Ten

Kate Rusby

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 7, 2003)
• Original Release Date: January 7, 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Compass Records
• ASIN: B00007G77E
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,166 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #1 in	Music > Indie Music > World Music > Europe > British Isles
  #1 in	Music > Indie Music > World Music > Europe > Celtic
  #8 in	Music > Folk > Traditional British & Celtic Folk > British Folk

Track Listings

1. The Recruited Collier

2. I Wish

3. Over You Now

4. The Sleepless Sailor

5. The Fairest of All Yarrow

6. I Wonder What is Keeping My True Love

7. Sweet Bride

8. The Maid of Llanwellyn

9. The Wild Goose

10. Sir Eglamore

11. Night Visiting Song

12. Cowsong

13. Botany Bay

14. Drowned Lovers

15. Bold Riley

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

On 10, a celebration of Kate Rusby's first decade as a recording artist, she reminds us once again that it's possible to sing ancient ballads about brave knights, fair maidens, rustic villagers, and all the other denizens of Folk Song Land with an immediacy and emotional intensity that are completely modern. Four of the 15 songs here were culled from her earlier CDs; two new songs, "I Wish" and "Over You Now," were composed by Rusby; and two are live recordings. The remaining seven tracks are new versions of previously recorded songs, including "The Recruited Collier," the first song her mother taught her, and "The Wild Goose," a raucous sea shanty reinvented as a gentle meditation on longing. Rusby has been performing these selections for years now, and her new takes on them reveal a restless artist searching for a different path to the heart of familiar songs. She is accompanied by an excellent group of musicians, including fiddler John McCusker, guitarist Ian Carr, and accordionist Andy Cutting. Their playing is spare but each note is perfectly placed. 10 beautifully sums up Kate Rusby's first decade as a professional musician, while suggesting that the best is yet to come. --Michael Simmons

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars KATE THE GREAT, October 28, 2003

By	NotATameLion (Michigan) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

First of all--let's get this out of the way: Kate Rusby has dethroned Custer LaRue as my favorite female singer. She holds the crown until further notice. Second, 10 is a great--hear me very well--GREAT recording. Early Kate, late Kate, young Kate, older Kate--it is all great Kate.

This recording, 10, is a celebration of the first ten years of Kate's career. It features new songs, re-recordings of old favorites, and some great live tracks. It also features Kate at new heights of brilliance.

It is hard to pick favorite tracks here. They are all excellent. However, since it must be done:

I Wish was the first track that caught my ear. It is also one that will stay in your head. A fast-paced tale of unrequited love, it'll stick with you long after first listening and it also wears exceptionally well over time (a signature of Kate's work).

Cowsong is a brilliant arrangement of a traditional song where for once the woman is surprisingly not the one getting the short end of the stick. It features the wonderful lines:

"Never trust a girl with your mother's cow. Never let your trousers go falling down in the green grass."

My two favorite songs on this disc are live versions of songs previously heard on Kate's album Hourglass: Sir Eglamore and The Drowned Lovers. Kate does an up-tempo yet flawless take on both of them (The Drowned Lovers is one of my favorite songs of all time). It is hard to believe (if not for the applause) that these songs were indeed recorded live.

One more great song (then I promise I'll get around to shutting up) is the new version of I Wonder What is Keeping My True Love. It is a perfect example of Kate's ability to express an almost contemplative sadness.

Have no reservations about getting a copy of 10. It is a great disc. I give it my highest recommendation.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the best that folk has to offer, April 30, 2003

By A Customer

There are several things that make Kate Rusby's recordings stand head and shoulders above those of her competition. They are musicianship, creativity, perfectionism, good judgment, a keen eye for other talent, and a deep understanding of her own talent. All that, and her voice is absolutely perfect for folk singing. An ideal folk voice has perfect pitch, richness throughout the register, no "break" in the higher register, and a bit of a smoky quality. Kate's voice has all these. She also has the sense to surround herself with absolutely top notch musicians, so a Kate Rusby recording is not just a chance to listen to a beautiful folk voice, but to very creative, imaginative arrangements played with absolute skill (listen to the accompaniment to "I Wish" on this album). Her recordings are also absolutely superbly engineered. As you listen to these recordings multiple times, you begin to realize that every nuance, every phrase and ornament, has been thought through, but still sounds artless and natural. This is in no small measure due both to her own exacting standards and those of her husband and producer, John McCusker.

This recording, "10", is the perfect chance for listeners to hear re-done versions of several of her best songs, taken mostly from "Sleepless," but also from several other albums, and to compare them to the originals. Slight differences in tempo and ornament can make a huge difference in how a song is perceived. Most of the re-arranged songs on "10" are taken at a slower tempo than originally recorded. That's because Kate Rusby's voice is ideal for "weeping songs," and a slower tempo allows her to make the most of the pathos inherent in most folk songs, and also to do the ornamentation she does so well, turning even the most mundane tune into something special. "The Recruited Collier" and "The Sleepless Sailor" absolutely come alive done in this way, and "Botany Bay" is so much better on this album it's phenomenal.

If you aren't already a Rusby fan and are trying to decide which album to buy first, make it this one. For one thing, "10" just has more music on it, making it a better buy, but the real reason is that this is Kate at her best--every song is a gem. I've played this album for at least 20 people, all with different musical tastes, and every one has said, "Wow."

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not a folk fan?, March 20, 2004

By	Bob Powell (Europe) - See all my reviews

I first heard Kate's voice on an awards program on BBC television and was totally captivated by it. This in itself is surprising because I think of myself as someone who loves much harder rock music, As an experiment I bought 10 and Underneath The Stars because I wanted to hear more and now, after listening to them I'm totally hooked.

Kate's vocal quality is enchanting and her Yorkshire accent reminds me of home, my father is a yorkshireman, and her music tugs at my heart-strings in more ways than one.

The acoustic quality of Kate's albums is superb. Guitars and plaintive Irish whistles complement perfectly the haunting quality of the vocals and the albums make for truly great listening.

Even though I consider myself an old rocker I love Kate's work and would recommend it to anyone.