SHAVE THE MONKEY

What is different here? Honestly, for the first half of the disk, not a whole lot, except these performers do much better on the instrumentals. Cynically, this is partly due to their generally undistinguished voices. Optimistically, it is because they can really play, know how to blend the building blocks of a medley together, and seem to have at least been introduced to the secret progressive handshake, if only via an association with MUSEA. On the subject of the progressive quotient, I caution you not to get too excited, but "Chameleon / Except From Rambling Sailor / La Sansonette" isn't seven and a half minutes long for nothing, and gets downright eerie at times, dense and rousing at others, especially towards the end, while "Nimbus/Shadowlands" could almost be mistaken for CAMEL circa "Harbor of Tears", which should not shock you in any case. TULL is surely referenced as well. The haunting closer is the strongest of the vocal tracks, helped along by more flute and vibrant guitar.

By no means a landmark recording in any genre, "Mad Arthur"'s credentials should be sufficient to keep all but the most savage primates among us from pulling out their hair.

Indeed, between the hurdy-gurdy, the piccolos and bombarde, the luthes, bouzoukis and mandolins, the clichéd crystalline female vocals, the usual jigs and ballads, you'll definitely not wander onto uncharted musical landscapes. Yes there are some rockier instruments used, like guitars, bass and drums (typically in the more progressive moments), but it remains quite folky. There are some enchanting moments, like the haunting Sad Marie, but there are too many filler jigs and jugs and when it gets melancholic , it's very cliché

I wouldn't want to discourage you, but there is very little point to make such an album, when you've got tons of them that were made in the glorious decades of the folk revival. Up to you, but if I were you, I'd pass on this one.