For anyone who's read any of my previous posts you'll know there's something I often comment on - 70's music had inventive album covers. This is no exception. A card on a wooden box tells us the contents are from Wasties Orchard and true to its word, opening the foldouts reveals the fruit.
Come for the apples, stay for the music.
Being a Yorkshireman I should have been aware of Magna Carta a long time ago, but I only stumbled across them in the late 2000's. We'd been back to my hometown of Harrogate for a visit and I was editing the video I'd taken. I wanted some background music that sounded local and found 'The Bridge at Knaresborough Town' in a Google search.
Fast forward to 2021 and thanks to ebay I now hold in my hand the vinyl version of that Chris Simpson song along with the 10 other tracks making up this wonderful album. Chris Simpson is the constant in the group, from their beginnings in 1969 through to today.
For this album the line-up consisted of Chris, original member Glen Stuart and new addition, Davey Johnstone. Just last week when I was writing about Joan Armatrading (VV July 20 2021) I mentioned Davey Johnstone along with Gus Dudgeon. They both appeared on Joan's debut LP, Davey playing multiple instruments and Gus producing the album. They make a reappearance here, Davey again playing everything that can produce a noise and Gus working his production magic. The common denominator of course is that Davey very soon left Magna Carta to become Elton John's long time guitarist and Gus produced many of Elton's early albums. Also singing on 'Songs From Wasties Orchard' are Caleb Quaye and other members of Hookfoot, who were the backing vocalists on many of those same albums Gus produced for Elton.
That gives some indication as to the respect that Magna Carta had within the industry. Gus had produced their previous album 'Seasons', Tony Visconti had played and done arranging and conducting and soon to be Yes keyboard player Rick Wakeman was on organ and piano. For 'Wasties ..' they are all mentioned in the 'Thanks to ..' column, showing their involvement once again. Through the years other musicians came and went and their names were remembered - David 'Pick' Withers (Dire Straits) - Paul 'Lee' Burgess (10cc) - Alan Thomson & Danny Thompson (Pentangle) - the list goes on.
So .. what then about the music? Well it really was all you would expect and want from a late 60's-70's group that was variously categorised as prog rock, folk, folk rock, World, you name it, they were called it. Soft, lilting ballads, along with 9-part suites (from 'Seasons') and spoken word, influences of Simon & Garfunkel and Donovan showing through with a nod to Fairport Convention et al. That's not to say the music was unoriginal, far from it. Obviously I have to start with 'The Bridge at Knaresborough Town' not only because it's what made me aware of Magna Carta, but also because it's track 1 side 1. A gentle melodic background with period language to give it that slightly other-worldly feel and thanks to Davey, a wide range of instrumentation, with perhaps the most unusual being a sitar in what is essentially an English pastoral song.
I know Knaresborough Bridge. As a kid my Dad would hire a boat and row us on the River Nidd on rare Sundays. Mother Shipton, (Ursula Southeil) born in a cave in Knaresborough in 1488 was a prophetess and one of her prophecies was that if the High Bridge fell three times it would be the end of the world. At the time of writing this, it's fallen twice already !!
Musically, 'White Snow Dove' and 'Sunday on the River' are in a similar vein, but between them comes 'Parliament Hill' which picks up the pace a bit with more fancy fingerwork from Davey. The standout failure, wrong place, wrong time, is 'Country Jam'. Complete with hoedown fiddle and mouth-harp it sticks out from the rest of the album like three balls on a greyhound. 'Home Groan' could have gone the same way but managed to contain itself.
'Down Along Up' and 'Good Morning Sun' are off on a tangent from the folksy feel of other tracks but they both leave you with a fresh taste in your mouth.
Overall, I think I need to get more of Magna Carta to see where they came from and where they went, but based on this album, it's a nice distraction with something for everyone.
And it's Yorkshire born and bred.
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