Dick Miles
Cheating The Tide (1984)


Greenwich Village GVR227

Dick Miles has been singing at Folk Festivals, Folk Clubs and Maritime Festivals, for thirty two years. His special love is traditional song and the concertina. He has recorded 4 cd's and 5 lp's, one of them, "Cheating The Tide", features excellent guitar playing from Martin Carthy. He also has written two concertina tutors, one on song accompaniment, and one book of self penned songs (The Sailors Dream), available from his website.

Musicians:
Dick Miles: vocals, concertina, baritone concertina
Martin Carthy: guitar
Sue Miles: bass clarinet, clarinet, chorus
Sam Richards: piano, harmonica, whistle, chorus
Tish Stubbs: vocals, guitar, chorus
Stephen Cassidy: recorder, bass recorder, bass crumhorn
Jenny Critchley: tenor crumhorn

Tracks:
01. Lady Diamond
02. Washington Post
03. Rebel Soldier
04. Bill Charlton's Fancy
05. Tommy's Lot
06. Pakefield Parson
07. Poor Boy
08. There's No One With Endurance Like The Man Who Sells Insurance!
09. Wages Of Death
10. Dillpickle Rag
11. The Curse Of Hoxne Bridge
12. The Cott
13.The Batle of Bosworth Field
   

    Southern Rag Dec 1984
    Dick Miles Cheating The Tide.
    Cheating The Tide is a beautifully balanced selection of material including almost everything from American Music Hall[or should that be Vaudeville] through to a magic version of Lady Diamond throughout the record the standard never falters,thanks in no small part to one of those supergroups that only ever seem to materialise in recording studios,in this case imncluding Martin Carthy, Sam Richards.SueMiles ,Tish Stubbs.
    All the vocal tracks are delivered with that unassuming sincerity that Dick almost unconsciously projects on a gig.Contrast for instance his lugubrious delivery on the poignant Tommys Lot a strangely dispassionate comment on the First world war,with the deliciously understated jauntiness of The Man Who Sells insurance.Wonderfully subtle stuff.
    But it is on the instrumental numbers that Dicks talent comes to the fore.His playing style is rooted in that of the old time concertina greats such as the late Tommy Williams,but has evolved over the past few years into an instantly recognisable Dick MilesSignature.
    Dill Pickle Rag will turn any inspiring concertinist a delicate shade of chartreuse,The Cott is a richly melliflous slow piece.
    Bill Charltons Fancy a dazzling compilation of triplets and quadruplets all classic examples of virtuoso level musicianship to be enjoyed simply for its own sake.
    Alan Harlow and Maggy StGeorge