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Buy this release or see a live performance if you enjoy it.Artist……………: Mick Stevens
Album…………….: No Savage Word
Genre…………….: Folk
Year……………..: 1975
Label…………….: ShadoksCodec…………….: MPEG 1 Layer III
Encoder…………..: –
Quality…………..: 260 Kbps VBR
Channels………….: 44100 Stereo
Tags……………..: ID3v1 ID3v2.3———————-
review
———————-The albums the collectors’ label Shadoks reissues are hit or miss, but this two-fer by the U.K. singer/songwriter Mick Stevens has definitely more pluses than minuses — for fans of obscure ’70s folk-rock and psychedelic rock, that is. As D.I.Y. as it could get back then, these two albums were home-recorded and originally pressed by the specialty company Deroy, which could make runs as small as ten LPs at a time. Released (so to speak) in 1972, See the Morning is the pick of the two. Featuring only Stevens on vocals, guitars (acoustic and electric), and tambourine, it offers 40 minutes of vibrant, genuine, and raw folk songs. Stevens’ lyrics are not particularly original or brilliant, but his heart is in the right place and he sings with passion. His harmony singing is less precise, but he stumbles upon some very nice arrangements. "Smile Again" and "Beech Tree" really have their own character. "Catherine" is strongly reminiscent of Anthony Phillips’ songwriting (circa The Geese & the Ghost and Wise After the Event), while "The Wheel" evokes Linda Perhacs’ vocal arrangements. But the highlights of this first opus are "Burning" and "Salotan Cinonrever," the latter featuring some multi-tracking miracles for the time. Disc two is devoted to the 1975 LP No Savage Word. Here, by attempting to develop a fuller sound, Stevens loses part of his charm. The bassist, drummer, and second guitarist add little to the music. In fact, their lack of tightness tends to make the amateurishness of the songs more flagrant. There are still a few good songs, namely "Sometimes," "Some Kind of Unholiness," and the closing "Across the Miles," and some strong guitar playing (a cover of Davy Graham’s "Angie"). One finds moments in both albums that seem to foretell the American post-folk/neo-folk current of the early 2000s, with hints of the aesthetics that Califone and Christian Kiefer would develop.
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"Shortly after Micks first album See The Morning, while waiting for the Deroy pressings, he started working on Lady Sunrise. The songs on this concept album were created during a particularly turbulent emotional period. We think most of these songs are some of his best, and as usual, the lyrics were written with his own blood — both metaphorically and in reality. Mick composed all songs and played all instruments, so this album was recorded sound on sound. Twelve great songs, bittersweet and very touching. Just perfect, as we would expect from Mick Stevens music."
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Mick Stevens (1953–1987) was born in Chelmsford, England. He was a musician, guitar player, singer, and songwriter. Mainly a solo artist, he also played in a number of bands and toured in the late 1970s with Richard and Linda Thompson, The Albion Band and June Tabor. He produced four solo LPs – the first two, "See The Morning" (1972) and "No Savage Word" (1975), now collector’s items , were pressed privately on the Deroy label. After lapsing into almost total obscurity they were re-released in 2004 to some critical acclaim. The latter two albums, "The River" and "The Englishman", were re-released in late 2005 (USA and Europe) and early 2006 (UK). "Lady Sunrise", recorded in 1972 but previously unissued, was released on heavyweight vinyl in spring 2007.———————-
Track Listing
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01 Runaround
02 Easy Love
03 Little Miss Freedom
04 Sometimes
05 Holiday
06 Angie
07 As I Lay Me Down
08 Some Kind Of Unholiness
09 Park And Grinners
10 Waiting For The Blues
11 Across The MilesPlaying Time………: 00:42:26 (min:sec)
Total Size………..: 75.53 MB (79198208 bytes)NFO generated on…..: 8/19/2008 11:43:01 AM