"A Little Bit Of Glory/Back To The Garden/Don't Let Your Family Down" by DAVE CARTWRIGHT – Second, Third and Fourth Studio Albums from 1972, 1973 and 1974 on Transatlantic Records (October 2020 UK Beat Goes On (BGO) Compilation – 3LPs Remastered Onto 2CDs – Andrew Thompson Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review And 205 Others Is Available In My AMAZON E-Book 

BOTH SIDES NOW

FOLK & COUNTRY 

And Genres Thereabouts

Your Guide To Exceptional CD Reissues and Remasters

For the 1960s and 1970s

All Reviews In-Depth and from the Discs Themselves

(No Cut And Paste Crap)

<iframe style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=mabasreofcdbl-21&language=en_GB&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=B08FFVZKH7&asins=B08FFVZKH7&linkId=eb23bbcba447d1fd50617da642401b60&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true"></iframe>

<iframe style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=mabasreofcdbl-21&language=en_GB&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=B08FP2BQNK&asins=B08FP2BQNK&linkId=b4310a942a68a5c20f92a622c2a5568f&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true"></iframe>

"...Helping Hand..."

England's Beat Goes On have a long history of reissuing Folk and especially Folk-Rock - a tradition Surrey-man Dave Cartwright belonged to. 

What you get here are his second, third and fourth British albums issued on Nathan Joseph's Transatlantic Records in 1972, 1973 and 1974. BGO have clumped that trio onto a classy 2CD reissue/remaster and added a chunky booklet and card slipcase. Here are the details...

UK released 23 October 2020 - "A Little Bit Of Glory/Back To The Garden/Don't Let Your Family Down" by DAVE CARTWRIGHT on Beat Goes On BGOCD 1429 (Barcode 5017261214294) offers 3LPs Remastered onto 2CDs and plays out as follows: 

CD1 (79:12 minutes): 

1. Song For Susan [Side 1]

2. Rainbow Green 

3. Blue-Eyed Jean 

4. We All Need A King 

5. Tom All Alone 

6. Song Of Davy 

7. It Hardly Ever Rains [Side 2]

8. Oh Sweet Momma

9. 50 Miles Of Blue 

10. Middle Of The Road 

11. Good Times Are Coming Again 

Tracks 1 to 11 are his second studio album "A Little Bit of Glory" - released 1972 in the UK on Transatlantic Records TRA 255. Dave Cartwright on Guitar, Harmonica and Vocals with guests Paul Brett on Electric Guitar, Pete Chapman on Bass and Roger Odell/John Dean on Drums and Percussion. Backing Vocals by Liz Pearson and Clare Torry 

12. Nights Of Magic [Side 1]

13. My Delicate Skin 

14. Cobweb Broom 

15. To Make Tomorrow Green 

16. A Little Bit Of Glory 

17. Dark Eyed Sailor [Side 2]

18. Shepherd's Return 

19. Chains 

20. Angeline 

21. Dance Of The Seasons 

22. Back To The Garden (Reprise)

Tracks 12 to 22 are his third studio album "Back To The Garden" - released May 1973 in the UK on Transatlantic Records TRA 267. Guests include Mike Moran and ted Taylor on Keyboards, Paul Keogh and Ray Fenwick on Guitars, Graham Preskott on Mandolin, Bouzouki, Violins and more with Chris Karan and Barry De Sousa on Drums. 

CD2 (38:31 minutes):

1. Travelling Show [Side 1]

2. Don't Let Your Family Down

3. England

4. Joanna 

5. Do You Remember?

6. It Isn't Easy [Side 2]

7. Court Of The Queen 

8. Maggie My Dear 

9. When Love Comes Home 

10. Song And Dance Man

Tracks 1 to 10 are his fourth studio album "Don't Let Your Family Down" - released September 1974 in the UK on Transatlantic TRA 284. 

The presentation is top class - a pretty card slipcase that lends these BGO reissues a touch of class and an impressive 24-page booklet that reproduces the voluminous lyrics across all the albums and even the rare poster that came with original copies of "Back To The Garden". Long-standing scribe for BGO and other reissues JOHN O'REGAN provides the new liner notes and potted history of Cartwright's career and Folky associations. The lovely Remasters are care of ANDREW THOMPSON - very pretty and clear. But that's where the good news ends.

I wish I could say that despite writing all his own material, Cartwright is a Nick Drake type discovery, unfortunately he isn't. When reissue-darlings Grapefruit Records tried to tempt me in May 2019 with their 3CD Clamshell Mini Box Set "Strangers In The Room: A Journey Through The British Folk Rock Scene 1967-1973" with Cartwright's jaunty "My Delicate Skin" included - I was unconvinced. 

That remains the same right across three whole albums. When I worked at Reckless in Berwick Street, this was the kind of weedy garden-fairy schlock Folk-Rock Transatlantic too often attempted to champion and couldn't sell. Cartwright had a voice not unlike say a lukewarm version of George Harrison or Clifford T. Ward - but without the tunes to make it worthwhile. It's like listening to a poor man's McGuinness Flint but without any of the genuine charm or melodies Gallagher & Lyle could so easily conjure up. 

Paul Brett plays Electric Guitar on "Good Times Are Coming Again" and the lady who blew everyone away in 1973 on "The Great Gig In The Sky" – Clare Torry giving it some oh oh oh on the song that ended Side 1 of Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side Of The Moon" is also on the first album. But in each case, it's not so you'd notice. Ray Fenwick of Quiver plays Guitar too and Barry De Sousa of Trees drums on some cuts. There are a lot of twee lyrics too, passable rather than inspiring or even moving. The real problem for me is that despite sounding great - especially as 1973 and 1974 loomed and the Production values were upped - the songs are singularly unimpressive - one after another. 

Still with the gorgeous presentation and quality transfer audio - fans will have to have it; but for anyone else, I'd advise a listen first...