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Track Listings
| 1. HEAVEN HEATH |
| 2. SHEEP SEASON |
| 3. SILVERSONG |
| 4. THE POET AND THE WITCH |
| 5. MESSENGER BIRDS |
| 6. DAN THE WING |
| 7. REVEREND SISTERS |
| 8. BREAK YOUR TOKEN |
| 9. BUY OR BEWARE |
| 10. VILE EXCESSES |
| 11. LONELY MAN |
| 12. BOULDERS ON MY GRAVE |
Product Description
Album Description
* CLASSIC, HIGHLY REGARDED AND SOUGHT AFTER ACID FOLK / PROGRESSIVE ROCK ALBUM - NOW 24-BIT REMASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES
* NEW FULLY RESTORED ARTWORK
Featuring girl singers Clodagh Simonds and Alison Williams, Mellow Candle never achieved commercial success they deserved spawning a legendary psychedelic folk-rock album akin to FAIRPORT CONVENTION or FOTHERINGAY.
Touring to support Thin Lizzy (Simonds played on Lizzy's album "Shades of a Blue Orphanage") and Horslips, the band had a short lived existence . Clodagh Simonds later went on to play again with Mike Oldfield and Jade Warrior and this release serves as evidence of the talents of both Simonds and the band who deserved far more commercial success than they attained. Now rightly regarded as a classic of the genre, ESOTERIC RECORDINGS are proud to add "Swaddling Songs" to their catalogue.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Like most people, I'm wary when someone says "Listen to this, you'll love it", but I am grateful to the friend who, knowing my fondness for Incredible String Band/Fairport/Steeleye etc loaned me a copy of "Swaddling Songs". After the first track I had to collect my eyebrows from the ceiling and my jaw from the floor. Forgive the hyperbole, suffice to say before the second track had finished I was online placing an order for my own copy of this terrific album. Its a stunner. It seems amazing to me that an album of such evident quality was largely ignored when it came out in 1972, especially as the aforementioned folk-rock groups were doing such big business back then. The music is tight, with Rush-like precision and drama in many of the instrumental passages. Baroque, folk, mystical and just plain wierd flourishes abound (all of which is fine by me), but the real eye-opener is the quality of the vocals. These two girls sing with individual brilliance and frequently breathtaking harmonies. Among the more gentle, reflective tracks "Reverend Sisters" and "Silver Song" are standouts, while "Dan the Wing", "Buy or Beware" and especially "Boulders on my Grave" are wild uptempo pieces delivered with great flair. The wole album is hugely entertaining, and yes, I do recommend it to anyone with an interest in classic folk-rock.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Anyone who ever liked Fairport or The Trees, or even Kate Bush will love this album. This otherworldly English folk masterpiece has long been highly valued in collectors circles, vinyl copies changing hands at hundreds of quid. Every now and then its briefly avaible on CD, and I believe Acme are about to re-issue it again. Don't miss this opportunity next time. Perfect album for when you want to creep under the ivy, or escape into the mist.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I'm not sure how I stumbled across this album (probably signposted by Amazon following buying Trees' debut), but am I glad I did: this album is not only superb - it is really quite unique. I should state at this point that I am not a particular fan of folk music (I'm far more at home with the rock genre) which makes my affection for this album all the more remarkable but, as soon as I heard these tunes, I felt I was listening to something quite special. To begin with I was mildly intrigued and was expecting something along the lines of 'The Garden Of Jane Delawney' and was not disappointed. What I was not expecting is just how good these compositions are: they just get better and better with repeated playing - there is a real depth to the songs that still continue to reveal interesting and charming details after many, many plays. While there are tracks on this album that do adhere to a traditional folk 'sound' (particularly vocally e.g. 'The Poet and the Witch') the unusual arrangements and time signatures keep them from being predictable. But for me where this album really takes off is in the tracks that are the least 'folky'. Tracks such as 'Heaven Heath', 'Sheep Season' and 'Silversong' (what an opening salvo!) have a feel and folk-rock dynamism that puts me in mind of Renaissance yet, unlike Renaissance these tracks sound quite literally 'timeless' in that they do not sound dated: it is easy to imagine contemporary artists covering some of the material here without having to update the arrangements or sound. The twin female vocalists deserve special mention as they are simply outstanding - like having two Annie Haslams in the band! The harmonisation between these two is remarkable and their vocal compatibility is seamless (I can see what one reviewer means when comparing them to the girls from Abba). Satisfyingly the album has been produced to best exploit this to devastating affect by complete stereo separation in certain tracks - listen to 'Vile Excesses' on headphones to be blown away by this technique (incidentally one of the vocalists, Alison O'Donnell, is still recording and recently added her fabulous voice to The Owl Service's latest album). Another track worthy of particular mention is 'Reverend Sisters'. This track opens with a haunting piano figure that remains musically fragile and unadorned save for the truly awesome siren vocals of the girls. The musical story that develops is nothing short of a devastating commentary of what can only be understood as someone's experience of child abuse in a convent school. It is as shocking as it is beguiling: every time I hear it I am left quite shaken by the understated power it imparts ('Come into our office and I'll show you..' enjoins the Sister. How utterly creepy is that?).
