The most respected of all British folk music companies
T. Davis | Seattle, WA | 12/11/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"To celebrate 70 years of great performances on their eminent label, Topic has selected more than twice that number of tracks, a full gross, and packed them onto 7 CDs, now available in this imported box set at an eminently reasonable price. Some of my favorites among the artists represented include Nic Jones, Martin Carthy, Dave Swarbrick, Anne Briggs, Frankie Armstrong, June Tabor, The Watersons, The Boys of the Lough, Battlefield Band, Dick Gaughan, Eliza Carthy, Martin Simpson, Ewan MacColl, Richard Thompson, and The Silly Sisters. If you don't know who these amazing performers are, it's time you were introduced to this music and its offshoots. Many obscure but worthy songs, singers, and musicians are here, together with tracks from other European countries and a few folks across the pond, like Pete Seeger and Paul Robeson, who were profoundly influenced by the traditional music of the British Isles.
Since Amazon has not listed the tracks on this set, I will do so:
CD 1 - A selection of treasures from the Topic catalogue
1 The Humpback Whale - NIC JONES 6:06 from Penguin Eggs 12TS411 / 1980
2 Angi - DAVY GRAHAM 2:27 from 3/4 AD TOP70 / 1963
3 The Shaskeen Reel - JOHN WRIGHT 3:05 from The Lark In The Clear Air 12TS230 / 1974
4 The Lancashire Toreadors - The OLDHAM TINKERS 3:14 from Best O' T' Bunch 12TS237 / 1974
5 Sullivan's March - PAT MITCHELL 1:45 from Uilleann Pipes 12TS294 / 1976
6 San Francisco Bay Blues - JESSE FULLER 3:28 from Working on the Railroad 10T59 / 1959
7 Country Gardens - WILLIAM KIMBER 2:16 from The Art Of William Kimber 12T249 / 1974
8 Tamlyn - MIKE WATERSON 11:00e from Mike Waterson 12TS332 / 1977
9 The Air for Maurice Ogg / Jumping Jack / The Air for Maurice Ogg - ALISTAIR ANDERSON 8:25 from Steel Skies 12TS427 / 1982
10 Creeping Jane - JOSEPH TAYLOR 3:06 from The Voice of the People - 8: A Story I'm Just About To Tell TSCD658 / 1998
11 Wasps In The Woodpile - ANDREW CRONSHAW 3:44 from Till The Beasts' Returning 12TS447 / 1988
12 Prince Heathen - MARTIN CARTHY with DAVE SWARBRICK 6:59 from Prince Heathen 12TS344 / 1977 originally recorded in 1969
13 The Bonny Labouring Boy - HARRY COX 3:30 from The Bonny Labouring Boy TSCD 512D / 2000
14 Rawtenstall Annual Fair - LEE NICHOLSON 3:08 from Deep Lancashire 12T188 / 1968
15 Music For A Found Harmonium - PATRICK STREET 2:48 from Irish Times SPDCD 1033 / 1990
16 Bitter Withy - JOHN TAMS 6:45 from The Reckoning TSCD 551 / 2005
CD 2 - England Arise!
