Kate Rusby & Kathryn Roberts

Kate Rusby & Kathryn Roberts

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Originally released in the U.K. in 1995, this album captures the duo just after they'd won the prestigious Young Tradition folk award. They bring a freshness and fire to the mostly traditional, familiar songs, which is no mean feat, Roberts's sweetness tempering Rusby's roughness well. It's Kate Rusby who emerges as the more distinctive voice here. Her version of "Recruited Collier" is a joy, and, both solo and with the Poozies, her star continues to rise, while Roberts has settled for less. The knowledge of what's happened since doesn't lessen the enjoyment of this record, however. If anything, this glimpse into the past shows two people laying a solid foundation for the future, and when you consider they were only 20, it's a remarkable achievement of youth. --Chris Nickson

Tracks:

The Recruited Collier
I Wish
Over You Now
The Sleepless Sailor
The Fairest of All Yarrow
I Wonder What is Keeping My True Love
Sweet Bride
The Maid of Llanwellyn
The Wild Goose
Sir Eglamore
Night Visiting Song
Cowsong
Botany Bay
Drowned Lovers
Bold Riley

Amazon.com

On 10, a celebration of Kate Rusby's first decade as a recording artist, she reminds us once again that it's possible to sing ancient ballads about brave knights, fair maidens, rustic villagers, and all the other denizens of Folk Song Land with an immediacy and emotional intensity that are completely modern. Four of the 15 songs here were culled from her earlier CDs; two new songs, "I Wish" and "Over You Now," were composed by Rusby; and two are live recordings. The remaining seven tracks are new versions of previously recorded songs, including "The Recruited Collier," the first song her mother taught her, and "The Wild Goose," a raucous sea shanty reinvented as a gentle meditation on longing. Rusby has been performing these selections for years now, and her new takes on them reveal a restless artist searching for a different path to the heart of familiar songs. She is accompanied by an excellent group of musicians, including fiddler John McCusker, guitarist Ian Carr, and accordionist Andy Cutting. Their playing is spare but each note is perfectly placed. 10 beautifully sums up Kate Rusby's first decade as a professional musician, while suggesting that the best is yet to come. --Michael Simmons

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful album.......2007-08-01

I bought this album for one track - Maid of Llanwellen - but I have found all the songs to be enchanting. Highly recommended.

Fantastic.......2007-03-30

I have now three of Kate cds and love them. 10 is lovely because it honors her ten years of singing professionally. There are songs for her last cds and some have new versions. All I have to say is that once you listen to Kate Rusby you cannot get enough.

Unlike any other CD.......2006-08-24

Kate Rusby's music at first sounded like it was missing something compared with music generally played on the radio, but the more I listen to the simple melodies and clear, sweet voice the more I like it. Sir Eglamore is my favorite song from the CD.

beautiful.......2006-02-23

Kate's voice is just beautiful. I could listen to it over and over again

no adjectives work for me.......2005-06-30

I can't really describe (or even understand) why this music moves me so much. But it does. I just "discovered" KR a few weeks ago. I'm going to spread the word on this one to friends and family, many of whom will probably enjoy as much as I do.

Average customer rating:

Immersed in Stars
Kate Rusby- Underneath the Stars
Enjoyable but nothing stunning
Just discovered Kate
Kate Rusby is a blessing to my ears

Underneath the Stars
Kate Rusby
Manufacturer: Compass Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

British Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Irish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Ten
The Girl Who Couldn't Fly
Little Lights
Sleepless
Hourglass

ASIN: B0000WMZXS
Release Date: 2004-01-13

Tracks:

The Goodman
The Daughter Of Megan
Let Me Be
Cruel
The Blind Harper
The White Cockade
Young James
Falling
Bring Me A Boat
Polly
Sweet William's Ghost
Underneath The Stars

