Review: DUTCH JUDY DYBLE REVIEW
Thanks to Facebook I had some contact with singer Judy Dyble in the past. At the time she promised me to send some promos to review for this website. Back then I didn't know that she was an award-winning British singer-songwriter. Moreover, I wasn't aware of the fact that she was one of the vocalists and founder members of Fairport Convention and Trader Horne. In between she joined and recorded several tracks together with Ian McDonald for Giles, Giles and Fripp, a band that after her departure evolved into King Crimson. I didn't know either that Judy Dyble left the music business in 1973 in order to work with her husband. At the 1981 Fairport Convention Annual Reunion she appeared on stage as a surprise guest. Following her husband's death in 1994, she began to write and perform again. This resulted in her debut album Enchanted Garden (2004) followed by Spindle and The Whorl (both 2006) and her latest album Talking With Strangers (2009). Eventually she has never sent me any promos; she must have forgotten it I guess. So I wasn't familiar with her music, but thanks to the re-release of her latest album I am now.
A deal for the first official release of the album in the USA via Gonzo Multimedia, made it possible that I got hold of a copy of Talking With Strangers. This reissue contains complete new art work and features two bonus tracks. Right from the start I noticed that her voice sounds quite similar to Annie Haslam' s, the lead vocalist for Renaissance. She has the same crystal clear voice that fits perfectly in the progressive rock genre. The music on Talking With Strangers can certainly be regarded to be prog rock, but influenced by folk music which isn't strange at all if you know her musical background. Talking With Strangers mostly is a record that creates various moods drawing heavily on Judy's personal experiences in life like music, love and death.
It took her quite a long time to finish the album supported by Tim Bowness (No-Man, vocals, electric guitar) andAlistair Murphy (keyboards, guitars). This record is a real showcase for Judy's vocals, showing a maturity and self-assuredness befitting a lady of wide professional experience gained over four decades in the music business. The recordings for this album were meetings of old musical friends as well since Robert Fripp (guitar, soundscapes) and Ian McDonald (saxophone, flutes, ukulele) contributed, people who made King Crimson big in the seventies. King Crimson's current drummer Pat Mastelotto is a guest musician on the album as well.
In general, most of the songs on Talking With Strangers have a rather mellow and relaxed atmosphere except for Harpsong, an almost twenty-minute biographical piece. The lyrics explain the reason why she lost her interest in music in the seventies and how she found it again thirty years later. This sentimental epic journey certainly is the highlight on the album featuring some guest spots from people who played with Dyble in the sixties. The first half starts rather mellow containing some fine playing of Judy on the autoharp. The music is shifting gear as the song moves to the second instrumental part, which has certain musical connections with the seventies King Crimson era due to the use of the flute and the saxophone.
Another highlight is C'Est La Vie a song written by Greg Lake and Peter Sinfield, two musicians who both participated in King Crimson. Her cover of this Emerson, Lake & Palmer song sounds very strong. Rachel Hallhas a leading role on this track by playing a beautiful solo on the violin. Also the tracks on which Tim Bowness adds some vocals can be regarded to be true beauties. On songs like Dreamtime and Grey October Day his voice certainly has an added value to the music. Dreamtime is also the song with the clearest folk references bringing back the days with Fairport Convention and Trader Horne. The two bonus tracks Sparkling - with some beautiful Mellotron samples - and Waiting are recorded in the same style of music as the regular songs on Talking With Strangers. I would like to recommend this album to people, who like a strong mixture of rather mellow progressive rock and folk music. You'll probably enjoy it as much as I did!
*** Henri Strik (edited by Peter Willemsen)
https://backgroundmagazine.nl/
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Review: JUDY DYBLE REVIEW
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Judy Dyble
Talking with Strangers
Review by G. W. Hill
At first I wasn’t going to put this into the progressive rock heading. The first track is more of a folk tune. The thing is, once it moves past that, the prog is obvious. The closest comparison is Renaissance and a lot of this sounds like that. Still, there are sections that make me think of other things. Wherever the influence lands, though, this is a potent album with a lot going for it.