1 The Nut Dance (excerpt) - The BRITANNIA COCONUT DANCERS 2:16 from The Voice of the People - 16: You Lazy lot of Bone-Shakers TSCD 666 / 1998
2 Spencer The Rover - BOB & RON COPPER 3:24 from Come Write Me Down - Early Recordings of The Copper Family of Rottingdean TSCD 534 / 2001
3 All Things Are Quite Silent - SHIRLEY COLLINS 2:38 from The Sweet Primeroses 12T170 / 1967
4 Blackwater Side - ANNE BRIGGS 3:54 currently available on A Collection TSCD504 / 1999
5 The Two Magicians - A L Lloyd 4:44 from The Bird in the Bush : Traditional Songs of Love and Lust 12TS135 / 1966
6 Scan's Polkas - OAK 2:17 from Welcome To Our Fair 12TS212 / 1971
7 The Crafty Maid's Policy - FRANKIE ARMSTRONG 2:15 from Lovely On The Water 12TS216 / 1972
8 A Place Called England - JUNE TABOR 4:42 from A Quiet Eye TSCD510 / 1999
9 When I Die - PETER BELLAMY 2:48 from Both Sides Then 12TS400 / 1979
10 The Bold Princess Royal - SAM LARNER 3:45 from A Garland For Sam 12T244 / 1974
11 Hal-An-Tow - The WATERSONS 2:07 from Frost and Fire: A calendar of Ritual and Magical Songs 12T125 / 1965
12 We Shepherds Are The Best of Men - FRED JORDAN 3:09 from Songs Of A Shropshire Worker 12T150 / 1967
13 The Rose Of Britain's Isle / Glorishears - JOHN KIRKPATRICK & SUE HARRIS 4:42 from The Rose Of Britain's Isle 12TS247 / 1974
14 Riding Down To Portsmouth - TOM WILLETT 3:44 from The Roving Journeyman - The Willett Family 12T84 / 1962
15 Higher Germany - PHEOBE SMITH 3:21 from Once I Had A True Love 12T193 / 1970
16 The Ideal Schottische - The CHEVIOT RANTERS 4:09 from The Cheviot Hills 12TS222 / 1973
17 The Methody Parson - ROY HARRIS 2:27 from Champions Of Folly 12TS256 / 1975
18 The Maid And The Palmer - BRASS MONKEY 5:34 from Brass Monkey 12TS431 / 1983
19 Hopping Down In Kent - LOUIE FULLER 2:07 from Green Grow The Laurels 12TS285 / 1976
20 The Devil And The Farmer's Wife - WALTER PARDON 2:57 from A Country Life 12TS392 / 1982
CD 3 - Ireland Boys, Hurrah
1 The Rising Sun / The Pope's Toe - JACKIE DALY 2:41 from Music From Sliabh Luachra Vol. 6 12TS 358 / 1977
2 The Waterford Boys - PADDY TUNNEY 3:41 from A Wild Bees' Nest 12T139 / 1965
3 The Banks Of Red Roses - SARAH MAKEM 3:06 from Sarah Makem : Ulster Ballad Singer 12T182 / 1968
4 Gillan's Apples / The Prize Jig - JOHN DOONAN & JOHN WRIGHT 2:06 from The Lark In The Clear Air 12TS230 / 1974
5 Slieve Gallon Brae - The McPEAKE FAMILY 2:17 from Irish Traditional Folk Songs & Music 12T87 / 1962
6 Paddy Ryan's Dream / Mamma's Pet - SEAMUS TANSEY with REG HALL 2:20 from The Breeze From Erin 12T184 / 1969
7 My Irish Molly O - The FLANAGAN BROTHERS 3:05 from The Flanagan Brothers 12T365 / 1979
8 The Blackbird - SEAMUS ENNIS 4:19 from The Wandering Minstrel 12TS250 / 1974
9 The Factory Girl - MARGARET BARRY 3:22 from Street Songs & Fiddle Tunes Of Ireland 10T6 / 1958
10 Roaring Mary / The Old Torn Petticoat - The IRISH COUNTRY FOUR 2:35 from Songs, Ballads & Instrumental Tunes from Ulster 12TS202 / 1971
11 Spailpina Rún - SEAN MAC DONNCHADHA 3:08 from More Grand Airs From Connemara 12TS209 / 1971
12 The Choice Wife - WILLIE CLANCY 3:08 from The Breeze From Erin 12T184 / 1969
13 The Tinker's Old Budget - MARY ANN CAROLAN 3:16 from Songs From The Irish Tradition 12TS362 / 1982
14 Padraig O'Keefe's / Con Cassidy's - The BOYS OF THE LOUGH 1:53 from In The Tradition 12TS422 / 1981
15 Dowd's Favourite - HUGH GILLESPIE 2:57 from Classic Recordings of Irish Traditional Fiddle Music 12T364 / 1978
16 Wife Of The Bold Tenant Farmer - JOE HEANEY 3:08 from Irish Traditional Songs In Gaelic & English 12T91 / 1963
