JUDY DYBLE

Judy Dyble released her awesome fourth solo album "Talking With Strangers" in 2009. In that album there were number of great artists involved, for example Simon Nicol from Fairport Convention, Jacqui McShee from Pentangle and Robert Fripp, Pat Mastelotto & Ian McDonald from King Crimson. In those recording there were at least three pieces that Judy didn´t feel to fit into album, but she promised they would be released later. Well, year later came vinyl e.p. under name "Fragile", also all these songs were added as bonussongs in later editions of "Talking With Stranger". According to Discogs "Fragile" is on the single´s a-side and two other songs in the b-side, but because here in progarchives is same trackorder as in Spotify, I will follow that.

"Waiting" is acoustic, really ethereal and serene song! Rachel Hall is playing so beautiful violin parts in the end of it and there comes also some great sounding bells! Just so magic piece in it´s whole over six minutes lenght. "Sparkling" continues same direction, although it´s sadder piece. According to Discogs those awesome harpsounds are made by Mellotron! Really you can feel to be in the middle of some fairy tale! "Fragile" is the most different one in these 3 songs. It´s the most electronic one, but there are Judy´s beautiful vocals with great melody!

I think only title song is the one that quite doesn´t remind the material of "Talking With Strangers", it´s more Judy´s first album style. But of course if "Waiting" & "Sparkling" had added into that album in a first place, it would have become too long as vinyl release. So if you are a vinyl lover and you already had "Talking With Stranger", this e.p. will be excellent addition to you! As a CD-guy it´s harder, because these three songs are not bonuses in the same "Talking With Stranger" cd for some reason, "Fragile" is bonus in Norwegian 2010 re-release and "Waiting" & "Sparkling" in UK 2013 reissue.

Judy Dyble sadly passed away in 2020. If there was a list of underrated female artists, I believe Judy would be on the top of it. She didn´t have a large discography, I believe mainly because in 1973 she decided instead of own solo career to support her husband´s work. After three decades she finally decided to start make music again. But to me quality has always been more important than amount of releases. If Judy is totally unknown to you, I highly recommend first Fairport Convention album, the only Trader Horne-album and her great solo album with Andy Lewis under name "Summer Dancing". In 2018 Judy collaborated with Big Big Train in one song, so I believe that led into this album. As in PJ Harvey´s and John Parish two collaboration albums, David wrote all the music and Judy wrote the words.

"Astrologers" starts album very softly and give quite good picture of the whole album. It´s something between folk prog and Pink Floyd after "Obscured by Clouds". Song and specially video of it are quite stereotypical today´s soft prog. In "Obedience" direction changes little better, it´s rhythmic folk piece. But we go back into ballads in "Tidying Away the Pieces" and that will continue the whole album. This song has beautiful melodies that could be in some Genesis album or maybe more into Peter Gabriel´s solo. The title song is only true pearl in this album: although it reminds a lot Wakeman-period of Yes with it´s mellotron, I really love it´s melody! "France" is two part suite. At first you think "aa, this is David´s Jethro-song", but soon it turns out to be also ballad with Floyd-influences, also some Kansas-influences in the last part. "Whisper" has great King Crimson-part in the end. "Heartwashing" is interesting mix of Miles Davis, Pink Floyd and King Crimson.

This album was quite disappointment to me when it came. Many listenings haven´t change my opinion. Of course it ´s good, perfectly produced and hard to imagine that it can irritate anybody, but that´s the main problem to me. I am not a fan of Big Big Train, but I expected with Judy David could have created something different. In "Summer Dancing" Judy and Andy Lewis made music together and I think that should have happened also in this album. Judy said in "Burning Shed"-pages that she wrote all the lyrics before she was diagnosed, but maybe she was too weak to take a part to the music making, who knows? It´s clear David has listened all the masterpieces of old prog and he can take fragments from them and change them of his own, but that´s all. I don´t hear any personality in his music. Also Judy´s singing is not as great in this album as her earlier, she sounds mostly very tired. "Earth Is Sleeping" would have been much better swan song from her. But I believe Big Big Train fans will enjoy this album.

Although the collaboration Dyble-Longdon had begun previously to this venture, in BBT's album Grimspound, the question remained open: what will happen with these two working outside the frame (and the well-stablished aesthetics) of that band? Now the folkie element fed by the hands of Judy has its own right to blossom unbound, so, what then? Then the result is excellent, with musicians coming from BBT's ranks devoting themselves to the new sound.

In Astrologers we find a great balance of forces, with a delicate folk melody in the voice of Judy, and a stronger counterpart by David, who takes the side of the evil astrologers.

Obedience verges decidedly onto the folk end of the spectrum, with fabulous percussion and rhythm guitar jumping to high momentum near the end.