| Track by Track Review |
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Never Knowing
Starting very much in a folk manner, this whole song is more or less like that. There are some little bits of sound over the top that hint at something more. This tune connects directly into the next one. Once it switches, it delivers on that promise. |
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Jazzbirds
This comes straight out of the previous tune. There are bits that make me think of early King Crimson. Psychedelic elements emerge and Renaissance is another valid comparison. There are some great flourishes of sound that re-enforce both the King Crimson and the Renaissance links. |
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C'est La Vie
Here Dyble covers one of my favorite Emerson Lake and Palmer songs. This is so pretty and so powerful. It’s quite symphonic and quite true to the original. But, Dyble’s voice, along with some changes in the arrangement make it quite stunning and different in some ways. I love the bits of vocals that sort of float angelically over the top at times. |
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Talking With Strangers
Piano based, this is a pretty tune. It’s a powerful balladic number. |
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Dreamtime
Gentle and very old world in nature, this is a pretty and powerful piece of music. |
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Grey October Day
There’s some pretty and powerful jazz meets King Crimson music here. This is another great tune on an album that’s full of great tunes. There are male vocals on this and really it does make me think of early King Crimson quite a bit. |
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Harpsong
Playful, this is very much of a folk meets prog kind of thing. This continues the same kind of killer old school folk prog sound. There is some great saxophone soloing here. We’re taken into some great space music beyond that point, too. World music also shows up in the mix as this evolves. Then, at around the ten-minute mark, this thing fires out into some seriously hard rocking music that fits close to fusion. After it seemingly ends, we get a section where folk and prog meet nicely on a movement that has a lot in common with Renaissance. At over nineteen minutes in length, this one is definitely an epic. |
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Sparkling
The first of two bonus tracks, this is dreamy and gentle and also very lush. Again, Renaissance would be a great comparison. |
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Waiting
World music merges with folky prog on this tasty number. This is pretty, delicate and quite a powerful piece of music.
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Review: FRENCH JUDY DYBLE REVIEW
Judy Dyble: Talking with strangers (Gonzo Multimedia, U.K. 2013)
Talking with Strangers is enjoying a re-release. We reviewed it back in 2010, but thanks to its rapidly increasing popularity, it’s been put back on the market, this time by Gonzo Multimedia, with bonus tracks. For those of you who don’t know this iconic figure of English folk, let’s take a little trip back into the past.
Judy joined Fairport Convention at the age of 18 and was their first female singer. She can be heard on their eponymous first album which came out in 1968, but on its release Judy was dropped from the band and was replaced by Sandy Denny. In the same year, she recorded with the Incredible String Band on their 3rd album. During this very active period she joined Giles, Giles and Fripp, thanks to her then boy-friend Ian McDonald. Judy split with McDonald, who went on to join King Crimson, while Judy joined Trader Horne. In 1970, this duo released Morning Way. In 1973, Judy quit the music scene to become a librarian, a career she followed until 1994, the year in which she lost her husband,It was thanks to Fairport Convention reunions that she decided to tread the boards again, and she released two limited-edition solo albums. In 2008 she set to work on Talking with Strangers with the help of a number of friends, including Robert Fripp, Ian McDonald, Simon Nicol of Fairport Convention, Tim Bowness of No Man and Alistair Murphy of Cromer Museum.
Talking with Strangers is a rich jewel set within exquisitely finely-crafted melodies. We’re straight into pure grace and beauty on the very short Never Knowing, on which Judy’s angelic voice blends perfectly with Simon Nicol’s guitar, just as in the old Fairport days. Alistair Murphy plays a range of instruments on Jazzbirds (guitar, slide guitar, organ) - - it’s a number that’s gently cradled in Judy’s beautiful voice and supported by the flute of Ian McDonald. A subtle harpsichord backing reminds one of the fabulous Fotheringay.
Then follows a pretty faithful cover of the famous C’est la Vie by Pete Sinfield and Greg Lake. Judy’s voice and the backing vocals are spell-binding, with a beautiful violin being added to this classic lament. Talking with Strangers is an intimate song with Murphy’s ever-graceful piano accompaniment as its only backing.
Dreamtime was written by Judy Dyble and John Gilles, and it’s the latter who plays guitar on this. There’s a flute in there too, and Pat Mastelotto, Crimson’s drummer, adds some subtle percussion. Judy’s voice is so exquisite on this number that you wonder why she was ever dropped from Fairport!
