Customer Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful Pastoral English Folk
Comment: This is one of the most beautiful albums ever recorded and my personal favorite. Vashti was discovered by the Rolling Stones' producer and pitched as a pop singer, but fled to the country to live alone in a caravan after recording this album of pastoral english folk. Her soft high voice trembles ever so slightly over a collection of beautifully crafted, sweet but never simple songs about sunlight and hay, wind and rain, dogs and horses, frog and birds, cups of tea, muddy boots and romantic longing. Some of the songs are very like nursery rhymes, like Beatrix Potter-ish tales set to music. "Jog Along Bess" is one of my favorites, about rescuing a bunch of psychologically or physically wounded animals and taking them to the country to frolic with her. It's adorable but kind of sad and weird, too. "Rosehip November" is a lyrical masterpiece that would not be out-of-place on Nick Drake's "Five Leaves Left" album. "I'd Like to Walk Around in Your Mind" is a touching ode to a reluctant lover. There is a strange tone of High Elizabethan mourning in her voice that echoes the overall wistfulness of Vashti's lovely lyrics. It is said she did not collect one dime off this, and somehow that all just adds to the allure.
Customer Rating:
Summary: I tripped and almost fell, but Vashti caught me
Comment: This album saved me..literally. Tripping as hard as I ever had, I almost called an ambulance because I was so scared. I put the album on and as soon as Vashti started singin "la lalala la la lalala la" on the song "Diamond Day" my bad trip turned into the best one I've ever had as the album progressed. She may have not saved my life, but Vashti saved me huge ambulance and hospital fees, and an explanation for anyone who asked of why I had to go to the emergency room.
Somebody else said the album seems to transport you to another world. Well in this case vashti brought me back home with her Diamond Day album.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Idyllic reveries from a tinker's soul
Comment: Having just returned from seeing Vashti perform at Carnegie Hall in a review assembled by David Byrne, I am amazed that her voice still has that angellic dream quality that owed much to early Joni MItchell and a host of Brit folk-rock earth mothers. If you are familiar with Eric Andersen's BLUE RIVER, you'll have the aesthetic sense of this.
Discovered by Joe Boyd, but entirely lacking in whatever drive one needs to sustain oneself through the interminable disappointments os a life as a professional musician, Vashti's effort here was considered a one-off until the new wave of folk hippies somehow caught wind of her.
Hers is a truly beautiful and whispery type of voice, what might have prompted Richard Thompson to write "Beeswing" for example. She had no sense for what to do with her talent, and took after fellow wanderers instead of focuing on what was an ambitious and promising start. Boyd gave up. Bunyan wandered around northern England, the Hebrdides and Ireland in a tinker's caravan after the release of this record. God knows if she even collected a dime.
But here it is again, and hopefully she has a better focus. She has recorded a follow up, 35 years later, that is also a stellar effort. But in listening to this, in listening to her sing Friday night with Adem Ilhan, I can't help but think of Jack Hardy's "Tinker's Coin." Perhaps she'll stick with it now that new folkies seems to have dragged her back into the spotlight. She is still quite beautiful, with an extraordinarily emotional set of pipes. This is well worth it.
Customer Rating:
Summary: terrific record.
Comment: certainly these songs have the ability to take you far away..very interesting.if this is your cup of tea there is a fun donovan album "hms donovan" that is similiar in tone.And not to advertise another artist but if y ou like vashti and want more in this vein, you owe it to yourself to check out any of virginia astley's discs..more produced but in a very similiar vein.they both write songs that are like distilled moments caught in a timeless photograph..the english know how to do this music..
Customer Rating:
Summary: Unusual and charming
Comment:
Found this at HMV in Calgary to my surprise last week. I had been looking at it on Amazon and wondering if I should get it. It is very pure and pastoral music. Strangely child-like as others have mentioned. That it is a story of a journey in a caravan with animals all presented in an unusual way makes it unique even for a folk music album. Something you just have to have as a bit of historical charm from the past.
|
