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Reviews
Feel free to send in a review of a cd, gig, band,
festival etc, if you want to submit details of your event/band for inclusion
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Please click on the artists name for more details.
Mad Rush's second album, MUSIC OF TIME was launched on February 27.
A welcome return to the studio by Plymouth folksters, Mad Rush, has resulted in an album that is quietly ambitious, accessible and intelligent. The line-up of Ned and Deni Couch (guitars/vocals/bouzouki and vocals/accordion/piano/whistle/ percussion respectively) has been augmented by Geoff Horne (double bass/electric bass/vocals) and Chris Wolfe (guitar/ bouzouki/banjo). The transformation in the overall sound is remarkable. Whereas the debut - "How Well Do I Remember" - derived much of its impact from its naked directness, the band's second outing is a more lush and highly-textured affair.
Many of the themes which drove the first album re-emerge in the latest release. Ned's original songs, crafted around key moments in English military history and therefore very pertinent to a band who come from a city so rooted in such history, form an important part of the overall collection. "Lord Horatio", "The Sabbath Day" and "Revenge" are so colourful and immediate that they could have been written many hundreds of years ago, just after the events they describe had taken place. However Ned may be inspired by military history, but he's not completely obsessed by it as his song "Quarrymen" amply demonstrates.
Deni's no slouch either when it comes to crafting music. She collaborates with Pamela Hodge on the eponymous opener, sets an air to an anonymous Scottish poem "We Are Exiles" and gives us three songs entirely of her own making, "By Moonlight", "Bring The Young Men Home" and the album's closer "For A Bygone Time".
For all of their skill in crafting and delivering their own material, the two stand-out tracks on the album are not by their own hands. The first of the two musical highpoints of the outing is an acoustic cover of George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". An intricately picked guitar intro sets the scene for some unfussy and highly effective guitar/bouzouki interplay, over which Deni gives a restrained reading of the lyrics.
As far as we at Pay The Reckoning are concerned, the album's highlight is the traditional song "Canada-i-o". A jangly bouzouki gets pride of place in the accompaniment, above which Deni delivers a fine vocal performance, as usual avoiding pyrotechnics and cheap tricks in favour of a measured reading.
Mad Rush have proved their ability to develop and mature from their first to this, their second, album. What delights lie ahead of us as the band tackle their third and subsequent albums time alone will tell. Pay The Reckoning will be at the front of the queue to find out!
Ell Records -MRMCD003
When anyone reviews an album they are in danger of killing it stone dead with over lavish praise,I am struggling to stay low key on this occasion.
When Deni sent me this CD she added a note saying "It's very nearly what we were aiming at." If this is "very nearly" then I can't wait for the one they are satisfied with! Make no mistake this is a must for any traditional/contemporary collection.
The opening notes from track 1, Music of Time take you straight to the war years, the sound of Mike O'Connor's fiddle and Deni's accordion paint a haunting scene. This subtle but complimentary instrumental work continues through the whole album, always supporting and never clashing with the outstanding vocals.
The passion for their home county and its links to the sea are evident in the finely crafted lyrics, how long will it be before "By Moonlight" appears on a CD somewhere listed as Traditional arr. ???.
Mad Rush's third album, MUSIC OF TIME is due for release in February. It features the full four-piece band
with Ned Couch, Deni, Geoff Horne and Chris Wolfe, PLUS some superb guest fiddling from Mike O'Connor
and mandolin from Terry Williams.
Jean Camp
Mad Rush - How Well Do I Remember
A bit of a departure from Pay The Reckoning's normal focus on traditional
(or nearly so!) Irish music is this collection of songs by Plymouth duo, Mad
Rush, husband and wife team Den and Ned Couch.
Scores of fans were disappointed to find that their favourite local folk
band, Mad Rush, were put on early, so they missed part of their superb
performance. Mad Rush, aka Den and Ned Couch, were at Yealmton Community
Hall on Tuesday night as support band to Kate Rusby. At first there were the
usual rustlings and mutterings as people filed in to find a seat, but before
the first song was over you could have heard a pin drop, the atmosphere
charged with creative tension and the gleeful anticipation that here was
something really worth listening to.
In true folk tradition, their songs roamed the world through five centuries
of love and war, from Scotland to Australia to Plymouth's Freedom Fields.
Unlike many singers, their diction is so clear that you can actually hear
every word and so see the picture tapestry that their evocative voices weave
so well.
In Mary's Dream, about a drowned Scottish sailor, Den's voice rang out with
spine tingling clarity; while in the ghostly Dance To the Music of Time, she
waltzed us through the emotional turmoil of World War Two, giving hidden
depths to Trudie Hodges' lyrical story and tugging at our heartstrings even
further with some haunting accordion breaks. The Sabbath Day and Soldiers of
Britain are both stirring battle songs, all the more remarkable in that they
are Ned's 21st century creations, sung with his usual gusto and verve; while
the unaccompanied Waltzing Matilda showed the gentler side of his
repertoire.
Den's voice is full of warmth, sweetness, and exciting exotic delights. Add
to that Ned's cheerful vivacity, excellent combination of voice and
instrument and the superb writing talents of the Plymouth duo - and you have
an unbeatable combination. Don't miss them next time round, and meanwhile
look out for their current CD How Well I Remember.
From the number of albums from local performers over the years, it is
evident that there's no shortage of talent in Devon. Many deserve (and some
achieve) a much wider audience. Into this category come Mad Rush with their
debut CD.