Amazon.com

Rusby's fifth solo recording, like previous efforts, boasts a well-crafted selection of original compositions and ancient ballads. While she has rightly been praised for the sheer beauty of her voice--which has never sounded better than on these dozen tracks--her greatest gift may be her ability to choose traditional songs and rework them in subtle and imaginative new ways. She's not afraid to add new words and compose her own melodies to melancholy odes to lost love like "Let Me Be" and "Cruel," which fairly trade emotional intensity for authenticity. Rusby is helped out musically by her husband, Scottish fiddler John McCusker, who produced the CD and helped ensure that every note played by the guitars, citterns, accordions, and flutes is perfectly placed to accent the vocals. Underneath the Stars is not a departure from Rusby's previous work; rather it is a refinement of what she has done before. --Michael John Simmons

Customer Reviews:

Immersed in Stars.......2007-01-12

Kate is a wonderful singer. Her "Underneath the Stars" is as nice as "Little Lights" and "10". These recent albums of hers are really a showcase of talent. Production is wonderful. Nothing over-done. The music is simple and is presented in its purity and simplicity with a seemingly light touch at the board. Thank heavens!

Kate has the supreme good luck (and good sense) to know her strengths and to play to them -- and we ALL benefit. And while the music is simple, when Kate writes new music for a traditional lyric, often the harmonies are not so simple but the overall musical effect is always beautifully matched to the lyrics and the listener is left with an impression not of a big fancy production but of a simply beautiful production -- with real, live human musicians playing real instruments, not studio pros on drum machines and other electronic crap.

Many of Kate's songs come from a long-ago tradition (even the new ones she writes) but what's important is that it is a tradition of beauty, a tradition of fine craft, and a tradition of respect.

If you don't know Kate Rusby's music, Underneath the Stars would a fine place to start but any of the other albums mentioned here are equally fine. She is a treasure and the lads she brings along to play and sometimes sing along with her make a musical team that simply CANNOT be beat.

Kate Rusby- Underneath the Stars.......2006-11-04

Kate Rusby has the traditional Celtic sound. Her songs vary from simple to complex arrangements in an uplifting tonality. The moods are happy and upbeat, but when they are slow and longing, they do not depress or wax melancholic. Much like the theme of "Danny Boy" they express the intensity of feeling for lover and country. Much of contemporary songwriting consists of stream-of-consciousness set to a monotonous chunka-chunka rhythm pattern, usually in some peculiar open tuning. It is encouraging to hear a return to well crafted composition.
I purchased both this album and "The Girl Who Couldn't Fly" featuring her cover of "You Belong to Me" which in my estimation both edifies and challenges the original. If you enjoy a pure powerful voice, and crystal clear production values that honor tradition, these albums are worth it.

Enjoyable but nothing stunning.......2006-09-14

This album is fine but there is no one song on it that really catches my attention. Whereas some of the songs on "10" I can listen to over and over again, there is nothing like this here. Maybe it will grow on me.

Just discovered Kate.......2006-03-19

I'm a singer myself, and therefore very picky about voices. Kate's sultry voice easily transitions from lilting, playful sea shanties to haunting, soulful ballads. Her pitch and timing are flawless, and her sense of style is unique and winning. The title track is a standout (and her own composition). I would highly recommend her to anyone who enjoys a song well sung.

Kate Rusby is a blessing to my ears.......2006-02-07

Kate Rusby is amazing. Her voice is new to me and I am so grateful to have found her. There is something so sweet and peaceful in her songs. Plus, I love the accent. If you would like to hear a refreshening beautiful sound, listen to Kate Rusby. This album isnt my favorite of hers, only because I have three right now and cant choose one over the other. They are all very good.

Average customer rating:

I love this album!
It's Your Town....Goodnight
north country lass shines!!
very different and refreshing
Surprise!

