Roots: The Best of Show of Hands

Last updated

Roots
Roots The Best of Show of Hands.jpg
Greatest hits album by
Released19 November 2007
Recorded1990–2007
Genre
Length152:49
Label Hands on Music
Producer
Show of Hands chronology
Witness
(2006)
Roots
(2007)
Live at Exeter Phoenix
(2008)

Roots, subtitled The Best of Show of Hands is a "best-of"/"greatest hits" album by British folk duo Show of Hands released in 2007, [1] [2] the year of their 20th anniversary as an official collaboration (prior to 1987 they had collaborated several times without the name Show of Hands).

Contents

The album has two discs designed to be the best of the band's career. Short Stories (disc one) features some of the band's most popular songs whilst Longdogs (disc two) aimed to feature one track from each of their albums voted for in a poll on the duo's forum Longdogs.

The album received positive reviews such as in Living Tradition, [3] and Spiral Earth. [4]

fRoots reported that the album charted at number 22 in the "Amazon.co.uk Folk/Roots/World 30" in November 2015, described by the magazine as the "non-budget price CD sales from Amazon.co.uk" for folk, roots and world albums from that month. [5]

Background

A previous best-of album, entitled Show of Hands, was released in 2000 by Track Records. This album was also a double album featuring recordings of 25 of their tracks recorded during a soundtrack in 1999, some previously released on Anglicana. Comparing Roots and Show of Hands, they feature almost entirely different songs than each other, and all different versions of those the same.

Some of the song were re-recorded for this album and a lot of the tracks were recorded live (see Inclusion section.) Despite being a best of album, some of the songs also segued into the next, ala Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd . "Roots" is also represented in its mix form as seen its music video form. Of the duo's twelve studio albums at the time, all but their third Out for the Count were represented in some form.

Short Stories had its tracks picked by the duo whilst disc two Longdogs had its songs picked by the duo's forum Longdogs, [6] achieved by each of their albums (including live albums) where each of their studio and live albums bar Cold Cuts had a poll where the winner from each poll made it onto Longdogs.

Inclusion

Track listing

Short Stories
No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."Roots"2007 remix (originally on Witness , 2006)4:09
2."Are We Alright"2007 re-recording (originally on Cold Frontier , 2001)3:04
3."Exile"2007 re-recording (originally on Show of Hands , 1987)3:47
4."Country Life" Country Life , 20033:57
5."Widecombe Fair" Cold Frontier , 20013:26
6."The Falmouth Packet / Haul Away Joe" Witness , 20065:32
7."Santiago"2007 re-recording (originally from Alianza , 1992)6:13
8."Armadas" Beat about the Bush , 19944:30
9."The Blue Cockade" Beat about the Bush , 19946:02
10."Crow on the Cradle"2007 re-recording (originally from Cold Cuts , 2002)4:28
11."The Preacher" Lie of the Land , 19954:25
12."Cousin Jack"Live version (originally from Dark Fields , 1997)6:50
13."Cold Frontier" Cold Frontier , 20014:15
14."Hard Shoulder" Country Life , 20035:17
15."Captains" Lie of the Land , 19954:03
16."The Galway Farmer"The Big Gig (live), 2001 (originally from Beat about the Bush , 1994)5:42
Longdogs
No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."Columbus (Didn't Find America)" Live at the Royal Albert Hall (live), 1996 (originally from Columbus EP/single, 1993)5:13
2."You're Mine" Cold Frontier , 20014:02
3."The Blind Fiddler" Live (live), 19943:00
4."The Setting / Mary from Dungloe" As You Were (live), 20053:54
5."The Bristol Slaver" Dark Fields , 19973:52
6."Port Isaac" The Path , 20034:23
7."The Train / Blackwaterside" Folk Music , 19986:51
8."Be Lucky" As You Were (live), 20055:10
9."Longdog" Dark Fields , 19972:44
10."The Keeper" Lie of the Land , 19955:18
11."The Downeaster 'Alexa'" Covers , 20003:10
12."The Oak" Beat about the Bush , 19943:03
13."Innocents' Song / Gwithian" Witness , 20064:35
14."Tall Ships" Tall Ships , 1990 (Shorter version present on Show of Hands, 1987)21:56

