Reg Meuross – RAW
Hat Song Records – 4 October 2019
RAW is the eagerly anticipated, and final, collection of songs in The RAW Trilogy, a trilogy of solo albums from Reg Meuross, prompted partly by audience requests following live performances. Whilst the preceding two albums, December, released in 2016, (reviewed in Folk Radio here), and 2017’s Faraway People, (again reviewed here), were recorded with engineer Roy Dodds in London, Raw sees Reg reunited with his long-time friend from the 1970s, Geoff Hocking, from Devon.
As a slightly tangential detour, the trilogy was also prompted by the intriguing story of a vintage Martin guitar and the generosity of people such as Erin Bentley, Rich, Stuart Palmer and Roy Gandy (read about it here). This restored 1944 Martin 017 features prominently, alongside dulcimer, harmonica, banjo and tenor guitar, as an accompaniment on Raw, which is certainly the most stripped-back, ‘going back to basics’ album of the three – one man, his voice and his songs.
Have confidence too, indeed such is his reputation that it has almost become an expectation, that there has been no compromise in the range of subject matter addressed by this most eloquent of songwriters. This collection addresses issues at world and more localised levels, from the global to the personal, recounts lives, of both famous and, until now, little known, all from both historical and contemporary perspectives, alongside sketches which paint, in words, stories on a par with those created by the very best of visual artists.
Thus opening song, We Looked Away, with finger-picking style guitar contemplates the facility with which people pay no heed to, and ignore, events taking place around them. Whilst there are obvious references to global warming “…in the north the ice is melting, and the oceans turn to grey”, and genocide, “Those unsafe by their religion or the colour of their skin.”
Other words leave scope for interpretation, which ‘war‘ is not specified, ‘a nation swore allegiance to his mission‘ might that refer to Hitler or other dictators? I take it as a mark of advanced song writing skill that such ambiguity compels the reader/listener to exercise their brain. There is, however, little doubt that words in the chorus, shamefully have rung, and continue to ring true “We’re busy with our day, We looked away.”
Relationships, in a variety of guises, feature in several songs. From Now On, sparsely embellished with harmonica and sung from the perspective of a jealous male protagonist, tells of his admission of past unreasonable behaviour and a promise to atone for these misdemeanours in order to rescue the relationship. Or is the final line ‘I’ll be as calm as any ocean from now on’ meant to give a final, ironic twist. With banjo providing the instrumental accompaniment, Stay is a gentle song in which the plea may resonate with many “I will hold you and I’ll keep you…, If you’ll only stay.”
The imploring sentiments expressed here are in stark contrast to those espoused within Broken, a melancholic song of loss and break up, and the self-explanatory Moving On, again featuring banjo, in which the inevitability of a break concludes with a line, the final part of which surely deserves to be a song title in its own right “And I’m staring down the time-to-break up blues.”
It is, however, with Our Love Has Turned to Hate that once-held dreams of a life together are shattered, presumably due to infidelity, “the flowers of love that we both grew, Died the night you were untrue,” in a beautifully crafted song worthy of inclusion on any Oh Brother Where Art Thou follow-up album, which succeeds in delivering its message through lyrics, which despite the title, show not a trace of rancour. All is not despair, however. If She’s The One starts with memories of a girl seen, and possibly heard, in passing, and the self-questioning doubt of the outcome even if the narrator was to see her again, before ending with an enigmatic “But if I go the world around and look in every face, The beauty that my heart has found no beauty can replace.”
Similarly, 9 O’Clock Angel is a tender song replete with dreamy imagery which may, or may not, with the inclusion of lyrics such as ‘Poet of dreams’ and ‘5 O’clock Angel,’ reference Tennessee Williams. The deceptively simple Our Street presents as a vignette of bygone street life, characters aplenty performing everyday tasks, such as a couple walking the baby dressed as elves.
Could A Child Was Born In Birmingham be an early contender for the Christmas Number 1, re-imagining as it does the Christian Nativity by setting it in the Bull Ring, Birmingham (note for Meuross fans especially – UK, not Alabama), complete with the stable in the Biblical inn becoming the back room of The Lion & Lamb, whilst the 3 magi appear as doctor, priest and lawyer.
