Customer Reviews

Oh the Wind & Rain

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On this collection of American and English folk ballads Stecher demonstrates his enormous and expressive control of expression in tiny details. This is the richest folk recording that I have heard in a long time. Truly entertaining and inspiring at the same time. Rampant eclecticism and traditionalism happily coexisting, it's like nothing else in any year. A moment ago I mistyped "recoding" instead of "recording"... I think my fingers must have known what they were doing for Jody seems to be re-coding these ballads as well as recording them. Encrypting new shades of meaning that he has found within himself and his own life experinces that suddenly become part of the tradition in fornt of your ears. It's realy a musical magic trick to hear his oud and mandolin version of the title track, informed by its own roots, as well as the Hindustani tradition of classical music that Stecher has studied for so many years; it's unconventionally new and traditionally right at the same time.

As fine a singer of traditional American music as came out of the folk revival, Jody Stecher just keeps getting better and better. This affecting collection of ballads well known ("Gypsy Davy," "Barbary Ellen") and obscure ("Old Bangum," "Lord Leitrim") caps an already exceptional recording career. As my friend Robin Williams (the folk singer, not the comedian) likes to say, the highways are littered with the bodies of those who thought folk music is easy. Happily, the music has been inside Stecher so long that he breathes it as much as he sings it; you couldn't sound this way unless you were in some way living inside these old tunes and stories. Stecher's principal influence is, and remains, the Appalachian tradition, though most of the songs here (including his extraordinary reading of the title tune, also known as "The Two Sisters" and as the template for Dylan's "Percy's Song") are easily traceable to Anglo-Celtic roots. Stecher sings them all, including the very British "Lowlands of Holland," as a Southern mountain singer would. The instrumental accompaniment is spare and tasteful when it's there at all; some of it is just Stecher's voice, in the ancient style. Either way, you'll be riveted, and you certainly don't have to be an ethnomusicologist to be moved by this lovely, perfectly executed disc. A triumph by any standard.

Beautiful and breathtaking beyond description. Time and the world stop when you listen to this recording. A masterpiece!

Two weeks ago it snowed here, the only real snowfall we have had so far. I sat on my bed while looking out the window to watch the snow fall as I listened to OH THE WIND AND RAIN in headphones. It was one of the most truly sublime musical moments I have had in the last month.

This album is magnificently recorded and several of the songs have become favorites of mine, such as Old Bangum, John Detroy, and Barbary Ellen. It was tough to even pick those three as favorites because somehow I feel as if I am cheating on the other songs, but for the good of the review, I decided to try and choose. For a nice introduction to "traditional music" this is a perfect example of the English side. To round out the introduction, also consider getting John Cohen's STORIES THE CROW TOLD ME for the more old-time American traditional music. These 2 albums are great compliments to each other.

I also noticed that Henry Kaiser has reviewed this album. Henry is a great musician, I'm not sure what releases of his can be bought here at Amazon, but do yourself a favor and check and see anyway!

only 4 other people have reviewed this? well, that's the sorry state of the world i guess. this happens to be the greatest folk album of all time (at least if you're me it is). a great great great cd. haunting. buy it. listen to it. if you don't, you're life will end with a huge hole in it where these songs could have been.

I received this CD as a gift and hate that this is a negative review. There is no denying Stecher's technical skill. But most of these songs are supposed to be haunting -- esp. "Oh the wind and the rain" -- but they are nowhere near. Each sounds very much like the next. Stecher's voice is singular but there is little vocal or instrumental variation. (Often the voice and the instruments sound to be in frantic competition, which is hard on the ear.) The actual words of the songs are effective in themselves (if you listen closely), but the presentation is not. The closest example of what I was hoping for is "Gypsy Davy," but it is the exception and not the norm.