his own benefit, rather than for commercial gain. This music isn't something you either love or hate, I believe... Read review

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Advantages: Beautiful, stories put to music and sung by a wonderful voice.
Disadvantages: Some of his work isn't on CD

...gave way to tapes and then to CD’s. Eventually our old stereo system went the way of most older systems and was replaced by one that didn’t have a record deck on it. I lost touch with this beloved music until one day my sister phoned me and said “What do you want for Christmas?” Well out of the blue and on the spur of the moment I said a Clifford T Ward CD. I hadn’t thought of his music for a long time so then went on the internet to look up what else he had written and sung. What a shock I got, he had just died and it felt like I had lost a friend, having just found him again. My sister found and sent me Home Thoughts From Abroad for Christmas but couldn’t get Mantle pieces on CD. So for my birthday she asked me to choose another and Gaye and other Stories was the one I chose. Never having heard it or known what tracks were... Read review

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Advantages: Beautiful songs, sympathetic arrangements
Disadvantages: It's over too soon

...When the exquisite "Gaye" reached the airwaves in the summer of 1973 and eventually climbed to #8 (UK), it was evident that here was an astonishing new talent. To general disappointment the whimsical follow-up "Wherewithal", a more commercial single, also went on to the Radio 1 playlist but failed to chart. Both are still heard from time to time on the radio, but if you only know the former English teacher from Worcestershire from those songs and want to know more, you should buy this compilation. His gift for melody and lyrics is unique. The most famous song apart from these two has to be "Home Thoughts From Abroad", written in a wry conversational style, was named after Browning's poem of the same title. It namechecks Wordsworth and Keats, and asks, 'Do you still use television to send you fast asleep - does the cistern still leak... Read review

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