Eddi Reader - Undervalued?

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 24 Nov 09 - 05:02 AM

Can I ask a simple question please, Lizzie. After seeing the above review, being made aware of Eddi's awards and achievements and noting all the possitive comments are you still saying that she is undervalued?

DeG

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 24 Nov 09 - 04:45 AM

Very possibly, Dave. :0)

Moving this thread back to Eddi though. I have 'Eddi Reader Sings The Songs of Robert Burns' and it's just beautiful. I can't find it at the moment, as my daughter borrowed it...grrrr...I'm going to ask Father Christmas for 'Angels and Electricity' and her brand new one 'Love Is The Way'...so fingers crossed that he's listening. :0)

BBC review of Eddi's 'Robert Burns' CD

BBC Review
On this evidence it'll be a long (or should that be lang?) time before Reader and her...

Chris Jones 2003-06-02

Eddi Reader's voice is an undeniably awesome thing. Her ability to swoop, soar and generally take your breath away has been a proven fact since Fairground Attraction's First Of A Million Kisses in 1988. Yet attempting new interpretations of the work of Scotland's greatest bard may be, to some of you, a step too far. Is it merely an exercise in trying to prove the old cliche about singing the phone book and making it sound wonderful? Surely old Rabbie just wrote corny stuff about mice and haggises? Well, wrong and wrong again. For Reader wants the world to rediscover what most residents of Scotland's West coast have known for three centuries. Burns wrote a top lyric and his words, filtered through Eddi's lovely larynx, again, come to life on this release.

Sure enough the usual classics are revisited. ''My Love Is Like A Red Red Rose'', ''Auld Lang Syne'' and ''Charlie Is My Darling'' all get a dusting down; but with a band and arrangements as good as this, it's like listening to a brand new repertoire. Ably abetted by her usual band and featuring the awesome fiddle of John McCusker and the lush orchestral arrangements of Kevin McRae, Reader has reached a logical point in a career that's gradually moved nearer to pure folk with every release. In her voluminous sleeve notes she contextualises the project by recounting how her move from the urban sprawl of Glasgow to the Ayrshire town of Irvine brought Burns' magic to her attention.

The delicate acoustic backings focus the mind on Burns' words. It's the universality of his messages that Eddi's attempting to convey here. The bawdy ''Brose And Butter''; the declaration of lasting devotion ''John Anderson My Jo''; and the call for political moderation and peace ''Ye Jacobites'' - all have a contemporary relevance. And as John McCusker says in his commentary, it's in no way in danger of being ''dead posh''.

If there's a reservation it's in the somewhat cloying nature of the strings of the RSNO. Yet this is a small gripe in the face of such a fresh look at a man's work that's justly celebrated every 25th of January north of the border. Interestingly the finest moment arrives with the song ''Wild Mountainside'' which isn't actually by Burns at all, but by the Trash Can Sinatras' John Douglas. It's included to demonstrate how the poet's muse lives on in Scotland to this day. On this evidence it'll be a long (or should that be lang?) time before Reader and her friends lose their inspiration.


And from Eddi's myspace page, about her new CD:


>>>>>>I am going on the road to play some new songs from my new record LOVE IS THE WAY.

This record was made over three sessions in a little recording room down an abandoned alley in a few sunny hours and thundery hours in Glasgow, last summer.

It was one of my ambitions to find a brilliant, warm environment to play live in and record in. I also wanted to meet an engineer who would be empathetic to my desire for capturing mood and feeling over technical trickery.

Mark Freegard had been working as an engineer in London and America successfully for years. Working on recordings by: Justin Currie and Del Amitri, The Breeders, Manic Street Preachers, Marilyn Manson, Maria McKee, Madder Rose and many more.

He left London to move up to Glasgow because he fell in love. He found this little room above the Glasgow to Helensburgh train line where he has installed his recording system.