Grey October Day takes a new tack with a rather catchy, jazzy sound. It’s an emotional vocal duo between Judy and Tim Bowness; there’s also some melancholy sax played by Laurie A’court of Blue Fingers, a blues-rock cover band.
After this rather relaxing piece of folk, we reach the sensational 19-minute long Harpsong, which begins on a delicate note with acoustic guitar and Judy’s autoharp, followed by one of Fripp’s famous soundscapes. The emotion mounts gradually thanks to saxophone, drums and piano, but it all comes to a halt with a sudden Crimson-style explosion, before it begins its gentle descent to the end. The vocals are really heart-felt, as Judy aimed to put all the periods of her musical career into this song - in fact, her whole life. Two bonus tracks have been added. Sparkling, with a Mellotron-like backing, is captivating.
Waiting is fronted by the violin of Rachel Hall of Stackridge, who’s also recently worked with Big Big Train. This is an outstanding album by the unfairly neglected Judy Dyble, and this is certainly her most personal album.
16/20
Jean-Pierre Schricke
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Review: JUDY DYBLE REVIEW
JUDY DYBLE -
Talking With Strangers
Folk heroine looks back in time in the company of fellow travelers from FAIRPORTS, CRIMSO and other walks of her life.
It takes a kindred spirits coterie to come up with a masterpiece like this – otherwise, the loneliness will prevail, and being alone is not what Judy Dyble’s path has been about. One of the greatest English folk voices, she never limited her horizons genre-wise and, after a stint with FAIRPORT CONVENTION that Judy was the first singer of, joined GILES, GILES AND FRIPP before moving on to TRADER HORNE and leaving the scene in 1973 only to get back three decades on. Since then, Dyble went from strength to strength, and this album is the lady’s finest hour which encompasses all of her life.
Its microcosm, the 19-minute prog suite “Harpsong”, takes a third of the record and is its focal point thanks to Robert Fripp’s guitar blaring in one scope with Ian McDonald’s reeds for the first time since KING CRIMSON’s debut. But, with that band’s another alumnus, Pat Mastelotto on percussion, FAIRPORTS’ Simon Nicol providing acoustic strum, and the vocal backing by PENTANGLE’s Jacqui McShee and ALL ABOUT EVE’s Julianne Regan, the many colors and textures of this epic, a long glance over the shoulder, hide, rather than highlight, the real Judy who opens the piece to let all her guests in. More naturally, Dyble cuts to her, and her listener’s, very psyche on other songs here: on the tremulous, strings-caressed cover of Greg Lake’s “C’est La Vie” and on opener “Neverknowing”, short and delicate paean to “the age of beauty”.
Review: JUDY DYBLE REVIEW
Judy Dyble
Album: Talking With Strangers (expanded edition)
Label: HST
Tracks: 9
Website: https://www.judydyble.com
Judy's a name from the past who today retains considerable contemporary cult cred. Yes, she was the original lead vocalist with Fairport Convention, who subsequently co-founded Trader Horne and crossed paths with many prog and rock legends before taking well over two decades out from music, only returning to appear at the special Fairport anniversary edition of Cropredy in 1997. Not too long after that momentous occasion, however, Judy made a fabulous comeback with a trilogy of brilliant albums in collaboration with Marc Swordfish, then an acclaimed single with The Conspirators and finally the 2009 album Talking With Strangers, on which she gathered together a batch of brand new songs co-written (co-conceived) with No-Man's Tim Bowness and Cromer Museum's Alistair Murphy. Its spellbinding musical and spiritual vision made for an intelligent mix of psych-folk, retro and prog which paved the way for what seemed an exciting new direction, its textures lush and heady yet with strands keenly, crisply separated by virtue of abundantly imaginative scoring and an adept use of new technology.
So while we're all waiting with bated breath for the release of Judy's next album (Flow And Change, due later this year), it makes sense to reissue Talking With Strangers - and not just to enable its re-evaluation and availability for new fans in the States. In the end, it now proves more than a useful stop-gap-cum-catch-up, for this reissue appends two bonus tracks (Sparkling and Waiting), which had originally appeared as 2010's limited-edition Fragile EP. These were recorded at the same time as the album, with the same musicians, and continue and develop the experimental mood of the album, especially its wondrous closing 19-minute epic Harpsong (wherein Wyrd-folk met nascent prog-rock head-on, and survived magnificently). For those who didn't get round to purchasing the original TWS album at the time, there will be many delights to discover here, in the combination of Judy's still-so-magical voice and signature autoharp playing with the musicianship of (among others) Robert Fripp, Ian McDonald, Simon Nicol and Tim Bowness.
