CD Review - Figgy Duff "A Retrospective 1974 - 1993"

Newfoundland is celebrating its' 500th birthday this year, and as the islands have a distinct folk culture and a thriving Irish music scene, expect a rush of traditional releases. We are planning a Canandian special for the autumn/fall to highlight this often forgotten outpost of the Gaels. Figgy Duff mined a rich vein of indigenous music at the height of the Folk Rock vogue. Covering 18 years, four albums, thousands of mles and the inevitable changes of personnel, the joy here is how well the compilation has been handled by Pamela Morgan, it must have been a difficult task with the potential to bruise egos and expose a band growing up in public.

Some of the tracks are certainly dated, the pre-new-age True or False is just too ethereal for me. However, Pamela Morgan when she lets rip on the ballad Henry Martin, demonstrates the potential that was to bear fruit on the Colour of Amber, and shows just how good traditional ballads are in any genre. There's plenty of tunes here, most are driven by the melodeon of Emile Benoit ( the old push-pull style), with some nifty mandolin backing courtesy of Dave Panting, the pre-dominant influences are Irish, one gets the feeling this band were well blooded in the Ceilidh circuit. In places the accordion of Art Stoyles and the fiddle of Kelly Russell gives a sound reminiscent of early Silly Wizard. The Noel Dinn song Freedom, is treated very much in the manner of a Capercailie anthem.