Politics, social comment and observations on injustices, both contemporary and historically, have been a feature of Reg’s work, and new songs of this ilk appear on this release. Harmonica and strummed guitar introduce The Crossbones Graveyard, a song which recounts one of London’s most unsavoury histories and the on-going work, by volunteers, for a permanent memorial garden. Situated in the backstreets of south London, close to Southwark Cathedral and The Shard, The Crossbones Graveyard is the site of an old burial ground, for centuries the outcasts’ graveyard for The Mint, notorious as one of London’s poorest and most violent slums. It was also, allegedly, used as the burial site for Winchester Geese, medieval sex-workers licensed to work, outside of the City of London jurisdiction, by the Bishop of Winchester. Excavations have recovered the remains of some 15 000 paupers, over one third were perinatal, whilst the majority of the women were aged 35 or older. With a lyric in the song “Fifteen thousand souls a ribbon for everyone” referring to the Shrine at The Red Gates, the Crossbones Graveyard truly is a history lesson brought alive in song.
The Chainmakers, coincidentally the subject of a recent touring production “Rouse Ye, Women”, documents the story of the women chainmakers of Cradley Heath, in the Black Country, who, led by suffragist and Scottish trades unionist Mary Macarthur, went on strike in 1910 in protest against exploitive working conditions and low pay. Striking for ten weeks, they were successful not only in achieving their aim of attaining a minimum wage but also in forcing the owners to implement the changes. Delivered in a stirring, guitar-strummed style, having précised the event, Meuross again shows his songwriting finesse as he almost imperceptibly transitions from the historical to the modern-day with rapier-like skill:
She shamed the masters gave their names
But still today there’s those that won’t be shamed
Those who believe a woman’s worth
Is less than them upon this earth
The industrial theme continues but with a change of environment, in the song which follows, The Coalminer’s Song. With just enough hints with carefully selected words to suggest the recent closure of a Welsh mine, the sad truth is that the song could refer to the demise, and subsequent hardship, deterioration in the quality of life and loss of self-esteem, of once-proud workers in Kent, Durham and Scotland, to name but a few, and will resonate beyond the confines of the valleys mentioned in the lyrics.
Shelley’s Heart is a song concerning the death of poet Shelley and the subsequent efforts of his wife Mary to publish his work, and, with the second verse, it might just contain some of Reg’s best lyrics ever, lyrics which epitomise his outlook, and much of his work. Totally inspirational and a lesson for today as much, if not more, than the 19th century.
The finest words a man can think or write down on a page
You wrote to voice your sympathy your passion and your rage
You wrote them for the innocents, the dispossessed, the weak
For those who cannot fight and those who cannot speak
With previous songs such as And Jesus Wept and The Angel Maker, Reg has displayed a propensity for illuminating, in song, the lives of lesser-known heroes/heroines and, indeed, villains/villainesses, together with more light-hearted first-hand observations, such as Phil Ochs and Elvis Eating Lunch in Morrison’s Cafe. The Eyes Of Ida Lewis (Row Ida Row) which recounts the true story of American lighthouse heroine Idawalley Lewis, has become a firm live favourite over the summer, (much to my delight, having predicted such in a previous review when I first heard it played in March at St Edith Folk Club in Kemsing) and firmly falls in the first category, whilst the track which closes the album, Gene Vincent Jnr & Billy The Kid, draws on the elaboration of two unlikely, but plausible, tales collected on travels. Catch Reg live to get the full, amusing story here; you won’t be disappointed.
Already this trilogy is becoming one of my firm favourites, in much the same way that 25 Years On The Road by Harvey Andrews has done for the past 30 years. With no slight intended to the wonderful array of musicians who have accompanied both of these artists on other recorded releases, the intimate replication of songs heard “as played” in an acoustic concert is an absolute delight.
Raw is a valuable addition to the ever-growing canon of outstanding work from Reg Meuross, and confirms that intelligent song writing of the highest calibre, thoughtfully delivered, is still alive and well as we move towards the end of 2019.
Reg Meuross’s ‘RAW’ album launch will take place at the Cockpit Theatre, London on October 5th.
To order the album and for ticket links and full tour details visit: www.regmeuross.com