17 The Music In The Glen / The Greenfields Of America - The O'HALLORAN BROTHERS 2:23 from Men Of The Ireland 12TS305 / 1976
18 The Knight Templar's Dream - LEN GRAHAM 3:58 from Wind And Water 12TS334 / 1977
19 The Yellow Tinker / The Humours Of Scarriff - SEAN O'SHEA & BOBBY CASEY 1:53 from Paddy In The Smoke TSCD 602 / 1998
20 He Rolled Her To The Wall - FRANK HARTE 3:33 from Through Dublin City12T218 / 1973
21 The Heather Breeze / The Traveller - The RUSSELL FAMILY 2:30 from The Russell Family of Doolin, County Clare 12TS251 / 1975
22 The Patriot Game - DOMINIC BEHAN 4:03 from Easter Weekend and After: Songs of the IRA 12T44 / 1959
23 The Belfast Hornpipe / The Rights Of Man - JOHN REA 3:43 from Traditional Music on the Hammer Dulcimer 12TS373 / 1979
24 Bridie Morley / Duignan's Favourite - PACKIE DUIGNAN & SEAMUS HORAN 2:21 from Music From County Leitrim 12TS339 / 1978
CD 4 - Scotia The Brave
1 Miss Drummond Of Perth / Fiddler's Joy / Traditional Reel / The Shetland Reel - BATTLEFIELD BAND 3:26 from Stand Easy 12TS404 / 1979
2 Come All Ye Fisher Lasses - The FISHER FAMILY 1:51 from The Fisher Family 12T137 / 1966
3 Queen Among The Heather - BELLE STEWART 4:24 from Queen Among The Heather 12TS307 / 1977
4 Cullen Bay / Jig O'Slurs / Seagull - KENTIGERN 4:24 from Kentigern 12TS394 / 1979
5 Wi My Roving Eye - NORMAN KENNEDY 3:31 from Scots Songs and Ballads 12T178 / 1968
6 Blue Bleezin' Blind Drunk - CILLA FISHER 3:17 from Cilla And Artie 12TS405 / 1979
7 Soldier's Joy - TOM ANDERSON & ALY BAIN 2:25 from The Silver Bow 12TS281 / 1976
8 The Dowie Dens Of Yarrow - GORDEANNA McCULLOCH 4:14 from New Voices from Scotland 12T133 / 1965
9 Erin Go Bragh - DICK GAUGHAN 4:35 from Handful Of Earth 12TS419 / 1981
10 Young Jimmy Foyers - SHEILA STEWART 2:48 from A Story I'm Just About To Tell TSCD658 / 1998
11 Kempy Kaye - JOCK TAMSON'S BAIRNS 3:52 from The Lasses Fashion 12TS424 / 1982
12 Lady Eliza - WINNIE CAMPBELL 3:14 from The Singing Campbells 12T120 / 1965
13 Tilley Plump / Auld Foula Reel / Oot And In Da Harbour - CURLEW 2:46 from Fiddle Music From Shetland And Beyond 12TS435 / 1985
14 Herd Laddie O' The Glen - WILLIE SCOTT 3:42 from The Shepherd's Song 12T183 / 1968
15 The Fireman's Not For Me - ISLA CAMERON 2:37 from Moses Of The Mail / The Fireman's Not For Me TRC51 / 1951
16 Dance With Me, Morag - ISABEL SUTHERLAND 1:03 from Vagrant Songs Of Scotland 12T151 / 1966
17 The Wind That Blew The Bonnie Lassie's Plaidie Awa' - JIMMY McBEATH 3:42 from Wild Rover No More 12T173 / 1967
18 MacCrimmon's Lament - JEANNIE ROBERTSON 4:21 from Jeannie Robertson 10T52 / 1959
19 The Gallant Forty Twa - IAN MANUEL 3:22 from The Dales Of Caledonia 12TS301 / 1977
20 The Twa Corbies - RAY & ARCHIE FISHER 2:05 from Far O'er The Forth TOP67 / 1961
21 Boulavogue - DAVIE STEWART 3:49 from Davie Stewart 12T293 / 19
22 The Wandering Piper - JOHN BURGESS 2:16 from King of the Highland Pipers 12T199 / 1969
CD 5 - The Singer & The Song
1 Unity (Raise Your Banners High) - JOHN TAMS 4:50 from Unity TSCD508 / 2000
2 The Dominion Of The Sword - MARTIN CARTHY 3:37 from Right Of Passage TSCD452 / 1988
3 The Sun Is Burning - The IAN CAMPBELL FOLK GROUP 2:25 from The Sun Is Burning single STOP102 / 1963
4 Go Down Ye Murderers - EWAN MacCOLL 3:26 from Chorus From The Gallows 12T16 / 1960
5 Police Patrol - BOB DAVENPORT 1:48 from The Common Stone TSCD552 / 2004
6 Two Tears - ELIZA CARTHY 4:14 from Dreams Of Breathing Underwater TSCD571 / 2008
7 Never Any Good - MARTIN SIMPSON 5:26 from Prodigal Son TSCD567 / 2007
