Handful of Earth

Dick Gaughan | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 5, 1993)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Green Linnet
• ASIN: B000005CSV
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #397,365 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #80 in Music > Indie Music > New Age > Celtic
  • #100 in Music > Indie Music > New Age > International

Track Listings

1. Erin-Go-Bragh

2. Now Westlin Winds

3. Craigie Hill

4. World Turned Upside Down

5. The Snows They Melt the Soonest

6. Lough Erne/First Kiss at Parting

7. Scojun Waltz/Randers Hopsa

8. Song for Ireland

9. Workers' Song

10. Both Sides the Tweed

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterpiece of Traditional Folksong, December 18, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Handful of Earth (Audio CD)

This is one of the greatest recordings of traditional British folksong ever made (and even the newly minted songs here become traditional in Gaughan's hands). His guitar playing is innovative, sensitive, expressive, beautiful; his voice is by turns tender, harsh, angry, passionate, lamenting. The scope of emotion between songs like "World Turned Upside Down" and "Now Westlin Winds" is breathtakingly large. I have to say, this is what music is all about: the utter honesty and transparency of an artist's heart, shining through masterful technique, in a total faithfulness to the spirit of tradition, but without excluding creative and innovative artistic contribution. Am I sounding a little superlative here? Look, here's the bottom line: if you have ANY LIKING for traditional or acoustic music, you simply MUST BUY this album. Not having it would be like a lover of Romantic music not owning a recording of Beethoven's late quartets. ***This CD is in print in the UK, and you can order it easily from Amazon.co.uk!***

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one of the best, April 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Handful of Earth (Audio CD)

Although "Lads o' the Fair" from Parallel Lines is my favorite song by Gaughan (and one of my all-time favorites), this whole album is nothing short of exquisite. Dick Gaughan's unique voice and guitar style give an added dimension to some of the finest Celtic tunes around. I rate this my favorite complete Celtic album; not a bum song on it (sort of like Carole King's Tapestry). If you could only have one Celtic album (and that would be a shame), this should be it.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dick Gaughan's Best Solo Album, February 10, 2003

By 

Berkeley Boy (Albany, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Handful of Earth (Audio CD)

This is Dick Gaughan's finest solo album, full of wonderful songs, performed beautifully. I have seen him several times, and have most of his albums, including Kist o'Gold and the first two Five Hand Reel albums (all of which I strongly recommend, if you can find them, as they are out of print). However, this is the album I come back to of his, and the one I buy for and recommend to others.