Review: FRENCH JUDY DYBLE REVIEW (translated)
Translation of Highlands Magazine ReviewJUDY DYBLE
Talking with Strangers
(UK, 2010)
Judy Dyble was the first singer with Fairport Convention, a British band who began to blend folk and rock from 1967 onwards. Judy was a member of the band between 1967 and 1968 and sang on the first album. She was replaced by Sandy Denny on the following album, What We Did On Our Holidays. Judy’s career as a singer had begun in 1964 with Judy and the Folkmen. After leaving Fairport Convention she joined her boy-friend Ian McDonald in Giles, Giles and Fripp. Following that, she formed Trader Horne with Jackie McAuley, and the duo brought out the folk-influenced album Morning Way. In 1973, Judy made a break with the world of music and became a librarian. It was only in 1981 that she returned to the music-circuit, thanks to Fairport Convention’s reunion concerts.
En 2008 she started work on Talking with Strangers with the help of her musician friends Ian McDonald (saxophone and flute) and Robert Fripp. Guitarist Simon Nicol, the longest-serving member of Fairport Convention, is also in the mix. On backing vocals are Celia Humphris of Trees, Jacquie McShee of Pentangle and Julianne Regan of All About Eve. Pat Mastelotto is another notable presence on drums. And let’s not forget one key member: Tim Bowness of No-Man, producer and co-singer.
Judy sets out her musical stall from the first bars of ‘Never Knowing’, a mini-ballad which lasts only 1 minute 42 seconds. She is endowed with a clear, expressive voice of rare purity, shown off to best advantage by first-class recording. You can just tell that she’s at the top of her game, as if she’d never stopped singing. Then follows ‘Jazzbirds’. Behind the ever-beautiful voice floats Ian McDonald’s delightful pastoral flute, while a harpsichord recalls the heyday of British folk-rock in a baroque style à la Fotheringay. The third track is a brilliant new version of ‘C’est la vie’, with its gentle refrain, originally recorded by Greg Lake back in 1975. The lead vocal is stunning, as are the backing vocals. This is real folk, with violin and acoustic guitar, all recalling Fairport Convention. Then we come to ‘Talking with Strangers’, an astonishingly pure and stylish track, with Judy’s ethereal voice backed by piano. This is a song full of freshness and delicacy. ‘Dreamtime’, written by Dyble and Giles, is another gorgeous piece, with rich laid-back male backing vocals, a flute accompaniment and very subtle drumming.
But our golden-voiced singer hasn’t forgotten the progressive side of her delightful personality, and ‘Harpsong’ is the album’s closing track, a 19-minute number leading to a climax in which everything cuts loose, while delicate harmonies are added to bring that touch of beauty. At first everything is sweetness and light, with subtle rhythms, and Judy’s voice like velvet. Then Robert Fripp’s disturbing soundscapes come in, together with Ian McDonald’s saxophone, two elements which recall the glory days of Crimson’s first line-up. Is this prog-rock? Well, a pure Crimson instrumental now crashes in, with odd-time rhythms, saxophone bordering on free-form, and jagged guitar. This album is a total success, thanks to the comforting warmth of Judy’s voice. Go on, yield to temptation! (*****)
Jean-Pierre SCHRICKE Translation by Ian Maun
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Review: FRENCH JUDY DYBLE REVIEW (translated)
Translation of Highlands Magazine Review
JUDY DYBLE
Talking with Strangers
(UK, 2010)
Judy Dyble was the first singer with Fairport Convention, a British band who began to blend folk and rock from 1967 onwards. Judy was a member of the band between 1967 and 1968 and sang on the first album. She was replaced by Sandy Denny on the following album, What We Did On Our Holidays. Judy’s career as a singer had begun in 1964 with Judy and the Folkmen. After leaving Fairport Convention she joined her boy-friend Ian McDonald in Giles, Giles and Fripp. Following that, she formed Trader Horne with Jackie McAuley, and the duo brought out the folk-influenced album Morning Way. In 1973, Judy made a break with the world of music and became a librarian. It was only in 1981 that she returned to the music-circuit, thanks to Fairport Convention’s reunion concerts.
