Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
For some the thought of not being recognised in their lifetime for their talent can constitute a drama, a performance of ideals that they might see going begging. This approach can be soul destroying, it can leave a mark on those coming up behind, perhaps influenced by the artist, a cycle of regret can be seen to take place, not realising that occasionally in the sadness of passing, comes a greater moment of beauty, of knowing that what you created will live on beyond your years and take hold of the future, and those that live with in its sphere, with pleasure.
The sea perhaps understands the sentiment in such a statement, it takes time to eat away at a cliff face, to erode all that has been deposited over millions of years, but the reveal will be worth it when you see a landscape change, when you can look out to the oceans and hear the sound of The Maritime Suite. The call of the Captain heard audibly and with authority as he maintains the vessel’s course, such is the performance heard over time and tide that what may have been seen as the outlook been lost by distance, instead becomes a charming, and necessary reminder of what was once envisioned.
When Folk Hero Peter Bellamy passed on in 1991, time and tide arguably mourned alongside his legions of fans in equal and tear-stained manner, so much musical heritage lost, so many possibilities unfulfilled, and above it all the knowledge that perhaps his greatest gift to the ravage of sweeping, crested waves, the cycle of songs he had named The Maritime Suite would not see the light of day or be heard and the memory of his work would somehow seem incomplete.
The song of the sea, a passionate voice that surrounds all who live by the towering crashes of the oceans or those who feel at home on the island of their choosing, a mixture of melodies, the delight of his appreciation for the work of Rudyard Kipling as it twists into shape, mimicking the call of the wild lost at storms; all now finding a place in the world and thanks to the diligent thought and process of capturing the entire suite by Fellside Recordings.
In songs such as Sir Patrick Spens, The Spanish Armada, The Zealous Puritan, The Dutch in the Medway, Andrew Rose & The Cruel Ship’s Captain, The Death of Nelson, The Drowned Sailor and You Gentlemen of England, what comes eagerly to mind is how historic this recording is, what a joy it is to relish in a moment that many may have even forgotten had ever happened; like the raising of the Tudor flagship The Mary Rose, the wait has been worth it and whilst the fans will never forget the man, they will now celebrate the memory with even greater virtue laid out at the roll call of honour.
To all those lost at sea, at tide and time, The Maritime Suite is a honour bound memory relived.
Ian D. Hall