Tudor Lodge - TUDOR LODGE***

It All Comes Back To Me/Would You Believe/Recollection/Two Steps Back/Help Me Find Myself/Nobody's Listening/Willow Tree/Forest/I See A Man/The Lady's Changing Home/Madeline/Kew Gardens

Self titled sole album release from the English folk ensemble Tudor Lodge. They formed a prominent part of the London folk circuit in the early 1970s but soon split after personnel upheavals.

“This album's production is absolutely perfect, with nothing seeming to be overdone, but so full and tasteful. Great guitar instrumental, a great rhythm section, and the songwriting and singing are top-notch as well. Just progressive enough to delight those who are bored by the same old folk.”

“Although generally considered to be part of the progressive folk scene, the emphasis is very much on the folk side of the equation here. The warm, evocative production makes this a pleasant, approachable listen, and the very occasional inclusion of more psychedelic or electric elements stops things getting samey.”

“Simply wonderful gentle, lilting melodies that are not over sweet; beautiful vocal harmonies; faultless arrangements, playing and polished production; terrific but subtle use of woodwind in key places. I like the relaxing atmosphere and the tenderness of it all. Some songs have harmonically interesting parts, especially the wind instruments. Nothing on the album, or even within a single song or track, is ever overdone or underdone, it has a superb balance. It's a tragedy they originally made only one album in the 70s, but what an album they gave us.”

“Here is one of those unjustly forgotten one album wonders from an astonishingly fertile creative period in music. Rooted in folk but tinged with progressive rock in its gentler aspects, Tudor Lodge offered something tender and joyous to the willing listener. In some ways, I'm reminded a little of Renaissance, but re-imagined in terms of chamber music as opposed to sweeping orchestral music.”

“There was a distinctive sort of female vocal then, wistful and childlike, yet also wise and knowing; and it's shown to full effect here, with songs that evoke both Elizabethan pastoral and tinges of acid-folk. It was a period of fragile beauty, one that couldn't last, but this is a haunting reminder of what it felt like then.”

“Very pastoral, melodic folk with mostly acoustic guitar, the occasionally solid use of bass and drums and some other orchestral instrumental touches. The vocal harmonies rival any of the folk albums that I have heard to date.”