Customer Reviews

Up From The Skies: The Polydor Years

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
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I first heard Ellen in 1972-73 when these albums came out (and, yes, my poor LPs are about worn out). She came on stage alone and barefoot, plugged in her electric guitar and proceeded to blow out the back of the small auditorium with her stinging slide guitar and her explosive voice. She commented that the record company liked her but wanted her to - can you believe this - lose the guitar! They apparently wanted to make her into a "chick" singer instead of the stunningly original stylist on vocals AND guitar that she is. Alas, she faded from public sight and never got the fame she deserved (it only took Bonnie Raitt twenty years). This compilation gives the uninitiated both of her first two Polydor albums with almost all of the cuts on the originals. The first album is wonderfully diverse and reflects her affection for country ("Honky Tonk Angels"), what would now be called world music ("Pinebo"), and classic rock in her masterful version of Stevie Winwood's "Can't Find My Way Home." I thought that he broke the mold on that song until I heard Ellen's version. The proof that she was getting better is her overall stronger - in my opinion - second album. As much as I liked the first album, the power of her performance on the songs "Sliding," Father Along" "Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven," "Jimmy Jean" and the incomparable "We the People" makes it a classic. I understand that she now lives in Canada. All I can say is please visit the lower 48 again so that everyone can (re)experience the power and the glory.

Ellen McIllwaine could just as well be the standard by which others can be judged. Her beautiful yet powerful vocals coupled with her versatile guitar playing is just a pleasure to listen to and her music gives off some unique vibes that you want to feel while listening to music. It's a mixed bag of rock, blues, folk and celtic influences with great lyrics and with her dead-on vocals, she'll bring it on home to you. Being that there were no "hits" to thrust her career into the mainstream eye and the lack of airplay from the radio stations of the day, she never really got as popular as she should have, but those who know of her really enjoy her incredibly unique style. If you can find a copy, listen to her late 60's material with FEAR ITSELF (yes, she was in a heavy blues psych rock band that released one great LP for Dot back in 1969). That's where "Underground River" (included here) came from, she took the song with her. Also, "In my time of dying" just gives me the chills. This collection is highly recommended, so do yourself a favor and purchase this CD! Not a bad song really to be found. From her late 60's material (which is not included in this release) up to her later work included here, I just really dig her. No doubt, one of my favorites - Love ya Ellen!

Man, I've been searching for this CD for 20 years! I had the vinyl version, lost it in a flood, and only recently tried enough variations of Ms. McIlwaine's last name on the 'net to find her CD's. When a song like "Pinebo" sticks in your head for 20 years, there's either a great artist behind it, or you need to get your head examined. I think it's the former. There's no-one out there like Ellen. Multicultural influences, multi-octave voice, multi-talented percussive fingerstyle guitar. This isn't nostalgia. She didn't have much competition then, and has even less now. So overlooked. So wonderful!

I first heard Ellen way back in 1978, and was fortunate enough to see her on both of her brilliant Australian tours in the early 80s. She remains one of the great musical discoveries of my life. Why she is not a megastar is totally opaque to me.

"Up From The Skies" compiles two of her best LPs, both long out of print and highly prized collector's items. They are a *must* for anyone who loves the blues, slide guitar and great singing. Ellen's playing is superb (although these recordings only hint at what a truly dynamic and powerful player she is). The songs feature live and studio recordings, mixing great original material with some beautifully crafted covers, like the title-track. (Ellen was a occasional jamming partner with Hendrix in Greenwich Village - they must have been a dynamite combination!). Her influences are broad - blues, country, gospel and much more - but her style is unique and no-one I've ever played this music to has failed to be impressed.

Most of all, this CD is essential listening for Ellen's incredible voice - once you hear it you'll never be the same.

For many of her fans (and we're not talking stadium numbers)Ellen McIllwaine's slipping from sight in the mid 70s, after two fabulous blues albums was surpassed in sadness only by her re-emergence as a quite different performer flirting with disco for an audience I was not a part of. Whatever, the 'Polydor Years' encapsulates that early, stunning pair (though my Ontario pressings bear the Kot'ai Music stamp). I'm aware that Bonnie Rait was doing similar things on slide guitar, but McIllwaine's vocal range and register is simply awesome. Her choice of material was spot on, her own compositions sitting comfortably with Wonder's,'Higher Ground', some great selections from Jack Bruce and Pete Brown, Hooker and the rest. There is an album done with Jack Bruce that I've only been able to source on vinyl, Everybody Needs It'. Given the company, it's predictably bluesy and a solid workout, but without the high spots of the album under review. And while I enjoy her more recent outings and heard her recently on radio while touring Australia, and there's been no diminishment of her vocal prowess and their Qawwal-like gymnastics, I'm far fonder of these infatuating blues with the sparer production of the Polydor Years.

How Ellen McIllwaine has remained so obscure for so long is a mystery. Her guitar playing prowess, earthy delivery and amazing vocal abilities should have garnered the attention of the public but failed to do so somehow. "Everybody Wants to go to Heaven" is a song I'd not heard in 28 years yet it remained intact in my memory because it is certainly among the top ten tunes I've ever heard.