Tidying Away The Pieces makes the most of the timbric variety in the instruments of the guest players, like trumpet.

Between A Breath And A Breath is probably the most intertwined and intimate number here, with David opening the vocals.

France dresses a romantic fantasy by Judy with the according parisienne ambiance, accordion included.

Whisper brings the more "heavily symphonic" moment, with a gorgeous melody crying for (and getting) a lush development, including a nice pair of tasty electric guitar solos, and pastoral mini-interludes courtesy of Longdon's flute.

Heartwashing is a final open-heart showcase for Judy's romantic sensibility, with the guests contributing impressionistic harmonic background.

In 2009 Judy started to record an new albums that name would be "Newborn Creatures". But when having difficulties with producer and one musician she decided not to release the album. Some of the songs of this project ended into 2013 album "Flow and Change". Finally she decided to re-record the other songs from that project when having also other, newer songs that will fit into those older songs. I am using in my review vinyl- version, that is two songs shorter and has a little bit different track order.

Album starter "Marianna" would have been those songs playing over and over in mainstream radio channels, if it had released from the big record label. It has really beautiful, sad and catchy melody. Title song come in vinyl next and it´s the greatest song in this album! It has really beautiful and original melody with the great bassoon & string arrangement. These Beatles-alike melodies you hear very rare these days! What I don´t understand is why this song has put in the cd-version almost in the end? Next "Answerphone" is a really sad song about the person, who is calling again and again to his dead loved ones answerphone just to hear her voice and hoping she´s not dead. I lost my mother suddenly not long time ago and this song has touched me really much! "Velvet To Atone" is re-make of old "Trader Horne" song. It´s quite same kind version, but this version has a great whistle-solo. "Faded Elvis" is ok piano-song, telling a story about Elvis-impersonator and using a part of "Love Me Tender"-melody. "See What Your Words" is a beautiful ending of a-side with great string arrangements.

"She Now Owns a Heart Of Stone" started b-side in a very delicate way. Starting very softly it grows to most prog piece of this album. "I Found a Rainbow" has again very great string arrangements. "Broken Day" is sad ballad. "Promises" is a little bit stronger than most of the songs in this album, but telling again about unsuccesful love. But after all the failure & sorrow Judy gives us hope in the last song called "Newborn Creatures". What could fit better these days than words "I give you hope for new beginnings"?

When "Summer Dancing" is timeless album to people of all ages, this album will be more to adults with it´s really serene atmosphere. I really recommend people to buy vinyl version, I have listened CD-version and doesn ´t remember those two songs adding nothing into this really great album. Have to say Judy´s vocals are not recorded as great in this album comparing to "Summer Dancing". The sound is little bit metallic. But the music is recorded & produced as very organic sounding. This was my favorite album of 2018!

Judy Dyble has been now one of my favorite female singers from sixties together with Sandy Denny, Laura Nyro and Janis Ian. Have to disagree with her biowriter in PA that I don´t think she´s typical in any way. She has really original & beautiful voice. My opinion is that Fairport´s first album version of Joni Mitchell´s "I don´t Know Where I Stand" is much better than Joni´s own version. We can imagine in "I Talk to the Wind" demo how King Crimson would have sounded if Judy had stayed together with Giles brothers, Fripp & McDonald. Also her only seventies album in Trader Horne-duo is amazing! I think her short periods of bands and just recently started solo career has made her really much underrated. I found few reviews from this great album with Andy Lewis, but this album hasn´t even added into progarchives.

Album started with some lo-fi string instruments playing, but soon comes first song "He Said / I Said", that is very cheerful, catchy piece. I think the lyrics tell about situation where Judy & Andy were wondering was their collaboration going to work. "Up the Hill" continues the cheerful feeling in a very acoustic way and Janet Lewis recorders bring summer into it. Title song is one of the strongest songs in this really great album, it has Bo Didley rhythm and it´s acoustic base has lots of interesting sounds from all kinds of percussive instruments. "No words" has really organ sounding keyboards in it´s very warm melody. Warmness continues in "A Message" with very rhythmic, but mellow drumplaying and really great mellotron sounding keyboards. "Night Of a Thousand Hours" describes the sleepless night quite softly, with a pendulum clock sound in it. But the best is the last in album a-side: "A Net Of Memories (London)" has really sad, but beautiful melody and really takes you into London sixties feelings!

