Randy's Top 100

Blondel...Amazing Blondel

This is another gem that I first heard at a "head shop" in the Quad Cities in 1973. The previous releases from these guys were very baroque and had a very comfortable madrigal feel, almost a middle ages quality. Blondel featured basically two guys....Eddie Baird on vocals and guitars and Terry Wincott on vocals, guitars, percussion, flute, recorders, pianos and something called a crumhorn. The manager of the band recruited some cat named Steve Winwood to play bass and another guy named Simon Kirke to play drums. That caused a certain musical change in the band and behold "Amazing Blondel" was born. This is some of the finest, most well played music I have ever heard. The songs are elegant, well crafted and the addition of Paul Rodgers on "Weaver's Market" rounds out this release that up until 1995 was unavailable on any format. I remember one time when my son, who was about 13 at the time heard this release and fell in love with it. At college, he played this for a music major and she said as far as a musical statement was concerned, it was as close to perfection as she had ever heard. I am not sure what that's about, but I know that when I die, if I have a few minutes to play whatever I want, I want this CD played. "The Leaving of The Country Lover", "Young Man's Fancy", "Easy Come, Easy Go", "Sailing", "Festival" and "Weaver's Market" make this CD in my top ten of ALL time. If I were to give this a ranking, it would nestle in at about number 7 all time on my list. That's how much it's affected me in my life...and see, you've never heard of them. Here's their website and you know if brother Randy says it's good...

If I could ever dedicate a song to my son, it would be this one...

Young Man's Fancy

Composed by Edward Baird

Here's to my acquaintance, and companion

Lift your glass

I love you, and leave you

I do, give you, all my best

Here's to lovely lasses

Who, by now, are sleeping sound

We miss you and kiss you

We will, until we can no longer hope

And I would spread the softest ground,

For you to walk around,

If I could be your right hand,

I'd bless the seed that I would sow,

And hope it would grow

Into a sight to hold you

And we could make the richest thing

To make your songbird sing

A tale to haunt the evening,

Then I would give you every note

Of every song I ever wrote

For you to ring forever.

...he knows it, that's all that counts. What a record, what an impact on my life. It's a top ten , kids, maybe one you should seek out.