It is completely mystifying why this album has been unavailable for so long. It is easily the equal - probably better in fact - than many albums of the period either of the folk or rock genre. Perhaps it suffered from being 'neither one thing nor 'tother' which is a great shame. Still at least we can enjoy this lost gem of a record in all its glory at long last: the remastering job is first rate - wonderfully rounded and detailed sound. Totally recommended.
It is completely mystifying why this album has been unavailable for so long. It is easily the equal - probably better in fact - than many albums of the period either of the folk or rock genre. Perhaps it suffered from being 'neither one thing nor 'tother' which is a great shame. Still at least we can enjoy this lost gem of a record in all its glory at long last: the remastering job is first rate - wonderfully rounded and detailed sound. Totally recommended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
brightly burning candle
Not so mellow, thankfully. A variety of songs beautifully composed, sung and played, some quite soft but others to wake you up and get you thinking. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Samuel Pyke
Brilliant, astounding, woefully neglected masterpiece
So ... I've already got two different CD remasters, and I finally got around to picking up this Shm-CD ... a lucky moment where I got an absolute bargain. Read more
Published 12 months ago by S. D. Nunn
Forgotten gem
Well how about that - imagine the best of Jefferson Airplane and Kate Bush in a melting pot and you have Mellow Candle. This is folk rock at its best. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Review1212
Good stuff with a Thin Lizzy connection !!!!
I first heard this because of Thin Lizzy ! yep , with all the mention of classic underground folk it's worth remembering that Clodagh Simmonds was a mate of Thin Lizzy and plays on... Read more
Published 17 months ago by noddy g
Classic folk-prog-rock...
This is one of those albums that I could have been swept away by at any point in the last 20 years, had I heard it. Read more
Published on 5 Mar 2010 by Pseudonymous
Everything they say is true
Everything the other reviewers say about this extraordinary CD is true. Along with the work of Pearls Before Swine (who might almost be their chilled-out twins), this represents... Read more
Published on 20 Oct 2008 by Mada about music
Worth lighting again...
Folk that rocks as evidenced by the likes of Fairport, Trees, Steeleye was lifting nicely when this came out in 1972 - so it remains baffling as to why 'Swaddling Songs' didn't... Read more
Published on 13 April 2008 by Greville Rob
The BEST Folk/Psych album ever made
A strong boast I know, but I've yet to hear anything better in the genre. You find other reissue albums being hailed as 'As good as Mellow Candle' but they're really not. Read more
Published on 27 April 2007 by Nick the Bass
I have an orginal album
I first heard Mellow Candle's Swaddling Songs in Dublin in 1972 and subsequently bought the LP which I still have in pristine condition and it is worth a fortune. Read more
Published on 21 Jun 2005 by C. Yates
Medieval Magic
The medieval melodies on most of these trcks is hypnotic. Definately a must have. The singing is angelic and on a par with Susan Mckeown and Sian James. Read more
Published on 17 Dec 2001
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