or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
28 used & new from £2.98
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Available to Download Now
 
Buy the MP3 album for £5.98
  
 
 
 
The Bramble Briar
 
See larger image and other views 
Share your own customer images

The Bramble Briar

~ Martin Simpson
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
Price: £5.98 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, November 17? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
23 new from £5.98 5 used from £2.98
Buy the MP3 album for £5.98 at the Amazon MP3 Downloads store.

Special Offers and Product Promotions

Frequently Bought Together

The Bramble Briar + Prodigal Son + Righteousness and Humidity
Price For All Three: £19.94

Show availability and delivery details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Righteousness and Humidity

Righteousness and Humidity

~ Martin Simpson
5.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £6.98
Prodigal Son

Prodigal Son

~ Martin Simpson
4.9 out of 5 stars (18)  £6.98
True Stories

True Stories

~ Martin Simpson
4.8 out of 5 stars (5)  £8.98
Kind Letters

Kind Letters

~ Martin Simpson
4.0 out of 5 stars (3)  £5.98
The Definitive Collection

The Definitive Collection

~ Martin Simpson
4.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £4.98
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Audio CD (4 Jun 2001)
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: Topic
  • ASIN: B00005LC3K
  • Other Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 36,380 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links

  (What is this?)
   Martin Simpson Tickets opens new browser window
Seatwave.com/Martin-Simpson  -  Get Martin Simpson tickets Only 4 left, all 100% Guaranteed 
  
 

Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s

Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or view the MP3 Album.

Samples
Song Title Time Price
Listen  1. Polly on the shore 4:17£0.79
Listen  2. The Lover's Ghost 3:17£0.79
Listen  3. Fair Annie 6:09£0.79
Listen  4. Dives and Lazarus 5:36£0.79
Listen  5. The Four Angels 3:18£0.79
Listen  6. Betsy the Serving Maid 4:12£0.79
Listen  7. The Bramble Briar 4:59£0.79
Listen  8. Banks of Sweet Primroses 2:52£0.79
Listen  9. Rounding the Horn 3:45£0.79
Listen10. The Princess Royal 2:21£0.79
Listen11. Sammy's Bar 4:27£0.79
Listen12. Leaves of Life 4:06£0.79
Listen13. Air for Maurice Ogg 3:33£0.79

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

After several years in America, guitarist Martin Simpson returns in The Bramble Briar to his roots in English music. Given his stature as an instrumentalist (his influence is easily equal to that of John Renbourne, Bert Jansch or Martin Carthy), it's no surprise that the album's standout moments stem from Simpson's fluid playing, his acoustic guitar chiming like a beautifully pure bell. Drawing its style from both the English tradition and the blues, The Bramble Briar is an instrumental tour de force, overshadowing Simpson's own pleasant voice somewhat. The cello-assisted "Leaves of Live", a dramatic religious ballad, showcases his vocals to the best effect. Martin Carthy appears as one of a handful of guests, but this album very much belongs to Simpson (and his guitar). --Phil Udell


fRoots, July 2001

Martin Simpson has been hither and thither--geographically and musically--over the last decade or so, establishing a proud body of work along the way. But roll out the red carpet, crack open the bubbly, the former boy wonder is back. Back in Britain (temporarily at least), back on Topic, back playing English traditional music and back on form. This is a formidable album. His guitar playing is exemplary, his singing bold and fiery, the material richly powerful, performed with rare conviction. He's a stylist, both as accompanist and singer--and although it's a term that has been somewhat maligned in recent times where a more natural style of storytelling is favoured, Simpson's idiosyncratic exaggeration actually adds tension to the narrative without any sense of manufactured force. Like all great interpreters, Simpson approaches the songs with a respect that borders on awe, nurturing each phrase as a precious commodity to advance the story to the next sphere. The ballad form has certainly undergone an encouraging revival in the last couple of years and performances which get under the skin of the songs with such sustained intensity can do nothing but increase the drama. Great songs like "Dives And Lazarus", "Polly On The Shore", "Rounding The Horn", "Betsy The Serving Maid" and "The Bramble Briar" are given renewed verve, while there's also a superb version of Cyril Tawney's "Sammy's Bar". Simpson's own beautifully crisp guitar nurses the drama with deft enterprise, while Chris Parkinson, Martin Carthy and Barry Phillips provide additional texture. He's a supremely talented and versatile man, Martin Simpson, but this is what he does best.

