Ralph McTell – Hill of Beans
Leola – 20 September 2019
For a man whose career has spanned six decades, Ralph McTell’s music has become a part of the musical landscape. Streets of London first appeared in 1969 and has been covered 212 times, yet the song didn’t become a number one single until 2017 when it was re-recorded in the lead-up to Christmas (in suppport of the homeless charity Crisis) with Annie Lennox and The Crisis Choir. The release of his first new disc of original material in nine years, Hill of Beans, is cause for celebration.
Reunited with producer Tony Visconti who provided the arrangements on his first album, Eight Frames A Second in 1968, and produced Not Til Tomorrow six years later, Hill of Beans has a lustre that brings out the best in McTell. The voice may be a shade lower these days, but the purity remains. As befits an artist of Ralph’s character, the musicians, from Danny Thompson’s double bass to Mary Hopkin’s backing vocals are the cream of British folk music.
At the heart of any Ralph McTell album are the songs, and with two exceptions, all of these tunes have been written in the last ten years. Many are remembrances of times and people who have had a profound influence, like barber Charlie Summers whose Close Shave will stay with him forever. Sometimes I Wish I Could Pray deals with the truths we all confront, whether we believe in a higher power or not. McTell suggests there’s a grace in the humility in being able to “…lift up your eyes and to thank someone when you’re humbled and brought right down to your knees.”
A meditation on the classic Humphrey Bogart Ingrid Bergman film Casablanca, the title track Hill of Beans is largely based on the movie’s dialogue, right down to the song’s final lines, “You played it for her, play it for me. Play it. Play it Sam.” Bob Dylan’s Freewheelin provides the basis for the live track West 47th Street and Jones. Examining Dylan and Suzy Rottollo on the cover, McTell incorporates the Kennedy assassination and his own deteriorating relationship. It’s a powerful combination that touches the heart and soul.
The journey goes ever onward for Ralph McTell with his seventy-fifth birthday on the horizon. Taking paths less travelled and understanding that it’s less about the destination than the people you meet along the road. May they continue to be varied and may Ralph McTell continue to provide moments of unrivalled beauty.
Order Hill of Beans via Amazon: UK | US
For tour dates including a special Birthday show ‘Ralph McTell & Friends’ at the Royal Festival Hall on December 13th visit: http://www.ralphmctell.co.uk/