Customer Reviews

The Reckoning

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

 

 

John Tams, a well known singer in the UK, has gained notoriety in the US for his role in the Sharpe series. He has a soothing, mellow voice. This is a great CD for those evenings when you want to chill out.

John Tams' style is mellow, soothing, and all that. It's also very good. But now having 3 of his albums, I'm finding them all a bit too much of the same. While there's really nothing to complain about on this particular offering (OK, the last track is a miss), there are no real memories after having played it. JT can be a bit monotonous on his solo outings (his part collaberations in other titles such as his contributions to a number of Albion Band albums (check out "Rise Up Like The Sun") offers much more diversity). Having said this, it's still an enjoyable listen, although "Home" is better than this one.

Think of any superlative you like, it would be inadequate to express how wonderful this disc is! John Tams has been a leading light on the folk music scene for decades but his first solo outing was the wonderful Unity, released in 2001. It was followed by the equally wonderful (IMHO) Home in 2002. Now, just when I thought nothing could beat those two, comes The Reckoning! Each song is superb. I have been listening to it for days now and have yet to even think about getting tired of it. Each of the 11 tracks is a mini-masterpiece. The Sea suite, All Clouds the Sky, Written in the Book, The Bitter Withy, Safe House, Amelia, Including Love and the awesome Man of Constant Sorrow are all superlative. Give it a listen. A must for any music collection!