En 2008 she started work on Talking with Strangers with the help of her musician friends Ian McDonald (saxophone and flute) and Robert Fripp. Guitarist Simon Nicol, the longest-serving member of Fairport Convention, is also in the mix. On backing vocals are Celia Humphris of Trees, Jacquie McShee of Pentangle and Julianne Regan of All About Eve. Pat Mastelotto is another notable presence on drums. And let’s not forget one key member: Tim Bowness of No-Man, producer and co-singer.
Judy sets out her musical stall from the first bars of ‘Never Knowing’, a mini-ballad which lasts only 1 minute 42 seconds. She is endowed with a clear, expressive voice of rare purity, shown off to best advantage by first-class recording. You can just tell that she’s at the top of her game, as if she’d never stopped singing. Then follows ‘Jazzbirds’. Behind the ever-beautiful voice floats Ian McDonald’s delightful pastoral flute, while a harpsichord recalls the heyday of British folk-rock in a baroque style à la Fotheringay. The third track is a brilliant new version of ‘C’est la vie’, with its gentle refrain, originally recorded by Greg Lake back in 1975. The lead vocal is stunning, as are the backing vocals. This is real folk, with violin and acoustic guitar, all recalling Fairport Convention. Then we come to ‘Talking with Strangers’, an astonishingly pure and stylish track, with Judy’s ethereal voice backed by piano. This is a song full of freshness and delicacy. ‘Dreamtime’, written by Dyble and Giles, is another gorgeous piece, with rich laid-back male backing vocals, a flute accompaniment and very subtle drumming.
But our golden-voiced singer hasn’t forgotten the progressive side of her delightful personality, and ‘Harpsong’ is the album’s closing track, a 19-minute number leading to a climax in which everything cuts loose, while delicate harmonies are added to bring that touch of beauty. At first everything is sweetness and light, with subtle rhythms, and Judy’s voice like velvet. Then Robert Fripp’s disturbing soundscapes come in, together with Ian McDonald’s saxophone, two elements which recall the glory days of Crimson’s first line-up. Is this prog-rock? Well, a pure Crimson instrumental now crashes in, with odd-time rhythms, saxophone bordering on free-form, and jagged guitar. This album is a total success, thanks to the comforting warmth of Judy’s voice. Go on, yield to temptation! (*****)
Jean-Pierre SCHRICKE Translation by Ian Maun
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Review: JUDY DYBLE ANOTHER BELGIAN REVIEW (Translated)
Dyble, Judy – Talking With Strangers
Review published on 24/3/2013
Lovers of English folk may well raise an eyebrow on hearing the name of Judy Dyble again. This venerable lady, now in her sixties, had an illustrious history on the English folk scene in the Sixties and Seventies, as she was the first female singer with the legendary Fairport Convention and she was also one half of another legendary folk group, Trader Horne.
Judy Dyble was 18 when she joined Fairport Convention, one of the founding groups on the English folk rock scene. Fairport was famous for Sandy Denny’s time with the band as their lead vocalist. But before Sandy Denny, it was Judy Dyble who sang on the first album that Simon Nicol and Richard Thompson ever made, the eponymous ‘Fairport Convention’, which came out in 1968. During this time Judy also recorded backing vocals on the Incredible String Band’s third album, ‘The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter’, 1968, and hung out with the stars of the day, notably Jimi Hendrix and Syd Barrett.
She left Fairport Convention in 1968 to join Giles, Giles and Fripp, a band put together by Robert Fripp who was later to become the leader of King Crimson. It was her then boyfriend, Ian McDonald, who brought her into the band. When Judy broke up with McDonald and he joined King Crimson, she left to sing in Trader Horne with ex-Them musician Jacky McAuley, whom she met through Pete Sears, a session musician who initially played with the band before he left, leaving Trader Horne to continue as a duo. Trader Horne led a brief existence but out of it came one of the great albums of the English psychedelic folk era, ‘Morning Way’ (1970).
