Nuffsed - Fields Keep Calling

Tuesday 1st February 1994
Nuffsed - Fields Keep Calling
Nuffsed - Fields Keep Calling

STYLE: Roots/Acoustic
RATING 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 4267-5050
LABEL: Kingsway Music KMCD731
FORMAT: CD Album
ITEMS: 1
RELEASE DATE: 1994-03-04
RRP: £9.99

Reviewed by Phil Thomson

Risks. Like it or not, to be truly creative, to communicate effectively, you have to take risks. This is an offering which takes any amount of them - and gets away with it: production/lyrics by editor Tony Cummings, who bravely bares the other side of his pen (try "Paradoxically" for a start); Terry Mills almost reinventing the Incredible String Band in order to wrap his music around copious choruses and raconteur verses. Pushing it a bit in this 30-second culture of ours. Yet with simple production values and understated performance, Nuffsed's heart-on-the-sleeve entreaty takes home-spun whimsy and global finger-pointing in its stride. In case you don't have CR16 to hand, Nuffsed are a pop-rock roots band from the Midlands who have in Terry Mills (vocals, acoustic guitar, mandola and composer) a major new find in terms of hook-laden material while the rest of the sprawling band (it's almost a co-operative, nine members... and counting) get the instrumental and vocal blend - keyboard player Adam Bird also sings a couple of leads - just right. Playing time is way above average (almost an hour of music) well known roots musicians like Jonathan Day, Neill Forrest, Mike Stanley, Phil Wright and Dave Fitzgerald all lend a hand here and there and standout songs like the poignant "Terra Firma"; the infectious folk stomper "Shining Through" and the epic, slow title track have already established a reputation with the group's fans. Perhaps, with a certain amount of objectivity and a big budget, this team will have the courage to try for a Renaissance or even a Runrig next CD. 'Fields Keep Calling' flies in the face of all those legions of slick technocrats and airheads and is all the better for it. The roots revolution continues to grow.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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Reader Comments

Posted by David Taylor in London, UK @ 20:05 on Apr 20 2007

My mum sang backing vocal to the 13th track of this album when it was recorded in Birmingham. My dad actually brought me to the recording when I was still a baby. He was a real fan and I have found memories of listening to some of these songs through my childhood.



The opinions expressed in the Reader Comments are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms.

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