Morris On

• Artist: Morris On
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1972 06
• Total Time: 36:38
• Genre: Folk

Review

A beautiful, authentically rustic album, without a trace of elegance, and hardly even an effort at smoothing over the rough spots. The music and the performances have a quiet power and dignity, and a raw, direct nature that is extremely appealing. The record opens up in haunting fashion with Barry Dransfield's fiddle on "Morris Call," and from there things get wilder and woollier, with some downright funny moments as well (check out the false opening on "Princess Royal"). Shirley Collins appears as a guest vocalist on "Staines Morris" and "The Willow Tree," and the Chingford Morrismen do stick dances on two tracks as well. John Kirkpatrick's accordion, concertina, and harmonium are the dominant accompanying instruments. None of this was a threat to Fairport or Steeleye Span's success, but all of it is valuable to fans of either band, and the album does have a raw energy that Fairport began losing after 1972 -- and "Cuckoo's Nest" alone is almost worth the price of the album, recalling the kind of funny, cheerfully lusty recordings of A.L. Lloyd and sparked by some of Richard Thompson's best playing from this period. Oh, and the compact disc has it all over the original British LP, all copies of which suffer from noisy pressings. [Originally released on LP in 1972, Morris On was reissued on a U.K. CD in 2003.] ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Morris Call	Traditional	Morris On	(2:11)
Greensleeves	Traditional	Morris On	(1:43)
The Nutting Girl	Traditional	Morris On	(4:39)
Medley: Old Woman Tossed Up in a Blanket/Shepherds' Hey/Trunkles	Traditional	Morris On	(4:35)
Staines Morris	Traditional	Morris On	(3:13)
Medley: Lads A'Bunchum/Young Collins	Traditional	Morris On	(3:06)
Vandals of Hammerwich	Traditional	Morris On	(1:04)
Medley: Willow Tree/Bean Setting/Shooting	Traditional	Morris On	(3:52)
I'll Go and 'List for a Sailor	Traditional	Morris On	(2:22)
Princess Royal	Traditional	Morris On	(3:43)
Cuckoo's Nest	Traditional	Morris On	(5:28)
Morris Off	Traditional	Morris On	(1:00)

Credits

John Kirkpatrick (Arranger), John Kirkpatrick (Accordion), Tim Chacksfield (Project Coordinator), John Kirkpatrick (Concertina), John Kirkpatrick (Vocals), Ashley Hutchings (Vocals), Morris On (Performer), John Wood (Engineer), Barry Dransfield (Fiddle), Barry Dransfield (Guitar (Acoustic)), Ashley Hutchings (Guitar (Bass)), Tim Chacksfield (Research), Ashley Hutchings (Arranger), John Wood (Producer), John Kirkpatrick (Tambourine), Dan Morris (?), Richard Thompson (Arranger), Morris On (Group), Barry Dransfield (Guitar), Barry Dransfield (Arranger), Dave Mattacks (Drums), Shirley Hutchings (Vocals), Dave Mattacks (Arranger), Barry Dransfield (Vocals), Keith Morris (Photography), John Kirkpatrick (Anglo Concertina), Richard Thompson (Guitar (Electric)), Denis Blackham (Mastering), Ashley Hutchings (Liner Notes), Shirley Collins (Vocals), Bert Cleaver (Arranger), Bert Cleaver (Tabor), Dave Mattacks (Tambourine), John Kirkpatrick (Button Accordion), Richard Thompson (Vocals), Ray Worman (Dancer), Bert Cleaver (Pipe), John Kirkpatrick (Harmonium)

Morris Mini