Sleepless
Kate Rusby
Manufacturer: Compass Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Hourglass
Underneath the Stars
The Girl Who Couldn't Fly
Little Lights
Ten

ASIN: B00000JWCN
Release Date: 1999-08-17

Tracks:

The Cobblers Daughter
I Wonder What Is Keeping My True Love This Night
The Fairest Of All Yarrow
The Unquiet Grave
Sho Heen
Sweet Bride
All God's Angels
The Wild Goose
The Duke And The Tinker
Our Town
The Sleepless Sailor
Bonus Track: Cowsong
Bonus Track: Botany Bay

Amazon.com

Anyone expecting a stylistic leap the second time out for this bright talent will be disappointed with Sleepless. The mystery, however, is how anyone could listen to Kate Rusby's stunning debut, Hourglass, and wish that she'd abandon a sound that fits her like a custom-cut bodice. The Yorkshire, England-based classicist is clearly committed to the traditional folk music of her homeland, and she inhabits the music with preternatural confidence. First and foremost, she has a rare knack for making arcane phraseology seem vibrant. Witness the first album's "He took up his sword and he went to fight / Fa la lanky down dilly." Or, from this sophomore effort: "She's hit him on the head / The young man fell like lead / Quite dead / Upon the floor he lay." She dances over the words as if tipsy on some magical potion. Like its predecessor, Sleepless is marked by warm and supple playing. Among the smart originals and adapted traditionals is one contemporary selection--Iris DeMent's "Our Town." Appropriate, for as DeMent resuscitates old-time American hill music with unselfconscious élan, so does Rusby make the timeworn music of the British Isles come alive. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews:

I love this album!.......2004-02-06

This is my first experience with the voice of Kate Rusby. Repeated listenings confirmed for me that there is something new to hear each time. That is the mark of a good album. Because I enjoyed this album so much, I got most of her other CDs as well as her concert DVD. I will only comment on one song, "Wild Goose," which is my favorite. In fact I loved it so much I went hunting for sources and found out (as I suspected) that it is a sea shanty (a "halyard song" to be precise), sometimes known as "Ranzo" or "Ranzo Ray." Those words appear in the chorus, as another reviewer mentioned. Of course Kate does her own thing with it, and the results give me a lump in the throat. It's a wonderful thing to know how a song can live many lives, from long-ago sailors singing as they work the sails and ropes, to my living room in 2004, and still have a powerful meaning. Thanks, Kate.

It's Your Town....Goodnight.......2004-01-21

Anyone who has even the slighest interest in traditional folk music, either from Britain, Ireland, or from the U.S., is doing themselves a disservice by ignoring this CD. Someone mentioned a comparison to June Tabor, which is a good starting point, except June has experimented with folk/rock and cabaret jazz genres, whereas Ms. Rusby's feet are firmly planted on traditional soil. Her gorgeously burnished voice hides her relative youth; her work is truly a stunning accomplishment.

While the pronounciation in her thick native Yorkshire accent can be a bit idiosyncratic, there is no hiding the heartbreak and melancholy that she brings to the traditional songs, and particularly to her well chosen cover of Iris Dement's "Our Town." See if you can listen to that song with a dry eye. Ah, but there is some much more to bathe yourself in as her voice permeates your head and heart.

north country lass shines!!.......2001-09-29

splendid collection of songs from ms rusby.if you like the indigo girls,june tabor then snap this up at once believe me you wont be disapointed.kate has a lovely fresh voice and breathes new life into the folk/rock category.excellant

very different and refreshing.......2001-08-02

I bought this CD after learning about Kate Rusby through Amazon. I listened to the samples on the site and was immediately drawn to Kate's voice. I've had the CD about a week and it hasn't left my CD player yet. The songs are all very different sounding and the instruments used have a fabulous sound. My personal favorites have to be the upbeat "Fairest of all Yarrow" and "The Sleepless Sailor", but I enjoy all of the songs. I would highly recommend this CD even for those people who are not really into folk music much less English folk. I think that Sleepless could appeal to most anyone who enjoys beautiful singing accompanied by various flutes, whistles, and fiddles.

Surprise!.......2001-05-01

After hearing her interviewed on NPR and watching my wife flip over the purity of Kate Rusby's voice I immediately ordered the CD. It was a surprise for my wife. But it turned out to be an even bigger surprise for me. Even though my wife and I agree that Rusby has a crystalline voice, it is I who has been spellbound and captured by the "other worldliness" of her melody, words and her wonderful pronunciation all cloaked in wistful sadness. I highly recommend this CD. A warning, however, that Kate Rusby's music is powerful magic.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful debut, but she has improved!
awesome musician
....angelic
Five Stars?
My most played CD from last year.

