CD REVIEW - BEACHY HEAD BANGERS - BRINGING HOME THE BACON The
Beachy Head Bangers are Max Fisher - bass, bass guitar, Stephen Harvey -
mandolin, guitar, Kevin Hills - banjo, guitar, Nick Peachey - guitar, banjo,
piano, accordion, and Colin Meadows - banjo, fiddle. Bringing Home the Bacon is
a pleasing blend of traditional tunes arranged by the band and original pieces
penned by Colin Meadows. Instrumental albums in any genre often present
difficult challenges in sustaining the interest of the non-musician beyond the
first half dozen tracks, but not so Bringing Home the Bacon where the choice of
material and the creative writing talent of Colin Meadows ensure that the
listener's attention is held to the end. The banjo pieces are well played and
complemented by a rich backing texture provided mainly by guitar and mandolin
and bass accompaniments. I especially like the melodic clawhammer banjo sound
in Speed the Plough, a well-travelled tune with a free flowing melody popular
with fiddlers for over 200 years. Other traditional pieces featured on the
album are Old Yellow Dog, Moon Behind the Hill and the splendid Roscoe's Waltz,
a tune associated with that high-spirited luminary of Appalachian music, Bruce
Molsky. The tracks Hot Rocks and Yellow Dog capture beautifully the flavour of
bands like the North Carolina Ramblers with the emphasis on syncopated melody
lines and ensemble playing. There is also an accomplished twin banjo rendition
of Blackberry Blossom, a perennial favourite among both Old-Timey and bluegrass
instrumentalists. The use of the piano in Moon Behind the Hill and the ragtime
flavoured Hen Pecked Husband adds an effective dimension to the band sound
reminiscent of the contributions of Mike Craver and later Bland Simpson to the
unique style of the Red Clay Ramblers. It is also a reminder that the
instrumentation in Old-Timey music is not bound by the sometimes narrow
conventions of other traditional styles e.g. bluegrass. Although the final mix
is at times a little indifferent, this no way detracts from a spirited,
enthusiastic performance by a group of versatile musicians who demonstrate a
great feel for their music. In bringing Home the Bacon, The Beachy Head Bangers
have succeeded in creating an album which will surely appeal to all lovers of
old-time string band music.
Reviewed by Guitarist and vocalist
Ian McCann, who is founder member of Barnstorm, has played with many celebrated
folk and bluegrass bands including the Malcolm Price Trio, Mountain Line,
Orange Blossom Sound with whom he made numerous concert, TV and radio
appearances. The band had albums released in the UK and in America on the Epic
and CBS labels, appeared on the Benny Hill Show, the Cambridge Folk Festival
and backed The Two Ronnies on their album Jehosophat and Jones. A
multi-instrumentalist, Ian has also accompanied folk legends such as Alex
Campbell, Dominic Behan, Caroline Hester and Charlie Dore.
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