Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Deleted??? *QUOI*???

There are some albums that just should never, never be deleted (a la Nick Drake) - and here are at least two of them, plus another that is debatable and one that was barely released in the first place...

The Bothy Band - The Bothy Band (1975)

The Bothy Band were, quite simply, the best instrumental Irish traditional folk band ever - and that includes The Chieftains (I won't say the best Irish traditional band because their songs didn't always live up to the tunes and I'd have scores of Planxty people on my tail). Not content with three stunning lead instrumentalists (fiddle/pipes/flute), the rhythm section of guitar/bouzouki/harpsichord creates - when in full fling - the most incredible clattering racket this side of Jack Off Jill (I know, I said that about the Dresdens as well). Some of the climaxes to these sets of tunes are just mind-boggling.

I saw them in concert a couple of times and actually did a gig with them once, at the National ballroom in Kilburn some time around 1976, followed by a couple of hours jamming with them afterwards. I played a bit of bouzouki myself in those days, though it was probably a bit of a cheek to sit there playing it with Donal Lunny in the session as well...

I'm *staggered* that this is deleted. If there is a good response and demand I'll post the other two albums as well.

01 - The Kesh Jig & Give Us A Drink Of Water & The Flower Of The Flock & Famous Ballymote
02 - The Green Groves Of Erin & The Flowers Of Red Hill
03 - Do You Love An Apple
04 - Julia Delaney
05 - Patsy Geary's & Coleman's Cross
06 - Is Trua Nach Bhfuil Me In Eirinn
07 - The Navvy On The Line & The Rainy Day
08 - The Tar Road To Sligo & Paddy Clancy's
09 - Martin Wynne's & The Longford Tinker
10 - Pretty Peg & Craig's Pipes
11 - Hector The Hero & The Laird Of Drumblaire
12 - The Traveller & The Humors Of Lissadell
13 - The Butterfly
14 - The Salamanca & The Banshee & The Sailor's Bonnet

Post script: apparently this album *is* available, from the Mulligan Web site in Ireland - so no download, sorry. Link below goes to the Mulligan site instead.

Buy The Bothy Band first album

Modern English - After The Snow (1982)

Another CD that I'm staggered to find deleted is the second album from Modern English. I know that people generally say that their first is the classic (and it *is* very good) but this is the one I come back to time and time again. Of course, it features 'I Melt With You', which was a minor hit, but there are some other fantastic songs as well. For some reason I like to have 'Tables Turning' blaring out of my car as I drive up and down Green Lanes on my way to and from Sainsburys in Harringay. Truly great stuff, and not at all what you might expect from 4AD.

Again, if there's a good response I'll post the third album and some 12" mixes.

01 - Someone's Calling
02 - Life In The Gladhouse
03 - Face Of Wood
04 - Dawn Chorus
05 - I Melt With You
06 - After The Snow
07 - Carry Me Down
08 - Tables Turning

Download Modern English second album

Arlo Guthrie - Arlo (1968)

Something that I'm slightly less surprised to see unavailable is Arlo Guthrie's second album. After Alice's Restaurant I guess the label wanted something similar, so this live album has its share of stoned comedy raps alongside the more serious 'Meditation' and one of my favourite songs 'Wouldn't You Believe It'.

01 - The Motorcycle Song
02 - Wouldn't You Believe It
03 - Try Me One More Time
04 - John Looked Down
05 - Meditation (Wave Upon Wave)
06 - Standing At The Threshold
07 - The Pause Of Mr Claus

Download Arlo Guthrie second album

Le Cheile - Lord Mayo (1975)

Finally, an album that has almost certainly never been released on CD and almost certainly never will. While The Bothy Band were doing their thing in Ireland, a whole slew of pubs in North London were hosting small-time amateur bands of Irish ex-pats. One of these, The Favourite in Holloway, was the long-time haunt of the great Jimmy Power (ooh, the nights I spent there...), and I *think* this lot hung out there as well. Beware, though, this album has a *banjo* on it... and a *concertina*...

And I don't have their other album. Does anybody?