Hourglass
Kate Rusby
Manufacturer: Compass Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sleepless
Underneath the Stars
The Girl Who Couldn't Fly
Little Lights
Kate Rusby & Kathryn Roberts

ASIN: B000009Q30
Release Date: 1998-08-18

Tracks:

Sir Eglamore
As I Roved Out
Jolly Ploughboys
Annan Waters
Stananivy/Jack & Jill
A Rose In April
Radio Sweethearts
I Am Stretched On Your Grave
Old Man Time
Drowned Lovers
Bold Riley

Amazon.com

Folk music seems simple, and many pretenders pull into town with little more than a presentable voice and a handful of beginner guitar chords. Much more infrequently, performers come along with basically the same constituent parts but through the sheer force of their artistry and integrity are able to use these simple elements to communicate whole lifetimes of experience. Such a performer is youthful Kate Rusby, who sings with the focus and depth one usually associates with the graceful compensations of age. Her crystal-clear voice (reminiscent in turns of Linda Thompson and Sandy Denny) rings out from the first cut. Rusby's assured delivery is dappled with small, unmasked idiosyncrasies that add emotional immediacy. Meanwhile, the all-acoustic presentation is inventive but never slick or overwhelming. Hourglass announces an important new light in the traditional British folk scene. --Anthony Bonet

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful debut, but she has improved!.......2004-05-10

While this is a wonderful debut album from one of the greats on the folk music scene today, I really must tip that her anniversary album "10" reprises the better half of this album with notable improvement to every track, rendering it somewhat irrelevant. "10" is really the album anyone should start with (it also reprises half of her second album, "Sleepless", as well as adding a few more indispensibles) and after that, her latest, "Under the Stars". If after those you still can't get enough, then you might want to look again at this album, whose other half is certainly worth having as well, but not as dire.

awesome musician.......2002-10-08

i must admit that i heard this on a recorded tape while i was waiting for a girl i was babysitting to fall asleep, and i may have missed the last song or two, but what i heard was amazing. this woman's music is beautiful--you lose yourself in her lyrics, her voice, and her stunning guitar riffs: especially when you expect to hear a child's lullaby tape, and you get kate rusby. someone you may never have heard of, but if you know one thing, you know that as soon as you can get to the store you're going to buy her cd.

....angelic.......2002-05-23

If I ever Needed a gentle soothing voice to lull me to sleep at nights, Kate Rusby would be right there by my side. English folk sensation has put together some very formular traditional songs with her own personal touches to them...how many more times will "I Am Stretched On Your Grave" be covered.

Although I like all three of Kate Rusby's c.d's "Hourglass" is my personal favorite and it isn't only my favorite of hers but of any folk c.d in general and I have never been deeply rooted in the folk genre before then, she just may of changed that for me.
What distiguishes the three is only one song "A Rose In April". I like all the songs but "A Rose In April" literally hits you and you can't help but feel the tragedy it holds...it tugs at the heart strings and never lets go. There are some uptempo songs and cheerful songs,"Sir Eglamore", "Jolly Ploughboys" and "Stananivy/Jack And Jill" are very good.

I don't think you really need to be a avid folk listener to appreciate this c.d, it's a great c.d to unwind to your day and not have something or someone screaming at you...you have had enough of that through out the day as is.

Five Stars?.......2002-05-03

Five stars? These are all pretty songs, but I wouldn't say the album belongs in five-star territory; for the most part, you have to go over to Ireland for that. Not long ago I heard Kate perform in front of Altan, and one thing I couldn't help noticing was that Mairead, in addition to having a sharp Irish accent, also takes pains to sharply enunciate every syllable of the lyrics she sings. Kate's voice has a tendency to be suppressed in the instrumentals.

My most played CD from last year........2002-04-18

Browsing a record shop last year I picked up Little Lights at the time of its release. I liked it well enough to get Hourglass a few weeks later. Since then, this is the closest I've come to wearing out a CD.

