5 Hand Reel — Earl O’Moray
Earl O’Moray is the band’s third album, originally released by RCA in 1978, and produced by Simon Nicol of Fairport Convention. The album has a definite Fairport/Steeleye Span influence that can be throughout. As a product of a difficult time in the folk world, punk was riding high and all things progressive and folky were very much looked down, the band’s legacy has been very much overlooked over the years. So, it’s nice to see Talking Elephant ensuring that this music is available for this and future generations of folk rock fans. This release brings together the original album and a couple of bonus tracks, which will make it of interest to collectors and it’s nice to see a lyrics sheet included for those looking to sing along.
The album opens with the reflective ballad, My Love is Like A Red, Red Rose. This is the perfect way to start the album, it’s both commercial and a perfect representation of what to expect from the album. Typical 1970s folk rock fare with more than a hint of Fairport and Lindisfarne about it, however, the band’s Celtic heritage can be felt throughout providing them with their own identity. Sheriffmuir opens with some brief military tattoo style drumming before heading into familiar Fairport/Steeleye Span territory. Dick Gaughan’s Scottish brogue gives the song a flavour all its own, however one cannot escape the influences of their peers. The Child on the Road is an infectious bounce along jig. The song starts off as nothing much more than a vocal line, by the end it’s a full blown folk rock epic. The Bonnie Earl O’Moray is up next. This is a moody, atmospheric, acoustic guitar led tune. Dick Gaughan’s vocals take centre stage here, his voice filling up all of the space that the sparse arrangement has allowed him. This also features some pretty great backing vocal melodies, which are probably from Bobby Eaglesham but I can’t find any confirmation of that.
The Trooper and the Maid is a slightly rockier number that again borrows from the Fairport sound. The Scottish flavour of some of the earlier tracks is still evident, and the fiddles play a key role in the sound. The Beef-Can Close is another of the album’s rockier numbers. All electric guitar and fiddle. Once again though you can hear the influence of Fairport and Steeleye, but once again Dick Gaughan’s Scottish brogue sets the band apart from their peers. Jackson and Jane may be my favourite track on the album. Very reminiscent of Fairport’s version of Tam Lin, the only thing missing is Sandy Denny’s voice. Musically the similarities are obvious and even the lyrical melodies are so similar that it’s hard to get Tam Lin out of your head. The final track on the original release of the album was Freedom Come-All-Ye written by Scots poet and songwriter Hamish Henderson. The lyrics sheet states that this is a song of hope and in all honesty that hopefulness translates beautifully into the music. Providing the album with a perfect closer. The bonus tracks are the single version of album opener My Love is Like A Red, Red Rose and the cheery guitar and fiddle led instrumental Pinch of Snuff.
Overall this is a pleasant enough folk rock album with a real Celtic flavour. Its similarity to both Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention is both a blessing and a curse. The songs are well written and performed with great skill, and Simon Nicol’s production is as good as anything from that period, however you do still find yourself constantly comparing them to Fairport Convention, which is a bit of a shame as they are great musicians and the songs themselves are so well crafted. Dick Gaughan’s vocals give them something a little different to their peers but the music is so similar you just can’t escape hearing them all over this record.