Then in 1973 Judy Dyble retired from the music scene. She became a librarian in Oxfordshire where she spent many happy and peaceful days with her husband and her children. When her husband died in 1994 Judy again felt the siren call to return to the music scene. This was a gradual process, beginning with guest appearances at Fairport Convention’s reunion concerts, then with two very limited edition releases of her albums ‘Enchanted Garden’ and ‘Songs from the Spindle and the Whorl’.
In 2008 Judy sat down to write a new album. ‘Talking with Strangers’ first came out in 2009 and has since been released a number of times, as the record has gained fame and popularity. Now a re-release on the Gonzo Multimedia label means that we can hear this album for the first time or have the opportunity to listen to it again. The album was made, as is usual on the folk scene, with old friends from the Sixties (Simon Nicol, Ian McDonald, Tim Bowness and even Robert Fripp among others).
Tinged with psychedelia, a classically-folk style runs through the seven numbers, to which have been added two bonus tracks. ‘Talking with Strangers’ takes us along peaceful, dreamy paths, from the lace-like grace of ‘Never Knowing’ via the diaphanous colours of ‘Jazzbirds’ and the reprise of Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s ‘C’est la Vie’ (written by Greg Lake who began his career in King Crimson with Robert Fripp, and who was a band member with Judy in Giles, Giles and Fripp). Then we run through a number of songs which are rather similar in sound. But the 20 minutes of ‘Harpsong’ put some real guts into this album. Yes, the song begins in an atmosphere of drifting Indian mysticism with celestial voices and tinkling harp. Saxophone and drums lend a space-rock like sound. Then bang! In comes a heavy rock beat which demolishes everything that has gone before, in true King Crimson style. We get a better understanding of this number better when we read that Judy wanted to put various episodes of her life and her musical career into it as a way of summing up her time here.
This gives spice to the whole album and then we finish on an uplifting note listening to ‘Sparkling’ and ‘Waiting’, two pleasant little bonus tracks. So the whole album will appeal both to those who love classic English folk and those who want to get to know the delightful person that is Judy Dyble, a great lady who has been just a little forgotten, which is rather unfair.
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Review: BELGIAN REVIEW OF JUDY DYBLE (Translated)
Rootstime TWS review translated
For most music lovers, the name of Judy Dyble to date probably have remained completely unknown. However, this now 64-year old lady a monument in the history of British folk music, though since almost 30 years no longer in the limelight has been. She was one of the founding members of the legendary band "Fairport Convention" and then she stood with her former lover Ian McDonald at the cradle of the band that later became the progressive rock band "King Crimson".
Judy Dyble However debuted in 1964 with "Judy And The Folkmen 'which they themselves composed songs and sang. As lead singer of 'Fairport Convention' she knew next bassist Ashley Hutchings, Simon Nicol singer and lead guitarist Richard Thompson in 1967 and 1968 its peak years in the folk music and she could share with concert venues including Jimi Hendrix and 'Pink Floyd'.
In 1973 Judy Dyble stepped out of the music business as a librarian to work and to establish a family to go with her husband Simon Stable. It was when this man died 21 years later in 1994 that she realized her feelings and emotions always wondered could write songs in and they therefore decided again to the composing work to concentrate. In 2004 and 2006 he published two albums of Judy Dyble in very limited edition, but it was only in 2009 when she was again in the spotlight with her album "Talking With Strangers". That was indeed the same album as the record that we are here and now you suggest, because four years after the original release was decided that this seven-track album back on the market and two additional songs as bonus tracks to add .
So you can completely re enjoying the songs "Neverknowing", "Jazz Birds", "C'est La Vie", "Talking with Strangers", "Dreamtime", "Grey October Day" (see video) and almost 20 minutes long "Harp Song". In the original recording work in 2009, Judy Dyble assisted by some of her old and trusted friends from her musical past. There are contributions from Mark Fletcher (bass), Harry Fletcher (guitar), Robert Fripp (soundscapes & guitar), violinist Rachel Hall and ex-colleagues Ian McDonald (flute, saxophone and ukulele), Simon Nicol (acoustic guitar).
The added two extra tracks on this re-release the songs "Sparkling" and "Waiting" which Judy Dyble together composed respectively Tim Bowness and Alistair Murphy, the two producers of the album, which also many of the instruments with which these songs are heard. "Talking With Strangers" is primarily an album that belongs in the record collection of the former fans of the bands in which Judy Dyble in the 60s and 70s an important role.
