Review: CAT NAV & Guide Cats For The Blind

Subject: Review: CAT NAV & Guide Cats For The Blind
From: bradfordian
Date: 15 Sep 09 - 06:51 PM

FOR THOSE WHO LIKE HUMOUROUS POETRY & comic songs, SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT FOR THE IMPENDING SEASON OF GOODWILL

I just heard "Send in the cones" (Clowns) on BBC Radio2. Thought this info is worth sharing.

http://www.mrsackroyd.com/catnav.htm Les Barker
http://www.bcab.org.uk/guide-cats.html BCAB website
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwoTM-wZXY4 sample1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWl0QD9W-Oc sample2


ALSO AVAILABLE ON DIGITAL DOWNLOAD --- and you know its for a good cause!
And available from AMAZON (UK) if you want to help Mudcat too!

GUIDE CATS FOR THE BLIND (DOUBLE CD): OSMO CD020,021 £7
CD 1

   1. Les Barker: Guide Cats for the Blind (4.13)
   2. Ken Bruce: Across the Plains of Africa (1.42)
   3. Mike Harding: The Curse of the House of the Baskervilles (5.52)
      from Mrs Ackroyd Superstar
   4. Ned Sherrin: Stamped Addressed Antelope (1.15)
   5. Sarah Kennedy: Sprouts (1.23)
   6. Sir Jimmy Young: Reg the Vegetable Gardener (1.34)
   7. Bill Caddick: Custard Creams (3.49)
      from Tubular Dogs
   8. Gerard McDermott: Waste Not, Want Not (3.10)
   9. Brian Perkins: Shipping Forecast (1.39)
10. Sally Boazman: Crawl of the Light Brigade (2.33)
11. Johnnie Walker: The Man Next Door's a Burglar (1.08)
12. June Tabor: Git a Long Little Dogie (2.50)
      from Tubular Dogs
13. Heinz Wolff: Administerium and the Science of Unclear Physics (4.23)
14. Nonny James: Nobody Hugs a Hedgehog (1.30)
15. Allan Beswick: Jehovah's Witness at the Door (5.25)
16. Ryan Kelly: Blessed Are the Meek (1.59)
17. Cyril Tawney: Sammy's Bar Revisited (2.41)
18. Nicholas Parsons: Amnesia (3.11)
19. Paul Gambaccini: The Last But One of the Mohicans (1.33)
20. Dave Cash + Five Guide Cats of Arijaba: Detritus / Tu Haiku (4.16)

CD 2

21. Sic Transit: Sidney (2.50)
22. Terry Wogan: Have You Got Any News of the Iceberg? (2.03)
23. Nonny James: Spot of the Antarctic (3.11)
24. Roy Hudd: An Infinite Number of Occasional Tables (2.01)
25. Bernard Wrigley: The Man Who Was Eaten By His Own Bum (3.38)
26. Charlotte Green: VoiceMail (1.47)
27. Billy Butler: It Was the Surprise More Than Anything (1.59)
28. Martin Carthy: Hard Cheese of Old England (2.53)
      from Oranges and Lemmings
29. Peter White: I Can't Find My Camouflage Net (1.05)
30. Dave Cash: Detritus (2.37)
31. Brian Matthew: The Dog Formerly Known as Prince (0.35)
32. Galliard: The Unigate Milkman (3.52)
33. Trevor Peacock: Captain Indecisive (3.40)
34. Roger Lloyd Pack: One Legged Horse (2.35)
35. Cyril Tawney: Lassie Free and Easy (2.40)
36. Ian MacMillan: Ancient Mariner.Com (2.12)
37. Nicky Campbell: The Phoenix (1.30)
38. Genevieve Tudor: Everything Glows (2.40)
39. Mark and Lard: Jason and the Arguments (4.40)
40. Les Barker: Déjà Vu (4.31)