It's a rented place that was a former rehearsal/ writing space for The Blue Nile. Boo Hewerdine had worked with him and encouraged me to check out Mark and the space. I didn't bother. I was depressed and dark about not having a lot of money to record a new record. I had talked to Geoff Travis at Rough Trade earlier in the year about perhaps doing a 'best of' record and having a couple of extra tracks. The boys in the band wanted a record of some kind so that we could tour later in the year. So I was looking for somewhere to record two tracks.

Boo yet again told me of Mark so, reluctantly, I investigated it. I walked up the alley past the wild cats and tripping over the potholes. I walked in highly sceptical and angry, burned out, hopeless. Feeling I would never find anyone who would help me. I noticed that Mark had his recording desk unusually in the middle of the recording room. I saw lots of windows that let in light and the noise of Argyle Street never mind the train that kept on coming under the floor. I noticed the wall full of winking burlesque girls from the sixties.

I told him that I would like to try a session with the live band thinking I would hear something negative about how not possible it was in that place. But Mark was so positive, excited even, and when Roy arrived after driving from London all night he and Mark hugged each other because they were old friends.

As the boys arrived everything got mic'd up. Boo had a couple of new songs I wanted to try and I remembered Jack Maher from Sharon Shannon's band had a beautiful tune, so I called him up and got him to come over from Dublin. I had a few others that might sound good so I had sent little demos of the songs to everyone. Boo and John and Jack taught the chords to each other and we set sail. Mark recorded everything and I don't know how he got the clear real sound he did. I think it might be a secret.

After the first day's session I realised we had five tracks and I thought I had the beginnings of a new record. I sent the first day's recordings to Geoff Travis of Rough Trade and he set me a budget to record a full album.

My history is well known and if you happen not to know it, GOOD! Forget it. I am starting from here.

I have a passionate love of instinctive, beautiful songs. Also a slightly insane attachment to romantic chord structures. Words that speak of some universal humanist truth. That can be 'thrown away' with no regrets. This can be summed up in most of the songs on this record.

That's it... I hope you like it. It's personal to me and maybe nothing to do with corporate commercialism nor is it meant to be. There is only something ambitious in the hope that whoever hears it will use it as I have used it, to soundtrack life a little bit. To dance with bare feet to yourself singing along with me.

And if you listen carefully you will hear the Helensburgh train. Always came in on time…

Eddi
xxx

LOVE IS THE WAY is out now on Rough Trade Records.<<<<

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 24 Nov 09 - 04:12 AM

The problem is not your computer, it's your head.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 24 Nov 09 - 04:03 AM

AAAARRGH! Could a kindly Mudelf please remove my post above....as summat weird is going on with my computer and it's posting before I've finished writing...

>>>Just for Joe. This is so fitting :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7xwUOA_I84

Can you pick Joe and Lizzie out ROFLMAO <<<

Villan, you got me crying with laughter on that one. Brilliant!

I LOVE The Muppets so much...and I think this world is a far poorer place without them all over our screens. Wonderful stuff.

Sadly, I have Miss Piggy's chest! EEK!   And her hair...and her eyelashes....Cripes!

I need to find me a FROG...and fast!

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 24 Nov 09 - 04:00 AM

Oh bums! I did it again! GRRRRR. Sorry, Joe!

Just for Joe. This is so fitting :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7xwUOA_I84

Can you pick Joe and Lizzie out ROFLMAO

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 24 Nov 09 - 03:59 AM

"To me, it's incomprehensible that this garbage cart of commercialised trash should be hauled out into the maelstrom of discussion when there is so many exciting new interpretations of English music available out there. The only possible explanation is that the OP has dipped into this putrid well out of perversity and to draw out the cloth-eared to pitch in their tired old contributions to the cacophony. Tasteless trolling."

There ya go, Dave...NOW defend your friends...come on, defend Mrs. Lakeman, and Kate, and Cara....and Sean and Sam and Seth..et al...

Oh, sorry, you'll have to speak up a little louder, I can't hear you.
And...I haven't heard you for the past umpteen years either, while I was defending Seth, Equation, Kate and Cara, or being the only one to mention Kathryn....Strange, huh?