But the album direction really doesn´t change in the B-side! After some analog sounds in the beginning starts " My Electric Chauffeur" that´s beat reminds sixties Phil Spector-hits, but melody is again so sad but beautiful! "Treasure" continues in a very same way and has really windy atmosphere, but slower beat. "The Day They Took the Music Away" is short, quite rock piece. But the earlier line continues in a very delicate "Such Fragile Things". "Summer Of Love" has really wonderful & strong acoustic guitar in it´s great melodies. "Tired Bones" is only little mediocre song in this great album and not even composed by Dyble or Lewis. Anyway it has interesting chord change in the end. But the last "Weathermonger" takes you back into this albums really lovely atmosphere!

This album really is one of the rare masterpieces of last decade! It takes you back to the sixties without being just boring nostalgy. Although this album could really have been released in 1967, it sounds really fresh! I haven ´t heard all the Judy´s solos, but what I have heard this definitely is her best! This album is really highly recommended to those who like Beatles Revolver ? Abbey Road -albums and the same kind of stuff from that period. Also this album really gives hope into these very sad times.

Prog Folk legend Judy Dyble getting together with many of her collaborators from the past. (She was part of the British prog scene in the 1960s and early 1970s. She left music to retreat to a farm life in 1973.) She sings about the past, the times she passed on her self-imposed agrarian exile.

1. "Neverknowing" (1:42) Two guitars (Alistair Murphy and Simon Nicol [from Fairport Convention]) backing Judy. A surprisingly strong song and vocal. Tim Bowness' contribution is nice. (4.5/5)

2. "Jazzbirds" (3:05) with autoharp, guitars, full rock ensemble, and electric effects on Judy's voice, this is a more 1970s-sounding Prog Folk song. Nice but nothing very special. (8.5/10)

3. "C'est La Vie" (4:15) a perfect arrangement of instruments to surround Judy's voice with. Nice backing vocal appearance from former founding TREES vocalist, Celia Humphris and long time folk contributor Julianne Regan. My favorite song on the album. (9/10)

4. "Talking With Strangers" (3:25) A pleasant if innocuous song that, unfortunately, continuous to accentuate the frailty in Judy's aged voice. (8/10)

5. "Dreamtime" (4:19) again, a nice musical weave to support Judy's vocal, but her voice her again seems to reveal its aged fragilities. (8.5/10)

6. "Grey October Day" (6:04) lounge jazzy soundscape with piano, bass, and gently brushed drums support Judy and Tim Bowness in this traditional duet. Organ, electric guitar, and horns add some texture and tension in the second verse and behind Tim's up-close-and-personal performance. A long saxophone solo in the middle draws the song out (unnecessarily). (Laurie A'Court's contribution is much better, more appropriate in the final section.) (8.5/10)

7. "Harpsong" (19:19) a very personal song full of vignettes and various perspectives on her cumulative life story. This song is a special historical marker in that many of her esteemed and luminous musical collaborators from the 1960s came out to contribute to this. It is now even more heart-wrenching that she has died--like this song represents one glorious reunion and the ensuing party--just as may be happening in Heaven as we speak. After the delicate and maudlin folk-rock beginning section (which houses Judy's singing of her autobiographical lyrics) we are sucked into a kind of old KING CRIMSON section before settling into a Steve REICHian percussionary bridge to return to the more saccharine vocal-supporting motif. Emotional and historic. (35/40)

Total time 42:09

Judy's voice is more fragile and unstable than it was, yet her nostalgic lyrics poignant and meaningful. Her performances are welcome and courageous. The album is most for the nostalgic feel. I have to admit a fair amount of excitement at the prospect of hearing the contributions of long-time folk diva Jacqui MacShee (John Renbourn, PENTANGLE) on a couple songs, but her presence is barely discernible.

B/four stars; a very nice contribution to the Prog Folk catalog--one that is filled with nostalgia and historical significance. A nice addition to the prog lover's music collection.

When the late night is falling, after all its frenzy, do yourself some good, dwell in this "Enchanted Garden".

I never thought that Judy Dyble's first "solo" work, will turn out to be this good. A masterpiece of creativity by its own. It travels through highly inspired compositions, solid as ethereal, unique as daring and yet completely unpretentious. Flawless as the song by song count goes. It not only offers "one style" pen written compositions, opposite to that, it is rich in musical proposals and ideas, full of heart felt emotions, blended naturally in all kinds of intriguing musical "twists and turns", which sublime simplicity into masterworks. And of course every single second of the work, is backed up by masterful and completely compromised performances by the "ALL Star" musicians in this project.

Pure, unpretentious, yet infinitely detailed flawless arrangements, that are constantly moving forward in ascending progressions, all brought down to planet Earth by Mrs. Dyble's exquisite (not sweet), unique vocals. She sings her personal "astronomical" and intimate poetry, but never sacrifices music to do so. Opposite to that, she enhances and gives scope to the amazing songwriting and performances. WOW!!

