Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set

Subject: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat DC set
From: michaelr
Date: 27 Aug 11 - 07:26 PM

Wow! I have just had the privilege of listening to advance copies of the upcoming Mudcat 6-CD set "This is Us"/"Until the Dark Time Ends", and I must say I'm blown away - mightily impressed - absolutely thrilled by the quality and variety of the music presented therein by scores of Mudcat members.

This collection tops the previous "Blue Plate Special" set and is destined to become a treasured collector's item among folk and blues aficionados. There are over 130 songs and tunes from the whole spectrum, performed by inspired amateurs as well as seasoned professionals. Quite a lot of them feature unaccompanied singing; others are full-band arrangements or voice-and-guitar offerings.

A teaser poster can be downloaded here (requires a pdf reader such as Adobe Reader). Contents, complete lyrics and song notes are here.

When will the set be available? We're up against a tight deadline, but if all goes well, Dick Greenhaus will have the World Premiere copies on the CAMSCO table at next month's Getaway. The UK launch will be November 14 at Herga Folk Club.

This has been a labor of love by bradfordian, SussexCarole, Mysha, Dick and myself. Many thanks to them, and to all who contributed content.

Are you excited yet?

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat DC set
From: Janie
Date: 27 Aug 11 - 07:32 PM

Extremely so! And accolades to all of you Cat herders who did the work to really make this happen.

Thanks!

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat DC set
From: Janie
Date: 27 Aug 11 - 07:37 PM

And don't forget Genie!

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat DC set
From: GUEST,999
Date: 27 Aug 11 - 07:39 PM

Was just gonna say that, Janie.

Excellent work to all of you and many thanks.

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat DC set
From: michaelr
Date: 27 Aug 11 - 07:40 PM

Sorry Genie, I didn't mean to leave your name off the list. You did a lot of work!

and... DC set? Am I getting dyslexic??

Some Mudelf, please fix.

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat DC set
From: Beer
Date: 27 Aug 11 - 07:59 PM

Congratulations to all those who worked so hard to put it together and to all the musician's who contributed.
Adrien

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Aug 11 - 08:15 PM

So, the DC set will have its premiere at the Washington CD Getaway?
Do I have that right?

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: michaelr
Date: 27 Aug 11 - 08:24 PM

Prefelcty!

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: artbrooks
Date: 27 Aug 11 - 08:31 PM

When will Dick be able to take orders?

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: Charley Noble
Date: 27 Aug 11 - 08:54 PM

Lots of thanks to share but Barrie certainly deserves an extra helping for the energy and talent he has focused on this project.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: GUEST,999
Date: 27 Aug 11 - 10:12 PM

Ditto what Charley said.

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: katlaughing
Date: 27 Aug 11 - 10:30 PM

Wonderful! Love the poster. How soon may we order from Dick, if we aren't going to be at the Getaway?

Thanks to all!!!

kat

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: Rapparee
Date: 27 Aug 11 - 11:14 PM

Dick, I'll be at Getaway. Reserve!!! Reserve!!!

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 27 Aug 11 - 11:48 PM

I want my set!

sandra (waiting patiently!)

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: stallion
Date: 28 Aug 11 - 05:36 AM

Barrie can yo remind of the venue and date for the UK launch please. I remember it as Herga but csn't remember the date.
cheers
Peter

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 28 Aug 11 - 07:35 AM

Can't be at the Getaway (this year...) but can't wait!

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: My guru always said
Date: 28 Aug 11 - 07:51 AM

UK launch should be November 14th at Herga Folk Club!

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: bradfordian
Date: 29 Aug 11 - 07:04 AM

Once we have got hold of the CDs we will be giving out information about ordering the CDs from US and UK.

Time is Tight, so its fingers crossed to have them ready for the Getaway.

bradfordian

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: GUEST,Dani
Date: 30 Aug 11 - 06:18 AM

I'm so out of the loop I didn't even know this was happening until I was dinking around this morning and opened this thread by accident!