I'm hardly a folkie, but I found this CD very accessible as I'm sure many others would. The blend of trad songs and Rusby originals is excellent as is the classy instrumental backing to Rusby's distinctive voice.

Tracks:

Game Of All Fours
The Lark
No Names
Mary Blaize
A Ballad
You Belong To Me
Elfin Knight
Bonnie House Of Airlie
Moon Shadow
Wandering Soul
Fare Thee Well
Little Jack frost (Bonus Track)

From Amazon.co.uk

A succession of plaudit-harvesting folk albums and subsequent international renown means that Yorkshire's Kate Rusby no longer needs to be nurtured with kind words of condescension along the lines of lass, babe, and starlet, and yet there remains something irredeemably youthful about The Girl Who Couldn't Fly. It's not just the butterfly flutter of Rusby's voice--which allows the nudge and wink of a smutty traditional favourite like "Game of All Fours" to retain its charade and the magic of innocent years to linger. Sometimes the songs are bare--guitar and vocals--but they're never spartan, pink as nature intended, a curiously roseate melancholia where even an ill-fated adieu such as "No Names"--one of three songs sang, improbably, with Roddy Woomble of Idlewild--mollifies as fluently as a lullaby. The jolly virtues of the traditional "Mary Blaize" and Rusby's very own faux-traditional epic "Elfin Knight" are fleshier, finding Rusby accompanied by such folk scene luminati as Michael McGoldrick, Andy Cutting, and John McCusker to ebullient effect. Proof, indeed, that folk music need not be studiously dour or touristically picturesque. If the current British folk scene is to produce a genuine household name, it's likely to be Kate Rusby. --Kevin Maidment

Customer Reviews:

Surprised by Joy.......2007-01-18

Kate Rusby's songs are not only beautiful, but charming in their simplicity and ornate in their dynamics. Kate Rusby is first and formost a story teller and her lovely delicate voice portrays well the emotion, love, and warmth of its owner. As a songwriter, her work has a timeless quality that makes it quite unique. This CD is full of songs you will listen to over and over and never get tired of, and lovely lilting melodies that you will be quite happy to have stuck in your head. From the toungue-in-cheek song Mary Blaize to the devestating tale of false love told in A Ballad, Kate Rusby's "The Girl Who Couldn't Fly" is a timeless work of art.

Sandy's Rightful Successor.......2006-07-28

Kate Rusby is the UK's finest female singer/songwriter since Sandy Denny. Which is not to say that she is in any way a copycat; she is an original. Any of her albums will be a worthy addition to your collection - including this latest work. Buy this. Then go out and buy the rest of her catalog.

Pleasant.......2006-06-02

I like most of Kate Rusby's other albums but this one did not do all that much for me. The most I can say is that it was "pleasant".

None of the songs was particularly memorable. I just let her fade into the background while I was doing unpleasant tasks. Hearing her voice was pleasant.

Her voice is not particularly strong but does possess a certain airy quality. It was pleasant.

It was pleasant without ever being memorable.

Warm, ingratiating, affirming, reassuring English folk music.......2006-03-22

Combines a unique, appealing voice with expert, tailored acoustic folk settings, and songs with strong traditional English folk roots, even when Rusby wrote words and/or music. Her voice has a broad range-fairly pure in the upper reaches, huskier and earthier in a lower register. The slower a song, the more her voice resonates and quavers, giving a (false) sense of frailty in a voice that practically demands to fill any intimate space with warmth. Lovely. Settings are all carefully tailored and presented with great precision that is never cold or clinical; a homey folkiness underlies the virtuosity of the players. Songs tend to start simple and carefully accumulate complexity as they proceed, in many different ways. Session as a whole is warm, ingratiating, affirming, and reassuring-she places and holds the world in a good place. Stand-out: tr 6-You belong to me (she remakes a '50s pop classic in her own English folkie image). [49:47]

A Voice Of Angelic Purity - A Must Buy! .......2006-03-18

This is a wonderful folk album. Kate Rusby's voice is angelic and plaintive and beautiful, but the songs here are equally magical and the combination is simply breathtaking. Simple acoustic accompaniment (with the occasional use of soft brass) makes for a really fantastic listening experience. I am so glad to have found this album and can't wait to hear more. I cannot recommend this album highly enough.