01 - Lord Mayo & The Green Groves Of Erin
02 - The Bucks Of Oranmore
03 - Grannies' Gravel Walks
04 - Oh Hag You Kill Me & The Drink Of Water
05 - Oliver Goldsmith's Lament
06 - The Broadway Hornipe & The Bunch Of Keys & The Boys Of Ballisodare
07 - Slievenamon & Colonel Fraser
08 - Swedish Jig
09 - Thatched Cabin Air And Reel & Master Crowley's Reel
10 - The Moyasta Reel & Trim The Velvet
11 - The Old Bush & The Galty Reel
12 - Connemara Jig & Over The Hills To America & Paddy Fahey's & Buckley's Fancy

Download Lord Mayo by Le Cheile

Oh - and lest you thought that Raymond Roland, John Roe, Kevin Boyle, Danny Meehan, Liam Farrel and P. J. Crotty were a bunch of goodfernuttin hippies...

15 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm shocked that The Bothy's first album is deleted. I saw them at Aberystwyth commodore Cinema about the same time and they were superb.
A great album, all fiery and before they softened up and became US radio FM friendly.

11:18 pm  
Blogger GeoX, one of the GeoX boys. said...

Thank you, sir! More Modern English would be great.

5:27 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's a very good idea to post The Bothy Band. Any chance to have a good scan of the covers ? I think it could be a great interest, for all the albums.
Thanks
Klord

10:51 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I would love to see more Bothy Band, especially at as high a bitrate as possible as they are so hard to find in decent quality. As usual the band was ripped off by record companies that still fight over the royalties and refuse to release material fans would love to hear. I have to say that one American company is responsible for most problems, including dodgy versions on CD. You know who you are!!!

8:59 am  
Blogger mineforlife said...

More modern English Would be great. Wasn't After The Snow remastered and re-released with bonus tracks?

5:07 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Any chance of re-posting Tony Rose's "Young Hunting"? What you have from May still downloads, but won't unpack. Thanks!

9:58 pm  
Blogger Witchseason said...

The Tony Rose download seems fine, don't know why it won't unpack for you.
Yes, the Modern English CD was issued with bonus tracks, but I don't have it & it isn't available any more - hence my vinyl rip.

6:42 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Am I the only one who loves the Arlo album? I played 'Alice's Restaurant' constantly when it first came out, but just couldn't get into his studio recordings. They somehow seemed a bit bland. Since then I've heard a lot of Arlo live stuff and I think that's where he really comes alive. Thanks a lot for the post - and all the Grimms and other great stuff you've been uploading recently.

11:24 am  
Blogger mineforlife said...

Any chance of re-upping the Eg & Alice record?

3:39 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

From John Roe 17.11.07
Le Cheile is alive a kicing - and the Lord Mayo is available on CD.
We played a gig at the Camden Folk Festival in October, blew everyone away !!!.
By the way it wasn't the Favourite, it was the White Hart in Fulham Broadway, hence the inclusion of "The Broadway Hornpipe". Band = John Roe, Kevin Boyle, Danny Meehan, Liam Farrell, and two new great musicians, Andy Martin and Paul Gallagher. Sadly Raymond Roland and PJ Crotty passed away some years back. but we were very pleased to see Angela Crotty and Rose Roland supporting our comback at Camden. If you want to buy a CD contact Alan O'Leary.
There was a second LP, I have one in my sideboard somewhere.
I hope you still enjoy the music.

JJR

11:32 pm  
Blogger Private Beach said...

Then again, there are plenty of albums these days that should have been deleted before they were ever released!

9:24 am  
Blogger wormpiano said...

i've been looking for the "arlo" album forever online. i am forever in your debt.

6:27 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

re the bothy band - always thought the harpsichord killed the backbeat stone dead-a lot of the sets of tunes just dont work beause their rooted to the thunk thunk of the chords going down...now planxty.. yeh - they were another band that just couldnt make an album . live - saw them at durham folk fest that year - that was a gigand a half- but they just could not record . wether or not it was the equipment of the day -see the way that Free were hopelessly underserved by the studios of the time,another fabulous live band - but recordng wise ..yuck.( and - funnily enough - another band that was eventually ruined by putting a keyboard in.)

8:46 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Found Lord Mayo at the local thrift store the other day. It was in a De Danaan (Song for Ireland) sleeve (Don't quite know the significance of that). Pretty good stuff!

Incidentally, anyone who thinks Americans don't like fiery ought to check out "Minding Mice at the Crossroads," by Orla and the Gasmen, out of San Francisco. Check out cut 15, "Father O'Flynn/Boney Parts the Red Sea/Lark in the Morning." Whew! Musical chipotles!

5:58 pm  
Anonymous Celticgem said...

How can I get my hands on a le cheile CD? Is there any website? Email? My mum was good friends with Raymond and it would be lovely to hear such great music again. Many Thanks

7:39 pm  

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