The Imagined Village (Audio CD)

Eddie Reader, but even worse ! ....warbling, affected, ill-considered, jarringly incompatible ingredients.... total rubbish. Except for Bob (?) Coppers' little spoken word section; for which the only star.

Best folk album in years I bought this album after seeing their performance at the Cambridge Folk Festival - it's a masterpiece.

90% pretentious rubbish, with one gem of utter brilliance I've seen this live as well as have the CD, and it's worth buying the CD for 'Cold Haily Rainy Night' alone as it's an interpretation of utter brilliance - on which the interplay of Chris Wood and Eliza Carthy's vocals is magnificently offset by the backing from the rest of the ensemble. Unfortunatly it's really the only reason for buying the CD as the rest of the assembled tracks range from the mediocre to the embarrassing. One desperatly wishes that the Kipper Family could have been substituted for the Coppers as at least then this inflated balloon of 'Pomp Folk' would have been suitably deflated at birth with a gale of laughter. It is difficult to see what the point of 'The Imagined Village' actually is. There have been successful folk concept albums - Martyn Bennet's work (Glen Lyon for example), and Bellowhead's reworking of the English tradition shows that there is still new life and above all fun to be found in it with a large band (Burlesque), but this indulgence is best forgotten. At the festival where I saw this live the Peatbog Fairies (What Men Deserve to Lose) were performing on the alternative stage and it was noticable the people were voting in droves with their feet by leaving the English navel-gazing to go and bop up a storm with the Celts - and with the exception of 'Cold Haily Rainy Night' that's the best advise for this CD too.

fantastic and joyful. Buy it now! Don't tell anyone, but the first time I listened to The Imagined Village, I wasn't sure I liked it. I had already heard the excellent version of John Barleycorn on a Word CD, but the rest left me a little cold. How wrong could I be? Now, however, after repeated listens, this album has revealed itself as a minor masterpiece. It opens with a deliberate link from the past to the present in Ouses, Ouses, Ouses, reminding us of those who kept the folk tradition alive "when no one wanted to listen" and proceeds to celebrate folk's rise from the ashes to a new prominence in the 21st century. The album also makes you remember that folk music was always as much about dancing as storytelling, fusing modern beats onto classic folk tunes in a brilliant concoction. We could debate what folk music means for ever, but I am happy to include the daring reworking of Tam Lyn as well as the more traditional tunes showcased here. Highlights- well, everything really, but I love Billy Bragg's new words to Hard Times of Old England which proves that nothing changes no matter how the times change. I would advise anyone with the remotest interest in traditional music to buy this record, and I only hope we will hear more in the future.

Simply Superb To put it simply this is one of the best folk albums I have ever purchased, the choice of tracks is inspired, and I have found myself listening to it over and over again. It is simply superb, and worth every single penny! My favourite tracks are John Barleycorn and the charming ouses ouses ouses!