The minute that I saw the cover of this album, I thought "I bet that this group comes from Lancashire!" My presumption was based on the fact that the album cover bears an uncanny resemblance to the trademark of Fisherman's Friends sweets (which are made in Fleetwood, Lancashire). It's a very good image and would certainly grab the attention of folk CD browsers in the north of England (though I'm not sure that the rest of the world will understand it). If you have never tried a "Fisherman's Friend," then you are in for either a rare treat or one hell of a shock. The taste is like sucking a bottle of smelling salts, mixed in with a Piri Piri curry...
However, I was quite wrong about Blyth Power coming from Lancashire, as they are based on the other side of the Pennines in Harrogate, Yorkshire. Many folk fans will be unfamiliar with Blyth Power and they are far from being a normal, run of the mill, folk band (if indeed they could be called a folk band at all). Musically they sound like a cross between U2, Pink Floyd, Genesis and the Oysterband.
What really marks this CD out as something worth listening to are the lyrics of Joseph Porter. The songs are mostly a collection of stories from the twentieth century. Nations go to war over unfathomable oceans, confused monarchs vacillate, poets court each other (with neither taste nor discretion). Princesses perish, and governments fall to the applause of the weary populace. This is great song material but the music falls short of the standards set by the lyrics. I thought that the tunes sounded a bit too similar, an unfortunate tendency among many singer songwriters.
I found it initially difficult to understand the lyrics, so reading the booklet was essential.
The balance of the music is very loud, full on and in your face. I realise that with this sort of band this is the desired effect, but for folkies (like me!) who like to hear the words, I think that some of the songs could have benefited from a different balance in the final mix. This is, admittedly, very much a personal taste, but listen to Steeleye Span or Fairport Convention to see what I mean.
The album has 12 songs, several of which stand out from the theme. "Mad Mary's Army" (the second track on the album) is a classic. Set in England's history, Mary Queen of Scots scrambles for the crown of England with the rest of the unentitled royals. To quote the lyrics ' Everywhere the unrepentant Mary went, her army had to go'. The next song "Cider Dreaming Time" turns out to be a sideways look at the life from an old seaman, a stoker on board ship during the war, after a few glasses of cider. Somehow Joseph Porter manages to write in the lyrics: "Come fox hounds and hunters in topcoats and tails, I'll follow on with my shovel and pail, For there's nothing so fine for the roses, And I grant you my garden grows nicely, But Lord how it smells." What a strange breed we English are!
My favourite song on the album is the title track "On the Viking Station," based on the so-called cod war with Iceland. The sleeve note "now thank we all our God, for man's inhumanity to Cod" really says it all. Listen out for the punch line "Cry Harry! Cod! And England!" The eleventh song "To Wallis A Sonnet," is what it claims to be, and connects to the last song "Edward Lay Bare," a cynical look at the mess that the royal family are in and the impositions of the paparazzi.
At this point you may think that the album has finished. However, the last wave file has a time signature of 18 minutes 13 seconds. The last track 'Edward Lays Bare' runs for 4 minutes 30 seconds but fast-forward this track to 14 minutes13 seconds, and you will find another (unlisted) song. It could be called "Goodnight Everyone" (who knows)? but it sounds like the band was having a bit of fun with the recording engineer. I have noticed that a lot of bands are doing this at the end of albums and I have no idea why.
The music of Blyth Power might not be to the taste of anyone expecting a typical folk rock band. Although the lyrics lean towards folk music, they are defiantly different. The album may not be quite what you would expect. If you're not familiar with their work, I'd recommend that you give them a listen. If you then decide to buy this album, you certainly won't be disappointed.
