Hello all . More Music from the northeast of Briton !!!! I was lucky enough to get a great cd at Christmas from our own Lindy Kelly and Hazle Richings . You will see the word clean written a ton of times below.. I cant think of higher praise .. I do hope Linda and Hazel will see this thread and talk a bit about who did what .. On the notes I didnt see who was playing the guitar for instance or who is singing high or low where .. and I want to know who wrote these great stories . The language is so good .I think much of the writting is Lindas and if so she needs to let us all know !! . Please do your self a favore and get a copy of this amazing CD .. All the best , Guy

                                                          Hissyfit
                                                 Fish Out Of Water
                                          Hazel Richings,       Linda Kelly
This is an album of accessible voice and great story telling.Clearity !!!

1) Northern Tide :
Opening the cd is clear voice and close interval singing that leads us into great story telling . A song of love for what is left on shore and the life found at sea . Just wonderful !!

2) North Cape Calling:
Opening with great rhythmic guitar and Strong male voice we hear a story of hard decisions to be made on stormy waters . The conter -voices of the chorus takes me by surprise . Concertina and Guitar weave the mood to a different place towards the end and we are left with the knowledge that a wrong move on the sea can cost a very high price .

3) Theipval :
What clean singing !! Nothing is put in the way of powerful voice and the sentiments of what is lost in war . Harmony sweet and clear makes the message even hit harder . Leaving the bones of the song so open takes real courage . Ending with "Its a Long way to Tipperary" was just stunning .

4) Broomlee Lough :
Powerful opening of verse that brings you to a place of treasure and adventure that Dylan Thomas would have appreciated ! Talk about being led into a story . Simple clean guitar leads us forward to alternating voice and harmony . What wonderful imagery here .

5) Ye Banks & Braes :
Clean open harmony singing that takes the breath away . Watch out for those Scottish Rouges !

6) Gallows Waltz :
Guitar swings us into this eery waltz of death in the American Civil War . Every song is so clear and words so enunciated that it is so easy to stay with the storytelling here .. Verse like "The seed is unplanted and the harvest is empty " leaves us with just wonderful imagery and hits close to the heart .

7) Three Drunken Maidens :
Here we have pure fun . You can tell they had a smile the whole time they were working this song up .

8) The Maiden and The Rose :
Amazing ! As good as it gets ; untouched voice .. Completely accessible .

9) Luckiest Sailor :
This is an astounding story and well told of a personal close call with how hard the sea can be . I hope this one gets a ton of play around Hull ..

10) Farewell To Tarwaithe:
Whaling in cold waters is a tough life but great harmonies makes the story a bit easier to take !

11) Sparehand:
Linda and Hazel should get some kind of town award for giving such a strong picture of fishing life in Hull . Woody Guthrie would have song this one if he were around .

12)Octavius:
Storms !!!! Guitar ! Organ !! Storms !! Harmony . A ghost story of a lost ship in ice .. This is an eery ending to a very strong CD ..


Thanks to Linda and Hazel for putting this work together . Much of its bravery is in its sparsity . Pulling off clean clear music is one of the hardest things to do well and its here!!!


All the best , Guy