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ANNE BRIGGS
‘The Time Has Come’ is an absolute master class on words and guitar twisting into one another - the poetry goes beyond simple observation into deeply personal and profound lore. A timeless document of sweet and haunting melodies. My favorite record of all time.’ Ryley Walker. // "I've never written songs, regularly, because I never considered myself a song-writer. I've only ever really considered myself a ballad singer, which is what is most important to me. The stories... the ancient nature of the situations and the human condition. And obviously, it's changed so much over the centuries that those songs have been sung, but it always retains that essence of something that's universal... to humanity, and I've always wanted to touch that. I think I wanted to understand people; I think I wanted to understand myself. It's a way of finding the truth. I felt I belonged to that music.” Anne Briggs // Offering some of her first original compositions, ‘The Time Has Come’ was a break from tradition in more ways than one for Anne Briggs.
Where previous recordings displayed the unaccompanied melodies of her voice, this album - originally released by CBS in 1971 - brings additional instrumentation in the form of guitar and bouzouki. The result is that her vocals are not submerged, but heightened - the plucked strings providing the perfect foil for her crystalline inflection. ‘The Time Has Come’ is a mix of Anne’s own songs alongside some notable covers (Lal Waterson, Steve Ashley, Stan Ellison, Henry McCulloch). All are graced with the quietly self-assured elegance of Anne’s playing, with sounds ranging from the breezy ‘Clea Caught A Rabbit’ to the terrible beauty of ‘Wishing Well’ - each song typifying the bouzouki or guitar style. To say that Anne was an accomplished picker is to do her something of an disservice - the intricacy of her finger-work rivals - and more often than not eclipses - any number of her contemporaries.
Where previous recordings displayed the unaccompanied melodies of her voice, this album - originally released by CBS in 1971 - brings additional instrumentation in the form of guitar and bouzouki. The result is that her vocals are not submerged, but heightened - the plucked strings providing the perfect foil for her crystalline inflection. ‘The Time Has Come’ is a mix of Anne’s own songs alongside some notable covers (Lal Waterson, Steve Ashley, Stan Ellison, Henry McCulloch). All are graced with the quietly self-assured elegance of Anne’s playing, with sounds ranging from the breezy ‘Clea Caught A Rabbit’ to the terrible beauty of ‘Wishing Well’ - each song typifying the bouzouki or guitar style. To say that Anne was an accomplished picker is to do her something of an disservice - the intricacy of her finger-work rivals - and more often than not eclipses - any number of her contemporaries.
TRACK LISTING
1 Sandman's Song
2 Highlodge Hare
3 Fire And Wine
4 Step Right Up
5 Ride, Ride
6 The Time Has Come
7 Clea Caught A Rabbit
8 Tangled Man
9 Wishing Well
10 Standing On The Shore
11 Tidewave
12 Everytime
13 Fine Horseman
Anne Briggs has since been discovered by the present folk generation, male and female alike. Eliza Carthy, Kate Rusby, Alasdair Roberts and Riley Walker, are among many who recognise Anne Briggs as an extraordinary, inspirational voice.
Anne Briggs was born in Nottinghamshire in 1944 and began singing in local folk clubs in her teens. Her break came through the Centre 42 tour of 1962. This was a distinctly leftist group of artists, writers, actors and musicians whose lofty aim was to make arts and culture accessible to the masses. Local artists were invited to audition where Ewan MacColl first heard Briggs’ remarkable voice and persuaded her to join the tour. Briggs debut EP, The Hazards Of Love, was produced by Lloyd although Briggs never enjoyed recording and it was only though Lloyd’s coaxing that she contributed to his pioneering conceptual albums The Iron Muse and The Bird In The Bush. The first six, traditional, unaccompanied songs presented here are taken from these outstanding recordings made between 1963 and 1966 which display all the hallmarks of Anne Briggs artistry – pure, fluid and with flawless timing.
It wasn’t until 1971 that Briggs eventually recorded her debut album for Topic. Anne Briggs (Topic LP 12T207) was again produced by Lloyd. Briggs draws almost exclusively from the classic repertoire of British folk, her performances are both pure and unusual. Famously, Briggs taught Jansch ‘Blackwater Side’, which he then made his own on his classic 1965 debut album; the next year his pivotal traditional album Jack Orion largely comprised songs he learnt from Briggs who helped him understand the structure of folk song. Briggs and Jansch also wrote a handful of songs together. One of these, ‘Go Your Way (My Love)’, was eventually recorded for her Topic album, as was her definitive treatment of ‘Blackwater Side’.
Anne Briggs was born in Nottinghamshire in 1944 and began singing in local folk clubs in her teens. Her break came through the Centre 42 tour of 1962. This was a distinctly leftist group of artists, writers, actors and musicians whose lofty aim was to make arts and culture accessible to the masses. Local artists were invited to audition where Ewan MacColl first heard Briggs’ remarkable voice and persuaded her to join the tour. Briggs debut EP, The Hazards Of Love, was produced by Lloyd although Briggs never enjoyed recording and it was only though Lloyd’s coaxing that she contributed to his pioneering conceptual albums The Iron Muse and The Bird In The Bush. The first six, traditional, unaccompanied songs presented here are taken from these outstanding recordings made between 1963 and 1966 which display all the hallmarks of Anne Briggs artistry – pure, fluid and with flawless timing.
It wasn’t until 1971 that Briggs eventually recorded her debut album for Topic. Anne Briggs (Topic LP 12T207) was again produced by Lloyd. Briggs draws almost exclusively from the classic repertoire of British folk, her performances are both pure and unusual. Famously, Briggs taught Jansch ‘Blackwater Side’, which he then made his own on his classic 1965 debut album; the next year his pivotal traditional album Jack Orion largely comprised songs he learnt from Briggs who helped him understand the structure of folk song. Briggs and Jansch also wrote a handful of songs together. One of these, ‘Go Your Way (My Love)’, was eventually recorded for her Topic album, as was her definitive treatment of ‘Blackwater Side’.
TRACK LISTING
CD Tracklisting
The Recruited Collier
The Doffing Mistress
Polly Vaughan
Rosemary Lane
Gathering Rushes In The Month Of May
The Stonecutter Boy
Blackwater Side
Go Your Way (My Love)
The Cuckoo
Reynardine
Young Tambling
Maa Bonny Boy
Sing A Song For You
The Bonambuie
Tongue In Cheek
LP Tracklisting
The Recruited Collier
The Doffing Mistress
Polly Vaughan
RosemaryLane
Gathering Rushes In The Month Of May
The Stonecutter Boy
Blackwater Slide
Go Your Own Way (My Love)
Reynardine
Maa Bonny Lad
Living By The Water
Sing A Song For You
Anne Briggs is regarded as one of the greatest vocalists to emerge on the English folk scene but she never craved fame and certainly had no 'career plan'. This 'lost' album from 1973 is a case in point. Recorded when 8 months pregnant and disatisfied with her own vocals through being 'too breathy' the album was virtually shelved as Anne moved to a remote part of Scotland and even refused to have any further photos taken for the front cover. Ragged Robin who played on the album featured Steve Ashley and Barry Dransfield also sat in on the sessions.