Allan Taylor - Six Albums 1971-2010 (combined RE-UP)

CD Info:

Allan Taylor - Sometimes / The Lady

Label: Beat Goes On Records
Catalog#: BGOCD390
Format: CD, 2x Album
Country: UK
Released: 1998, 1971
Genre: Folk
Style: Singer Songwriter

Tracklist:

Sometimes
01] Sometimes
02] Searching For Lambs
03] Nursery Tale
04] Robin Hood
05] Song For Kathy
06] Swallow Sallow
07] Scarlet And Grey
08] Our Captain Cried All Hands
09] Tudor Pop
10] The Leaves Of Spring
11] The Pied Piper
12] The Kiss

The Lady
13] Belfast '71
14] Still He Sings
15] The Morning Lies Heavy
16] Something's Chenged
17] Let Me be
18] The Boy And The Mantle
19] The Lady
20] Cain
21] Simple Song
22] My Lady

Personal:

"Sometimes"
Allan Taylor: acoustic guitar, vocal
Dave Mattacks: drums
Dave Pegg: bass
Dave Swarbrick: violin
Tony Cox: orchestral arrangements

"The Lady"
Allan Taylor: acoustic guitar, vocal
Andy Roberts: electric and acoustic guitar
Dave Mattocks: drums
Bob Ronga: bass
Pete Stanley: banjo, dulcimer
Tony Cox: keyboards
Ian Matthews: backing vocals
Royston Woods: backing vocals
Tony Halsted: horn
Robbie Hewlett: bass
John Wibraham: trumpet
Produced by Tony Cox

Allan Taylor is one of England's most-respected singer/songwriters. His songs have been covered by artists on both sides of the Atlantic, including Don Williams, Frankie Miller, Fairport Convention, Dick Gaughan, the McCalmans, the Fureys, the Clancy Brothers, and De Dannan. Folk Roots praised him for his "ability to crystallize a mood and evoke an era with the ease of a computer memory access, crafting perfect songs with dramatic changes in the spirit of Brecht, Bikel, and Brel." The Oxford Book of Traditional Verse felt as strongly, writing that Taylor was "one of the most literate and sensitive of contemporary songwriters in terms of words and music and one who is capable of exploring more complex subjects than most of his contemporaries." Inspired by the folk revival that swept the United Kingdom in the mid-'60s, Taylor left school at the age of 16 to run a local folk club. Stepping out as a professional musician five years later, he was greatly supported by members of Fairport Convention. Their friendship was cemented when he toured as opening act for the group's national tour. His 1971 debut album, Sometimes, featured instrumental accompaniment from Fairport's drummer Dave Mattacks, fiddler Dave Swarbrick, and bassist Dave Pegg. Moving to New York in 1972, Taylor recorded The American Album with Nashville and Los Angeles session players. He remained in the United States through 1974. Returning to England, Taylor formed a group, Cajun Moon, featuring fiddler Brian Golbey and keyboard player Jon Gillaspie, to perform American folk and roots music. Signed by Chrysalis in May 1976 following a tour with Steeleye Span, the future seemed secure for Taylor and the group. Their dreams faded, however, when Taylor damaged his vocal cords and was forced to rest for three months. The hiatus put an end to the band's momentum. By the time he had healed from surgery and was ready to return, the group had folded. Resuming his solo career, Taylor signed a publishing deal with Chrysalis and a recording deal with Rubber Records. His first new album, The Traveller, featured instrumental backing by melodeon and accordion player John Kirkpatrick. The album received the Grand Prix du Disque de Montreux for Best European Folk Album in 1980. Taylor spent much of the '80s and early '90s as a student. Although he continued to record, much of his focus was devoted to his studies. He received a bachelor's degree from Leeds University in 1983, a master's from Lancaster University in 1985, and a doctorate from Queens University in Belfast in 1993. His thesis explored the creative process and the power and aesthetics of song. ~ Craig Harris Allmusicguide

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Allan Taylor - Six Albums 1971-2010 (combined RE-UP)

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CD Info:

Allan Taylor - The American Album & Cajun Moon

Label: Beat Goes On Records
Catalog#: BGOCD488
Format: CD, Album
Country: UK
Released: 2000, 1973 & 1976
Genre: Rock, Folk
Style: Folk Rock, Singer / Songwriter

Tracklist:

The American Album
1 - Get Down (The Proud And Noble Savage) 5:00
2 - Something's Changed 3:16
3 - Old Joe 3:55
4 - The City 3:49
5 - The Story 4:26
6 - My Father's Room 2:58
7 - Always You 2:22
8 - Lavinia Forsythe-Jones 5:46
9 - Only A Few 3:15
10 - Lead On, I'll Follow (Belfast '71) 4:25

