Lately (2006)
Track Listing
- My Old Friend the Moon
(Barber)
- Two Seconds
(McReady)
- Sweet Marie
(Taylor)
- Rain Story
(Barber)
- Goodnight Gracie
(Taylor)
- Vigilante Man
(Guthrie)
- Butterfly (Taylor)
- The Price of Freedom (Barber)
- Strong Opinions (Taylor)
- Lighthouse (Barber)
- The Boxer (Simon)
- Lately (Barber)
- Little Volcano (Taylor)
- I'll Fly Away (Brumley)
REVIEWS:
NET RHYTHMS:
Brighton-based duo Kevin Barber and Mark Taylor are one of those totally-together acts that sound for all the world like they've been playing and singing together almost from birth. Typically they play an attractively melancholy brand of acoustic-based, guitarsome bluegrassy Americana, with around two-thirds of their material self-penned and the remainder made up of respectable (if not consistently outstanding) covers of (on this, their third CD) songs by Albert E. Brumley, Woody Guthrie and Paul Simon (gripe: it's a shame they didn't choose some more appropriate covers like the Gillian Welch and Iris Dement stuff they perform live), and Robert McCreedy (his Two Seconds, the best by far of the covers here). But I liked this record a lot, and even though it's primarily the vocal harmonies and tight arrangements that make the impact on first hearing the songs stand up to scrutiny and grow on repeated listening. Standouts for me included the opener My Old Friend The Moon, the somewhat Kieran Halpin-like The Price Of Freedom, and Lighthouse (coincidentally, these are all Kevin's compositions). Generally there's a very satisfying ambience about the duo's music, and it's couched in an accomplishment that's easy-going yet not without a quality of thoughtful depth and immediacy of inspiration. With top-flight recording quality reflecting the duo's close, intimate yet dynamic live presence, this is a treasurable release that deserves wider recognition. David Kidman
SUSSEX FOLK DIARY:
Anyone who’s had the pleasure of seeing Kevin Barber and Mark Taylor in local clubs, or heard their previous CD, will know that, in addition to being great musicians, they also have a happy knack of selecting quality material from the likes of Gillian Welch, Iris Dement and others of that ilk, so it comes as something of a surprise to discover that ten of the 14 tracks on this new release are self-penned. A brave step, you might think, but it all works exceptionally well. In fact, dare I say it, the non-original titles like 'I’ll Fly Away’, ‘Vigilante Man’ and ‘The Boxer’, although brilliantly performed, seem ever-so-slightly out-of-place.Kevin’s ‘Lighthouse’ and ‘My Old Friend The Moon’ are particularly strong and you can quite see them being adopted by other singers, whilst Mark’s more American-influenced compositions, coupled with his brilliant multi-instumental talent, help to provide just the right amount of contrast. The recording quality is top-notch in all areas and this is certainly a CD which deserves to be heard nationally. I loved it! Jim Marshall
My Old Friend The Moon (Barber)
There are some nights I lie in bed
And fears and failures fill my head
And sleep will never come to comfort me
Those are the times I need a friend
to talk to me and ease my mind
There's always one on who I can rely
My old friend the moon
He's the one I tell my troubles to
Even when I cannot see him
I know he'll come back soon
I can depend
On my old friend the moon
INSTRUMENTAL
My old friend the moon
He's the one I tell my troubles to
Even when I cannot see him
I know he'll come back soon
I can depend
On my old friend the moon
I know there are many others he must see
But I know he'll always come on back to me
And when he's there his face will shine
And light the sky and ease my mind
And help me back to peace and harmony
He knows that there are bigger things
Than selfish cares that each day brings
He stands above them all just like a king
My old friend the moon
He's the one I tell my troubles to
Even when I cannot see him
I know he'll come back soon
I can depend
On my old friend the moon
Sweet Marie (Taylor)
Rain Story (Barber)
Goodnight Gracie (Taylor)
Butterfly (Taylor)
The Price of Freedom (Barber)
Strong Opinions (Taylor)
Lighthouse (Barber)
Lately (Barber)
Little Volcano (Taylor)
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