Welcome to Rapunzel's World of Music, where you will discover the music I like to listen to and the music I like to sing and play. I may even get round to talking about writing songs if anyone is interested... But all this will follow when I have time and energy... Soon - I promise! (13/4/98)
I like to listen to lots of different music, although many people have said that they hardly recognise any of the artists in my CD collection. Hopefully there are some of you out there who have discovered the delights of the following -
Some Favourites:
JANE SIBERRY - she's my Hero. Canadian singer-songwriter with the most beautiful voice and tremendous wordpower. Check out her marvellous Sheeba Records website (see link below) which she is currently couragously manning singlehandedly;
THE COCTEAU TWINS - to match every mood all at once with the voice of an angel;
THE BLUE NILE - another voice to die for and songs to melt to;
PETER GABRIEL - another angel;
THOMAS DOLBY - he's a genius;
NEIL YOUNG - need I say more;
DAVID A. STEWART - barking mad formerly of Eurythmics;
BONNIE RAITT - cool folk/country/blues singer;
KATE BUSH - I've liked her ever since I can remember; ERIC MATTHEWS - too talented for words, his album 'It's Heavy in Here' is one of the most incredible things I've ever heard.
Recent things I've discovered and been impressed by:
KATE & ANNA McGARRIGLE - extremely talented multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter twins from Canada;
BETH NIELSEN-CHAPMAN - Country singer-songwriter. Guests on her album include Bonnie Raitt and Michael McDonald;
JEWEL - gorgeous singer-songwriter-poet. Check out the album 'Pieces of You';
SALAD - been wanting to hear more of them since I heard the single 'Drink the Elixir' on Mark Radcliffe a few years ago (when he used to be on at night - and used to be good). Picked up a couple of Salad CDs at a bargain price and am very impressed all over again; and as we speak I'm discovering VICTORIA WILLIAMS after finding her 'Happy Come Home' CD for an astonishing £2.49!!!
Several months on I am still enjoying all of the above plus - Eva Cassidy's posthumous release 'Songbird'; the new 'McGarrigle Hour'; Gillian Welch both 'Revival' and the latest 'Hell among the Yearlings'; and Eric Matthews second album 'The Lateness of the Hour'.
I've also been listening to alot of radio (in the absence of funds for new CDs). These days by far the best UK station for music is BBC Radio 2 - I wouldn't have said that 5 years ago. I particularly reccommend Johnnie Walker between 5 and 7pm Mon-Thurs, but the show of all show is 10pm-1pm Saturday Night with Bob Harris. See The Bob Harris Websitefor information about the show - including playlists and loads of links to excellent music sites.
I have also been rediscovering the fabulous Judee Sill just lately. I found her fist album on a market stall for the bargain price of £1. I was drawn to it because it contains the original version of 'Jesus was a Crossmaker' which Judie Tzuke had covered on her Left Hand Talking album. It had no cover and so I had no information about this singersongwriter except for the wonderful songs on this scratchy old vinyl L.P.- until recently however, when I asked for information on the Whispers message board at the Bob Harris Site. All my questions were answered and I have since been supplied with a tape of her second release 'Heartfood' which I am currently enjoying. Unfortunately Judee Sill died in 'mysterious circumstances' in 1974 (the year I was born!) and so this great talent is lost to us. Why she is not more widely known and acclaimed I do not know, because her songs are really just amazing.
That's it for now, do email me if you want to comment.(15/12/98)
