Customer Reviews

Byker Hill

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Like many folk albums, Martin Carthy & Dave Swarbricks 1967 album, Byker Hill, is a mixture of bawdy, tongue-in-cheek tunes and deep, sorrowful ballads swollen with pathos. This combination of songs isn't novel for folk albums, but what separates Carthy from the pack is his ability to convey the emotions and a sense of reality to songs that are many times older than his entire lifespan.

As usual with Carthy & Swarbrick, the songs here are a mixture of of guitar/fiddle/vocal, guitar/vocal, violin/vocal and a cappella vocals. This is one more of the album's strengths--the instruments chosen expertly complement the spirit of the tunes. Carthy's unaccompanied voice perfectly suits the somber "Brigg Fair" and the haunting melody of "Lucy Wan." The violin alternately plays mournful foil to Carthy on the mysterious "The Fowler" and joyful accomplice on the edgy and innuendo-laden "Bonny Black Hare."

Carthy's adept but understated guitar adds extra force and backbone to the album's other songs, as on the waltzing and hypnotic "Domeama" and the cautionary "The Man of Burnham Town." The guitar reaches uncommon heights on the churning, joyful title track, making me wish that Carthy showcased his guitar skills more often (I guess we have Davy Graham for that), though I do credit him for always placing the songs highest. For my money, the album's other highlights include the fantastic "The Wife of the Soldier," an extraordinary and chilling contemporary folk song that fits perfectly with the album's traditional fare and one of the most fiery versions of "John Barleycorn" I've ever heard.

Overall, this is a solid Carthy album--the songs are (of course) well-chosen, the emotions are authentic and range from joy to heartbreak to deep human sorrow, and the arrangements and playing are professional to the utmost degree. With a discography as quality as Martin Carthy's, it's tough to recommend any starting point over another (or say that any one album is truly his best), but this seems as good as any other place to start.