Customer Reviews

Ravenchild

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

 

 

Maddy Prior, England's greatest folk vocalist, employs her tremendous talents to make a magnificent album, "Ravenchild". This work features Prior's elegant and powerful singing, her intelligent song selection, and her insightful and clever songwriting. Her suite of songs, "In the Company of Ravens", is intriguing, educational, and at times, downright funky. Troy Donnockley's and Nick Holland's superb musicianship and smooth production also make this CD a wonderful listening experience. "Ravenchild" is a great album of traditional and contemporary folk.

I discovered Maddy through the NPR program The Thistle and the Shamrock, where I heard a few songs from her famous "In the Company of Ravens" song cycle. Her talent can't be argued. Her alto is one of the best, for she has a very wide range. Most of her music is based on traditional English melodies and Maddy herself brings such a British quality as she sings. I must confess that it draws me near to my British heritage. She also writes excellent arrangements as well as her own compositions. Many of her lyrics have a very dark quality to them and the music fits in perfectly with the words. Maddy's bandmembers each make superb contributions on keyboard/piano, uillean pipes, pennywhistle, electric guitar, and backing vocals. These are the songs that can be found on this great album:

1. Twankydillo-this is one of my top three favorites. Maddy's voice is great, as well as the percussion, and the melody and lyrics make this traditional English song timeless.

2. Bold Poachers-another traditional English song and a very sad one. The story is engaging and the arrangement is very beautiful.

3. Boney-this song begins the "Napoleon in Russia" cycle. The tune is traditional and the lyrics are Maddy's own, but her words make it sound like an age old folk song.

4. Scortched Earth-this song is educational in a way with its description of history. It shares many ballad characteristics. I like how Maddy deals with the subject of Napoleon in Russia. It is very poignant.

5. Loot-this song is also one of my top three favorites. It is actually three songs together in one, first a fast based rhythm of several verses(by Maddy's own hand), then one last verse where Maddy sings in a very traditional folk/Celtic style, and then it ends with a pretty piano solo.

6. Rigs of Time-Well, no one is perfect. I didn't like this song because the lyrics seemed rather dull. Still, the music is nice and so is Maddy's voice.

7. In the Company of Ravens-these songs were written as a soundtrack for a nature documentary. This is one of the best. Maddy's voice is supreme and so are the instrumental arrangements. Her lyrics are a masterpiece.

8. Young Bloods-I loooooooove this song! Words can't describe Maddy's voice and attitude in singing this. I love to imagine the imagery of the lyrics. The beat is so moving.

9. Masts of Morrigan-describes a raven woman of Celtic mythology. Dark, eerie, well sung, well written. Ooooooo.

10. Rich Pickings-sorry, but I didn't like this song either. I didn't like the gross lyrics. Maddy's voice is still great.

11. Ravenchild-a wonderful, perfect song. This song makes me cry everytime. It's so beautiful. It portrays ravens whispering sweet "nothings" to each other. The words and music really touch the heart and Maddy's voice says it all.

12. Dance on the Wing-this is my MOST favorite song on the CD. It's a love song. It portrays two mated ravens flying together, where there is beauty and carefree up in the skies. It makes me imagine flying in a loop to loop. I've even used my imagination to pertray other situations in this song(I like to imagine dragons flying in the sky). Maddy just speaks for herself. It's a perfect song in everyway.

13. Great Silkie of Sules Skerry-finally, the album ends with a ballad from Scotland. It's so beautiful and makes a worthy conclusion.

I never would have thought that a Brit could so well bring out the heart of the Celts! My introduction to Maddy Prior is not a diappointment. She is true in everyway.

There are two sets to this CD. Part is Bonapart's invasion. The second is based on raven research and written for a documentary. The music is widely varied from bleak to soaring. Maddy's been making beautiful music for years and this is one of the pinnacles. May she soar for many more years to come.

so-so material.

i've been a fan of maddy prior since before steeleye span, as well as after. some of her efforts after steeleye span have been fabulous (silly sisters, for instance) and some have not. this is one of the nots.

there are memorable traditional songs here. the first one is as bad as a jingle--i wake up with it running through my mind. 'three poachers' is, as always, haunting, and 'the great silkie' come closer than any other version i've heard to the otherworldliness the corries managed with acoustic instruments. her updating of the lyrics to 'the rigs of time' is spot on.

one problem for me, and it may be my equipment, which i've given up on, is the balance on tracks with the piano. accompaniment should not overpower the singer. and, also, i'm not that fond of piano with 'traditional' music. its fine with jazz and classical styles, but, to me, the piano is a parlour instrument, and not appropriate for music that didn't originate in a parlour. some tracks seemed a bit overproduced.

while i'm not thrilled with some of the material, i certainly can't fault the musicianship. and prior's voice is still any amazing instrument. technically, the performers are superb.

to paraphrase lincoln--for people who like this kind of thing, this is the kind of thing they'll like. i simply didn't.

The voice. Oh, the voice! Some of the songs on here rank up with the best she has ever done. Listen in a dim room with headphones and just enjoy. Ravenchild is just hauntingly good.

I still remember the first time I heard Maddy sing. I was driving through Richmond Va and Allison Gross started playing on the radio. I literally had to pull over and listen. Ravenchild is proof that she continues to grow. As a composer,arranger and singer Maddy Prior is still without peer within her genre. This collection of suites and songs is multilayered. Not only is it grand music, but it also stimulates the mind to think..something that few folk groups do these days.

..That's the picture on the cover. I'm a Steeleye Span lover of some long standing, and the one part of that group who has never disappointed is Maddy Prior. She's a national treasure. I'd give this album 5 stars, except that the power of the first few songs fades by the end, with the exception of "The Great Silkie," which is an old favorite of mine.

Even given that it's a 4-Star album, I must admit that 4 stars by Ms. Prior surpasses most people's 5.