Customer Reviews

10

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First of all--let's get this out of the way: Kate Rusby has dethroned Custer LaRue as my favorite female singer. She holds the crown until further notice. Second, 10 is a great--hear me very well--GREAT recording. Early Kate, late Kate, young Kate, older Kate--it is all great Kate.

This recording, 10, is a celebration of the first ten years of Kate's career. It features new songs, re-recordings of old favorites, and some great live tracks. It also features Kate at new heights of brilliance.

It is hard to pick favorite tracks here. They are all excellent. However, since it must be done:

I Wish was the first track that caught my ear. It is also one that will stay in your head. A fast-paced tale of unrequited love, it'll stick with you long after first listening and it also wears exceptionally well over time (a signature of Kate's work).

Cowsong is a brilliant arrangement of a traditional song where for once the woman is surprisingly not the one getting the short end of the stick. It features the wonderful lines:

"Never trust a girl with your mother's cow. Never let your trousers go falling down in the green grass."

My two favorite songs on this disc are live versions of songs previously heard on Kate's album Hourglass: Sir Eglamore and The Drowned Lovers. Kate does an up-tempo yet flawless take on both of them (The Drowned Lovers is one of my favorite songs of all time). It is hard to believe (if not for the applause) that these songs were indeed recorded live.

One more great song (then I promise I'll get around to shutting up) is the new version of I Wonder What is Keeping My True Love. It is a perfect example of Kate's ability to express an almost contemplative sadness.

Have no reservations about getting a copy of 10. It is a great disc. I give it my highest recommendation.

There are several things that make Kate Rusby's recordings stand head and shoulders above those of her competition. They are musicianship, creativity, perfectionism, good judgment, a keen eye for other talent, and a deep understanding of her own talent. All that, and her voice is absolutely perfect for folk singing. An ideal folk voice has perfect pitch, richness throughout the register, no "break" in the higher register, and a bit of a smoky quality. Kate's voice has all these. She also has the sense to surround herself with absolutely top notch musicians, so a Kate Rusby recording is not just a chance to listen to a beautiful folk voice, but to very creative, imaginative arrangements played with absolute skill (listen to the accompaniment to "I Wish" on this album). Her recordings are also absolutely superbly engineered. As you listen to these recordings multiple times, you begin to realize that every nuance, every phrase and ornament, has been thought through, but still sounds artless and natural. This is in no small measure due both to her own exacting standards and those of her husband and producer, John McCusker.

This recording, "10", is the perfect chance for listeners to hear re-done versions of several of her best songs, taken mostly from "Sleepless," but also from several other albums, and to compare them to the originals. Slight differences in tempo and ornament can make a huge difference in how a song is perceived. Most of the re-arranged songs on "10" are taken at a slower tempo than originally recorded. That's because Kate Rusby's voice is ideal for "weeping songs," and a slower tempo allows her to make the most of the pathos inherent in most folk songs, and also to do the ornamentation she does so well, turning even the most mundane tune into something special. "The Recruited Collier" and "The Sleepless Sailor" absolutely come alive done in this way, and "Botany Bay" is so much better on this album it's phenomenal.

If you aren't already a Rusby fan and are trying to decide which album to buy first, make it this one. For one thing, "10" just has more music on it, making it a better buy, but the real reason is that this is Kate at her best--every song is a gem. I've played this album for at least 20 people, all with different musical tastes, and every one has said, "Wow."

I first heard Kate's voice on an awards program on BBC television and was totally captivated by it. This in itself is surprising because I think of myself as someone who loves much harder rock music, As an experiment I bought 10 and Underneath The Stars because I wanted to hear more and now, after listening to them I'm totally hooked.

Kate's vocal quality is enchanting and her Yorkshire accent reminds me of home, my father is a yorkshireman, and her music tugs at my heart-strings in more ways than one.

The acoustic quality of Kate's albums is superb. Guitars and plaintive Irish whistles complement perfectly the haunting quality of the vocals and the albums make for truly great listening.

Even though I consider myself an old rocker I love Kate's work and would recommend it to anyone.