Related Research Articles

<i>Beat about the Bush</i> 1994 studio album by Show of Hands

Beat About the Bush is the fourth studio album by English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands. Originally released by Twah! Records in 1994, it was their debut studio album to be released on CD, following the discontinued cassette albums that are Show of Hands from 1987, Tall Ships from 1990 and Out of the Count from 1991. It was their only studio album on Twah! Records, and was subsequently re-released in 1999 on the duo's own label, Hands on Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Show of Hands</span>

Show of Hands is an English acoustic roots/folk duo formed in 1986 by singer-songwriter Steve Knightley and composer and multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer. Joined by singer and double-bassist Miranda Sykes for a tour in 2004, Show of Hands continued to regularly perform as a trio with Sykes, as well as in their original format. In 2019 the line-up was further expanded by the addition of Irish percussionist Cormac Byrne.

<i>Show of Hands Live</i> 1992 live album by Show of Hands

Live is the first live album by English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands. After the duo had recorded three studio albums on cassette from 1987–1991, the last of these being Out for the Count, the duo set on recording a live album for their first Compact Disc release. They enlisted Mark Trim to engineer and produce a live album of the duo's performance at The Bull Hotel, Bridport, in the duo's native Devon. The album features all sixteen songs from the performance which featured numerous guest musicians, including the band's long-time collaborator Matt Clifford and Beer's sporadic collaborator Paul Downes.

<i>Lie of the Land</i> 1995 studio album by Show of Hands

Lie of the Land is the fifth studio album by English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands. Following the live band setting of the band's previous album, 1994's Beat about the Bush, the duo sought a simpler sound that featured just themselves, with the duo trying to capture their live sound, which included experimenting with DI units and making the maximum use of pick-ups and pre-amplifiers. The album was produced by Gerard O'Farrell, who by this point had become the band's manager, and recorded in July 1995 in Bredon, Gloucestershire.

<i>Dark Fields</i> (album) 1997 studio album by Show of Hands

Dark Fields is the sixth studio album by English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands, released in 1997 on their own label Hands on Music. The album follows the duo's 1996 performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London, a performance which raised their profile. A live album of the performance was released as Live at the Royal Albert Hall in August, becoming the band's best selling album. The duo followed the success with Dark Fields.

<i>Folk Music</i> (album) 1998 studio album by Show of Hands

Folk Music is the seventh studio album by English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands. After the successes of their 1996 Royal Albert Hall performance and their subsequent album Dark Fields (1997), the duo decided to record a limited edition album featuring the duo's renditions of traditional folk music. It was recorded in September 1998 as a project to connect the band to their roots.

<i>Country Life</i> (Show of Hands album) 2003 studio album by Show of Hands

Country Life is the eleventh studio album by English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands. Released in 2003, it marks a departure for the band, with stronger socially and politically lyrics than the duo's previous albums, as well as showcasing the duo exploring a larger musical palette. Some of the album's lyrics concern rural issues which Knightley had taken to heart in previous years, including in the aftermath of their previous lyrical album Cold Frontier (2001). Prior to the release of Country Life, the duo had released an instrumental album named The Path. Both The Path and Country Life were released close together. The album was packaged in a lavish set which included a bonus disc of demo versions and other bonus material. The album's title track was also promoted by the band's first music video.

<i>Cold Frontier</i> 2001 studio album by Show of Hands

Cold Frontier is the ninth studio album by English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands. It was recorded in early 2001 on location by the Countess Wear at the River Exe, Exeter, Devon, with Mick Dolan, engineer for Steve Winwood, co-producing the album with the duo. The album features a stripped down, acoustic sound. The duo's website says the album is "possibly Show of Hands’ finest work so far." The album comes with a full colour twenty page booklet, all the lyrics, and comments on the background of each track.