Perusing the liner notes...wow.

If someone has a way for us to share this info on Facebook (with an ordering contact?) when it's a good time, let me know.

Saving my $$ for sure ; )

Dani

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: stallion
Date: 11 Sep 11 - 03:20 AM

Yipee 2BS&S are almost certain to be there, i say almost because one of us has a close relative who is gravely ill and one is never certain of what or when stuff happens.
Peter

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: Clontarf83
Date: 11 Sep 11 - 05:37 PM

Thanks to the team for all the hard work.
Thanks for including a track from me and my band
Thanks especially for your patience with my lack of competence in editing etc

Looking forward to hearing this collection!

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: Mudcat CD : Wood
From: Amos
Date: 05 Oct 11 - 10:37 PM

MUDCAT CDs 2011 -- Wood
Produced by Barry (bradfordian)


Bring Down the Walls        4:30        Amos Jessup        
The Snows They Melt The Soonest        3:23        JHW        
Turkish Tune        7:22        John Porterfield        
Monkeys Wedding        1:29        Max Spiegel        
Agent Orange        4:14        Richenda Bridge        
The October Waltz        4:03        Steve Suffet        
08 Water and Beer TS        2:24                
Give Me the Roses, too        2:55        Laurel Woodsorrel        
The Promise Of The Sowing        3:43        Dan Schatz        
Shady Grove        2:17        Mark Clark        
John Riley        4:26        Nick Blair and wife        
Cleveland Hills        4:04        Tootler+Nick        
Let Me Breathe        4:03        Andrew McKay & Carole Etherton        
Email He Male        3:07        Yorkshire Yankee        
Wiscasset Schooner        4:43        Jacqui Morse        
Parting Glass JB        2:12                
Road To Ruin        3:45        Steve Robinson        
Die Lorelei MAG, Genie, Lorelei 4:00        Genie MAG Lorelei        
Ain't Got The Blues        4:15        Alan Moorhouse Band        

This is a really interesting CD which sparkles with brilliance from widely differing corners of the forest. Laurel's "Give Me the Rose" is a poignant tune reminiscent of Maria Muldaur's best work. Max Spiegel does a "Monkey's Wedding" which leaves you grinning at the bubbly whimsey. John Portfield's Turkish Tune makes you feel that you are wandering the casbah in Istanbul. Dan Schatz brings his beautiful voice and intricate picking in the American green song, "The Promise of the Sowing". The segue into the classic fiddle and banjo "Shady Grove" is dramatic and demonstrates the sweeping transitions from voice to voice and genre to genre that permeates the whole collection. The gentle duet on "John Riley" from the Blairs segues into a mystic fluting echo as Tootler and Nick bring out the "Cleveland Hills", a poignant modal instrumental.

Carol and Andrew dispel the mist of well-being with a beautiful rendition of the grim war song, "Let Me Breathe" which draws the listener into the very pit of the Flanders trenches. Just as he expires in agony, a jivy blues on the joys of internet flirting comes rollicking forward backed by Yorkshire Yankee's boogie woogie.

Another minute and you are lost on the rough seacoast of Maine, hearing Jacqui invoke the deathless images of the Wiscassett Schooners, only to be swept up by a beautiful harmony in three voices rendering "Parting Glass" as fairly as ever it has been done. A couple of cuts later you are swinging into some mixed up German English boogie boogie woogie declaiming "I Ain't Got The Blues". Every cut--I have not mentioned them all--does honor to the richness of the collection.

Anyway the result of this whiplash journey across the many continents of music is a delightful sense of enthusiastic potpourri and sentiment reaching across the pulsing spectrum of the whole human heart. I am proud to be a small part of this disk, and recommend it to you wholeheartedly. It's a keeper!

More to come on the other disks in this excellent collection from the sweat of Bradfordian's brow.

