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CD Description
Show Of Hands are England's most successful acoustic roots duo - Steve Knightley and Phil Beer. Their widespread appeal is based on the combined power of Steve's original songs, the quality of their vocals and harmonies, and their multi-instrumental virtuosity. Their performances feature guitars, mandocello, fiddle, cuatro, viola and concertina. This year they were nominated as both 'Best Group' and 'Best Live Act' at the Radio 2 Folk Awards. COUNTRY LIFE is their most ambitious and exciting project to date. The keenly awaited new studio album of 13 original songs includes a bonus 'enhanced CD' featuring the promotional video for the title track and footage of Show of Hands live at the Royal Albert Hall. This in a smartly packaged, eight-fold digipack with a 12 page illustrated lyric booklet. The album will be promoted on an extensive 31 date UK tour commencing Friday 31st October in London. Full page ads in fRoots and Folk On Tap and full promotional activity to other relevant media.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
43 of 43 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is another incredible collection from the winners of Radio 2's best live folk act 2004. But that award perhaps misrepresents the music on this record to a certain degree: only 'Reynardine' and 'Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy' are real traditional folk songs -- the rest are the creations of two extremely talented music-makers who do not always adhere to a folk mould. You won't really need to go much further than the title track for proof of this; 'Country Life' is a powerful and damning indictment of the causes and effects of social estrangement in the English countryside, laced with cutting blues-harmonica and an electrifying arrangement. Not allowed on the Radio 2 playlist for being too political apparently. The other tracks have quite a dark undertone to them without the odd bit of light relief as on previous albums -- SOH evidently mean business, and it shows. Live, they are astounding -- this album gets across some of that live feel while still maintaining very high production standards. There's even an extra CD with a video for 'Country Life'; they're just spoiling us, they really are. This is an unmitigated delight that will stay with you for many a year.
47 of 48 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The anticipation that accompanies the release of a new album from Show of Hands (aka Steve Knightley and Phil Beer) has been a highlight for me since I first heard them back in 1994/95. The sheer quality of song writing and musicianship is a feature of all their work and “Country Life” is no exception, where they have put together a brilliant set of 13 songs. Steve Knightley writes most of their material and “Country Life” comprises of 10 of his songs, a couple of traditional folk numbers (including a great version of “Reynardine”) and a superb version of the Kelly-Joe Phelps track “Tommy”. The album is still in the acoustic style (I don’t think it is fair to simply categorise Show of Hands under the Folk genre) that has served Show of Hands so well on their previous recordings, but “Country Life” benefits from the addition of keyboards on several tracks from Matt Clifford and there are even drums on the title track!! Phil Beer’s fiddle playing is as good as ever and I doubt whether there is a more versatile musician anywhere in the UK. The opening song and title track of the album is an angry and very telling view of how the English countryside and way of life has been treated over the past 50 years or so. “Hard Shoulder” is Knightley at his best and is one of several numbers on this album that are achingly well written and truly moving. My own favourite in this style is “Don’t Be a Stranger”, which in my humble opinion is one of the best songs that Show of Hands have ever recorded. Other highlights for me include “Seven Days”, “Smile She Said”, “Reynardine” and “Suntrap”, but there really isn’t a duff track on “Country Life” and existing fans of Phil and Steve will be delighted with this release. If you have never seen or heard Show of Hands you could do a lot worse than buy “Country Life” and introduce yourself to two of the most talented musicians that the UK has ever produced.
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
If your impression of folk music is noodly clap trap finger in ear wooly pully brigade with nothing to say about your life and modern times then these guys will change your mind - beautiful, rousing, touching, anthemic and relevant to our times, in my opinion they stand head and shoulders above their peers.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Lyrical & Melodic
Firstly, a confession: the cd cover gave me the impression that this would be aggressive, in-your-face music, but you know what they say about 'judging books by their cover'? Read more
Published 13 months ago by Sentinel
Songs
Hi, I heard of this group on a countryfile program on R4,sadly all the songs they sang on air are not on the disc. However there are some good ones on it
Published on 26 May 2010 by John R. Moss
Very good SoH album, but not the best
This is a very good album. 'Country Life' is the title track and was clearly written to be an anthem for the rural poor, and a well-aimed arrow to pierce the consciences of... Read more
Published on 1 Sep 2008 by R. Chidley
Why are people labelling it??
Steve and Phil (Show of Hands) have never labelled their music as 'folk', and have infact discouraged it. Read more
Published on 2 Sep 2007 by Mr. S. Harrison
Sublime mix of Instrumental Virtuosity and Well Crafted Lyrics
Some of other reviewers have dismissed Show of Hands as what is bad in Folk. I would hazard a guess that their musical tastes are rather narrow as otherwise they would appreciate... Read more
Published on 1 Feb 2007 by A. J. Rabet
Oh dear me!
Folk is good, folk is great,
Listen to what i want to say,
Show of hands are not the best,
In fact they're worse than all the rest. Read more
Listen to what i want to say,
Show of hands are not the best,
In fact they're worse than all the rest. Read more
Published on 14 Jan 2006 by rob
What a bad album
This is even worse than flook! Those of you sensible may not think that is possible but listening to this, I assure you it is. I now hate folk and country music. Read more
Published on 23 May 2005 by Pete
A little known gem
Firstly I must say that I know almost nothing about Show of hands, and untill a few days ago, had never even heard of them. Read more
Published on 4 Aug 2004 by Mr. E. Selous
Pure gold from UK's finest acoustic chameleons
The enigma that is Show of Hands is back with this stunner of a studio album that makes you question once again why they’re dabbling in the backwaters when they could knock... Read more
Published on 30 Oct 2003 by Ms J. Brace
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