Rough Music

• Artist: Eliza Carthy
• Rating:
• Release Date: June 21, 2005
• Genre: Folk

Review

Eliza Carthy officially inherits the British folk crown from her parents with the willfully traditional Rough Music. Described in the liner notes as "a form of community punishment practiced all over England" (basically a public beating for a heinous social crime), Rough Music sounds like a lost pre-percussion Steeleye Span record filtered through A.L. Lloyd's whaling collection Leviathan! Carthy's strong fiddling and powerful vocals -- she really is beginning to surpass Norma -- are ably enhanced by the chiseled performance of her backing band, the Ratcatchers. Together they celebrate longstanding English traditions like public execution ("Turpin Hero"), syphilis ("The Unfortunate Lass"), and alcohol ("Tom Brown") with equal parts reverence, earnestness, and mischief. Primarily arranged for violin, viola, double bass, and melodeon, Rough Music also features lovely a cappella cuts like "Maid on the Shore" and enough fiery instrumentals to keep your feet on the cobblestones during the long walk home from the pub. In fact, there's not a moment on Rough Music that isn't essential listening. Highly recommended. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Turpin Hero	Traditional	Eliza Carthy	(5:45)
King James Version	Traditional	Eliza Carthy	(4:23)
Cobbler's Hornpipe	Traditional	Eliza Carthy	(3:59)
Gallant Hussar	Traditional	Eliza Carthy	(4:47)
Upside Down: Double Lead Through/Highland Mary/Dear Tobacco	Traditional	Eliza Carthy	(5:03)
Mohair	Traditional	Eliza Carthy	(2:59)
The Unfortunate Lass	Traditional	Eliza Carthy	(6:59)
Scan Tester's Country Stepdance/Lemmy Brazil's No. 2	Traditional	Eliza Carthy	(3:32)
Maid on the Shore	Traditional	Eliza Carthy	(3:24)
Mr. McCusker & Mr. McGoldrick's English Choice	Traditional	Eliza Carthy	(4:59)
Tom Brown	Traditional	Eliza Carthy	(4:09)

Credits

John Spiers (Accordion), Adrian Bradley (Mixing), John Spiers (Arranger), Eliza Carthy (Engineer), Heather Macleod (Vocals), Eliza Carthy (Fiddle), Ben Ivitsky (Arranger), Eliza Carthy (Clapping), Jon Boden (Clapping), Jon Boden (Guitar), John Spiers (Clapping), Ben Ivitsky (Guitar), Jon Boden (Engineer), John Spiers (Melodeon), Ben Ivitsky (Vocals), Ben Ivitsky (Engineer), Ben Ivitsky (Mixing), Jon Boden (Vocals), Fay Hield (Vocals), Ben Ivitsky (Hurdygurdy), Jon Boden (Fiddle), Eliza Carthy (Guitar), Lorna MacDonald (Trombone (Bass)), Jon Boden (Concertina), Jon Boden (Arranger), Patricia O'Neill (Make-Up), Tom Howard (Photography), Ben Ivitsky (Viola), Willy Molleson (Vocals), Ben Ivitsky (Clapping), John Spiers (Bandoneon), Don Walker (Mastering), Eliza Carthy (Mixing), Eliza Carthy (Producer), Jon Boden (Tambourine), Ben Ivitsky (Low Whistle), Ben Ivitsky (Producer), John Spiers (Vocals), John Spiers (Engineer), Colin Chapman (Author), Don Walker (Mastering), Eliza Carthy (Arranger), Eliza Carthy (Vocals), Jon Boden (Double Bass)