Nic Jones

"In Search of Nic Jones" 1998



















Pete Heywood:
The intention in putting together the album was to recreate a typical Nic Jones concert set and in this respect the album gets it spot on including Nic's legendary 'anti false-encore' last song. Whereas most performers would finish off with a crowd rouser, Nic would do the opposite and choose a quiet song. 'Thanksgiving', a song written by Rick Lee, closes the album leaving you satisfied yet looking for more.

The choice of songs on the album is interesting. Most of the songs are traditional but three by modern writers show that Nic had an ear for a good song. 'Texas girl at the funeral of her mother' is a new one on me and of the two instrumental tracks, 'Teddy Bears Picnic' may not be what you would expect. It was very much part of Nic's repertoire though and is a grand version.

For me the highlight of the album is Nic's version of 'Lord Franklin' which is sure to result in a new lease of life for the song. When Paul Brady sang 'Arthur McBride and the Sergeant', his treatment was so different that it became a definitive version. 'Lord Franklin' was not normally in Nic's repertoire, it came as quite a surprise when he heard the tape of it - recorded during a concert in Italy - as he doesn't remember having sung it in public. Perhaps he had some spare time that day and ran through it with the idea of introducing it into his set for variation. Whatever the reason, the result is a performance that sets a new standard.

'Ruins by the Shore' is another highlight. There can't have been too many songs inspired by a scene from Planet of the Apes - this song, I suggest, is a gem. Nic wrote a lot of songs, at one time he set himself a target of writing one a week, but just as he was critical of his own performances which if he didn't get right first time he moved on - most of his songs did not match up to his own exacting standards and he moved on to the next one. 'The Rose of Allendale' is given the Jones treatment which provided the inspiration for Mary Black's version.

Every time you saw Nic there was some noticeable variation in style - he was never one to stick rigidly to an arrangement and his guitar style changed over time. I have yet to sit down and listen to this album alongside Penguin Eggs or The Noah's Ark Trap, or to a muffled live recording we have of Nic at The Kilmarnock Folk Club. For the time being I am not analysing it, I am enjoying it.

The CD is 'album length', about 40 minutes. Since it was released everybody seems to have told Julia that they were disappointed that their particular favourite song was not chosen from the tapes. There are times when more can be less and my reaction when I got to the end of the album was to immediately play it over again. There are yet more gems to follow and because this CD is not a 'best of', future releases are likely to be just as strong.

For Dave Emery, the album was a labour of love. In the sleeve notes he gave his own opinion on the importance of Nic Jones. "When trying to analyse more closely I think that a combination of strengths collaborated to produce the most individual of acoustic music performers. It is his maturity as a singer and guitarist and as a portrayer of a story or message, and his sensitivity which drew in all the strands, together with an almost effortless skill and energy and whose breathtaking performances mark him to this day as one of the most influential and respected performers of his time."