It is difficult to believe that someone so young could be so accomplished in her field. And yet Kate Rusby is indeed an amazingly talented artist. This album, celebrating her tenth year in the family business (both her parents are folk musicians, and her brother Joe handles sound and mixing on Kate's albums and in her concerts), shows why Kate has been so successful. Her arresting voice conveys the mixture of heartache and hope in the traditional style of her native England, both in well-known songs, and those written by Kate and her husband and partner, John McCusker. What sets this album apart from past albums, is the combination of studio and live tracks. In the tracks recorded on tour, one gets a taste of this powerful performer. This is a great album for those who are new to Kate's work, and I can guarantee you'll be hooked.

I must give credit where credit is due: Kate Rusby is not from Edinburgh, Scotland. She hails from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England--coal country, a meditative land of green rolling hills dotted with flocks of sheep. This mining town has produced one of the finest gems in traditional music. Yet Kate's songs echo far beyond the dales of Yorkshire. Her story-telling songs connect with listeners from all over the world; her gentle, pure voice belies the spunk and verve of this young singer. Her music is a delight!
She is now married to John McCusker (who IS Scottish), and they do make beautiful music together. Kate continues to assemble some of the luminaries of Celtic traditional and 21st century folk music, and the resulting sound is sheer bliss.

the UK's Kate Rusby is without doubt one of the best singers of English and Celtic trad in the contemporary folk scene. Improbably, her voice just keeps getting lovelier and more commanding, as this richly-arranged set of folk ballads amply proves. It seems ridiculous, after a certain point, to praise Rusby's work, since it all sounds so sweet. Her longtime partner John McCusker recently quit his day job as fiddler in the Battlefield Band to devote himself full-time to working with Rusby; his work on fiddle, piano and cittern ably complement her vocals, although really the show is all hers. This album collects or refashions several of her best-known songs... and they are all quite lovely! Rusby has a simply gorgeous voice, always pleasant to listen to. Recommended!

How is it possible that a singer of Kate Rusby's talent has managed to fly under the radar screen, while talentless waifs like Avril Lavigne and her ilk grab massive airplay and sales? I suspect a media conspiracy designed to keep truly uplifting music from the masses.

Anyone who has heard her already knew that Kate was great -- this album merely proves that she is getting better with age (and she's not yet 30!). Ten years of a professional career can't possibly be captured in a single recording, but this album hits many of the high points.

It's an ecclectic brew -- two brand-new songs from an upcoming movie (her first soundtrack), three "old" songs taken straight from her three solo albums (one from each), and several older gems re-recorded. In short, it's a familiar treat for her existing fans, a great introduction for those who've never experienced her, and a stunningly good album overall. And with a new studio album forthcoming in 2003, the only real question is: how can Kate continue to outdo herself?

I just got the CD, and I'm really impressed with it. I love all the songs, even though I already have some on an earlier Rusby recording. Many of the songs have been redone and sound slightly different...especially The Recruited Collier. Probably one of the best things about the CD is that in the CD case there is commentary directly from Kate regarding where she got the song or any of the history or importance it has (to her or otherwise). This is great stuff for those of you who are interested in the behind the scenes of Kate's songs! Overall it's a phenomenal compilation CD. Buy this CD and you won't be sorry.

I came across this CD quite by accident, recognized through my love for the early days of Fairport Convention. Not sure who else here as commented about this, but Kate Rusby's voice strikes very close to what might be imagined as that of a very young and too soon lost Sandy Denny. Not in its character, but in all of its purity. Kate's voice and technique seem epitomes of the subtle, delicate and sonorous, almost childlike in its breath. She is able to apply a very discreet vibrato in a way that seems wholly unique to these ears, and her selection of traditional and new material is supremely tasteful. While there seems nothing so adventurous here as the landmark Liege and Lief, there is also nothing lacking in that sometimes melancholic, sometimes exuberant beauty, or in her startlingly clear and present voice.

I have a strong preference for singers who can actually SING. And then there are the ones like Kate Rusby. Oh my heavens, her voice is absolutely enchanting. My only complaint is that her Yorkshire accent is so strong that there are many words I simply can't parse, and the CD insert has no lyrics! Help! I want to know what this amazing voice is singing!!