<i>The Path</i> (Show of Hands album) 2003 studio album by Show of Hands

The Path is the tenth studio album by English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands, released in April 2003. The album was conceived as an "instrumental journey" around the South West Coast Path, a 630-mile coastline path opened in 1978 in the duo's native West Country, and a celebration of the coastline's "sights and sounds". It is the band's only completely instrumental album, with each of its songs named after and inspired by different locations on the path. It was a project between Show Of Hands and The South West Coast Path Team, as part of the latter's celebrations for the silver jubilee of the path. As such the album is endorsed by various organisations who own different parts of the path, namely The Countryside Agency, The National Trust and English Heritage Commission,.and the music is ambient instrumentals inspired by different locations around the coastline.

<i>Covers</i> (Show of Hands album) 2000 studio album by Show of Hands

Covers is the eighth studio album by English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands. The album was released in 2000 by the duo's own label Hands on Music. The album exclusively features cover versions of thirteen songs by the duo, chosen and recorded to reflect the band's contemporary musical influences. As such, the album contains no Steve Knightley compositions. The album was recorded over two days in Chudleigh Town Hall, Devon, with producer Gerald O'Farrell, and features only "straight performances", with its songs being untouched by post-production or techniques such as overdubbing or double tracking, presenting a "live" sound. The album followed their limited edition release Folk Music (1998), which featured the band's versions of traditional folk songs, and was the duo's first array into creating an album of music without Knightley compositions.

<i>Cold Cuts</i> (Show of Hands album) 2002 live album by Show of Hands

Cold Cuts is the third live album by English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands. Following the duo's successful Royal Albert Hall performance in 2001 which was televised as The Big Gig, the duo released the studio album Cold Frontier in September of that year, which saw the duo use a more basic instrumental set up that what they had grown accustomed to. A critical success, they followed it with The Cold Frontier Tour in November 2001. The tour was unusual in that the duo opted to perform both obscure older material and cover versions in re-arranged formats, in addition to material from Cold Frontier. Many of the tracks had never featured on a Sho of Hands album before. A critical success, the duo and Mick Dolan had recorded performances from the tour for usage as the live album Cold Cuts.

<i>Witness</i> (Show of Hands album) 2006 studio album by Show of Hands

Witness is the twelfth studio album by British folk duo Show of Hands. The album was recorded in January 2006 at Presshouse Studio, Colyton, Devon, and was produced by Simon Emmerson and Simon ‘Mass’ Massey from the Afro Celts, who helped to incorporate elements of traditional African, ambient and electronic dance music with the duo's characteristic folk style. It was the band's first album in twelve years to use a rhythm section. Lyrically, the album addresses communal and heritage values, and was described by the duo's lead singer Steve Knightley as a "cinematic style journey of the West Country." The album features unofficial third member Miranda Sykes on ten of its twelve tracks.

<i>As You Were</i> (Show of Hands album) 2005 live album by Show of Hands

As You Were is the fourth live album by English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands. Following the release of their acclaimed tenth studio album Country Life in 2003, which itself was promoted by a tour, the duo were named the "Best Live Act" at the 2004 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. The live interest in the duo ultimately lead to a greater interest when the band announced their Autumn Tour 2004. The tour itself ran from November–December and included Miranda Sykes as a collaborator, her first collaboration with the duo. With the band's producer and engineer of the era Mick Dolan, the entire tour was recorded onto MiniDisc, with the duo subsequently ploughing through each concert recording the following day to identify the best performances and then collating and working through the "A list again" to find the best tracks to create the live album.

<i>Covers 2</i> (Show of Hands album) 2010 studio album by Show of Hands with Miranda Sykes

Covers 2 is the fourteenth studio album by British folk duo Show of Hands. An official collaboration with double bassist and vocalist Miranda Sykes, who had been the duo's unofficial third member for six years, it is the duo's second album of cover versions, following Covers (2000). The album was intended for "friends and fans" of the duo, and an attempt to record songs that the duo had played live for some time. The album was produced by Mark Tucker and recorded as a mostly "straightforward" recording with little overdubs or extra production work.

