Customer Reviews

Rags, Reels & Airs

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This is a lovely, and large collection of tunes, showing Dave's inimitable style at a time when he was just starting to get really prominent. He stuns with his fluid, Slavic-influenced fiddle playing on both regular and 8-string violins, a tricky master of English, Scottish and Irish melodies. This is interspersed with delightful mandolin playing, while the accompanists, both masters in their own right, fill out the arrangements complimenting Dave's own earthy rhythmic feel. There is a variety here, from classics like 'The Blackbird' to gems such as 'Pineapple Rag'. This is staple diet material for any folk collector - a worthy choice that has stood and will stand up to the merciless test of time.

It seems hard to remember now that no one in the Folk Revival (except The Dubliners) was yet playing jigs and reels, and traditional musicians' performances were often ruined by clomping piano-drivers (Michael Coleman being the archetypal example). Swarbrick was like a breath of fresh air, and this album in particular was a revelation. No one then sounded like Swarbrick -- although this is no longer true, since he's been a huge influence on many, not least Eliza Carthy!

The mandolin-playing is just as brilliant as the fiddle, and some of the best tunes are where they're double-tracked. The irrepressible Diz Disley joins in on two rags.

The tunes in Spanish Ladies Medley are The Spanish Lady and Lady of Spain (no, not the pop one from the -- what was it, 50s?). The Leitrim Fancy Medley is the Kerry Reel and (unsurprisingly) The Leitrim Fancy, and The Teetotaller's Medley is The Donegal Reel, The Teetotaller's Fancy (aka The Temperance Reel) and Miss MacLeod's Reel.

The title "Gurty's Frolic's" stems from a venerable misprint in O'Neill's Dance Music of Ireland: it should be "Gusty's Frolics".

On the debit side, the sound on the original LP was rather harsh. For some reason the CD is even worse -- and, disappointingly, it's still only in mono. But this is still too brilliant an album to skip.

BTW Martin & Dave also recorded an EP of instrumentals which has since sunk without trace (except for one track on the 4-CD boxed set from Free Reed): "No Songs".

The total time is 46'39".