MISSING PERSIANS FILE: OSMO CD032, £7

   1. John Humphrys: The Stealth Comma (1.55)
   2. Joss Ackland: If (1.49)
   3. Harvey Andrews & John Shepherd: Missing Persians File (2.49)
   4. Prunella Scales: A Crufts Conversation (1.56)
   5. Les Barker: Cosmo the Fairly Accurate Knife Thrower (4.15)
   6. Emma Chambers: I Don't Like My Boomerang (2.08)
   7. Tom Paxton: Will the Turtle Be Unbroken (4.25)
   8. Timothy West & Prunella Scales: My Snails Have Not Yet Arrived (2.44)
   9. Jeremy Vine: Napoleon's Circular Retreat from Reading (2.49)
10. Nonny James: Lorna the Library Book Burglar (2.40)
11. Genevieve Tudor: Travel Iron (2.10)
12. Ed Stewart: Spot Was Not Like the Rest (1.30)
13. Steve Tilston: Dipsticks & Seals (5.24)
14. Frank Hennessy: Death by Daffodils (3.02)
15. Ryan Kelly: Self Knowledge (1.17)
16. Roger Lloyd Pack: Non Sequitors (1.51)
17. Rodney Bewes: One-Way Cul-de-Sac (1.41)
18. Sic Transit: The King of Rome (2.21)
19. Desmond Carrington: The Undead Parrot (3.03)
20. Gerard McDermott: King Harold Was a Ventriloquist (3.59)
21. Trevor Peacock: A Very English Thing (2.56)
22. The Mrs Ackroyd Band: The Lemmings Reunion (4.33)

TOP CAT WHITE TIE AND TAILS: OSMO CD041, £7

   1. Dave Cash: The Franco-Prussian War of the Spanish Succession (3.57)
   2. Nonny James: Top Cat, White Tie and Tails (2.18)
   3. Roger Lloyd Pack: Knot (3.01)
   4. Joss Ackland: An Admission (1.28)
   5. Robert Lindsay: The Mask of Mono (2.27)
   6. Les Barker: The Church of the Wholly Undecided (3.57)
   7. Jenny Agutter: Bungee Jumping for Lemmings (1.29)
   8. Tim Brooke-Taylor: Mute Swan (0.12)
   9. Edward de Souza: Disaster at Sea (0.43)
10. Prunella Scales: No May (1.26)
11. Trevor Peacock: Inconsonants (3.24)
12. Tony Hawks: I Used to Be a Singer in a Rock Band (1.16)
13. Tessa Peake-Jones: Acupuncture (2.05)
14. Tim Brooke-Taylor: The Author's Story (2.46)
15. Andrew Sachs: On Performing Poetry (0.06)
16. Jenny Agutter: Garden Waste (2.55)
17. Michael Cochrane: Home Improvement (1.40)
18. Peter Donaldson: My Phone's Out of Order (2.39)
19. Judi Spiers: Go Stay and Fetch (1.33)
20. Andrew Sachs: Leonardo Da Thingy (3.06)
21. Ken Bruce: McPherson's Lament (0.59)
22. Norma Dixit: Reg Was a Lonely Glow Worm (2.36)
23. Gerard McDermott: The Y Files (3.35)
24. Joss Ackland: Oh Lord When I Die (2.21)
25. Christopher Cazenove: Chronology (2.25)
26. Clare Balding and Jimmy McGrath: The Charge of the Late Brigade (1.44)
27. Edward de Souza: The Secret (0.11)