Cajun Moon
11 - Calling On 2:56
12 - Close To The Edge 3:16
13 - Back Again 3:20
14 - Lady Of Pleasure 3:07
15 - Darkness In The Valley 3:38
16 - Mistress Music 3:55
17 - Misty On The Water 4:07
18 - Fiddler John 3:12
19 - Sawtooth Line 2:32
20 - Losers Can Be Winners 3:10

review by Tim Sendra

In 2000, BGO released American Album/Cajun Moon, which combined two albums by Allan Taylor on one compact disc: American Album (1973, originally issued on United Artists) and Cajun Moon.

biography by Craig Harris
Allan Taylor is one of England's most-respected singer/songwriters. His songs have been covered by artists on both sides of the Atlantic, including Don Williams, Frankie Miller, Fairport Convention, Dick Gaughan, the McCalmans, the Fureys, the Clancy Brothers, and De Dannan. Folk Roots praised him for his "ability to crystallize a mood and evoke an era with the ease of a computer memory access, crafting perfect songs with dramatic changes in the spirit of Brecht, Bikel, and Brel." The Oxford Book of Traditional Verse felt as strongly, writing that Taylor was "one of the most literate and sensitive of contemporary songwriters in terms of words and music and one who is capable of exploring more complex subjects than most of his contemporaries." Inspired by the folk revival that swept the United Kingdom in the mid-'60s, Taylor left school at the age of 16 to run a local folk club. Stepping out as a professional musician five years later, he was greatly supported by members of Fairport Convention. Their friendship was cemented when he toured as opening act for the group's national tour. His 1971 debut album, Sometimes, featured instrumental accompaniment from Fairport's drummer Dave Mattacks, fiddler Dave Swarbrick, and bassist Dave Pegg. Moving to New York in 1972, Taylor recorded The American Album with Nashville and Los Angeles session players. He remained in the United States through 1974. Returning to England, Taylor formed a group, Cajun Moon, featuring fiddler Brian Golbey and keyboard player Jon Gillaspie, to perform American folk and roots music. Signed by Chrysalis in May 1976 following a tour with Steeleye Span, the future seemed secure for Taylor and the group. Their dreams faded, however, when Taylor damaged his vocal cords and was forced to rest for three months. The hiatus put an end to the band's momentum. By the time he had healed from surgery and was ready to return, the group had folded. Resuming his solo career, Taylor signed a publishing deal with Chrysalis and a recording deal with Rubber Records. His first new album, The Traveller, featured instrumental backing by melodeon and accordion player John Kirkpatrick. The album received the Grand Prix du Disque de Montreux for Best European Folk Album in 1980. Taylor spent much of the '80s and early '90s as a student. Although he continued to record, much of his focus was devoted to his studies. He received a bachelor's degree from Leeds University in 1983, a master's from Lancaster University in 1985, and a doctorate from Queens University in Belfast in 1993. His thesis explored the creative process and the power and aesthetics of song. allmusicguide

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CD Info:

Allan Taylor - Hotels & Dreamers

Label: Stockfisch Records
Catalog#: SFR 357.6028.2
Format: CD, Album
Country: Germany
Released: 2003
Genre: Rock, Acoustic
Style: Singer / Songwriter

Tracklist:

01. The Beat Hotel [0:06:58.20]
02. The Stranger [0:03:46.37]
03. Frenchtown [0:04:49.73]
04. Los Companeros [0:06:11.60]
05. For Those We Knew [0:03:55.72]
06. Running On Dreams [0:05:22.63]
07. The Mission Hotel [0:04:54.55]
08. For What It's Worth [0:04:53.00]
09. Some Dreams [0:04:30.25]
10. Pearls And Wine [0:04:01.37]
11. When Time Is Short [0:05:54.70]

Musicians:
Allan Taylor - vocals, guitar
Chris Jones - guitar
Lutz Möller - piano
Beo Brockhausen - sax, percussion, autoharp, accordion, kantele
Hans-Jörg Maucksch - fretless bass
Grischka Zepf - electric bass
Nils Tuxen - pedal-steel
Martin Huch - dobro (manzanita)
Thomas Klippel - Hammond B3
Siard de Jong - violin, viola
Simone Mittelbach - violoncello
Thomas Körber - e-guitar
Christine Maringer-Tries - harmony vocals
Christiane Eiben - harmony vocals

Produced and recorded by Günter Pauler
Mastered by Hans-Jörg Maucksch
Distributed by in-akustik

As you traverse the rolling landscape of ‘Hotels And Dreamers’ Allan Taylor draws you in with a richly grained collection of songs to stimulate both heart and head. The terrain is occupied by wise-but-weary vocals, and muted acoustic arrangements which conspire to pay gentle and affectionate homage to “the Beats who started me on this road” and contemporaries who also took this route less travelled.

