cellio | new Leslie Fish album

Leslie Fish's new album, Avalon is Risen, is out. I'm impressed by the quality of this recording. If I hadn't known that Prometheus Music was doing it I would have expected Leslie's "smoker voice" and guitar; what we actually get is a smoother voice, richer arrangements, instrumental depth, and, yes, Leslie's excellent guitar playing too.

I'm glad to see the increased focus on musical depth; Leslie's songs are good on their own, but the right accompaniment -- in addition to guitars and backing vocals I heard horns, oboe, recorder, and a variety of excellent percussion -- makes a difference. You don't need to have the full orchestra of Divine Intervention to make a difference.

Many of the songs on this CD were on the long-out-of-print tape Chickasaw Mountain, including the tape's title song (now labelled as a tribute to Phil Ochs), "The Sun Is Also a Warrior", "Lucifer", "Mount Tam", and lighter fare like "The Earth's Fire-Breathing Daughter", in which a coven has trouble with the neighbors, and "Jack the Slob and the Goddess of Love". A few songs I had not heard before, like "The Arizona Sword" and "Polaris/Recall". The latest copyright date I saw on the liner notes was 2002 so I clearly don't get out enough, but even if you've heard some of the others before I don't think they've been recorded. And if they have, it probably wasn't anything like this.

There were a couple minor artistic choices I wished were different. When listening to "Berserker" I felt the absence of the "echo" backup vocal that was on the first recording I heard; I hadn't realized how integral to the song that was for me. The other was in one of the sound-effects; it's cool that they recorded a real blacksmith to use in "The Arizona Sword", but it wasn't exactly on the beat. I'll get over it.

There is a short little half-song half-spoken word ditty at the end, "Invocation of Cthulhu". The treatment didn't grab me, but the punch line is worth waiting for. It may be a funny-once; I'm not sure how much replay value it'll have for me.

I am not a sound engineer, but I've had the privilege to work with some excellent ones in making my own recordings, and I see the handiwork of an excellent engineer in this recording. Kristof Klover has impressed me with this, both in the handling of the multiple instruments and voices and in bringing out the best in Leslie.

The booklet that comes with the CD includes all the lyrics, specific credits, and introductions, but the real treasure here is the art. If you buy the MP3 download instead of the CD you'll get a PDF of the book, but I'm glad to have the physical book. Gorgeous.

(Ok, my choice of icon is ironic; there is no dulcimer on this recording. But I often use it as my folk-music icon, so there you go.)

new Leslie Fish album

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