CAT NAV: OSMO CD050/051 (DOUBLE CD), £12

CD1
01 - What Is - Nik Kershaw
02 - The Lost Elephants Of Denbigh - The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr
Rowan Williams
03 - Quasi B Good - John Benns with Fairport Convention feat. Wurzel
04 - Non Stick Pan - Mikey Hughes
05 - Hip Hop Hamlet - The Mrs Ackroyd Band
06 - Fishing For Sheep - Roger Lloyd Pack
07 - Cat Nav - Keith Donnelly
08 - The Nine Banded Armadillo - Bob Harris
09 - Arnold - The Austin Lounge Lizards
10 - Apocalypse Yesterday - James Naughtie
11 - Send In The Cones - Nonny James
12 - A Faulty Stereo - Norma Dixit
13 - She Moved Through The Fair - Simon Mayor and Hilary James
14 - Who Can You Ask When You're God? - Gary O'Donoghue
15 - Dachshunds With Erections - Sniff Patrol
16 - Us Goldfish - Barry Farrimond
17 - You Won't Like Tom Jones - Jez Lowe
18 - The Lonely Little Lemming - Shirley Henderson
19 - Absent Friends - Edward de Souza
20 - Flat Earth - Richard Briers
21 - Hunting The Cutty Wren - Jill Grant and Alan Berry
22 - I Can't Believe It's Not Beef Dripping - Bernard Wrigley
23 - I Can't Find My Invisibility Cloak - Ken Galipeau
24 - My Shi Tsu - Jeremy Taylor
25 - A Bunch Of Mimes - George Hamilton iv
CD2
01 - I Drive A Four By Four Four Door Fortress - Chumbawamba
02 - Mid Life Crocus - Alan Titchmarsh
03 - You'll Never Get To New Orleans - Reg Webb
04 - Sex Is Better Than Poetry - Les Barker
05 - The Verb To Be - Dave Cash
06 - Odd Socks - Bernard Cribbins
07 - Auntie Beryl's New PC - The King's Singers
08 - Why Don't They Write It On The Side? - Richard Briers
09 - Roseville Fair - The Haley Sisters feat. Ric Sanders
10 - The Ballad Of Cosmo McGrew - Shep Woolley
11 - The De'il's Awa' Wi' The Exercise Bike - Isla St Clair
12 - Je Ne Sais Quoi - Charles Collingwood
13 - My Husband's Got No Porridge In Him - Norma Waterson
14 - The Duvet Cover - Susan Jameson
15 - Hedgehogs - Louis de Berniere with Tom Bliss
16 - Seeing Is Retrieving - Sian Phillips
17 - Ben Kenobi - Wheeler Street feat. Roy Bailey
18 - Cosmo, Prince Of Denmark - Edward de Souza
19 - Sloop John A - Dan and Gene
Hidden track (I'm not telling you where it is):-
Yr Eliffantod Colledig O Ddinbych - The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr
Rowan Williams

Anyone bought these already and want to comment?

Subject: RE: Review: CAT NAV & Guide Cats For The Blind
From: Leadfingers
Date: 15 Sep 09 - 07:36 PM

Not Got (YET) but ALL bloody good tuff and for a good cause !!

Subject: RE: Review: CAT NAV & Guide Cats For The Blind
From: Declan
Date: 16 Sep 09 - 02:59 AM

I have them all and really like them.

In my opinion nobody does Les as well as Les himself, but go out and buy these and support the cause.

Subject: RE: Review: CAT NAV & Guide Cats For The Blind
From: Irene M
Date: 16 Sep 09 - 10:40 AM

I have all except Cat Nav. Fun, but not enough of Les himself.

Subject: RE: Review: CAT NAV & Guide Cats For The Blind
From: Acorn4
Date: 16 Sep 09 - 11:24 AM

I think most people in the Folk world probably agree that no one does Les like the man himself.

However, the CDs are to raise cash for BCAB, so Clive Lever, who is one of the main organisers of the project was keen to appeal to a market a bit wider than the folk scene, hence recruiting multitudinous celebrities to perform the works.

There are also well known people from the folk world though and I particularly love Jez Lowe doing "You Won't Like Tom Jones".

The project as a myspace page at:-
http://www.myspace.com/guidecatsfortheblind

and on Facebook:-

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=23512477047

What a great Christmas Prezzie Catnav would make!

Subject: RE: Review: CAT NAV & Guide Cats For The Blind
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 16 Sep 09 - 12:44 PM

Thank you folks, you've saved me a lot of typing.

It was indeed true that Clive and I decided to produce these CDs in this way to appeal to a broader market, but we could easily have done that by running down a list of celebs and allocating from a list of poems.

However, our thinking did go a little further than that, and we carefully chose the material to suit the individual readers, so nobody there is TRYING to out-Les Les (it would be impossible).

It didn't totally gel in all cases, but if you listen with a critical ear, most of the poems actually fit the readers.

Examples would be:-

Terry Wogan - "Have You Got Any News of the Iceberg?"
Timothy West and Prunella Scales "My Snails Have Not Yet Arrived" (A tour de Force)
Mark and Lard "Jason and the Arguments"

And of course those wonderful singers who performed Les B parodies of their own songs e.g.

Steve Tilston "Dipsticks and Seals"
The late and much lamented Cyril Tawney "Lassie Free and Easy" "Sammy's Bar Revisited" (We offered a choice of two, and he happily did both)

Many other examples in addition, but there was one other motive for our actions.

We are both ardent Barker fans, and wanted to raise the profile of, possibly, the most underrated composer and performer of both comic and serious poetry in the British Isles, in which I feel we have had some success.

