TUDOR LODGE

Once again Esoteric continue to mine the seams of those long lost treasures of yesteryear, presenting forgotten gems at affordable prices. Original LP copies of this 1971 album were known to fetch silly amounts of money; a combination of the sought after Vertigo `spiral' label, and the genuinely excellent contents within.

Ostensibly an acoustic folk trio, they are augmented by the Pentangle rhythm section of Danny Thompson and Terry Cox among many other contributors, which gives a huge clue as to the level of musical accomplishment on show here. There are inevitable comparisons with Pentangle, but the trio of Lyndon Green, Ann Steuart and John Stannard are individual enough to make this a wonderful and beautifully recorded album full of truly memorable self-penned tunes and infused with that uniquely English rustic sound.

Vocal duties are equally shared but Ann Steuart in particular, has a crystal clear voice which is well up there with her peers, and on the opening track `It All Comes Back To Me' it shines out amongst chiming acoustic guitars, double bass and flute. `Two Steps Back' is also a particularly fine example of a beautifully arranged timeless melody which delights the ears and recalls sweeter, simpler times. The album maintains a consistency, the guitar arrangements are beautiful and the trio is augmented by some 12 guest musicians adding their brush strokes along the way. This was seemingly an album made with much care and attention, although we are told the studio time only totalled two weeks...

It is somewhat of a mystery that this album did not find a wider audience in it's own lifetime. A wonderful discovery which sounds fresh and assured and easily worth five stars.