8 Both Sides Of The Tweed - DICK GAUGHAN 3:40 from Handful Of Earth 12TS419 / 1981
9 George's Son - JOHN KIRKPATRICK with BRASS MONKEY 5:00 from See How It Runs 12TS442 / 1986
10 Reconciliation - RON KAVANA 4:37 from Home Fire SPDCD1043 / 1991
11 Stumbling On - LAL WATERSON & OLIVER KNIGHT 4:08 from Once In A Blue Moon TSCD478 / 1996
12 Acceptable Losses - JOHN B SPENCER 3:02 from Out With A Bang 12TS444 / 1986
13 Ships Of Shame - STEVE ASHLEY 3:39 from Time & Tide TSCD569 / 2007
14 The Land Of Three Rivers - VIN GARBUTT 2:51 from Eston California 12TS378 / 1977
15 No Telling - LINDA THOMPSON 5:00 from Fashionably Late TSCD821 / 2002
16 Dust - JOHNNY HANDLE 2:59 from The Collier Lad 12TS270 / 1975
17 Two-Fisted Heroes - BILL CADDICK 4:18 from The Wild West Show 12TS441 / 1986
CD 6 - The People's Flag
1 The Man Who Watered The Worker's Beer - PADDY RYAN 2:42 from The Man Who Watered The Worker's Beer / The Internationale TRC1 / 1939
2 Talking Union Blues - PETE SEEGER 2:51 from Dark As A Dungeon / Talking Union Blues TRC92 / 1956
3 Joe Hill - PAUL ROBESON 3:00 from Joe Hill / John Brown's Body TRC94 / 1956
4 Masters Of War - MARTIN SIMPSON 5:34 from Grinning In Your Face 12TS430 / 1983
5 The Red Flag - BOB SMITH'S IDEAL BAND 3:32 from Better Than An Orchestra 12T320 / 1983
6 The Blackleg Miners - LOUIS KILLEN 1:19 from The Iron Muse 12T86 / 1963
7 No Power On Earth - BILLY BENNETT 3:53 from Almost A Gentleman 12T387 / 1978
8 The Internationale - The TOPIC SINGERS & BAND 2:48 from The Man Who Watered The Worker's Beer / The Internationale TRC1 / 1939
9 To The Begging I Will Go - EWAN MacCOLL 2:35 from The Manchester Angel 12T147 / 1966
10 The Hand-Loom Weaver's Lament - HARRY BOARDMAN 2:43 from Deep Lancashire 12T188 / 1968
11 The Rigs Of The Time - SHIRLEY COLLINS 3:12 from The Sweet Primroses 12T170 / 1967
12 Greedy Landlord - STAN KELLY with LEON ROSSELSON 2:50 from Songs For Swinging Landlords To TOP60 / 1961
13 Time To Ring Some Changes - RICHARD THOMPSON 3:45 from Hard Cash SPDCD1027 / 1965
14 Sixteen Tons - EWAN MacCOLL 2:13 from Sixteen Tons / The Swan-Necked Valve TRC97 / 1956
15 Peat Bog Soldiers - The IAN CAMPBELL FOLK GROUP 1:41 from Songs Of Protest TOP82 / 1962
16 Aa'm Glad The Strike's Done - The HIGH LEVEL RANTERS 3:08 from The Bonny Pit Laddie 12TS271/2 / 1975
17 Threes Score And Ten - The WATERSONS 3:31 from New Voices 12T125 / 1965
18 Dirty Old Town - EWAN MacCOLL 2:44 from Dirty Od Town / Sheffield Apprentice TRC56 / 1952
19 The Liverpool Barrow Boys - The SPINNERS 1:29 from Songs Spun In Liverpool TOP69 / 1961
20 The Weaver's March - The CELEBRATED WORKING MEN'S BAND 0:51 from The Iron Muse 12T86 / 1963
21 We Poor Labouring Men - WATERSON:CARTHY 5:52 from Broken Ground TSCD509 / 1999
22 Perfumes Of Arabia - MARTIN CARTHY & DAVE SWARBRICK 3:11 from Skin & Bone SPDCD1046 / 1992
23 Hot Asphalt - BOB DAVENPORT & The RAKES 2:01 from Wor Geordie TOP83 / 1962
CD 7 - Even more treasures from the Topic catalogue
1 Skye Crofter's / The Swallow Tail - BILLY PIGG 3:22 from Wild Hills O'Wannie - The Small Pipes of Northumbria 12TS227 / 1974
2 While Gamekeeper's Lie Sleeping - JUNE TABOR 1:52 from Airs & Graces 12TS 298 / 1976
3 Boi Se Otvori - ROZA TSETKOVA 1:24 from Folk Music of Bulgaria 12T107 / 1964
4 Barleycorn - TIM VAN EYKEN 6:07 from Stiffs Lovers Holymen Thieves TSCD565 / 2006
5 The Girl On The Greenbriar Shore - TOM PALEY & PEGGY SEEGER 2:33 from Who's Going To Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot? Who's Going To Glove Your Hand 12T113 / 1964