I would have said the world, but Les is actually quite well known and respected in the mainstream of Australia, Canada, and the USA.

Don T.

Subject: RE: Review: CAT NAV & Guide Cats For The Blind
From: Leadfingers
Date: 16 Sep 09 - 08:15 PM

Probably worth buying just for The Cones ! I think that was one of the first Les Barker items i hears any one else do , when He was still taking that little hairy rat Mrs Ackroyd on gigs with him

Subject: RE: Review: CAT NAV & Guide Cats For The Blind
From: Mysha
Date: 08 Oct 20 - 03:02 AM

5th CD:

Herding Cats - Songs and Poems of Les Barker (DOUBLE CD): OSMO CD055,056
CD 1

1. Skuffle: Tortoise From Hell (3.46)
2. Julia Hills: Herding Cats (2.27)
3. Les Barker: The Inflatable Boy (2.17)
4. John Conolly: Fiddler's Greenberg (3.10)
5. Bernard Cribbins: Eeyore's Speech From Piglet (4.46)
6. Nonny James: Have You Got Any News Of The Iceberg? (2.47)
7. Bob Williamson: Kippers For Tea (3.14)
8. Jon Briggs: Weakest Link (1.55)
9. Linda Bellingham: Why Don't They Write It On The Side? (3.40)
10. June Tabor: The January June (2.30)
11. James Bolam: The Atheist And The Bear (1.41)
12. Gaynor Faye: I've Been Hiding My Light Under A Bushel (1.20)
13. Mrs Ackroyd Band: O Sole Mio (4.07)
14. Eric Allen: I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud (1.47)
15. Toyah Willcox: Pearl (2.45)
16. John Scott Cree: Rolls Royce Blues (3.13)

Composer: Les Barker; except: 4: Les Barler / Connolly; 7: Les Barker / Hiller; 16: Les Barker / Scott Cree

CD 2

Les Barker
1. The Mrs Ackroyd Band: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantisiliogogogoch (3.24)
2. Les Barker: Runner Up, the Wonder Horse (1.31)
3. Jeremy Irons: Scott of East Acton (4.31)
4. Tom Bliss: Van Gogh (3.05)
5. Sue Jameson: Procrastination (1.10)
6. Alex Lester: Henry V (3.35)
7. Ken Galipeau: No One Wants To Meat A Skunk (2.45)
8. Jon Briggs: The Surveyor (1.13)
9. Cindy Kent: Seven Deadly Sins (3.56)
10. John Scott Cree: Slow Feet Blues (2.47)
11. Norma Dixit: Why Do Cafes Close At Tea Time (2.03)
12. Michael Palin: The Man Who Is Everywhere Else (2.38)
13. Eileen McGann: I Live Not Near The Louvre (3.12)
14. Ann Widdecombe: Upwards (1.00)
15. Jon Briggs: Dave (0.41)
16. John Tams: On And On (4.38)
17. Edward de Souza: Mange Tout (1.58)

Composer: Les Barker; except: 10: Les Barker / Scott Cree; 13: Les Barker / Traditional

Subject: RE: Review: CAT NAV & Guide Cats For The Blind
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 08 Oct 20 - 04:08 AM

How on earth did Ann Widdicombe get in on the act?

Subject: RE: Review: CAT NAV & Guide Cats For The Blind
From: Acorn4
Date: 08 Oct 20 - 04:43 AM

Clive Lever, who did a lot of the organisation of this, was good at persuading people.

Subject: RE: Review: CAT NAV & Guide Cats For The Blind
From: GUEST,JHW
Date: 09 Oct 20 - 04:04 PM

I have always enjoyed Les Barker. Donkeys years ago he came to one of our Tan Hill weekends and took his place among the punters. What a staggering output 'probably agree that no one does Les like the man himself'

Subject: Songs in song (RE: Guide Cats For The Blind)
From: Mysha
Date: 12 Oct 20 - 02:40 AM

Hi,

I just realised that album 5 has another song with songs in it: Fiddler's Greenberg has mentions of The Wild Rover, Streets of Londan (Londen), Me and Bobby Mcgee, and Lord of the Dance.

I still can' quite picture how to use a song within a song, but it's nice to recognise the variety.

Bye
Mysha