Average customer rating:

gives you goosebumps!!
Tears in my eyes.
Precious and sleep-inducing
For those with *distinguished* musical taste
I Love This CD; I love these voices!

Kate Rusby & Kathryn Roberts
Kate Rusby & Katrhyn Roberts
Manufacturer: Compass Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

British Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

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Underneath the Stars
Hourglass
Ten
The Girl Who Couldn't Fly
Sleepless

ASIN: B00000IISD
Release Date: 1999-04-20

Tracks:

Recruited Collier
Ned On The Hill
The Lorry Ride
The Queen And The Soldier
Courting Is A Pleasure
The Constant Lovers
Dark Eyed Sailor
Hunting The Hare
Plains Of Waterloo
Exile

Amazon.com

Originally released in the U.K. in 1995, this album captures the duo just after they'd won the prestigious Young Tradition folk award. They bring a freshness and fire to the mostly traditional, familiar songs, which is no mean feat, Roberts's sweetness tempering Rusby's roughness well. It's Kate Rusby who emerges as the more distinctive voice here. Her version of "Recruited Collier" is a joy, and, both solo and with the Poozies, her star continues to rise, while Roberts has settled for less. The knowledge of what's happened since doesn't lessen the enjoyment of this record, however. If anything, this glimpse into the past shows two people laying a solid foundation for the future, and when you consider they were only 20, it's a remarkable achievement of youth. --Chris Nickson

Customer Reviews:

gives you goosebumps!!.......2005-11-09

I purchased this CD about a month ago, along with several of Kate Rusby's other albums, and have been really impressed. The 'Queen and the soldier' is my favourite track on this particular album. It gave me goosebumps when I heard it the first time!! The combination of Kathryn Roberts and Kate Rusby's voices together, and the choice of songs on this CD makes it worth every penny. If your musical tastes are of celtic/ folk and your preferences are for sweet, classic lyrics, but with enough depth in the arrangement to get lost in the music as it plays, then this CD is a winner, and you will love it.

Tears in my eyes........2005-07-25

Forgive my cliche. I love Kate Rusby and figured I would check out this duet CD. Wow. These songs are simple and pure. You can only get away with such minimal instrumental accompaniment if you have the voices to fill the whole landscape. These ladies have it. Roberts adds a rich and intensely beautiful counterpart to Rusby's magical voice. Together --- I just get tears in my eyes. I put this CD on, lie on the floor, spread my arms out, close my eyes, and let my imagination go. I love all my Rusby CDs, but this is my most favorite of favorites.

Precious and sleep-inducing.......2005-02-19

Let me preface this by saying that I LOVE Kate Rusby's voice and solo recordings. But boy oh boy, this one puts me to sleep. Of course the singing is beautiful, but it doesn't have any of the energy that Rusby's solo cds have. That energy is particularly important with music that can easily sound like precious museum pieces. Buy Rusby's other stuff; it's all wonderful.

For those with *distinguished* musical taste.......2004-07-23

I first purchased Kate Rusby's "Under the Stars" CD and loved it then I found this CD that displays the thoughtful talent of these two ladies.

Besides the great voices, being a pianist, I LOVE hearing the piano accompaniment as well as the other instruments - cellos, violin, clarinet, flute, sax, etc. For me, I found the stories within these traditional ballad-like songs to be enchanting and echoes of a long-ago era.

I Love This CD; I love these voices!.......2003-08-10

I bought this CD a year ago, and I am continually entranced with the voice quality of these two singers. "Ned on the Hill" is so beautiful, it stands equal in my view to Jean Redpath's version, which first aquainted me with the song. "The Lorry Ride" is one of the most haunting songs I have ever heard. I can feel the lonely woman's anguish, as she waits to see if her man will return from his harsh work on the plantation, or if se will find only a body when the lorry returns him to her. I would rate this as one of my all time faves in Celtic music.