Regards,

Amos

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: Charley Noble
Date: 05 Oct 11 - 11:10 PM

"Bring Down the Walls" ain't so shabby either.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: Leadfingers
Date: 06 Oct 11 - 06:07 AM

And its STILL more thsn a month before we can get our hads on it in UK !!

Subject: RE: Review: Until the Dark Time Ends
From: Amos
Date: 13 Oct 11 - 06:03 PM

Banjos We Have Heard On High        3:18        Jed Marum
Personet Hodie        4:42        John P
The New Year Song        3:01        Hazel Bolton
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen        2:52        Ernest Johnson
The Comfort Of Singing Voices        2:29        Animaterra Women's Chorus
Cornmish Wassail        1:58        Dick Miles
December Waltz        3:12        ShoreGrass
Miss Fogartys Christmas Cake + The Cook In The Kitchen        4:25        Seamus Kenedy
Sans Day Carol        2:55         Barrie Mathers and Hilary Ward
Christmas Tree Lament        2:48        Chas Clark
Dance With The Dragon        4:02        Anne Lister
Sing A Song Of Christmas        1:11        Henry Clements
The Turning Of The Year        2:12        Steve Suffet
Gower Wassail        3:53        Rapunzel & Sedayne
Sweet Chiming Bells        3:44        Mary Humphreys and Anahata
A Sprengisandi        2:29        Rosin Okkar
Jingle Bells        1:51        Marty Kohn
Sweet Perfection (Joseph's Carol)        4:07        Claire B. Norman
When Father Was Pantomime Dame        2:58        Terry Silver
Nowell and Nowell        2:33        John Burton and Friends
Cold Winter Is Coming        3:40        Dan Schatz
Raise Your Voices In The Song        3:42        Jeanene Pratt
The Rebel Jesus        3:17        Amos Jessup
Ice Storm        6:00        Maeve

This is a collection of seasonal songs centered on the age-old celebration of the turning of the year, CHristmastime, and the hopes of winter's passage which begins at its darkest part.

The CD is musically intense, varied, uplifting. It ranges from the most ordinary, time-honored Christmas songs to the modal mystic melodies of the Gower Wassail, from the celebratory to the ironic, but throughout it is musically engaging and fascinating, both beautiful and thrilling. The songs echo with memories of frozen landscapes and dark mornings, and sparkle with rthe excitement of renewal and spiritual hope.

It is a lovely disk to listen to, and prompts a rich array of feelings and insights. A very well-done compilation indeed, and highly recommended for ordinary listening delight or for echoing through the house over and over in its season!

Amos

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: Janie
Date: 16 Oct 11 - 10:46 PM

I don't have knowledge or expertise to really call this a review, but this seems to be the best place to post my experience of the set.

This weekend was one of my solitary semimonthly 600 mile round trips home to Charleston, WV, and it afforded the opportunity to listen well to the entire 6 CD set.

What an amazing, diverse and compelling compilation, and what a wonderful sharing on the part of so many people who are participants in this community on so many levels. The selections and the contributors range from professional and semi-professional musicians, to practiced and talented amateurs, to a few of us who lift our voices in song and/or mostly listen to or participate with the voices of others in song as assorted expressions of the ways we make and express meaning in our lives.

It was a beautiful autumn weekend to traverse the northern Piedmont, up into and across the Blue Ridge, Alleghenies and Appalachian plateau down to the Kanawha River Valley, made even more beautiful by the company of the Mudcat Community made manifest on this collection of CD's.

Barrie and helpers, I really want to commend you for the insightful way you constructed and arranged the selections on these 6 CD's.

Janie

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 17 Oct 11 - 11:29 AM

The set makes a lovely Christmas present.

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: Amos
Date: 17 Oct 11 - 01:19 PM

FLOOD DICK!!!

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 17 Oct 11 - 03:01 PM

You can get an injection that will clear that right up, Amos.

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: Cool Beans
Date: 17 Oct 11 - 03:53 PM

Ordered mine today. Looking forward to stealing some songs (and having mine stolen).

