Robert And Iain – Alliance Folk, World, & Country 1968

  • 10 months ago
A1 Demain
Written-By – Robert Lelievre
3:20
A2 19, Vernon Terrace
Written-By – Iain Campbell (2)
3:39
A3 Caroline Campbell Of Glasgow
Written-By – Iain Campbell (2)
2:55
A4 Fille Ce N'est Rien
Written-By – Robert Lelievre
2:28
A5 I Will Go
Written-By – Iain Campbell (2)
2:53
A6 La Pluie
Written-By – Robert Lelievre
4:05
A7 No Friendly Faces
Written-By – Iain Campbell (2)
3:13
A8 Les Flocons De Ma Tristesse
Written-By – Robert Lelievre
3:55
B1 Glass Fibre Road
Written-By – Iain Campbell (2)
3:47
B2 Rowantree
Arranged By – Iain Campbell (2)
Written-By – Trad.*
2:20
B3 Regrets
Written-By – Francois Villon*, Robert Lelievre
3:48
B4 Aberfan (Mining Disaster)
Written By – Anderson
Written-By – Iain Campbell (2)
3:24
B5 Dunoon Folk Festival
Written-By – Iain Campbell (2)
2:46
B6 My Son Calls Another Man Daddy
Written-By – Hank Williams
3:10
B7 Les Timbres
Written-By – Robert Lelievre
4:20
Recorded At – Ivar Rosenberg Lydteknik
Layout – Olav Bennike
Photography By – Teit Jørgensen
Producer – Torben Eggers*
Vocals, Guitar – Robert Lelievre
Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin – Iain Campbell (2)

Think of this as similar to a Scottish/French version of Bob Dylan's John Wesley Harding LP - a bunch of good, laid-back songs, beautifully sung/played, recorded by two professional musicians. The whole LP has a cool/somewhat beatnick vibe - pretty good for '68 - like the Long Chris Chansons Bizarres Pour Gens Etranges from 1966, but a little more grown-up / serious and a couple of years on.

This would be rated higher by Anglo listeners/raters if it wasn't for the French singing on half the songs - though Robert LeLievre has a fantastic voice, and I think it adds variety to what would be a more typical Anglo folk LP without his presence - he makes the record special. He has an interesting and tragic story - check out the (reissued) Pan LP from Denmark for more info.

Unless there were two Iain Campbells from that time, I assume this is the Iain Campbell (2) as he has a Scottish accent and played on the Full Limit single from 1968 (which I haven't heard). I don't think it's the Australian Iain Campbell, for example.

It's great that this LP can still be picked up at a reasonable price - it's a good pressing and an enjoyable listen all the way through - no turkeys here. I'm going to give it a 5, as it beats most French folk LPs in this vein, most Anglo folk LPs from this time (pre-folk rock), and it should be better-known than it is.


PhillipAdam.

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