I heard Ellen on the Norman Cook (aka Fatboy Slim) compilation 'A Break From The Norm' which had 3 or 4 interesting tracks on it. By far the best was Ellens version of Stevie Wonders 'Higher Ground'.
It took a while to find her music but I'm glad I made the effort!
Despite the fact that she is covering a lot of other artists work she really puts her own stamp on things (contrary to another reviewer I found her cover of Ode To Billie Joe as essential). She sounds, even playing others material, incredibly original.
The first half a dozen tracks are live, but they are extremely well recorded.
Ellen can really play the guitar. She plays slide, fingerpicking and even manages some kind of spanish fast riffing funky style that is damn hard to replicate properly. She was in Guitar magazines top 10 guitarists circa 1976!
And boy can she sing. She has a distinctive, powerful and unusual voice which is jazzy and free, but not in any way off the wall or grating. The two forces brought together create a highly distinctive and effective sound, that is fresh and modern to my youngish ears (in most cases). Ellens music is beautiful but not whimsical. She can be coarse yet refined. Basically she smokes.
The music is a mixture of Ellen and guitar unnacompanied and with a bass player/drummer/pianist/percussionist. Theres no grating strings on this it's just good, honest, earthy and technically excellent playing.
It's not an excercise in technichal excellence alone though- as the music still manages to be moving, be it for your head, or even your feet!
That's the great thing, around half of this album you could dance to. In fact I defy you not to be moved by the infectious toe tapping grooves!

This album is highly recommended and has been my musical find of 2004.

After this buy the slightly less succesful The Real Ellen McIlwaine. It's got a more varied palate but the picture is slightly less involving.
She is still playing and has a website; www.ellenmcilwaine.com Go take a look and see whether youre lucky enough to be able to catch one of her gigs.

Whenever I run into a book on "Women In Rock" I immediately turn to the index and check for "Ellen McIlwaine". If I don't find it I put the book down, feeling that the authors are grossly short of rock knowledge. I've yet to read any of these books and it's a pity because McIlwaine is an awesome power. She may in fact be the single most talented singer/musician in rock music history. She possesses a voice of unmatched range, power, elasticity and emotion. Unlike many of today's "divas" she exudes a disarming playfulness, almost unselfconscious, when she sings. Because of this she is not only compelling and interesting to hear; she is also fun to listen to. As a guitarist she is clearly top shelf. Her playing is versatile: she can drive a song with rhythm chords, can solo fluidly and can fingerpick with the best bluegrass artists. She uses the slide with originality. She does play her share of blues with it but for her that's only a start. She uses it to bend notes beyond what can be done with standard vibrato techniques and she finds quarter tones with it' making Indian raga and Pakistani qawwali feels available. If she falls short as a lyricist, so what? She can riff and scat with anyone.

"Up From the Skies" demonstrates McIlwaine at her multifaceted best. A combination of two of her first solo albums it features solo acoustic songs and band material, some live recordings and some from the studio, some original songs and some very interesting covers. McIlwaine sings brilliantly throughout but doesn't beat you to death with her ability. Her version of Jack Bruce's "Weird Of Hermiston" is dramatic thanks to her control of the spaces between the notes. On Hendrix's "Up From The Skies" her chords swing loosely and her singing is playful. "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" is a slightly skewed country song (not to be confused with generic "country rock"), "Pinebo" is a multitracked round and "Wings Of A Horse" shows a strong jazz influence. McIlwaing sings the spiritual "Farther Along" with great conviction, accompanied only by the a capella group, The Persuasions. Finally no one (certainly no guitarist) should miss "We The People", a breathtaking East/West fusion piece done long before "world music" became fashionable. The CD is full of surprises for those unfamiliar with McIlwaine and repeated listenings don't make it stale at all. If there's any knock on this CD at all it's that the music is all pretty quiet but McIlwaine's blazing rock can be found elsewhere. Anyone who ventures into this disc will never hear music in the same way again.

Very early 70's. She's on the stage, the opening act for someone (don't remember who it was), she's setting up the amplifiers - working like she always does. And she doesn't stop as the music wails from that voice and that slide guitar. Blues, traditional music, African music, something like folk but less easily classified. She just roars on through fabulous Hendrix music and old R&B and just as easily makes us fall in love with a batch of her originals. All of my vinyl is worn out. Ellen, welcome back to my house and keep playing your unique versions of "anything" you play. Favorites on this CD? Tough, but I would go with TOE HOLD as an oldie and UNDERGROUND RIVER as an intro to her own writing. There isn't a weak cut to be found. Trust me!

I first came across a 1971 Ellen McIlwaine vinyl album, in London in the early 90's (into 'rare groove' ) Apparently, it was also the dawning of the continual dawning of the 'Age Of Aquarius'. hearing her music for the first time was the coolestthing. Her unique emotive vocal an intimate and powerful voice coupled with her mad slide guitar make her truly unique. She recorded 3 (?) albums on Polydor, but was never as well known some of her peers who highly respected her style- including Tim Buckley and Jimi Hendrix. female vocal folk - jazz - blues-slide with inuit vibes covering songs by Albert King, Jimi Hendrix, Blind Faith and traditionals- Wade In The Water. Spiritual.this I highly recommend to all musical souls.