Average customer rating:

Not a bad selection
Charming and sweet
Rusby's Little Lights
Not her best (but she still has it!)
they all sound the same

Little Lights
Kate Rusby
Manufacturer: Compass Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

British Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

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Underneath the Stars
Ten
The Girl Who Couldn't Fly
Sleepless
Hourglass

ASIN: B00005J6WV
Release Date: 2001-06-12

Tracks:

Playing Of Ball
I Courted A Sailor
Withered And Died
Merry Green Broom
Let The Cold Wind Blow
Canaan's Land
Some Tyrant
William And Davy
Who Will Sing Me Lullabies
Matt Hyland
My Young Man

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

Kate Rusby's fragile, haunting voice is only the first reason among equals that makes Little Lights such an unmitigated delight. Just as wondrous are her delicate acoustic arrangements of traditional tunes, the sensitive musicianship of her collaborators (notably guitarists Ian Carr and John Doyle, and the refined backing vocals of Eddi Reader), and, last but definitely not least, her burgeoning songwriting skills. There are more Rusby originals here than on her previous two solo albums, with the catchy story-songs "I Courted a Sailor" and "William and Davy" proving standout items. That is until the extraordinary climax of the album with "My Young Man"--a deeply personal song about Rusby's own grandparents--in which her molasses-rich voice is accompanied by a heavenly brass choir. Elsewhere, an achingly mournful cover of Richard Thompson's "Withered and Died" once again demonstrates Rusby's subtle magic with other people's material. (As a bonus track, the Rusby clan gets together for an impromptu family rendition of "The Big Ship Sails.") Anyone charmed by Rusby's Mercury Award-nominated Sleepless or her mature debut Hourglass need not hesitate. Those yet to discover one of the finest voices in British folk should rush to acquire all three. --Mark Walker

Customer Reviews:

Not a bad selection.......2007-07-16

I liked quite a few of Kate's songs such as "Playing of Ball","Withered and Die","Some Tyrant",and especially "Who Will Sing Me Lullabies".
Her other CD, Hourglass was better but this one is still worth listening to.

Charming and sweet.......2007-07-07

This is the only Kate Rusby album I have. I'm not a big fan - just like her performances on the album. The settings are intimate and quiet here, the kind of music you'd hear in some pub in a coastal town in the UK. With some influences from sea shanties and English folk, you get the feeling of a modern Jane Austen who sings with a guitar, rather than writes novels. Sweet.

Rusby's Little Lights.......2007-01-10

My wife and I first heard a song off this CD on NPR, I think it was the back porch show. Immediately, my wife fell in love, and I admit I too was a bit intrigued by Rusby's folky, almost Irish sound. So, I purchased the CD as a christmas present for my wife and neither of us were dissapointed; the rest of the songs were just as enjoyable as the few we heard on NPR.

Not her best (but she still has it!).......2004-05-10

For what it's worth, I do know someone who loves this cd, though I have always found it to be the weakest of her lot, not because of her, or the production, (which is a notch cleaner than on her previous two releases) but because of the repertoire, which others have noted to be relatively bland. There are about four "classic" tracks on it that I am glad to have, but for an artist that usually puts out more like eight of those in an album this is something of a disappointment. The others, while quite listenable, are also easily forgettable.

While Kate's own songwriting has never been her main product--as a traditionalist, she would mark it a triumph if you couldn't pick her own out--her own do fall among both camps on this album, that is, the forgettables and the classics. On later albums, they will more often be among the best. The reviews that are suggesting this album marks her expiration date are obviously not taking into account the magnificent "10" and "Under the Stars" which have followed. If you're a newbie to Kate, get those, (in that order), and after that if you're really addicted, this album will fall on pretty much equal footing with the first two, Hourglass and Sleepless, since about half of each is reprised and improved on "10".

they all sound the same.......2004-02-04

I'm afraid I must agree with Sukeydebby's review of Little Lights. All the songs end up sounding the same. Lovely, yes, but Kate really needs to try some new arrangements or select (or write) more upbeat songs. I wonder if it's her producer, or her choice of arrangements that is to blame. (Compare Andy M. Stewart's superior version of "Matt Hyland", for one.) She needs to develop. Again, don't get me wrong, I love her voice, and the songs taken one at a time are fine. It's just that listening to the entire album in one sitting leaves you frustrated, and, frankly, a bit bored. She can do much better than this, I think.