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: artbrooks
Date: 17 Oct 11 - 07:19 PM

Got mine in the mail today (thanks, Dick!!), and I'm almost finished with the second one in the pile ('Wood'). Some great stuff here - some classics and some originals, all very well done. Only one problem so far - the .pdf file for 'Earth' is unreadable past page 1.

A thought for the producers, and I'm really not sure how this works or if is even possible for what are basically privately-produced CDs: Windows Media Player picks up album information from the web, and it is showing 'unknown album' and no track information. Could this be put on line so the player can find it?

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: michaelr
Date: 17 Oct 11 - 08:12 PM

If you are having trouble with the pdf files on the discs, remember that they are available - in some cases even more up-to-date - on the Permathread.

There was talk about putting them online, and it may yet happen in the fullness of time. As of now, they are not in any database where players might find them.

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: artbrooks
Date: 17 Oct 11 - 09:08 PM

Thanks, Michael. There are no .pdf files on either the 'Sky' or 'Water' CDs...I haven't gotten to 'Stone' yet.

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: michaelr
Date: 17 Oct 11 - 09:23 PM

Yikes. That is bad news. (I haven't received my own set yet.) Barrie, Dick, what happened?

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: Genie
Date: 17 Oct 11 - 09:50 PM

Yeah, the PDFs aren't on some of the CDs, but it's fairly easy to 'fix' that, as long as the purchasers can be contacted so the PDFs can be sent to them or they can find them via links here at Mudcat or FSGW, etc.

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 18 Oct 11 - 01:46 PM

Just got my copies of the CDs and listened to Sky first (well, that's the one I am on after all LOL) and I was very impressed with the overall quality of performance and songwriting. A project like this would seem to tend toward vanity publishing, but Bradfordian has dodged that description, at least thus ar on hearing only the Sky CD.
Lots of high points on this one, but I wanted to mention the ones I particularly enjoyed on first hearing. Dreams and High Hopes by Michael Rofkar is the kind of story song I like, is about the American Civil War, which is a passion of mine, and is particularly well recorded and performed by Michael's session musicians.
Marty Kohn's 16 Monkeys is the kind of song I approach with a certain scepticism...the lyrics are funny, but will the song be? Well, yes it is indeed.
Bruce Murdoch's singing and delivery are really good on I Just Seem to Keep Loving You. I appreciate the emotional honesty of his approach very much.
And finally, I was fascinated by the purity of the harmony singing on Sweet Minerva by Hazel Richings and Linda Kelly. Just beautiful.

Those were my standouts, but I didn't find a weak or unlistenable track on the CD.

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 18 Oct 11 - 02:46 PM

I thought I answered the PDF question, but it seems to have disappeared.
Turns out that there just wasn't enough room om three of the CDs to fit the PDFs. The choice was to eliminate some songs, or to omit the PDFs.

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: Genie
Date: 18 Oct 11 - 03:23 PM

I agree, Ernie. I was the "elf" for the Sky CD liner notes and lyrics, so I got to hear all the tracks beforehand. There's not a weak track on the whole CD.
I especially love George Papavgeris's song "The Rain Is Falling," performed on the CD by My guru always said and Breezy; Marty's "Sixteen Monkeys"; "Proud Pedlar" sung by Mary Humphreys with Anahata on cello; ClaireBear's "Telling The Bees," with Jonathan Berger's instrumental accompaniment; and Bob Knight's a cappella "Tramps And Hawkers." But it's hard to choose favorites because the CD is so good!

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: ClaireBear
Date: 18 Oct 11 - 04:11 PM

Genie and EJ -- Jon(athan) Berger is also in Michael Rofkar's band Greenhouse, so he's on two tracks on that CD. Small world, innit?

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 18 Oct 11 - 04:56 PM

Does he ever get to Colorado? :>)

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: ClaireBear
Date: 18 Oct 11 - 05:06 PM

He grew up there! But rarely gets back these days. Come to California and hang with us here!

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 18 Oct 11 - 05:21 PM

Mid-January work?

