Short Reviews

Ralph, Albert & Sydney

Slide Away The Screen

RALPH, ALBERT & SYDNEY
The Shorts
shorter album reviews starting with
Ralph, Albert & Sydney
&
Slide Away The Screen

RALPH, ALBERT & SYDNEY
The Garel (The Polytechnic of Central London Students Union magazine)
17 October 1977
Ralph McTell: Ralph Albert & Sydney (Warner Bros)

All sixteen tracks on this album were recorded at two of McTell’s 1976 concerts, one at the Royal Albert Hall, the other at the Sydney Opera House – hence the title.
With McTell in concert there is no flash lighting, no backing band, no frills.  He is a natural performer and the music, humour and repartee that is McTell is captured here.  It must be the nearest you can get to a concert without actually going.
My only complaint is that the second side has been ‘cut up’ so much that there appears to be an excessive amount of the ‘duplicated applause’ that it becomes an irritant.  However, that said, there are tracks in abundance – only one, Sylvia, from the recent Right Side Up* album and Grande Affaire and the title track from Streets.  If you went to one of the 1976 concerts, then you’ll remember the humorous songs, the anecdotes and the Rags.
Richard Gough 

RALPH, ALBERT & SYDNEY
Motherwell Times/Belshill Speaker
3 October 1977

Interesting ‘live’ album this week is by Ralph McTell.  Entitled Albert and Sydney it’s the best of performances given at London’s Royal Albert Hall and Sydney Opera House.  Favourites for us were his classic Streets of London and Let Me Down Easy, but when there are a total of 16 tracks we’re certain you’ll find your own.  Great!
(Warner Bros: K 56399)

RALPH, ALBERT & SYDNEY
“She” magazine
January 1978

Ralph Albert & Sydney (Warner Bros K56399, £3.49)
gets its title because all the tracks were recorded ‘live’ by the talented Ralph McTell either at the Royal Albert Hall, London, or the Sydney Opera House.  It’s a warm mixture of old and new songs including, of course, Streets of London, but also such outstanding tracks as When I Was A Cowboy and Dry Bone Rag.  The album faithfully captures the warm atmosphere of any McTell concert.

RALPH, ALBERT & SYDNEY
Southport Visitor
29 October 1977

Ralph McTell’s latest Warner Bros LP was recorded live at the Albert Hall, London, and Sydney Opera House, Australia, and is called, appropriately, Ralph Albert & Sydney.  Most of his best-known songs are here – Grande Affaire, Michael In The Garden, Zimmerman Blues, Maginot Waltz, Streets of London and a beautiful Let Me Down Easy.
It’s an LP that’s infinitely pleasant, easy to sit back and relax with, nothing difficult or intense.  It’s not exactly riveting music, but there’s both a need and a market for this kind of performance – and Ralph McTell fits the bill perfectly. 

RALPH, ALBERT & SYDNEY
Redditch Indicator
December 1977
Ralph McTell: Ralph Albert & Sydney (Warner Bros)

Premier popular British folk singer, this is a live album from Ralph McTell, recorded at the Royal Albert Hall and Sydney Opera House during concerts last year.
An obvious necessity if you are a McTell fan (and there are many of them), but not worth it if you aren’t.  All self-penned tracks except a couple of arrangements of traditional tunes plus, of course, Streets of London. 

RALPH, ALBERT & SYDNEY
“Loving” magazine
31 December 1977
Ralph Albert & Sydney: Ralph McTell (Warner)

Recorded live at London’s Royal Albert Hall and Australia’s Sydney Opera House, the sound on this album is far superior to most live albums, possibly because Ralph uses simple – but effective – musical backing.
Pity there’s so much audience sound – and we could have done without Ralph’s ramblings too, as it does, in our opinion, tend to break the continuity of the record.  But he sings some beautiful songs – all his old favourites like Streets of London, Naomi (brings us out in goose pimples, that!), Sylvia and a smashing little country song called Big Tree that he assured everyone was about his first love affair at the age of six.  Nice sounds from a classy singer-songwriter.
Our verdict: songs for romantics and cynics alike.