Just for Joe. This is so fitting :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7xwUOA_I84

Can you pick Joe and Lizzie out ROFLMAO

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Silas
Date: 24 Nov 09 - 02:54 AM

"I remember the very first time I ever heard Eva Cassidy singing, when 'Fields of Gold' filled the air in my Dartmoor home back then...as the River Walkham tumbled past my garden wall...

The beauty of her voice literally stopped me in my tracks. I stood there, in my kitchen.....just listening to this incredibly pure voice.."


I agree.

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 09:07 PM

Same for you, Diane - just be sure you attack the ideas expressed, not the person they're coming from.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 08:24 PM

I've been involved in trad music even longer than Ruth, but that's only because I'm older. Having begun as a small child learning from my grandfather, a traditional morris and sword musician, and having dance lessons with a champion clog-dancing family, the emergence of Equation was to me just an unfortunate blip best forgotten. Before that, I'd been very hopeful for the Lakeman trio and the Rusby/Roberts duo when Dave was giving them their early breaks.

From what I recall of lizziecornish's epiphany, it occurred in about 2003 when, strolling through Sidmouth where she had perchance come to live, she was offended by an Italian traditional band but cheered by the strains of a pub-rock duo. A while later, she discovered scribbling boards but is now allowed solely on this one where she perpetuates her half-baked myths and cranky theories.

Many's the high-profile performer and activist that has entreated her to desist. Many's the time she's flounced off, promising never to come back. Yet still it continues, spewing like an incessant volcano.

misguided overreaction over nothing
Indeed.
plus ça change
Not yet,

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 08:21 PM

Folkiedave says:

Without restriction. I assume by that, we who disagree with what she writes will have the same rights to post, in order to contradict that which she says, not of habit, or contrariness but because she does not know that which she talks about.

Certainly Dave - just be sure you attack the ideas expressed, not the person they're coming from.
Oh, and I like you, too, and I think you perform a valuable service for the folk community.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 07:50 PM

"Er, long before you came on the scene trying to be 'the new Diane'... and long before Kathryn had her children, I was still saying exactly the same thing...."

Well, I've been involved with folk music for around 20 years, and was working as a volunteer at one of the country's best folk venues (of the time) in the mid 90s when the Equation were originally doing the rounds...were you around on the folk scene then, Lizzie? I thought your discovery was a bit more recent...

Kathryn has chosen a particular career path for herself, and the reasons are best known to her and her husband. To be championing her cause when, from what I understand, there's really no cause to champion, is just more misguided overreaction over nothing. Plus ca change.

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Folkiedave
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 07:47 PM

and long before Kathryn had her children, I was still saying exactly the same thing....and in those days, she was undervalued, having had the stigma of Equation, Warner Brothers and the spite of some of the folk world on her shoulders, as did the Lakemans and Cara Dillon too...

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Joe Offer - PM
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 05:58 PM

.........

Although she's a little crazy and can drive me MORE than a little crazy, I like her.

Joe, I am delighted you tell us you like her. And that she is allowed to post on here. Without restriction. I assume by that, we who disagree with what she writes will have the same rights to post, in order to contradict that which she says, not of habit, or contrariness but because she does not know that which she talks about.

Lizzie I took Kathryn and Kate to a festival in Portugal - on the basis they were tremendous and emerging talents. That was in 1994 and in September, a few weeks later Kathryn became Young Folk Artist of the Year. She was the first singer ever to do so.

Had you discovered folk music at that point? Errr....well according to your posts - no. Your discovery of folk music came a few years later.

So at what point in her career were you saying how she was undervalued? And who was saying she wasn't?

What was the stigma of the folk world? Tell us Lizzie.

A number of us know the story of Kate and Kathryn and Equation far mor intimately than you do Lizzie. We respect our friends which is why we haven't posted any details.

You on the other hand, know it well. After all, you have read it in a book. So it must be correct.

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 07:47 PM

OMG Cassidy does Sumner. Is there no bottom to this barrel?

Who or what is or was Sumner?

Eva Cassidy does a Gordon Sumner (stage name Sting) song.
Unbearably naff. There can be no doubt that death was exploited here as a good career move by the MOR end of the BBC.

