Judy Dyble was familiar to me from the charming debut of Fairport Convention, her work with Giles, Giles & Fripp along with the interesting but in my opinion bit unbalanced Trader Horne album. I was interested to learn her being again active on music making and tried to find her albums. Sadly I soon noted these 21st century released albums were quite hard for me to find, released mostly on CD's, and some lonesome Syd Barrett cover songs I found from the internet didn't appear so interesting. However I was stunned as I found her originally 2009 released record as new vinyl reissue from a local vendor, and grabbed this album decorated with Jackie Morris new illustrations pleasing my eyes more than the pictures I had seen from the earlier release. After some spins on my turntable I was awestruck by its dramatic power and sensuality; the shy appearing folk singer from the past had grown as singular artist, mesmerizing deep emotions from the cozy firesides away from the hectic centrals of music industry.
I felt the album title "Talking with Strangers" referring to the songwriter/musician's dialogue with listeners trough her work - the intimate feelings and thoughts shared with audience, which will react and break the soliloquy through various repercussions on the art via different channels. This album felt strongly autobiographical, sincere and touching from its lyrics or me. Music carries the tradition of 1960's as undercurrent, but it is filtered to contemporary sounds through modern day recording and mixing techniques, along with post 1970's musical ideas grown from the popular music culture. Conceptually the physical vinyl record has diverse sides, first carrying six shorter compositions, which prepare the listener for the catharsis of second side's nineteen minutes epic. Despite this dualism, the songs form a very solid flow of music and lyrical tale for the listener; The Stranger.
"Neverknowing" summarizes quickly what possibly happened to Judy after departing the music business at early 1970's, and continues directly to a poetic impression about "Jazzbirds", The musical feminine characters giving so much for mankind but with a price. This song is driven by both harpsichord and charming flute lines, flautist Ian McDonald later also shining on many parts with his saxophone tones, certainly matured due age from the savage roars of legendary but rustier iconic heyday recordings. Lake and Sinfield composition "C'est La Vie" gains the ultimate interpretation on this album, haunted by most angelic goddess choir of mademoiselles Celia Humpris, Jacqui McShee and Julianne Regan. Rachel Hall's violin also rises as very meaningful tonal element on this tragic crystallization of beauty's values. The name song of the record resides on classic piano and voice duo, standing at the centre of the record, trying to lure the dreamy memories return from the Avalon. The melancholia continues with gently cradling "Dreamtime", composition finding really pretty vocal harmonies and melodic solutions arranged with ethereal sensibility. "Grey October Day" dives to the heart of the constantly conjured melancholic depths, minor key slow jazz passages echoing with Ian's saxophone's sorrowful sounds.
JUDY DYBLE AT GONZO
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