Pulling an LP from its cover, one of the many interesting aspects of discovery is not only the obvious…what does it sound like, but also what else are you going to find? And with this there was a hint of sadness when I discovered that Marc had passed away earlier this year. It was almost like I had got here just a little too late.
But then, remarkably, upon investigating a little further, whilst American by birth, he came to Britain as a high profile Vietnam draft dodger and then spent most of his life restoring and living in a castle up in Scotland. Which, once started, took you towards conservation, restoration, stone circles and the Barclay family which has strong links to a castle a few miles from where I live. Strange sort of world….
Which is a way of saying that his life was probably more enriched in terms of his passions for English and Scottish conservation projects than mine is for American country music. This is, undoubtedly, a mature, easy listening (bar one) collection of songs with a spread of famous musicians lighting up several passages. It should also be pointed out that it is in excellent condition. His friendship with the Fairport Convention gang is evident by their participation on this album, but he also went on to play on their solo albums in return. This album is an American take on British folk rock music, his version of Yarrow is outstanding, with more slide guitar than one might expect on a series of stunning tracks (bar one….how on earth did ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ come to feature?). I also recommend the beautiful ‘Days used to be much warmer’. Jewel of an album.
