Showing posts with label Alex Campbell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alex Campbell. Show all posts

Sunday, 14 November 2010

Alex Campbell: Way Out West (Society, 1963)




Alex Campbell: Way Out West (Society, 1963)

01 The Wabash Cannonball
02 Careless Love
03 Bowling Green
04 On Top of Old Smokey
05 The Old Chisholm Trail
06 The Streets of Laredo
07 Jesse James
08 Down In the Valley
09 Orange Blossom Special
10 The Banks of the Ohio
11 The Frozen Logger
12 Barbara Allen
13 St James Infirmary
14 Railroad Bill
15 John Hardy

From the first scratchy tracks, you can tell that while this record is almost fifty years old, it is powerful. Not Scottish music by any means, but one of Scotland's most widely travelled and best known folk singers, Alex Campbell. Joining him on this session are some top musicians: Royd Rivers playing terrific harmonica, Gerry Loughran on guitar, Ian McCann on mandola, mandolin and autoharp, and Dave Laibman on guitar and banjo. Laibman was from Ohio originally, but studied at Oxford at the time this LP was recorded. Best known for his academic work in the field of Marxisim, he was also regarded as a pioneer in ragtime guitar, eventually recording albums in the US for Folkways, Rounder, etc, and publishing an instruction book. This album is enhanced by Laibman's outstanding guitar; check out Orange Blossom Special and Railroad Bill for examples. 

Front and back covers included.

Unavailable

Sunday, 1 November 2009

Alex Campbell: Chansons (1958)




Alex Campbell: Chansons Populaires des Etats-Unis (UniDisc 25119S, 1958)

Not Scottish material, but a Scottish artist. An early 10" LP from Scotland's original folksinger Alex Campbell, singing American folksongs, as he did many times through his career. The scans are not very good, as I only have a copy of the original cover.

01 Old Time Religion
02 No More Cane On the Brazis
03 East Virginia Blues
04 Battle Ship of Maine
05 John Henry
06 Freight Train
07 Foggy Mountain Top
08 Pretty Polly

Unavailable