Saturday 15 May 2021

Dave Swarbrick – "Swarbrick" (Transatlantic Records – TRA 337) 1976


Barry Dransfield may have had the eyebrows, but Fiddler numero uno was of course, David Swarbrick, the Fag-meister.The funny looking one in Fairport Convention with the sticky out ears and questionable dress sense.
Never seen without a tab in his mouth,even when sleeping, he was one of the musicians responsible for the resurgence of  folk music in the UK and made it attractive to a mainstream rock audience.
During his tenure on the highway to emphysema, dual lung transplant, and inevitably, death,he effortlessly churned out a seemingly endless repertoire  of jigs, reels, and melodic violin led laments,as well as accompanying all the legends of the UK folk revival,often whipping out his mandolin.His workload was enormous,but never a complaint about shite record sales,unlike todays spoilt and lazy drug free bratola's. Basically his legend loomed large,and looms larger today. I bought this back in the day,because i liked the cover(rarely goes wrong), thinking this was some violin led prog rock group,but was pleasantly surprised it was prog jig mixed with some prog reels,and some prog folk.... a great album, and a great man.Chain Smoking's obviously good for some people after all?

Tracklist:

1.The Heilanman / Drowsy Maggie 2:39
2.Carthy's March 2:31
3.The White Cockade / Doc Boyds Jig / Durham Rangers 3:09
4.My Singing Bird 3:37
5.The Nightingale 2:18
6.Once I Loved A Maiden Fair 1:57
7.The Killarney Boys Of Pleasure 2:37
8.Lady In The Boat / Rosin The Bow / Timour The Tartar 4:10
9.Byker Hill 5:07
10.The Ace And Deuce Of Pipering 2:11
11.Hole In The Wall 1:19
12.Ben Dorian 1:36
13.Hullichans / Chorus Jig 2:00
14.The 79th's Farewell To Gibraltar 3:26
15.Arthur McBride / Snug In The Blanket 4:32


5 comments:

Piers the Plowman said...

Really enjoying this rich folk vein that you're mining!

Thank you!

antony j said...

...on an unrelated note, there's another Test Card CD just been posted here -

https://zokyat.wordpress.com/

a

loveisthedevil said...

My UK folk library and education expands thanks to you and a few others. Really, I'm going to blame you, and the ear opening posts you've pushed. Thanks. Like I need more oracles and scribes and ballads! Of course I trotted right off and watched Oss Oss Wee Oss on YT, looking all like a precursor to Wicker Man. Then Barry Dransfeld looking like the spit and image on the front and back cover of Bowin' and Scrapin'. It never ends, does it?

Dennis said...

Just tripped over your blog - thanks for all the work, especially the brit enthusiasm repressed to within an inch of non-existence.

Anonymous said...

Great Swarbrick!!!!! Drank a pint of Guinness and loved it...Thanks Doc!
Danny Milo, Viroinval B.