Dick Gaughan's voice brings these songs to life. His guitar playing, at times spare and others complex is the perfect compliment to his unique singing style (most of this album is simply Dick accompanying himself on guitar). "Handful of Earth" is the probably the best introduction to his music. The songs are some of his best, indeed some of the best songs of this genre, in particular "Song For Ireland", "World Turned Upside Down", "Both Sides the Tweed", and "Workers Song"
Dick Gaughan : Vocal, Guitar Brian McNeill : Fiddle Stuart Isbister : Bass Phil Cunningham : Keyboard, Whistle
Customer Reviews
dick gaughan handful of earth xpat
This is a life changing album- if you go to your grave without knowing and loving this, you have missed out.
I always credit this to Davie Stewart ('The Galoot') but the truth is I'm not absolutely 100% certain if he's who I learned it from.
2.
Now Westlin Winds (Robert Burns)
I learned this, and many others songs including Bonnie Woodha, from Geordie Hamilton, an ex-miner from Kirkintilloch who worked with the Post Office in Edinburgh.
3.
Craigie Hill (Trad arr Gaughan)
And speaking of Ulster and Ulster singers, I learned this from a recording of the great Paddy Tunney
4.
World Turned Upside Down (Leon Rosselson)
So much has been written in recent years about this period of English history that there's not much I could add here. The English Civil War, which was in fact simply a Bourgeois Revolution, left many of its early supporters feeling cheated and betrayed.
5.
Snows They Melt The Soonest (Trad)
As I have said elsewhere, on many occasions, there is much more to the lives of ordinary working people than the struggle to survive.
6.
Lough Erne (Trad) / First Kiss At Parting (Dick Gaughan)
I learned Lough Erne, also known as The Rambling Irishman, from Cathal McConnell.
The first of these was written one morning sitting in Andy Irvine's kitchen in Dublin while we were working (in theory - most of the time we spent talking!) on the songs for Parallel Lines.
8.
Song For Ireland (Phil & June Colclough)
I first heard this sung by Sean Cannon and asked him about it.
9.
Workers' Song (Ed Pickford)
This was written by Ed Pickford and is pretty much self-explanatory. The guitar was tuned DGDDAE
10.
Both Sides The Tweed (Dick Gaughan)
In March 1979, Scotland and Wales had referenda on the question of devolved 'Home Rule' parliaments.
£12.50
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