Odd (or not) that Susan Boyle whose CD of a string of dreary covers was reviewed on Front Row earlier, gets dragged up in the same post. Blatant manipulation of the afflicted for cash.

Eddi Reader ain't my thing, any more than the various Lakeperson + associated hangers on. They do what they do and are in no way undervalued or underpromoted. Underwhelming, certainly.

To me, it's incomprehensible that this garbage cart of commercialised trash should be hauled out into the maelstrom of discussion when there is so many exciting new interpretations of English music available out there. The only possible explanation is that the OP has dipped into this putrid well out of perversity and to draw out the cloth-eared to pitch in their tired old contributions to the cacophony. Tasteless trolling.

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Rasener
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 06:29 PM

That was about Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Rasener
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 06:16 PM

I know that video Lizzie and it looks so much like the pub that Andy Watkins used to use for Lincoln Folk in Lincolnshire.

Anybody able to disprove that?

Not the best video, but there aren't many if any of them other than this one.

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Rasener
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 06:11 PM

Just for Joe. This is so fitting :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7xwUOA_I84

Can you pick Joe and Lizzie out ROFLMAO

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 06:09 PM

Awwwwwwww....I like you too, Joe. xx

But...I ain't obnoxious and if you don't stop saying that I'll...I'll............. ;0)




"Right...you've been told that people have actively tried to book her in recent years, and by people that know her (one of whom saw her only yesterday) that she prefers to focus on raising her family rather than her folk career...so how, exactly, does that constitute being undervalued?

But hey - never let the facts get in the way of a good rant."



Er, long before you came on the scene trying to be 'the new Diane'... and long before Kathryn had her children, I was still saying exactly the same thing....and in those days, she was undervalued, having had the stigma of Equation, Warner Brothers and the spite of some of the folk world on her shoulders, as did the Lakemans and Cara Dillon too...

It's amazing though, how Seth has now been forgiven, even making it to the front cover of fRoots over and over again, despite 'getting in under the radar'

But hey, never let the truth get in the way of oneupmanship, or magazine profits, huh?


Kathryn and Sean - Youtube - The Whitby Maid




"Whereas Eddi Reader comes across to me like a Susan Boyle without the mental retardation to excuse the tastelessness."

That is one of the most unpleasant remarks I've seen in a long while, but no less than I expect to see ripple from your typewriter, sadly.

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 05:58 PM

Well in the first message I posted on this thread, on 21 November, I said, "So, anyhow, Lizzie, you've attracted some negative responses here, and I'm wondering why." I get lots of complaints about Lizzie, and I've never quite understood them. All I've been able to determine is that Lizzie is more of a fan than a musician, that she likes performers that are more commercial than the performers that many of us prefer, that she talks a bit too much and listens a bit too little, that she can be a bit obnoxious, and that her enthusiam can be overwhelming.

OK, so I figured I'd play the devil's advocate and try to come to an understanding of all these complaints I receive. The conclusion I come to is that Lizzie has a lot of faults - but so have we all. All in all, despite the fact that she drives me crazy sometimes, I like her. I admire her enthusiasm and energy, and I appreciate the fact that she's nice to me even when she's mad at me.

So, although I'm sure I will continue to receive messages that tell me that Lizzie's participation in Mudcat has dire implications for the future of folk music, I will continue to fail to understand why.

Although she's a little crazy and can drive me MORE than a little crazy, I like her.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Rasener
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 05:42 PM

I have been trying to book Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman for quite some time, but Sean has been heavily involved with Seth whilst Kathryn is doing the right thing looking after the family (well not for me as I would rather see her on the folk scene with Sean, but that is being selfish).
IMHO, they rate as one of the best duo's that were/are on the scene.

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 05:32 PM

"I also think that Kathryn Roberts is hugely undervalued by the traditional folk world."

Right...you've been told that people have actively tried to book her in recent years, and by people that know her (one of whom saw her only yesterday) that she prefers to focus on raising her family rather than her folk career...so how, exactly, does that constitute being undervalued?