© fRoots Magazine all rights reserved

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
 

Customer Reviews

6 Reviews
5 star:
 (4)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb collection of English songs - great acoustic guitar!, 16 Jun 2001
By A Customer
Anyone who appreciates great guitar playing, anyone who has ever enjoyed any traditional music - buy this CD!! The quality of singing, playing and recording are all superb. And he has the legendary Martin Carthy guesting on a couple of tracks. Carthy does not sing on this album, but his influence (both guitar style and vocal phrasing) are very evident on the title track.

Most tracks are traditional songs (three are instrumentals). There is also a wonderful version of Cyril Tawney's "Sammy's Bar", which I think was written in the 1950's, when Tawney was serving in Malta. Difficult to pick out favourite tracks, but if pushed it would be Sammy's Bar and the two nautical songs - Polly on the Shore and Rounding the Horn.

Martin Simpson was already recognised as one of the very best acoustic guitar players in the world. This brilliant album puts him in the top rank of traditional music performers.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!, 23 Feb 2003
By Nevin Ward (Harrogate, North Yorkshire United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
Easily my best-buy album of the past 12 months.
Simpson's musicianship shines throughout this album - his stunning guitar playing is breathtaking in the ease of it's execution, yet it never imposes on the song. As with his friend, Martin Carthy, the guitar line always supports and illuminates the lyrics.
Standouts? - Fair Annie is a big Scottish ballad which is intriguing, moving and captivating. The Four Angels is a Rudyard Kipling poem set to music by Simpson - utterly haunting. And Rounding of the Horn displays the quality of guitar-playing to perfection: at times the harmonies he creates could be coming from an Anglo concertina.
If you care at all about beautiful music, beautifully played, buy this.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The Bramble Briar by Martin Simpson, 23 Sep 2002
By Stanley Watts (Dorset, SW. England) - See all my reviews
You do not need to fully appreciate the open tuning of a well played quality acousic guitar, nor have the slightest interest in traditional maritime folk music to realise, on listening, that Martin Simpson has produced an extremely fine and well crafted album in "The Bramble Briar".

Fom the atmospheric "Poly on the shore" to the breath takingly haunted "Fair Annie" never have war, ships, music and death been so masterfully intertwined. So brutal and sad yet so enjoyable to listen to this story teller. This seemingly macarbe musical theme is interupted occassionally with more enlightening contributions, such as the jolly "Rounding the Horn" and the virtuoso instrumental "Banks of the sweet primroses"

"The Bramble Briar" is a musical feast telling stories of lives that were harsh brutal and short, but full of beautiful emotions now ghosting in these songs - not to mention all those ships.

Martin Simpsons best album to date deserves to go down as one of the most intelligent and beautiful albums yet produced in the traditional folk genere. It must surely be top of the "If ever you buy a folk album" catagory.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A nice album.
I really enjoyed listening to this album. It's very mellow and relaxing. Not so much one to loudly sing along to, as one to play quietly when stressed - Martin Simpson's voice is... Read more
Published 6 months ago by milknosugar

4.0 out of 5 stars Back to basics
Martin Simpson is an exceptional talent in the folk scene. The Bramble Briar is a gem of an album in the true spirit of English folk,without the delving into... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Arthur Dooley

5.0 out of 5 stars Another exceptional release from Martin Simpson
I cannot believe that only a couple of years ago, I had no idea that this stunning musician existed. Read more
Published on 3 Jan 2006 by Mr. Dominic L. Brown

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Bramble Briar
63% buy the item featured on this page:
The Bramble Briar 4.7 out of 5 stars (6)
£5.98
True Stories
13% buy
True Stories 4.8 out of 5 stars (5)
£8.98
Prodigal Son
11% buy
Prodigal Son 4.9 out of 5 stars (18)
£6.98
The Definitive Collection
7% buy
The Definitive Collection 4.0 out of 5 stars (1)
£4.98
Explore similar items

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject





i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback

Ad

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.