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: ClaireBear
Date: 18 Oct 11 - 05:47 PM

Any time! Bay Area Catters standing by...

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 18 Oct 11 - 07:43 PM

OK, at the risk of hurting someone's feelings by not mentioning them, I want to point out some of LEJ's Picks on the Wood CD. I want to first say that the quality of the songs is at a very high standard, as it was on Sky, but the static inter-track pop is a trifle louder but not really annoying at all.
Amos gets the CD off to a great start with the familiar warm baritone many of us know and love, and Walls is a dandy.
The Snows they Melt the Sooner is a beautiful traditional song, and John Wilson does as great a rendition as I have heard.
This is followed by Turkish Tune by Crookshank, which is unusual, exotic, and might just be my favorite on the CD.
Agent Orange is an exquisitely sung heartbreaker by Richenda Bridge.
Dan Schatz summons up the spirit and style of Stan Rogers (at least for me) on The Promise of the Sowing, which is an anchor song for an album, I hope.
Rounding out my faves is Road to Ruin by "closet-folkie" Steve Robinson, who might fall into the "singer-songwriter" category if he's not careful. A very memorable tune done with style and grace.
But again, I liked everything I heard, and I can see that songs like Max's Monkey Song, Die Lorelei, Breath, Afghanistan, and Jacqui's Wiscasset Schooners will grow on me with repeated listenings.

Again, kudoes to everyone who made this project such a success!!

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: Genie
Date: 19 Oct 11 - 12:24 AM

BTW, re "Die Lorelei," I should point out that I sent Barrie several 'mixes' from the original recording session and the one that got used is not the one I would have chosen, but I have to take responsibility for that because I probably didn't make it clear enough which one I preferred. The main flaw in that one is that near the beginning there is a track-sync glitch between one of the keyboard tracks and the vocals.    (We recorded the song twice, and I was adding the keyboard track from the 1st recording to the 2nd recording but there was that one place where I didn't get it perfectly matched.)   I hope it's not too distracting.

Genie

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 20 Oct 11 - 04:25 PM

Just got my 6-CD set and it looks great! Here's the thing: I'm listening to "Until The Dark Time Ends" and keying all the track information into Windows Media Player. How do I upload that to the ozone so that the album information is available globally? Can it be done via Media Player or should I go through iTunes? or how?

This holiday CD is very enjoyable, by the way. I'll listen to it once today and then put it away until the Dark Time Begins, to play during the holidays.

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: GUEST,karen k
Date: 21 Oct 11 - 06:31 AM

Dick,
Please send me 2 sets of THIS IS US and the last volume of the Child Ballads from Loomis and a bill of course.

Thanks,
karen

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: michaelr
Date: 21 Oct 11 - 12:07 PM

Guest, Karen K -

posting to this thread is not the right way to place an order, as Dick may not be monitoring the thread. Here is contact information from www.camscomusic.com:

We can be reached by E-Mail at:       [e-mail]
    or by phone at    800/548-FOLK {3655} (US and Canada)
                      or    609/371-1707
    Or by snail-mail at:
                CAMSCO Music
                   145 Hickory Corner Road
                East Windsor, NJ 08520
                US
       We're generally available from 10 AM to 10 PM Eastern time. If we're not there, we have a friendly answering machine, and we'll almost always get back to you within 72 hours---if you leave your phone number.

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: artbrooks
Date: 21 Oct 11 - 01:05 PM

I've now listened to the entire set (well, I'm saving the holiday CD for later). The music is, as expected, wonderful. However, of the five, there are 2 useable .pdf files, one busted one and 2 are missing. I know that the lyrics and notes are all on the permathread, but is there a link to a .pdf set that I can access?

Subject: RE: Review: THIS IS US: New Mudcat CD set
From: michaelr
Date: 21 Oct 11 - 01:32 PM

I have uploaded the pdf files for each CD to mediafire.com. The link is here:

http://www.mediafire.com/?a7d0ygz3i7xo1