But hey - never let the facts get in the way of a good rant.

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Rasener
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 05:31 PM

I prefer Stings version of Fields Of Gold with that lovely pipe playing in the background.

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 05:10 PM

OMG Cassidy does Sumner. Is there no bottom to this barrel?

Who or what is or was Sumner?

Cassidy's songwriting doesn't do much for me, but she did have a remarkably beautiful voice and her guitar playing fitted it perfectly. My reaction to her was much like Lizzie's.

Whereas Eddi Reader comes across to me like a Susan Boyle without the mental retardation to excuse the tastelessness.

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Rasener
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 05:04 PM

I think David Beckham is undervalued and Victoria is a skeleton!

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Zen
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 04:58 PM

Is there no end to the spite displayed here?

No, unfortunately it seems not. Which is the main reason I very, very rarely post here after more than 10 years. When I do look in from time to time I am saddened to always find the same unpleasantness.

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Mavis Enderby
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 04:01 PM

Is there no end to the spite displayed here?

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: GUEST,Guest John Hartford
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 03:46 PM

I died many a time and I am still underrated...lol

Typical of MudKat this thread has spouted thousands of words just to provide the clear message we all already knew.....

Eddi Reader is undervalued by the people who don't rate her and valued by those who do.

Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeez

Be happy in what you do

John

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 03:39 PM

OMG Cassidy does Sumner. Is there no bottom to this barrel?

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 03:35 PM

"Eva Cassidy - now if there was EVER somebody whose reputation was inflated by untimely death."

I remember the very first time I ever heard Eva Cassidy singing, when 'Fields of Gold' filled the air in my Dartmoor home back then...as the River Walkham tumbled past my garden wall...

The beauty of her voice literally stopped me in my tracks. I stood there, in my kitchen.....just listening to this incredibly pure voice..

Eva - Fields of Gold

I wish she were still here...


I'm off to watch part 3 of Eddi's documentary now...

Eddi - 'All or Nothing' Parts 1,2 and 3

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Smedley
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 03:18 PM

Imagine if James Dean had got old & paunchy, grabbing the occasional guest-star spot on Columbo or Murder She Wrote......

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 03:15 PM

Death is often a good career move.

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Smedley
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 02:58 PM

Eva Cassidy - now if there was EVER somebody whose reputation was inflated by untimely death.

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Stu
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 02:54 PM

". . .as a related link to Eva Cassidy's version, which I hadn't heard before and which is MUCH MUCH better"

Eva Cassidy - now she is overrated and overvalued in my opinion. But then that's why this thread is just so much bollocks - because it's just an opinion and no more or less valid than anyone else's.

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: melodeonboy
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 02:51 PM

"I spent many a happy hour in the Round The Bende Shoppe"

Hmmm.....

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Will Fly
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 02:42 PM

Yup - the Anne Frank drum kit... always wanted one of those...

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: catspaw49
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 02:39 PM

Yeah Will I was.....and I even had a Blue Clicky for the occasion.....

Spaw

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: catspaw49
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 02:38 PM

Sorry Will.....You were a day late and a dollar short (:<))

Spaw

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Will Fly
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 02:37 PM

'Spaw - you bastud - you were jest waitin' hunched over your keyboard to beat poor ol' Will to it...

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Will Fly
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 02:36 PM

100 - YAWN

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: catspaw49
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 02:36 PM

100

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 02:31 PM

Oh, you forgot to recount the saga of the Lakeperson-penned ditty about an albino bunny somehow getting nominated for "Best Traditional Track" in the Folk Awards, Go on, waste all the bandwidth left in the world and bore everyone. Though what the proliferation of Lakedwellers has to do with a Scottish singer who isn't in the slightest bit undervalued I fail to grasp.

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: GUEST,Lizzie Cornish
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 02:00 PM

"Then you ought to have been aware that it was the band Equation that signed to Warner and that this particular Lakeperson, as a solo artist, signed to EMI much later."

Er...I did know. As well YOU know, Diane, as I've raised this fact about Equation and Colin Irwin over and again, but strangely, no-one mentions Colin's words...

