Bridge of Sighs (Ralph McTell album)
| Bridge of Sighs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 12 January 1987 | |||
| Length | 46:58 | |||
| Label | Mays Records | |||
| Ralph McTell chronology | ||||
| ||||
Bridge of Sighs is a studio album by English singer-songwriter Ralph McTell. It was released by Mays Records on 12 January 1987.[1] It was reissued on CD by Leola Music in 2007.[2]
Speaking of the album, McTell told The Canberra Times in 1987: "The themes follow the Ralph McTell thread. It's a little bit offbeat and I don't think there are so many songs about alienation. There are stronger links throughout the album than on my earlier albums, which tended to be diverse."[3]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s Music |   [4] |
Upon its release, Mark Kearns of the Hayes & Harlington Gazette commented: "McTell has a pleasant voice and uses it effectively on these twelve new songs. No surprises, but a meritorious effort with some very nice backing."[5] At the end of 1987, The Age included the album under their "The best sounds of 1987" list. The newspaper commented: "A dozen appealing originals by the troubadour of London's streets, in a classy production helped by the cream of British folk-rock musicians."[6]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Ralph McTell
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Throw out a Line and Dream" | 4:16 |
| 2. | "Mr Connaughton" | 3:46 |
| 3. | "The Girl from the Hiring Fair" | 4:50 |
| 4. | "Choufleur" | 2:57 |
| 5. | "Something the Matter with Mary" | 3:31 |
| 6. | "Bridge of Sighs" | 5:01 |
| 7. | "The Setting" | 5:23 |
| 8. | "Little Actress" | 3:58 |
| 9. | "Bad Girl" | 3:25 |
| 10. | "Holiday Romance" | 3:03 |
| 11. | "Dreams of You" | 3:12 |
| 12. | "Words I Couldn't Say" | 3:36 |
Personnel
[edit]- Ralph McTell - vocals (tracks 1-12), acoustic guitar (tracks 1-11), synth (track 11), piano (track 12)
- Alun Davies - rhythm guitar (tracks 1, 3-10)
- Maartin Allcock - bass (tracks 1, 3-4, 9, 11)
- Gerry Conway - drums (tracks 1, 3-6, 8-12)
- Jerry Donahue - lead guitar (tracks 1, 8-9)
- Graham Preskett - keyboards (tracks 1, 3-4, 6-8, 10-12), strings (tracks 1, 3-4, 6-8, 10-12), violin (track 3)
- Benny Gallagher - backing vocals (tracks 1, 4, 9, 11-12)
- Simon Nicol - rhythm guitar (track 2)
- Dave Swarbrick - violin (track 2)
- Richard Thompson - lead guitar (tracks 3, 6)
- Geraint Watkins - accordion (tracks 4, 9)
- Dave Pegg - bass (tracks 5-7, 10)
- Sam Mitchell - steel guitar (track 5)
- Frank Keane - uilleann pipes (track 7)
- Danny Thompson - double bass (tracks 8, 12)
- Brian Robson - piano (track 12)
Production
- Ralph McTell - producer
- Martin Levan, Mark Frith, Roger T. Wade, Brian Robson - engineers
Other
- Jan Leman - cover illustration, design
References
[edit]- ^ "New Albums". Music Week. 17 January 1987. p. 20. ISSN 0265-1548.
- ^ "Bridge of Sighs - Ralph McTell | Releases". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ Hefner, Robert (29 January 1987). "McTell - Writing it his way". The Canberra Times.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (4 September 2009). The Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s Music - Google Books. ISBN 9781852279479. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ Kearns, Mark (5 February 1987). "Albums". Hayes & Harlington Gazette.
- ^ Speelman, Paul; Daly, Mike (31 December 1987). "The best sounds of 1987". The Age.