Reviews
Artist:Show Of Hands
Album:Roots The Best Of Show Of Hands
Label:Hands On Music
Tracks:30
Rating:*****
Website:http://www.showofhands.co.uk
It’s funny how reading the sleeve notes of an album can bring it all flooding back, back to the days when FATEA was a paper magazine.
We weren’t there for the formation of Show Of Hands, but we were there when Phil Beer and Steve Knightley, joined three Chilean musicians, Sergio Avila, Mauricio Venegas, Vladimir Vega and English accordion player Dave Townsend to form Alianza and reviewed the subsequent album.
We weren’t there when Show Of Hands recorded their early cassette only albums. Nor were we there at the legendary gig at the Bull in Bridport where the duo recorded their “Live ‘92” album, but we were kicking around Bridport at the time. The magazine used to be produced on a computer bought at Tiger Software.
We were there to be one of the first magazines to review “Live ‘92”. We were also there when the band were at Isis Records in West Dorset to record their “Beat About The Bush” album.
We headed along roads that were little more than farm tracks to reach the studio and record an interview with Phil and Steve. The interview was published in issue 27 and at the time was one of the longest the band had ever done. We were there for the album launch and the tour that supported the album.We were also there the first time they sold out the Royal Albert Hall.
Over the years we interviewed the band a number of times, most noticeably at Towersey and at the Cambridge Folk Festival, each time it’s been a genuine pleasure to talk to two musicians so passionate about their music.
So why am I saying all this? Well, Show Of Hands have just released “Roots The Best Of Show Of Hands”. You get so used to the duo releasing fantastic album after fantastic album, that you forget they had to start somewhere. They haven’t always been the most import folk act in the last ten years. They got to that position on the back of some great early albums and literally hundreds of gigs and thousands of miles pounding up and down the highways and byways.
This best of compilation differs from many of that ilk. It’s truly a best of rather than a greatest hits album. It’s a double, nothing unusual in that, you might think, well actually there is.
CD1 is Phil and Steve’s choice of tracks, some re-recorded, all remastered. CD2 has been chosen by the fans. A vote was taken on Longdogs, the Show Of Hands fans internet forum. One track per album chosen, the result is not only a collection of great songs, it can live happily with the words populist, chosen on merit, rather than a single interpretation of what people might want.
With four live cds included in the back catalogue and extra live favourites chosen by Steve and Phil, that side of their music is represented in a way many other acts would shy away from.
You are reminded that Show Of Hands, Steve Knightley particularly are great writers of songs, as well as interpreters of both other people’s works and songs from the rich traditional canon.
“Roots The Best Of Show Of Hands” has something for everyone, the avid fan that has all of the previous albums, the newcomer looking to find a starting point. People that like songs about people, people that like songs about stories and places and politics.
English folk music has a conscience, it has a soul. It’s as proud about it’s heritage as any Celt and it’s called Show Of Hands. There’s an added bonus if you’re from Yeovil, you don’t get a savaging on this one.
Show Of Hands have also been nominated for two BBC Radio 2 Folk awards in the Best Duo and Best Live categories.