Mick Softley "Any Mother Doesn't Grumble" 1972
















A beautiful sensitive album, lyrically and musically, it has to be the best yet from Mick. Beautifully produced by Tony Cox, who also produced his two previous albums, and features on keyboards, Mick is augmented by Jerry Donahue, electric guitar, Pat Donaldson, electric bass, Gerry Conway and Barry de Souza, drums and percussion, and Lyn Dobson, soprano and tenor saxes, flute and harmonica.

Quite honestly, it's impossible to fault; every song has a beauty and significance of its own. Throughout, the arranging enhances Mick's songwriting abilities.

"The Song That I Sing," the opening track, starts off gently with Mick and guitar developing into an electric instrumental, highlighting Lyn's amazing reedwork, based on a mellow piano phrase from Tony. An effective atmospheric scene-setter for what follows.

"The Minstrel Song" exemplifies Mick's lonely plaintive sounding voice. "From The Land Of The Crab" is a personal favourite, which has a huge majestic feeling to it, creating images of some awe inspiring vastness. Tony Cox has given it almost a country arrangement, which features Lyn to good effect again. "Lady Willow" is a simple delicate song containing bird-like flutework.

"Great Wall Of Cathay" is another of Mick's songs that contains a haunting feeling of vastness and unanswerable questions. "Have You Ever Really Seen The Stars" has an intense beauty to it. Listening to it one almost feels an intruder into the man's soul.

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