Really, give yourself a moment with this woman, she will not dissapoint you, far from that, you will return enlightened from the experience. (The Prog/Folk tagging sells it short, considering the diverse musical directions of the compositions and the sometimes completely electrified performances, do not expect Prog/Folk as such!!)

*****5 "Masterpiece" PA stars!!

Judy Dyble has been around and singing for a long time. She was born 1949 in London and 1967-1968 she was the main singer of folk rock band Fairport Convention. She participated on their first record "Fairport Convention" and I think that is what she is famous for. There has been a lot of talk about Sandy Denny, and she has gained a lot of acknowledge, but I think Judy Dyble should have got more attention. Well, as late as 2004 she did her debut solo record "Enchanted Garden" and 2013, this record was released "Flow and Change". It features a lot of instrumentalists, as much as eighteen without her. We have instruments such as flute, cello, french horn, oboe, clarinet and violin, along with more common ones. Of course Judy sings and now I am going to tell you how well she does it.

She does it very well. I am happy because this music has the same great aura as the late 60s brittish folk rock. This isn't very far from for exampel Fairport Convention, though is this less rock. Still Dyble has her own originality kept and her songs are poetic and wonderfully composed. The record has anice artistic cover of a girl looking down on something.

The first song "Black dog dreams" is perhaps the album's best. Here there's no doubt this is progressive. I got the symphonic feeling, not far from Renaissance, and it's also wonderfully folky and who can do anything else than love the brigth voice of Judy Dyble(10/10). The second best track is "Crowbaby" which is calmer and more varied but almost as beautiful(10/10). I must of course mention the long "The Sisterhood of Ruralists" which also is progressive, a long tale with sweaping song and interesting influences from far away. It is very English and I like that(8/10). Otherwise this is contemporary (but not dated) folk which interferes with both history and foreign places. "Featherdancing" and "Head full of stars" must also take place here (both 8/10) as lovely songs.

Beside of those three first songs I mentioned this music isn't so progressive but not less good. I can honestly say this voice Judy Dyble has is very unusual and amazing. This is a dreamy world to take part in as listener. I will give this record four stars. It doesn't contain so many perfect songs, but the record is even and I love the folk style and especially Judy's lyrical voice.

She is back! The great Judy Dyble with her beautiful voice. What a great album, a follow up to the acclaimed former album - talking with strangers. In my opinion Judy Dyble is one of the great singers of our era. From Fairport convention, early King Crimson period with her astonishing "I talk to the wind" version, the amazing Trader Horne album and to our days with all the great albums she make. Her new album is very quiet I would say magical. The starter Black Dog Dreams is a powerful beginner, followed by Featherdancing ? a wonderful song about 3 sisters who wanted to dance. Beautiful Child is a sweet song followed by the powerful Crowbaby. The last song is 11 minutes long and is a great closer to this magnificent album. I can't stop listening and I wish Judy Dyble will keep on singing and bring us joy. This album is somewhat progressive in the veins of the great prog folk albums of the 70's like Trees, Fairport Convention, Pentangle with the unique undistinguished voice of Judy Dyble. Enjoy.

Judy Dyble has the rare touch of voice that is impossible to let pass by. Once you hear her voice it will remain in your personal "archives". AND the most exquisite part is the way she can possess the song she sings in, either hers or when covering someone elses´s song. I always have thought of her to be more progger-than folk. Of course the whole disclosure of the environment and instruments are completely Folk oriented, BUT the composition process offers a lot of space for experimentations. I myself think; that is the reason; considering her voice talent; she has been somehow overlooked; for more conventional "folk" aesthetics.) Her non conventional songs "freer" a la "King Crimson" impros and experimentations are really not that close to folk even the prog one. So here a lot of experimentation happens, BUT the songs do not divert to anywhere and nowhere; as it happens usually with experimental music. No; this woman as referred can possess the song as to let it progress for the purpose of itself not for the experimentation as such; no cheap tricks or detours. For me the mere fact of her as a true progger is undeniable. More experimental in its musical-language also; lets say this is not exactly "Fairport Convention" like melodies nor hard-rock/folk like the "Tull". They are closer to the ECLECTIC/prog-folk aesthetics. Judy Dyble is quiet appreciated by many founders of the first wave of Proggers. She normally gathers a very interesting crowd to the recording sessions (Robert Fripp-Lead Guitar, Effects [Soundscapes) in this one, among others). Her choice of songs to cover, give-out her root essentials (I Talk to the Wind" an early- KingCrimson song) and her songs (co-written with Swordfish) are very deep and intimate but also OBSCURE. Which turns them into an un-earthly experience more than an earthly/folk one. I myself greet this musician as a an example; both as a woman and a musician in this universe of Prog-Music *****5 "tough to choose between 3 very good Judy Dyble albums-close to masterful" Stars