Customer Reviews

Dyer Bennet 5

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

You may get the impression by reading the previous other reviewer's impressions that the music is 3 stars out of five, and nothing could be further from the truth. A little over a half-hour or not, it is really worth the price of entry here. So many beautiful, and touching songs, and in most cases, I have never heard more beautiful versions: "Greensleeves", in which he uses Elizabethan Age original lyrics, a "Barbara Allen" to die for (and not just in the tale), and my favorite, the haunting "Venezuela", plus one that will also get your rapt attention: "The Golden Vanity", in glorious version, with pacing and atmosphere perfect. I like very much Dyer-Bennet's "John Henry" here, too, and the bluesy intelligence to the guitar playing. The only partial downer is the grim and morbid tale of murder, "Lord Randal", which may make for difficult frequent listenings of the CD/album as a whole. Not lessened by talent or technique, but just the subject matter of this song. I hope John Schwartz will either withdraw or modify his review; he needs have the gift for the overview - namely, this record is so damn fine there is not only nothing wrong with starting your Richard Dyer-Bennet collection right here, and it has to be a thrilling treat to no end for those who are acquainted with other recordings by him only. Superlatives all around, please! There is no stretch in the least, in one saying the late Richard Dyer-Bennet was a virtuoso as a performing troubadour of folk song heritage from The British Isles and America.

Sadly I see this cd in quite a few remainder bins and rather cheaply priced in used cd shops. (Yes I know I should spend my time better, Mom.) Which is really somewhat tragic as there is some transcendental music on this disc. Some blame must go to Smithsonian for being such tight wads, there is only about a half hour of music here and they could easily have fit two volumes of Richard's music on one disc...

A friend of mine had dug up Dyer-Bennet's version of "Greensleeves" on vinyl at a flea market years ago but unfortunately we lost touch and I'd been looking for it for years when I stumbled across this disc. It is still my favorite version of the venerable old tune. The best tune here however would be "Lord Rendall" which wouldn't be out of place on a Geto Boys cd, with the poisoned narrator shouting to his mother about needing a rope to hang his treacherous lover in hell.

On the down side is yet another version of "John Henry", and Dyer-B's etheral voice is NOT suited for blues songs. However his take of "Westeryn Wind" rivals Alfred Deller's perhaps definitive version of this.

So what am I trying to say? If you enjoy haunting folk music this is your bag. Sure they could have been more generous with the material but there are fine liner notes and lyrics provided and sadly you'll probably find this dead cheap somewheres...