Opening track, the breathy ‘The Beat Hotel’ stars not only the Rue Git-le-Couer, Paris establishment itself, but also its cast of transient residents – Ginsberg, Kerouac, Corso, - those desolation angels intent on anarchy in the Art Establishment, that Allan manifestly wishes he’d had the chance to hang out with. He ran with their late ‘60s followers-on, most of them now having paid the ultimate price. Alex Campbell, Derroll Adams, Colin Scot, Tony Capstick and sadly, many others haunt the particularly affecting ‘For Those We Knew,’ driving themselves penniless and crazy “through neon lights of midnight hues” and Taylor is no iconoclast, valuing the days and the ways that shaped his experiences, and making him a sadder but a more sapient man.

A sophisticated musician and a writer of intensity and brevity, most of the material here has an emotional reach that leaves you reeling. Always conveying sincerity, the listener’s ear is prepared for Allan’s straightforward sentiment but his character writing is so subtle, the darkness of the subject matter on this album quietly reveals itself and perception adjusts, like vision would to a dim room. The nostalgic sensuality of ‘Los Companeros’ sketches the dilution of the Cuban revolutionary ethic and the betrayal of that particular romance, whilst the apparently light ‘Mission Hotel’ has a fateful melancholy that spells ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ ahead for Anna, its protagonist.

Peopled by the footloose and the feckless but always the human - ordinary persons coping as best they can, is surely the very stuff of folk-song? Streaked too, with moments that recall Tom Waits’ best work, Allan Taylor is a singularly seductive songwriter. These are direct songs but they trigger complex responses. Elegiac, resigned even. When you’re emotionally broke and busted, you can still follow those dreams. Sometimes they’re your only way out.

Clive Pownceby http://www.livingtradition.co.uk

CD Info:

Allan Taylor - Songs For The Road

Label: Stockfisch Records
Catalog#: SFR 357.9010.2
Format: Hybrid-SACD, Album
Country: Germany
Released: 2010
Genre: Rock, Acoustic
Style: Singer/Songwriter

Tracklist:

Allan Taylor - [Songs For The Road #01] Dedicated to …
Allan Taylor - [Songs For The Road #02] A Promise and a Porsche
Allan Taylor - [Songs For The Road #03] Let the Music flow
Allan Taylor - [Songs For The Road #04] Dancing on a Saturday Night
Allan Taylor - [Songs For The Road #05] Midnight Call

Allan Taylor – guitar, vocals
Michael Koschorrek – guitar, lap steel guitar, tremolo guitar, dobro, electric guitar
Ralf Gustke – drums, percussion
Hans-Jorg Maucksch – fretless bass, electric bass
Dieter Burmester – electric bass
Michael Kleinhans – tuba

Allan Taylor burst onto the English music scene forty years ago. Highly respected by his peers as a talented songwriter, he would become a staple of the emergent British folk scene, recording with members of Fairport Convention. With a highly developed sense of perception, his material has been covered on both sides of the Atlantic. Despite critical acclaim, commercial success would be elusive. He continued to record, and pursued a doctorate degree from the University in Belfast. His musical journey remains constant and aesthetic.

On Songs For The Road, Taylor offers introspective sketches of everyday life. Common themes are explored in five tightly arranged folk arrangements. ”Dedicated To…” has a laconic bluesy feel as the singer ponders the quiet desperation of love. With a straightforward guitar line, the song has a stripped down tone that has become resurgent in the industry (John Mellencamp employed a similar discipline on his latest release.). What stands out is the singing/talking baritone, recalling Johnny Cash or Mark Knopfler. The unique timbre of his voice underscores the pathos of the narratives. Reflections on rediscovering teenage romance are given a sentimental treatment on “Dancing On A Saturday Night”. The heartfelt aura of optimism is framed perfectly in a medium paced rockabilly waltz. Despite the mature vocal, the emotional angst of youth is echoed in the words (“I will steal a kiss under the pale moonlight…”). As the track draws to a close, a portion of the second verse is repeated in a dramatically slower manner. The simplicity of the message is accentuated with a nimble elegance.

Inspired by personal recollections of his father, “A Promise Is A Promise” recounts the complicated relationship between father and son. The mixture of redemption and closure is exemplified by the symbolism of a “real fast car”. A strained vocal conveys the fragility of the human spirit. The band is cohesive, subtle in context and expression, propelled by the fluid guitar licks. The minimalist production of “Midnight Call” takes a straightforward love story and creates an aural poem.

Stockfish continues to shine with its groundbreaking SACD technology. The precision and clarity of the stringed instrumentation is flawless, augmenting the acoustics without compromising the intended starkness. The Hybrid SACD Disc contains a CD audio layer playable on any standard machine. Additional video material on a data partition, (excerpted from the Stockfisch Blu-Ray Disc/DVD “The Endless Highway”) details various aspects of Taylor’s life and creative processes as a musician.

Songs For The Road is an engaging album. However at a sparse twenty-two minutes, the project could have benefited from more tracks. (Hopefully the price reflects the EP length…Ed.) -Robbie Gerson audiophile audition

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