Reviews

THE OFFICAL FOLK CHARTS - JANUARY 2023

At No.29 is Bold Reynold (Talking Elephant), an album by David Carroll and Friends (Gryphon’s Dave Oberle, Graeme Taylor and Brian Gulland plus Fairport Convention’s Chris Leslie and Dave Pegg, with Tom Spencer from The Professionals and The Men They Couldn’t Hang, and Lucy Cooper). Bold Reynold puts the rock back into folk rock with seven traditional songs, a Dave Cousins classic and an epic version of The Last Leviathan. With instrumentation ranging from crumhorns, cor anglais and uilleann pipes through fiddle, tabla, bouzouki and dulcimer to bass, drums and electric guitar and all stops in between, this is a soundscape not to be missed. After appearing on numerous recordings for other people the idea of a solo album fermented over several years and, bolstered by offers of help from many good friends, (including all the above!) the ideas and arrangements finally surfaced in 2022.

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‘Bold Reynold is one of the rarest of masterpieces, an album that recalls a musical genre's past glories and actually manages to sound as good as the music it recalls. The production is outstanding, every instrument sings out clear and proud, Graeme Taylor has excelled in this department, whilst the arrangements of every song sound vibrant and fresh and the whole band sound like they're having the time of their lives. This is a wonderful album, packed with outstanding music, songs and performances.

Darren Charles, Musique Machine

It's as good as all that might imply, a brilliantly played, arranged and sung collection with a feel of the halcyon days of 70s folk rock... Carroll has made inspired arrangements…’

Mike Barnes, Prog Magazine

‘‘Trademark excellence and totally splendid musicianship abound on this album, which will surely (and immediately) come to be regarded
as a folk-rock classic and a prime example of the very best the sub-genre has to offer.’

David Kidman, Folk Radio UK

Bold Reynold is an impressive and joyful collaboration between David and his friends and, in the unlikely event they ever decide to get together to perform somewhere,
put me at the front of the queue please.

Brian Cope, Folk London

‘Bold Reynold is an album that definitely puts the rock back into
folk rock – and it should bring
David Carroll the wider recognition he clearly deserves.’ Nick

Dent-Robinson, Penny Black Music

‘This one’s quite a gem.’

Folk Radio UK

What an imaginative treatment. I love it.’

Dave Cousins (The Strawbs, writer of The Battle.)

‘It’s great, isn’t it?’

Genevieve Tudor, BBC Radio Shropshire

‘Bold Reynold is an absolutely splendid album and I commend
it to you whole-heartedly.’

Dai Jeffries, Folking.com

‘Fascinating, Intriguing, intoxicating and still mysterious. A wonderful song.’ Frank Hennessy, Celtic Heartbeat,

BBC Radio Wales

‘…they deliver classic folk-rock interpretations of mostly trad tunes that aren't afraid to push the seven-minute mark - not for instrumental grandstanding, but merely so the songs can unfold and develop at their own pace…. Bold Reynold is well worth hunting down.‘

Ben Graham, Shindig magazine

‘The results… are fantastic…. Truly, “Bold Reynold” can be considered
a new milestone in the genre’s existence.’

Dmitri M. Epstein, Let It Rock

‘…but couched in the company of such seasoned players and with
his own virtuoso musicianship,
this is nevertheless a rather fine
addition to the ranks.’

Mike Davies, Fatea

‘David and friends have their own sound which sets them apart.
…this album’s music was, to me, wonderful… It’s different – and definitely in a good way.’

Martin Hutchinson (Amplified Magazine, Eight Day Magazine, The Beat Magazine)

Shirley Collins, Van Morrison and Planxty are among those who have tackled the fare here : these versions are in no one’s shadow.

John Bungey, Mojo