(Valsam)
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Review: JUDY DYBLE REVIEW
https://www.babyblaue-seiten.de/album_11415.html#21229
In 2013 appeared the meanwhile third CD edition of "Talking to Strangers". The year before, there was also the second limited-edition LP of the album to buy. Both came with a new cover by Jackie Morris on the market. That at the first CD-only edition in the cover tracklist available, but missing on the CD "Harpsong instrumental" 2013 has been replaced with two bonus tracks actually existent "Sparkling" and "Waiting". Strangely, you will find either on the CD or in the booklet notes on the label. On the Internet there is increasing evidence that it is in the mysterious publisher to Gonzo Multimedia. Any attempts of a sound improvement we have omitted it, even if I happen some pieces of "Harpsong" sound somewhat muffled.
Most of the compositions of "Talking to Strangers" made in collaboration between Judy Dyble and Tim Bowness. Accordingly, these an interesting fusion of psychedelic prog-folk of the 70's with the elements of the so-called new art rock represents If you like, you can re-discover as well a lot of the transitional period, as were of Giles, Giles & Fripp gradually King Crimson.
After a series of dreamy, or static sounding folk-prog pieces surprise some passages of "Harpsong" with stylistic bonds between King Crimson in the last occupation (before - perhaps final - resolution), the King Crimson and the first occupation of McDonald & Giles single-disc lie. Even more I like the group consisting of soundscapes, flute solos and ethnic percussion passages of longtracks, because these can hardly be compared with anything.
The title track and "Dreamtime", some compositional similarities with the style of the Renaissance formation in their most creative period. And it is also likely the biggest supporters of Judy Dyble be clear that the comparisons with Annie Haslam would not be in favor of Fr Dyble. Incidentally, one becomes aware of "Talking to Strangers" that Pat Mastelotto as a sensitive folk drummer looks good. Thanks Saxsolos Laurie A'Court getting a duet sung by Dyble and Tim Bowness melancholy "Grey October Day" a jazzy touch.
And then finally, the biggest surprise for me: The bonus track "Sparkling" provides with me with harps and Mellotronklängen and with the haunting mysterious atmosphere of enthusiasm. So I must declare a bonus track, my personal highlight of the album. Unfortunately, I was the exact origin of the two bonus tracks not previously determined. It can be assumed - as in most cases - that they were taken together with the other pieces, but the producer Tim Bowness and Alistair Murphy somewhat less liked.
"Talking to Strangers" will probably provide the listener with a dilemma, who want to separate the compositional structures of the classic prog of the atmospheric-flowing forms of the new millennium hip Artrock strictly. Who does not believe that they can harmonize well together both schools should listen to "Talking to Strangers".
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Talking With StrangersCD - £9.99
Review: JUDY DYBLE BELGIAN REVIEW
Judy Dyble - Talking with Strangers(2013)
Label: Gonzo Media Group
Band Site: www.judydyble.com
Running Time: 54:52
Reviewer: Harry 'JoJo' de Vries
Rating: 
(out of 5 JoJo's)
An illustrious names from the past, Judy Dyble. Singer in the pre Sandy Denny era on the debut album of Fairport Convention, member of Trader Horne, working with Robert Fripp, Ian McDonald and Giles brothers late 60s and Lol Coxhill. After that artistic successes broke another life of raising children, along with Simon Stable (ever active at Ten Years After), and work outside the music industry. But blood is thicker than water and since some years Dyble back to the front. And how! Dyble searched and foundcollaboration with our famous Tim Bowness and Alistair Murphy, both in composition and in the implementation of "Talking with Strangers". Murphy and Bowness wrote along with six of the nine songs, are active in all tracks and the whole breathes the atmosphere of No Man. Moreover Dyble her former relationships above, resulting in participation include Robert Fripp, Ian McDonald and Pat Mastelotto. Judy Dyble has still that beautiful voice that is so well suited for the folk music they used to make, and that fits well with the vocals and harmonies with Bowness. Although these folk influences on this album still exist, there are clearly progressive elements found. The influence of Bowness lets felt here.As in the beautiful opener 'Neverknowing' and the strong, indeed some jazzy sounding "Jazz Birds". Especially Grey October Day 'pleases me very much and that would, with a slight modification, so an album of No Man can stand.
