Top Bar
Musique Machine Logo Home ButtonReviews ButtonArticles ButtonBand Specials ButtonAbout Us Button
SearchGo Down
Search for  
With search mode in section(s)
And sort the results by
show articles written by  
 Review archive:  # a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

The Cannon Hill Irregulars - In Their Prime [Talking Elephant - 2019]

It would be easy to suggest that The Cannon Hill Irregulars were merely a spin-off from The Albion Band and Gryphon, but that would be distinctly unfair on this wonderful collection of musicians. The project was the brainchild of former Albion Band member Anthony Ingle, but also features Graeme Taylor (another Albion Band alumnus and a member of Gryphon), Michael Gregory (The Albion Band) and Jon Davie (Gryphon), to add to the Gryphon contingent Brian Gullard make appearances on several tracks across the album. The album is also notable for the appearance of former Albion Band and Home Service singer/songwriter Bill Caddick, who sadly passed away in 2018.

Talking Elephant have made their name on the back of re-issuing classic Folk Rock albums from the 1970s, however the good news is they are branching out, providing a platform for new music within the genre. The genesis of this album dates back to a 1981 tour, when The Albion Band’s new keyboard player Anthony Ingle was so impressed with the band’s playing and attitude to the music that it set him thinking, and 38 years later this is the culmination of those thoughts.

After opening with the jigs, "Happy to Meet Sorry to Part/Roarin’ Jelly/Rake of Kildare" we are treated to "Rambling Comber" a cheery folk ditty with an underlying progressive quality that comes from the unusual time signature. "The Broom o’ Cowdenknowes" is a melancholy ballad featuring a lead vocal from Bill Caddick and some excellent lead guitar work from Graeme Taylor. "Lancashire Morris/ Laud’Num Bunches" provide an instrumental interlude. "High Germany" is up next utilizing a tune that instantly takes me back to the Shirley Collins version of "Cruel Lincoln" from her wonderful Lodestar album. "Yorkshire Wassail" adds a little festive fun to the proceedings, this is followed by "General Taylor", a great folk-rock version of the song previously released in acapella form by Steeleye Span. "Bundle of Sticks/Hoboeken-Dans" provides another interesting musical interlude at the album’s midpoint, a sort of prog/folk track that highlights the exceptional musicianship on display throughout the album.

"Right of Way" and "Leave her Johnny" kick the second half of the album underway, both tracks are taken from the Lionel Bart musical Maggie May, but both work well in this setting. "The Green Bed" is one of my personal favourites on the album, this wouldn’t sound out of place alongside tracks from Fairport’s Liege and Lief or Unhalfbricking. "Over the Broom/Nine in the Morning", a couple of original instrumentals from Anthony Ingle are next, these are followed by "The Devil and the Ploughman", a bawdy bit of nonsense that would be frowned upon if written today, but nevertheless it remains a fun, none too serious listen. "Young Sailor Cut Down in His Prime" is up next and features a great lead vocal from Bill Caddick, at over 6 minutes in length it is the longest track on the album and something of an epic. A seemingly fitting epitaph for a legendary singer/songwriter. The album closer "Battle Brawl/Ronde No. 10" has a distinctly Gryphon style feel to it, mixing medieval folk sounds with progressive rock to great effect.

Overall, In Their Prime is the perfect title for this album, this sounds like a band at their melodious peak making music they love. The fact they are all accomplished musicians with a long history does not take away from the album’s vibe which is that of a band working in unison to create a solid slab of Folk Rock. The high points for me include "High Germany", "General Taylor", "The Green Bed" and "Young Sailor Cut Down in His Prime", the rest is at worst solid and for the most part pretty strong. The performances are brilliant, the band are tight, and both Graeme Taylor and Anthony Ingle use their skills to greatly enhance the album through their lead playing. A top album from a great label.

Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

Darren Charles
Latest Reviews

The Cannon Hill Irregulars - In T...
It would be easy to suggest that The Cannon Hill Irregulars were merely a spin-off from The Albion Band and Gryphon, but that would be distinctly unfair on t...
290324   Stuart Argabright & AfterAfte...
290324   Piranha - Piranha(DVD)
280324   Typhoon Club - Typhoon Club(B...
270324   Jerzy Skolimowski Collection ...
260324   Latex Choker - Sealed
260324   Occlusion - 59: No Input Wall
260324   Nihil Impvlse - Anabasis
260324   Marta Forsberg - Sjunger För...
260324   The New Boy - The New Boy( Th...
250324   The Stargazer’s Assistant - ...
Latest Articles

The Music of Clay Ruby & Burial H...
Over the last couple of decades Wisconsin native, Clay Ruby has been creating some of the world’s finest dark electronic music under the Burial Hex mon...
280324   The Music of Clay Ruby & Buri...
290224   Sutcliffe No More - Normal Ev...
100124   Occlusion - The Operation Is...
181223   Best Of 2023 - Music, Sound &...
051223   Powerhouse Films - Of Magic, ...
181023   IO - Of Sound, Of Art, Of Exp...
210923   Lucky Cerruti - Of Not so Fri...
290823   The Residents - The Trouble W...
110723   Yotzeret Sheydim Interview - ...
250523   TenHornedBeast - Into The Dee...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2023. Twenty two years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom