Shelagh Mcdonald - Let No Man Steal Your Thyme

  by Malcolm Carter

published: 7 / 7 / 2005

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Review

Had Shelagh McDonald received the praise now coming her way with the release of this double CD back in 1971 when her final album ‘Stargazer’ was issued then things might have been very different for her today. Or maybe not… McDonald disappeared in 1972, it seems she simply vanished and no one has seen nor heard from the Edinburgh singer songwriter for 33 years. One gets the feeling that McDonald would have shunned the attention that was obviously coming her way after the release of her second album and that might have been a contributing factor to her disappearance but there are many theories as to where McDonald is today or, indeed, what happened to her. It’s a mystery and in his excellent sleeve notes for this compilation of McDonald’s complete recorded works, David Wells touches on all aspects of what could have happened to McDonald. The sleeve notes are compelling and tell us all we need to know about McDonald, except, of course, her current whereabouts. But, while it would make the story complete to know what happened to McDonald, we should be satisfied that the two albums she recorded for B&C records, ‘The Shelagh McDonald Album’ from 1970 and ‘Stargazer’, released in 1971, are now available with the bonus of ‘Hullo Stranger’ and ‘Street Walking Blues’, both live versions form a BBC album ‘Dungeon Folk’ which appeared in 1969. To complete the package there are also various outtakes which have never been available before. Hailed at the time as being the new Sandy Denny and with comparisons being made with Joni Mitchell maybe put pressure on McDonald but the truth is that McDonald was easily the equal of both those singers. It’s difficult looking back now to accept that McDonald never rose above cult status, although she was well known in folk circles and fame was creeping up on her with the release of ‘Stargazer’, it’s amazing that the two albums didn’t sell in vast quantities. It wasn’t just McDonald’s haunting, crystalline vocals that captured the attention, she was also an accomplished songwriter. Although the bulk of her first album was penned by the likes of Keith Christmas (who was instrumental in getting McDonald a record deal), Gerry Rafferty and Andy Roberts, the latter composing one of the album’s highlights in ‘Richmond’; a heartfelt tale of life in the late 60's, the four originals by McDonald prove she was more than a match for any other artist on the folk rock scene at that time. That McDonald’s second album was entirely self composed with the exception of one ‘trad. arranged by McDonald’ simply proves the point. From the opening original ‘Mirage’ on her first album, one is left in no doubt that McDonald is a major talent. That she follows it with a cover of the Rafferty song ‘Look Over The Hills And Far Away’ and turned it from the ballad which Rafferty’s band The Humblebums had recorded and made it her own reinforces this. With excellent production from Sandy Roberton and an unexpected instrumental break which simply has to be heard it’s a highlight on an album full of highlights. Just one listen to the stunning ‘Crusoe’, another of McDonald’s originals, confirms that the comparisons to Joni Mitchell are not entirely unfounded. McDonald was surrounded by the cream of the folk world of the late 60's/early 70's on both her albums. Apart from the aforementioned Keith Christmas and Andy Roberts well known names like Gerry Conway, Keith Tippet, Richard Thompson, Danny Thompson and Dave Mattacks all supplied outstanding performances over the two albums. It’s an easy comparison now but McDonald always struck me as a kind of female Nick Drake, maybe due in no small part by the arrangements by Robert Kirby who also arranged Drake’s work. After the strong originals on her first album it was good to see that ‘Stargazer’ comprised entirely of McDonald’s own songs (with the exception of that trad. arr.). Take any one of those songs, from the ‘Blonde On Blonde’ organ inspired ‘Good Times’, through the Fairport Convention sounding ‘Dowie Dens Of Yarrow’ to the stunning title track with outstanding choral arrangement by Kirby again and wonder where a proposed third album might have taken McDonald. It’s a crime that a major talent on the folk scene disappeared without trace especially when one considers what McDonald was capable of musically but for now we have, at least, the entire work from arguably the best British female singer songwriter from any era readily available once more.

Track Listing:-

1 Hullo Stranger (Live)
2 Street Walkin' Blues (Live)
3 Mirage
4 Look Over the Hill and Far Away
5 Crusoe
6 Waiting for the Wind to Rise
7 Ophelia's Song (Version 1)
8 Richmond
9 Let No Man Steal Your Thyme
10 Peacock Lady
11 Silk and Leather
12 You Know You Can't Lose
13 Ophelia's Song (Version 2)
14 Jesus Is Just Right (Demo)
15 Book of Rhyme (Demo)
16 What More Can I Say? (Demo)
17 City's Cry (Demo 1)
18 City's Cry (Demo 2)
19 Rod's Song (Demo)
20 Stargazer (False Start)
21 Stargazer (Demo)
22 Rod's Song
23 Liz's Song
24 Lonely King
25 City's Cry
26 Dowie Dens of Yarrow
27 Baby Go Slow
28 Canadian Man
29 Good Times
30 Odyssey
31 Stargazer
32 The Road to Paradise
33 Sweet Sunlight
34 Spin (Version 1)
35 Rainy Night Blues
36 Spin (Version 2)
37 Dowie Dens of Yarrow (False Start)
38 Dowie Dens of Yarrow (Version 2)