The Girl Who Couldn't Fly

Kate Rusby | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 11, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Compass Records
• ASIN: B000B6TR4I
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #111,808 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Game of All Fours

2. The Lark

3. No Names

4. Mary Blaize

5. A Ballad

6. You Belong to Me

7. Elfin Knight

8. Bonnie House of Airlie

9. Moon Shadow

10. Wandering Soul

11. Fare Thee Well

12. Little Jack Frost [*]

Editorial Reviews

From Amazon.co.uk

A succession of plaudit-harvesting folk albums and subsequent international renown means that Yorkshire's Kate Rusby no longer needs to be nurtured with kind words of condescension along the lines of lass, babe, and starlet, and yet there remains something irredeemably youthful about The Girl Who Couldn't Fly. It's not just the butterfly flutter of Rusby's voice--which allows the nudge and wink of a smutty traditional favourite like "Game of All Fours" to retain its charade and the magic of innocent years to linger. Sometimes the songs are bare--guitar and vocals--but they're never spartan, pink as nature intended, a curiously roseate melancholia where even an ill-fated adieu such as "No Names"--one of three songs sang, improbably, with Roddy Woomble of Idlewild--mollifies as fluently as a lullaby. The jolly virtues of the traditional "Mary Blaize" and Rusby's very own faux-traditional epic "Elfin Knight" are fleshier, finding Rusby accompanied by such folk scene luminati as Michael McGoldrick, Andy Cutting, and John McCusker to ebullient effect. Proof, indeed, that folk music need not be studiously dour or touristically picturesque. If the current British folk scene is to produce a genuine household name, it's likely to be Kate Rusby. --Kevin Maidment

Product Description

The Girl Who Couldn't Fly is the sixth album from British folk star Kate Rusby. Produced by husband John McCusker the album sees Rusby bring together a selection of traditional folk songs with her own material. Guest vocals come from Kellie While and Idlewild's Robbie Womble, while the artwork has been designed by former Blur guitarist Graham Coxon. Pure. 2006. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Her Magic Continues ..., October 11, 2005

By 

David T. Steere, Jr. (Annapolis, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Girl Who Couldn't Fly (Audio CD)

Kate's unique magic continues with this beautiful cd. Filled with all the talents we've come to expect: Kate composing original songs sounding wonderfully old, Kate putting traditional lyrics to her perfectly fitting new music, and Kate once again singing so subtly and yet with such emotion. She even performs a cover from a much more modern time, Pee Wee King's "You Belong to Me." There's a traditional bawdy song, several songs that play like the loveliest of lullabies, and even a kid's song.

Once again, Kate's instrumental genius of a husband, John McCusker, produces the album. His and Kate's arrangements include some of the most dense (and yet somehow still spare) groupings of acoustic instruments-played by the amazing regulars in Kate's band: Ian Carr, John, Andy Cutting, and a host of others. Roddy Woomble from the band Idlewild duets grandly with Kate on "No Names" and Roddy and Kellie While provide lovely harmony on several other songs. Even with such virtuoso playing (on fiddle, viola, flute, whistle, piano, cittern, accordion, harmonium, a brass section and an extra string section), the guitar work stands above all else (played by Kate, Ian, John, John Doyle, and Kris Drever).

The heart, of course, is still Kate's great voice. Yorkshire and folk music have never sounded so fine.

MOON SHADOW,
HE'S THERE BUT BARELY VISIBLE
MOON SHADOW,
WHEN I'M SCARED AND FAIRLY MISERABLE
A WATCH FOR ME HE'LL KEEP,
SO I MIGHT FALL ASLEEP.
(from Kate's "Moon Shadow")

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This One Takes Off!, December 22, 2005

By 

medievalcrusadesbabe "ebabsedasurclaveidem" (Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Girl Who Couldn't Fly (Audio CD)

Celtic influences her own compositions, traditional Irish ballads are set to her own music and light and airy vocals float across the accompaniment of guitar describe the material that Ms. Rusby presents us with on this CD.

There are twelve tracks total, eleven plus a bonus track. The works are well produced by John McCusker with vocal accompaniment on a few tracks by Roddy Woomble and Kellie While.

Ms. Rusby's vocals are sometimes light and delicate, as in the opening track of The Game of All Fours. They can also be strong and imposing as in the traditional Mary Blaize which Ms. Rusby has put to music.

Most of the pieces are ballads, with the exception being You Belong to Me, the Pee Wee King piece. In the background of this piece we hear the light accent of Ms. Rusby as she makes the work vocally her own. The acoustic instrumentation highlights her vocals and blends nicely, accenting the work but never overpowering her voice.

Outstanding tracks on this CD include the traditional pieces which Ms. Rusby has interpreted in her own style of which Mary Blaize is a strong example. Celtic influences in her own works the Elfin Knight and Little Jack Frost are also outstanding tracks. She gives a delicate and heartfelt performance in Moon Shadow. The lyrics and melody are very memorable in Little Jack Frost which is included in a TV production. And of course, her own personal interpretation of You Belong to Me is a winner.

This is a lovely presentation of Ms. Rusby's vocal talents and compositions. I liked her interpretations of the traditional material, and her own "new traditional" pieces. Ms. Rusby is a delight to listen to and I look forward to more work by her. maf

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another good album, November 1, 2005

By 

Kinsella (Dalkeith, Scotland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Girl Who Couldn't Fly (Audio CD)

Kate Rusby has set herself some pretty high standards in the past, and The Girl Who Couldn't Fly holds up pretty darn well. Kate's voice is in fine form, the arrangements are as clever and complimentary as ever, and there are definitely some gems here (Game of All Fours-charmingly saucy, The Lark, Bonnie House of Airlie-both way up there in the heartbreaking marks, Mary Blaize-brilliant instrumental work, Elfin Knight-great writing from Kate). This only gets four stars for two reasons: 1- it lacks that feeling of wholeness (consistency of tone and vision) that made Underneath the Stars so enjoyable 2-a few of Kate's songs (Moon Shadow, No Names, Fare Thee Well) seem a little lightweight in terms of songwriting-- more Old Man Time (from her 1st album) than Falling or Underneath the Stars (from her last).