Zero G Sound::DICK GAUGHAN 'SAIL ON'

Dick Gaughan - Sail On

"While not the best album in Gaughan's impressive canon, "Sail On" is testament to the fact that he sounds best in a stripped-down setting. Unfortunately, it proves the point by a number of over-arranged pieces, like "Land of the North Wind" and "Son of Man," which utilize a band, it seems, just because they can, diluting the power of the songs. 

He's much better, for example, on Pete Seeger's "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy," "No Gods and Precious Few Heroes," which he tackles solo, or the very spare "The 51st (Highland) Division's Farewell to Sicily," which shows his guitar talents - and extensive they are, too.

He's a revelation on his cover of "Ruby Tuesday," and brings a wonderfully personal touch to Richard Thompson's "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" - indeed, he's a superb interpreter of songs as well as a writer. But the good stuff simply throws into relief how little Gaughan needs the extraneous instruments, and his production, especially on the fuller arrangements, is curiously flat. But when he's good, he's very good indeed. 

1	Land Of The North Wind	3:03
2	Son Of Man	3:56
3	Ruby Tuesday	4:27
4	Waist Deep In The Big Muddy	4:50
5	No Cause For Alarm	2:58
6	The 51st (Highland) Division's Farewell To Sicily	11:41
7	No Gods & Precious Few Heroes	3:55
8	Geronimo's Cadillac	3:17
9	1952 Vincent Black Lightning	4:17
10	Sail On	5:13
11	The Freedom Come-All-Ye	5:14

        
Dick Gaughan - Sail On

Now this long out of print item is a good album from Gaughan and I don't agree with anything written above! But each to their own. This amuses me and contrariness notwithstanding it seemed like a good enough reason to post it here!   I am something of a purist where covers of Richard Thompson are concerned and this version for me is the weakest track here. The songs that Zero G claims are over produced are fascinating to these ears as he can play guitar on anything clearly. What he says of the simpler acoustic numbers I felt true of the more band focused songs! So almost exactly the opposite of what he says there (above) It is well worth trying and especially if you haven't heard Gaughan before. He is something of a Northern legend in folk singles like Martin Simpson and others. Try it!