The Joy Strings have a web site here. There is much information provided and also a where are they now section. If you are a Joystring fan you will want to check out this site.
Tracks:
01. Once In Royal David's City
02. I Saw Three Ships
03. Czeck Rocking Carol
04. Across The Plains
05. Dance Of The Shepherds
06. On A Dark Night
07. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
08. Hurry Shepherds
09. Rise Up Shepherds
10. Hush, Hush, Hush
11. Carol of the Bagpipes
12. Just Be Grateful
Biterate: 320 Download
Though I don't particularly celebrate christmas myself, I do like many of the carols as songs and pieces of music, even where I think the lyrics are just awfully trite. Even when I was an athiest I could appreciate them, and hymns too, for musically, christians have, down the ages knocked out some tremendous pieces. I don't like most of the versions on this particular album, but there are enough good ones here and on their "Well seasoned" LP to make one worthwhile set.
ReplyDeleteBut you know, I have an admiration for the Joystrings and what they were trying to do back then. To be honest, they typified the paradox/contradiction ? that was the Salvation army. On one hand, they were so stiff and out of touch in the eyes of the general populace. Yet, they brought out a grudging admiration in many because they cared. They showed that they were prepared to get their hands dirty and endure the scorn of the society around them. They thought of others before their own wants and desires.
One thinks of their unsexy uniforms, brass bands, jumble sales and charity shops and unconsciously I think many still identify them with a bygone era that predated the 60s, really. Some of the songs on the Joystrings two LPs on these two blogs are unsurprizing; soft, twee, mellow songs that your Granny would approve of. But interspersed with them are some sub-garag-y rockers that are, if not ahead of their time, then certainly pointing the way somewhere that wasn't in many believers' mindsets at the time. The Hebrew-ish, Spanishy, Peter Paul and Mary fusion of "Hurry Shepherds" may be an unrealized attempt at something earthshattering, but it's importance lies in the attempt. It demonstrates that there were progressive elements in the band which isn't necessarilly obvious from the members' biographies. Interesting people, interesting album in parts. Glad to have it.