<i>Rhythm Methodist</i> 2005 studio album by Phil Beer

Rhythm Methodist is the fourth studio album by Phil Beer. Recorded at Riverside Studio whilst on a break from Show of Hands, the album is a double album, with disc one, Songs, containing cover versions of songs, whilst disc two, Instrumentals, consists almost entirely of Beer's arrangements of traditional, instrumental pieces. An eclectic array of instruments, influences and guest musicians feature on the album.

<i>Show of Hands</i> (1987 album) 1987 studio album by Show of Hands

Show of Hands is the debut album by English folk duo Show of Hands. The duo formed when Phil Beer took a break from folk rock band The Albion Band, requesting to Steve Knightley that they record a cassette together in Knightley's garage. Knightley, who had recently returned to the duo's native Devon after departing London, agreed, and the duo recorded the album together in January 1987 in Catsley Home, described by Knightley as an outbuilding in the remotest part of Dorset. The album contains twelve compositions, mostly songs by Knightley.

<i>Tall Ships</i> (album) 1990 studio album by Show of Hands

Tall Ships is the second album by Show of Hands, released in 1990 on cassette only. It contains the band's 22 minute medley "Tall Ships". Songs from the album appear on Backlog 1987-1991, a 1995 album containing songs from the band's earlier material for the first time on CD. This was due to Tall Ships going out of print later in 1990.

<i>Out for the Count</i> 1991 studio album by Show of Hands

Out for the Count is the third album by Show of Hands. The album follows Phil Beer's departure from The Albion Band in 1990, allowing Show of Hands to become a full-time partnership. Recorded straight to Digital Audio Tape in The Old Court, Devon, in 1991, the duo released the album later on in the year on cassette, becoming the final of their cassette-only releases.

<i>Wake the Union</i> 2012 studio album by Show of Hands

Wake the Union is the sixteenth studio album by British folk duo Show of Hands. Although their fifteenth studio album, it is their eighth in their "canon" of studio albums. The release follows the successful Arrogance Ignorance and Greed (2009) and the limited edition albums Covers 2 (2010) and Backlog 2 (2011). Recorded and produced by Mark Tucker, the album takes a strong influence from both English and American folk music and was created as a "journey through of [the two countries'] landscapes united by a common tongue and musical heritage". The album again features their unofficial third member Miranda Sykes. The album was also described by Knightley as a direct continuation of Arrogance Ignorance and Greed, although critics saw it as very distinct in its own right. The album was also a 20th anniversary celebration for the duo.

<i>Backlog 2</i> 2011 studio album by Show of Hands

Backlog 2 is the fifteenth studio album by Devonian folk duo Show of Hands. Following the release of their limited edition "back to basics" cover album Covers 2 (2010), which was intended for "fans and friends" and released in a limited edition manner in a way that would only appeal to fans and friends, the duo wanted to release an album with fan participation. As the duo had retired many of their older songs from live performances, they asked fans on their internet forum Longdogs to select twenty Show of Hands tracks from 1992–2003 that they would like to hear the duo perform and re-record.

References

  1. "BBC – Devon – People – The Best of Show of Hands". Archived from the original on 15 July 2023. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  2. "Roots: The Best of Show of Hands - Show of Hands | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". Archived from the original on 29 March 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
  3. "Living Tradition CD review of SHOW OF HANDS - Roots, The Best of… Show of Hands". Archived from the original on 23 October 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
  4. "Roots The Best Of Show Of Hands album review at SpiralEarth.co.uk". www.spiralearth.co.uk. Archived from the original on 13 December 2007.
  5. "fRoots Charts and Lists". Archived from the original on 2 February 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  6. "Roots – The Best of SOH | Show of Hands". Archived from the original on 11 February 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2012.