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Take My Hand - a review by John Grenfell

It’s good to have you here with all the joy you bring

The cross that all northeast musicians have to bear is the reputation for music being a part of “having a good time”. I remain convinced that Lindisfarne never received their due credit because the were associated with parties, hats and, most commonly, Christmas. The serious sit still and nod your heads but don’t dare to tap your feet brigade never understood that music and dance is in our blood and that a crucial part of appreciation is the ability to interact with the sound in ways that add to the experience. The Anglo-Saxons do find this more difficult than their Celtic and African cousins who naturally express themselves through dance and song. The good folk of the north east also like nothing better than to party and respond to music without worrying too much about production values and other boring stuff. This is why a Happy Cats gig always ends up as a party even when held in a pub that started packed with punters who wanted to watch Spanish football on the telly.

The Happy Cats always look like they are the ones enjoying the experience more than anyone else which is not a bad thing because their enthusiasm and general joie de vivre is one of the main reasons why they are such a busy group of musicians. As well as their hectic gigging schedule you can find them  playing at weddings almost as frequently as Mendelssohn.

The question is whether the live sound transfers itself to the studio. It is five long years since the band’s delightful debut album Follow The Moon. There are songs from that album now firmly entrenched in the live set and particular favourites of the travelling bands of fans who know the words of every song.

Now they have finally had time to record again and the result is 12 songs under the title Take My Hand.

Like a greyhound that’s been caged for all those years, the first track, Skiddle-Le-De-Di-Day bursts out with unbridled joy, energy and enthusiasm and slobbers all over you. As a statement of intent it is brilliant, neatly encapsulating the most popular aspects of the live shows. It will surely be as popular with the fans as Whiskey in the Jar, Follow The Moon and Driftin’ Through for singing along with. The haunting mandolin part is provided by none other than Les Dodd proving he is much, much more than a pleasant plucker. The backing vocal is by Beverley Green (nee Craggs).

Walkin’ Down The Road gives Brian the opportunity to produce one of his trademark riffs (Is that what they are called on the accordion?). Les even has a guitar solo in a wonderful, catchy song that you can whistle after the first hearing. I love the shift to minor chords for the chorus. The song is beautifully decorated in the background by Dan Walsh’s banjo. Never thought I’d write  that sentence, but it’s true.

You say you love me, well that’s alright, if you’re gonna hold my hand hold it tight.

The title track Take My Hand is pure Happy Cats magic. They have another option as an encore with a memorable chorus that could be a favourite at weddings and other parties for years to come. In any other era, from the fifties to the nineties this song could have been a big, money spinning hit.

My early favourite is the next track,  My Tyne Valley. As a member of the North-eastern diaspora this one makes me want to go straight to Kings Cross Station. It will bring a tear to the eye of all exiled Geordies with the music and harmonies tugging at the heart strings. Louise Woodman’s  virtuosity on the Northumbrian Pipes caps it off by bringing a lump to the throat.

An amazing and unexpected  banjo and flute duet heralds in The Fire’s Still Burning. Marty’s vocal at its best with the lads joining in for another lively chorus. There’s also the first obvious appearance of the sax which will please the laydeez. That’s appropriate because it is a song about enduring love. I’ll have this on our anniversary as a thank you to my wife for allowing me to drag her to some unspeakable dives in pursuit of great music.

The tempo and mood slows for Just One Night, a good old-fashioned love song perfectly suited to Marty’s voice at its most soulful. There’s another lovely guitar solo from Mr Dodd who shines when his usual one man rhythm section is augmented by Steve Cunningham on bass and a certain Ray Laidlaw on the drums.

Watch that rainbow fall on hallowed ground

They’re at the heartstrings again in Northern Boy. “Across that bridge into the station, my salvation,” - why would anyone want to live away from this part of the country. An interesting banjo solo is followed by a full-on blast of the sax. I can see them dancing to this one already. This is also a track that is packed with musicality. Like a classic episode of Only Fools And Horses, you spot more in it with every listen. The interplay between Marty’s whistle and the violins of young Scottish fiddlers Carly Blain and Rachel Cross is simply breathtaking. Their beautiful playing is in fact woven throughout the album. Everyone who saw them support the band at the last Hallowe’en Ball will know exactly what I mean.

Slow down again for Look Around You. This is the Happy Cats homage to Sinatra’s My Way. The other man’s grass isn’t always greener. When you feel dissatisfied with the hand you’ve been dealt “maybe it’s time to sit down and look around you.”

On the other hand, things may just be downright bad. Feeling Lonely is a great sad song. When you are singing along and bouncing about to the Happy Cats, it’s easy to forget what a superb sound they make when the three of them  sing together in harmony. This song will remind you.

Kiss a Frog was inspired by the exploits of a well known, popular local character who likes a flutter. One day his accumulator needed just one more gee-gee to win to earn him a cool million pounds. Of course, the nag finished way down the field and yet another dream was shattered. But for a few fleeting hours life had taken him to the very edge.

Tonight in this room I have all I desire, I’m just a happy little cat by the fire.

By the Fire is a lovely, gentle song that I know I will play over and over again, wringing every drop of pleasure out of it. It is a real grower that I am beginning to like very much indeed. If I had to explain Marty Craggs to a martian, I would only need to play this song.

The final track is mysteriously entitled A Chuisle Mo Chroi. Roughly translated it means There’s Only One Brian Duffy. Actually, it means The Pulse Of My Heart. Brian does what he does best by using his music to take you on a journey through seas, rivers, mountains and glens. I’m waxing lyrical here because the first time I heard this I was in the car high at the end of Hastings Ridge with the Sussex Weald stretched out below like a huge patchwork quilt and the sea to my right outlined by the white cliffs that reach Dover a few miles along the coast. It made my heart swell as it will every time I hear it. Brian could certainly write music for film and TV and if ever he produces a solo album I'll be first in the queue for a copy.

Take My Hand is a bouncy, cheerful optimistic album that reflects the personalities and talents of the various players. The  irish, celtic and tamla influences are still evident in the music but the songs are clearly rooted in the northeast. That's not a bad thing. Show of Hands have traded for years on their west countryness. Indeed, last year they were actually voted the Greatest Ever Devonians. They even beat Sir Walter Raleigh into second place! Let the Happy Cats revel in being from the northeast with all of the advantage that brings. At various gigs in those unspeakable dives, I have heard rich praise for this unassuming band of talented musicians including "Quality, sheer quality" and "If there was any justice in the world, these guys would be millionaires". If affection, appreciation and loyalty were pound coins they already are.

 So far I haven’t found one track that I’d skip when it is playing in the car. I will one day when I get used to them all, as I have with every album I’ve ever owned. But for me at least it has been worth the five year wait as Les and Marty, have grown hugely as a writing partnership and Brian is...., well he is Brian, and this collection is very true to their live act and the generally joyous mood that they generate.