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The Folk Awards

Manufacturer: Topic Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Blues | Styles | Music

Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

British Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Compilations | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000059ROM
Release Date: 2001-04-10

Tracks:

Bonnie Woodhall - Niamh Parsons
Crimson Moon - Bert Jansch
Harry Stone (Hearts Of Coal) - John Tams
Flower Of Sweet Brisbane - Norma Waterson
Lough Mountain - Michael McGoldrick
The Water Is Wide - E2K
Botany Bay - Bill Jones
The Cobblers Daughter - Kate Rusby
Ol' Georgie Buck - Taj Mahal/Toumani Diabate
Green Booms/The Humours Of Kill Clougher - Danu
Raggle Taggle Gipsies - Waterson:Carthy
Brigg Fair - Roy Bailey
The Light In My Mother's Eye - Chris While/Julie Matthews
City Of Angels - Vin Garbutt
Shetland Reels - Catriona MacDonald
Spencer The Rover - The Copper Family

Album Description

UK release features 16 tracks from all the contenders for the 2001 awards. Artists include, John Tams, Bill Jones, Norma Waterson, Kate Rusby, Waterson Carthy, Roy Bailey, Michael McGoldrick, Taj Mahal, Niamh Parsons, Vin Garbutt, Catriona MacDonald, Chris While and Julie Matthews, The Copper Family, e2K and Bert Jansch. Standard jewel case. 2001 release.

Album Details

Includes Tracks from John Tams, Bill Jones, Norma Waterson, Kate Rusby, Waterson:carthy, Roy Bailey, Michael Mcgoldrick, Taj Mahal, Niamh Parsons, Vin Garbutt, Catriona Macdonald, Chris While, Jule Matthews, the Cooper Family, E2k, Bert Jansch & Toumani Diabate.

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mix of old and new

Heartlands
Kate Rusby & John Mccusker
Manufacturer: Pure
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Girl Who Couldn't Fly
Underneath the Stars
Little Lights
Ten
Kate Rusby & Kathryn Roberts

ASIN: B0000996AG
Release Date: 2003-05-19

Tracks:

Cloin's Farewell
Sweet Bride
Weeping Crisps
Fairest Of All Yarrow
Wonder What Is Keeping My True Love (Tradd Arr)
Leafy Moped
William & Dave Instrumental
Drowned Lovers (Trad. Arr)
Wild Goose (Trad. Arr)
Beer Garden
I Saw The Sandra
Let The Cold Wind Blow
Yodelling Song
Brownies
Over You Now
Round The Next Corner
Sleepless Sailor

Customer Reviews:

mix of old and new.......2004-05-07

Kate's website points out that all of her songs on this CD are previously released, while those of her husband John are new. You might consider buying the movie itself. Kate and John play 2 songs in a pub scene.

Average customer rating:

WXPN Live At The World Cafe Volume 12

Manufacturer: World Cafe
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
Similar Items:

Preludes
Sebastian Cabot, Actor/Bob Dylan, Poet
Traveling Wilburys (2CD/1DVD, Deluxe Edition)
Live at Massey Hall (CD/DVD)
West

ASIN: B000CMI2PG

Product Description

1. Semisonic Chemistry 2. Martin Sexton Hallelujah 3. Erin McKeown Blackbirds 4. Warren Zevon I Was In The House 5. R.L. Burnside Snakedrive 6. Kasey Chambers The Captain 7. Jess Klein Ireland 8. Joe Jackson Stranger Than You 9. Ian Anderson Boris Dancing 10. Amy Correia The Bike 11. Great Big Sea Consequence Free 12. Sarah Harmer Basement Apartment 13. Guy Davis Waiting for the Cards to Fall 14. Solas Bleadh Buachaillin Deas Ag Sile 15. Kate Rusby Cobbler's Daughter 16. Crash Test Dummies Superman Song

Music Review:

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