Weird, huh?   

I've been aware of Equation for many moons. Got all their CDs, went to see Kathryn and the lads at their 10th Anniversary do at Exeter, wrote about it on the BBC board...where, as you seem to have forgotten, Diane, you used to slag Equation...and the Lakemans, off at every single opportunity, even getting told off by Jim Moray for being such a misery guts when he rejoiced about Seth being nominated for the Mercury....and then, of course, followed the Ian A. and cronies (imo) 'plot' to try and get Seth banned from that very award, which, as I recall, you also joined in with, saying that his CD had been released too early/late (fill in whichever fits)....

When I pointed out that no way would you have mentioned this fact, had it been one of your chosen ones, there was a silence that echoed around the BBC board.

You gave Seth a really hard time....so did Ian....who stated that both Seth and Show of Hands had somehow managed to 'get in under the radar' of the artists he considered to be 'traditional'...and all hell broke loose....

Short memory, huh?   :0)

And Dave, Kathryn and Sean used to live in Horrabridge, where I lived, at a different time...I spent many a happy hour in the Round The Bende Shoppe, which eventually became their home.

I also think that Kathryn Roberts is hugely undervalued by the traditional folk world. She has a superb voice and a great presence on stage.

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Dave Sutherland
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 12:52 PM

I don't think that whichever label Equation signed up to alienated them from the folk fraternity although their publicity machine at the time might have done so. Their signing to Warner was covered in a lot of the Nationals and their spokesperson went along the lines of "we don't want to be associated with folk; folk is all chunky sweaters and real ale, we are a new fresh face....."and all the usual turgid bollocks. I think folkies were more dismayed than outraged that such a bright young band could sanction such a boring generalisation.
Anyway the one and only time that I saw Equation, a few years later, was at....a Real Ale Festival.

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Folkiedave
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 12:17 PM

Kate Rusby backed out of the deal at the last moment and went back to Yorkshire

I could have sworn she went and replaced Sally Barker in the Poozies.......who don't inhabit Yorkshire.

I know a lot about Equation - they gestated after I took the duo Kate and Kathryn and the trio Lakeman Brothers to do a gig in Braga, Portugal. Instant band formation for a foreign festival. It happens. Equation came shortly afterwards.

To update you on Kathryn, she seems very happy with the occasional gig with Sean. She has two lovely children - the twins Lilly and Poppy and as you can imagine they take up a lot of her time. They were at the carols at Dungworth yesterday. If only I had known this thread was coming up, I could have asked her about it.

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 12:06 PM

"I suppose I will never be invited to join the Folk-Masons.
Lizzie - we need to break this conspiricy. Have you got Dan Brown's email addy? Ruth - can we use your plot? It's amazing and I never knew such things went behind the scenes at CS house. So complicated!"

Oh my gawd, that would make such a blinding blockbuster!

>cue gravelly voice<

"The dark dusty catacombs beneath CSharp house" >cue: footsteps & shadows<
"the holy folk archives" >cue: usty dimly lit manuscripts<
"the evil ancient guardians who watch - hawk-like - in case the folk-graal be discovered by non-initiates.." >cue: crusty old folky with an accordian<
"But what is the dark mystery concealed behind it all? What liquid is really in those ceremonial tankards?" >cue: real ale - most probably, but in a certain light... wee'eell it get's you drunk...<

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 11:36 AM

I'm fully aware that Seth is a solo artist

Then you ought to have been aware that it was the band Equation that signed to Warner and that this particular Lakeperson, as a solo artist, signed to EMI much later.

I have never hear anyone complain about Warner as a label. Why would they? It's a label, not in itself an arbiter of musical direction. As Ruth says, it did no harm whatsoever as a staging post in Eliza Carthy's career. Colin Irwin reported in In Search Of Albion that Equation suffered after they sold out. If that means people criticised them because the quality of their music slipped off the lower end of the scale, he was of course right. Venues just stopped booking them. Not that I've read In Search Of . . . myself. That would be a bit like getting political analysis and social commentary from the Daily Mail. Ah, but you do . . .

