Interesting albums from the folk and roots music history, by Marius Roeting.
On 17 November 1995, British songwriter, singer and guitarist Alan Hull died very suddenly. He was originally from Newcastle, where he formed the alternative folk-rock band Lindisfarne at the end of the sixties. Some well-known songs of theirs include Lady Eleanor, Meet Me on the Corner, Run for Home and Fog on the Tyne, about his home town. At the beginning of the seventies, things started to take a turn for the worse. The punk genre pushed almost the entire folk movement back into the pubs and small venues. Lindisfarne was always on a thin line between folk, pop and rock and could boast a large fan base. Yet, due to a lack of success and musical differences between the musicians, the band split in two. Hull continued under the name Lindisfarne, initially alongside co-lead singer Ray Jackson, while the others formed the equally successful Jack the Lad. A few years later, they had a reunion, where there are again changes of musicians. And so, Lindisfarne simmered on for years. In the meantime, Hull had (also) started a solo career that was more successful than the band. While playing concerts under his own name, ‘old’ Lindisfarne songs composed by Hull constantly made it onto the playlist. In 1994, alongside guitarist, accordion player and keyboard player Kenny Craddock, he recorded a live album with a cross-section of solo works and Lindisdarne compositions. The album is Hull at his very best: with little accompaniment and still a powerful delivery. His fragile, unsteady voice does not matter. He knows how to draw the audience into the songs. A year later, Hull worked on a new album titled Statues & Liberties. In November 1995, the singer and guitarist suddenly died due to complications of thrombosis around his heart muscle. Statues & Liberties was later released posthumously as the last official Hull Album. In this episode of DiscCover, we focus on that uncomplicated ‘Back to Basics’ album.
Alan Hull – Back to basics – Mooncrest CRESTCD 017
1. United States Of Mind 3:45
2. Poor Old Ireland / All fall down 6:16
3. Lady Eleanor 3:53
4. Winter Song 5:20
5. Walk In The Sea 3:55
6. Mother Russia 5:57
7. This Heart Of Mine 6:16
8. Mr Inbetween 2:24
9. January Song 4:00
10. Day Of The Jackal 5:03
11. O No Not Again 3:15
12. Run For Home 3:43
13. Fog On The Tyne 2.21
All compositions: Alan Hull, behalve track 6 (Craddock) en track 7 (Phillipson)
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