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SLIDE AWAY THE SCREEN
Denby Telegraph

March 1979
Enjoyable all round

The essential thing about Ralph McTell is that he is one man with a guitar making music that he enjoys so obviously that all who hear it cannot fail to enjoy it as well.

Slide Away The Screen
(Warner K56599) has full backing with all the wonders of electronics but it is that steady beat, that insistent voice that has made McTell an international star for so long and, on this showing, will keep him at the top much longer yet.
Gold in California, Autumn
and Promises are numbers to note.
D.G.

SLIDE AWAY THE SCREEN
Publication Not Known
April 1979
Slide Away The Screen by Ralph McTell (Warner Brothers):
You will get a lot of enjoyment out of this thoughtful and smooth LP from the man who shot to fame with Streets of London.
McTell had been singing around folk clubs for years before walking into the spotlight and his experience is put to good use.  So are his friends Richard Thompson, Dave Pegg, Telephone Bill, Dave Mattacks and Simon Nicol.

SLIDE AWAY THE SCREEN
Ealing Gazette
April 1979
Ralph McTell: Slide Away The Screen (Warner Bros K 56599):
Ralph McTell has got together with some very capable musicians to produce a presentable collection of new material.  Dave Mattacks’ drumming gives the typically wistful songs a welcome fullness and electric guitar from Jerry Donahue and Dave Pegg adds depth to the arrangements.
But, pleasant though the performances are, the songs themselves seem to lack McTell’s old spark.  Traces is a plaintive, melodic song that succeeds through its simplicity as he accompanies himself on a solo piano.  But the other songs are often uninspiring and inconsequential, adding up to an album that it’s hard to stay awake through.

SLIDE AWAY THE SCREEN
Record Mirror
17 March 1979
by Susan Kluth

Ralph McTell: Slide Away The Screen (Warner Bros K56599):
  It’s been a long haul since the Streets of London, but if he has lost popular favour, Ralph McTell has certainly held his place in the league as an honest songwriter.  The songs on Slide Away The Screen tend to be less intricately personal than those on, say, Right Side Up, of three years back.
Self-obsession never entered into it, but nonetheless tracks like the opening Love Grows and One Heart have that reassuringly broader, more detached slant that presumably arrives with the onward march of the years.  I know it’s all symbolism annat, but I rather wish those rather haggard Gold In California images had stayed at home.  The tailpiece of Save The Last Dance For Me (a la Drifters) is a nice touch of what-the-hell.
Any alleged failings Ralph McTell restores in the deep brown charm of his singing, plus a nice slice of acoustic guitar on London Apprentice.  The highly recognisable Jerry Donahue, various other ex-Fairport folk and Telephone Bill (all three of them) are among the supporting cast.  A hard path to tread in these disco years, but then he’s not really in competition.
P.S. My first ever interview was with Ralph McTell, and he behaved impeccably.  Thanks.

SLIDE AWAY THE SCREEN
Tune In
June 1979
Ralph McTell: Slide Away The Screen (Warner Bros K56599):
  Ralph McTell is a survivor from the Sixties, a singer-songwriter living on in a world full of punk rockers and John Travolta.  He is a brave man and a talented artist.  Although he is still tagged as the Folk Singer who wrote the classic Streets of London, McTell is producing good songs for modern audiences and his concerts and albums are still very popular. 
Apart from a version of the classic Pomus/Shuman number Save The Last Dance For Me, all of the tracks are compositions by McTell.  Traces is a moving love song delivered by the writer over his own piano work.  Other highlights include the melodic Love Grows which would not be out of place on an Eagles’ album, and the exotic Harry (Don’t Go).  It’s good to hear McTell’s version of the beautiful song White Dress which he and Dave Swarbrick wrote for the late Sandy Denny.  Other tracks include One Heart, Gold in California, Van Nuys Cruise Night, London Apprentice, Heroes & Villains, Autumn and Promises.
Dave Mattacks plays drums, Jerry Donahue plays electric guitar, Richard Thompson plays lead on a couple of tracks and Ralph McTell plays himself.  To perfection.


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