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 11:31 AM

Umm, I've read the book. I don't need Ian Anderson as a link to Colin Irwin - Colin is a friend of mine. We've talked a lot about music, and what we like, and what we don't. We don't always agree, but we often make each other laugh. Colin told part of the story in that particular chapter, but not all of it - he told the story from a particular perspective. I was working in venues at the time, I had (and have) a different perspective on why The Equation had difficulty getting bookings.

If you're trying to say that Cara Dillon suffers from her association with The Equation, you're inhabiting a different universe to the one I'm in. She gets headlining spots all the time - the first time I saw her live was at Cambridge. She's represented by one of the best agents in the folk business. She wasn't even IN the Equation till fairly late in their trajectory.

Kathryn Roberts seems to have chosen a much more low-key career path for herself, and in recent years has, in fact, rarely been gigging at all. Which is unfortunate, as I've been trying to book her for a few years now. I'm hoping I'll be successful this summer, as I spoke to her brother about it recently.

SO this idea that "they haven't been let back in" is, in fact, more hype and fantasy.

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: GUEST,Lizzie Cornish
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 11:16 AM

"By the way - it was the Equation that signed with Warner's over 10 years ago. Seth Lakeman as a solo artist signed to EMI. I have never, ever heard anyone have issues with the Equation because of their record label. There were certainly other issues, but that was not one of them. I will not talk about those issues on a public forum, as it would be inappropriate, but it was nothing to do with who they signed with, or when or why."


Yes, I'm fully aware that Seth is a solo artist. Thank you.

You know Ian Anderson. Ian knows Colin Irwin. Colin wrote the entire chapter on Seth, in his book 'In Search of Albion'...in that he states, very, very clearly, that Equation DID suffer because they were seen to have 'sold out' to the big boys.

Kate Rusby backed out of the deal at the last moment and went back to Yorkshire. She was sort of forgiven, but not quite...However, the rest of them, Seth, Sam, Sean, Cara and Kathryn suffered the backlash of The Secret Society of 'We Won't Let You Back In No Matter How Great You Are' members...who deem themselves far better than others...but who, in actual fact, are just a load of boring ol' farts...in my ever so humble opinion.

Probably best to read the book I guess.

I already have it and have read it several times over.

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 11:11 AM

I suppose whether you love or despise those artists who are commercialy sucessful depends on who introduced you to the genre in the first place. My first 'folk' concert was the Spinners at the Free Trade Hall in 1960plonk and I loved it. Seeing as the Spinners were, commercialy, very sucessful I suppose I will never be invited to join the Folk-Masons.

Lizzie - we need to break this conspiricy. Have you got Dan Brown's email addy? Ruth - can we use your plot? It's amazing and I never knew such things went behind the scenes at CS house. So complicated!

:D (eG)

(Sorry Joe. I know I shouldn't but I couldn't resist it)

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 11:03 AM

Thanks to Joe Offer for posting that YouTube link to Eddi Reader's version of "Red Red Rose". Which is overproduced mediocrity, but has a related link to Eva Cassidy's version, which I hadn't heard before and which is MUCH MUCH better (it didn't hurt that as well as having a far better voice she was a very good guitarist and had the good taste not to clutter the arrangement up with synth strings).

The Isla St Clair one wasn't bad, either.

The one good thing about the Eddi Reader video was that having a guitar to hold kept her hands from waving about.

Subject: RE: Eddi Reader - Undervalued?
From: Folkiedave
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 10:57 AM

But there certainly can be quite a high degree of cliquery to be found in many music circles which eschews the work of successful artists, seemingly purely because they incidentally happen to be successful.

I can't speak of the rest of musical circles.

I haven't met many of these people. Having been involved in folk music of one sort or another for well over forty years and most people I have an awareness of the struggle it is to make any kind of living in any kind of music.

Most people are delighted when some people are seen as commercially succesful.

Of course there are some nutters around who will shout and bawl about people "selling out" or whatever.

But most people see them as irrelevant. And very often their perception is wrong anyway.