The absolute highlight is the over 19 minutes of "Harp Song", the most progressive number "Talking with Strangers ', which Fripp fully indulges on guitar and soundscapes and Ian McDonald wonderful parties drop on both sax and flute. Much is happening both in structure and composition of the track and in terms of instrumentation, there is dynamism and variety and it remains exciting from beginning to end. "Harp Song" to the life of Dyble portray and, her biography reading, I can me there is something to imagine.The album is now reissued by Gonzo and that is the cause of two bonus tracks, 'Waiting' and 'Sparkling', which is not inferior to the rest. One downside, the Greg Lake / Pete Sinfield cover 'C'est la Vie' was for me not have to do as consummate cover hater and sounds to me a little too sweet.since the here discussed and stunning artwork inserted Judy Dyble album has been frequently Bowness collaborated with, among others resulting in the EP 'Grey October Day' from 2011, and Alistair Murphy. A fruitful cooperation, as does "Talking with Strangers" clear, tastes much more.
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Review: JUDY DYBLE REVIEW
Judy Dyble was best known for her work on the first Fairport Convention album. From then on, she moved to Giles, Giles and Fripp, where, together with Ian McDonald, she went on to record some demos for some future King Crimson compositions, which later turned up on A Young Person’s Guide to King Crimson. She also worked in a duo called Trader Horne. Judy left the musical scene in 1973 and except some appearances here and there didn’t return until the new millennium, when she started releasing solo albums.
Talking with Strangers is the fourth in the series of these new releases by Dyble. Being familiar of Judy from her Fairport Convention days, I have to admit that I wasn’t prepared for what was awaiting me on this recording.
The proceedings get on their way with some fairly harmless folk music, with Judy’s beautiful voice. The autoharp soon makes its grandiose appearance, while Bowness and Murphy also lend their talents. With a cover of ELP’s C’est la Vie, I was starting to wonder if perhaps Judy was running out of ideas, but these thoughts were quickly dispersed by the next few charming numbers. Grey October Day gives us yet another side of Judy and ends “side A” on a jazzy note.
While that would have been enough to satisfy my appetites for new Dyble material, she had more tricks up her sleeve. Being a fan of prog rock for more than 15 years, I’m a sucker for a good epic. And they don’t come much better than Harpsong! The beginning makes you think it’s going to be yet another lovely folk song, but the second part really takes us into progressive overdrive, with parts reminiscent of 70s King Crimson (also 21st Century Schizoid Man), a feeling made even stronger by the reunion of Dyble’s companions from her Giles, Giles and Fripp days, namely Robert Fripp and Ian McDonald, whose contributions are clearly felt and make a huge impact.
From the smooth folk rock of the beginning, to the slightly jazzier Grey October Day and the full-blown progressive rock epic of Harpsong, this album does no wrong. I hope Talking with Strangers is just the start of Judy’s return because this clearly shows Judy had no business walking away from music in the first place. Judy, we want more!
9 out of 10.
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Thanks to Facebook I had some contact with singer Judy Dyble in the past. At the time she promised me to send some promos to review for this website. Back then I didn't know that she was an award-winning British singer-songwriter. Moreover, I wasn't aware of the fact that she was one of the vocalists and founder members of Fairport Convention and Trader Horne. In between she joined and recorded several tracks together with Ian McDonald for Giles, Giles and Fripp, a band that after her departure evolved into King Crimson. I didn't know either that Judy Dyble left the music business in 1973 in order to work with her husband. At the 1981 Fairport Convention Annual Reunion she appeared on stage as a surprise guest. Following her husband's death in 1994, she began to write and perform again. This resulted in her debut album Enchanted Garden (2004) followed by Spindle and The Whorl (both 2006) and her latest album Talking With Strangers (2009). Eventually she has never sent me any promos; she must have forgotten it I guess. So I wasn't familiar with her music, but thanks to the re-release of her latest album I am now.
Judy Dyble was best known for her work on the first Fairport Convention album. From then on, she moved to Giles, Giles and Fripp, where, together with Ian McDonald, she went on to record some demos for some future King Crimson compositions, which later turned up on A Young Person’s Guide to King Crimson. She also worked in a duo called Trader Horne. Judy left the musical scene in 1973 and except some appearances here and there didn’t return until the new millennium, when she started releasing solo albums. 