By COLIN ANDREWS For info on Devon folk music, dance and song see
www.bonnygreen.co.uk
For further information and to listen to Mad Rush visit their
Mp3 site here or here
Over a hundred people attended the launch, and sales and reviews are very enouraging. Music of Time is being played on BBC Radio which covers the Southwest from Gloucestershire down. The band supports Ian Bruce in Plymouth ( Aug 14) and Dave Swarbrick and Martin Carthy at Harberton, Devon (Sept 14)The album features the full four-piece band Ned Couch, Deni, Geoff Horne, Chris Wolfe, PLUS superb guest fiddling from Mike O'Connor
and mandolin from Terry Williams. Mad Rush are doing some tour dates this year in the South to promote the new album.
Please contact madrushfolk@btopenworld.com for bookings, publicity & info.
Music of Time can be obtained outside the UK from
http://www.cdstreet.com
Mad Rush - Music of Time Review - Pay The Reckoning
Mad Rush - Music of Time
It was nice to include a couple of traditional songs and even one apiece from Barry Gee and George Harrison, but make no mistake the stars of this album are the self penned songs by this very talented Duo.
JH - Kernowfolk
The band is hoping to arrange an album tour this Summer, in the Southwest.
Please contact madrushfolk@btopenworld.com for bookings, publicity & info.
SATURDAY 2ND FEBRUARY 2002
They began their set with a track written by Ned called "Revenge",
unaccompanied harmony song telling of the last fight of Sir Richard
Grenvilles ship - Revenge. Their second number was a wonderful wistful
traditional ballad about losing in love entitled "I Wonder What's Keeping My
True Love Tonight". One of Den's favourite songs as it is a dream to sing
and a chance to let all those emotions fly vocally, which they did. Den has
a fabulous voice. Next we had a rousing Civil war song called "John Merrick'
s Greycoats" after which a song sung and written by Den from their Music of
Time album called For a "Byegone Time" with bouzouki bass and congas giving
an Easter European flavour telling of the coming of Christianity to the
Celts.
"Quarrymen" gave us an upbeat, foot-tapping chorus song about the closing of
the Cann Quarry, in Plymbridge Woods. They finished their set with "Under
African Skies" sung by Den, featuring guitar, congas and bass. The ideal
rhythmic, feel good sing-along for a tricky situation, helping uplift us out
of the almost total darkness of a powercut!
I shall look forward to seeing Mad Rush again very soon and hope to see them
supporting Lindisfarne on a one-off gig this year and possibly Ralph Mctell
later in the year. A new album is on the horizon for late February.
http://www.folking.com
5th February, 2002
ALBUM REVIEW FROM
PAY THE RECKONING
Of the 13 tracks on the album, all but 2 are original compositions. Given
Pay The Reckoning's predilections, with which regular visitors will be
familiar, it's hardly surprising that the traditional songs "Lisbon" and
"The Trees They Do Grow High" were the first we listened to. Each is a
delight. Den's voice is a revelation. Unforced and free of any
artificiality, her delivery is spot-on.
Hailing as they do from a town with a long historical association with the
Navy, it's hardly surprising that much of the material on the album concerns
matters martial. A great deal of the folk canon springs from such sources,
and so it shouldn't be surprising to find modern songwriters turning their
attention to material of this nature. And yet, to Pay The Reckoning's ears,
songs such as Ned's "Young Boy No More", "Soldiers of Britain" and "The
Bloody Eleventh" are a lttle startling since so few of the artists we listen
to perform such work.
The album contains a number of highlights. The traditional songs mentioned
above are ones which Pay The Reckoning found itself returning to several
times over the course of the past few days.
We were very impressed with "The Day You Were Taken Away", a song for which
the adjective "haunting" might have been invented.
And we were captivated by "Lord Preserve Us" - a very clever song indeed.
Like many a good story or film, too much detail would spoil the song for the
new listener. So we'll give the (excellent) lyrics (by Pamela Trudie Hodge,
a good friend of Mad Rush) a miss and applaud instead the deftly mesmerising
guitar picking of Ned and Den's subtle vocals.
However the stand-out track on the album is the last, "Fairisle". Some day
soon - take our word for it - you are going to hear this track played by
Mike Harding. It's destined to become an instant classic. And then to be
covered by Kate Rusby, Cara Dillon, Dolores Keane, Cathy Jordan or Eleanor
Shanley. Pay The Reckoning rarely allows itself a moment of smugness, but
we'll indulge ourselves the first time we hear Fairisle sung in some
far-flung session by someone who describes it as a song by one of the above.
We'll reply that we remember when we first heard the original and how we
still think it's far better!"
We gather that Den and Ned are working up some new material. Let's hope
they keep in touch. We want to hear it!
Pay The Reckoning August 2001
Mad Rush LIVE Review/Kate Rusby Trio Concert, Yealmpton, September 4 2001
Anna Glynn, City Editor, wcities.com
ALBUM REVIEW FROM WHAT'S AFOOT FOLK MAGAZINE
HOW WELL I REMEMBER - MAD RUSH
The group consists of Ned and Den (Denise) Couch, now resident singers and
organisers at the Hyde Folk Club, Plymouth. Both bring to the album their
common interest in folk music experience from quite different musical
backgrounds. Ned as a former vocalist and lead guitarist in a rock band and
Den as a professional singer since childhood. Surprisingly perhaps, there is
no evidence of a rock influence in Ned's sypathetic guitar accompaniments,
while Den's voice has that clear, haunting quality ideally suited to the
modal tunes in many of her songs. She also plays accordion, piano, keyboard,
whistle and recorder on various songs, most of which are their own
compositions. The first and last tracks are particularly effective; The Day
You were Taken Away and Fairisle, while Den's presentation of the
traditional The Trees They Do Grow High, is as good as I've heard anywhere.
A most promising debut on disc!
Mad Rush to order a copy of their cd or contact them by email.
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