singer/s/sw reviews : Marianne Segal

DJM Rec./

Marian Segal with Silver Jade : Fly on Strangewings

Lightning Tree

Jade : Fly on Strangewings (UK,1972)***° (VG->PERF)

One year ago I was promoting a reissue of this album. Now it finally gets its official re-release on CD.

Voice and arrangements are very close to Sandy Denny's early works, here with some favourites : "Amongst anenomies", "Fy on Strangewings" and "Reflections on a harbour wall". The reissue is done by remastering the original tapes, with additional pictures and historical notes. There a couple of more common tracks, but in general it's worth discovering, when you like albums like Sandy Denny's early albums, Trees perhaps,.. Participating on this album : Peter Sears (Fleurs de Lys, Sam Gopal's Dream, Jefferson Starship), Michael Rosen (Eclection), Pete York (Spencer Davis Group, Hardin & York), Clem Cattini (Rumpelstiltskin,..),Terry Cox (Pentangle), Mick Waller (Rod Stewart), James Litherland (Coloseum, Mogol Trash, Bob Theil). The three bonus tracks are not very special, but still fit in with the more easy going tracks.

Audio : "Amongst Anemones", "Fly On Strangewings","Mayfly","Bad Magic","Mrs Adams","Fly Me To The North" ; Info : www.mariannesegal-jade.com

PS. The original US version of the album had to be published under a different name, because they already had a (prog) band called Jade.

PS. On the same label they now also published a fine CD with unreleased songs under the name of Dave Waite & Marianne Segal : Paper Flowers, which is a fine collection of folk driven songs, a bit in Trader Horne, early Sandy Denny.. style.***°

Audio : "Paper Flowers", "Tom Thumb's Blues", "September Song", "Percy's Song", "Circles", "Dawn Song"

Info : www.mariannesegal-jade.com

Next, 2007 release ->

Snow Beach Rec.

Marianne Segal featuring Circulus : The Gathering (UK,2007)**°°

Also Marianne Segal is back, first with a reissue of her first album (from 1972) some years ago (,with a band called Jade aka Silver Jade, a name taken on the US pressing not to confuse with the US prog band Jade in those days), then a reissue of some really nice unreleased songs from her project before that with Dave Waite (1967-1969), and now finally with something new. It was so that after the two reissues the original band had reformed for a one-off concert in London, where Michael Tyack from Circulus happened to be there. With Circulus she recorded her song “Swallow” on Circulus' first full CD. This was only the beginning of a longer term cooperation, of which these tracks are the result. It is neither really folk or pop, or rock, but there are moments the singer-songwriter inspirations are fronted and backed with band arrangements, of which some of these arrangements depending on the song mood are either folkier (“September Song”)/old English (with Crumhorn) with string arrangements (“Lapis Wings”) or rockier (like “Circle round the sun” with funky vibed guitar, Wurlitzer piano, bluesy harmonica). “Saints On Tapestry is a powerful convincing expression of a songwriter with great string arrangements, rock guitar, some flute,.. “Root People” is another surprise of an arrangement with Ozric sequenced bass and heavy psychedelic guitar by Bill Steer (Firebird). But on the end there are also a few mellower nostalgic inspirations, a logic inclusion considering how long many 60s/70s artists had to wait until recently before finding a new interest since then, but these sounds are also well adapted into the concept, giving a realistic multiphased vision on gathering inspirations and musicians for such a new project.

Audio : "September Song","Lapis Wings","Circle Round The Sun","Saints On Tapestry", "Root People", "Kicking Up The Sands Of Time", "Sussex Downs", "Dreamers"

Info : http://www.spiralearth.co.uk/news/story.asp?pg=newsarticle&nid=551

& interview : http://www.spiralearth.co.uk/interviews/marianne-segal-interview.asp

Homepage : http://www.mariannesegal-jade.com

Links to reviews of previous Circulus releases :

http://www.psychedelicfolk.com/Psychfolkpopreview.html..

& http://www.psychedelicfolk.com/acidfolkreview13.html..

& next release : http://www.psychedelicfolk.com/acidfolkreview28.html#anchor_1099

Snow Beach Rec.

Marianne Segal :Gypsy Girl (UK,rec.1970s-1990s,pub.2010)**°

This is the first compilation of unpublished recordings of Marianne Segal. As the introduction by Jon Miller notes, it is true how Marianne’s voice isn’t basically much different from her previous recordings. The First half of the compilation however is disappointing for the arrangements, which are rather cheaply found instant studio arrangements with piano, drums, bass and some synthesiser which give a mellow commercial nostalgic feeling. When Marianne sings in disappointment after an arranged meeting “You got the right girl but you got the wrong time” there is some different truth behind it that the songs are inflicted by the time’s perspectives which weren’t really good for songwriting in the 80s and 90s, production wise and inspirational wise. These were the darkest days for acoustic music, and very few songwriters were not inflicted with the doom of that production method. In that way also here the songs fall back on the songs themselves and demand more attention to the words, which does not always compensate enough for the results. After the tenth track there’s a bit more or a different attention to the arrangements and recording process, but even not to full satisfaction. Marianne had proved with Circulus a few years back that with the right setting everything comes together better. For this I am afraid the listener nesed more efforts.

Producers on this album include: Jeff Wayne (War of the Worlds), Ian Catt (Saint Etienne), Julian Mendelsohn & Neil Harrison.

My favourite track, "Miranda", from 1976 has also the most interesting personel : Barry de Souza, Chris Spedding, Mike Thorn, Tony Carr (under production from Jeff Wayne).

Video's/audio : “Gypsy Girl”, “So So Scorpio”

Homepage : http://www.mariannesegal-jade.com/