6 The Happy One-Step / Green Willis - The HOUSE BAND 2:49 from Word Of Mouth 12TS451 / 1988
7 Clyde Water - NIC JONES 6:04 from Game Set Match TSCD566 / 2006
8 Barana - VLADO & NIKOLA ROBANOVSKI 2:34 from Folk Music of Yugoslavia 12TS224 / 1973
9 Georgie - LEVI SMITH 1:30 from Songs of the Open Road 12TS253 / 1975
10 Jenny Lind - SCAN TESTER & RABBIDY BAXTER 2:04 from Boscastle Breakdown 12TS240 / 1974
11 Worcester City - ELIZA CARTHY 4:48 from Anglicana TSCD539 / 2002
12 Talking Dustbowl Blues - RAMBLIN' JACK ELLIOTT 2:57 from Woody Guthrie's Blues 8T5 / 1957
13 Kaba Vençe - REFKI TAHO, HYSEN ZIZOLLI & AHMET METOLLI 3:05 from Folk Music of Albania 12T154 / 1966
14 The Green Banks Of Yarrow - ALISON McMORLAND & PETA WEBB 2:30 from Alison McMorland & Peta Webb 12TS405 / 1980
15 Johnny, Will You Marry Me? - DAN SULLIVAN'S SHAMROCK BAND 2:57 from Dan Sullivan's Shamrock Band 12T366 / 1979
16 Hamburger - polka fra hardanger - VESTLANDSGRUPPA 1:59 from Folk Music of Norway 12TS351 / 1977
17 Hedger And Ditcher - The SILLY SISTERS 2:44 from No More To The Dance TSCD450 / 1988
18 Burren No. 1 / Chris Droney's Favourite - CHRIS DRONEY 2:41 from The Flowing Tide 12TFRS503 / 1975
19 Nna hamu - The JAUHARAH ORCHESTRA 2:45 from Poetry and Languid Charm - Swahili Music from Tanzania and Kenya TSCD936 / 2007
20 Little Sadie - HEDY WEST 2:45 from Ballads 12TS163 / 1967
21 Fulmine - ANDY CUTTING (BLOWZABELLA) 2:39 from Vanilla SPDCD1028 / 1990
22 No One Stands Alone - BLUE MURDER 4:51 from No One Stands Alone TSCD537 / 2002"
Much more than another boxed set
Francis M. Murphy | Connecticut | 01/22/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a very handsome package. The CDs are housed in a LP sized book with a great narrative and pictures. The project was obviously a labor of love for those that worked on it, and you can see their effort and attention to detail on every page. This format works great for storing the CDs also.
The collection of music is fascinating. The listening experience of each CD is like stumbling upon a great radio program. I generally prefer to listen to CDs of single artists, but this is much more than a sampler. It provides recordings of many musicians that are long gone, and the opportunity to pursue and seek out CDs or LPs that you didn't know existed. I personally like the sequence of songs and artists on this recording, but I do recognize that many audiophiles are not keen on compilations. I guess it is not for everybody.
The package is altogether engrossing. Guests who see it on my coffee table will pick the book up and look at it for ten minutes (some much longer). For people who grew up in the 60s or 70s, it has a pleasent nostalgiac feel, especially if they were interested in folk music and politics.
The lyrics of some of the songs are very amusing and I find something of merit in every track. I wont nescessarily seek out recordings of every artist, but I will definitely pursue some recordings.
It makes a great gift to ones self or to many people over a certain age. I have bought two and will be buying more for close friends.
I would recommend buying this product from Amazon direct. I ordered from an outfit in SC that were $10 cheaper but canceled the order after 2 weeks. Also, carefully check the packaging. It is not particularly fragile, but the book can get dinged in transit. Amazon took one I returned without any problem, and I'm not sure an independent would be as gracious."
Track Listings (16) - Disc #1