Customer Reviews

Wide Blue Yonder

5 star:		(3)
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This compliation gives you all the songs from their old "Wide Blue Yonder" (1987 PolyGram) CD and the first 3 songs from their "Step Outside" (1987 Rounder) CD: Hal-an-Tow, Flatlands, and Another Quiet Night in England. Those CDs are excellent, and this band is exceptional. British folk-rock that is rousing, thoughtful, heart-felt, and provocative. Listen and they really may just inspire you to "work like you are living in the early days of a better nation..."

Many of the songs here I remember from their 1987 Cooking Vinyl LP, others I seem to have forgotten. Or perhaps they were not on that LP since this would have been quite a few tracks for an LP. At any rate, the first couple of tracks are nice up-tempo numbers but then everything really kicks into high gear with Pigsty Billy, Oxford Girl, (Nick Lowe's) Rose of England, and Hal and Tow. These tunes to me are more in fitting with Alan Prosser's powerful voice. It's hard for anything to measure up to that string of songs, and the rest of the material doesn't quite. But, whatever the case, this is a strong choice as you peruse Oyster Band CD's for your purchasing decision; it has many seminal tunes not always found among collections. And there are indeed many choices out there!

The date on this album says 1996, but I bought it back in the eighties originally. It's a great introduction to Oyster Band music, and is full of their trademark energy. If you like high energy folk rock, you should like this album.