The Living Tradition
PO Box 1026
KILMARNOCK
KA2 0LG

Tel 01563 571220

Our Reviewers
Top Selections

_________________

SOURCE

Scottish
Irish
English
Welsh
Gaelic
Cape-Breton
Australian
America
Canada
Galician

CONTENT

Song - Solo
Song - Group
Instrumental
Instr'l Groups
Music & Song
Dance
Pipe Bands
Archive
New Writing
Compilations

INSTRUMENTS

Pipes
Fiddle
Accordion
Flute
Whistle
Guitar
Mandolin
Banjo
Harp
_________________

Newletter
Feedback
About Us
Advertise
Writer's Guidelines
Links
Site Map

Email Us

This site is Copyright (C) The Living Tradition Ltd. No part of this site may be used without the permission of The Living Tradition.

ROBB JOHNSON - A Beginner’s Guide
Irregular Records IRR057

“Most of the gigs I do are just me and the acoustic guitar. Afterwards people often ask ‘Which CD sounds most like what you did tonight?’ It’s this one.” That more or less sets out Johnson’s stall as the dissenting, thorn-in-side of the pompous, the selfish, the greedy, the agressive and all things unjust in our world approaches his er, middle years. He’s not going quietly either as you can imagine. ‘A Beginners Guide’ is a first-take, Saturday-morning-and-then-off-for-a-pint revisiting of some old songs plus one or two new to disc. These vary from a return to ‘Small Revolutions’ originally aired when Pip Collings made up their duo and a celebration of the 1979 Marxist Sandinista victory in Nicaragua to ‘Everything’s All Right’ - a swipe at the on-going Bush wars and not without a hint of cynicism spat out with a sneer.

Elsewhere it’s the small, everyday trials and tribulations, the quiet emotions that bring Robb (and ourselves) tears and laughter. He can convey uncannily, feelings so universally felt via a first person manner, to our own hearts. As Ken Hunt in the tray notes says “there is beauty in the commonplace.” ‘A Dorset Moon’ would concur, while the affecting ‘When Harry Took Me To See Ypres’ is desolation transcended by time and love, as Laura Nyro would have it. Such sweet-sour intelligent writing isn’t going to equal millions of sales. His themes of survival, and weary determination, shot through with love and yes, occasional humour will never be product-shifting for any major label. A voice honest, defiant and real - thankfully he’ll always be a passionate maverick.

Uneasy listening then, but well worth the effort. Robb Johnson, he never lets you down.

Clive Pownceby