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Signs of Life

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Download links and information about Signs of Life by Martin Carthy. This album was released in 1998 and it belongs to World Music, Songwriter/Lyricist, Celtic, Folk genres. It contains 13 tracks with total duration of 57:09 minutes.

Artist: Martin Carthy
Release date: 1998
Genre: World Music, Songwriter/Lyricist, Celtic, Folk
Tracks: 13
Duration: 57:09
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Buy on iTunes $7.99
Buy on iTunes $7.99

Tracks

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No. Title Length
1. New York Mine Disaster, 1941 3:41
2. Georgie 3:18
3. Sir Patrick Spens 5:38
4. The Desterter 3:59
5. Heartbreak Hotel 2:47
6. The Bonny Hind 5:36
7. The Wife of Usher's Well 4:04
8. John Parfit 2:25
9. Barbary Ellen 6:39
10. Hong Kong Blues 2:42
11. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll 5:03
12. Prince Heathen 7:55
13. Jim Jones in Botany Bay 3:22

Details

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After far too long between solo outings, England's leading man of folk returns with a surprisingly relaxed, refreshed set, Signs of Life. While there's plenty of traditional material, like the epic revisiting of "Prince Heathen," which Martin Carthy first recorded with musical partner Dave Swarbrick back in the '60s, and a wonderful take on "Sir Patrick Spens," the emphasis is far more on the modern, be it Hoagy Carmichael's "Hong Kong Blues," a tune he recalled from childhood, or Elvis' "Heartbreak Hotel," beautifully rendered as country blues, or most unusual of all, a very moving version of the Bee Gees' "New York Mine Disaster, 1941" which makes the listener realize that at heart it's a folk song. His guitar technique, never flashy, is sparer than ever, but never less than effective and gripping, while his voice has mellowed beautifully into something that not only befits a folk veteran but also carries wisdom. The highlight of the disc, however, has to be "Prince Heathen," a song he's grappled with for 30 years and has finally completely made his own. Even as he reduces it to something simple, it grows more complex in his hands, showing itself as one of the great ballads. While it might have taken him a while to make this record, the contents are more than worth the wait.