Spindlewood "Blue Sky Red Earth" CD 1995

This is the third album from Spindlewood (the first and second have already been posted here). It has long been "out-of-print".
At this stage the primary performers were Jesse Rowan on vocals and hammered dulcimer; Tony Griffiths on various instruments and vocal;
Leoni McRae on vocals and flute; and Wayne Collins on vocals guitars, banjo and percussion. Other contributors includes Christine Kearslake, Louise Hildyard, Rob Mahoney and Bob Hefner.

Again a mix of traditionals and modern compositions executed by a very competent group of musicians obviously dedicated to their music.

 Click here to download 100Mb MP3 @ 256-320VBR. Full graphics included.

Marian Henderson "Cameo" 1970 LP

I have been trying to get this LP for years but have been totally unsuccessful. The problem has been that the few copies that are occasionally offered for sale are far too expensive for my budget especially considering the risk that the LP may not be up to a standard I might need.

Consequently, I am now publishing a rip of that album which I downloaded from some obscure source overseas some month ago, as is. (Many thanks to the regular who pointed me to its listing). It is an unedited rip at 320 CBR so there are some defects which, after much consideration and some experimentation, I have decided to accept. Really, the quality is fairly good.

Two tracks have some light clicks and pops, namely tracks 5 and 6 ("Fotheringay" and "Streets of Forbes") and are quite acceptable. Track 12 "Sprig of Thyme" has serious distortion issues which render it painful to listen to.The other issue I have with this rip is that the album has been "normalised" to produce a relatively even sound level throughout the tracks and over the entire album. My view is that the decision to normalise should be left to individual downloaders. It is easy to do but impossible to undo. I am, of course, unable to estimate the overall effects of normalising in this instance. Hopefully, not much.

Still, do not be put off by this because there are some superb vocal performances by the masterful Marian Henderson ably assisted by appropriate musical backing. This album is often labelled as 'psych folk' but that is not really useful. It appears to be an eclectic mix of traditional folk, contemporary folk and modern ballads as can be seen by the below tack list. Anyway, to sum it up it is a delight to listen to Marian Henderson's deft handling of these varied tracks. Enjoy!

Track List
1. Antique Annie's Magic Lantern Show
2. Miss Otis Regrets
3. Stranger Song
4. Lady of Carlisle
5. Fotheringay
6. Streets of Forbes
7. First Boy I loved
8. Country Girl
9. Guess Who I saw Today
10. Bald Mountain
11. Convict Maid
12. Sprig of Thyme

I only have a small graphic of the album front included.

Click here to download compressed file (101Mb)

Glen Tomasetti "Gold Rush Songs" LP 1975

Yes, I am still alive and am resuming posting. I have others to complete but it will be slow so please be patient.

I have previously posted Glen Tomasetti's album of traditional songs mostly from the British Isles.
This particular album "Gold Rush Songs" was commissioned by The Science Museum of Victoria (State of Australia) and published in 1975.
Unsurprisingly, it features many songs penned by that Victorian Goldfields troubador, Charles Thatcher. The liner notes (scan included in the download) identify known authorship of both the lyrics and the original tunes. Somewhat surprisingly, the late Glen Tomasetti claimed the tune to which she has put the words of "I've been to Australia - Oh!" considering that the tune of the chorus is lifted wholesale from the Scottish traditional "The Barnyards of Delgaty". She must have forgotten this.

The tracks are relatively simple performances - just Glen Tomasetti singing to her own guitar playing. On MP3 VBR the tracks came out in the 160's and are of good quality but if someone wants higher or even flac. I will be happy to oblige (flac link now available below).

There are a lot of songs on this one that are rarely heard which makes this album invaluable for Australian folk fans.

Track List
1. The Cabbage Tree Hat
2. The Chinaman
3. Coo-ee
4. Ben Bolt
5. The Crushing Machine
6. Changes on Bendigo
7. The Wild Colonial Boy
8. The Bond Street Swell
9. Licence Hunting
10. Chinese Immigration
11. Shepherding
12. The Jolly Puddlers
13. Laying Information
14. Stephen Cain
15. The Indicating Rock
16. I've Been to Australia - Oh!

Download from MediaFire
Download MP3 50Mb
Download flac (lossless) 164Mb