Bring
Back the Spring John Richards
Working Joe
Music
I recently got into a discussion
with an articulate follower of Folk Music. She had told me about her
adventures at Costa Del Folk and her devotion to Cropredy and
Fairport Convention. She struck me as someone of great experience.
She had travelled a long way that night to see one of her favourite
Artistes. When I enthused about John Richards,her eyes clouded. She
had not heard of him. Even when I explained to her that Fairport had
covered “Honour and
Praise,” and that Downes
and Beer,Steve Knightley and Robin Dransfield were among those who
had also covered his songs,she remained unimpressed.
Oh well. John has actually had many of
his songs covered. “Shine
on,” probably
the most admired,
held a particular
significance for me:it is a song of epic proportions. When we lost
twin grandsons prematurely in tragic circumstances,”Shine
On” brought me comfort
and solace. There is light at the end of that tunnel.I
know John will never EVER underestimate the effect this song has had
on people over the years. Is “
Look in Their Eyes” the
new Shine On? Only time will tell. But the portents are good.
With age comes wisdom. John has been
encouraging fellow musicians for years. He is right to have
encouraged his daughter Emma to perform alongside him. On tracks like
“Hailsands” for
example, he generously gives her a free reign on the vocals, and she
does not let his immaculate songwriting down. It's a big thing
letting go and watching (or listening) to someone else deliver lyrics
you have striven and struggled and even (in my case) occasionally
wept over. But Emma rewards his faith and trust in her. She also
takes the lead on “Never
Trouble Trouble.” A
heartfelt homage to bluesmen like Buddy Guy or Robert Johnson. Emma's
bluesy voice curls deliciously around lyrics like “Never
trouble trouble until it troubles you” She's
got the Old Man's stamp all right,no doubt about it. A proper chip
off the old block .
I've already had the additional
advantage of hearing John deliver some of these songs beforehand,
solo or in the company of Jim Sutton. I can tell you that “Yellows
and Blues” has audience
impact. It has that singalong chorus-verse-to-chorus and back
structure that will get a room full of diverse people singing,even if
they are only hearing it for the first time. It's a Richards classic
In that the imagery can be taken on one of several levels. Is it a
song about the Seasons' changes? Or is it about the challenges which
ageing brings to some of us as we turn towards the Autumn of our
lives? The chorus contains the lyric which gives the album its title.
I tend to think it's about longing for change but having a realistic
appreciation of what each change potentially brings.
John likes to tell a story sometimes.
His live acts and previous albums evidence this. “Young
Thomas” is a dramatic
example on the new album. It is detailed and thorough both lyrically
and instrumentally and particularly finely embellished by the
excellent fiddle work of Phil Beer. It is a cautionary tale,cleverly
using the double meaning of hair and hare as many older Folk songs
have done. As the story unravels,it begins to become clear how it is
going to end. Tragically. No spoiler:you'll have listen all the way
through to get the resolve. “Billy
Shaw” is another lad with
a story. He seems disoriented, compromised and confused by the
experience of combat. Shades of “Did
You Enjoy the Battle Sir”
here, with some nice vocal interchange between daughter and son.
Those of us who have been pestering
John for years to record another solo album awaited the final release
of this one with bated breath. He's been playing and writing songs
for a long time. So he should be good at it by now. And he is. Yet it
is typically generous that he chose on such a precious project to
co-write a few tracks with someone like Mike Silver. Which (as in the
case of “Threadbare
Coats”), works
impeccably.
With
“Bring Back The Spring”
he's hoping for some legacy. Approaching a similar significant
milestone in my life I can empathise with that. I'm currently
recording a solo album myself. It's a new venture for me. I've
recorded with bands before but this is a new and humbling experience.
Listening to your own voice delivering your own lyrics exposes all
that is right-and wrong-with each “take.” The process helps us to
learn. You come to learn much about yourself. Your limitations and
your your strengths
We've all spent ages telling John how
much we liked “Polly”
or “Roaring Water Bay”
and although he hadn't originally intended to do any more
recording,he has listened to us and is now fulfilling a genuine
ambition to leave something else behind when all we have left of him
is memories. It is the nature of songwriting that only the passing of
time can tell us if his optimism is justified. Songs are judged by
how many other people ask to cover them,or how many request them at
gigs. There are other performance indicators of course,but promoting
good music is not all about CD sales or ego for someone with the
integrity of John Richards.
Nor does he ever shy away from the
awkward issues. Aided by Mike,“
No Blacks No Irish No Dogs,”
strips it all back in classic John Richards style. Cards on the table
and let's tell it how it is. The song exposes the pointlessness and
cruelty of racism. Have we learned nothing over the years? Maybe not.The targets may have changed slightly,but the caustic,irrational
spite of the bigots continues to trouble many of us in 2019.
Similarly “Ballad of an
Ordinary Man,” ruthlessly
highlights the fact that we tend to worship “celebrity” and
transient fame whilst sometimes overlooking (and celebrating) the
worth of ordinary people whose achievements go unsung.
The production (in Phil Beer's
new studio)is breathtaking,but that is only to be expected, given the
personnel which John has surrounded himself with. Phil himself,Paul
Downes,the inimitable Jim Sutton,Kim Lowings and Mike Silver,Ali
Franklin,Chris and Kathie Drinan. What could possibly go wrong?
Nothing. The photography and artwork
is simple but effective:the engineering and mastering is superb, the
gate fold jewel case I received is above average quality with plenty
of information about production and contributing musicians. There is
a brief biopic of John enclosed with much more supplementary
information available elsewhere on a website. My only criticism is
that with the copy I received there was no word sheet and I get a bit
OCD about reading the words as well as listening to them. (Yet I can
see and hear JR now,wagging a benign and kindly finger at me and
saying “Geoffrey! You're
going to have to work at getting every nuance out of my songs!”
Listen, hands up, I consider John a
mate. He's an all round good egg who works tirelessly for generic
music causes. Eschewing narcissism,he spends as much time being
supportive and encouraging others as he does on his own interests. He
offers advice and praise to anyone sensible enough to listen to him.
He is gentle and constructive with criticism and in my own
experience,shows a great deal of patience when dealing with idiots.
Frankly,he could have recorded an album of his dog breaking wind and
I'd still have listened to it. Nonetheless,I recommend that you buy
this album immediately and give it some thorough scrutiny. We both
share some Black Country roots though his ancestors were mostly
tradesmen or colliers whereas mine were illiterate Nail Puddlers from
Bloxwich. All of them,however I suspect, would have considered this
end result “Bostin'”
