The Roches

I should state from the outset that this is one of my all time favourites so I'm totally biased.I got this album some ten years after its release and came to it, as is so often the case, by that slow accretion of information snippets and coincidences that provide the nudge required for purchase. I would see the album cover in shops and(in that larger LP format) was intrigued by the striking poses adopted by the three woman, who certainly made no concessions to the fashions of the times(thank goodness). I read a couple of very favourable reviews and noted the involvement of Robert Fripp who always seemed to have the knack of being involved in interesting projects(Eno,Bowie,Blondie and Darryl Hall!).

The history as I know it is thus: Maggie and Terre(pronounced Terry) Roche("from deepest New Jersey") had been performing together since the late '60s and in 1973 were recruited by Paul Simon to sing backup on "There Goes Rhymin' Simon. They released their own LP "Seductive Reasoning" in 1975(pleasant but not essential),then in late '76 they became a trio when joined by sister Suzzy(pronounced as in 'buzzy bee') and garnered critical acclaim and a loyal following on the Greenwich Village club scene.They signed to Warners in'78 and this album was released in '79.

The album is the most amazing mix of styles and emotions; it's not folk but is essentially acoustic(apart from a few very delicate additions of guitar, synth and Frippery),the sound is dominated by the vocals which can be beautifully harmonic at one moment or more conversational the next, it can be very humorous and yet this is almost always counter-balanced by sadness or a sense of longing.

The album starts with "We" a very auto-biographical song which covers much of the ground mentioned above.It sets the album up perfectly and is perhaps the most playful track on the record,it also makes you feel that you 'know' the group by the end of its 2 minutes and 33 seconds.
Hammond Song is beautifully sung(all swooping close-harmonies)and ruminates on that peculiar sense of betrayal, felt, when a close friend (or sister maybe?) leaves you with someone else for somewhere else.
Mr Sellack is amazing, the lyrics are so catchy and memorable you'll find you can sing the entire song after a few listens(great for sing-a-longs in the car).The singer is having to beg Mr Sellack for her waitressing job back, the one she quit to chase her dreams, it's very sad but still manages to raise a smile and a chuckle.
My favourite could be "The Train"(or is it 'Runs in the Family' the saddest song on the album?) its ability to make me laugh out loud at the start and leave me with a lump in my throat by its end seems to define the specialness of the album.

This is a special album, it is unusual but still very accessible(I've introduced several friends to this album and never had negative come back).It is rich in melody and has great performances throughout the music hasn't dated(I doubt it ever will) and lyrics themes are timeless(apart perhaps from a reference to the "Troubles") and brilliantly executed.I can't recommend this album highly enough.

I first heard this album in 1983 when I was a very young adult living for a while in Newcastle with some friends who played the Irish fiddle. They often went out and when they did i turned up the volume and listened almost obsessively to this. I drank irish malt whiskey and got into the lyrics and the wit; the heart ache and the harmonies. It was a delight to me.

I have spent the last few months thinking that i would like to buy it and listen again; for it was one of those very special albums that stuck beautifully somehow to this hardened heart. My goodness, I even forgot their name for a while but I have remembered it now and ordered a copy; I am so excited about rediscovering this album that i wrote this.

The Penguin Encyclopedia of Popular Music describes the Roches as "an off-the-wall folk group with astonishing singing, close harmony and influences pulled from every direction". A fine album. Not even Porter, Mercer or the Gershwins bettered Mr Sellack.